San Diego State University's LGBT Group Causes Controversy by Changing Name to 'Queer Student Union'

San Diego State University's LGBT student group, formerly called the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Student Union at San Diego State University, has changed its name to "Queer Student Union" and the change is not being received well by everyone, FOX5 San Diego reports:

“We’re here and next year, we’re queer,” junior and president-elect Thomas Negron said

A move to be more inclusive, President Michael Manacop and Negron said “queer” is the easiest way to encompass all of the gender and sexual identities on campus without getting too wordy...

...Some older faculty members expressed concerns over the name change when the story was first reported in the Daily Aztec.

“It doesn’t seem like something you’d want to be called,” sophomore Jake Neely said. “I was always taught not to use (certain) words and… that was definitely one of them that shouldn’t really be said in my house.”

Texas House Passes Amendment Allowing Student Clubs at Universities to Discriminate Against Gays

The Texas House yesterday passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. Matt Krause prohibiting universities from mandating that officially recognized student organizations adhere to the school's non-discrimination policies, Equality Texas reports:

If enacted, the amendment would allow officially-recognized student organizations who receive taxpayer funded support from a university to discriminate against a potential member based on race, religion, veteran status, HIV/AIDS status, gender, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression if any attribute of the student "demonstrates opposition to the organization's stated beliefs and purposes."

Equality Texas is appreciative of the bipartisan support of allies in opposition to the amendment - which included 13 Republicans.

The Krause amendment was one of 15 amendments added by the House to Senate Bill 215. It is likely that a conference committee will be needed to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of SB 215. Equality Texas will be actively engaged throughout that process working to strip the Krause amendment from the bill's final version.

You can read the amendment HERE.

Related...
Texas A&M Student Body President Vetoes Bill Allowing Religion-Based Discrimination Against Campus LGBT Center [tlrd]

Two Adorable 2013 Gay Prom Photos

The first, via Imgur, captioned: "We just got back from the prom." "Did you have dates?" "Um, yeah."

Another, below, via Reddit: "Me (right) and my boyfriend (left) for prom!"

The times are a-changin'. What was your prom experience like and what year was it?

Catholic School Rejects Newly-Appointed President Over Speculation He's Gay

Regis Catholic Schools in Wisconsin announced on April 4 that its new president would be Tim Nelson, a decision they reportedly revoked last week because of speculation that he's gay.

The Leader Telegram reports:

Regis officials indicated someone had given them information showing that a man's name was listed in parentheses behind Nelson's in the survivor list of his father's obituary 2½ years ago, and they told him that is typically the way a gay partner is listed in an obituary, Nelson said. Nelson said he explained to Konopa that he considered the man his best friend and that the man was close to Nelson's family.

They add:

Nelson...said Friday he was "flabbergasted" when system officials informed him nearly three weeks later they intended to revoke his contract because of concerns about his sexual orientation.

"The whole thing is based on assumptions, innuendo and speculation," an obviously upset Nelson said by telephone from New Mexico, where he has worked as supervising principal of a group of American Indian community schools for the past eight years.

Regis denied the allegations Friday in a statement.

"Regis Catholic Schools denies that any assumptions, insinuations or speculation played a part in its decision to not hire Mr. Nelson," the statement said. "Furthermore, Regis Catholic Schools categorically denies that sexual orientation was a part in its decision. Mr. Nelson's speculation is unfounded and untrue."

The school system has announced his replacement.

Arkansas School District Tells Gay Alumnus He Can't Speak at Graduation

Bryant Huddleston, a single dad and TV Writer and producer in Los Angeles, an alumnus of Sloan-Hendrix High School in Arkansas, says he was disinvited to speak at the school's graduation after school members and Superintendent Mitch Walton discovered he was gay.

Said Huddleston in a letter:

I am writing to express my disappointment in the Sloan-Hendrix Superitendent’s recent decision to recant his invitation for me to be the keynote speaker at my little sister, Madicyn’s, graduation from Sloan-Hendrix High School this year, based solely on the fact that I am gay.

