Prop. 8: Gay-marriage ban unconstitutional, court rules
A federal appeals court Tuesday struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage, clearing the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage as early as next year.
The 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that limited marriage to one man and one woman, violated the U.S. Constitution. The architects of Prop. 8 have vowed to appeal.
The ruling was narrow and likely to be limited to California.
PHOTOS: Prop. 8 ruled unconstitutional
“Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California,” the court said.
The ruling upheld a decision by retired Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who struck down the ballot measure in 2010 after holding an unprecedented trial on the nature of sexual orientation and the history of marriage.
In a separate decision, the appeals court refused to invalidate Walker’s ruling on the grounds that he should have disclosed he was in a long term same-sex relationship. Walker, a Republican appointee who is openly gay, said after his ruling that he had been in a relationship with another man for 10 years. He has never said whether he and partner wished to marry.
ProtectMarriage, the backers of Proposition 8, can appeal Tuesday's decision to a larger panel of the 9th Circuit or go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court is expected to be divided on the issue, and many legal scholars believe Justice Anthony Kennedy will be the deciding vote.
Gays and lesbians were entitled to marry in California for six months after the California Supreme Court struck down a state ban in May 2008. The state high court later upheld Proposition 8 as a valid amendment of the California Constitution.
While the Proposition 8 case was still pending in state court, two same-sex couples sued in federal court to challenge the ban on federal constitutional grounds.
RELATED:
Supreme Court may not hear Prop. 8 appeal
Same-sex marriage won't resume immediately
Ruling to have limited effect outside California
-- Maura Dolan in San Francisco
Photo: Opponents of Prop. 8 demonstrate outside of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday in San Francisco. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/gay-marriage-prop-8s-ban-ruled-unconstitutional.html
Barbara Boxer and the National GSA Day in support of the Student Non-Discrimination Act
Prohibit sexual-identity discrimination at schools.
Boxer signed Student Non-Discrimination Act
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011:
Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates.
Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination.
Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act.
Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them.
Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail.
Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
Source: HR.998&S.555 11-S0555 on Mar 10, 2011
GLAAD Blog on Anti-LGBT Slurs
Study Shows Anti-LGBT Slurs Still Used for Harm
Celebrities, both LGBT-identified and not, have been rightly called out for using slurs or terms that perpetuate dangerous stereotypes about LGBT people. And while some have defended this usage, claiming that words such as “F*g” or “tra**y” do not spur hate and harm, a new study is proving otherwise.
Playgrounds and Prejudice is the latest study conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), to uncover the effect of slurs on youth. The study reveals that 45 percent of teachers and 49 percent of students in elementary schools hear the term ‘gay’ used in a negative way by other students, making it one of the most commonly heard examples of biased language. Additionally, 26 percent of students and teachers report hearing students use outright homophobic slurs. Name calling overall is rampant, with 75 percent of students saying that at their school, students are called names, made fun of, or bullied with regularity. It is hard to deny the likely outcome of such language use when gender non-conforming students are more than twice as likely as other students to indicate not wanting to go to school because they are afraid for their safety, and are called names and bullied more often as well (56 percent versus 33 percent).
Aiden Aizumi, a college student and transgender advocate who is involved with several projects to help support LGBT youth, shared his thoughts on using anti-LGBT slurs, saying, “Physically maybe those words don’t hurt, but emotionally and psychologically those words have the ability to cut real deep. As a college student, when I hear anti-LGBT slurs being used in school, it makes it very hard for me to want to be there. I think about the high school students I work with and how they have to deal with being called all these slurs as they walk through the halls at school, and how these words impact them. None of them are positive. We are not walking away feeling great, but little and less than everybody around us. So yes, my arm does not break when someone calls me an anti-LGBT slur, but nobody sees the scars that I carry on the inside from the words that have been thrown at me.”
As both Aiden and the study by GLSEN highlight, words do matter. Whether or not individuals believe the meaning of these words has changed, it is clear that many people, especially young people, are still experiencing their hurtful effects. GLAAD urges everyone to stand up for those affected by anti-LGBT slurs and show that biased language and hate speech will not be tolerated.
Gender Identity Open in the hands of a very loving family
http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/couple-finally-reveals-childs-gender-five-years-birth-180300388.html
What will be very interesting is to hear from Sasha in a few years when the child looks back at the first five years of life.
National GSA Day Activities
Wednesday, January 25th, is the first annual National Gay-Straight
Alliance Day -- and we've teamed up with Senator Al Franken of Minnesota to
show off GSA activism! All we ask: call your Senators on National GSA Day
and ask them to co-sponsor or support the Student Non-Discrimination Act!
