Around The Nation

Florida

Federal judge rules for Florida Lesbian teen who wants to form gay-straight club

U.S. District Court courtroom,  Ocala, Florida  * File Photo

OCALA, FL -- On Thursday U.S. District Judge Anne Conway issued a final order in the case of 14-year-old Bayli Silberstein of Leesburg, Florida who brought a lawsuit against the School Board of Lake County, Florida for repeatedly thwarting her efforts to establish a gay-straight alliance (GSA) at Carver Middle School. The final order reinforces a consent decree entered by the parties in the case on the day after the lawsuit was filed.

The ACLU contended in its lawsuit that the School Board violated Bayli's 1st and 14th Amendment rights as well as a federal law prohibiting schools from discriminating against student clubs by ignoring her club application — effectively denying it.

Lake County Schools Superintendent Susan Moxley temporarily allowed the club to meet until school ends next week as part of a court agreement the day after the ACLU filed suit. Thursday's final order upholds that agreement and calls for the district to pay Bayli $1 for nominal damages and pay the $14,000 bill for legal fees.

“I am really happy that we were finally able to meet and that this is finally over,” stated Silberstein, an 8th grader at the school. 

“My friends and I didn’t want to have the school year end without being able to do something to make school safer. I’m really grateful for all the support I’ve gotten and hope this helps other kids see that what we’re doing is something worth fighting for.”

GSAs are student organizations made up of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and their straight allies that advocate for an end to bullying, harassment, and discrimination against all students.  As a result of the lawsuit, the Carver Middle School GSA has been able to meet regularly throughout the final weeks of the school year.

“We are very happy for Bayli and her family that this lawsuit has come to a close,” stated Daniel Tilley, staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida. 

“Although it should have happened more than a year ago, we are pleased that the School District has acknowledged its obligation under clearly established federal law to allow the GSA to meet. 

Because of the GSA, Carver Middle School will become a safer and more welcoming place for all students. Although the School Board is continuing its intensified scrutiny of club policy due to the GSA, we look forward to ensuring that the Carver Middle School GSA will remain an official student club during the next school year and the years after that.”

Bayli, meanwhile, says she plans on starting a gay-straight club at Leesburg High School, where she starts as a freshman next school year. She is not expecting much opposition.

"I know a lot more people there are accepting at the high school," she said. "That's one of the reasons we need it at the middle school."

A copy of the final order entered is available here.

Politics

Virginia

Virginia's GOP nominee for Lt. Governor repeats his claims that "Homosexuality is wrong and unacceptable"

CHESAPEAKE, VA -- Virginia's GOP nominee for Lt. Governor appeared Thursday on rabidly anti-gay radio host Janet Mefferd's radio programme to defend his claims that gays and lesbians are “very sick people."

“Homosexuality is a sexual behavior and it is a behavior that the Bible says is wrong and unacceptable,” Jackson said. 

“To equate that with civil rights for black people or for women is so specious that it just amazes me that people buy into it, but they buy into it because it is emotionally appealing, it has no logic to it whatsoever.”

He also told Mefferd that gays need to “know the love of God in their lives” and that it would “betray God” to reassess his anti-gay remarks, which he said were made “without venom or hatred.” 

Jackson's selection earlier this month by state GOP delegates to be Ken Cuccinelli, the GOP nominee for governor's running mate has set off a firestorm of criticism from progressives and Democrats due to his controversial public pronouncements on LGBT issues, along with his allegations that Planned Parenthood was more lethal to blacks than the Ku Klux Klan.

Although Cuccinelli himself has thus far not weighed in, the current Governor, Republican Bob McDonnell on Tuesday stressed that Cuccinelli is not responsible for the controversial statements from Jackson.

He also called on the GOP slate to campaign with civility and to focus on “kitchen-table issues.”

“I’m supporting Ken Cuccinelli and the Republican ticket,” McDonnell said on WTOP radio, saying the ticket is key to continued improvements on jobs, economic development, transportation and pension reform.  

As for Jackson, McDonnell said: “He’s obviously passionate about the right to life. I’m pro-life. I believe that is the right position for Virginia.” 

“I think you need to express these things with civility,” McDonnell added. “You need to try to bring people together.”

However, in an interview with WHSV television in Harrisonburg Wednesday, State Senator Mark D. Obenshain, the Republican candidate for attorney general, distanced himself from controversial anti-gay remarks by Jackson.

When asked by Bob Corso, WHSV host, Obenshain shied away from responding to Corso's quotation of Jackson saying that homosexuals are “sick” and “perverted.” Instead, Obenshain said he wanted to talk about his ideas for the economy and job creation. When Corso asked again if he supported Jackson’s comments, Obenshaid said “Bob, I don’t agree with that statement.”

Social Politics

Matt Barber Of Liberty Counsel Compares Gay Adoption To Having Pets

WASHINGTON -- On their daily radio show Tuesday, conservative christian Liberty Counsel attorneys Matt Barber and Mathew D. Staver discussed efforts in several states and Congress to allow same-sex couples to adopt.

During the segment as the two discussed their opinions on same-sex adoptions, Barber compared gay adoption to having pets.

"Homosexuals who can't through the natural biological process have children, trying to acquire children.They're basically purchasing children," he said. "It's like having little pets or something, I guess. It's egocentric. It's selfish and it hurts children."

Barber also cited the now peer discredited research study by University of Texas at Austin sociology professor Mark Regnerus that seemed to indicate that the children of LGBT parents are more likely to get involved with self-destructive behaviors like using drugs and to suffer from depression than those raised by heterosexual parents, despite many studies that have indicated otherwise.

WATCH:

Politics

President Calls Marriage Equality Basic Right At DCCC Illinois Fundraiser

By Brody Levesque | CHICAGO, IL -- During an appearance at a Democratic fundraiser Wednesday night, President Obama indirectly called on state House lawmakers to pass the pending marriage equality bill. Speaking to a gathering of around 70 at a $10,000 per person minimum ticket price event for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the president said that he felt that passage of the Illinois measure was "the right thing to do."

