RSS Daily Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Transsexual News Headlines and Entertainment

Is a congratulations too much to ask for?

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

You know what would be great? If our most visible Democrats would acknowledge the historical decision that was cast yesterday, and the positive effects if will have on the millions of the supporters whose votes they've solicited. But that's not...

Degeneres-de Rossi: I now pronounce you hard to pronounce

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Ellen and her audience are quite excited about yesterday's decision. In fact, Degeneres is so happy that she has taken the opportunity to make an honest woman out of Portia. And her audience is so happy that they give both...

Please own your words, Ms. Fyfe

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Do you remember the other day when we pointed out how a conservative writer, Kristen Fyfe, had written a piece condemning the on-screen commitment ceremony that aired on "Brothers and Sisters." And do you remember how the primary beef we...

How-to-be-cruelly-insensitive

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Wanna see how cruel and crass our opposition can sometimes be? Well check this out. In reaction the news that a workshop designed to help gay youth and their fathers learn to accept themselves and each other was cancelled, the...

Audio/video: The full picture is much more telling

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We're going to give you an assignment which, if you have the time and energy, we think you'll find interesting. First watch this Alliance Defense Fund fundraising/promo video, especially the portion in which attorney Glenn Lavy is shown giving what...

Wherein homo-hostility turns herbicidal

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Think you've seen every sort of attack on yesterday's historic ruling that you can possibly imagine? Well check out this little quip from the Christian Civic League of Maine's Mike Heath, which was passed on to us by the lovely...

Video: Victory is just so much more fun

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

We're such a cute group of people: Singing, celebrating and 'Making all their dreams come true' in the Castro [HRC Backstory]

Grand Old Day – An Official Summer of Pride Event

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Grand Old Day is produced by the Grand Avenue Business Association as its annual fundraiser with monies collected at the event going towards marketing the Avenue, six additional events, business-to-business opportunities and avenue beautification. Visit Lavender and Wanda Wisdom at the Pier 1 Stage for an afternoon filled with fun and music! June 1 • Grand [...]

Same-sex marriage now legal in California

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Nashvillians react to historic decision. Members of the GLBT community held a national celebration today after the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on gay marriage making California the second state in the US to recognize civil unions. Same sex...

TEP to hold annual meeting on Sat. May 17

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The Tennessee Equality Project's (TEP) annual meeting will take place Saturday, May 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. (Central Time) at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Nashville located at 419 Woodland Street. TEP will hold its annual business meeting, including electing...

Have a Grizzly wash your car

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The Nashville Grizzlies Rugby team will be washing cars on Sunday May 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot behind Lipstick Lounge, the corner of 14th Street and Woodland Avenue in East Nashville. There is no charge for the car wash however donations...

Ellen DeGeneres says shes getting hitched

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Following the California Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality in the state, Ellen, who has been in a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi for about four years, announced on her talk show yesterday that she's going to...

Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Lois Capps and Tammy Baldwin respond to California marriage decision

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Here are statements from California congresswomen Barbara Lee and Lois Capps in response to Thursday's California Supreme Court decision that reversed a lower court decision and ruled that same-sex couples have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples under...

Statements from California congressional delegation on state supreme court marriage decision

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Here are statements from California Members of Congress in response to the state supreme court ruling granting marriage equality. We'll post additional statements here from members of the California congressional delegation as they come in: Congresswoman Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D):...

Singing, celebrating and Making all their dreams come true in the Castro

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Here's a great video from YouTube video blogger Castro in the Streets that provides an interesting, eyewitness account from San Francisco on the day the California Supreme Court ruled that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is unconstitutional. The...

Ellen Portia to Tie The Knot

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

No sooner did the California Supreme Court give the go-ahead to same-sex marriage than Ellen DeGeneres, arguably pop culture’s most popular lesbian, announced that she would be getting hitched with her longtime partner, actress Portia de Rossi.

Ellen, Portia To Marry

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(Los Angeles, California) Ellen DeGeneres is putting the California Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage into action - she and Portia de Rossi plan to wed, DeGeneres announced during a taping of her talk show.

