Thursday’s Watercooler: Oprah goes primetime and Lady Gaga stands up for gay teens

Today, gay kids continue to make waves across the country. I’m hoping it’s a trend, that Constance has inspired a national uprising amongst gay teens. It’s about time someone challenged the strangle hold administrators have over high school students. In today’s story [1], a Nashville teen, Cole Goforth, wore a “Lady Gay Gay” t-shirt and was told to go home and change because the shirt caused “disruptions” at school. Cole refused and Lady Gaga tweeted her support for his assertion of first amendment rights. It’s a good legal fight and I hope Cole takes it all the way. And props to Gaga for lending her support!

[2]

In other serious but less sexy news, Obama and Medvedev (Russian President) have signed [3] a small, but significant nuclear disarmament treaty. It’s not going to eliminate the incredibly large nuclear program in the U.S. or that of Russia, but even some sort of deal is progress. Nuclear disarmament has been getting knocked around recently (think North Korea) and it’s heartening to see any movement towards the reduction of these weapons in the world.

[4]

While Obama works on serious issues regarding nuclear war, the Republican party falters in a sex scandal. I know it’s not new news today, but this interview between Jon Stewart and disgraced “Steele” is too hilarious. Lesbian bondage…. who knew you would see the Republicans get into that?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart [5]
Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Michael Steele Plays the Race Card [6]

www.thedailyshow.com [7]

Daily Show Full Episodes [8]
Political Humor [9]
Health Care Reform [10]

While I am more likely to watch Stewart than Oprah, I do catch her at the gym every once in a while and I am excited that her new show will happen [11]at a more reasonable hour. And it will include international travel and celebrities! What more could we ask for? This is definitely better than the episode I saw an ad for about straight couples who no longer have sex. I would much rather watch Oprah and Brad Pitt go to Egypt. Wouldn’t you?
[12]

In a final piece of shocking news, a Wisconsin district attorney is arguing [13]that sex ed teachers who teach teenagers about condom use and contraception when they know or ought to know those teenagers are having sex with other underage individuals could be criminally charged. It’s a complete perversion of the law and a scare tactic obviously aimed at removing proper sex ed from classrooms. What is most troubling is that this DA is in a position of power when it comes to criminal sanctions in the state and he is so obviously highly conservative. Should we really have ideologues like this in offices that hold power over the population’s very basic freedoms?

[1] http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1635666/20100408/lady_gaga.jhtml
[2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-lady-gaga-top.jpg
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/obama-prague-russia-nuclear-arms-deal-medvedev_n_529726.html
[4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-obama-russia-insert.jpg
[5] http://www.thedailyshow.com
[6] http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-7-2010/michael-steele-plays-the-race-card
[7] http://www.thedailyshow.com/
[8] http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes
[9] http://www.indecisionforever.com
[10] http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/health
[11] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/oprahs-next-chapter-oprah_n_529861.html
[12] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-oprah-top.jpg
[13] http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/wis-da-threatens-arrest-for-local-sex-ed-teachers/19430578

Court to rule in military funeral protest case

(Washington) The Supreme Court is getting involved in the legal fight over the anti-gay protesters who show up at military funerals with inflammatory messages like “Thank God for dead soldiers.”

The court agreed Monday to consider whether the protesters’ message, no matter how provocative and upsetting, is protected by the First …

India: Legal gay sex ruling challenged

A landmark ruling that legalized gay sex between consenting partners in India was challenged Thursday in the country’s high court, lawyers said.

Activists protest against the ruling to decriminalize gay sex in New Delhi on Sunday.

The supreme court issued a notice to the nonprofit Naz Foundation that had won a lower-court verdict after a seven-year legal fight to decriminalize gay sex.

Notices also were issued to the federal government and the New Delhi high court, which ruled last week that consensual sex between partners of the same gender was legal.

An astrologer filed a petition challenging the ruling. The petitioner argued that no constitutional right is violated by the Indian penal code’s Section 377, which had outlawed gay sex, said his lawyer Praveen Agrawal.

The petition also cited Indian culture and health as grounds for seeking a stay on last week’s ruling, he said.

The supreme court posted the next hearing for July 20.

Last week’s ruling meant the law — Indian penal code section 377, which had previously criminalized consensual homosexual acts between adults — was partly struck down but remains in place as far as forced homosexual acts are concerned.

The verdict affects law enforcement all around India because it deals with a law enacted by the federal parliament.

See India: Legal gay sex ruling challenged

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Gay soccer referee forced to quit in Turkey, vows to keep fighting

It would appear that being gay excludes you from having any chance of being a soccer referee in Turkey.

Halil İbrahim Dinçdağ, who was forced to quit his job as a ref due to his sexual orientation, appeared on Turkish television Saturday night to say he would continue his legal fight.

Dinçdağ was forced to leave his job because he had been excused from his compulsory military service on account of his homosexuality, which was documented in a medical report. According to the sport’s regulations, anyone who fails to complete his military service for health reasons is unfit to perform as a referee.

Apparently, in Turkey homosexuality is seen as a medical condition that would preclude military service. Dinçdağ appealed to others who have been discriminated against and urged them to keep fighting as well.

“P See Gay soccer referee forced to quit in Turkey, vows to keep fighting Chicago Sun-Times * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual

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Churches that staged protest wait for IRS response

(Milwaukee) Nearly seven months after defying a prohibition on endorsing candidates from the pulpit, 33 churches across the country are still waiting to learn whether the Internal Revenue Service will take action against them.

The goal of “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” was to trigger a legal fight and ultimately overturn regulations that …

Probe into gay adoption row

EDINBURGH’S most senior social worker will investigate a complaint by a couple who claim to have been forced to give up their grandchildren for adoption by two gay men.

Chief social work officer at Edinburgh City Council, Michelle Miller, will reportedly lead an investigation into the complaint.

A city council spokesman reportedly said officials had received the family’s complaint and it would be assessed by Miss Miller and a team of staff dedicated to dealing with public grievances.

The family are expected to discuss a legal fight, bankrolled by an unnamed Scottish millionaire, with lawyers later in this week.

See Probe into gay adoption row
Scotsman, United Kingdom