Fired University of Toledo Human Resources claims a "divine mandate" in her Attack on LGBT people

Fired University of Toledo Human Resources Administrator Crystal Dixon now claims her column attacking gay and lesbians was in response to a “divine mandate” to speak out against homosexuality.

Dixon was dismissed after a recently column in the Toledo Free Press on homosexuality. Actually, what she wrote was: “As a Black woman who happens to be an alumnus of the University of Toledo’s Graduate School, an employee and business owner, I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are “civil rights victims.”’

She continues: “Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few. Frequently, the individuals report that the impetus to their change of heart and lifestyle was a transformative experience with God; a realization that their choice of same-sex practices wreaked havoc in their psychological and physical lives.”

Now her lawyer says Dixon will file a lawsuit claiming violation of her First Amendment rights to free speech along with racial and religious discrimination.

Dixon says the newspaper article was a personal mater. But her employer disagreed, noting a newspaper article is by definition a pubic act. How could Dixon serve as a Human Resources administrator responsible for insuring compliance with non-discrimination standards that protect gay and lesbian employees?

Would Dixon expect a white male who wrote a newspaper article supporting the Klu Klux Klan and worked as her new boss to hold on to his job?

Dixon seems to say the difference is that gay can change but that ” cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a Black woman. I am genetically and biologically a Black woman” and cannot change.

But that assumes LGBT people can change – and there’s little peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support her belief.

It also assumes that civil rights only apply to characteristics that cannot be changed. If Dixon were right – and she is not – then it would be OK to discriminate against a Jew or a Muslim or even a member of Dixon’s “End Time Christian Fellowship Church.”

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Cheapflights.com Celebrates Gay Pride Month With Tips for Visiting Festivals Big and Small Across America

BOSTON — It’s time to kick up your heels and be “Mary!” The month of June not only marks the official start of summer, but also commemorates the anniversary of the modern gay rights movement. Cities across the globe take this opportunity to celebrate freedom and equality for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.

From parades with lavish floats to family-oriented picnics in the park, dozens of major cities play host to gay pride festivities each year, with many taking place next month. Cheapflights.com wants to help revelers commemorate Gay Pride Month by spotlighting some of the best events — large and small — taking place across America.

“Gay pride festivals and parades are some of the most colorful and unique ways to experience a city’s culture,” said Carl Schwartz, chief travel officer for Cheapflights.com. “Most major metropolitan centers celebrate gay pride throughout the month of June and there are some great travel deals available.”

Tips to Celebrate Gay Pride Month

Plan ahead. If you’re visiting a large gay pride celebration like those in New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, now is the time to book your airfare and hotel accommodations. Also, be sure to look for special last-minute airfare deals on Web sites such as Cheapflights.com which offer a number of money-saving ways to reach your destination. For example, round-trip airfares between Boston and San Francisco can be purchased for as low as $270, while Baltimore-New York fares are $170 and flights from Atlanta to Los Angeles are $285.
Book with a trusted resource. Like any type of travel, it’s important to book with a company or organization that understands your needs and what you’re looking to get out of your experience. Many cruises, tours and vacation packages focus specifically on gay tourists, ensuring that hotels and resorts are gay friendly and avoiding any awkward situations.
Venture outside the box. Instead of celebrating the same way you did last year — whether it was by attending a large, weeklong series of events or a smaller one-day affair — consider a change of pace by checking out a nearby city or town that celebrates in its own way. After all, celebrating your uniqueness is what it’s all about.

Gay Pride Festivals

Major Pride Festivals in June: Among the North American cities that will host gay pride festivals in June are New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia in the East and Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles in the West. Multiple events take place over the course of several days and typically feature activities geared for single travelers as well as couples and families.

Additional 2008 Pride Celebrations: If you’re unable to attend the June celebrations, consider taking part in other major events throughout the summer in cities such as Atlanta and San Diego in July, Vancouver and New Orleans in August, and Dallas in September. From live concerts and dance parties to thought-provoking art exhibits, poetry readings and theater performances, these and other cities around the country show their pride in many different ways.
Lesser-Known Festivals: Not all pride celebrations are made up of tens of thousands of partiers descending on the country’s largest cities. Many “small-town” events are more people-focused and allow participants to experience specific interests which take place throughout the year. Gay pride activities are scheduled in cities like Salt Lake City, Utah (June 6-8), Austin, Texas (June 14), Portland, Oregon (June 14-15) and Bloomington, Indiana, which will host its annual GLBT Film Festival event the last weekend of January, 2009.

