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Activists Dismayed by Queen's Speech
Although the issue of gay marriage is more quietly debated in England, gay activists are no less demanding of equality than their American counterparts. In her <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/">Diamond Jubilee</a> year, celebrating 60 years on the throne, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was expected to mention the British government's promise to legalize gay marriage during her annual speech to the legislature Wednesday. 2015 is the year the English are promised to be awarded gay marriage rights. Many <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/disappointment-as-gay-marriage-is-left-out-of-queens-speech/">activists fear</a> Prime Minister David Cameron may not make good on his pledge and the Queen's silence on the issue only heightens speculation. Last October during his party conference, Mr. Cameron openly supported gay marriage rights despite opposition. "I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative." he said. "I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative." However, as poll numbers dip, the conversation has shifted into silence over the issue. Many believe his support for gays was the deciding factor for his unpopularity. Pink News called Mr. Cameron's office to inquire about the Queen's speech and were told that <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/05/06/exclusive-david-cameron-not-backing-down-on-equal-marriage/">gay marriage was never planned</a> to be included, however the Prime Minister's stance is "unaltered." With Britain sharing similar woos as the U.S. on issues of the economy, education and unemployment, some like Chancellor George Osborne argue that gay marriage simply isn't a priority.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/10/activists-dismayed-by-queens-speech.htm">Activists Dismayed by Queen's Speech</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/">About.com Gay Life</a> on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 11:09:28.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/10/activists-dismayed-by-queens-speech.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/10/activists-dismayed-by-queens-speech.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://gaylife.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/10/activists-dismayed-by-queens-speech.htm&zItl=Activists Dismayed by Queen's Speech">Email this</a>

North Carolina Becomes 30th State To Ban Gay Marriage
North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The amendment makes North Carolina the 30th state to institute a ban on gay marriage. Main supporters, Vote for Marriage and Coalition to Protect All N.C. Families, celebrated with a seven-layer cake. In all, the amendment's supporters and opponents combined spent a whopping $3 million on TV, billboards and messaging. In the end, the public sided against the possibility for gay marriage or domestic partnerships. North Carolina law already banned gay marriage, but the amendment effectively slams the door on the possibility of a additional legislation. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/09/north-carolina-30th-state-to-ban-gay-marriage.htm">North Carolina Becomes 30th State To Ban Gay Marriage</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/">About.com Gay Life</a> on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 10:21:20.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/09/north-carolina-30th-state-to-ban-gay-marriage.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/09/north-carolina-30th-state-to-ban-gay-marriage.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://gaylife.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/09/north-carolina-30th-state-to-ban-gay-marriage.htm&zItl=North Carolina Becomes 30th State To Ban Gay Marriage">Email this</a>

Nebraska Brings Positive Attention With Anti-Gay Letter?
In the South, football is the world so naturally coaches are god. They carry more weight than local preacher, politician or celebrity. Saturday service is the tailgate and Monday night the holiday. Therefore, it's no surprise Ron Brown's opposition to a proposed Lincoln ordinance to protect gay and transgender people from discrimination is getting so much attention. You may be thinking what I am: Who in the world is Ron Brown? To University of Nebraska fans, he is the world (or at least part of the axis on which it spins. Ron Brown is Nebraska's assistant football coach and apparently takes his duties seriously, even those outside of his responsibilities. As a public figure, Brown saw the need to openly express his opposition to Lincoln's anti-discrimination proposal with a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://huskerextra.com/sports/huskers/football/article_d2bea62d-692f-5c85-947d-c848bde4ab03.html">formal letter</a> to the Lincoln Journal Star. In the letter he cites his Christian beliefs as if we cared about more than his defensive strategy. Brown says he's not in favor of discrimination, that if he had a gay player he wouldn't penalize him for his sins. However, he can't "embrace a legal policy that supports a lifestyle that God calls sin." I feel comfortable all ready. Brown's dizzying explanation may explain Nebraska's fall from football grace, but his personal beliefs are in shared company. "I hired Ron Brown because of who he is and the type of person he is," head football coach Bo Pelini told The Associated Press. "He's never brought negative attention to our program." Am I the only one that's waiting for Pelini's statement to end with "...until now"? <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/nebraska-brings-positive-attention-with-anti-gay-letter.htm">Nebraska Brings Positive Attention With Anti-Gay Letter?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/">About.com Gay Life</a> on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 09:17:41.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/nebraska-brings-positive-attention-with-anti-gay-letter.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/nebraska-brings-positive-attention-with-anti-gay-letter.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://gaylife.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/nebraska-brings-positive-attention-with-anti-gay-letter.htm&zItl=Nebraska Brings Positive Attention With Anti-Gay Letter?">Email this</a>