“Here in Illinois, we’ve got a vote on same-sex marriage that’s going to be coming up in the state legislature,” the president said. “And I just want to say for the record it’s something that I deeply support. 

I wrestled with this for a long time and I am absolutely convinced it is the right thing to do. And we have to make sure that wherever we go, we are reminding people that the essence of America is that everybody is treated equally under the law without exception.”

Prior to the event last night, the president has never directly addressed the marriage equality legislation in his home state although the White House released a statement last December that stated that he supported the measure.

The bill is expected to be voted on either late Thursday or early Friday before the state legislature adjourns. Illinois governor Pat Quinn, (D) has already pressed lawmakers to pass the bill and has said that he will sign the bill into law the minute it hits his desk.

Around The Nation

Louisiana

Lawmakers Set to Pass Law to Block Surrogacy For Gay Parents

BATON ROUGE, LA -- A bill introduced in the Louisiana State Senate last month, which intends to set up provisions blocking gay and unmarried couples from becoming parents using a surrogate, is headed to a joint House-Senate conference committee this week.

Senate Bill 162  sponsored by Democratic Senator Gary Smith Jr., specifies that the “intended parents” of a child must be married, under laws recognised by the state. Louisiana's Constitution specifies that marriage “shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.”

Smith told LGBTQ Nation Wednesday that the state law currently lacks clear guidelines on the governing of such births, asserting that current gaps in guidelines could lead to legal problems for surrogate mothers, their spouses, and the intended parents of a child.

The bill was passed in the House last week in a majority vote, however it will come under further scrutiny by six lawmakers in the conference committee with final language to be reworked before returning to both chambers for final debates.

Smith said that he is opposed to one amendment added in the House by GOP Representative Frank Hoffman which would void the bill should the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), be declared unconstitutional by the U. S. Supreme Court in a decision expected next month. He added that even after the conference committee “rewords”, the bill, that he intends to ”still keep [marriage] defined as what Louisiana believes,” he said.

World News

Italy

Speaker Of Italian Parliament Authors Open-Letter To Suicidal 17-Year-Old Openly Gay Teenager

Parliament Speaker Laura Boldrini

ROME, Italy -- A public exchange of letters between a suicidal gay teenager and the Speaker of Italy's Parliament published last week in Italy's leading progressive newspaper, La Repubblica, has touched many Italians.  

The troubled youth, Davide Tancredi, wrote, 

"I am gay, I am 17-years old and this letter is my last alternative to suicide in a troglodyte society; in a world that does not accept me even though I’m born that way. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be born heterosexual. If there was a little less discrimination and a little more sympathy or Christian charity, people would stop hating.” 

In response to Tancredi's letter, Parliament Speaker Laura Boldrini, responded with an open letter of her own.

“I have a daughter not much older than you, and I’m deeply disturbed by your cry for help,” she said, before asking to meet Mr Tancredi in parliament to discuss how the situation for gays might be improved.

“A country that considers itself civilised cannot afford to live without a law against ‘homophobia, an evil that drives many young people to take their own lives,” Ms Boldrini said. 

According to The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), Italy is the most homophobic country in Western Europe. The IGLHRC s European branch told LGBTQ Nation that its status in large part is due to the influence of the Vatican. There are no laws or pending legislation allowing for civil partnerships and no measures to deter homophobic violence, bullying in schools, or discrimination in the workplace. In this respect, said the IGLHRC, Italy lags behind South Africa and several Latin American countries.

Social Politics

Fallout Over Boys Scout Gay Vote Continues: BSA Troops Across U. S. Finding Themselves Orphaned

DALLAS, TX -- Fallout continues after the Boy Scouts of America voted to open its ranks to openly gay boys and teens last week during the National Council's annual meeting in suburban Dallas. Kootenai County Idaho Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said that he feels mandated to drop his department's sponsorship of a Boy Scouts of America charter because the organization is promoting a lifestyle that is against state law.

"It would be inappropriate for the sheriff's office to sponsor an organization that is promoting a lifestyle that is in violation of state law," Wolfinger said, stressing that sodomy is against the law in Idaho. 

Tim McCandless, the senior ranking member and Director of the Inland Northwest BSA Council, told a local media outlet that he wished to speak with Sheriff Wolfinger before commenting specifically to his concerns.

"I would encourage you to read the resolution that was passed, however." McCandless said, "Sodomy is not allowed in scouting and is not an issue in this discussion." 

The policy change will take effect January 1. In the resolution that was passed, it states: "Scouting is a youth program, and any sexual conduct, whether homosexual or heterosexual, by youth of Scouting age is contrary to the virtues of Scouting" While the National Council said the ban on openly gay adult leaders is still in effect, Wolfinger said media reports indicate that the Boy Scouts will eventually lift that ban as well. "It's in USA Today, this just opens the door to having openly gay scout leaders," he added. 

In Louisville Kentucky, a local church wants nothing to do with BSA troops that accept gay kids. Boy Scout Troop 212 and Cub Scout Pack 212, from Louisville are looking for a new home. Southeast Christian Church, the megachurch that held the troops' charter, is breaking ties with the youth organization following the Scouts' national council vote last week to accept gay members.

Executive pastor Tim Hester said the new policy on gay members was the "catalyst" for, though not the only factor in, the church's decision. The troops, in which 300 families participate, have until the end of the year to find a new sponsor.

"We cannot be distracted from the mission God has called us to," Hester said. "We want everyone, including ourselves, to live by biblical standards."

The Boy Scouts’ chief executive, Wayne Brock, has pleaded for the Scouting community to reunite after the divisive debate that led to last Thursday’s vote by the BSA’s National Council. However, Brock’s plea failed to sway some conservative religious leaders whose denominations sponsor many Scout units and who consider same-sex relationships immoral.

“Frankly, I can’t imagine a Southern Baptist pastor who would continue to allow his church to sponsor a Boy Scout troop under these new rules,” Richard Land, a senior Southern Baptist Conference official, told the SBC’s news agency, Baptist Press.

For a Lost Soldier...