Group Returns To Court, Seeks Delay In Gay Marriages

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(San Francisco, California) Even as same-sex couples across California begin making plans to tie the knot, opponents are redoubling their efforts to make sure wedding bells never ring for gay couples in the nation's most populous state.

Pope Blasts Gay Marriage

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(Vatican City) Pope Benedict is again weighing in on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Presidential Candidates On Same-Sex Marriage

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(Washington) When it comes to same-sex marriage there are few differences in the positions of John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Year Of Waiting For Conn. Gay Marriage Ruling

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(Hartford, Connecticut) One year ago this week the Connecticut Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving 8 same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.

Calif. Ruling Pushes Conservatives To Push Two States On Gay Union Bans

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(Washington) Conservative lawmakers in Arizona and North Carolina are using Thursday's California Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage to press for amendments to their state constitutions to prevent similar rulings.

Gay Pride Organizers Appeal To Russian President

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

(Moscow) Organizers of a gay pride march appealed Friday to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to overturn a decision by Mayor Yuri Lushkov to prohibit the event.

Analysis: Gay marriage back as campaign issue

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

A California Supreme Court decision clearing the way for gay marriages in the state injects an element of uncertainty into a presidential race in which the Iraq war and the sputtering economy have largely overshadowed social issues.

Is My Dog Gay?

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

I was not prepared for what I would find when typing the words "Can my dog be gay?" into Google's search engine. I was bombarded by strange questions posted on websites and blogs about strange things owner's make their dogs do (No, I will not repeat them!) and yes even videos created by people with way too much time on their hands.

Two Down, Three to Go: With CA Ruling, NY, CT, NJ May Be Next in Line

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The May 15 ruling by California Supreme Court that it is unconstitutional in that state to deny gay and lesbian families marriage is already having a ripple effect in states across the union.

DeGeneres, de Rossi plan to marry

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Ellen DeGeneres is putting the California Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage into action - she and Portia de Rossi plan to wed, DeGeneres announced during a taping of her talk show.

VIDEO: Ellen announces engagement on her talk show

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"So I would like to say now, for the first time, I am announcing: I am getting married," she said.

Then DeGeneres cracked: "Thank you. I'll tell you who the lucky guy is soon.

Quiet campaign helps two pro-gay bills pass Ala. House

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In what some activists consider a bellwether moment for gay rights in the U.S., the Alabama House of Representative passed a pair of gay-inclusive bills in the same day earlier this month.

Gay marriage back as a campaign issue

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Yesterday's California Supreme Court decision striking down a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage reintroduces a hot-button social issue into the presidential campaign.

Former Fascit, now mayor of rome calls Pride a sexual exhibition

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

A former fascist elected to lead one of Europe's biggest cities has spoken out against the gay community. He said: "I fear that the Gay Pride or anything else, an act of sexual exhibition, and I am opposed to any form of exhibition, homosexual or heterosexual."

Pope restates gay marriage ban after California vote

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Pope Benedict, speaking a day after a California court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage, firmly restated on Friday the Roman Catholic Church's position that only unions between a man and a woman are moral.

Gay officers out of closet thanks to him

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

When Larry McKeon died this week, shortly after a violent stroke, he was memorialized as Illinois' first openly gay legislator. I remember him for something else. The night I met McKeon is hard to imagine now. It was a Wednesday in 1992. Men and women, black and white, middle-aged and young, filed into an upstairs banquet room of an Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue. Twenty were expected. Eighty turned out. A TV camera crew came too, eager to film. The group said no way. "I could lose my job," said a man in a business suit. Chicago had never held a meeting like this, for gays and lesbians interested in becoming cops, and for an hour and a half, bleached by ceiling lights, they asked questions. Two officers, among the few on the force willing to say they were gay, answered.

ACLU Settles AIDS Discrimination Case for Homeless Man, Creating Model Education Program for Shelters Nationwide

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK, NY -- The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the settlement of an AIDS discrimination case in which Patrick Keegan Biggers, a homeless man, was evicted from a shelter in Maine because he was HIV positive.

