Salon.com > Gay Rights http://www.salon.com Fri, 03 May 2013 03:47:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Why conservatives should support immigration equality http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/why_conservatives_should_support_immigration_equality/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/why_conservatives_should_support_immigration_equality/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 18:11:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287785 A majority of Americans now support marriage equality, and a (slowly) growing number of Republicans have recently come around to the idea, too. Despite this, the opposition to the inclusion of gay binational couples and their families in immigration reform remains strong. Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), of "Gang of Eight" fame, told the New York Times on Wednesday that "there’s a reason this language wasn’t included in the Gang of Eight’s bill: It’s a deal-breaker for most Republicans... Finding consensus on immigration legislation is tough enough without opening the bill up to social issues [like gay marriage].”

On Thursday in the Daily Beast, writer Jonathan Rauch called Flake's "deal-breaker" misguided -- and a GOP "suicide mission" (emphasis mine):

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/why_conservatives_should_support_immigration_equality/feed/ 5 What anti-LGBT activists say “off the record” http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/what_anti_lgbt_activists_say_off_the_record/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/what_anti_lgbt_activists_say_off_the_record/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 16:12:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287682 Anti-gay rights organizations like the National Organization for Marriage tend to rely on prepared statements about "family values" and "traditional marriage" to justify their opposition to full LGBT equality, but a recent look at a listserv for Christian activists in the "ex-gay" movement reveals how candid they become once off the record.

Alan Chambers of Exodus International is trying to sanitize his organization's reputation by softening its rhetoric about "curing" gay people, and wants to see others in the movement do the same. Chambers recently invited writer and gay rights activist Jeremy Hooper to join a listserv of 70 socially conservative activists in an effort to expose the violent rhetoric circulating among others in the anti-LGBT equality movement.

As reported by Hooper and ThinkProgress, Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute didn't react well to Hooper's presence on the list:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/what_anti_lgbt_activists_say_off_the_record/feed/ 39 “Gang of Eight” freezes out gay immigrants in reform bill http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/gang_of_eight_freezes_out_gay_immigrants_in_reform_bill/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/gang_of_eight_freezes_out_gay_immigrants_in_reform_bill/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286505 Much has been said about the 844-page bipartisan immigration reform package introduced in April. Some Republicans have called it "amnesty," while many immigrant rights groups view it as unnecessarily punitive. But no one on either side of the debate has called it "gay friendly" -- because it isn't.

The measure excludes a provision to allow American citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for legal permanent residency. To do so, Republicans among the "Gang of Eight" allege, would be legislative suicide.

“There’s a reason this language wasn’t included in the Gang of Eight’s bill: It’s a deal-breaker for most Republicans,” Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) told the New York Times. “Finding consensus on immigration legislation is tough enough without opening the bill up to social issues.”

Flake's "social issues" refer, more directly, to the very existence of gay immigrants and their families, a reality that many Republicans and Democrats seem eager to overlook in the name of political expedience.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/gang_of_eight_freezes_out_gay_immigrants_in_reform_bill/feed/ 27 Matthew Shepard’s family responds to Jason Collins’ moving tribute http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/matthew_shepards_family_responds_to_jason_collins_moving_tribute/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/matthew_shepards_family_responds_to_jason_collins_moving_tribute/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:31:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286039 On Monday, Jason Collins made history as the first openly gay, active male athlete on a major sports team. In his coming-out piece for Sports Illustrated, Collins acknowledged that he wore the number 98 while playing for the Boston Celtics as a tribute to Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was murdered for being gay in October 1998.

In an interview with Fox Sports, Shepard's parents, Dennis and Judy, revealed that they were moved to tears by the news of Collins' tribute:

“It made me cry,” Judy Shepard told FOXSports.com during an interview Monday afternoon. “It was really quite a tribute, and I was very honored. And I know Matt would be thrilled..."

"I would really love to speak to him, because I know Judy and I would just like to thank him,” Dennis Shepard said. “Because, No. 1, he had the courage to come out, period, and No. 2 that he wore 98 in honor of Matt, the year that he died.

