Your Morning LGBT News Roundup

Warning! Lots of marriage ahead... with some other stuff sprinkled in.

• The ACLU is threatening to sue Tennessee school districts if they do not restore access to LGBT educational websites. Tennssee has a statewide blanket blocking software that individual districts can click in or out for certain topics. A recent check indicates that upwards of 80% of school districts have blocked non-sexual, gay-themed websites.
• Rudy Giuliani is against gay marriage -- although we're not quite sure if he's making waves for a 2010 run for NY Governor, or a 2012 run for President. Regardless: Giuliani is a loser who could only win an election for NY Mayor. Seriously, folks. His best gay friends, with whom he lived with for six months, thinks that the opinion is ok -- it comes from political and religious views, not personal ones. *raises hand* I have questions!
• The Maine legislators is set to hear arguments from both sides on equal marriage. A poll released yesterday indicates 43.3-49.5-3.3 pro-con-maybe split in the state. Actually, that's not bad.
• Headline-grabbing Republicans endorse gay marriage to the (what we thought was) defunct Log Cabin Republicans (LCR)! Steve Schmidt, former NJ Governor Whitman, and Meghan McCain all said gay is OK this week.
• The NY Assembly has passed the Gender Equality Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA -- clever, folks) that would extend protections to cover gender identity and expression, and expand the current hate crimes statutes the same. Considering the recent announcement by the LCR that the state Republicans would allow representatives to "vote their conscience," people are wondering whether this once defeated bill will cause problems for marriage in the Empire State. (Take them both, I say!)
• Louisiana begins the fight: couples in New Orleans are suing for the right to marry after being denied licenses at their local county clerk's office.
• And Tango Makes Three, a children's book about gay penguins that adopted a pup, remains at the top of the "Challenged" book list by the American Library Association. Really? Really?
• Nevada's Senate passed a partnership bill giving most of the rights of marriage to same-sex couples, and it is expected to pass the Assembly. However, Gov. Jim Gibbons may veto it and the 12-9 vote is not enough to overturn the veto.
• The Church of Scotland has published an opinion asking parishioners to come to terms with gay relationships, noting conservatives' "selective" use of Biblical verses.
• Miss California says that her opinion on equal marriage cost her her crown. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Apparently, God was testing her faith. God does that for people a lot when it comes to two people loving each other, doesn't he?
• In the murder trial of Angie Zapata, which is the first under Colorado's gender-inclusive hate crimes statute, alleged killed Allen Andrade heard his own voice on a voicemail saying, "It's gay. Gay things need to die." It's in reference to a cellphone, btw. Also fun is that they found a vibrator... with Andrade's DNA on it, and not Zapata's. Strange, yes?
• John A. Farrell at US News and World Reports thinks that Reagan would not have spent as much time on social issues as the Republicans who are championing his name, these days, are. Yea, too bad he spent so little time on it that he completely ignored this thing we call "AIDS."
• Another pre-teen -- 11 year old Jaheem Harrera -- has killed himself over school bullying, some of which was focused on his supposed sexual orientation. But, you're right, Day of Silence was completely unnecessary. *rolls eyes* Nobody needs to hear more about bullying in school.
• The Florida Supreme Court hears arguments for and against same-sex partner adoption today. You can hear the arguments online here.
• Despite the US government promising to change the law, HIV+ individuals are still being denied access into this country. No word yet from the Obama administration -- which is something that I'm writing a lot these days.

And now you're all caught up! Don't you feel better?

Is the Log Cabin burning down?

It appears the Log Cabin Republicans, in a mirror of what's happening to the GOP on a national level, is having a bit of inner struggle. GayPatriot announced his involvement with, and Politico announced that, a faction of homo's, frustrated with the LCR, has split off and formed a new gay conservative group -- GOProud.

Creative name, actually. (Get it: GOP + Proud = GOProud.)

From GayPatriot:

Their [the Log Cabin Republican's] left-of-center positions on important issues have bothered me as LCR has continually sucked the teet of the Gay Leftist agenda. LCR’s silence and unwillingness to stand up and be vocal on true gay conservative issues (outing of Republican staffers, increasing threat of gays being selectively aborted, peril gays face by Islamic extremists) has been mind-boggling. And LCR’s continued obsession in trashing Republicans, yet letting Democrats get a pass on their gay-related hypocrisies, has been infruriating.

Oh girl, yes. Snap when you say that, bitch.

Although I have this to say: in a scientific world where we still don't have a concrete answer about why people are gay, is the "increasing threat of gays being selectively aborted" really a publicity priority? Hrm? Really?

Seriously. I suppose, even a gay conservative is still a nutjob conservative.

Ken Blackwell is Anti-Gay

The Republicans are in a big nasty fight over the "heart and soul" of their party. See, even with the moderate John McCain as their presidential candidate, and all the licking of the boots of the Christian right as evidenced by the nomination of Sarah Palin... the Republicans can't seem to figure out what to do with themselves.

Along comes former Ohio Secretary of State and once-gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell to "save the day."

Is this a joke? Really?

The Raw Story reminds, at least this blogger, of reasons why Blackwell is no good for the job of the RNC Party Chairman:

But his past may yet come back to haunt him. As Ohio's Secretary of State, he was instrumental in passing Ohio's gay marriage ban amendment, and he let some of his personal feelings slip in 2006 in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch. Blackwell told the interviewer that being gay was like having a compulsion -- for instance, he said, a penchant for arson or kleptomania.

"I think [homosexuality] is a transgression against God's law, God's will," he said. "The reality is, again...that I think we make choices all the time. And I think you make good choices and bad choices in terms of lifestyle. Our expectation is that one's genetic makeup might make one more inclined to be an arsonist or might make one more inclined to be a kleptomaniac. Do I think that they can be changed? Yes."

Honestly, at this point, Sarah Palin sounds like a better choice to run the Republicans, no? It's sad, really, seeing as how Mr. Blackwell is something like one of three higher ranking black Republican officials, and with the Log Cabin Republicans out of cash, it seems like good time to make a big change for progressive policies in the party.

I'm sure there are millions of other reasons why Mr. Blackwell shouldn't be on top of that party... what are yours? 

Thanks to Michelangelo Signorile for posting the entire transcript of the Blackwell interview.