Arlington Cemetery, Memorial Day 2013. Photo By Brody Levesque

Brody Levesque | ARLINGTON, VA -- Every year that I have lived and worked in this city I have always gone to Arlington National Cemetery to observe the Memorial Day ceremonies. Afterwards, I wander down through the grounds, just to watch, maybe to listen, but mostly to contemplate on the sacrifices made by those brave souls whose final resting place has become hallowed ground, a literal garden of stones.

Arlington's rolling hills are a place of extraordinary beauty, a fitting repository for the memory of the living history of the United States. Names from the history books leap off the pages as one strolls through the grounds. 'Byrd, Taft, Lincoln, Kennedy, Rickover, Marshall, Pershing,' followed by the names of the thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and coast-guardsman who gave their lives to secure the freedoms promised by the American Constitution. 

Today, President Obama in his speech, reminded Americans that they must honor the sacrifices of their military servicemembers particularly as U.S. combat roles change and the nation's involvement in Afghanistan is winding down. Adding that Arlington "has always been home to men and women who are willing to give their all ... to preserve and protect the land that we love." The president went on to praise the selflessness that "beats in the hearts" of America's military personnel.

Mr. Obama's words stuck with me as I walked along through the ocean of gravestones, pausing every now and then to read the names, the inscriptions, and wonder what that person or this person was like. Scattered throughout the graves proudly marked with miniature American flags fluttering in the bright noontime sunlight, I observed families, loved ones, and friends who had come to honour their fallen. Then I happened upon one grey haired older gentleman standing quietly in front of headstone obviously lost in his thoughts. As I tried to unobtrusively move around him he look up at me and smiled.

I greeted him and he greeted me back then he saw my press credentials hanging from my neck and asked whom I worked for.

I told him, momentarily wondering what type of reception I'd receive as let's face it, the LGBTQ community still has its detractors, and to my shock, he looked back at me, with tears forming in his eyes.

"You're gay?" 

"I am," I answered.

"Lot of changes since I was a, a kid," he trailed off.  I pointed at headstone and quietly asked if the person was a friend or a family member.

"He's my, well was my best bud, yeah, I dunno..." The poor gentleman looked stricken and it was certainly not my intention to interview him, impromptu or not. But yet I sensed that something was left hanging so I took the plunge and asked him for a few details if he didn't mind sharing them. Turns out, that's exactly what he wanted, to share, to have a conversation about the person whose grave we were standing over.

They had grown up in eastern Ohio, in a small rural farming community. Played football, went fishing, did farm work, and discovered that after a few failed attempts at pursuing the fairer sex, that their real romantic interests laid in each other. By the time they had graduated from high school, the Vietnam conflict had escalated and rather than wait to get drafted, they decided to join the U. S. Marines together. They went to boot camp and not long after graduation found themselves on troop planes headed for Vietnam.

"We were lucky," he said, "We both got assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 26th regiment." 

But good luck turned sour as their battalion found itself in the middle of one of the nastiest battles of the 1968 Tet Offensive in the battle for Khe Sanh. "I lost him that morning," he told me pointing at the inscribed date of death on the simple white marker- February 7, 1968- "He was just 19."

The tears came freely and I waited, then we talked some more. He told me that after he lost his love, "I went straight and got married," going on to lose his wife to cancer a few years back. He has grand kids that he says will never know the truth, he just can't be open with them, but at the same time, never does a day go by that he doesn't think about and mourn the loss of his friend, his partner, and the promise of what might have been. 

"I was glad to see DADT end," he told me. "At least some other couples won't have to hide like we did."

I thanked him for his service and his time talking with me and walked away reflecting on all of the unknown Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender military folk buried all around me who, like that lost soldier, suffered in silence and hid, yet still believed in a greater good that ultimately meant that they gave their lives for their country. 

As the American nation celebrates this solemn holiday, let us all not forget them.

ACLU & Personal Attorney Weigh In On Lesbian Florida Juliet & Juliet Case Charges

By Brody Levesque | MIAMI, FL -- In separate statements issued Tuesday, the ACLU and the attorney for Kaitlyn Hunt, the 18-year-old high school senior in Florida currently facing felony sex offender charges for having sex with her minor girlfriend, condemned the legal approach that Indian River County State Attorney's prosecutors are taking in the case.

ACLU of Florida Media Relations Manager Baylor Johnson criticised the State Attorney's office noting, 

"The facts as we understand them suggest that the state is prosecuting Kaitlyn for engaging in behavior that is both fairly innocuous and extremely common. Such behavior occurs every day in tens of thousands of high schools across the country, yet those other students are not facing felony convictions (and, in Florida, the lifetime consequences of a felony conviction) and potential lifelong branding as sex offenders. 

This is a life sentence for behavior by teenagers that is all too common, whether they are male or female, gay or straight. High-school relationships may be fleeting, but felony convictions are not."

Hunt's attorney, Julia Graves wrote;

"It is our position that this is a misapplication of the law that will destroy the lives of two high school teenagers, while doing nothing to serve justice. With the deadline coming up, at this time we hold out hope that common sense will prevail and the damage that already has been done will be mitigated by halting any felony prosecution."

Johnson also made the point that should Hunt manage to avoid sex-offender registration, a felony conviction will harm her for the rest of her life, catastrophically damaging her employment prospects and even her right to participate in her community as a citizen and vote.

"Her promising future could be ruined merely because she engaged in behavior that countless other students in every school operating under the state attorney’s jurisdiction also engage in. This prosecution does nothing to protect Florida’s young people but instead causes a great deal of harm."

Graves also added,

"Kaitlyn and her parents have been given until Friday to decide whether to go to trial and have the most intimate details of the relationship played out in public or to take a plea agreement that includes forever having a record even if adjudication is withheld.  In addition with the sex offender conditions, Kaitlyn would be subjected to sitting in group counseling meetings with legitimate convicted sex offenders that the law was truly meant for. 