“(Collins) couldn’t have been that old (when it happened), so it must have had a tremendous impact on him, the story behind Matt, for him to want to do that. And then to wear it all this time without telling people why until today, that’s incredible.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/matthew_shepards_family_responds_to_jason_collins_moving_tribute/feed/ 2 Jason Collins: Out of the NBA? http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_out_of_the_nba/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_out_of_the_nba/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:32:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285629 Yesterday, NBA journeyman Jason Collins became the first active American athlete in a major team sport to come out. There have been gay athletes before, whether active in individual sports, like Martina Navratilova; or retired from their league, like basketball player John Amaechi. But at the risk of reducing one man’s major life-decision to a sociology experiment, Collins is the test case everyone has been waiting for.

With his self-penned Sports Illustrated cover story, Collins forces a discussion about all the hypotheticals that have been bandied about for the last few years: How will players deal with a gay teammate in the locker room? How will fans feel about rooting for him? Will the insertion of an out athlete into the American sports mainstream change the discourse around gay rights in this country?

Luckily, Collins, in a sense, is the ideal candidate. And the NBA is the perfect choice for the first league to enter into this uncharted territory.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_out_of_the_nba/feed/ 7 Jason Collins calls coming out “mind-boggling” experience http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_calls_coming_out_mind_boggling_experience/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_calls_coming_out_mind_boggling_experience/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:48:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285472 With the Monday announcement that he is gay, NBA free agent Jason Collins broke a historic barrier in men's professional sports. And the experience of being the first active out player in major team sports has been "mind-boggling," he told George Stephanopoulos on ABC News.

"That's kind of mind-boggling. I think I talk about that. That, you know, I never set out to be the first," he said.

"You're sort of waiting around for somebody else to … raise their hand," Collins went on to explain. "I'm ready to raise my hand but, you know, you still look around like, 'OK, come on, guys.' It's time for someone else in the room to raise their hand and say, 'You know what? Yeah, so big deal. I can still play basketball. I can still help the team win, and that's what's most important.'"

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_calls_coming_out_mind_boggling_experience/feed/ 4 ESPN sportswriter Chris Broussard: Jason Collins is “walking in open rebellion to God” http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/espn_sportswriter_chris_broussard_jason_collins_is_walking_in_open_rebellion_to_god/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/espn_sportswriter_chris_broussard_jason_collins_is_walking_in_open_rebellion_to_god/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:37:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284947 During a Monday segment on ESPN's "Outside the Lines," sportswriter Chris Broussard denounced Jason Collins, the first openly gay male athlete in the history of major team sports, for "living in unrepentant sin."

Broussard went on to accuse Collins of not being Christian and "walking in open rebellion to God":

Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly, like premarital sex between heterosexuals. If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits. It says that, you know, that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/espn_sportswriter_chris_broussard_jason_collins_is_walking_in_open_rebellion_to_god/feed/ 109 A salon: Two gay GIs debate Bradley Manning http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/a_salon_two_gay_gis_debate_bradley_manning/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/a_salon_two_gay_gis_debate_bradley_manning/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:35:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284839 The court martial trial of Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier who admits to leaking a trove of intelligence to WikiLeaks, is scheduled to start in June. But Manning, who is gay, was put on trial in the past week by gay activists, who battled over whether or not he deserved to be honored. SF Pride initially had made Manning a grand marshall of its legendary Pride Parade this year, before a scandal erupted, a boycott threatened, and SF Pride ultimately  folded like a flimsy, rainbow-colored tent, with SF Pride president Lisa Williams calling it a "mistake," and taking the opportunity to blast Manning.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/a_salon_two_gay_gis_debate_bradley_manning/feed/ 25 NBA player Jason Collins comes out, Twitter reacts http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/nba_player_jason_collins_comes_out_twitter_reacts/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/nba_player_jason_collins_comes_out_twitter_reacts/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:36:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284735 NBA free agent Jason Collins is the first active male athlete to come out as gay in the history of professional sports. Many on Twitter viewed this very big news as, appropriately enough, very big news.

