National News Briefs compiled by Dennis McMillan
Bent, Alaska - Episcopal Bishop of Alaska Endorses Prop 5, Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative – 3.1
Upstate New York- American Family Association Attacks Archie- 2.28 After failing to convince JC Penney to f ire Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson because she is openly gay, the American Family Association’s group, One Million Moms, is putting Toys R Us in its crosshairs for selling an “Archie” comic book that features a gay marriage. Select Toys R Us stores are now selling “Archie” comic books with a same-sex wedding displayed on the front cover, which reads “Just Marr ied” w ith t wo men marr y ing and one is wearing a service uniform. This comic book is being sold in select stores across the country.
The Right Rev. Mark Lattime, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of A laska, is endorsing Proposition 5, the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative, which will appear on the April 3 Anchorage municipal ballot. With 50 Episcopal congregations from tiny subsistence villages to major metropolitan centers, the Diocese of A laska encompasses the entire state of A laska. There was disapproval from some Catholics over Lattime’s commitment to LGBT ministry. While at Rochester, Lattime had been a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester’s Committee for Gay and Lesbian Ministr y. He is married with three children. Bishop Lattime af f irmed his commitment to LGBTQ equality in a letter to Rev. Michael Burke, rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and convener of Christians for Equality.
The homophobic group demands that Toys R Us “remove all the same-sex ‘Just Married – Archie’ comic books immediately from your shelves” before children are “exposed to same-sex marriage.” They rant on, “These comic books are displayed at the front checkout counters so they are highly visible to employees, managers, customers and children.” The One Million Moms sample letter to the company ends with the line, “My decision to shop in your stores depends on it.”
The Episcopal Church is one of four mainline Christian denominations — the others being the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church ( USA) — which have opened opportunities for full membership, leadership, and service to LGBTQ persons. The Episcopal Church’s 2009 General Convention af f irmed that “gays and lesbians (that are) in lifelong committed relationships,” may be ordained, saying that “God has called and may call such individuals to any ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.”
Fight on for the “family,” you fools! Source: People for the American Way
Source: Alaska GLBT News and Events
Brownsville, Tennessee - HRC Calls on Tennessee School District to Take Action against Anti-LGBTQ Principal -3.1 Los Angeles, CA- Chad Griffin Becomes Next President of Human Rights Campaign- 3.2 Chad Grif f in, founding board member of the American Foundat ion for Equa l R ights (A F E R), w i l l become the next president of Human Rights Campaign. A FER is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. After bringing together Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, A F ER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality for all Americans. “I cannot think of anyone better to take the helm of t he Human R ights Campa ig n t han my dear fr iend and colleague Chad Grif f in,” said Olson. “There is no one more passionate, more resourcefu l or more ef fective than Chad. His brilliant and visionary leadership makes me conf ident that one day, ver y soon, ever y A mer ica n w i l l be t reated equa l ly u nder t he law. HRC is extraordinarily lucky to have him.”
The Human R ights Campaign is calling on the Hay wood Count y School Board to immed iately look into reports that Hay wood High School pr incipal Dorothy Bond has made a number of of fensive anti-LGBTQ statements, including telling a lesbian student she was going to hell because of her sexual orientation. HRC launched a petition calling on members and supporters to speak out against the incident, and within the f irst four hours the action garnered 5,000 signatures. A c c or d i n g t o t he AC LU -Ten ne s s e e, mu lt iple compla ints came in fol low ing a Febr uar y 9 assembly during which Bond reportedly said LG BTQ st udents were “r uin ing t heir l ives” wh i le discussing the school’s public display of af fection policy. Other reports indicate this isn’t the f irst t ime Bond has extolled ant i-LGBTQ sent iment – one parent told a local media outlet that Bond once said any boy who had his hair braided must be gay.
“Time after time over the past several years, Chad has proven that he is easily one of the most sk illed strategists and tacticians in American politics today,” said Boies. “I cannot think of a better person to lead HRC into the future.”
This is also not the f irst anti-LGBTQ incident in a Tennessee school this year. In the fall, the principal at Sequoyah High School in Madisonv ille shoved a straight ally student who was advocating for the formation of a gay-straight alliance in the school. Faculty members at the school had been intimidated against sponsoring the club, thus obstructing its formation.