As the attorney for Kaitlyn, although there are different statements out in the media, we have NEVER requested that the charges be completely dropped. We have suggested since the day of her arrest that we are willing to enter a plea to a misdemeanor charge with appropriate punishment that will allow everyone to move on and not dwell on this their entire lives."

The case which has drawn global notoriety and media scrutiny has  raised questions about the age of consent laws, especially when applied to teenagers who are social and academic peers, despite some being legally considered adults.

The family of Hunt has taken to putting pressure on Florida officials by their launching of a social media campaign last week that has gone viral. Hunt's parents, have publicly stated in numerous media interviews, the current legal case is "nothing more than a religiously motivated anti-gay witch hunt,."

The family also noting that Hunt's former girlfriend's parents, James T. and Laurie Smith of Vero Beach, refused to settle the matter of their daughters' relationship between them, instead choosing to call police and have her arrested under charges of "lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12-16 years of age."

When contacted by LGBTQ Nation Monday, Mr. Smith refused comment and indicated that he and his wife would possibly make a statement about the pending case after the Friday deadline for the plea agreement had passed.

Although Florida's Romeo & Juliet law would allow the eventual Circuit Court Judge hearing the case the discretion to relieve Hunt of the legal requirement to register as a Sex Offender, a spokesman for the Florida Attorney General's Office told LGBTQ Nation that the law does not affect the charges adding that felony convictions would certainly compromise Hunt's future.

Views & Voices

A Boy Named Issak

By Issak Wolfe | RED LION, PA -- I am a high school senior at Red Lion Area High School in Pennsylvania.  As a student who happens to be transgender, my life isn’t all that different from other students in my class, except that I came out the summer before my junior year and have been going by my male name ever since.  I try hard to make good grades, work at a part –time job, and have a wonderfully supportive family and an awesome girlfriend.  My high school, like any other, has a senior prom. Our prom always has a king and a queen, and every senior gets a spot on the ballot for royalty. This year was my turn to get a chance at king like every other boy in my class. 

I took all the proper steps to secure my name on the list where it belongs: the boys’ ballot. But on the day voting started, without warning, I found that I wasn’t on the boys’ ballot – instead, my old female name was listed under candidates for prom queen.  It was the most humiliating and hurtful thing that has ever happened to me at school.  Soon after, I learned that my school’s principal had stepped in and changed it because he was “uncomfortable” with me being listed as a boy. What’s more, when my girlfriend complained about this on Facebook, the principal threatened to not let her go to prom with me unless she took down her statements calling him out for discrimination.

With the help of the ACLU, we got the school to back down from that threat, and even though there wasn’t enough time to correct the ballots, my girlfriend and I still had a great time with our friends at prom a couple of weekends ago.  But that doesn’t make up for the humiliation I experienced, and doesn’t mean that other transgender students at Red Lion won’t be treated just as disrespectfully in the future.  I’ve asked for a public apology and for new policies to protect future students from gender identity discrimination at my school.  And for our graduation, which is coming up on June 7, I’ve asked to be allowed to wear the boys’ cap and gown and for my male name to be read aloud when I cross the stage to pick up my diploma.

The school has agreed to let me wear the boys’ cap and gown, but won’t budge on anything else.  They refuse to promise to do anything to help other kids like me, as if pretending I’m the only transgender student they’ll ever have at their school will make it so.  They refuse to apologize to me, even though they know the principal’s actions were mean-spirited and hurtful.  And they insist on reading my female name at graduation, even though I’m working on getting my name legally changed and most people have been calling me Issak for almost two years now.  Reading my male name at graduation wouldn’t hurt anyone, but they KNOW that reading my female name only serves to hurt me more.  Obviously, it’s more important to them to push around an 18-year-old than it is to make the school a safe space for its students.  The students at Red Lion Area High School deserve better treatment and better adult role models than this.

While it’s too late for me to have a chance at Prom King, it’s not too late to show my school that the way it has treated me is unacceptable.

ALL schools should try to be safe, welcoming spaces for all of their students.  And my school should be no different.

Issak Wolf is a senior at Red Lion Area High School in eastern York County, Pennsylvania.

Highest Presidential Honor To Be Awarded Posthumously To Dr. Sally Ride

WASHINGTON -- The White House announced Monday that President Obama will bestow a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to astronaut Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Ride's sexual orientation was not widely known until her death last July when she died of cancer at the age of 61 and her obituary revealed she survived by her female partner of 27 years. 

"We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women," said President Obama in a statement. "Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. 

Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward to welcoming her family to the White House as we celebrate her life and legacy.”

At the time of her death last summer, the president said;

"As the first American woman to travel into space, Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model. She inspired  generations of young girls to reach for the stars and later fought tirelessly to help them get there by advocating for a greater focus on science and math in our schools. 

Sally’s life showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve and I have no doubt that her legacy will endure for years to come.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sally’s family and friends."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with the comparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States. It recognizes those individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors". The award is not limited to U.S. citizens and, while it is a civilian award, it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform.

A spokesperson for the White House confirmed that Ride's partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, along with the astronaut's mother and sister were notified last week regarding the president's decision. 

The medal will be presented to Ride's surviving partner and family members in an awards ceremony to be scheduled later this year at the White House.

Today's Headlines From LGBTQ Nation

Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia

GLAAD president Herndon Graddick resigns just 1 year after taking office

Texas judge enforces ‘morality clause’ to split up lesbian couple

Mormon church arranged meeting ahead of vote against LGBT discrimination

Gay pride rally in Georgia derailed by thousands of anti-gay protesters

France’s constitutional authority rejects challenge to marriage equality law

EU survey reveals many LGBT people throughout Europe still live in fear

Pa. school still refuses to announce transgender grad by his chosen name

Portugal allows limited adoption rights for same-sex gay couples

Int’l Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia observed around the globe

World

International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia observed around the globe

GENEVA, Switzerland — LGBT rights advocates observed the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (or IDAHO) in more than 100 countries around the world Friday, commemorating the 1990 decision by the World Health Organization that decategorised homosexuality as a mental disorder.

In almost 80 countries around the world, same sex relationships are considered illegal punishable by jail, fines and in some countries lifetime imprisonment. In nine countries around the globe, a conviction is punishable by death.