A sampling of the cheers for Collins and questions about what's next for gay athletes in professional sports:

[embedtweet id="328902203379175425"]

[embedtweet id="328902277303775233"]

[embedtweet id="328902367657472000"]

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[embedtweet id="328894970440327169"]

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/nba_player_jason_collins_comes_out_twitter_reacts/feed/ 34 Jeff Merkley courts GOP support on ENDA http://www.salon.com/2013/04/28/jeff_merkley_courts_gop_support_on_enda/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/28/jeff_merkley_courts_gop_support_on_enda/#comments Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:17:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284125 Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., says that he's been having talks with Republicans about potential support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act - including with Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who recently became the first Republican senator to back marriage equality.

Merkley co-sponsored the bill, which would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, with Republican Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine.

"I’ve had an initial conversation with [Portman] and told him I’d be following up as we filed the bill,” Merkley told The Huffington Post. “But I can tell you I’ve sat down with a number of Republicans who have not come out publicly yet. They’re still mulling over what they’re going to do, but I think there’s a very good chance they’re going to be supporting this bill. Whether that comes in a co-sponsorship or an affirmative vote when we are on the floor is yet to be seen. But I think that our numbers will be increasing both in sponsorship and in a floor vote than where we would have been had we had a floor vote even two years ago or four years ago.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/28/jeff_merkley_courts_gop_support_on_enda/feed/ 1 New York bill would ban gay conversion therapy for minors http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/new_york_bill_would_ban_gay_conversion_therapy_for_minors/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/new_york_bill_would_ban_gay_conversion_therapy_for_minors/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13282904 Two New York lawmakers are introducing legislation to ban gay conversion therapy for minors, the practice of trying to "cure" people of being gay or lesbian. The bill is modeled after a similar ban in California that was signed into law last year, but has been temporarily blocked pending a review by the federal courts.

Lila Shapiro at Huffington Post reports:

Despite the unresolved legal challenge, two New York state lawmakers from New York City, Sen. Michael Gianaris and Sen. Deborah Glick, both progressive Democrats, said the time was right to propose a ban.

"There are often challenges to any manner of legislation that is protecting of the LGBT community and you can't sit on your hands and wait until things get resolved somewhere else," said Glick, who became the first openly gay legislator in New York in 1990.

According to the American Psychological Association website, ”To date, there has been no scientifically adequate research to show that therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation (sometimes called reparative or conversion therapy) is safe or effective.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/new_york_bill_would_ban_gay_conversion_therapy_for_minors/feed/ 3 Will Congress finally outlaw anti-gay workplace discrimination? http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/will_congress_finally_stop_anti_gay_workplace_discrimination/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/will_congress_finally_stop_anti_gay_workplace_discrimination/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:10:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13282214 Today, a group of lawmakers is trying to succeed where Congress has failed for almost two decades, by introducing a bill to finally end workplace discrimination against gay and transgender Americans. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) has been a top-ticket item for advocates since it was first introduced in 1994, but principle sponsor Sen. Jeff Merkley told Salon in an interview this afternoon that he thinks this will be the year they succeed.

"I think most Americans would be surprised to find out that it is legal to discriminate against the GLBT community, and to do so in employment, which is fundamental to the opportunity for the pursuit of happiness and for equality under the law and general fairness," the Oregon Democrat said in an interview.

Indeed, though it's almost hard to believe, with no federal statute on the books, it's perfectly legal to fire someone for being gay in 29 states that don't have their own non-discrimination laws. In 34 states, you can fire transgender people.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/will_congress_finally_stop_anti_gay_workplace_discrimination/feed/ 10 Conversion therapy advocate issues formal apology, renounces “ex-gay” past http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/conversion_therapy_advocate_issues_formal_apology_renounces_ex_gay_past/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/conversion_therapy_advocate_issues_formal_apology_renounces_ex_gay_past/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:35:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13281939 Former Exodus International chairman and conversion therapy "success story" John Paulk has written a formal statement of apology for his role in promoting Focus on the Family's "ex-gay" ministry and for any harm his actions may have done to other gays and lesbians.

In the letter, Paulk admits that "many things" in his life changed during his time at Focus on the Family, though his sexual orientation did not.