Source: Human Rights Campaign
Source: Human Rights Campaign
Washington, D.C.- Senators Join Growing Group Sponsoring Marriage in Democratic Plank- 3.2 Now 19 senators have joined a growing number of politicians and advocates who have endorsed including a freedom to marry plank in the Democratic Party’s 2012 national platform. They include Senators Michael Bennet ( D-CO), R ichard Blumenthal ( D-CT ), Barbara Boxer ( D-CA), Sherrod Brown ( D-OH), Ben Cardin ( DMD), Chris Coons ( D-DE), Dianne Feinstein ( D-CA), A l Franken ( D -M N ), K irsten Gillibrand ( D-N Y ), Tom Harkin ( D-I A), John Kerr y ( D -M A), Carl L ev in ( D -M I ), Jef f Merk ley ( D - OR), Barbara Mikulski ( D-MD), Patty Murray ( D-WA), Charles Schumer ( D-N Y ), Jeanne Shaheen ( D-NH), Mark Udall ( D-CO), and Ron Wyden ( D-OR). Those endorsements follow earlier news that Senator Michael Bennet ( D-CO), California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Represent at ive Ja n Scha kowsk y ( D -I L), a nd Represent at ive Cha rles Gonzalez ( D-TX), all co-chairs of President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, endorsed a freedom to marr y plank in the Democratic Party’s 2012 national platform and the announcement that New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman voiced his support for the plank in a letter to the Democratic Party Platform Drafting Committee. Earlier this week, Senator Jeanne Shaheen ( D -N H ) became the f irst Senator to endorse the lang uage, followed by former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold. Additionally, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Young Democrats of A merica Execut ive Director Emily Sussman, and Representat ives Raúl M. Gr ija lva and Keith El lison, the co-chairs of the Cong ressiona l Progressive Caucus, have all endorsed the proposed plank. Source: Freedom to Marry Foundation
Local News Briefs CA Voters Support Marriage Equality by 25% Margin- 3.1
Senate Bill 1140 Separates Church from State in Same-Sex Marriage- 2.28
Californians now support the freedom to marry for lesbian and gay couples by a 59% - 34% margin, according to a new California Field Poll. “Today’s poll results mark a turning point in public opinion in favor of the freedom to marry for all loving, committed same-sex couples in California,” said John Lewis, Marriage Equality USA’s legal director. “Coupled with the Ninth Circuit’s opinion striking down Proposition 8 earlier this month and legislative victories in the states of Washington, New Jersey and Maryland, the momentum in favor of marriage equality has never been stronger,” said Lewis.
Senator Mark Leno introduced legislation that clarif ies the religious freedom of clerg y members in California. Senate Bill 1140 reaf f irms the separation of church and state and clarif ies under state law that no member of clerg y will be required to perform a marriage that is contrary to his or her faith. SB 1140 also protects churches from losing their tax-exempt status if they refuse to perform a marriage that is contrar y to their faith. The bill is sponsored by Equality California and California Council of Churches IMPACT.
However, despite a substantial majority of Californians now in favor of marriage, committed same-sex couples are still prohibited from marrying because the Ninth Circuit’s decision invalidating Proposition 8 is currently stayed as the opponents of equality attempt to appeal it further. “Every day that Prop 8’s political backers continue this litigation, lesbian and gay couples and their families are being hurt,” said Stuart Gaf fney, Marriage Equality USA’s media director. “Today’s Field Poll shows that a clear majority of Californians now believe that it’s time for Prop 8 to go, and for all Californians once again to be able to marry the person they love,” said Gaf fney. Source: Marriage Equality USA
“With the recent appellate court decision on Proposition 8, we know that it is only a matter of time before same-sex couples in California will again have the freedom to marry,” said Senator Leno, D-San Francisco. “Under SB 1140, churches and clerg y members who fear their religious views are threatened by allowing marriage for same-sex couples will have clear and solid protections under state law. Similarly, churches that welcome same-sex couples will be able to fully recognize those families within their faith.” SB 1140 is expected to be heard in Senate policy committees this spring. Source: Senator Mark Leno
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