Biden Courts Gays for 2012 Election
It's not unusual for presidential candidates to hand pick their constituents the summer before an election with plays of promises and political considerations. The Obama-Biden camp knew back in 2008 that their grassroots package had to include a long list of "others" that rarely find a home in our two party system. Amongst the pack are gay and lesbian voters who are a diverse lot, but tend to vote with the candidate that gives the most consideration for gay rights causes. President Obama promised equality for LGBTers in 2008 and continues to make good, albeit slower than expected. Still, the grass is not greener on the other side as Republicans continue to alienate gay voters. The latest offense came last week with the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/02/was-richard-grenell-asked-to-resign.htm">sudden firing</a>, I mean resignation, of Romney adviser Richard Grenell. By letting him go Romney officially sides with the establishment. The establishment, however, has never been good for the gays. Vice President Joe Biden, however, recognizes that gay constituents have very good memories and show up to vote. Biden told NBC's Meet the Press that marriage should be about being loyal to someone you love, whether that's a man or a woman. "I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties," Biden said on Sunday's show. Missteps aren't tolerated this close to the end game, so it's safe to say Biden is willing to bet on the side that most Americans will side with the idea of equality over division come November's election. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/biden-courts-gays-for-2012-election.htm">Biden Courts Gays for 2012 Election</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/">About.com Gay Life</a> on Monday, May 7th, 2012 at 08:49:46.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/biden-courts-gays-for-2012-election.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/biden-courts-gays-for-2012-election.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://gaylife.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/07/biden-courts-gays-for-2012-election.htm&zItl=Biden Courts Gays for 2012 Election">Email this</a>

Gay Bias Claim Gets Entire Jury Dismissed
What exactly is bias? Is it simply a favor of one person (or thing) over another or is bias a subconscious desire to make a hopeful connection of empathy with another? If that's the case, could bias be justified? It's not politically correct to say, but we all tend to share more in common with those that share our circumstances, out culture or even our look. This is no absolute, but undeniably a reality in many circles. In fact, bias has made claim to many accusations of unfair advantage. Think of standardized tests. How likely is it that an inner city kid living in poverty would know what a regatta is? Sure, there are tools available for him to learn about the it, but he's still at a disadvantage to another kid who's social-economic circumstances make rowing commonplace during summer holidays. But does that mean the word "regatta" on a standardized test is biased? Or what about the name Keyshia on top of a resume. Is she more likely to solicit a perception about who she is and her work ethic because of the association of her name? Assuming that the hiring manager isn't White, does the scenario change? No circumstance is untouched. Is, say, the University of Texas graduate more likely to hire another UT grad? Sadly, bias or actions based on perception and framing are everywhere. Bias is an evil bug that, like a New York cockroach, leaves no home untouched regardless of culture, color or height of dollar bills. The less cynical, however, believe that bias is all around us yet it's the individual who chooses to by into it or ignore it's temptation. In many cases bias becomes an opportunity that not everyone takes. The optimistic says most people let it pass. I've talked a lot about bias based on culture and socioeconomic status, but what of sexuality? Are gay men a crew that can't be broken? Is a gay man more likely to carry empathy for another gay man? To the fury of a San Diego judge, local prosecutors rejected a gay man from a jury panel because the case was about same-sex marriage. The move is reminiscent of a 2011 claim from Prop 8 supporters who <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2011/04/27/prop-8-supporters-say-gay-judge-biased.htm">accused presiding Judge Walker of presenting bias</a> because he was a gay man overseeing a trial over gay issues. Then, Judge Walker refused to recuse himself and he was eventually found fit to serve by his peers. Walker didn't raise much of a stink. After all, it wasn't his prosecutors who were presenting the claim nor the bias. San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber, however, is in a much more troubling position. Not only did she call the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/01/BA721OC365.DTL">city attorneys' actions</a> "shocking" but she later dismissed the entire jury panel. Both sides will now have to start over with jury selection. Was the city attorneys' rejection of the gay juror a systematic move to present his own bias in the case or do you think the gay juror was more likely to vote in favor of the gay defendants? <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/02/gay-bias-claim-gets-entire-jury-dismissed.htm">Gay Bias Claim Gets Entire Jury Dismissed</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/">About.com Gay Life</a> on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 12:03:26.<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/02/gay-bias-claim-gets-entire-jury-dismissed.htm">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/02/gay-bias-claim-gets-entire-jury-dismissed.htm#gB3">Comment</a> | <a href="http://gaylife.about.com/gi/pages/shareurl.htm?PG=http://gaylife.about.com/b/2012/05/02/gay-bias-claim-gets-entire-jury-dismissed.htm&zItl=Gay Bias Claim Gets Entire Jury Dismissed">Email this</a>