As well as legal discrimination, social homophobia and transphobia serve to daily deny millions of people across the world their basic human dignity. In many countries transgender citizens are denied their right to live according to their chosen gender identity including many jurisdictions in the United States.

The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to this issue.

It has received official recognition from several States and such international institutions as the European Parliament, and by countless local authorities. Most United Nations agencies also mark the Day with specific events.

A coalition of LGBTQ Equality Rights Activists from 17 Nations published a joint statement for IDAHO 2013 condemning of homophobia and transphobia ranging from criminalisation and executions to condemning LGBTQ people in the name of religion, morality or even “fighting capitalism”.

"We are here to underline that human rights are not something given by someone, so for their protection it cannot be intervened selectively. We are here to say LGBTIQ rights are human rights. LGBTIQ people are more likely to experience discrimination, harassment and threat of violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

This is due to the existence of homophobia and transphobia on a high level. Some of the factors that reinforce homophobia and transphobia on a larger scale are moral, nationalist, religious, and political beliefs of dominant groups in these countries."

[Read the full statement here.]

The Human Rights Office of the United Nations produced and published a special video ahead of IDAHO entitled, “The Riddle,” which features a diverse range of cast members from across the world, including activists, policy-makers and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon.

WATCH:

Around The Nation

Michigan

New Poll Finds 54% Of Michiganders Would Reverse Same-sex Marriage Ban & Support Anti-discrimination Protections Measure

LANSING, MI -- A poll of registered voters in Michigan by the Glengariff Group shows increased support for ten key legal rights as they pertain to LGBT people in Michigan. The proposed amendment to Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act that would prohibit employment discrimination against LGBT people has support across the board, with an average of 75.5% supporting, including 56% of strong Republican voters.

Support for civil marriage equality increased 12.5% from last year to 56.8%, including 54% support for the reversal of Michigan's 2004 constitutional marriage equality ban and legalizing same-gender relationship recognition.

In an e-mail Tuesday, Emily Dievendorf Managing Director of Equality Michigan told LGBTQ Nation;

"This poll confirms Equality Michigan's assertion that fundamental fairness is not a partisan issue and Michigan voters are ready for real change in the treatment of LGBT people in Michigan. 

As more and more people become aware of the LGBT people in their lives and the evidence continues to mount that LGBT equality is good for Michigan's economy, people are becoming bolder in their stance that the second-class treatment of LGBT people has been tolerated in Michigan for far too long."

"There's been a huge sea change in the last five years," said Glengariff founder and CEO Richard Czuba. "I've never seen a policy issue move quite this much, quite this quickly."

Czuba attributed the rapid shift to the fact that 83 percent of respondents said they knew a gay individual, "and history has shown that more people support issues if they know someone personally impacted."

Support increased most among voters who identified themselves as independents or said they lean Republican. The numbers didn't change as much for other Republicans, but the results did indicate a divide between young GOP voters and those 40 years of age or older. Geographically, Republicans in Southeast Michigan were more likely to support same-sex marriage than those in other parts of the state.

"That conflict is a huge challenge for the Republican Party," Czuba said.

The survey was paid for by the Glengariff Group and was conducted over May 8-10, 2013, it has a margin of error of +/-4.0% with 95% level of confidence according to the company..

World

Korea

Gay Filmmaker Vows To Campaign To Legalise Same-sex Unions 

Kim Jho Gwang-soo, (L) Kim Seung-Hwan

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA -- In a country where homosexuality is not illegal but remains deeply conservative over matters of sexual identity, an openly gay filmmaker plans to campaign to legalise gay marriage starting with his own. At a press conference Wednesday, Kim Jho Gwang-soo, 49, announced his plans to marry his partner of nine years, Kim Seung-Hwan, 29, this coming September 7.

"We wanted to convey the message that all sexual minorities should be given rights equally in a beautiful way," Kim said.

Same-sex marriage is not legally recognised, and being LGBT carries a significant social stigma with few openly LGBT public figures. Kim however, said he would not be deterred and plans on filing for an official certificate after his wedding.

"It will most definitely be denied. But then I will file a constitutional appeal... and I will fight to legalise gay marriage,"  Kim told reporters. 

"Gay people have rights too and hating people for who they are is wrong," Kim said, adding that he believed attitudes in South Korea were beginning to change. In 10 years we could have a gay president or mayor," he said.

Kim has directed a handful of films that were well received by domestic audiences and came out in 2005 during a screening for one of them. When not producing movies, he works for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) rights advocacy.

In 2008, he wrote and directed his first short film "Boy Meets Boy" and in 2012 set up a production company, "Rainbow Factory," that specialises in gay cinema.

In 2000, film actor Hong Seok-cheon became the first South Korean celebrity in this celebrity-obsessed culture to come out. But work dried up and he has since said he regretted the move.

Kim has been subject to less social disapproval due to being behind the scenes as a filmmaker as he's faced less public exposure but Korean LGBT activists doubt his marriage would do much to change cultural views on LGBT issues.

"I support his personal choice, but I don't think it'll change anything," said Yu Sang-geun, a 25-year-old gay Seoul student and activist with Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights in Korea, the nation's largest LGBT rights group.

"South Koreans' understanding of gays is very stunted," said Yu. "Kim's decision could be the foundation of more things to come, but there is so much to do regarding gay rights."

LGBT people in South Korea have often been subjected to hate crimes. A gay man was sprayed with hydrochloric acid in 2008, while one of Yu's acquaintances was raped while doing his compulsory military service.

Some South Korean lawmakers have pushed the country to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that would embrace LGBT rights, but amendments have foundered due to conservative Christian legislators who oppose recognition.

Russian Homophobic Violence Escalating: “They said they were doing God’s will, and then they broke my nose.”

