Charleston, SC Passes LGBT Non-Discrimination Ordinance

Last night, Charleston South Carolina became the second municipality in the state (Columbia is the first) to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting gays, lesbians, and transgender citizens in housing and public accommodations, WCBD Charleston reports:

"The ordinances were presented to the mayor’s office in August by members of Charleston’s Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA), SC Stonewall Democrats, SC Log Cabin Republicans, American Civil Liberties Union and South Carolina Equality—who had successfully introduced similar ordinances in Columbia SC."

South Carolina Equality lauded the news: "All across South Carolina, we are celebrating this historic victory for all families as Charleston joins Columbia as the second city in the state to enact such nondiscrimination ordinances. These pro-business ordinances are consistent with the values of Charlestonians; they send the clear message that Charleston welcomes families from all walks of life."

News: Martha Stewart, Tel Aviv, Hate Crimes, Oaxaca, Joey Arias

FBI: Anti-gay hate crimes increase 11%.

Joey Arias brings 'Arias with a Twist' to L.A.

Dangerous: Martha Stewart has some strong words for Sarah Palin.

Should PEPFAR money to Uganda be cut off?

Report: 4,000 Anglican priests to join Catholic Church. "Under the Vatican’s initiative, Anglicans, turned off by their own church’s embrace of gay clerics, women priests and blessing of same-sex unions, can join new parishes, called ‘personal ordinariates’, that are headed by former Anglican prelates."

Formed following the passage of Proposition 8, gay rights group celebrates first anniversary in Orange County.

Man attacked after climbing into bear enclosure at zoo in Bern, Switzerland.

Did J Lo fall so people would notice her performance?

Canada border guards seize PG-rated gay films headed for Inside Out Film Festival: "All three movies have been shown in Canada before. Patrik 1.5 is a PG-rated film about a gay couple's foibles adopting a child in Sweden. Clapham Junction is R-rated, but by no means obscene. I Can't Think Straight, the other film seized, is a relatively mainstream movie which had a theatrical release this summer. It stars Lisa Ray."

WATCH: Janet Jackson's new video "Make Me".

Selected entries from National Geographic's International Photography contest.

GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios on former KC Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, anti-gay slurs, and homophobia in professional sports: "I hope the league moves beyond individual suspensions and instead enacts zero-tolerance policies that start to address the danger of homophobia in sports."

Denver evangelical church opens doors to all.

Nude sunbathing initiative led by gay rights activists rejected in UK.

Stonewall Family: World of Warcraft highlights Gay Guild.

Jude Law does his fitness routine for students at NYU.

Male model fix: Nicholas Lemons.

Oaxacan town holds drag festival: "The annual dance and festival of the muxes celebrates a group of homosexual men who don elaborate makeup and traditional dress to dance and crown a queen, all with the support and excitement of the local community. Zapotec Indian culture in the Juchitan area, 277 km south of the Oaxacan capital, treats male homosexuality with openness."

Health care plan to include prayer?

Carrie Prejean's brother on her sex tapes: "If they were put in front of me I'd probably watch it."

Akron and Summit counties in Ohio mull anti-discimination ordinance protecting gays and lesbians.

Geri Halliwell has a revelation: not all hairdressers are gay.

Tel Aviv evicting gays from public park cruising area: "The new policy is divisive even within the LGBT community itself, as some of its leaders sided with city hall. Yaniv Weizmann, founder of the Proud Youth organization and a city council member, told Haaretz that the park's historic role was over. 'The community has matured,' he said. 'We can walk around in broad daylight in Tel Aviv. Something that was relevant when we were a persecuted and oppressed community is no longer relevant today.' Others see establishment leaders like Weizmann as traitors to the cause."

Gay Nurses Apologize to Lesbian Whose Partner Died Without Her

You may remember the story of Janice Langbehn, the Seattle woman whose partner Lisa Pond suffered an aneurysm on an R-Family cruise out of Miami in February 2007. Even after a power of attorney naming Langbehn was sent to Jackson Memorial Hospital, the hospital refused to allow Langbehn access to Pond, who died about 18 hours after being admitted. Langbehn was finally allowed to see Pond as a priest delivered last rites.

On Thursday in Miami, several nurses from the gay Lavender caucus of the union serving Jackson Memorial hospital apologized to Langbehn for what she went through:

"The apologies came at a town hall-style meeting Thursday night at Unity on the Bay church, in which Langbehn returned to Miami as a speaker. Baker, Molina and two other Jackson nurses, Jim Nicholson and Diane Poirier, along with 60 other people, attended the meeting. Langbehn, whose lawsuit against Jackson was dismissed in September by a federal court in Miami, gracefully welcomed the nurses’ personal gesture. But she still want the hospital to apologize formally."

Langbehn's case against the hospital, you may recall, was rejected by a federal court in September.

Utah Homophobe Senator Chris Buttars Doesn't Want Gays 'Stuffin' It Down His Throat All The Time'

The Mormon Church's endorsement of a Salt Lake City anti-discrimination ordinance that would protect gays and lesbians in matters of housing and employment has caused one of the state's biggest homophobes to ease in his positions on statewide rights for gays.

Following the suggestion that the LDS Church's endorsement could extend beyond Salt Lake's borders, "Buttars, a West Jordan Republican and fiery opponent of gay rights, said Wednesday he 'very well might' sponsor legislation in 2010 that would allow local governments to adopt such anti-discrimination measures for housing and employment -- but forbid them from going any further on gay rights. 'Maybe we ought to have a statewide bill that allows those things,' Buttars said, 'but that's all it allows. No creep.' Buttars said he opposes any 'legislative creep' toward gay marriage."

Hey wait, isn't Buttars the creep?

You may remember Buttars was removed from two committees in February for comparing gays to radical Muslim extremists and asserting that they are America's 'greatest threat.' He later said he stood by his remarks.

Watch FOX 13's interview, in which Buttars says, "I don't mind gays. I just don't want 'em stuffin' it down my throat all the time," AFTER THE JUMP...

Fox News Talks to Man Who Says He Was Fired for Standing up for 'Traditional Marriage'

As a follow-up to the video I posted earlier this month, Fox & Friends talks to former Brookstone manager Peter Vadala, who says he was fired for disagreeing with a co-worker about her lesbian "lifestyle" and says he's being discriminated against because of his religion.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

As Catholics and Gays Battle Over Marriage Equality in DC, Elections Board Rejects Prop 8-Style Ballot Initative

HRC Backstory reports: "Today, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced their ruling [pdf] that for a second time a proposed ballot measure that would undermine marriage equality in the District is not a proper subject for a referendum or initiative. The Board’s decision to prevent a measure like California’s Prop 8 or Maine’s Question 1 from possibly reaching the ballot is strongly supported by D.C. law, which wisely prohibits any initiative that authorizes discrimination or has the effect of authorizing discrimination under D.C.’s Human Rights Act."

Meanwhile I reported last Thursday that the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington D.C. has told the D.C. Council that if they are forced to recognize same-sex married couples (as D.C.'s proposed marriage equality law would impel them to do) they will have no other choice but to discontinue all social service programs in D.C. related to adoption, homelessness, health care and other areas.

CNN reports on that threat, AFTER THE JUMP...