Wednesday, September 19th, 2012
Rupert Everett, who is best known for his role in the movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” is taking criticism for comments he made suggesting that gay fathers aren’t suited to the job. From HLN:
Everett, who came out more than two decades ago, went on to say, “She thinks children need a father and a mother and I agree with her.” He then went on to say, “I can’t think of anything worse than being brought up by two gay dads.”
“Some people might not agree with that. Fine! That’s just my opinion,” said Everett, who also said he doesn’t consider himself part of the gay community.
GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said in a statement, “Since Everett shared his outdated opinion, gay parents, as well as their friends and families, have voiced overwhelming disappointment. Children aren’t hurt when raised by caring gay parents, but they are when uninformed people in the public eye insult their families.”
Image: Rupert Everett, via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
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Thursday, July 19th, 2012
The Boy Scouts of America has, after two years of reviewing its policy on homosexuality, announced that it will continue to exclude gays from their organization. The Associated Press reports:
The Scouts cited support from parents as a key reason for keeping the policy and expressed hope that the prolonged debate over it might now subside. Bitter reactions from gay-rights activists suggested that result was unlikely.
The Scouts’ national spokesman, Deron Smith, told The Associated Press that an 11-member special committee, formed discreetly by top Scout leaders in 2010, came to the conclusion that the exclusion policy ‘‘is absolutely the best policy’’ for the 102-year-old organization.
Smith said the committee, comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers, was unanimous in its conclusion — preserving a long-standing policy that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 and has remained controversial ever since.
As a result of the committee’s decision, the Scouts’ national executive board will take no further action on a resolution submitted at its recent national conference asking for reconsideration of the membership policy.
The Scouts’ chief executive, Bob Mazzuca, contended that most Scout families support the policy, which applies to both adult leaders and Scouts.
Image: Boy Scouts, via spirit of america / Shutterstock.com.
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Thursday, June 7th, 2012
A resolution is under consideration by the Boy Scouts of America that would change the 102-year-old policy banning gay men and boys from leading or participating in scouting. From MSNBC.com:
The new policy would throw out the national ban and allow local chartering organizations to decide whether or not they would accept gay youth and leaders, said Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout who has advocated for the change, citing unidentified people he spoke to within the organization.
Boy Scouts of America spokesman Deron Smith said a resolution to amend the national policy to allow each of the Scouting’s chartered groups to set its own standards regarding gay members was turned in by a Scout leader from the northeast before April 30, the deadline for submitting resolutions. He said the resolution was read on May 31 at their national annual meeting.
“While we’ll carefully consider this resolution, there are no plans to change this policy,” he said noting that resolutions and petitions on the matter were “not unique” and dated back to 2000, when the Supreme Court heard a challenge over their stance (the justices sided with the Boy Scouts in the lawsuit involving a former Assistant Scoutmaster who was gay, citing the protections of the First Amendment).
Image: Boy Scouts of America, via Shutterstock.
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Thursday, May 17th, 2012
Nine-year-old Josef Miles has inspired his family–and caught the media’s attention–by taking on a group of controversial protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, who demonstrate at military funerals displaying signs that use an expletive for homosexuals with the words “God Hates ___.” NPR.org reports:
“Josef was determined to make his own statement so we went to the car and with pencil and his sketch pad, he made up his own little sign that reads ‘GOD HATES NO ONE,’ ” his mom wrote. “Those people are scary but he stood strong, was respectful and stood by his convictions. He will be a good man, I have no doubt. I got my Mothers Day present early.”
Image via NPR.org
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Thursday, May 10th, 2012
Therapy techniques intended to “convert” gay teenagers to heterosexuality could soon become illegal in California, if a new bill passes the state’s Senate. MSNBC.com reports:
Sen. Ted Lieu, a Democrat from Torrance, says so-called “reparative” or “ex-gay” therapy wrongfully treats homosexuality as a disease and can be dangerous to minors. If his bill becomes law, California would become the first state to ban therapy aimed at turning gay and lesbian teens straight.
“Some therapists are taking advantage of vulnerable people by pushing dangerous sexual orientation-change efforts,” Lieu said before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve the bill on Tuesday. “These non-scientific efforts have led in some cases to patients later committing suicide, as well as severe mental and physical anguish.”
Image: Teen in therapist’s office, via Shutterstock.
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