Gay NC native appointed to Education dept.

The founder and former executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been appointed to a position in the Obama Administration’s Education Department.

Decided on May 19 and announced by the White House on June 1, Winston-Salem, N.C.-native Kevin Jennings will become the assistant deputy secretary of education for the department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. The office oversees financial assistance for drug and violence prevention and is in charge of developing program policy for the Department of Education.

Eliza Byard, GLSEN’s executive director, praised her predecessor’s achievement.

See Gay NC native appointed to Education dept.

Q-Notes – Carolinas LGBT news source

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Africa AIDS activists slam US funding shortfall

(Nairobi) Health activists say that a shortfall in promised U.S. funding for HIV/AIDS projects would affect over 30 million people and means President Barack Obama risks reversing the gains made by his predecessor.

“Such projects are like planes … they must have a forward momentum or they will stall and crash,” …

Gay marriage debate puts Lynch in hot seat

Dear Gov. John Lynch: On Wednesday the Senate passed a bill allowing gay couples the right to a civil marriage. The vote came after a lengthy process including the testimony of dozens of New Hampshire residents supporting the right to marry just as heterosexual couples have that right. The Senate received the bill only after the same process took place in the House. In addition to all those testifying, hundreds of letters, e-mails and calls were received by House and Senate members urging them to vote for this equal rights issue. Polls show a majority of New Hampshire residents support gay marriage.

Your initial reaction upon hearing of this bill’s passage was to state through your spokesperson that there is no difference between civil unions and gay marriage until the federal government changes its laws about gay marriage. If there were no difference, why would thousands of people support gay marriage? I believe your statement is similar to saying that you’d see no difference between living with your wife Susan and marrying her. Imagine if you weren’t allowed that choice.

You had the privilege of marrying her and acted on it. It had nothing to do with federal legislation.

Many people are asking you to have the courage to sign this bill. I don’t believe an act of courage is needed. You have a 70 percent approval rating, the majority of people in New Hampshire support gay marriage, and the bill’s careful crafting and amending ensures that no religion or religious person has to perform a gay marriage. It is more an act of humility that is now required of you: the recognition that you don’t know better than the majority of your constituents what is in the best interests of gay and straight New Hampshirites.

We lived for two years with your predecessor who with arrogance and pride ignored the interests of those he served and did what he wanted in major decisions affecting this state. Please continue to bring back the dignity of the office of governor and sign this bill which may not reflect your personal opinion but does reflect the majority of those you serve. Thanks for your consideration and support of equal rights.

(Carol Moore lives in Concord.)

See Gay marriage debate puts Lynch in hot seat Concord Monitor

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Caroline Bucks Barack, Hillary On Gay Nups

(The Politico) Caroline Kennedy’s spokesman provided seven answers to eight questions Ben and I submitted on a wide array of political and policy questions.

Many of the answers were relatively vague and politician-y, but she did make some news: She supports gay marriage — bucking her mentor Barack Obama and possible predecessor Hillary Clinton.

“Caroline supports full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples,” wrote spokesman Stefan Friedman.

She also dissed Clinton’s Oct. 2002 vote authorizing the Iraq invasion: “Caroline opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. She supports President-Elect Obama’s plan to work with our military leaders to begin a responsible withdrawal.” See Caroline Bucks Barack, Hillary On Gay Nups
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