The California Senate voted 23-13 on a bill that would limit mental health professionals' ability to practice harmful "ex-gay" therapy on minors, the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News reports:
If approved by the Assembly and signed by the Governor, Senate Bill 1172, authored by Senator Ted Lieu and co-sponsored by Equality California, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Mental Health America of Northern California, Gaylesta, and Lambda Legal, would make California the first state in the nation to ban licensed mental health professionals from engaging in sexual orientation change efforts of any kind for a minor patient, regardless of a parent's willingness or desire to authorize participation in such programs.
“Being lesbian or gay or bisexual is not a disease or mental disorder for the same reason that being a heterosexual is not a disease or a mental disorder,” Lieu said. “The medical community is unanimous in stating that homosexuality is not a medical condition.”
A group of straight Mormons will march in Salt Lake City's Gay Pride parade on Sunday, FOX 13 reports:
They call themselves “Mormons Building Bridges” and they are planning to march in this year’s Pride parade. It is a move toward reconciliation between two communities that have had been at odds in the past.
“We are faithful, practicing Mormons who feel like it’s time to reach out with love and understanding to the LGBT community,” says group spokeswoman Erika Munson.
Munson has never been to a Pride parade before, but the devout Mormon is organizing more than 100 faithful LDS Church members in their Sunday best to march among the more colorful entries to show their love.
“We are following the greater commandment of Jesus, which is to love one another and love one another unconditionally, and we want to do that,” says Munson.
Organizers of the parade have situated the group behind the grand marshal.
Lifetime developing series based on Jodie Foster's Silence of the Lambs character Clarice: "NBC is looking at Hannibal Lecter’s early years in its upcoming drama Hannibal, and now Lifetime is developing a drama all about Lecter’s Silence of the Lambs foe, FBI agent Clarice Starling. The series is simply called, Clarice, and picks up the story soon after Ms Starling graduates from the FBI academy, whereas the Hannibal series won’t include the Clarice character at all."
UN endorses Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe as tourism leader? "The surprise honor, while slammed by human rights groups, is also a head scratcher since the 88-year-old despot is banned from even travelling to Europe because of Western sanctions."
Taylor Kitsch, Armie Hammer and Garrett Hedlund reportedly vying for role of Finnick Odair in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. "In the books, Odair is a handsome and tan 24-year-old from District 4 who won the annual Hunger Games ten years earlier armed with a trident and a net. He's known for having many lovers around the Capitol."
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell claims he never opposed gay judges: “'I have long been an advocate of judicial selection based on merit,' he said on WTOP’s 'Ask the Governor.' What about in 2003, host Mark Segraves asked. Back then, while leading a successful effort to unseat a lesbian Circuit Court judge, then-delegate McDonnell questioned whether someone who had engaged in oral or anal sex could serve as a judge because that behavior would violate the state’s anti-sodomy statute..."
Outserve co-director Josh Seefried: Employment nondiscrimination is a military issue too: "Although ENDA would not affect military personnel, it still is a critical issue to LGBT service members. Even though a majority of LGBT military personnel serve on active duty, many serve in reservist or national guard status, which means their main employment is outside the military, leaving them vulnerable to being fired simply for being gay. No servicemember who chooses to serve their nation should have to feel like they are at risk for losing their job because of who they are."
Dan Savage has some thoughts about the church video of the child getting cheered on for singing "No homos gonna make it to Heaven": "The Apostolic Truth Tabernacle is in Greensburg, Indiana. That's the town where Billy Lucas was bullied to death for being perceived to be gay by his classmates. I wonder if they stood up and cheered at Apostolic Truth Tabernacle when Lucas died—hey, another homo in hell. I wonder if any of Lucas's tormenters attend services at Apostolic Truth Tabernacle. And remember: I'm an anti-Christian bully for pointing out the connection between what straight kids are taught about "homos" in the shithole mega-churches they're dragged to by their parents and what they turn around and do to 'homos' they encounter in classrooms. And what if that precocious little four-year-old singer is gay? Praise the Lord and pass the barf bags."
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