National Roundup
Windy City Times
by Amy Wooten
October 1st, 2008

A U.S. District Judge recently ruled in support of transgender rights. U.S. District Judge James Robinson ruled that the Library of Congress broke the law when it denied a job to applicant Diane Schroer because she is transgender. The Library of Congress had offered a job to Diane when she was known as David Schroer, then rescinded its offer after he transition from male to female The judge ruled that the Library of Congress broke the law against sex discrimination.

A Nebraska man who started an anti-Proposition 8 Web site faces possible excommunication from his church. Andrew Callahan, who started the Web site Singing for Something, received a letter from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that he faces excommunication from the Mormon faith because he was “reported to have participated in conduct unbecoming a member of the church and have been in apostasy.” Callahan is not gay, but is a vocal opponent of the California ballot initiative which aims to ban same-sex marriage.

A gay serial killer was recently sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences for the murder of eight young men. Ronald Dominique, also known as the Blue Bayou serial killer, is suspected of murdering and raping 23 young Louisiana men, many of which he lured with offers of money for sex. Dominique has yet to be indicted for several other murders.

Rumors regarding the sexuality of Republican presidential candidate John McCain's chief of staff have been surfacing on the blogosphere. Michelangelo Signorile and others, citing unnamed sources and an alleged ex-boyfriend, are claiming that McCain's chief of staff, Mark Buse, is gay. McCain and the Republican Party have many anti-gay views, such as opposing same-sex marriage and a repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”

The U.S. Senate held the first hearing on domestic partner benefits for federal employees on Sept. 24. The hearing, titled “Domestic Partner Benefits for Federal Employees: Fair Policy and Good Business,” was called by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee. UCLA's Williams Institute recently released a new study that estimated the cost of providing such benefits at $41 million for the first year. It also estimated that over 30,000 employees with same-sex partners would benefit from the bill if passed by Congress.

“Since My Last Confession” author, Scott Pomfret ( who was recently interviewed by Windy City Times ) was removed from his volunteer positions in ministry at his Boston Roman Catholic church as a direct result of publicity for the book, which discusses his experiences as a gay Roman Catholic. Pomfret has served at St. Anthony Shrine for eight years. In addition, the church's GLBT Spirituality Group, which Pomfret discussed in detail in his memoir, was shut down. Pomfret told Windy City Times that he is “still processing the info at the moment.”