News: Sean Penn, Nova Scotia, Parrots, Channing Tatum, HIV

Homeless man gets 35 years in prison for spitting on a police officer and saying he was HIV positive.

Sean Penn slams Obama's "phenomenally inhuman and unconstitutional" voting record, expresses optimism: "I don't have a candidate I'm supporting and I'm certainly interested and excited by the hope that Barack Obama is inspiring. I hope that he will understand, if he is the nominee, the degree of disillusionment that will happen if he doesn't become a greater man than he will ever be. This is the most important election, certainly in my lifetime, and maybe ever."

You'll never guess who is broke and living in a trailer with 20 parrots? Well, actually, you might.

Marriage equality bill introduced in Minnesota legislature: "The Marriage and Family Protection Act was introduced by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, on Friday. The bill would make marriage a gender-neutral proposition in Minnesota, allowing same-sex couples to marry. It would also protect religious institutions that have moral objections to same-sex marriage from being compelled to perform such ceremonies."

Spains's Operacion Triunfo (the equivalent to our American Idol) recently featured a hot gay kiss.

McGreevey: Dina paid for the wedding, and honeymoon.

All's well in the land of Ry-chen.

Toronto Lutheran parish to defy church, risk expulsion, ordinate gay man: "Lionel Ketola will be ordained tomorrow night by a non-traditional American Lutheran group that ordains gay candidates. Their ordinations are not officially recognized in Canada or the United States. But despite that, he will then be hired by Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Newmarket, Ont., as an associate pastor, where he has interned for the past two years. Members of Holy Cross will also take part in the ordination ceremony."

Channing Tatum's GI Joe gear looks less than comfortable.

Police in Brighton, UK appeal for witnesses following attack on gay man by gang of youths: "About seven boys verbally abused the man, spat on him, forced him to the ground and kicked him in George Street. One member of the group was wearing a hooded top and another had white three quarter length tracksuit bottoms with a navy stripe, police said."

Gay pride group to march on county offices in Nova Scotia: "The group will raise the gay pride flag during a 7 p.m. ceremony at the town’s Water Street gazebo to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. The gazebo is a couple of blocks from the Municipality of Pictou County’s administrative building, where the gay pride flag will not fly. A February resolution banned all except government and First Nation flags from the county’s official flagpole. The municipality said the controversial policy doesn’t target gay pride groups specifically, but allows equal treatment of all organizations that want the county to fly their flags."

Joe Lieberman defends pastor John Hagee: "He represents a lot of people in this country, particularly Christians who care about the state of Israel."

The legacy of Illinois' first openly gay legislator, Larry McKeon, who died this week: "Chicago had never held a meeting like this, for gays and lesbians interested in becoming cops, and for an hour and a half, bleached by ceiling lights, they asked questions. Two officers, among the few on the force willing to say they were gay, answered. Was the department planning to form a special gay unit? No. Did the department intend to set gay quotas? No. Was there a space on the application for sexual orientation? No. Leaning against a wall, watching, was the man who'd organized the meeting, Larry McKeon."

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Students Stand Up in Pink Solidarity for Bullied Classmate

How often does this happen?

When a freshman student showed up for the first day of class at Central Kings Rural High School in Cambridge, Nova Scotia wearing a pink shirt, he was set upon by a group of up to 10 students who called him gay and threatened to assault him.

The next day the bullies didn't have a chance to repeat their actions. David Shepherd and Travis Price (above), two seniors who had witnessed the incident, showed up to school with 75 pink tank tops for students to wear as well as a pink basketball and material to make pink headbands and armbands, according to the Chronicle Herald. Shepard and Price handed the shirts out before the beginning of class.

Said Price: "The bullies got angry. One guy was throwing chairs (in the cafeteria). We’re glad we got the response we wanted. [The bullies] "keep giving us dirty looks, but we know we have the support of the whole student body. Kids don’t need this in their lives, worrying about what to wear to school. That should be the last thing on their minds."

According to the Herald, "[Shepard] said one of the bullies angrily asked him whether he knew pink on a male was a symbol of homosexuality. He told the bully that didn’t matter to him and shouldn’t to anyone. 'Something like the colour of your shirt or pants, that’s ridiculous,' he said. 'Our intention was to stand up for this kid so he doesn’t get picked on...It’s my last year. I’ve stood around too long and I wanted to do something.'"

According to Shepard, when the bullied kid saw the group of kids in the pink shirts, "he was all smiles. It was like a big weight had been lifted off his shoulder."

Are you listening GLSEN? Give these kids a medal!

'I've Stood Around Too Long' [chronicle herald]

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Nova Scotia Town Rallies After Council Rejects Rainbow Flag

It often takes smaller towns a long time to recognize its gay and lesbian citizens, and this year Truro, a town of about 45,000 in Nova Scotia, held its first-ever gay pride celebrations, and its first-ever LGBT protest.

The city refused to fly the rainbow flag in recognition of gay pride week, prompting an irate rally of about 100 people:

"Only one of seven Truro councillors voted to allow the flag to fly. She showed up at the protest. 'It's a matter of respect for all members of our community,' Councillor Diane Bennett Cook told CTV Atlantic reporter Leah Cross. 'It's a matter of acceptance and appreciation of differences.' People who attended the rally were particularly miffed with the Truro's Mayor Bill Mills, who cited his Christian beliefs as his reason for voting against the move."

Truro is in Colchester County, which did raise the rainbow flag. Said its mayor, Mike Smith, who attended the rally: "(Truro’s decision) was an unfortunate black mark (on the community) ... we are a welcoming, tolerant community."

Citizens Rally Around the Flag [truro daily news]
Rally held after Truro council rejects pride flag [ctv]

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