Sports Outage

Last week, sports columnist Steve Buckley came out of the closet. Given the amount of homophobia in the sports industry and the relative shortage of openly LGBT sports figures, having a noted columnist come clean about his gay sexual orientation is still a big deal (though fortunately it's becoming progressively less and less of a big deal).

Buckley's article in the Boston Herald, "Welcome to My coming Out Party," has been well received. Buckley says his mother told him to write the piece seven years ago, but when she died mere months later, he lost his nerve. “I’ve put this off long enough,” he said. “For too many years I’ve been on the sidelines of Boston’s gay community … figuratively and literally, as I feel I would have had a pretty good career in the (gay) Beantown Softball League.”

Every bit of visibility is good. Here are some of the most prominent LGBT names associated with various sports:

• Martina Navratilova, tennis player, came out in 1981
• Greg Louganis, swimmer, came out as gay and HIV+ in 1994
  
• Mike Penner, sports columnist, came out as trans in 2007
• John Amaechi, NBA player, came out in 2007
• Gareth Thomas, rugby player, came out in 2009
• Johnny Weir, figure skater, came out in 2011

Additionally, several retired NFL and MLB players have also come out of the closet, including David Kopay, Roy Simmons, Esera Tuaolo, Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.

Wikipedia has a "List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender sportspeople," which currently includes these atheletes:

A

• Allard, Jenny, US-American softball player^[1]
• Amaechi, John, basketball player (2007)^[1]
• Annan, Alyson, field hockey Gold medalist^[2]
• Arndt, Judith, cyclist^[3]

B

• Bagger, Mianne, pro golfer (2005)^[4]
• Bean, Billy, baseball player (1999)^[5]
• Berling, Thomas, footballer (2001)^[6]
• Burke, Glenn, baseball outfielder (1993)^[7]
• Byears, Latasha, basketball player (2003)^[8]

C

• Calderon, J.P., volleyball player and coach (2007)^[9]
• Cook, Natalie, beach volleyballer (2008) ^[10]
• Cranston, Toller, figure skater ^[11]
• Curry, John, figure skater (1976)^[12]
• Cusack, Dónal Óg, hurler (2009)^[13]

D

• Didrikson, Babe, athlete, golfer and baseballer^[14]
• Drolet, Nancy, hockey player (2002) ^[15]
• Dumaresq, Michelle, mountain biker (2002)^[16]
• Duplitzer, Imke, Olympic fencer^[17]

F

• Fashanu, Justin, footballer (1988)^[18]
• Fernández, Gigi, tennis professional^[15]

G

• Galindo, Rudy, Olympic figure skater (1996)^[19]
• Gallagher, Ed, offensive lineman for the University of Pittsburgh (1985)^[20]
• Giove, Missy, mountain biker (1994)^[21]
• Goldstein, Andrew, lacrosse goalie (2003)^[22]
• Guetschow, Joan, Olympic biathlete (1992, 1994)^[23]

H

• Hall, Matthew, figure skater (1992)^[24]
• Hammerseng, Gro, Handball player (2002)^[25]
• Hawkins, Kyle, Collegiate lacrosse coach (2006)^[26]
• Hayes, Bruce, Olympic swimmer^[27]
• Holst, Erika, ice hockey player (2006)^[28]
• Hull Jacobs, Helen, Tennis champion^[29]
• Hundvin, Mia, Norwegian handball player^[30]

J

• Jeffrey, Patrick, Olympic diver (1996)^[31]
• Jones, Rosie, Golfer^[15]
• Jordan, Orlando, American professional wrestler. (2006)^[32]

K

• Karlsson, Peter, ice hockey player^[33]
• Kenkhuis, Johan, Olympic swimmer (2004)^[34]
• King, Billie Jean, tennis professional (1981)^[35]
• Kloss, Ilana, Tennis player^[36]
• Kopay, David, NFL running back (1975)^[37]
• Kowalski, Daniel, Australian freestyle swimmer^[38]

L

• Leduc, Mark, Olympic boxer (1994)^[39]
• Lindberg, Ylva, ice hockey player (2006)^[28]
• Louganis, Greg, Olympic diver (1994)^[15]

