SAN FRANCISCO – The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to Fresno City College today demanding that the school ensure that all its health science classes teach unbiased and medically accurate information. According to students at the college, lectures by Professor Dr. Bradley Lopez, who teaches an introductory health class, often present religiously-based and anti-gay views as “science” or “fact.”
“I feel very let down by my school,” said Jacqui Mahaffey, a 24-year-old student who took Professor Lopez’s class. “I signed up for health science because I was interested in the subject, but what I got was hateful lecturing based on Professor Lopez’s personal beliefs. I am in school to learn, not to be indoctrinated with one professor’s religious views and anti-gay beliefs.”
The ACLU letter includes several examples of Professor Lopez teaching sectarian views and personal bias as “fact.” In recent lectures, Professor Lopez:
• Presented a slide listing “homosexual facts,” including that homosexuality is a “biological misapplication of human sexuality” and said that the “recommended treatment” is “psychological counseling” or “hormone supplements.”
• Presented LGBT people as a burden on and/or threat to society, claiming, for example, that anything but a heterosexual union provides a “one-sided foundation for raising children.”
• Presented bible passages as “empirical” evidence that life begins at conception in support of his assertion that abortion is murder and “the leading cause of death in this country” (because there are over a million abortions a year).
• Followed a slide on climate change in a presentation on “environmental health” with a slide containing a Biblical quote about the world ending in fire, and said “that is the real global warming we should be worried about.”
• Repeatedly referenced the Bible and used it as a teaching tool, for example assigning as homework a question as to Jesus’ genetic makeup.
“The college class room of a state school should be a welcoming environment for all students, and courses, especially health courses, should be based on objective and medically accurate information, not religiously-based bias,” said Elizabeth Gill, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. “While Professor Lopez is free to talk about his religious beliefs outside of the classroom, Fresno City College has an obligation to protect its students from religious indoctrination and anti-gay bias presented as ‘science’ or ‘fact.’ Professor Lopez’s health class fails students in both regards.”
The letter sent by the ACLU charges that because the classes are being taught at a publicly funded college, Professor Lopez’s lectures violate federal and state constitutional protections guaranteeing the separation of church and state. To satisfy its legal obligation to combat anti-gay bias, the letter also urges the school to mandate accurate and unbiased health instruction.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The first federal case to decide if
the U.S. Constitution prevents states from stopping same-sex weddings came to
an anti-climatic break Wednesday after a judge heard nearly 12 days of
wide-ranging testimony on the meaning of marriage, the nature of sexual
orientation, and the role of religion in shaping attitudes about both.
Attorneys for sponsors of California's Proposition 8
tentatively rested their case after introducing materials from the 2008
election campaign.
They called just two expert witnesses, including David
Blankenhorn, president of the New York-based Institute for American Values, who
capped the historic proceedings by saying the rights of same-sex couples should
come second to preserving the cherished social institution of marriage.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker heard the case
without a jury and said he will take time to review the evidence before
allowing closing arguments, probably in March or April. He has no deadline for
reaching a decision.
HONOLULU (AP) -- The Hawaii Senate approved same-sex civil
unions Friday, potentially setting up the measure for final passage as soon as
next week.
The Senate passed the bill on an 18-7 vote, moving it to
the House and signaling that the Senate's Democratic majority has enough votes
to override a possible veto from Republican Gov. Linda Lingle.
The House has yet to decide if it will vote on the bill.
House leaders say they will take up the bill if they have a veto-proof
two-thirds majority but may let it die if they have only a small majority.
"It's very close," said Democratic Speaker of the
House Calvin Say. "During an election year, this issue is so divisive that
it may hurt many of our members."
Day 10 of Prop 8 Trial - Attorneys for Plaintiffs Rest Case
Written by Chris Jarvis
Monday, 25 January 2010
On Monday, January 25th, the 10th
day of the Prop 8 case being heard in San Francisco, Ted Olson and David Boies,
attorneys for the plaintiffs, rested their case. Now, the defense team makes
their case...
The Washington
Post reports...
Kenneth Miller, a professor at
Claremont McKenna College who teaches California politics and researches ballot
initiatives, was the first defense witness in the trial over the
constitutionality of Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban.
Miller said one indication of the
gay rights movement's clout in California was that neither Republican Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger nor any other statewide office holders endorsed Proposition
8. But perhaps the best measure of the movement's strength was the $43 million
amassed to defeat the gay marriage ban in 2008, he said. That was $3.4 million
more than initiative backers raised.
Boies pushed back at Miller, asking if he
thought Prop 8 was inherently discriminatory...
"It's differential
treatment. Whether it's legally discriminatory, I don't know," Miller
said.
The New York
Times reports on the cross examination of Kenneth Miller, at
the hand of Attorney David Boies. Boies tried to illuminate Miller's lack of
knowledge when it comes to LGBT discrimination, both currently and
historically...
Mr. Boies pointed out that during
his deposition, Dr. Miller did not know how many states had laws regarding
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Mr. Boies continued to ask
Dr. Miller to answer a range of difficult questions, ranging from political
history to gay and lesbian politics and scholarship.
“What academic books and articles
are you familiar with regarding the discrimination against minority groups?”
Dr. Miller demurred.
“You mean you can’t think of any
titles?” Mr. Boies asked.
“No, I can’t,” Dr. Miller
responded.