For more information, visit the Cheapflights.com Gay and Lesbian Travel Tips page at www.cheapflights.com/travel-tips/gay-and-lesbian-travel/.

Cheapflights.com gives gay pride gurus who are flexible with their travel schedules and destination choices the opportunity to score cheap flight deals to celebrations near and far. The site’s unique destination-first model uses a simple “From” and “To” search model, so there’s no need to always worry about specific dates and times to slow you down.

About Cheapflights.com

Cheapflights.com is the best place to find cheap flight deals and up-to-date travel information. As a leading U.S. travel search engine, the site publishes one of the largest selections of airfare deals available online from a huge range of flight providers. Every day, travelers can search more than one million flight deals from both traditional and low-cost airlines, as well as smaller specialty-travel providers, plus handpicked deals and flight offers exclusive to Cheapflights.com. The site’s Useful Flight Tools section and Flight News blog are packed with travel tips, news and information to help flyers enjoy the best possible travel experience, every time they fly.

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California Supreme Court Issues Historic Ruling: Lesbian and Gay Couples Win Freedom to Marry in California

SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court ruled today that the state can no longer exclude same-sex couples from civil marriage.

In a 4 -3 decision, drafted by Chief Justice Ronald George, the court ruled: “In light of the fundamental nature of the substantive rights embodied in the right to marry — and their central importance to an individual’s opportunity to live a happy, meaningful, and satisfying life as a full member of society — the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all individuals and couples, without regard to their sexual orientation.”

The court also noted: “Furthermore, in contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation, and, more generally, that an individual’s sexual orientation — like a person’s race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights. We therefore conclude that in view of the substance and significance of the fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship, the California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples.”

“This is a historic and landmark day for those who value fairness and opportunity,” said Shannon Price Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who argued the case on behalf of 14 same-sex couples and two organizations, Equality California and Our Family Coalition. “The court’s decision today upheld the highest ideals of equality that are embodied in the California Constitution.”

“There is no more important and deeply personal decision than whether to take on the commitment of marriage,” he added. “With today’s ruling, the California Supreme Court declared that lesbians and gay men have an equal right to make that cherished commitment.”

“We have waited more than 50 years for the opportunity to marry,” said Phyllis Lyon, on behalf of herself and Del Martin, who are plaintiffs in the case. Lyon, 83, and Martin, 87, have been together 56 years. “We are thrilled that this day has finally come.”

Lawsuits challenging the marriage ban were filed in March, 2004. Along with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the couples are represented by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, Heller Ehrman LLP, and the Law Office of David C. Codell. The City and County of San Francisco likewise filed its own challenge to the marriage laws, represented by the office of City Attorney Dennis Herrera. The cases, along with four others, were consolidated into one appeal, In re Marriage Cases.

The court ruled that lesbian and gay couples are entitled to the same fundamental right to marry as heterosexual couples as protected by the California constitution. The decision explicitly strikes down Proposition 22, a voter passed initiative that passed in 2000 that sought to limit marriage to only between a man and woman. Under California rules of procedure, the decision can not go into effect for at least 30 days.

“We’re tremendously gratified that the Court today has fulfilled its traditional duty,” said Jennifer Pizer, Senior Counsel for Lambda Legal. “Like the 1948 decision recognizing the right of interracial couples to marry, this ruling keeps a promise that every Californian should hold dear — the California Constitution embraces everyone equally. Each of us depends on the Supreme Court to enforce our basic rights to be free and equal under law — no more and no less than our neighbors and friends. Enforcement was essential for mixed-race families in the 1940s and for women in the 1970s, and it’s essential for gay men and lesbians now. California’s Constitution safeguards all of us.”

“All Californians should be incredibly proud of our state for leading the nation in ending the unnecessary pain that is caused when lesbian and gay couples are barred from the legal protections and dignity that come through marriage,” said Maya Harris, Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California.

“Today marks a defining moment in our state’s already rich history of establishing fairness for all.”

Currently, lesbian and gay couples may legally marry in Massachusetts, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and South Africa. In 2007, an Iowa trial court held that Iowa’s marriage ban violates the Iowa Constitution. That case is now before the Iowa Supreme Court. A lawsuit challenging the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage in Connecticut is also pending before the Connecticut Supreme Court.