M

• Mandlíková, Hana, tennis professional ^[40]
• Martínez, Conchita, tennis professional^[15]
• Mauresmo, Amélie, tennis professional (1999) ^[40]
• McCall, Rob figure skater (posthumous) ^[41]
• Metcalf, Holly, Olympic rower^[42]
• Mitcham, Matthew, Olympic diver (2008)^[43]
• Morgan, Chris, powerlifter^[44]

N

• Navratilova, Martina, tennis professional ^[45]
• Novotna, Jana, tennis professional ^[46]
• Nepela, Ondrej, figure skater ^[11]
• Newton, Rob, Athlete^[47]
• Nyad, Diana, swimmer ^[48]
• Nyberg, Katja, Handball player^[49]

O

• O'Meara, Ryan, figure skater (ice dancing discipline) (2008).^[50]
• Orser, Brian, Olympic figure skater (1998)^[51]
• Owens, Nigel, Welsh International rugby union referee (2007).^[52]
• Obziler, Tzipora (2007), tennis player^[46]

P

• Paris, Bob, bodybuilder (1983)^[53]
• Patterson, Pat, former professional wrestler^[15]
• Pichler, David, Olympic diver (1996)^[54]
• Pockar, Brian, figure skater (posthumous) ^[41]

R

• Raymond, Lisa, tennis player^[55]
• Richards, Renee, tennis player (1976)^[56]
• Robbins, Kelly, Golfer^[57]
• Roberts, Ian, rugby league player (1995)^[58]
• Rossner, Petra, Cyclist^[3]

S

• Sheehan, Patty, Golfer^[59]
• Skofterud, Vibeke Westbye, Norwegian cross country skier ^[60]
• Simmons, Roy, NFL offensive guard (1992)^[15]
• Skjellerup, Blake, Olympic short-track speed skater (2010)^[61]
• Smith, Jerry, NFL tight end (1977)^[62]
• Spencer-Devlin, Muffin, golf professional (1996) ^[45]
• Stubbs, Rennae, tennis professional^[63]
• Swoopes, Sheryl, basketball player (2005)^[64]

T

• Tait, Blyth Olympic Equestrian^[65]
• Tewksbury, Mark, Olympic swimmer^[42]
• Thate, Carole, Field hockey Bronze medalist^[2]
• Tilden, Bill, tennis professional (1920)^[66]
• Tinling, Ted, Tennis professional^[67]
• Thomas, Gareth, Rugby Player - Cardiff Blues, Wales and British and Irish Lions professional rugby player (2009)^[68]
• Tuaolo, Esera, NFL professional football player (2002)^[69]

V

• Van Gorp, Michele, basketball player (2004)^[15]
• Vaillancourt, Sarah, Canadian ice hockey player^[70]
• Vizaniari, Lisa-Marie, Olympic Athlete and Boxer^[15]
• Veatch, Dan, Olympic swimmer^[71]
• Vizaniari, Lisa-Marie, Olympic Athlete and Boxer^[15]

W

• Waddell, Tom, Olympic decathlete and creator of the Gay Games (1968)^[72]
• Wallace, Ji, Australian trampoline gymnast^[73]
• Wauters, Ann, basketball player ^[74]
• Webb, Karrie, golfer^[75]
• Whipple, Diane, lacrosse player^[76]
• Wicks, Sue, basketball player (2000)^[77]
• Wilson, David, figure skater, choreographer^[78]
• Wüst, Ireen, Dutch ice speed skater^[79]
• Wykes, Alissa, American footballer ^[15]

LGBT Horror and Heroism in Arizona

Daniel Hernandez is shown with Giffords in this image from his Facebook page.

Everyone has heard of the attempted assassination this past Saturday of democratic Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who survived though is seriously injured.

Not everyone necessarily knows about the LGBT connections to this story, though.

Rep. Giffords was a strong LGBT-positive official. The Human Rights Campaign gave Giffords an 81 percent pro-LGBT rating on its congressional scorecard for the 110th Congress. She supported repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and supports a trans-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

HRC said, “We are shocked and saddened by the events involving Congresswoman Giffords and our hearts go out to her and the other victims of this awful tragedy. Gabby Giffords is a champion for LGBT equality and a principled leader for Arizona.”

