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US: Christine Quinn formally announces bid to become NYC s first openly gay and first female mayor
Quinn married her long time partner Kim Catullo, in New York City last May. She is expected to have the backing of the city s current mayor, who will be stepping down at the end of his final term, Michael Bloomberg. She has drawn criticism for her closeness to Bloomberg, who was a Republican-turned-Independent.
I m about keeping New York City a place for the middle class to live and grow and a place that is going to help those hard working people get into the middle class, she says in the video. I m not about talking and finger-pointing and complaining; I m about getting things done. If elected to the post, Quinn would not only be the first openly gay mayor of New York City, but also the first female.
Last year Quinn called on fast-food outlet Chick-fil-A to leave New York because of its anti-equality views. She wrote to the president of New York University where Chick-fil-A has an outlet, urging him to break off his relationship with the chain. Also last year Michael Bloomberg, used his much sought after endorsement for Barack Obama for the US presidential election, citing a need for strong leadership, and President Obama s support for equal marriage.
An advocate of equal marriage, and supporter of equal marriage campaigns in four US states, Mayor Bloomberg personally pledged $500,000 ( 312,000) towards equal marriage efforts in Washingon, Maine and Minnesota. He had previously pledged $250,000 ( 155,000) to help towards making equal marriage legal in the state of Maryland. Quinn s campaign launch video is available to watch below.
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Gay rights activists warn of reintroduction of Section 28 style discrimination in Scotland s schools
The Equality Network has voiced concerns that through the current consultation around it, the new law could be taken advantage of those opposed to gay rights, such as politicians and religious groups. The Scottish Government is currently consulting on its upcoming law to legalise equal marriage, and has sought opinions on its Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill, including on areas such as education. Scotland For Marriage, a group opposed to equal marriage, has already raised concerns about what will be taught in schools, arguing that parents should have the right to opt their children out of lessons mentioning equal marriage.
Tom French, policy co-ordinator at the Equality Network, said; We are deeply concerned that opponents of same-sex marriage are attempting to reintroduce Section 28 style discrimination back into Scotland s schools. He added that the group was concerned that opponents were attempting to reintroduce Section 28 by stealth. This would roll back equality and have a damaging effect on young people and the wider education system.
We firmly believe that school should be a welcoming environment for all young people, regardless of their sexual orientation or family situation. Schools have a duty of care to their pupils and it would be wrong to allow discrimination against LGBT people in the education system. Meanwhile, a briefing on the equal marriage consultation Christian organisation CARE for Scotland said: Concerns have been expressed that should so-called same-sex marriage be introduced it is likely that children will be taught in school that marriage can be between two people of the same sex.
To raise a generation of children with such a subjective view of marriage, is a huge social experiment which is likely to result in severely detrimental consequences. Arguably it may even increase the occurrence of homosexual relationships. The consultation on its draft legislation opposed by the Church of Scotland and the nation s Catholic Church will last until March.
The Scottish Government has pushed ahead with its equal marriage bill and said that all religious institutions including the Church of Scotland will be free to decide for themselves if they would like to provide marriages for gay couples.
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Gay rights activists warn of reintroduction of Section 28 style discrimination in Scotland s schools
The Queen to publicly address anti-gay discrimination for the first time
The charter reads: We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds. The other grounds clause in the charter is intended to refer to sexuality, however specific references to gay and lesbian people were omitted due to some Commonwealth countries with anti-gay laws, reports the Daily Mail. The Queen is expected to refer to rights which must include everyone , and insiders are noting the appearance as a nod to inclusivity.
A diplomatic source said: The impact of this statement on gay and women s rights should not be underestimated. Nothing this progressive has ever been approved by the United Nations. And it is most unusual for the Queen to request to sign documents in public, never mind call the cameras in.
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace, said: In this charter, the Queen is endorsing a decision taken by the Commonwealth. But he added: The Queen does not take a personal view on these issues. The Queen s position is apolitical, as it is on all matters of this sort.
