05/22/2008
News: Jodie Foster, Oregon, Chris Evans, Northern Ireland
Good riddance: South Carolina high school principal resigning because he doesn't agree with the school having a gay-straight alliance.
Was she the other woman who ended Jodie Foster's 14 year relationship? "Although she and Cydney remain under the same roof at the moment, the relationship has been shattered. They’ll continue to raise the boys together and try to keep a loving family unit despite their breakup. The love is gone."
Oregon Court of Appeals upholds ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in the state.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie glam it up in Cannes.
Redwood City, California man to stand trial for attacking his neighbors with a wrought iron table, fists: "Prosecutors say Santos-Coy had been drinking when he approached two neighbors of his apartment complex as they worked on their car in the building's carport. Yelling that the men — a couple in their 20s, according to prosecutors — were 'dirty nasty people' and other things not fit to print in this publication, Santos-Coy allegedly struck one of the men several times in the face. He then picked up a wrought-iron table and swung it at the victims, prosecutors said. The men managed to avoid getting hit by the heavy table, according to prosecutors...He faces up to eight years in prison for two felony counts of a hate crime and one count of assault with a hate crime purpose."
Cameron Diaz goes bald.
Scotland Yard arrests 198 across London for "domestic, homophobic and race hate crimes."
Owner of the first gay bar outside a major city in Ireland talks about the reaction from the community: "When someone comes up to one of my sons and mentions the gay bar, it's to tell them that their uncle or cousin is gay. The young people in Strabane seem to be very open-minded — there's been no hassle at all."
"Ex-Gay" Bar? UK former gay bar under inquiry for putting up banner announcing that it is "now straight". "A police inquiry is under way into a complaint that the sign, which has now been taken down, was offensive. The bar owners said it was never their intention to offend. Assistant manager Carl Lovett said: 'We admit it was not the best banner but there was never any intention to cause offence.' ... The bar, which opened as a seven-days-a-week gay venue in January, decided to switch to becoming a mainstream premises after failing to attract enough customers."
Chris Evans apparently has some lesbian fantasies.
California Republican justice Ronald George on newly-minted hero status: "Basically, it comes down to the question of when is a judge shirking his or her responsibility by not acting...The political repercussions of who I am going to please or who I am going to displease is not something I think about. I just put it out of my mind."
Canadian middle school students told they can't wear anti-homophobia t-shirts: "School principal Kim MacKenzie said the word "gay" was used inappropriately. He said the T-shirts weren't appropriate for a middle-school level and didn't comply with the school dress code. 'This is a middle school,' he said, adding no other disciplinary actions were taken. 'There were questions from Grade 5 students as to what homophobia was. That's something that many of our parents would have a concern with -- the notion of how that conversation (was started) in the school,' said MacKenzie."
Posted 1:30 PM EST by Andy in California, Canada, Chris Evans, Crime, Gay Bar, Gay Marriage, Great Britain, Jodie Foster, Madonna, News, Northern Ireland, Oregon, South Carolina | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Re: The London Metro Police: Perhaps Boston's finest could learn something from them?
Re: School Principle Kim McKenzie: so it's wrong for children to have questions and for adults to provide age-appropriate answers?
Posted by: David R. | May 22, 2008 1:43:22 PM
Principal Eddie Walker of South Carolina should totally hook up with Calgarian Kim MacKenzie...Sheesh!
Posted by: Shabaka | May 22, 2008 1:52:01 PM
Send Principal Eddie Walker a good-bye e-mail:
EWalker@lex5.k12.sc.us
Posted by: Josh | May 22, 2008 1:56:15 PM
'UK former gay bar under inquiry for putting up banner announcing that it is "now straight". "A police inquiry is under way into a complaint that the sign, which has now been taken down, was offensive."'
Wow. Freedom of speech appears to be an endangered concept in the UK. Offensiveness is grounds for a police investigation?
Posted by: Mark | May 22, 2008 2:07:50 PM
Mark - we have powerful freedom of speech liberty here in Brtain. However we have extremely strict laws protecting people from any form of discrimination. It puts the law on our side no matter who you are. Protection from discrimination is as powerful as freedom of speech, and something which is lacking in America.
Posted by: Luke | May 22, 2008 2:25:13 PM
Luke, that may be, but the story says nothing about discrimination. The bar is being investigated for putting up an offensive sign. Are you saying the story is incorrect?
And no need to be defensive re the UK vs US. I'm Canadian myself and we have very scary speech restrictions here, too. Right now our weekly newsmagazine is being investigated for printing a negative story about Islam.
Posted by: Mark | May 22, 2008 2:37:12 PM
I see no difference in the "Now straight!" sign than one announcing "Under new management!" or "Now serving complimentary hot wings!". Then again, I don't look for offence every time I turn around.
Posted by: Scott | May 22, 2008 3:01:03 PM
Mark longs for the good old days when you could put aup a sign that said "No Niggers or Kikes" and no one would think anything of it.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | May 22, 2008 3:03:47 PM
clms@rockyview.ab.ca
That's the email for the school in Calgary. Appalling really.
Posted by: secretagentman | May 22, 2008 3:21:14 PM
clms@rockyview.ab.ca
That's the email for the school in Calgary. Appalling really.
Posted by: secretagentman | May 22, 2008 3:23:00 PM
@David Ehrenstein,
That was just rude and uncalled for.
Mark's correct in asking "is this an offensive sign?".