ACLU of New Jersey Challenges HIV Discrimination

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In September 1998, the woman, identified only as C.C. in the federal court complaint, went to Shelton Dental Services for a routine check-up. After her x-rays were completed by a dental assistant, Dr. McDaniels entered the examining room and asked C.C. questions about her medical history. Once Dr. McDaniels learned that C.C. was HIV positive, he refused to treat her and instead referred her to the Special Services Dental Clinic at the New Jersey Dental School.

Settlement Ends Discrimination Case of Nine-Year-Old Forced to Take HIV Test

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

CAROL STREAM, IL -- A nine-year-old black child who was allegedly coerced into taking an HIV test after sharing a snorkel in a public pool with a white youth settled a discrimination case against a suburban day care center, the Chicago Sun-Times reported today.

ACLU Expresses Significant Doubts About New Draft of Medical Privacy Bill

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

After weeks of negotiating the differences between three medical records privacy bills introduced this year, Senator James Jeffords, the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, unveiled a new draft of his legislation before his committee today.

ACLU Says CDC Guidelines on HIV Surveillance Could Lead to Better Privacy Protections

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON -- New guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control on HIV surveillance could pave the way for better privacy protections for people with HIV, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

Federal Court Allows DC Government to Tally Medical Marijuana Initiative Vote

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"Today's ruling is a tremendous victory for the First Amendment rights of DC voters and home rule," said Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the National Capital Area, which had filed the lawsuit last year. "We're delighted that the Federal court has so completely vindicated the rights of District residents."�

ACLU Creates First-Ever HIV Education Curriculum For Homeless Shelters Nationwide

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK -- At a time when cities across the nation are cracking down on increasing numbers of homeless people seeking refuge from the winter, the American Civil Liberties Union today released the first-ever hands-on policy and practice toolkit for homeless shelters, focusing on the connection between HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and shelters, which could serve as a model education program for shelters nationwide.

Federal Court Rejects HIV-Based Job Discrimination, Ties Employment to Individual Capabilities, Not Bias

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

CHATTANOOGA, TN--Striking a blow against job discrimination based on HIV status, a federal court today reversed a lower court decision that allowed the city of Chattanooga to refuse to hire a man as a police officer just because he has HIV.

AmFARs Prestigious Award of Courage for Legal Defense Presented to ACLU AIDS Project for Pioneering Work

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK -- Recognizing the American Civil Liberties Union's decades of work fighting for the rights of people with HIV - and mobilizing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities against the epidemic - the American Foundation for AIDS Research will present the ACLU AIDS Project with its Award of Courage tonight.

ACLU Urges Federal Court to End Government Persecution Of Doctors Over Medical Marijuana

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

SAN FRANCISCO -- The American Civil Liberties Union today urged a federal court to permanently block the federal government from censoring or criminally prosecuting California doctors who recommend medical marijuana to their patients.

Women AIDS Clinic and ACLU File Suit Alleging Discrimination Against HIV-Positive Woman

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEWARK, NJ -- The Women and AIDS Clinic at Rutgers Law School and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today filed a federal lawsuit against New Jersey state officials for discriminating against an HIV positive woman and her newborn child.

Government Cannot Punish Doctors Who Recommend Medical Marijuana, CA Court Says

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- The American Civil Liberties Union today hailed a federal court ruling saying that federal authorities cannot revoke the licenses of California doctors who recommend the medical use of marijuana to their patients.

Strengthened by Federal Appeals Court Ruling, ACLU Presses Ahead Fighting for HIV-Positive Prisoners

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

JACKSON, MS - On the heels of a federal appeals court decision that Mississippi prisoners with HIV and AIDS have been inadequately represented, the American Civil Liberties Union today vowed to press ahead to ensure standard medical care, safe and humane prison conditions and equal treatment regardless of HIV status.

ACLU Says Bush Initiative Represents Faith-Based Prescription for Discrimination

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today said that President George Bush's new initiative to give tax dollars to religious organizations would lead to government-funded discrimination in employment and services and a dangerous loosening of licensing and standards for providers of social services.