Prior to tomorrow s appearance, the Queen has been in talks with Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, who has led the initiative. Last month, he said: We oppose discrimination or stigmatisation on any grounds. Royal aides have also been in discussion with Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has backed the drive for better gay rights, and gender equality.
Gay rights advocates have voiced strong opinions in the past, on the fact that the Queen is a patron of over 600 charities, however none of them are for gay rights. Queen Elizabeth II has never publicly voiced her support of equal rights for gay people. Ben Summerskill of Stonewall, said the Queen had taken an historic step forward on gay rights, and said The Palace has finally caught up with public opinion.
He also said it was significant that the Queen was publicly acknowledging the importance of the six per cent of her subjects who are gay. Some of the worst persecution of gay people in the world takes place in Commonwealth countries as a result of the British Empire. Welsh Conservative MP David Davies said: I fail to see why the Queen needs to make a special statement on this country s opposition to discrimination against gays and women.
It is a statement of the blindingly obvious. My worry is the politically correct brigade will use it to silence legitimate debate about issues like gay marriage. One can t help wondering what Prince Philip s view would be.
Davies, who recently suggested most parents would prefer their children not to be gay , dismissed accusations that he is a homophobe by reminding people of his participation in an amateur boxing match against a gay fighter. Homosexual acts are illegal in 41 of the 54 Commonwealth nations, and penalties include the death sentence in parts of Nigeria and Pakistan, 25 years in jail in Trinidad and Tobego, 20 years plus flogging in Malaysia and life imprisonment in Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Bangladesh and Guyana. Only five Commonwealth countries recognise same-sex relationships: the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
The charter, to be signed at London s Marlborough House, Pall Mall, is not directly linked to the issue of accession, the Queen s acceptance of it could signal a change in Royal accession rights for males and females. Before making her address, the Queen will celebrate the charter in a service at Westminster Abbey, where she will be joined by singer Beverly Knight, rock band the Noisettes and Sir Richard Branson. Beverly Knight has in the past spoken out against the blatant homophobia in a great deal of music from black artists including Beenie Man.
In May 2012, the founder of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, became the most high profile figure at that point to film a video for the Out4Marriage campaign, which calls for global equal marriage for gay couples.
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US: City Council hopeful may lose place after allegations of using homophobic slurs
During the council meeting, Friedman said: I wouldn t bring this up if this was not a very long series of posts around the Internet on blog sites, on YouTube, that are extremely disturbing, that are racist, homophobic, misogynist, threatening and really beyond something that we as a city can afford to have associated with one of our commissioners. A user named Zareh Sinanyan, had been posting comments on Youtube, as well as other websites, including homophobic, Islamophobic and racist views, up until around five years ago, according to an email sent to at least three City Council members. The allegations arose after a Glendale Blog, sent screenshots of the comments to the council.
Some of the comments were posted in response to other users, however a Facebook comment from September 2012, allegedly left by the City Council hopeful, on the Armenian National Committee of America included a racial slur against mongolians. Another reads: Fuck you, fucking faggot. Name the place bitch.
Tell me where you are and I will be happy to meet you and shove a big tennis racquet up your vratsi ass. Most of the original comments had been removed from Facebook and YouTube. Both Friedman and Councilman Ara Najarian had moved to have the City Council consider taking the accused off the city Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee at Tuesday s meeting.
In an election on 2 April, both Najarian and Friedman are seeking re-election, and are among 12 candidates, including Sinanyan, running for three seats. Sinanyan was appointed to the committee in November 2009 by Najarian and he served as chairman between 2009 and 2011. Friedman and Najarian declined to comment on the case ahead of Tuesday s meeting.
A spokesman for the council said that some people believed the comments were placed there as a cruel hoax . Scott Lowe, a blogger who reported the images, said that it appeared the posts were made anonymously, but that when Sinanyan linked his YouTube and Google+ accounts, the site retroactively connected his name to all comments made prior. He said the comments were removed this week, as emails began circulating.
