The U.S. is a diverse country, particularly in the faith and beliefs of its citizens. Even with a nearly 80% Christian-identified population, opinions about certain values and social issues vary dramatically.
If Jesus were were alive today and one of the 300,000,000
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Baroness Butler-Sloss last year opposed same-sex marriage Get the latest LGBT headlines in your inbox with our free daily newsletter! Join Topics SexGovernmentTheresa Maypaedophiliabaroness butler-slossinquirybutler-slossLady Butler-Slossbutler Share on WhatsApp 0 reader comments
The retired judge appointed to chair a child abuse inquiry, and one of the most vocal critics of the government’s decision to legalise same-sex marriage for England and Wales, has stepped down.
Baroness Butler-Sloss was appointed last week by Home Secretary Theresa May to chair an investigatory panel looking into how institutions like the government, the NHS, and the BBC handled allegations of paedophilia.
The government was forced to defend its choice after several politicians and lawyers said the peer was tainted by the fact that her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general at the time of the alleged abuses in the 1980s.
Sir Michael faced criticism after he sought to stop Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens from naming in Parliament a top diplomat
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Ian Thorpe reportedly considered coming out in 1998 Get the latest LGBT headlines in your inbox with our free daily newsletter! Join Share on WhatsApp 0 reader comments
Ian Thorpe considered coming out publicly in 1998, but was warned it would lose him sponsorships, according to reports.
Thorpe, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, revealed yesterday in an interview with Michael Parkinson that despite previous denials, he is gay.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that two years before the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Thorpe had an anonymous phone call with Canadian swimmer Mark Tewksbury, set up through openly gay solicitor John Marsden, when he was considering going public.
Tewksbury came out as gay in 1998, six years after breaking the World 100 metre backstroke record. Thorpe would have been 16 at the time of the call.
Tewksbury told the newspaper of the call: “I always questioned his sexuality but his name was never revealed to me.”
He added that he chose to come out after rumours about his sexuality cost him “six-figure speaking contract”, and threatened his sponsorships.
He said: “I knew when I did it, there was a chance I could lose everything… that was the reality.”
Praising Thorpe, he added: “I think it’s wonderful that he feels like he’s in a place now where he can talk about it. He may not have been in a place where it was safe for him to do this before.”
“It was always the question of who was going to be the really big star… Ian is an icon, Ian is the star.
“This is a big step for Ian, it takes a lifetime to catch up, but it’s a really great first step.”
Thorpe said yesterday: “What happened was I felt the lie had become so big that I didn’t want people to question my integrity.
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“‘Once people have seen same-sex dance, they realise it’s not destroying ballroom – it’s revitalising it.’ Photograph: Ade Johnson/AFP/Getty Images”/
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Evan Davis spoke about diversity at the BBC Get the latest LGBT headlines in your inbox with our free daily newsletter! Join Topics GayTransDiscriminationBBCMediadiversitycityevan davis Share on WhatsApp 2 reader comments
One of the BBC’s most influential presenters Evan Davis, has praised the corporation for its efforts towards diversity.
Speaking to PinkNews at the AudaCity event at London’s Guildhall, hosted by Lord Mayor Fiona Woolf, Davis said: “You could not imagine a more comfortable place to be gay than the BBC.”
He was the BBC’s economics correspondent before joining the Today programme and is the host of Dragon’s Den.
When asked if there were more gay people working in light entertainment than those like him working on hard news, he disagreed.
“When you say ‘who is gay at the BBC?’ Most people immediately think of Graham Norton but there are a lot of gay people at the BBC in news and business coverage who don’t happen to sing about it. I think that’s a good thing and the battle for the next 10-15 years is to make being gay not a big deal.”
Speaking after he compered an event promoting diversity in the City of London’s businesses, Davis said that there were advantages to being gay in the media.
“I’m basically a very boring person,” he said, “and, in Medialand, being gay makes you a little more interesting than you would otherwise be.”
Although keen to stress that the BBC is trying its best to achieve diversity, he admitted that there were still problems.
“In the media, as in society as a whole, trans people are vastly less visible than lesbian and gay people,” he said.