CT Court is First in Nation to Protect Needle Exchange Program from Police Harassment

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

BRIDGEPORT, CT--In a national test case challenging the illegal harassment and arrest of participants in a Needle Exchange Program, a federal court in Connecticut has ruled that police may not interfere with a public health initiative that effectively combats disease through education and prevention.

In Disappointing Decision, Justices Limit Disability Law

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON--The Supreme Court today ruled that state employees who have suffered job discrimination because of their disabilities may not sue for money damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The decision, the American Civil Liberties Union said, once again elevated states rights over individual rights.

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Foster Care Policy That Discriminates Based on HIV/AIDS Status

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

PHILADELPHIA -- A Pennsylvania county children's agency cannot disqualify prospective foster parents because one of their children has AIDS -- and cannot force them to disclose their children's health status -- the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled, in a decision hailed today by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the parents.

ACLU Urges House to Reject Watts Faith-Based Bill; Says It Represents Broad Assault on Civil Rights Protections

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - Calling it a broad assault on core civil rights protections, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to reject the faith-based initiative to be introduced tomorrow morning by Rep. J.C. Watts, a Republican from Oklahoma.

ACLU Says Watts Charitable Choice Bill Would Give Government-Funded Religious Organizations Carte Blanche to Discriminate

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today told a House subcommittee that a bill designed to implement President Bush's faith-based initiative would give federally funded religious organizations carte blanche to discriminate based on religion.

Federal Court Victory Sets New Precedent on HIV Discrimination Against Health Care Workers

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK -- A federal court decision reinstating an Oregon ski patroller who was fired for refusing an HIV test will strengthen legal protections for health care workers and others whose employers overreact to remote risks of HIV infection, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.

As Senate Convenes Hearings, ACLU Says Bush Initiative Represent Faith-Based Prescription for Discrimination

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - As a Senate panel convened its first hearings on President Bush's faith-based initiative, the American Civil Liberties Union today said that the Administration's proposal would give federally funded religious organizations carte blanche to discriminate based on religion.

ACLU Helps Launch Campaign to Oppose Government Censorship of Sexuality Education

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON -- Joining with 34 other prominent national organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union today said that abstinence-only sexuality education dangerously limits students' access to information about human sexuality and results in widespread government-sponsored censorship.�

ACLU Says Changes to Bush Faith-Based Bill Make Government-Funded Discrimination More Likely

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"It may be hard to believe, but the Administration has actually made this bill even worse," said Terri Schroeder, an ACLU Legislative Counsel. "If this new version were to become law, faith-based discrimination against people in need would become the norm. The changes can in no way be called a compromise."

Senate Recognizes Domestic Partnerships, Allows Needle Exchange in DC; ACLU Applauds Victory for Local Control and Civil Rights

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON -- The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the Senate's decision today to allow the District of Columbia to finally implement its long-awaited domestic partnership law and to spend local funds on a needle exchange program, calling the vote a victory for the democratic and civil rights of District residents.�

Bush Administrations Own Survey Shows Little Need for Faith-Based Plan; Charities Want More Resources, But Not Right to Discriminate

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - Religious organizations responding to an Administration-ordered survey expressed little support for President Bush's faith-based plan, a development that the American Civil Liberties Union today said further discredits the current push for an expansion of government-funded religion.

ACLU Testifies Against Controversial HIV Regulations Proposed by Puerto Rico Health Department

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Saying it will violate individual privacy and endanger public health, the American Civil Liberties Union today testified against a raft of new HIV regulations proposed by the Puerto Rico Health Department that would, among other things, require people to disclose the names of their sexual partners to the government.

ACLU Urges Calm and Caution, Warns Against Witch-Hunt In Escalating South Dakota HIV Transmission Investigations

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- As 18-year university student Nikko Biteramos of Huron faces several counts of having sex without disclosing that he has HIV -- and with an Aberdeen man set to appear in court today facing similar charges -- the American Civil Liberties Union today said state officials and the public should proceed with concern, calm and caution.