Here's her support record:

1)	Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913):
2)	Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act Motion to Recommit (H.R. 1913):
3)	Murphy Amendment to National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5136):
4)	Souder Amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3293):
5)	Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017) (Co-Sponsorship):
6)	Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act (H.R. 2625) (Co-Sponsorship):
7)	Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 3567) (Co-Sponsorship):
8)	Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1024) (Co-Sponsorship):
9)	Early Treatment for HIV Act (H.R. 1616) (Co-Sponsorship):

The second gay connection is Daniel Hernandez Jr., a 20-year-old University of Arizona student who’d been working as an intern for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (for five days), who is credited with saving her life after she was shot on Saturday.

HE is openly gay and serves as a Commissioner on the Tucson Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues.

According to the Arizona Republic, Hernandez was standing about 30 feet from Giffords during the “Congress on Your Corner” event outside a Safeway store near Tucson. When the gunshots began, Hernandez ran toward them and began checking the pulses of people who’d been hit. When Hernandez got to Giffords, he used his hand to apply pressure to the entry wound on her forehead. He pulled her into his lap and held her upright so she wouldn’t choke on her blood.

Hernandez used his hand to apply pressure to the wound until someone brought clean smocks from the meat department of the grocery store. He stayed with Giffords until paramedics arrived, then climbed into an ambulance with her.

Official records of events tend to downplay sexual orientation, but even when done for the best of reasons (e.g., to protect someone's privacy or because it shouldn't matter) it creates a kind of historical closet. It's important for everyone to be aware of how gay people and allies who support equality for gay folk are involved in the ordinary and tragic events of life.

Presidential Appointments (Amidst Disappointments)

Amidst dwindling hopes of any significant legislative progress under the hand of our current national executive officer (that's you, DADT!), there's still a definite cause of LGBT celebration from the president. Less than halfway through his first term, Barack Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in history, as well as the first openly trans appointee.

Gay activists say the estimate of more than 150 appointments so far – from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers – surpasses the previous high of about 140 reached during two full terms under President Bill Clinton. So, in less than half a term, Obama has had more LGBT appointments than any other president, including double-termed ones.

“From everything we hear from inside the administration, they wanted this to be part of their efforts at diversity,” said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Presidential Appointments Project of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.

In a sign of how times have changed, few of the appointees – about two dozen required Senate confirmation – have stirred much controversy. It’s a far cry from the 1993 furor surrounding Clinton’s nomination of then-San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant secretary for Housing and Urban Development.

Achtenberg was the first openly gay official to serve at such a senior level, and she won confirmation despite contentious hearings and opposition from NC's former Sen. Jesse Helms, who denounced her as a “militant extremist.”

Gay activists, among Obama’s strongest supporters, had hoped he would be the first to appoint an openly gay Cabinet secretary. While that hasn’t happened – yet – Obama did appoint the highest-ranking gay official ever when he named John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the nation’s 1.9 million federal workers.

Other prominent names include Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Fred Hochberg, chairman of the Export-Import Bank. Obama also named Amanda Simpson, the first openly transgender appointee, as a senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department. And David Huebner, ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, is the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye confirmed the record number, saying Obama has hired more gay officials than the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations combined. He said Obama “is proud that his appointments reflect the diversity of the American public.”

“He is committed to appointing highly qualified individuals for each post,” Inouye said. “We have made a record number of openly LGBT appointments and we are confident that this number will only continue to grow.”

Dison’s group lists 124 of the appointees on its website. He said the remainder are not listed because they are lower-level officials not formally announced by the White House.

“We learn about a lot of these through informal networks and then work to confirm that they are indeed appointed and that they are openly LGBT,” Dison said.

One Obama nominee who met some opposition was Chai Feldblum, a Georgetown University law professor nominated to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Concerned Women for America accused Feldblum of playing “a major role in pushing the homosexual and transsexual agenda on Americans.” Other conservative groups blasted her role in drafting the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, a bill that would ban employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Obama made Feldblum a recess appointment in March after an anonymous hold in the Senate held up her confirmation for months.