I for one would not think it so offensive that it would warrent a police investigation.
Was it a bad buisness move?...yes.
Was it offensive...no not really.
Unless your increadable over sensitive.
But your comment was just rude.
Posted by: griffin1573 | May 22, 2008 3:44:22 PM
I find nothing wrong with the "Now Straight" sign. In fact, I would take it as a kindly "thanks for letting me know" warning.
After all it didn't say No Fags.
Posted by: Banjiboi | May 22, 2008 4:40:41 PM
I find nothing wrong with the "Now Straight" sign. In fact, I would take it as a kindly "thanks for letting me know" warning.
After all it didn't say No Fags.
Posted by: Banjiboi | May 22, 2008 4:42:04 PM
"Principal Eddie Walker told WIS News 10 his resignation won't take effect until June, 2009 - the end of the 2008-2009 school year."
Oh yeah. I resign. But I'll wait until June 2009. WTF??? The current school years ends about now. 13 more months of that idiot?? When *A TON* of schools have Gay|Straight alliances. Makes me sick. You either resign or you don't. I never understood that. Anyone?
Posted by: aaronj | May 22, 2008 4:43:46 PM
"Chris Evans apparently has some lesbian fantasies."
A straight guy has lesbian fantasies-this is news how?
Posted by: JerzeeMike | May 22, 2008 4:46:36 PM
"Chris Evans apparently has some lesbian fantasies."
Hmmm. That's cool. I apparently have some Chris Evans fantasies.
Posted by: aaronj | May 22, 2008 4:48:33 PM
Oh yeah. I resign. But I'll wait until June 2009. WTF??? The current school years ends about now. 13 more months of that idiot?? When *A TON* of schools have Gay|Straight alliances. Makes me sick. You either resign or you don't. I never understood that. Anyone?
I teach in this district....Mr. Walker wants to quit now but he's already signed his contract for next year....he doesn't want to breach his contract--he said something about being commited to the school and students for another year and his professinal obigations for next year...blah blah....
Posted by: mr e | May 22, 2008 5:44:38 PM
Thanks Mr E for the explanation. I forget that teachers do sign contracts.
I also agree with your "... for another year and his professional obligations next year...blah blah..."
But I obviously disagree with the I'm resigning in 13 months nonsense. Don't break the contract; amend it. 13 months of 'commitment to the school and students' is going to half-hearted at best.
Posted by: aaronj | May 22, 2008 7:03:35 PM
Rude? Sure. Uncalled for? Certainly not. I smell a Log Cabinette.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | May 22, 2008 9:20:41 PM
Considering that you can't get service with a smile in England anyway, how would anyone take offense? Tony Blair's concept of moral perfection also included the invasion of Iraq, are we to always trust the Prime Minister?
Posted by: anon | May 22, 2008 9:51:29 PM
Worse, David Ehrenstein: an Ayn Randette.
Posted by: Mark | May 23, 2008 6:14:36 AM
The point of "Now Straight" is to indicate that the bar is no longer specifically a "gay bar"! The pub owner's tried to serve a gay clientele but failed financially. This is rebranding. The owner isn't trying to discriminate. Bars change owners and themes all the time.
If the bar's message straights-only or gays-only, that would be discrimination. Would it be better if the sign said, "No Longer a Gay Bar"? There is such thing as someone just being a poor writer and not knowing how best to change things.
On the flipside, the UK should be applauded for its attempts to squash bigoted verbal abuse. Words can be used to psychologically intimidate and bully, having legal recourse to defend oneself is needed. Thirty-five years ago, the British Conservative Party ran an election campaign that called British subjects to vote against the immigration of "niggers"--Afro Caribbeans and South Asians.
If anyone remembers "My Beautiful Laundrette," there were anti-South Asian and Black race riots where skin heads would attack brown people. Things have settled down greatly since then. However, the British National Party, the BNP, has become a successful party spouting white supremacist ideology.
After watching Hillary Clinton's campaign and her repeated race-baiting and use of "hard working...white Americans," I wonder if we might benefit from similar laws in this country.
Posted by: noah | May 23, 2008 8:53:48 AM
Re: C. Evans. His T-shirt is extremely reminiscent of the cover to My Bloody Valentine's "Glider" EP (where the participants are much more ambiguous).
Posted by: yclept | May 23, 2008 1:44:21 PM
David Ehrenstein, you are impudent and repulsive.
Griffin1573, how is the new sign "bad for business" since he had to change away from being a gay bar to try to save his business? I'm horrified this was a police matter. Why wasn't calling itself a gay bar before a police matter?
Local shops in the US catering to various ethnic groups get by without English signage. To me that might be "bad for business" but it most certainly IS NOT a police matter. Turning such a thing into a police matter is tantamount to fascism and protects no one from genuinely unwanted discrimination.
Posted by: queendru | May 23, 2008 5:52:35 PM
David Ehrenstein, you are impudent and repulsive.
Griffin1573, how is the new sign "bad for business" since he had to change away from being a gay bar to try to save his business? I'm horrified this was a police matter. Why wasn't calling itself a gay bar before a police matter?
Local shops in the US catering to various ethnic groups get by without English signage. To me that might be "bad for business" but it most certainly IS NOT a police matter. Turning such a thing into a police matter is tantamount to fascism and protects no one from genuinely unwanted discrimination.
Posted by: queendru | May 23, 2008 5:53:08 PM