ACLU Survey Reveals Massive Civil Rights Violations Against People With HIV/AIDS

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today released a survey, HIV & Civil Rights: A Report from the Frontlines of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, which details widespread civil rights violations throughout the U.S. against people with HIV/AIDS. The survey was compiled from interviews over the past two years with community-based AIDS service providers from across the country.

ACLU of Florida Demands Recall of State Health Departments Religious AIDS Brochure

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

MIAMI--Saying that it is inappropriate for a public health agency to distribute religious material, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today called upon Florida health department officials to immediately recall AIDS education brochures that contain Biblical references and ask readers to "answer Jesus' call" by reaching out to people with HIV and AIDS.

Court Order Ends Discrimination Against HIV+ Prisoners in Mississippi, ACLU Welcomes Hard Fought Reform

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

JACKSON, MS-The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded a federal court order that finally ends all sanctioned discrimination against prisoners with HIV/AIDS who are banned from participation in community work programs because of their illness.

ACLU Blasts Ohio Correction Center for Refusing to Administer HIV Medication to Inmate

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

COLUMBUS, OH - The Franklin County Correction Center is refusing to administer time-sensitive HIV medication to an inmate serving time in the facility, ignoring a letter sent by the American Civil Liberties Union informing administrators at the facility of the inmate's condition and need for the medication, the ACLU said today.

ACLU Criticizes the CDC for Proposed Changes in Guidelines on AIDS-Related Materials

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK - In a letter submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Civil Liberties Union denounced suggested revisions to the agency's content guidelines for HIV/AIDS materials, which regulate the messages that HIV prevention organizations receiving federal funds can use in materials aimed at preventing HIV transmission. The new guidelines would require organizations to present HIV prevention materials for review by state and local health officials, who could be partisan, elected officials with no expertise in HIV issues and prevention.

NYCLU Criticizes Ban on Condom Demonstrations in Sex Education Classes in New York

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK -- The New York Civil Liberties Union today praised the New York City Department of Education for revising the sex education curriculum but criticized its refusal to include recommended condom demonstrations in a new curriculum.

Lives of HIV Positive Prisoners in Mississippi Saved By Lawsuit, Says the ACLU

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

JACKSON, MS- The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the dramatic improvements in medical treatment and living conditions for hundreds of HIV positive Mississippi prisoners as a result of litigation that concluded yesterday.

ACLU Tells Federal Appeals Court that HIV Positive Health Care Workers Pose No Threat to Others

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

DENVER - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend-of-the-court brief before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit today urging the court to allow a discrimination suit to go forward that was brought by a phlebotomist who was fired after notifying his employer that he was HIV positive.

ACLU Praises Arkansas Board of Cosmetology for Quickly Confirming that People With HIV Are Not Barred From Practicing Cosmetology

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

LITTLE ROCK -- In response to a letter sent today by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Arkansas Board of Cosmetology quickly confirmed that people with HIV are not barred from practicing cosmetology in the state. The ACLU sent the letter after the Paragould-based cosmetology school, Hair Tech Beauty College, expelled an HIV-positive student, claiming it was illegal for people with HIV to practice cosmetology.

ACLU Urges State to Clarify Regulation Used by Cosmetology School to Justify Kicking Out HIV Positive Student

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

LITTLE ROCK -- The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the Arkansas Board of Cosmetology today asking it to clarify a state regulation that has been used as the justification by a Paragould-based cosmetology school to expel an HIV-positive student.

Global AIDS Gag Holds Critical Funding Captive to Politics

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK ? The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed deep concern about a U.S. government policy that ties the hands of public health service providers and those who work with them in the global fight against AIDS.

HIV Activists Tell New York Department of Health to Stop Gutting Informed Consent Laws

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK ? HIV activists demanded today that the New York State Department of Health stop illegally collecting medical information on people with HIV and stop its illegal end run around New York law requiring informed consent for HIV testing.