Nikolai Alexeyev via Gay.ru

By Brody Levesque | MOSCOW, RUSSIA -- As news spread earlier over the weekend of the horrific brutality in the murder of a young gay man in southern Russia, LGBTQ Equality activists in the country are warning that such violence is escalating rapidly and with more frequency. The activists point to an increasingly hostile stance on LGBT issues by both the powerful Russian Orthodox Church and the adversarial policies by the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This past January in a protest against the planned law on "homosexual propaganda," Igor Yasin, a 32-year-old employee of a Russian government-owned television station was attacked outside the Russian Duma. Yasin’s face was bloodied after being punched by one of several men who called themselves Russian Orthodox activists. They pelted protesters with rotten eggs and ketchup, knocked men and women to the ground and called them demons and witches.

“They said they were doing God’s will, and then they broke my nose,” said Yasin.

Nikolai Alexeyev, the country's leading LGBTQ equality rights advocate says that violence against Russian LGBTQ people has seen the sharp increase in the past two years as the Russian Orthodox Church has increasingly campaigned against them. Its leader, Patriarch Kirill, has suggested that homosexuality is one of the main threats to Russia. Kirill has fostered close ties with President Putin, who has publicly declared the church "guardian" of Russia’s national moral values.

Putin himself, while not castigating the LGBT community, has aligned himself with the church and other conservatives on public policy stands against same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples of Russian children from overseas, and lending his tacit approval to the law currently being considered in the Duma that would in effect criminalise support for the LGBT community. 

On a recent trip to the Netherlands, Putin was greeted by hundreds of rainbow flag-waving protesters angered over the pending passage of the law. Putin claimed the law would be no threat to the LGBT community, but suggested it could help reverse a decline in Russia’s population, which fell to 141.9 million in 2011 from 148.6 million in 2001.

“It is imperative to protect the rights of sexual minorities, but let’s agree that same-sex marriage does not produce children,” Putin said.

During a presidential press conference last month, he warned that agreements with other countries on the matter of adoption of Russian children may be changed to ban such adoptions if those countries legalize same-sex marriage. 

As violence escalates, the issue is no longer a hidden factor in Russian life as illustrated by the brutal murder of a 23 year old Vladislav Tornovoy in the southern Russian city of Volvograd. Tornovoy, who had been drinking with friends, at some point admitted his sexual orientation which led to his death.

Andrei Gapchenko, a senior police detective in Volgograd, said one of the suspects had admitted to investigators that they had tortured Tornovoy.

“Four young people were drinking ... And one of them already knew, he’d heard from others, that he (the victim) was of an untraditional sexual orientation."

“He asked him the question and the victim said yes .. 

After that, one of them hit him, he fell to the floor, and then they brutally beat him, set fire to the clothes he was wearing, slashed his anal area and then stuck three bottles in there, again beat him and then threw a 20-kg (44-pd) stone onto his head.”

Tornovoy's naked body was found dumped in the courtyard of a nearby apartment complex.

Alexeyev says that the Putin government's support of laws such as the pending legislation, offer “unspoken support” for violence such as the incident in Volgograd against gay Russians.

“It essentially gives these people carte blanche to commit such crimes,” he said adding, "I think they may want to say, ‘Look, we killed a gay person and not a regular, normal person."

There are no official figures on anti-gay crime in Russia, and Alexeyev pointed out that most hate crimes go unreported, or are not classified as such by the police authorities.

As politicians and church officials press for the national law, which would ban gay pride events, gay rights marches, and impose fines of up 500,000 rubles ($16,600 USD) on organizers, activists continue to spread the word, particularly in the western media. They are also worried as Putin's government garners wider support among ultra conservatives and enjoys the support of the church on issues regarding public policy on LGBT issues.

“The ultra-right radicals decide immigrants are responsible for unemployment, and then they decide that LGBT is guilty for the fall in the birthrate, that morals are in decline, that AIDS is spreading. All those problems can be dumped on the gays; it’s convenient,” said Yasin.

A poll conducted last year by Levada- an independent Russian non-governmental polling and sociological research organisation- found that nearly 50 per cent of Russians believe homosexuals should be given medical or psychological treatment, and 5 per cent said they should be “destroyed.”

Maria Kozlovskaya, an attorney who works with the Russian LGBT community, pointed out that in another poll conducted last year, 15 per cent of about 900 Russian LGBT people who participated said they had been physically attacked at least once in the previous 10 months prior to the survey.

“Such crimes are committed around Russia every day,” Alexeyev said. “As a rule, all these crimes are categorized as something ordinary — they argued over a bottle of vodka, or there was ‘personal animosity.’ The real motive of hate is not mentioned."

Politics

Same-Sex Marriage Support Solidifies Above 50% in U.S.

PRINCETON, NJ -- Fifty-three percent of Americans now support same-sex marriages, in a third consecutive reading of 50% or above in Gallup polling over the past year. The 53% in favor ties the high to this point, also measured last November and in May 2011.

Gallup's May 2-7 poll suggests Americans' support for gay marriage is solidifying above the majority level. Recently, Rhode Island and Delaware legalized same-sex marriage, with Minnesota following yesterday which brings the total number of states legally recognizing same-sex marriage to 12.

Three years ago, support for gay marriage was 44%. The current 53% level of support is essentially double the 27% in Gallup's initial polling on same-sex marriage, in 1996.

According to the polling organisation, Democrats, independents, and liberals all show increasing support for same-sex marriage with each well above the fifty percent mark now.  Gallup also noted that Republicans, conservatives, and moderates are more likely to favor gay marriage now than in 1996, but the increase in support among these groups may have stalled. Thus, most of the increase in the percentage favoring legal gay marriage in the last three years has come among left-leaning groups politically.

One factor pointing to continued expansion of gay marriage support in the future is that young Americans are more likely than older Americans to favor it. That difference by age has always been apparent, and it persists today even though support has increased among all age groups over time.

Although a majority of Americans themselves support legal gay marriage, an even larger majority perceive that most Americans come down on the side of not legalizing it. When asked their impression of how most Americans feel about the issue, 63% say the public is opposed to gay marriage and 30% say the public favors it. These data suggest that a segment of Americans who support same-sex marriage believe that their views are in the minority, while in reality they are in the majority.

