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New York

New York Mayor Supports Same-Sex Marriage In Ballot Referendum In Maryland With Large Contribution

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

NEW YORK, NY -- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took his support as an ally of same-sex marriage nation Friday by donating $250,000 this month to support the effort in Maryland, which no state has done thus far in terms of legalising same-sex marriage in an election ballot referendum- known as Question 6- by voters.

“I do not believe that government has any business telling one class of couples that they cannot marry,” Mr. Bloomberg wrote in an e-mail, was distributed by supporters of same-sex marriage in Maryland. 

“The next great barrier to full equality under the law is marriage equality. There is no doubt in my mind this barrier will fall, just as so many others have.”

The Mayor, an independent and an alumni of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, whose personal wealth makes him a billionaire, lent his financial support after discussions with Maryland's Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley.
Bloomberg also contributed to efforts in the 2011 campaign that led to the successful legalisation of same-sex marriage in New York and has made contributions to efforts in New Hampshire.
Interviewed at the Vice-Presidential debate site in Kentucky last night by the New York Times, Governor O’Malley said he hoped the mayor’s generosity would prompt additional donations to his group, Marylanders for Marriage Equality, saying he was concerned that opponents of same-sex marriage would outspend supporters in the state.

“A contribution as generous as this is certainly a big help to us,” he said.“The fact that someone of Mayor Bloomberg’s national stature and recognition would care about our referendum campaign for civil marriage equality, I think, tells people all over our country that this is a serious and real campaign.” 

With his tenure as mayor ending next year, Mr. Bloomberg has been developing his national profile through a series of donations to political candidates and social causes. In February, he gave a matching gift of $250,000 to Planned Parenthood after it lost financing from a breast cancer advocacy organization; his donation earned praise from liberal groups.

California

Boy Scout Denied His Eagle Award & Kicked Out Gets $20K During Appearance On 'Ellen'
LOS ANGELES, CA -- The Contra Costa, California Boy Scout denied his Eagle Scout award and then kicked out of the Boy Scouts after declaring he is gay appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Thursday to tell his story. Ryan Andresen, 18, told Ellen that he was initially told that his sexual orientation wouldn't be an obstacle. He also told her that since the news of his dismissal and the ensuing publicity generated after his mother launched a Change.org petition to not only force BSA officials to award him the Eagle but reinstate him, has been overwhelming.
He told DeGeneres that she had long been inspirational for him, "I've been looking up to you for so long," he said. The talk show host then presented Andresen with an oversized $20,000 college scholarship cheque from the photo-publishing website Shutterfly.
Yesterday's interview is the first in-depth media appearance by Andresen regarding his experiences after his family had agreed not to do interviews with journalists as part of their arrangement with DeGeneres' show.
Andresen talked about his life long participation in the various Boy Scouts of America programmes, starting as a Cub Scout at age 6 and working his way up the ranks expecting his effort to culminate with being named an Eagle Scout, the highest honor in the Boy Scouts. "It's been pretty much a lifelong dream for me," Andresen said.
Andresen said that he had completed all the requirements for his Eagle Scout award when he revealed his sexual orientation to his scout troop leader. His Eagle Scout project, a 288-tile "Wall of Tolerance" was built on an outdoor wall at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School in Moraga, where he attended classes, was aimed at combating school bullying.
"I went through a lot of bullying in my life," he said.
After his troop denied him the Eagle Scout award, his mother started a petition October 2 on Change.org demanding that Boy Scout officials reconsider their decision. Within two days of the petition and ensuing publicity Andresen told DeGeneres local Scouting officials notified the Andresens that Ryan was losing his membership in the Scouts altogether.
He talked about his love for the experiences he had as a Scout telling DeGeneres that he thought it was wrong the way the organisation was discriminating against gay people;

"I don't think it's fair that not everybody has an opportunity to go through it," he said. "I hope people understand discrimination is not OK."

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