ACLU Sues West Virginia Police Chief Who Blocked Life-Saving Measures for Gay Heart Attack Victim Assumed to Be HIV Positive

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

CHARLESTON, WV ? The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a federal discrimination lawsuit on behalf of the surviving family members of a Welch man who died of a heart attack after the police chief physically prevented his friend from performing CPR. The police chief blocked the CPR because he falsely assumed that the man, who was gay, was HIV positive and therefore a health risk.

ACLU Tells San Francisco Department of Public Health Not to Report Names of People Deceived About HIV Confidentiality

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

SAN FRANCISCO ? The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the San Francisco Department of Public Health demanding that the San Francisco City Clinic stop misleading people being tested for HIV about names reporting.

ACLU Says New CDC HIV Testing Recommendations Raise Health and Civil Liberties Concerns

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK ? The American Civil Liberties Union is concerned that the CDC?s new HIV testing recommendations may harm the health of those newly diagnosed with HIV and compromise the civil rights of anyone seeking medical treatment.

Bush Global AIDS Gag is Harmful to Public Health, Groups Tell Appeals Court

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union and 26 public health experts, human rights and HIV/AIDS organizations are urging a federal appeals court to reject a government policy that restricts the ability of U.S. groups to end the spread of HIV/AIDS in other countries.

ACLU and Public Health Groups Urge Appeals Court to Reject Bush Global AIDS Gag

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - The federal government is illegally restricting the ability of U.S. health organizations to end the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, charged the American Civil Liberties Union and more than 25 public health and human rights organizations in a legal brief filed today.

ACLU Tells Alabama RV Park to Stop Discriminating Against People with HIV

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

MONTGOMERY, AL ? The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the owner of the Wales West RV park in Silverhill, Alabama today demanding that it stop discriminating against people with HIV by barring people with the disease from using the swimming pool, showers and other common areas of the park without a letter from a doctor.�

HIV-Positive Prisoners Receive More Equal Treatment in Alabama After ACLUs Efforts

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- After years of advocacy by the American Civil Liberties Union, AIDS Alabama and state legislators, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) has agreed to give HIV-positive prisoners greater access to visitation, educational programs, substance abuse treatment programs, and religious services. Until now, HIV-positive prisoners have been denied these programs and services offered to the general population of inmates.

ACLU Tells Peace Corps To Stop Barring People With HIV From Serving As Volunteers

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the Peace Corps today demanding that it change its policy of barring people with HIV from serving as volunteers. The ACLU sent the letter on behalf of a Denver volunteer who was sent home from his post in the Ukraine and terminated after he tested positive for HIV.

Residents debate road name change

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"If it wasn't for the volunteer fire departments, I don't know where we would be"

Two families clashed Monday night at the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners over the name of a New Elm road. via Moultrie Observer

Contract awarded for courthouse work

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"If somebody would just point me in the right direction"

A contract has been executed for the "selective demolition" at the historic 1904 Coweta County Courthouse in downtown Newnan. via Times-Herald

Gay Georgia Republicans are coming out the closet

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"But his fiscal responsibility will be greatly appreciated on a day-to-day basis. His margin of victory shows that our community in north DeKalb cares more about the person and their performance as an elected official than someone's sexuality."

Brian Bates is a 36-year-old business owner in charge of Doraville's annual Police Appreciation Day. via Georgia Politics Unfiltered

Refrigerator Front

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

COMMEMORATIVE PLATES ON SALE WHERE: Chamber of Commerce in the Depot, Downtown Thomson MORE INFO: The seventh in the Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce's series of historical plates have arrived. via The McDuffie Mirror

Tribute honors governors from Newnan

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The two Newnan men who have served as Georgia's governor will be remembered by the Coweta County Democratic Party at the Atkinson-Arnall Tribute on Thursday. via Times-Herald

Bowman, Commons share Peach Belt Conferences top honor

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Augusta State senior forward Tyrekus "A.J." Bowman and USC Aiken junior forward Chris Commons were named Peach Belt Conference co-Player of the Year on Tuesday afternoon. via Augusta Chronicle

Cops, copter, dogs called out, seek West Lake shootout suspect

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Using dogs and even a helicopter, several police agencies searched a wooded area of Richmond County last night and this morning for Bobby Lee Roberson, a suspect in last month's break-ins and shootout in the ... via Aiken Online

New foundation hopes to raise funds for Atlanta gay groups

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

"We want to create a process that isn't a burden for organizations, but what would serve kind of like a little self-assessment or self-audit."