He goes on to write:

So in 2003, I left the public ministry and gave up my role as a spokesman for the “ex-gay movement.” I began a new journey. In the decade since, my beliefs have changed. Today, I do not consider myself “ex-gay” and I no longer support or promote the movement. Please allow me to be clear: I do not believe that reparative therapy changes sexual orientation; in fact, it does great harm to many people.

I know that countless people were harmed by things I said and did in the past,

Parents, families, and their loved ones were negatively impacted by the notion of reparative therapy and the message of change. I am truly, truly sorry for the pain I have caused.

From the bottom of my heart I wish I could take back my words and actions that caused anger, depression, guilt and hopelessness. In their place I want to extend love, hope, tenderness, joy and the truth that gay people are loved by God.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/25/conversion_therapy_advocate_issues_formal_apology_renounces_ex_gay_past/feed/ 31 Director of Log Cabin Republicans: You can thank Mitt Romney for recent marriage equality gains http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/director_of_log_cabin_republicans_you_can_thank_mitt_romney_for_recent_marriage_equality_gains/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/director_of_log_cabin_republicans_you_can_thank_mitt_romney_for_recent_marriage_equality_gains/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:56:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13279829 President Barack Obama publicly backed marriage equality in May 2012, reaffirmed his position in his second inaugural address and had his administration file pro-gay marriage briefs in both the Prop 8 and Defense of Marriage Act Supreme Court cases. In the months since, politicians from both parties have come out in support of gay marriage, and many advocates view the president's reversal on equal marriage as a tipping point for other lawmakers, even among Republicans.

But not Gregory Angelo, the executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans. He credits Mitt Romney's tone-deaf position on these issues and his crushing defeat in the 2012 election for slowly (seriously slowly) bringing the GOP around to marriage equality, as he told the Advocate:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/director_of_log_cabin_republicans_you_can_thank_mitt_romney_for_recent_marriage_equality_gains/feed/ 6 ENDA to be introduced Thursday http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/enda_to_be_introduced_thursday/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/enda_to_be_introduced_thursday/#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:28:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13279486 Both the House and the Senate will introduce ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a key piece of gay rights legislation that prevents discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgender people in the workplace.

The Washington Blade reports:

The bill will be reintroduced in the House by Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), the most senior openly gay member of the chamber, who’s taking over the legislation now that former Rep. Barney Frank has retired. In the Senate, the legislation will be reintroduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The lawmakers’ offices confirmed they would introduce ENDA concurrently on Thursday.

Though the White House has said it plans to make ENDA's passage a priority, though it has not made much headway, and the legislation has had a hard time getting any traction in Congress. Supporters of the legislation hope that with the recent slew of Senators who have come out in support of gay marriage, ENDA will have more of a fighting chance.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/enda_to_be_introduced_thursday/feed/ 2 Gay filmmakers defy Boy Scouts ban, help scouts get cinematography merit badges http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/gay_filmmakers_defy_boy_scouts_ban_serve_as_cinematography_merit_badge_counselors/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/gay_filmmakers_defy_boy_scouts_ban_serve_as_cinematography_merit_badge_counselors/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:59:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13278594 Filmmaker and Eagle Scout Todd Bieber recently recruited friends and colleagues from the industry to help him serve as a cinematography merit badge counselor for his old Boy Scout troop, teaching the scouts how to write, storyboard, shoot and edit movies. Many of the volunteer counselors in the day-long tutorial in filmmaking were openly gay writers, directors and entertainers, as Bieber is quick to point out in the video he made about the experience.

According to recent reports, the Boy Scouts national organization is set to drop its ban on openly gay scouts, but will continue its policy against gays serving in leadership positions. Which is a pity, really, because the verboten openly gay volunteers who assisted Bieber provided a movie-making experience that was, per one scout's account, "the most fun" the troop ever had.