In anticipation of today’s ruling, right-wing organizations are attempting to amend the California Constitution to openly discriminate against lesbian and gay couples. Groups funded by out-of-state organizations have submitted signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot that would ask voters to alter the constitution by denying gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry, which the court upheld today. The California Secretary of State has not yet determined if the discriminatory initiative has qualified for the November ballot.

“The California Constitution was written to protect the freedoms and equality of all people, creating a place where every person can realize his or her hopes and dreams,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “That is the California we choose to live in — a state that ensures dignity and respect for its diverse communities and families. We are confident that Californians will respect the court’s ruling for fairness and opportunity and affirm that lesbian and gay Californians deserve full equality under the law.”

In an interview on April 11, Governor Schwarzenegger stated that an initiative to amend the California Constitution to ban gay and lesbian couples from marriage was “a waste of time,” adding “I will always be there to fight against that. It will never happen.”

Kors added, “I truly believe that Californians are ready to move past the type of politics that seeks to divide us by our differences. Most Californians work hard to treat others fairly, and they believe their neighbors should have the same opportunity to realize their hopes and dreams.”

The case is among the most heavily briefed cases in the history of the California Supreme Court. More than 20 counties and municipalities filed a friend-of-the court brief in support of marriage for same-sex couples, including the most populous cities in California: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Long Beach, Sacramento and Oakland.

In addition, more than 250 religious and civil rights leaders and organizations, including the California NAACP, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, California Council of Churches, Asian Pacific American Legal Center and National Black Justice Coalition, filed briefs supporting same-sex couples seeking the right to marry. Numerous legal and bar associations, including the Los Angeles County Bar Association, also registered their support, as well as many of the state’s leading constitutional law scholars and family law professors.

To read the court’s decision, visit here.

For more information about In re Marriage Cases, visit here.

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California Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage

The California Supreme Court overturned a ban on gay marriage Thursday, paving the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry.

The court in a 4-3 ruling issued the long-awaited decision on its Web site, saying that domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage.

The opinion, written by Chief Justice Ron George, invalidated state laws requiring marriage to be between a man and a woman.

The cases were brought by the city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples, Equality California and another gay rights group in March 2004 after the court halted San Francisco’s monthlong same-sex wedding march that took place at Mayor Gavin Newsom’s direction.

Gay-rights organizations like Equality California called it a historical decision by the court.

The court ruled the state’s one man-one woman marriage laws violate the civil rights of same-sex couples.

With Thursday’s ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, California would become the second state after Massachusetts where gays and lesbians can legally wed.

The court’s seven justices had appeared closely divided on the issue during three-hour oral arguments on March 4.

Same-sex marriage supporters had argued that a right to same-sex marriage is provided by the state constitutional guarantees of equal protection, privacy and a fundamental right to marry.

State attorneys defending California laws had claimed that opposite-sex marriage was deeply rooted in tradition and the state’s domestic partnership system provided nearly equal rights — an argument a majority of the court rejected.

Meanwhile, a voter initiative that would make opposite-sex marriage part of the California Constitution, rather than a law, may be on the statewide ballot in November.

A constitutional amendment measure providing that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California has been submitted, but is in the process of having signatures verified, according to the office of Secretary of State Debra Bowen.

California Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage
CBS 5, CA

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FLASH: California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban
The decision paves the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry.

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Pre-Gaming the California Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

All eyes interested in the gay-marriage debate will be on San Francisco today, where the California Supreme Court (pictured) convenes and where it will release its long-awaited ruling on whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry in California. The ruling is due at 1 p.m. EDT.

What we want to do in this post: to get you fully up to speed on the case itself before the ruling comes down. Thanks to this article in today’s San Francisco Chronicle, we can. Here goes:

In 2000, Californians voted to reaffirm a 1977 state law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The 2000 initiative, called Proposition 22, was not a constitutional amendment.
In February 2004, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom told the city clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, saying he doubted the constitutionality of the 1977 law. Gay and lesbian weddings ensued.
The California Supreme Court stopped the weddings a month later, then nullified the marriages in August 2004, ruling that Newsom lacked the authority to override California law.
The court did not rule on the validity of the law, however, and kicked the issue to the lower courts. Nearly two-dozen gay and lesbian couples — including some whose marriages had just been annulled — and by the city of San Francisco, then sued to challenge the law.
A Superior Court judge in San Francisco declared the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional in March 2005. Judge Richard Kramer said the law violated the right to marry the partner of one’s choice and also constituted sex discrimination.
But a state appeals court reversed Judge Kramer’s ruling, upholding the law in October 2006. The court said California is entitled to preserve the historic definition of marriage while protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination by granting marital rights to domestic partners, most of whom are same-sex couples.

