In Brief

Staff Reports
California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Series of LGBT Measures

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA -- California's Democratic Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation last week that mandates that schools post anti-bullying policies throughout campuses, provide complaint forms on their websites, and give schools a timeline to investigate and resolve complaints. The anti-bullying law was named after 13-year-old student Seth Walsh who hanged himself after he had been bullied at school by peers about his sexual orientation. A joint federal Departments of Education and justice task force's investigation concluded after his death that the Tehachapi Unified School District had failed to properly address Walsh's ongoing harassment.

The Governor also signed into law two significant transgender rights bills. The first measure, entitled the Gender Nondiscrimination Act, makes “gender identity and expression” its own protected category at work, at school, in housing, at public accommodations, and in other settings. The second, the Vital Statistics Modernization Act, makes it easier for transgender people to get a court-ordered gender change and updated birth certificate.

Masen Davis, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center said; 

“This law will alleviate the confusion, anxiety and even danger that transgender people face when we have identity documents that do not reflect who we are.

Our victory is a testament that California is at its best when we work together to realize the ideal that everyone should be treated fairly and equally,” said Davis. “The barriers that transgender people face are life threatening and we applaud Governor Brown, Assembly members Atkins, and Lowenthal for their tremendous leadership to remove some of the obstacles that prevent transgender Californians from living as our authentic selves.”

The California Dream Act was also signed into law a move lauded by LGBTQ student activists across the state who had led the campaign to push this immigrant education rights bill through the state's political process. Equality California, the state’s largest LGBTQ equality rights advocacy group, which launched the “Equality Beyond Borders” project (focusing on increasing support for LGBTQ inclusive immigration reform among LGBTQ people) also applauded the legislation which makes undocumented immigrants eligible to receive state financial aid to attend California universities and community colleges.

2,000 Military Chaplains Telling Pentagon That They Will Refuse To Officiate At Same-Sex Marriages

FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA -- Around 2,000 members of the military affiliated Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty have pledged not to perform same-sex "wedding" ceremonies under any circumstances despite a recent Pentagon directive that authorises chaplains to perform same-sex "marriage" ceremonies and military chapel facilities to be used for "any private ceremony."

A retired U. S. Army chaplain, Colonel Ron Crews, is executive director of the CARL. He says his coalition is joining the Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services to say "no" to the directive.

In an interview with the American Family Association's propaganda organ, OneNewsNow, Crews said:

"They made a very strong statement saying that no Catholic chaplains serving in the military will participate in any same-sex ceremonies at any chapels. We appreciate that strong stand," he shares. "So we just wanted to let the Department of Defense know that it's not only the Catholic chaplains, but that some 2,000 chaplains who come from evangelical backgrounds are saying our chaplains will not participate in same-sex ceremonies in the military."

Crews also told the AFA tabloid that CARL is asking Congress to enact a right of conscience clause in the revised DOD code "to ensure that no American service members are forced to deny what the Bible says about homosexuality."

The Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services in a press release stated:

"No Catholic chaplain is authorized to perform a same-sex wedding under any circumstances," and pointed out that the Pentagon's new policy "appears to ignore the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law 15 years ago and remains in effect."

According to the Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services, there are approximately 300 Roman Catholic priests certified for active-duty military service.