Big Gay News
National News
Mishandling of Funds Alleged at Chicago Gay Health Clinic
According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Howard Brown Health Center, one of the largest gay health centers in the nation, is investigating allegations that staff mishandled federal funding for a landmark HIV/AIDS study. The center receives up to $4 million a year from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for participating in the Multicenter AIDS cohort study. While NIH officials wouldn’t discuss allegations, Howard Brown CEO Jamal Edwards said it was conducting an internal investigation, and likely would turn findings over to NIH in a few weeks.
Episcopal Church Consecrates Woman as Its Second Gay Bishop
The Episcopal Church has ordained and consecrated its second openly gay or lesbian bishop. Reverend Canon Mary Glasspool, Bishop of the Los Angeles Diocese, is the church’s first lesbian bishop, and one of the first two female bishops. In attendance at the historic ceremony were 3,000 people. Security guards escorted two men out during the event after they shouted that the church needs to repent.
Gay Student Faces Deportation to Iran for McCain Protest
Mohammad Abdollahi, 24, an openly gay student from Ann Arbor, Michigan, faces deportation to Iran after participating in a peaceful demonstration at the Arizona offices of Senator John McCain. Abdollahi and a small group of immigrant students were protesting the senator’s lack of support for the DREAM Act. It would grant a conditional path to citizenship for the thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States illegally at a young age. Abdollahi came to this country when he was only 3. If he ultimately is deported to Iran, where homosexuality is a capital crime, he could face imprisonment or even death.
Laura Bush Supports Gay Marriage and Abortion Rights
Former First Lady Laura Bush admitted in a recent interview regarding her new book that during her husband’s presidency, she supported same-sex marriage and abortion rights. She recalled that she urged her husband not to make gay marriage an issue during the 2004 campaign. Bush remarked, “I think we ought to look at gay marriage, and debate it. A lot of people have trouble coming to terms with it, because they see marriage traditionally as a man and woman. But I also know that when couples are committed to each other, and love each other, they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has.” Human Rights Campaign Spokesman Michael Cole said in a statement, “When the right-wing was using same-sex couples as election-year pawns, we would have welcomed support from the First Lady. Nevertheless, her speaking out now for marriage equality shows that more and more Americans realize all families need the same rights and protections.”
World News
Portugal’s President Signs Gay-Marriage Law
The Associated Press reports that Portugal’s conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva has decided to sign the country’s recently passed gay marriage legislation. His decision makes Portugal the sixth European country to allow same-sex marriage.
Malawi Gay Couple Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison
A Malawi gay couple arrested for holding an engagement party, and then convicted of unnatural acts and gross indecency, were sentenced to the maximum of 14 years in prison with hard labor. In handing down his verdict, the judge in the case told the men, “I will give you a scaring sentence so that the public can be protected from people like you, so that we are not tempted to emulate this horrendous example.” Great Britain, Malawi’s largest donor of foreign aid, has expressed its “dismay” at the sentences. The US State Department issued a statement calling the case “a step backwards in the protection of human rights in Malawi.”
