Cleveland mulls gay partner law
(Cleveland, Ohio) A draft ordinance has been filed in Cleveland City Council to create a domestic partner registry. If approved, it would make the city the third in Ohio to have such a registry for same-sex couples.
The legislation was filed by Councilman Joe Cimperman. He said it would help Cleveland’s …
Immune Cells, worn out from HIV fight, given new life
(Toronto, Ontario) A Canadian-U.S. research team has discovered a way to rejuvenate key virus-killing immune cells that become “exhausted” after a person is infected with HIV.
The scientists hope their work could lead to a whole new approach to therapy - bolstering the body’s natural ability to fight the disease by …
Investigators: House may have been torched because owner was gay
(Newton, North Carolina) A fire that destroyed a home in Newton, North Carolina may have been started by someone targeting its owner because he is gay, county and state investigators say.
Melvin Whistlehunt was at work when his mother called to tell him that his home was on fire. When he …
NM teens deny hazing charges
(Las Vegas, New Mexico) Six former high school athletes have denied charges they sexually assaulted younger teammates during a hazing incident at a preseason football camp.
State District Judge Eugenio Mathis on Monday placed the boys on house arrest, allowing them to leave under supervision only for school, work or to …
Gay Prop 8 lawsuits challenged by conservative law group
(San Francisco, California) A legal group with ties to Liberty University, the college founded by the late evangelist Jerry Falwell, is seeking standing before the California Supreme Court in a challenge to Proposition 8 - the amendment to the state constitution barring same-sex marriage.
In a brief filed Monday with the …
W. Va Southern Baptists press for gay marriage ban
(Charleston, West Virginia) The West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists has joined a socially conservative political action group in calling for an amendment to the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
The Convention, which represents about 200 Southern Baptist churches in West Virginia, has unanimously passed a resolution calling on the …
Milwaukee sued by gay arts group
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) A gay arts group has sued the city of Milwaukee in federal court for violating its free speech rights three years ago when officials shut down a musical revue featuring nudity.
The city temporarily shut down performances of “Naked Boys Singing!” in August 2005 while it considered the Milwaukee …
3rd Episcopal diocese splits from church over gays
(New York City) A third theologically conservative diocese has broken away from the liberal Episcopal Church in a long-running dispute over the Bible, gay relationships and other issues.
The Diocese of Quincy, Ill., took the vote at its annual meeting that ends Saturday.
Two other dioceses - San Joaquin, based in Fresno, …
Oregon city elects transgender mayor
(Silverton, Oregon) Plenty of politicians reinvent themselves, but few do it quite like Mayor-elect Stu Rasmussen.
Rasmussen has been a fixture in Silverton politics for more than 20 years, and had twice before been mayor of the small city 45 miles south of Portland. Those terms, however, were before Rasmussen began …
Obama transition team bans LGBT discrimination
(Washington) The Obama-Biden transition team is telling prospective employees in the new administration it will not discriminate against LGBT workers.
“The Obama-Biden Transition Project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other basis of discrimination …