You can see Bieber's video documenting the experience, as well as the final product, "The Attack of the Mutant Scouts," below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/gay_filmmakers_defy_boy_scouts_ban_serve_as_cinematography_merit_badge_counselors/feed/ 0 Bill Clinton credits daughter Chelsea for reversing his views on gay marriage http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/bill_clinton_credits_daughter_chelsea_for_reversing_his_views_on_gay_marriage/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/bill_clinton_credits_daughter_chelsea_for_reversing_his_views_on_gay_marriage/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:26:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13278443 Former president Bill Clinton, who first signed the Defense of Marriage Act into effect in 1996, has changed his opinion on gay marriage. In March, Clinton wrote an editorial in the Washington Post urging the Supreme Court to overturn the decision, writing, "As the president who signed the act into law, I have come to believe that DOMA is contrary to those principles and, in fact, incompatible with our Constitution."

GLAAD acknowledged the former president's evolved views on marriage equality and subsequent activism with its Advocate for Change Award, presented to Clinton over the weekend.

During the speech, Clinton reiterated his desire to overturn DOMA, essentially admitting that it was a mistake to sign the law:
"I want to keep working on this until not only is DOMA no longer the law of the land, but until all people - no matter where they live - can marry the people they love," he said.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/22/bill_clinton_credits_daughter_chelsea_for_reversing_his_views_on_gay_marriage/feed/ 4 Boy Scouts set to lift ban on gay youth members http://www.salon.com/2013/04/19/boy_scouts_set_to_lift_ban_on_gay_youth_members/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/19/boy_scouts_set_to_lift_ban_on_gay_youth_members/#comments Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13276384 In news that will go largely unnoticed due to the ongoing manhunt for the Boston bombing suspects, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America announced that the organization is set to vote in May on lifting a ban on gays in the organization.

Reuters reports:

If the vote is approved, "no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone," Deron Smith, the organization's spokesman, told Reuters.

Smith noted that the decision drew from three months of research, surveys and discussions and was "among the most complex and challenging issues facing the BSA and society today."

As the Washington Post points out, though, the statement stipulates that the organization will continue to ban adults “who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/19/boy_scouts_set_to_lift_ban_on_gay_youth_members/feed/ 23 Ohio Catholic school teacher fired after being outed by an anonymous letter http://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/ohio_catholic_school_teacher_fired_after_being_outed_by_an_anonymous_letter/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/ohio_catholic_school_teacher_fired_after_being_outed_by_an_anonymous_letter/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:03:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13275061 After her mother passed away last month, Ohio Catholic high school teacher Carla Hale published the name of her longtime partner in the obituary. When she returned to work following the funeral, school administrators presented her with a copy of the obituary and an anonymous letter calling the presence of a gay teacher in the school a disgrace. Hale was fired less than two weeks later.

Hale worked as a physical education teacher at Bishop Watterson High School for close to 20 years, and when news of her termination spread, students started a petition to have her job reinstated. Hale has also filed a legal claim seeking her job back, and a city ordinance may put the law on her side.

As the Columbus Dispatch reports:

A Columbus city ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for an employer to discriminate against an employee based on sexual orientation. City law also states that an employer cannot have a policy that discriminates based on sexual orientation. Those who are found guilty could face up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine...

Napoleon Bell, executive director of the city’s Community Relations Commission, said the city law has no exemption for religious organizations.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/ohio_catholic_school_teacher_fired_after_being_outed_by_an_anonymous_letter/feed/ 17 More thinking on bisexuality http://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/more_thinking_on_bisexuality/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/more_thinking_on_bisexuality/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13273657 Dear Reader,

In response to a recent column about a bisexual woman who was wondering if she should marry, some people wrote angrily to say that one does not have to want to be in a plural marriage to be bisexual. That makes sense. They said that they were bisexual but happy in a committed monogamous relationship. That too sounds reasonable. Some claimed to have been hurt or insulted by my recent words about bisexuality. So I reexamined what I wrote.

I want to be kind and I want to be fair and want to admit that I can make mistakes. I hurt some people and I am sorry. I erred in not speaking to enough bisexual people to understand the sensitivity of the issue. I got swept away in the pure logic of it. For that I am sorry.

But let me state affirmatively what underlies my thinking. People need to make choices based on who they really are. In order to do that they must have legal choices that suit who they are.

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