VERMONT – A Vermont inn is being sued by a lesbian couple from New York for refusing to host their wedding reception. Kate Baker and Ming Linsley said the Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville turned them away last autumn after the owners realized that they were lesbians. “When the Wildflower Inn told us last fall that…
CALIFORNIA – Following Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing of legislation requiring public schools to include the contributions of the LGBT community in their curriculum, anti-equality advocates have initiated a ballot referendum to ask California voters to overturn the legislation. The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act amends the Education Code to include the contributions…
Hate violence targeting LGBT people is on the rise nationally, according to a newly-released report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). Crimes in San Diego, by contrast, remain relatively unchanged. NCAVP released its annual Hate Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Communities in the United States in 2010 report last…
“In any elected or appointed capacity by which I may have the honor of serving our fellow citizens in these United States, I … do hereby solemnly vow to honor and to cherish, to defend and to uphold, the institution of marriage as only between one man and one woman.” – An excerpt from “The…
ARKANSAS – A newspaper in Arkansas has insulted a local gay man by omitting him from the obituary of his partner of ten years. Terrance James had submitted an obituary of his partner John Christopher Millican to The Batesville Daily Guard which the paper then edited by removing James’ name. Subsequently, the Gay and Lesbian…
FLORIDA – Notoriously anti-gay reggae star Buju Banton has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of three cocaine related charges. In their verdict the 12 member jury in Tampa, Fla. declared Banton guilty on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He was also…
CALIFORNIA – Last week, a Department of Education investigation found Tehachapi Unified School District was negligent in intervening in the harassment of Seth Walsh. Walsh, a 13-year-old Jacobsen Middle School student, committed suicide in 2010 after he was the victim of severe harassment due to his nonconformity with gender stereotypes. In a 20-page letter, the…
CALIFORNIA – Jean Harris, an ex-deputy mayor of San Francisco and former executive director of California Alliance for Pride and Equality (CAPE), has died at home in Palm Springs from complications due to several health issues. She was 66. CAPE later became Equality California. Equality California Interim Executive Director Jim Carroll said in a statement,…
CALIFORNIA – The California state Senate Judiciary Committee has passed the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 887) in a 3-2 vote. The bill is authored by Assemblymember Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and is sponsored by Equality California and the Transgender Law Center. If passed, AB 887 will strengthen employment, housing and other civil rights protections for…
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has told reporters that her department “fully intends to collect LGBT data, through federal surveys.” In response to a question from the Washington Blade Sebelius said, “So it is definitely a commitment. We will be adding data questions to the national health surveys. And right…