Another target for conservatives was Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, who was named to oversee the Education Department’s Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools. More than 50 House Republicans asked Obama to remove Jennings from the post after reports surfaced about advice he gave more than 20 years earlier after learning a gay student had sex with an older man.

Jennings conceded that he should have consulted medical or legal authorities instead of telling the 15-year-old boy that he hoped he had used a condom. The Obama administration defended Jennings and declined to remove him.

It was in early 2008 that the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute focused its Presidential Appointments Project on steering thousands of resumes of qualified gay professionals to White House jobs. Dison said that push has helped increase the numbers, though it certainly helped to have a more receptive White House.

The more LGBT folks that work within government at lower levels, the more visibility there is for the entire movement, and the more change will ultimately occur at higher levels.

In the end, lots of small advancements add up to huge ones.

What the activist saw ...

... at last night's LGBT Pride Month reception in the White House. Equality NC's Executive Director Ian Palmquist was in attendance.

You can watch the video here at the White House's website.

Here's the text:

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello! (Applause.) Hello, everybody! (Applause.) I was going to say welcome to the White House -- but you guys seem like you feel right at home. (Laughter.) You don't need me to tell you -- it’s the people’s house.

A couple of acknowledgements that I want to make very quickly -- first of all, our Director of the Office of Personnel Management, who has just done an extraordinary job across the government -- give John Berry a big round of applause. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: All right, John.

THE PRESIDENT: All right, John! (Laughter.)

Our chair of the Export/Import Bank, helping to bring jobs here to the United States of America -- Fred Hochberg. (Applause.) Our chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, doing outstanding work each and every day -- Nancy Sutley. Where is she? (Applause.) Nancy is a little vertically challenged, but I see her over there. (Laughter.)

We've got here a trailblazer for federal appointees -- we are so proud of her -- Ms. Roberta Achtenberg is here. Give Roberta a big round of applause. (Applause.) And then I understand we've got a terrific country singer -- Chely Wright is in the house. (Applause.)

In addition -- I know they had to leave because they had votes, but you guys obviously don't have just fiercer warriors on your behalf than a couple of our openly gay and lesbian members of Congress -- Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis. (Applause.) They are openly terrific. (Laughter.) They do great work.

And it is also great to have so many activists and organizers from around the country -- folks who fight every day for the rights of parents and children and partners and citizens to be treated equally under the law. And so we are very proud of all of you. (Applause.)

Oh, and by the way, the guy standing next to me -- this is Joe Biden. (Applause.) Just because he’s a Phillies fan -- he’s from Delaware. (Laughter.)

Now, look, the fact that we’ve got activists here is important because it’s a reminder that change never comes -- or at least never begins in Washington. It begins with acts of compassion -– and sometimes defiance -– across America. It begins when ordinary people –- out of love for a mother or a father, son or daughter, or husband or wife -– speak out against injustices that have been accepted for too long. And it begins when these impositions of conscience start opening hearts that had been closed, and when we finally see each other’s humanity, whatever our differences.

Now, this struggle is as old as America itself. It’s never been easy. But standing here, I am hopeful. One year ago, in this room, we marked the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall protests. (Applause.) Some of you were here, and you may remember that I pledged then that even at a time when we faced enormous challenges both on the economy and in our foreign policy, that we would not put aside matters of basic equality. And we haven’t.

We’ve got a lot of hard work that we still have to do, but we can already point to extraordinary progress that we’ve made over the past year on behalf of Americans who are gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender.

Just stay with me here for a second. Last year, I met with Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mom, and I promised her that after a decade’s-long struggle, we would pass inclusive hate crimes legislation. I promised that in the name of her son we would ensure that the full might of the law is brought down on those who would attack somebody just because they are gay. And less than six months later, with Judy by my side, we marked the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act. It’s now the law of the land. (Applause.)