The agenda for Tuesday s meeting read: City staff has not verified and does not and cannot represent that these posts or any other posts were made by Mr. Sinanyan. The accused s campaign director, Elen Asatryan, said: Since the City Council has chosen to place this on its agenda, he will address those concerns on Tuesday.
Several local leaders have pulled out from supporting Sinanyan, until it is proven that he did not write the comments. They include Representative Adam Schiff, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti, and City Councilman Paul Krekorian. Krekorian wrote to Sinanyan on Friday to say that he was withdrawing his support.
He said: While I very much hope that the facts will demonstrate that you have no connection to these vile comments, until such time I cannot even impliedly lend my support to intolerant viewpoints and language that are contrary to everything I believe. On the campaign Facebook page for Sinanyan, his supporters have referred to these allegations as a smear campaign . Unfortunately it has become a common practice in this town that if you cannot beat an individual and/or when you feel that you have no possible chance against a candidate of Zareh s caliber, start spreading lies and rumors in order to distract people from the real issues, posted Sam Manoukian, a current member of Glendale s Civil Service Commission.
I promise you that we will diligently work to find out who is behind this smear campaign and hold them responsible for their actions.
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US: Illinois Republican party chairman may be ousted for same-sex marriage support
It strengthens and reinforces a key Republican value that the law should treat all citizens equally. Mr Brady said of the special meeting that it enforced public perception that the Republican party is a group of old white guys , but said he would respect the decision of the committee. State Central Committeeman Jim Oberweiss predicted that the special meeting would get the required three-fifths of committee support needed to vote Mr Brady out of the position.
When you start publicly lobbying against a plank in our state and national party platforms, without even discussing with or advising the board of directors, I think he s gone too far. We d have exactly the same reaction if suddenly Pat decided to talk about the merits of Obamacare, Mr Oberweiss added. The National Organisation for Marriage (NOM) organised a campaign to flood committee members with emails calling for Mr Brady to be ousted.
In February NOM pledged to spend $500,000 ( 329,000) to defeat any pro-equal marriage Republicans. Former Republican Governor Jim Edgar, who is anti-marriage equality, said he felt Mr Brady had done a thankless job , and cautioned against ousting him from his role, saying the party would be damaged for firing a major figure over their a personal view on a social issue. If you re concerned about the future of the party, if this is how it s perceived, We got rid of him because he s for same-sex marriage, long term that could have a detrimental effect on the party, he said.
In many ways Mr Brady s support echoed that of the British Prime Minister David Cameron who said I don t support gay marriage in spite of being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I am a Conservative. Just like the Conservative back-benchers in the UK who oppose David Cameron s support for equality, Republican politicians have condemned Mr Brady s support.
I was shocked, Mr Oberweiss said: Very surprised. Did not expect that and didn t know why he would have done that. There were even calls from within the party for Mr Brady to resign, which he resisted.
Mr Brady stood by his support saying: If people want to throw me out because I took on an issue of discrimination as the chairman of the Republican Party, the party founded by Abraham Lincoln, then that s that s up to them and they re free to do it. But I m not backing down. Discuss this Get the latest LGBT headlines in your inbox with our free daily newsletter!
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GLAAD to present award to director Brett Ratner who dropped out of Academy Awards for using anti-gay slur
The Tower Heist director later announced that he was to produce and direct a GLAAD video campaign to promote equality for gay and trans people. GLAAD will present Ratner with the prestigious Ally award at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on 16 March. GLAAD president Herndon Graddick, released a statement regarding the award, and referred to Ratner s support of Christine Quinn, an openly gay New York City mayoral candidate.
He said: I ve never worked with someone so willing to put the past behind and move forward to make a difference, whether by our campaign or by hosting a fundraiser in his home to help elect the first lesbian mayor of New York, This is an example of a man willing to put his ego aside and roll up his sleeves for LGBT, Graddick continued. I m proud to have worked with him and I consider him a friend. I don t think Brett Ratner was ever a homophobe, said Graddick, only met Ratner after the controversy.