Members of groups most likely to support gay marriage themselves, such as young adults, Democrats, and liberals, are more likely to perceive that Americans are pro-gay marriage than members of groups who personally oppose it. But even Democrats and young adults are of the view that most Americans oppose gay marriage. Liberals are divided as to whether the public favors or opposes it.

Politics

Gang Of  8 Senator: Immigration Amendment Redefining Marriage For Gay Couples Would End My Support For Bill

By Brody Levesque | WASHINGTON -- South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announced Monday that should the Senate Judiciary Committee vote to include provisions for same-sex bi-national couples in the pending immigration reform bill, he'll pull his support.

Graham, a member of the bipartisan "gang of eight," along with fellow GOP gang of eight member Florida Senator Marco Rubio, have cautioned that any LGBT provisions would be a non-starter for Senate Republicans.

“This issue is a difficult enough issue as it is,” Rubio said. “I respect everyone’s views on it. But ultimately, if that issue is injected into this bill, the bill will fail and the coalition that helped put it together will fall apart.”

LGBT advocacy groups are pushing for inclusion of language from the proposed Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) as an amendment to the legislation being considered for immigration reform.

“Current immigration law as it exists does not allow gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor their foreign spouse for a green card like heterosexual couples can,” said Amos Lim, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Out4Immigration.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced amendments to the measure last week that would give same-sex couples the same equal treatment as heterosexual ones under immigration law.

Current language in the immigration reform bill doesn't address the problems faced by bi-national same-sex couples, who under the Defense of Marriage Act, (DOMA) cannot petition for green cards for their foreign national partners.

Because the federal government denies recognition to legally married same-sex couples, those couples are deprived of the usual access to immigration laws that allow all other American citizens to petition for a green card for their foreign spouses. In most cases, DOMA is the only obstacle preventing married bi-national couples from achieving resolution of the immigration issue.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that the president has voiced his support for inclusion of the provisions to allow same-sex couples to petition for spousal green cards, he noted that the president has also said that he would be willing to sign a bill that excluded provisions for same-sex couples.

“We have said that we support that provision, but we also think it’s very important to recognize that the overall bill here accomplishes what the President believes needs to be accomplished, and is in keeping with his principles,” Carney said.

World News

Police Confirm Man Killed In Gay Bashing Incident In Southern Russia

Vladislav Tornovoy via VK.com

By Brody Levesque | VOLGOGRAD, RUSSIA -- Russian police confirmed that the death of a 23 year old victim in this southern Russian city was the result of an apparent homophobic attack. Police Inspector Andrei Gapchenko told radio Ekho Moskvy that the body of the victim was found in the courtyard of an apartment complex with multiple stab wounds including severe injuries to his genitals early Friday morning.

According to Inspector Gapchenko, a 22-year-old acquaintance of the victim and a 27-year-old ex-convict have been arrested and detained after telling police investigators that they had been drinking with the victim and attacked him after he admitted to them he was gay. The suspects have been charged with murder.

Prominent LGBT equality rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev told LGBTQ Nation that it is unheard of in most of these types of crimes for Russian police officials to specify that homophobia was the motive in an attack, adding that most attacks against Russian LGBTQ individuals are normally not described as such by police agencies.

Alexeyev pointed out that with the increasingly harsh treatment of LGBT persons in the Russian Federation, spurred on by passage of "anti-homosexual propaganda laws, including recent efforts to pass a national measure given preliminary approval by Russia's Parliament, has activists concerned that similar incidents will increase, encouraged by the laws as Russians would be "less likely to fear consequences for attacking gays."

"This monstrous incident in Volgograd demonstrates the fruits of the homophobic policy that is being conducted in this country, including the initiative to ban homosexual propaganda," Alexeyev said.

The government of Russian president Vladimir Putin has given the national law, expected to win final parliamentary approval within weeks, its tacit approval. The United Russia party, which dominates the Russian Duma has publicly stated its intent to add an amendment to the measure that would fine any persons who voice support for the Russian LGBTQ community.

Putin warned last month that agreements with other countries on the matter of adoption of Russian children may be changed to ban such adoptions if those countries legalize same-sex marriage.

The political climate regarding treatment of the LGBTQ community has become dire according to Alexeyev, as illustrated by the case of another leading Russian LGBT rights activists, Aleksei Kiselyov. 

Kiselyov fled Russia to avoid prosecution by the Putin government  for his protest activities and was granted political asylum by Spain in April.

UPDATE: Russian LGBTQ Equality Rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev confirmed for LGBTQ Nation Monday afternoon that the victim of the brutal anti-gay killing in Volvograd, Russia, was Vladislav Tornovoy.

Around The Nation

Illinois

Illinois Governor Quinn calls on House to send him same-sex marriage bill

Illinois Gov. Quinn speaks with reporters

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Illinois Democratic Governor Pat Quinn is calling on state lawmakers in the House to send him the bill that would legalise same-sex marriage saying that enough time has elapsed for their consideration of the pending legislation.

“It's time to vote,” Quinn said Thursday. “Illinois passing marriage equality into law, I think, sends a great signal to the people of our state and the people of America. So it's important to Illinois (that) the House of Representatives get going.”

Quinn's message to the Illinois House comes one day after Delaware's Governor Jack Markell signed a same-sex marriage bill into law and the same day the Minnesota House endorsed a same sex marriage bill.  The Illinois Senate had passed the measure tow months ago on February 14. Speaking with reporters at a press conference, Quinn contended that there are enough votes to pass the bill. However, the primary House sponsor,Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago), told the Chicago Tribune that he wasn't certain when he expects to call the legislation for a vote. Harris noted the lawmakers were focused on pension reform, but said momentum continues to build in favor of same sex marriage.

“In the last couple months we have seen the voters of three different states vote for marriage equality at the ballot box and in the last week we saw two other states, and probably a third today, where the legislature said that treating people equally is the right American thing to do,” Harris said. “Now the eyes of the country are on Illinois to see if we are going to do the right thing.” 