Just a few moments ago, I met with Janice Langbehn and her children. Where did Janice go? There they are right there. And when Janice’s partner of 18 years, Lisa, suddenly collapsed because of an aneurysm, Janice and the couple’s three kids were denied the chance to comfort their partner and their mom -- barred from Lisa’s bedside. It was wrong. It was cruel. And in part because of their story, I instructed my Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, to make sure that any hospital that’s participating in Medicare or Medicaid -– that means most hospitals -- (laughter) -- allow gay and lesbian partners the same privileges and visitation rights as straight partners. (Applause.)

After I issued that memorandum, I called Janice and I told her the news. And before we came out here today, I wanted to make sure that I had followed up -- Secretary Sebelius will officially be proposing this regulation. And I can also announce that the Secretary has sent a letter today asking these hospitals to adopt these changes now -– even before the rule takes effect. (Applause.) Nothing can undo the hurt that her -- that Janice’s family has experienced. And nothing can undo the pain felt by countless others who’ve been through a similar ordeal –- for example, Charlene Strong is here. She lost her wife, Kate Fleming -- and Charlene is here along with Kate’s mom, who said on behalf of all mothers, thank you. Because we think it’s the right thing to do. (Applause.)

In addition, I’ve issued an executive order[SIC]* to extend as many partnership benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees as possible under current law. And I’m going to continue to fight to change the law: to guarantee gay federal employees the exact same benefits as straight employees -– including access to health insurance and retirement plans. (Applause.) And in an announcement today, the Department of Labor made clear that under the Family and Medical Leave Act, same-sex couples –- as well as others raising children -– are to be treated like the caretakers that they are. (Applause.)

Because I believe in committed -- I believe that committed gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country, I have called for Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. (Applause.) We are pushing hard to pass an inclusive employee non-discrimination bill. (Applause.) No one in America should be fired because they’re gay. It’s not right, it’s not who we are as Americans, and we are going to put a stop to it.

And finally, we’re going to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. (Applause.) That is a promise I made as a candidate. It is a promise that I reiterated as President. It’s one that this administration is going to keep. Now, the only way to lock this in -– the only way to get the votes in Congress to roll back this policy -- is if we work with the Pentagon, who are in the midst of two wars.

And that’s why we were gratified to see, for the first time ever, the Secretary of Defense, Bob Gates, testify in favor of repeal. And the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, has repeatedly and passionately argued for allowing gay men and women to serve honestly in the military. (Applause.) We know that forcing gay and lesbian soldiers to live a lie or to leave the military, that doesn’t contribute to our security -- it harms our security.

And thanks to Patrick Murphy and others, for the first time in history, the House has passed a repeal that would allow gay men and women to openly serve in our armed forces. And this repeal is authored so that the Pentagon can complete its review of the policy -- which is critical, by the way, not only to passage, but it’s also critical to making sure that the change is accepted and implemented effectively. In the Senate, the Armed Services Committee has approved repeal for the first time, and the full body is poised to vote soon.

So here’s the bottom line: We have never been closer to ending this discriminatory policy. And I’m going to keep on fighting until that bill is on my desk and I can sign it. (Applause.)

Of course, ultimately, change is about more than just policies in our government. And that’s why I want to close by recognizing all the young people who are here -– I had a chance to take a bunch of pictures with them, just really impressive folks who are advocating on their behalf. I know there are some in the audience who have experienced pain in their lives, who at times have been -- felt like outcasts, who have been scorned or bullied, and I know that there are families here on behalf of loved ones who are no longer with us, some in part because of the particularly difficult challenges that gay men and women still face.

This is a reminder that we all have an obligation to ensure that no young person is ever made to feel worthless or alone -- ever. Now, at the same time, I think there’s plenty of reason to have some hope for many of the young people including those who are here today. They’ve shown incredible courage and incredible integrity -- standing up for who they are. They’ve refused to be anything less than themselves.

And we all remember being young -- sort of. (Laughter.) But it’s not easy. It’s not easy standing up all the time and being who you are. But they're showing us the way forward. These young people are helping to build a more perfect union, a nation where all of us are equal; each of us is free to pursue our own versions of happiness.

And I believe because of them that the future is bright. It’s certainly bright for them. Of course, it does depend on all of us. It depends on the efforts of government and the activism of ordinary citizens like yourselves. It depends on the love of families and the support of communities. And I want you all to know that as this work continues, I’m going to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you, fighting by your side every step of the way. (Applause.)