On the other hand, Davis said that “everyone at the BBC would be very keen” to make sure that someone being trans was not a problem for them in the workplace.
“I think that acceptance of trans people has reached a tipping point in the last twenty years nationally,” he said.
The biggest problem though, according to Davis, is the lack of visible older women.
“On the news you often have a middle aged man looking intelligent and stately with a glamorous, younger woman. That’s the way TV has often worked and the BBC is not immune from it.
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The consultation will take place before 31 December Get the latest LGBT headlines in your inbox with our free daily newsletter! Join Topics equal marriagegay marriagemarriage equalitysame sex marriagemarriagegay weddingSame-sex weddingweddinglesbian weddinglesbian marriageCivil partnerships Share on WhatsApp 6 reader comments
A bill to allow same-sex marriage in Jersey has been stalled, as States members approved an amendment meaning a “detailed study” must take place.
The amendment was tabled by Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand, who said same-sex marriage could potentially have “unintended consequences.”
It was passed with 24 votes to 18, and the amended bill passed with 39 votes to 1.
The Chief Minister must now conduct the consultation, however critics accused the amendment of being simply a delaying topic. Some said it could become a divisive issue during October’s general election.
Le Marquand said: “It is a highly significant matter we are debating here,” said Senator Le Marquand, who is not standing for re-election.
“I am passionate about marriage and I do not want anything, no matter how well meaning, to water it down.
“It is frankly insulting to the people of Jersey, whatever side of the argument, for us to be making a snap decision.”
Trans
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Over the years, American queers have made massive contributions to the advancement of our society and culture. From “The Glass Menagerie” to the work of Andy Warhol, our nation’s culture has been drastically shaped by the work of queer people since its inception.
In celebration of the 4th of July, HuffPost Gay Voices presents . Something you think should be on the list? Tell us in the comments section.
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Eladio Jose Armesto compared same-sex marriage to lynching Share on WhatsApp 4 reader comments
A Florida anti-gay activist has claimed that a judge would be “judicially lynching” people if she legalised same-sex marriage.
Yesterday, Judge Sarah Zabel heard arguments in a case brought by six same-sex couples aiming to strike down the state’s marriage ban.
At a protest outside the court, Eladio Jose Armesto, of the Florida Democratic League, said: “No one can rule against the constitution.
“She would be doing no more or no less than the Ku Klux Klan did in the early part of the last century, where they hanged people for going out to vote.
“The people of Florida have voted. The judge is able to respect that vote, uphold the rule of law and uphold the constitution.
“This is nothing more than a judicial lynching of the people of Florida.
“This is a mockery of justice, it’s a travesty. The judge should have thrown this lawsuit out because it violates her authority, her dignity, and her integrity as a member of the judiciary.
“I do not know what she is going to do. I do hope that she will uphold her oath of office, otherwise she will be in great trouble.”
The Florida Democratic Party has previously threatened the group with legal action, after Armesto claimed to be affiliated with the party.
(h/t JoeMyGod)
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By Dominique Mosbergen Email RSS Follow Posted: 06/29/2014 4:08 pm EDT Updated: 06/29/2014 4:59 pm EDT Print Article
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Andrea Minichiello Williams is the head of Christian Concern 11 reader comments
In opposition to the introduction of civil partnerships for straight couples, Christian groups claimed that it would “discourage” opposite sex couples from marrying.
Following a public consultation, the British Government yesterday announced that it would leave in place civil partnerships for gay couples, but would not extend them to straight couples.
76% of respondents to the consultation were opposed to extending civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples, including Christian Concern and Christian Legal Centre.
The two groups responded to the consultation to claim that straight couples would be discouraged from marrying, and that it would lead to instability in families.
“The introduction of heterosexual civil partnerships will inevitably discourage some opposite sex couples from marrying, and result in greater instability within families, by offering a parallel institution that provides all the legal rights and privileges of marriage without the need for lifelong commitment.”
A straight couple from London in March announced their engagement, but said that they would get civilly partnered rather than married, in order to push for full marriage equality.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell repeatedly called for the coalition’s equal marriage plans to include civil partnerships for heterosexuals.
He criticised then Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities, Maria Miller, for ruling out the measure during the same-sex marriage debate.
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