I think he said something stupid. Getting to know him has borne that out. Last weekend GLAAD confirmed that Madonna would attend the awards, to hand over the Vito Russo award to TV host, Anderson Cooper.
A poll was released recently which suggests that New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, could be in with a chance of becoming the first openly gay, and first female mayor of the city.
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London: Anti-gay marriage public meeting at Tooting Mosque in response to Muslim MPs support for equal marriage
According to the organisers, it s in response to the huge controversy of last month s decision of the majority of British Muslim MPs to support the government same-sex marriage bill. Muslim MPs Rushanara Ali (Labour), Sajid Javid (Conservative) Shabana Mahmood (Labour) and Anas Sarwar (Labour) voted in favour. Britain s most senior Muslim MP, shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan, has recently received death threats for voting in support of the bill.
The Chair of the Wandsworth LGBT forum, David Robson, became aware of the meeting on Friday afternoon after a member of the forum came across an advert near his home. Mr Robson told PinkNews.co.uk that the forum was worried about what potentially could be said at the meeting and the impact on the reputation of the borough as the meeting sends out an anti-gay message . According to Mr Robson, the Metropolitan Police has been informed of the meeting.
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FBI investigates gay and racist hate incidents at Ohio s Oberlin College
In one instance, a note was left in the Multicultural Resource Center that read Nigger + Faggot Center. In the same month, a poster was defaced to say Year of the Queer . Oberlin College was one of the first university s in America to allow racial integration between white and black students.
Classes were cancelled on Monday 4 March after a report of someone wearing what looked like a Ku Klux Klan-type hooded robe on campus. Oberlin College declared Monday a Day of Solidarity and President Marvin Krislov said in a statement: We hope today will allow the entire community students, faculty, and staff to make a strong statement about the values that we cherish here at Oberlin: inclusion, respect for others, and a strong and abiding faith in the worth of every individual. Indeed, the strength of Oberlin comes from our belief that diversity and openness enriches us all, and enhances the educational mission at its core.
Campus Pride previously gave Oberlin 5-out-of-5 for gay-friendliness.
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US: Texas woman charged for beating son with electrical cable for gay sex act
Moore said: My cousin, at the time, he was 18. My son he was 15, and I had walked in the room on my cousin giving oral sex to my son and I started whooping my son, and I m the one who got in trouble as a result of me whooping him. She added: It was just disgusting to me, the way he was looking and my cousin was looking, and my cousin immediately ran out the door.
The police department told me that it was consensual, but they was committing a homosexual act in my house and we are totally against that. So I whooped my son and about three or four months later they came and arrested me for abuse. As well as justifying her actions based on her disgust , Moore said she had beaten her son because she had also been beaten that way as a child.
She added that she did not discriminate, as she would have done the same thing if she had caught her daughter in a similar position. She said: What do you do in a situation like that where I m catching my son having sex? It would be no different than me catching my daughter and she had a boy in the house and me disciplining her for having a boy in the house.
Moore is facing a Class-A misdemeanour assault charge, which has the potential to result in a jail sentence. She remains adamant that she did not act wrongly, and claims that the police officer who charged her had said that, off the record, he would have done the same. This was denied by the Police Department.
Moore said: Even that day when the police officer came out here, he told me out of his own mouth, If it was me and I walked in on my child, he said, parent to parent I probably would have shot him. I probably would have shot both of them. But with the law you can t, you re not allowed to put whoops on him.
He said you can whoop him, but you re not allowed to leave any marks on him. Chief Dan Dennis of the Forest Hill Police Department said that Moore had lied about the officer s comments. He told CBS: Miss Moore s statement of the officer s alleged inappropriate comments are simply untrue.
The conversation was recorded. The officer s conduct was entirely professional. The Forest Hill Police Department does not discriminate against any citizen based on sexual orientation.
The 18 year old cousin could potentially be charged, but Moore has refused to allow police to interview her son. The Police Department said The fact that we couldn t interview the victim hindered us from furthering the case. Discuss this Get the latest LGBT headlines in your inbox with our free daily newsletter!
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