That, alas, is the argument advanced by state Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office, which is defending the marriage law. Opponents argue that the law violates California’s constitution.

But here’s a catch: Even if the court votes to overturn the appellate court ruling and invalidate the 1977 law, the ruling might not stick. “Pro-family” organizations have submitted more than 1.1 million signatures for an initiative that would amend the state Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. If at least 694,354 signatures are found to be valid, the measure would go on the November ballot and, if approved by voters, would override any court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.

Anyway, what’s to be expected in today’s ruling? According to the Chronicle, the current court has a 6-1 majority of Republican appointees, but has a centrist record on social issues and has ruled in favor of gay-rights advocates in a number of cases, including three decisions in 2005 requiring equal treatment for same-sex parents in disputes over child support and custody. The justices seemed sharply divided at their hearing in the marriage case March 4.

Massachusetts is the only state whose high court has ruled that the state’s Constitution gives same-sex couples the right to marry.

Pre-Gaming the California Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY

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TowleTech v.104

Supernova

NASA announced this week that its Chandra X-ray Observatory in space had discovered the Milky Way galaxy’s youngest supernova (above): “They put the star-dying event at sometime around 1868. Before this, the youngest supernova in the Milky Way was thought to have occurred around 1680. A supernova is the catastrophic explosion of a star that releases an extraordinary amount of energy, enough to outshine an entire galaxy. This new baby supernova is located near the center of the galaxy and obscured by dense gas and dust, making it virtually impossible to see in optical light. Two to three supernovae are thought to occur every century in the Milky Way. As a result, there are probably even younger ones out there waiting to be identified, said David Green of the University of Cambridge in England, who led the radio observatory study.”

Rossy Rocketman Yves Rossy takes first flight over the Swiss Alps on wings he built himself: “The self-built contraption took the former fighter pilot five years to build and perfect - and yesterday he gave it its maiden flight. Stepping out of an aircraft at 7,500ft, Rossy unfolded the 10ft rigid wings strapped to his back as he plummeted earthwards. Passing from freefall into a gentle glide, he triggered the four jet turbines and accelerated to 190mph above the mountaintops. Steering with his body, Rossy dived, turned and soared again, flying what appeared to be effortless loops from one side of the Rhone valley to the other. At times he climbed 2,600ft before diving again, leaving a trail of special-effects smoke in his wake.”

Golfplay Google has been running a Developer Challenge for programmers who want to create applications for their Android mobile phone platform, and this week they announced the Top 50 entries in that challenge. The Challenge offers $10 million in awards. The top 5 are Android Scan, a program that discovers pricing and metadata for any product with a barcode; Breadcrumbz, which lets users navigate and record a route using images instead of a map; Pocket Journey, which is a localized networking app for localized exploration; Golfplay, a GPS, statistic, and weather resource for golfers; and Commandro, a mobile social networking app.

Xbox Live this week banned the gamer tag “the GAYERgamer” of one of its users this week. According to Consumerist, “He hoped that a call to customer support would sort things out but all he received was a confusing explanation from an Xbox Live supervisor. According to the supervisor, it wasn’t that she found the name offensive, but it was the ‘greater Xbox community” that found it offensive.’”

CBS announced yesterday that it plans to acquire the tech site Cnet for $1.8 billion.

Vado Creative has launched a rival to the popular Flip series of ultra-cheap, ultra-portable pocket camcorders. The Vado offers 640 x 480 resolution, along with 2GB memory and a 2-inch screen. Great for YouTube, but not much else. Though for $100 we’d call it a bargain.

Although it already rates faster than any other network, AT&T announced this week that it will boost speeds of its 3G network more than fivefold by 2009, to 20 megabits per second. It better, considering that this is on the way. And what’s this talk of a mini-tablet?

Cnet takes a first look at the Wii Fit.

The U.S. Air Force wants the ability to control “any and all” computers.