What baffles me is that he chose to disregard the fact that I grew up in Imboden, and my career accomplishments--KAIT news anchor and reporter, successful television producer in Hollywood, producing shows such as E! News, Access Hollywood, etc., --were dismissed and instead you chose to make me a hot bed controversial issue.

His decision forced the members of the Sloan-Hendrix School Board to vote on my participation but what was equally unfair is that he forced the President of the Board Steve Huddleston (my father), to abstain from voting, thus forcing a tie and then declared there would be “no speaker this year,” ultimately nixing any opportunity to share my pathway to success with the graduates.  Was this in the students’ best interest or is this a decision based on religious beliefs?

Huddleston, who held leadership positions at the school when he attended, ripped the school's decision:

I understand that Mr. Clark and Mr. Murphy both stated there would be "concern from the community" if I were allowed to speak. I'm curious--did you think my speech would have focused on recruiting youngsters and passing out "Go Straight to Gay" cards over sharing the tools that I used to achieve success? You might be surprised to know that "recruitment" does not and never will work. And just for the record, just so we're clear, my words were not going to address a "certain agenda," but I was hoping to empower your students to continue their education. My speech would have also touched on the importance of women, like my sister, who will go out into the world and know that they can now pull their chairs right up to the table of equality. To encourage them that they can no longer sit in the back and let men make the important decisions for them. And for that matter, letting them know that someday a woman or two or three can become a member of the Sloan-Hendrix School Board. After all, there's an opening, since my father will resign from the Board later this month.

I could just sit back and let this slide, but if I did, the discrimination that has taken place here would go unnoticed like it has so many times in history.

Read his full letter HERE.

Walton issued a statement in response, saying that Huddleston was never invited:

Sloan-Hendrix has had individuals to speak at graduation in the past. Contrary to what has been said, no invitation was extended this year to anyone. As superintendent, I have the authority to decide about who the speaker will be or whether we have a speaker at all. The school board does not vote on speakers for graduation.

This year, Mr. Steve Huddleston, a board member, suggested his son as a speaker. Bryant Huddleston graduated from Sloan-Hendrix in 1990 and went on to success in the entertainment industry. He was never invited by me to be the graduation speaker. After visiting informally with board members, no agreement was reached as to who should be invited to speak. Therefore, my decision was to do what had been discussed in the past—to discontinue the use of outside speakers and thereby shorten an already lengthy graduation program.

Sloan-Hendrix has exceptional graduates. Graduation this year and in the future will feature only student speakers. Graduation is a celebration of the accomplishments of Sloan- Hendrix students and a time to let those students shine for their families and the community at large. We welcome the presence of everyone in the community to share in this event.

Sincerely,
Mitch Walton
Superintendent Sloan-Hendrix School District

High School Students Protest Firing Of Lesbian Teacher

Bishop Watterson Catholic High School physical education teacher Carla Hale met with the school's principal this past Wednesday for the first time since she was wrongly fired earlier this month. Post-meeting, the principal, Marian Hutson, said she supports the decision to dismiss the teacher, who had taught at the school for 19 years. Hale is fighting the outrageous termination and has filed a grievence. Meeting with Hutson is the first step in the grievence process.

Yesterday, Bishop Watterson students from protested the teacher's firing outside the offices of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reports:

As cars passed the offices on Gay Street, the students held poster-board signs with messages: “ Come together,” “We are all children of God” and “#halestorm,” the Twitter hashtag used to support Hale. Many wore rainbow ribbons or buttons incorporating an equals sign into the Watterson crest. Senior Zac Simmons said he was demonstrating because he wanted his voice to be heard. “She’d always be there for us, and I just want to be there for her,” he said of Hale.

Watch video of the protest, AFTER THE JUMP.

The hacktivist group Anonymous has also become a part of the story. They've posted a video in which they urge the Columbus Ohio Diocese to give Hale back her job. Watch the Anonymous video, AFTER THE JUMP.

More than 63,000 have signed the online petition asking to reinstate Hale. You can sign it yourself here.