Equality in the News: June 6 - June 12, 2009

This week's Equality in the News is brought to you by one of our fabulous new interns, Harmony! Don't be fooled by the "Posted by: Wes" at the bottom, because it was all her, and she did a great job! :) Let's get right to it...

So what is happening?

In the legislature …

• News 14 Carolina questions the changes made to the Healthy Youth Act in committee last Wednesday. Watch or read their report.
• Our friend Sean Kosofsky of NARAL Pro-Choice NC posted about the Senate gutting the Healthy Youth Act over at the Progressive Pulse.
  
• The Fayetteville Observer did a great editorial in support of passing the School Violence Prevention Act.
  
• A correspondent of The Durham News writes that “Bullying laws must cover gays,” connecting the “School Violence Prevention Act” to personal experiences to defend the enumeration.
• Q-Notes has the story of how North Carolina’s only openly lesbian Senator, Julia Boseman, was also the only legislator to vote against a resolution in which “The General Assembly of North Carolina expresses its appreciation for the life and public service of Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr., and honors his memory,” although many members of the Black legislative caucus were purposefully absent during the voting.
• Our video to raise awareness about the School Violence Prevention Act, which encourages you to take action now has been featured on Pam's House Blend and The Independent Weekly blog. Check it out, if you haven't already!

Around the state …

• The Winston-Salem Journal tells about the small but passionate group protesting the ruling on Prop 8 last Saturday, not on Sunset Boulevard, but in our own downtown Greensboro.
• “After election time, we noticed a lot of people talking, wanting change and not having a good way to channel that energy into something,” says 19-year-old Alison Bryan to The Daily Tar Heel. A Chapel Hill native, Bryan co-organized this evening’s concert, Boomtown Live, both to promote civil rights and to resuscitate the declining Chapel Hill music scene. Some proceeds from the concert will support our own Equality – thanks Alison and Jonathon!
• The Carolina Peacemaker explores the experiences of, and resources for, LGBT individuals in Guilford County, NC. Check out this interesting read!
  

In the nation …

Don’t ask about the state of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” and Obama, don’t tell us to wait. Fox News reported back in January that the Obama administration planned to repeal the discriminatory policy, but this week the Supreme Court denied the appeal by discharged officer, James Pietrangelo II, against it. No comment from the White House. President Obama may have named June “LGBT Pride month,” but if the nation is really proud of its LGBT members – and their service to their country – then it’s time it took a stand.

• The Associated Press reports that a Quinnipiac University poll shows that a majority of Americans support the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, yet the Supreme Court shut down former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II’s appeal this week. No word from Capitol Hill...
• The Star-Ledger brings us an interesting editorial “Revisting the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy” which provides a good counter to the “bad for morale” argument...
• Por los que hablan español: Qué.es nos diga que “La máxima instancia judicial estadounidense decidió no aceptar la apelación planteada por el ex capitán del Ejército James Pietrangelo II, contrario a la política de "no preguntes, no lo digas" que sigue el Pentágono respecto a los homosexuales.” Obama, ¿dónde estás?

That does it for this week's roundup!