Asimo A symphony orchestra was handed over to a robot for the first time this week when Honda’s “Asimo” robot conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in a performance of “The Impossible Dream” prior to a Yo-Yo Ma concert on Tuesday: “‘It’s exciting to see. The technology is mind boggling,’ said bass trombone player Randall Hawes, who has played with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for 22 years. ‘I was struck by how fluid the walk was when it came out and how still it was.’ But Hawes doesn’t think the diminutive white robot will replace human conductors any time soon. ‘We react to it. It doesn’t react to us,’ he said. ‘That’s the only thing that’s missing. We knew when it was going to stop so we stopped.’ The symphony extended the invitation to ASIMO earlier this year after Honda donated one million dollars to establish The Power of Dreams Music Education Fund, which will support music education to underserved children around Detroit.”

And in other robot news, a real-life Wall-E!

TOWLETECH GUIDE TO THE TUBE

JACK RUSSELL: A Jack Russell interacts with a new kind of ad/interactive floor display that is coming soon to major airports.

MISSILE COMMAND: How ’bout a two-player game of Missile Command using multi-touch on an 8′ x 4′ wall?

TESTE TOUCH: NYU interactive art installation where the user’s touch and the temperature of the environment make a pair of giant testicles retract and giggle. Folks apparently went nuts for them at a recent fair.

SURVEILLANCE: Using your iPhone to control a high-tech surveillance system.

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Blu’s Muto a New Movement in Street Art

Blu

Living in New York, I’ve seen plenty of drawings on city walls, but never an animation masterwork quite like this one by the artist BLU.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP…

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

(via gawker)

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News: Sean Penn, Nova Scotia, Parrots, Channing Tatum, HIV

Homeless man gets 35 years in prison for spitting on a police officer and saying he was HIV positive.

Penn Sean Penn slams Obama’s “phenomenally inhuman and unconstitutional” voting record, expresses optimism: “I don’t have a candidate I’m supporting and I’m certainly interested and excited by the hope that Barack Obama is inspiring. I hope that he will understand, if he is the nominee, the degree of disillusionment that will happen if he doesn’t become a greater man than he will ever be. This is the most important election, certainly in my lifetime, and maybe ever.”

You’ll never guess who is broke and living in a trailer with 20 parrots? Well, actually, you might.

Marriage equality bill introduced in Minnesota legislature: “The Marriage and Family Protection Act was introduced by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, on Friday. The bill would make marriage a gender-neutral proposition in Minnesota, allowing same-sex couples to marry. It would also protect religious institutions that have moral objections to same-sex marriage from being compelled to perform such ceremonies.”

Spains’s Operacion Triunfo (the equivalent to our American Idol) recently featured a hot gay kiss.

McGreevey: Dina paid for the wedding, and honeymoon.

Rychen All’s well in the land of Ry-chen.

Toronto Lutheran parish to defy church, risk expulsion, ordinate gay man: “Lionel Ketola will be ordained tomorrow night by a non-traditional American Lutheran group that ordains gay candidates. Their ordinations are not officially recognized in Canada or the United States. But despite that, he will then be hired by Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Newmarket, Ont., as an associate pastor, where he has interned for the past two years. Members of Holy Cross will also take part in the ordination ceremony.”

Channing Tatum’s GI Joe gear looks less than comfortable.

Police in Brighton, UK appeal for witnesses following attack on gay man by gang of youths: “About seven boys verbally abused the man, spat on him, forced him to the ground and kicked him in George Street. One member of the group was wearing a hooded top and another had white three quarter length tracksuit bottoms with a navy stripe, police said.”

Gay pride group to march on county offices in Nova Scotia: “The group will raise the gay pride flag during a 7 p.m. ceremony at the town’s Water Street gazebo to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. The gazebo is a couple of blocks from the Municipality of Pictou County’s administrative building, where the gay pride flag will not fly. A February resolution banned all except government and First Nation flags from the county’s official flagpole. The municipality said the controversial policy doesn’t target gay pride groups specifically, but allows equal treatment of all organizations that want the county to fly their flags.”

Joe Lieberman defends pastor John Hagee: “He represents a lot of people in this country, particularly Christians who care about the state of Israel.”

The legacy of Illinois’ first openly gay legislator, Larry McKeon, who died this week: “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. Was the department planning to form a special gay unit? No. Did the department intend to set gay quotas? No. Was there a space on the application for sexual orientation? No. Leaning against a wall, watching, was the man who’d organized the meeting, Larry McKeon.”

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Obelisk Mounted in Annapolis: 2008 Herndon Climb

With all the same-sex marriage excitement, we almost missed thes Herndon Climb, the annual mounting of the lard-slicked obelisk at Annapolis which was almost canceled this year.

More shots and a clip of the action AFTER THE JUMP and at A Cause Des Garcons…