National Roundup
Windy City Times
by Andrew Davis
June 17, 2009

President Obama has named Kevin Jennings—the founder and former head of the activist Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network ( GLSEN ) —as assistant deputy secretary at the Department of Education, according to CitizenLink.org. Jennings is in charge of overseeing the “safe schools” program, among other responsibilities, but a coalition of Christian organizations has launched an effort to have Jennings removed, WorldNetDaily has reported.

Harvard University will endow a visiting professorship in LGBT studies—a position many believe is the first of its kind at a U.S. college, according to the New York Times. The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus made the position possible through a $1.5 million gift. The chair is named for F.O. Matthiessen, a Harvard scholar and literary critic who “stands out as an unusual example of a gay man who lived his sexuality as an ‘open secret' in the mid-20th century,” according to a press release.

The U.S. State Department has officially condemned anti-gay violence in Iraq, according to 365Gay.com. Department spokesperson Ian Kelly recently said, in part, that “the U.S. embassy in Baghdad has raised, and will continue to raise, the issue with senior officials from the government of Iraq, and has urged them to respond appropriately to all credible reports of violence against gay and lesbian Iraqis.”

In Florida, the City of Miami Commission voted unanimously to adopt a domestic-partnership ordinance, according to 365Gay.com. The city will now extend the same health benefits to the domestic partners and children of city employees that heterosexual employees receive. Miami is the third municipality in Miami-Dade County to pass the ordinance, following the City of Miami Beach and the City of North Miami.

Carrie Prejean—who made news with her views on same-sex marriage during the Miss USA Pageant—is no longer Miss California, Reuters reported. Keith Lewis, the pageant's executive director, said in a statement that “ [ t ] his was a decision based solely on contract violations including Ms. Prejean's unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization.” In a response, Prejean said that she “worked in good faith to meet my responsibilities.”

John Berry, the out director of the Office of Personnel Management, delivered a personal speech to about 200 Department of Justice employees at the annual Pride Awards, Advocate.com reported. Among other things, Berry discussed the “patrons of the Stonewall bar” and legendary gay-rights activist Frank Kameny. He also said that LGBT individuals should be “free to love and pursue happiness no more and no less than our fellow Americans.”

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In Maryland, a lesbian couple was found dead in their Baltimore home, according to Advocate.com. One neighbor told The Baltimore Sun that a front window was open and that another window may have been forced open—which could indicate foul play. The couple recently wed in Boston.

A controversial study from Emory University has established a link between same-sex marriage bans and HIV rates, according to Advocate.com. Using economic theories, Hugo Mialon and Andrew Francis have estimated that a constitutional ban on gay marriage raises a state's HIV rate by four cases per 100,000 people. The study reads, in part, “Social acceptance of gays may consequently induce gay men to interact in open and socially mediated venues associated with less risky sexual behaviors.”

In California, Mt. Woodson Elementary School officials have apologized to sixth-grader Natalie Jones for censoring her project about the late gay activist/politician Harvey Milk, according to an ACLU press release. In addition, school administrators have promised they will not restrict similar free speech in the future. “Harvey Milk always stood up for his beliefs and what was right, so I felt like I should do the same thing when my school told me they wouldn't let me do my presentation,” Jones said.

In Colorado, former gay-porn actor Timothy John Boham, 26, has been found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder and aggravated robbery in the death of John Paul Kelso, KDVR.com reported. Boham—who starred in gay-porn films during 2004-05—was accused of shooting Kelso in a robbery attempt gone awry; he faces life in prison when he is sentenced.

In Massachusetts, several religious groups convened to support rights for trans individuals, EDGE New England reported. The event, entitled “An Act of Faith,” was held at The Edwards Church in Northampton, and was organized by the Interfaith Coalition for Transgender Equality, among others.

In California, Kenyatta Mitchell, 23, has been arrested for allegedly slapping gay-rights leader Ron DeHarte, who was carrying a banner during the recent Equality Torch Relay event, according to the Los Angeles Times. Mitchell reportedly yelled, “There's no place for that here!” and slapped DeHarte twice. Mitchell is charged with assault and violation of civil rights through force—both classified as misdemeanors.

A swimming-pool facility denied a lesbian couple a family pass in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, according to LocalNews8.com. Mark Lowe, the executive director, said that parents must be legally obligated to the children or be married to someone who is in order to get the discount. The American Civil Liberties Union in Boise has said the state of Idaho defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, but it has no set definition of a family.

Thomas Beatie, who became nationally known last year as the “pregnant man,” has given birth to a second child, NJ.com reported. Beatie, a transman formerly known as Tracy Langondino, gave birth to a son June 9; he and wife Nancy already have a daughter, Susan Juilette. Beatie has his gender altered legally and surgically, but opted to retain the female reproductive organs.

In California, Rob Williams and Arnie States—co-hosts of Sacramento's “Rob, Arnie & Dawn Show”—have apologized on-air for making critical remarks about trans teenagers, Advocate.com reported. After the May 28 broadcast—which included States saying he would probably hit his son with one of his shoes if the boy wore high heels—11 companies ( including McDonald's, Verizon and Snapple ) pulled their ads from the program. Incidentally, Dawn Rossi, the third co-host, defended the teens during the earlier program.

In South Carolina, lesbian politician Linda Ketner—who narrowly lost to incumbent State Rep. Henry Brown last November—has outed three Republican lawmakers, according to On Top Magazine. Speaking to Howie Klein at Fire Dog Lake, a progressive political blog, Ketner said, “We have more gay people serving in South Carolina than probably in any place in the United States”—and then named U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, State Sen. Glenn McConnell and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer. However, after that remark was made public June 1, Q Notes reported two days later that Ketner backed off those assertions, saying she thought her remarks were off the record, according to EDGE Boston.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's National Religious Leadership Roundtable and the Center for American Progress have released two reports that analyze advocacy of marriage-equality ballot initiatives in California and Michigan, according to a joint press release. The Task Force released “A Time to Build Up: Analysis of the No on Proposition 8 Campaign and Its Implications for Future Pro-LGBTQQIA Religious Organizing” while the center issued “The Faithful Divide Over Wedding Vows: A Profile of Michigan's 2004 Battle Over Marriage Equality”; see www.welcomingresources.org and www.americanprogress.org , respectively.

The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law released a study that shows that New Hampshire's decision to extend marriage to same-sex couples will be an economic boon. With five New England states now recognizing marriage for same-sex couples, the entire region is expected to experience an overall economic boost of almost $400 million.