Former YouthPride Executive Director Edward Gray has created the Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Community Foundation to raise money for other gay non-profits. More from this author RYAN LEE MORE INFO: Seed money for ... via Southern Voice

The only label we need, Brian, is unfair

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In his response to today's amazing, fantastic, historic, world-changing California marriage ruling, the National Organization for Marriage's Brian Brown has made the requisite negative comments about marriage rights, "activist judges," and the supposed political correctness that fueled today's decision. However,...

Geez, do you want a play-by-play Peter? Or maybe we should make you a tape?

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

In a email message to supporters, Peter LaBarbera is using a fear of the homo-sex to scare folks about today's amazing, fantastic, historic, world-changing California marriage ruling. He poses the following question: Our direct answer: Anally and orally, with some...

Video: Big OOPSIE!

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

While our post celebrating today's amazing, fantastic, historic, world-changing California marriage ruling was in the process of publishing, we quickly cancelled it because emails kept coming in telling us that the ruling had actually gone against equality. This mega-mistake that...

LOOK OUT, CA HETEROS -- THE ROBES ARE COMING FOR YOUR MARRIAGE!!!!!!!!!!!

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

The always grounded, never hyperbolic, super-objective, highly trustworthy WorldNetDaily conserva-news site has put today's amazing, fantastic, historic, world-changing California marriage ruling into their own inimitable words. For them, it all comes down to this: So ridiculous. Everyone knows that black...

Well lets divide up the job: Gays, you destroy the sacred part of society; lesbians, you take the goodness

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

As soon as we received today's amazing, fantastic, historic, world-changing California marriage ruling, we knew Golden State anti-gay activist Randy Thomasson would soon be bringing out one of his most histrionic attacks to date. But we must say -- calling...

ACLU of Massachusetts Welcomes New Hampshire Civil Unions Law

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

BOSTON - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts welcomed passage of legislation in New Hampshire to provide the option of civil unions for lesbian and gay couples, with important rights, benefits and protections at the state level.

ACLU Praises House Judiciary Committee for Passing Hate Crimes Legislation

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the House Judiciary Committee for passing H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, by a vote of 20-14 late yesterday. As introduced by Representative John Conyers (D - MI), this legislation expands federal law enforcement ability to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

Iowa Legislature Outlaws Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

DES MOINES ? The American Civil Liberties Union today applauded the Iowa legislature for approving a bill outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill, which was approved earlier by the Iowa Senate, passed the Iowa House of Representatives late last night by a vote of 59-37. Governor Chet Culver has already said that he would sign the bill into law.

ACLU Praises Introduction of Employment Non-Discrimination Act

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Washington - The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed strong support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) introduced today by Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), Deborah Pryce (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Christopher Shays (R-CT). This legislation would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, compensation, and most conditions of employment.

ACLU Gives Tennessee High School an F in Civics for Censoring Gay and Gay-Supportive Students

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Jonesborough, TN -- After a high school principal suspended a student for participating in a silent demonstration to raise awareness about anti-gay violence, the American Civil Liberties Union demanded today that David Crockett High School apologize to the student and promise not to punish students who take part in such actions in the future.

ACLU Cheers House Passage of Hate Crimes Legislation

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Washington, DC - The American Civil Liberties Union today cheered the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, with strong bipartisan support. This legislation would allow federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute hate crimes offenses in cases where local law enforcement lacks the resources, or in some cases the willingness to do so.

ACLU Asks Georgia Judge to Return Seven-Year-Old to Lesbian Mother

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 +0200

ATLANTA ? In a hearing today, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Wilkinson County Superior Court to return a vulnerable seven-year-old girl to the woman in whose care she had been thriving for a year. The county?s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) has held the girl in foster care since February 20, when a judge took her away after he learned that she was being raised by a lesbian.