So, thank you. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

Got Milk? Also SUCCESS from Mon!

This Saturday, May 22, is a day of note for all LGBT and allied folks.

This is Harvey Milk's birthday, and a state government (California) has made it a holiday.

Public schools throughout California will be encouraged to conduct lessons “remembering the life of Harvey Milk, recognizing his accomplishments and familiarizing pupils with contributions he made.” Harvey is only the second Californian to receive this honor. (Conservationist John Muir was the first, and he's since got his picture on the CA quarter.)

The historical contributions of gay folks are often omitted from education. Silence and shame have prevented or obscured the LGBT identity of many historical figures.

Harvey Milk, whose motto was “come out, come out, wherever you are” (along with "I'm here to recruit you!"), is quite appropriate as the first LGBT figure to be officially recognized with a day of significance for championing gay rights.

Seeing a gay person celebrated should provide a boost to all of us, and for LGBT folks considering suicide, it may even provide a lifeline. Visiblity is critical for showing that LGBT issues are simply human issues.

==========
UPDATE: If you took action on Monday's blog, be proud! It worked! We won! The Department of Energy released the following statement:

"Some of Professor Katz's controversial writings have become a distraction from the critical work of addressing the oil spill. Professor Katz will no longer be involved in the Department's efforts."

Thank you for helping us make this happen. It's easy to feel like online activism doesn't make a difference, and here is literal evidence that it, in fact, really does!

Equality in the News December 4th-December 11th

Here’s this week’s round up everyone. I’m sad to say that this will probably be my last entry because my time interning at Equality N.C. has come to an end. I’ve learned a lot in the semester that worked with everyone and hope to continue to do my part for the striving for equality.

-Jennifer

STATE

Domestic Partnership Benefits in Mecklenburg Co.

In last week’s Equality in the News post, I reported that Mecklenburg county was in the process of deciding when and if a discussion of domestic partner benefits would take place in the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners meeting. I’m proud to report that on December 15th, domestic partner benefits will be discussed on the regular meeting agenda!

NATION

GLSEN’s “Think Before You Speak” Campaign

Recently, GLSEN launched an online campaign encouraging people to “Think before they speak,” when using offensive terms in reference to LGBTs or in reference or substitution for other words. The original campaign started in 2008 with celebrity endorsed T.V. commercials, but now has taken over the internet with participants in the campaign having access to downloadable ad banners, blog modules and slur counters for their own blogs and social networking sites (such as twitter and facebook).

Delayed Equal Marriage vote for NJ & Bruce Springsteen

Senate President Richard Codey has honored the request to delay Thursday’s scheduled vote on NJ’s bill to legalize equal marriage. Other senators believe the bill will not receive the 21 votes needed to pass.

Speaking of NJ, Bruce Springsteen is backing equal marriage for NJ! Springsteen recently posted a statement on his website urging support of the equal marriage bill (that has since been delayed from Thursday’s original date).

California School District Bans LGBT friendly Curriculum (Lesson 9)

The Alameda school district is in conflict over a 45-minute lesson taught once a year that emphasizes anti-bullying lessons in six specific forms, including bullying specific to LGBT students. Many parents in the community feel that elementary school is “too early,” for their students to learn about LGBT citizens. Other families feel as though the lesson should continue on counts that students as young as elementary school have been heard using offensive language and phrases towards LGBT.

The district, although torn, has decided to opt-out of lesson 9, supposedly to protect itself from further lawsuits.

California Chooses First Openly Gay Assembly Speaker

On Thursday, Assembly Democrats unanimously chose John Perez (the chairman of the Assembly Democratic Caucus) to be its next speaker. Perez will take over the position from Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (elected in February 2008). Congrats to John Perez!

WORLD

Austrian Parliament gives OK to Civil Unions

On Thursday, Austria’s parliament passed legislation allowing civil unions for same-sex couples. The bill will become a law on January 1st, 2010 and give the couples access to a pensions and alimonies. Unlike straight couples, same-sex couples won’t be able to record their unions with the civil registry office, but with another authority instead.