The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) is a much-needed bill that will
give LGBT students the federal right to be free from discrimination,
harassment and bullying based on a student's actual or perceived sexual
orientation or gender identity. On National GSA Day, Senator Franken will
host a public call devoted to the work GSA activists can do to get this
important bill passed. Email emily_riff@franken.senate.gov if
you'd like to be a part of the call.
The country needs SNDA to become law, and for that to happen, your Senators
need to hear from you. GSA Network will send our letter of support for SNDA
next week -- will you join us on Wednesday by calling on your Senator to
support SNDA?
More info on the Day: http://www.gsaday.org/
More info on Al Franken’s work on the bill: http://franken.senate.gov/?p=news&id=1383
PFLAG Pasadena emerges from the dark ages!
We are learning how to post sites, comments, and videos as members of the Executive Committee. We may even be abandoning the Yahoo Group. This is truly exciting!
Membership Form for 2011-12
Please download this PFLAG membership form hard copy and send it in by September 30, 2011, to be part of our membership for the upcoming fiscal year (starting October 1). Thank you!
PFLAG Pasadena Higher Education Award – 2011
The PFLAG Pasadena Higher Education Award will be given every summer that the Executive Committee determines the funds from the preceding fiscal year are sufficient. Monthly meeting donations (from “passing the bucket”) will also go for this express purpose. Scholars must apply by May 1 to receive the award, which will be presented at the July meeting. The Scholarship Committee will not ask for family need and financial statement; in giving the award, we recognize the student’s involvement in PFLAG and in the wider LGBT community, and the value that PFLAG places on higher education.
Applicants must be current members of Pasadena PFLAG (at the $25 student level, or as part of a family membership). Applicants must have attended one or more meetings of our youth group or a regular meeting. The application is an essay containing the applicant’s contact information, educational goals, and what he/she plans to do with the money. Activism within our local PFLAG organization or in the greater community is a desirable aspect of our applicant profile. We hope that by investing this money in their education, scholars will find ways to give back to the greater LGBT community. Reapplications are welcome, but prior recipients are not guaranteed a further award. Students should submit their applications via email to PFLAG President Patti Loitz: ploitz@earthlink.net
A sub-group of the Executive Committee, called The Scholarship Committee, will review the applications. Members of the Executive Committee whose children are applying will recuse themselves. We ask that the award recipients let us know how they spent the money, and to stay in touch with us periodically during the award year. Award recipients are requested to attend the July meeting so a presentation may be made by the Executive Committee.
Should a recipient not be able to attend the institution submitted with their application, and the Executive Committee determines that their plans no longer meet the award criteria, PFLAG Pasadena will require the scholar to return the funds, to be held for them for one year from this determination. Students are encouraged to stay in touch with PFLAG Pasadena when this situation occurs so we may continue to support them. Scholars who need additional funds during the course of their year’s award may apply to the Committee for further funds. An updated application and statement about the use of the additional request is required.
Recipients of the 2009 PPHEA:
Wenda Rhiannon Rose, Aiden Aizumi, Mary Manzo, Joseph Renzullo
The committee voted to award these scholars $1000 each
Recipients of the 2010 PPHEA
Aiden Aizumi, Joseph Renzullo, Michelle Nia, Chris Murphy
The committee voted to award these scholars $750 each.
Members of the Scholarship Committee: Patti Loitz and Bill Loitz, Evelyn and Domingo Torres-Rangel, Betsy Hanger, Leonor Holmstrom, Joyce Stember.
My Son, the Pink Boy: femininity in the young boy
http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/02/21/son_looks_great_in_dress
Random Moms across America think they know: My son has got to be gay. He wears khakis today but wore a dress to school from age 4 to 6; he used to do ballet and still doesn't like sports; in preschool he was all about playing princess but now is all about Pokemon; and, in spite of the clear gender divisions in third grade, he plays with both girls and boys. I mean, what straight boy is into that kinda freaky gender mash-up?
Well, my husband, for one. And all metrosexuals, for another coupla-million-ish. My husband used to help his mother choose curtains. He now drives a motorcycle and hunts deer. He still likes curtains, which he now calls "window treatments" (How gay is that? Random Mom mutters). But really, haven't you met a guy like this, the one you think is gay when you first met him, but then realize that his sexuality doesn't match his gender presentation?
Whether Kids are Gay or Straight, Family Love is the Key
In recent months, media attention has focused on gay teens who killed themselves after they were bullied by peers. But rejection by parents plays an under-appreciated role in the struggles of gay youths, Huebner says.
"You hear anecdotes about people who disown their children and throw them out," Huebner says. But more common forms of rejection, such as complaints about "gay" clothing or pleas for teens to delay coming out to the wider world, can hurt more deeply than parents know, he says.