Backers claim that they are near to achieving the necessary 60 House votes required to send the bill to Quinn, but noted they aren't willing to push the measure for the vote until they’re sure they have enough votes lined up to pass it.

As opponents of same-sex marriage continue to push to block the measure from reaching a final vote, Harris said he hopes his colleagues were paying attention to the action in other states, saying that “none of the horrible scenarios” that opponents envision have come true.

“People who were married before same sex marriage are still happy and with their families,” Harris said. “All that has occurred is that the community has been strengthened, families have been strengthened and children have found loving parents to help raise them.”

Politics

Immigration Reform: NY's Schumer worries about resolving LGBT issues in immigration bill

J. Scott Applewhite  The Associated Press
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (L) confers with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

By Brody Levesque | WASHINGTON -- As the Senate Judiciary Committee met Thursday, holding a hearing on the comprehensive immigration reform bill, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer expressed concerns over whether or not the final draft of the measure would contain protections for foreign-born partners of gay, lesbian and bisexual American citizens.

Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D-VT) has proposed including language from the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) – which would allow the foreign-born partners of gay, lesbian and bisexual U.S. citizens to apply for green card status – into the legislation as an amendment. Schumer who along with Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio and six other lawmakers crafted the bipartisan bill, told reporters;

“This one is something, you know, I worry about all the time.” Schumer also acknowledged that the issue over including same-sex bi-national partners keeps him awake at night even though he’s a “good sleeper.” 

“Our four Democratic colleagues – including myself – believe that this is not just another issue but an issue of discrimination and so how we resolve this remains to be seen,” he added.

Senate Republicans in the bipartisan Gang of Eight along with their Senate colleagues have publicly indicated that they would not support same-sex couples having the same protections as heterosexual spouses in the final legislation. Schumer himself would not confirm to reporters if he would vote for the amendment should it be included;

“I would like very much to see it in the bill,” he said. “But we have to have a bill that has support to get UAFA passed. That's the conundrum. because if there's no bill, there's no UAFA either." 

Around The Nation

New York

New York's Governor Cuomo launches largest tourism campaign in decades; Includes Targeting LGBT Community

ALBANY, NY -- Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo,(D) announced Wendesay the launch of New York's largest tourism campaign in decades, committing nearly $60 million to grow the industry, create jobs and attract even more visitors to the Empire State.Tourism summit generates new ideas to bring more visitors to New York state

The governor's announcement came at the conclusion of the New York State Tourism Summit, where hundreds of tourism experts gathered in Albany to discuss ideas and new ways to bring tourists to every corner of the state. As the fifth-largest employment sector in New York, tourism supported 714,000 jobs and generated more than $29 billion in wages in 2012. One out of every 12 jobs in New York is tourism-related. The more than 202 million international and domestic visitors that visited the Empire State last year resulted in $57 billion in direct tourism spending, and generated $7 billion in state and local taxes.

"New York state has some of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the world. From the peaks of the Adirondacks to the beaches of Long Island, no matter what you're looking for you can find it here," Cuomo said. 

"I want the world to know about these assets, too, and am committed to making the state a 'must see' global destination, and creating new jobs and investments in New York."

After discussions with tourism experts and hearing the concerns and ideas of local and international tourism officials, the governor announced a series of initiatives designed to make New York the tourism capital of the world.

Cuomo said the state would invest nearly $60 million in tourism funding - the highest level of tourism funding in decades, making New York state third in the country in tourism funding. Last year, the state invested $19 million in tourism funding.

One of the new campaigns announced by Cuomo was the I Love NY LGBT niche tourism initiative to market New York to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, which accounts for approximately $70 billion in tourism spending in the U.S. every year.

Wednesday's summit follows a series of other initiatives spearheaded by Cuomo, including "New York Open for Fishing and Hunting," "Path Through History," "Wine, Beer and Spirits" tourism and the "Adirondack Challenge," designed to lure new visitors, create new jobs and spotlight the state's natural beauty and unparalleled attractions.

Politics

Bill to Modernize HIV/AIDS Laws Introduced In U. S. House

Rep. Barbara Lee, (D-CA) AP Photo

WASHINGTON -- California Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee reintroduced H.R. 1843, the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act, Tuesday, which would lead to an eventual repeal of laws that criminalise exposing others to HIV. Lee first introduced the measure in 2011. Thirty-two states and two U.S. territories now have laws that make "exposure" to or nondisclosure of HIV a crime.

“These laws are based on bias, not science. We need to make sure that our federal and state laws don’t discriminate against people who are living with HIV. These laws breed fear, discrimination, distrust, and hatred, and we’ve got to modernize them. That’s exactly what this legislation would do,” said Lee.

The REPEAL act ["Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal" HIV Discrimination] calls for review of all federal and state laws, policies, and regulations regarding the criminal prosecution of individuals for HIV-related offenses. If enacted, it would be the first piece of federal legislation to take on the issue of HIV criminalization, encouraging states to reconsider laws and practices that unfairly target people with HIV for consensual sex and conduct that poses no real risk of HIV transmission. 

"The more messages we can send to states to modernize or eliminate HIV criminalization laws the better—and that is exactly what this bill does," said Scott Schoettes, HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal. 

"It is high time the nation's HIV criminalization laws reflect the current reality of living with HIV, both from medical and social perspectives. Except for perhaps the most extreme cases, the criminal law is far too blunt an instrument to address the subtle dynamics of HIV disclosure."

The bill has the support of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Positive Justice Project, and AIDS United. 

Though condom use significantly reduces the risk of HIV transmission, most HIV-specific laws do not consider condom use a mitigating factor or as evidence that the person did not intend to transmit HIV. Sentences imposed on people convicted of HIV-specific offenses can range from 10-30 years, even in the absence of intent to transmit HIV, actual transmission, or even the potential for transmission. Though most convictions are based on consensual sexual activity between adults, those convicted are often required to register as "sex offenders."

Lambda Legal noted that it is arguing a case pending before the Iowa Supreme Court in which they are seeking to overturn the 25-year sentence of an HIV+ man who used a condom during a single sexual encounter in which there was no HIV transmission.