American TV networks ban pro-gay Church adverts
Citing policies to refuse controversial or religious advertising, all for major television networks in the United States have refused to air a gay-friendly advertisement for the United Church of Christ.
A 30-second commercial for the church showing a gay couple, a single mother and a disabled man flying out of their pews as an unidentified hand pushed a red "ejector" button" will begin airing on cable networks and Spanish-language channels in April.
Californian teachers boycott gay and lesbian rights poster
Teachers at San Leandro High School, California, have refused to participate in a school district order to display a rainbow-flag poster in their classrooms that reads, "This is a safe place to be who you are."
The teachers say homosexuality violates their religious beliefs, the school's principal Amy Furtado said.
Jamie Babbit chosen to direct lesbian feature film
The openly gay film director Jamie Babbit has been selected to helm the first feature film for Los Angeles based gay group Power Up, the feminist comedy The Itty Bitty Titty Committee.
Ms Babbit, whose projects include But I'm a Cheerleader and the TV series Popular, has rounded up a veritable who's who of stars for the film, which centres on a woman (Melonie Diaz) who finds her purpose in life after she hooks up with a radical underground feminist group.
Gay and Transgender prison to close
One of the America's few jail facilities specifically for gay or transgender prisoners is closing on Rikers Island, prompting complaints from gay rights activists who say it is still a much-needed safe haven.
The unit, which opened on the city's island prison complex in the late 1970s in reply to complaints of abusive treatment of homosexuals in the prison system, stopped accepting new inmates last month.
Ford will advertise in gay publications
Representatives for the Ford Motor Co. have announced advertisements featuring the company's eight vehicle brands will run in gay publications, responding to complaints from gay rights groups when Jaguar and Land Rover pulled their spots.
In a letter addressed to the groups, Ford said not only will it resume buying corporate ads featuring Land Rover and Jaguar, it will begin advertising Ford's other brands in gay-themed publications as well.
Brokeback Mountain leads gay charge on Golden Globe Awards
The nominees for the 2006 Golden Globe Awards were announced from Hollywood yesterday and, as predicted, it was the year to be gay in Hollywood as gay films, performances and actors dominated the nominations.
The critically championed Brokeback Mountain scored seven nominations, the most of any film, including Best Picture - Drama, Best Screenplay and a Best Director nod for Ang Lee.
Ford meets with Gay leaders
Ford Motor Company executives have agreed to meet with leaders of gay rights organizations next week to discuss allegations that the automaker's decision to pull advertisements for its Land Rover and Jaguar lines from gay publications was prompted by pressure from the anti-gay American Family Association.
"We look forward to the dialogue with the leadership of the gay community," said Ford spokesman Mike Moran.
Appeals court continues ban on gay marriage in New York
An appeals court has thrown out a ruling that would have allowed gay couples to marry in New York City, saying it is not the role of judges to redefine the terms 'husband' and 'wife'.
The state Supreme Court's Appeals Division ruled 4-1 that Justice Doris Ling-Cohan was wrong to find that denying gay marriage was unconstitutional.
Gay HIV positive man takes Condoleezza Rice to court
A gay rights organisation this week initiated a case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on behalf of a man who was allegedly denied employment as a Foreign Service Officer by the U.S. State Department because he is HIV positive.
The case names Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The State Department is under her jurisdiction.
Schools can't out students as gay, US court rules
A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled Thursday that a high school does not have the right to "out" a student without his or her permission.
The American Civil Liberties Union brought the lawsuit on behalf of Charlene Nguon, a senior in Orange County's Garden Grove Unified School District, who claimed the principal violated her right to privacy by telling her parents she was a lesbian after he disciplined her for being affectionate with her girlfriend.
South African High Court Says Yes to Gay Marriage
The high court of South Africa ruled on Thursday that same-sex marriages will enjoy the same legal status as those between men and women, making the nation one of just five worldwide that have removed legal barriers to gay and lesbian unions.
But the Constitutional Court effectively stayed its ruling for one year to give Parliament time to amend a 1961 marriage law. Should legislature balk, the court said the law will be automatically changed to make its provisions gender-neutral.
Rabbi compares Christian right in USA to Nazis over their stance on gay rights
The attitude of American 'religious right' leaders toward gays and lesbians is akin to the anti-gay policies promoted by Adolf Hitler, according to the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Eric Yoffie.
Yoffie made the controversial comments Saturday during the movement's national biennial conference in Houston.
"We cannot forget that when Hitler came to power in 1933, one of the first things that he did was ban gay organizations," Yoffie said. "Yes, we can disagree about gay marriage but there is no excuse for hateful rhetoric that fuels the hellfires of anti-gay bigotry." The audience of 5,000 responded to the speech with enthusiastic applause.
Man sues over USA gay 'Wife Swap'
An Oklahoma man is suing the American version of Wife Swap over the show's producers sending a gay man to live with him and his family as his half of the swap.
Jeffrey Bedford, who lives with his wife and kids outside Muskogee, is seeking $10 million in damages from Walt Disney - the parent company of ABC - the network, and the show's production company RDF Media.
Vancouver Gay Bookstore Takes Case to Supreme Court
One of Vancouver's largest gay bookstores has been given the go-ahead to argue in front of Canada's Supreme Court that the government should fund its legal dispute with Canada Customs.
Yesterday, the top court granted Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium the right to appeal a lower-court decision that cut its funding lifeline for the legal fight.
Jim Deva, one of the bookstore's co-owners, said fighting Canada Customs in court could cost the store $500,000 to $1-million, which he characterized as an impossibly high figure for a bookstore, or almost anyone else, to come up with.
Mayor Claims Gay Photos 'Placed' On Computer
As a Washington judge prepares to decide whether the contents of Spokane Mayor James West's city-owned computer are part of the public record, the mayor is arguing that numerous gay-oriented photos on the laptop were placed there automatically.
This is the latest development in the ongoing saga of West, who was outed earlier this year after chatting with an undercover reporter in a gay chat room. West was subsequently accused by two men of using his position as mayor to offer career advancements in exchange for sex.
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