Mr. Boies, minutes later, asked,
“Nationally, do you believe the African-American minority or the gay and
lesbian minority has the greater political power?”
Dr. Miller responded, “I’d have
to say I don’t know.”
Shannon Minter, who was a lead attorney in
the California Supreme Court case concerning legal same sex marriage, open up
and provides his take on the current Prop 8 case, as reported by the Advocate...
Aside from the judge and
litigants of the case, perhaps no one has been more present during Perry v.
Schwarzenegger over the past several weeks than Shannon Minter, legal director
for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (if you’re following the case but
haven’t seen his commentary via Twitter, take note: He’s at @nclrights).
As lead attorney in the California state
supreme court case that opened the door for gay couples to marry before
Proposition 8 slammed it shut, Minter is no stranger to the arguments that the
ballot measure’s defenders are using — ones that have ranged in this trial from
dubious to utterly baffling. Minter recently put his tweeting aside for a few
minutes to speak with Advocate.com about the landmark case as it heads into its
third week.
The Advocate
Interview touches on the matter of Paul Nathanson and Katherine
Young, handpicked and paid for by the defense, who then withdrew from the case.
Video depositions later revealed they made statements indicating the plaintiffs
were correct in this matter. Minter comments....
"I have never seen a
situation like that before in any case. Keep in mind that these were experts
handpicked and paid for by the defense. To have a party’s own experts make
admissions in depositions that the other side is completely correct about
issues that are central to their case is almost unheard of."
Minter has also been posting his updates of
the trial on Twitter. You can follow those postings here: http://twitter.com/nclrights
Mercury News provides a time breakdown of the 10th day of
the trial, including this entry...
4:52 p.m.: Plaintiffs' lawyer and
prof spar over whether Prop 8 is discriminatory
Another day is done in the
Proposition 8 trial. Kenneth Miller, a Claremont McKenna professor and the
Proposition 8 team's first witness, remains on the stand, under
cross-examination by plaintiffs attorney David Boies. As the afternoon
progressed, Boies moved on to sparring with Miller about the professor's view
of whether Proposition 8 and other same-sex marriage bans amount to
discrimination. The lawyer and witness went around and around on the topic,
with Miller only conceding that it just defines marriage as between a man and a
woman and "excludes other forms of marriage." He also at one point
said "it creates a distinction between the two groups."
It's frustrating for those
following the current Prop 8 trial in San Francisco to have to wade through the
blogs and tweets in order to piece the case together. The Supreme Court has
barred the use of live or delayed video of the trial, and understandably, much
of the information coming out via bloggers is incomplete, given the difficulty
of transferring an ongoing trial immediately into words. But an answer seems to
have arrived. It appears we'll now be able to watch daily re-enactments of the
trial, starting on Tuesday, January 19th, thanks to John Ireland.
John Ireland, (above) is afreelance
journalist and filmmaker, based in Los Angeles, who has "focused on the gay rights movement, the
electoral process and the effects of linguistics and semantics on everyday
exchanges that connect us to one another." You can check out Ireland's
previous works by clicking here.
Ireland made this statement over the
weekend... “People want to see this drama
unfold and there is a tremendous narrative that was propelled by that first day
of testimony…. I don’t think you need to be gay or lesbian to see there is a
tremendous human story being told but so few people are actually hearing it.”
Read the full interview here... On
Top Magazine Interview with John Ireland
The project's mission, according to their
website...
In its January 13, 2010 ruling, the U.S.
Supreme Court blocked the public broadcasting of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a
U.S. District Court case challenging the constitutional validity of California
Proposition 8. Working from partial transcripts and first-hand accounts from
bloggers who are present at the trial, we will re-create the trial proceedings
and post them here, for public viewing.
Ireland posted this Craigslist
Adto get the people he needed for the project. All work on the project
is volunteer only.
Apparently Day One of the trial
has been filmed over the weekend and is in the bag, to be released Tuesday,
January 19th. We'll post the ongoing video series here for you to see. For
updates on the project follow this link... Prop 8 Trial
Re-enactment
Pictured, left to right...VAUGHN WALKER (JUDGE)
- DAVID BOIES (PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY) - TED OLSON (PLAINTIFF ATTORNEY) - DAVID
KATAMI (PLAINTIFF) - JEFFREY ZARILLO (PLAINTIFF) - KRISTEN PERRY (PLAINTIFF) -
SANDY STIER (PLAINTIFF)
HONOLULU - When Hawaii
legislators reconvene on Wednesday, all eyes will be focused not on teacher
furloughs that resulted in the nation’s shortest school year or the state’s $1
billion budget deficit, but legislation that would allow same-sex couples to
form civil unions.
The measure would grant gay couples the rights and benefits
the state provides to married couples and is among a handful of similar
proposals that could pop up in several other states. At the same time, a
federal judge in San Francisco is considering the constitutionality of
California’s same-sex marriage ban.
"This bill has already been voted on, so there isn’t as
much convincing to do anymore," said Alan Spector of Equality Hawaii, a
leading supporter of the bill. "I think (legislators) get the substance of
the bill and the need for the bill."
Over 1,000,000 people voted during Round 1 to determine the top 100 charities. But that was just the beginning.
During Round 2, the top charity by votes will win $1 million, with $100,000 being awarded to the five runners-up. Votes can be cast Jan. 15 through Jan. 22 by visiting our charity page. On January 8, you can read about our BIG IDEA and how we would use this money within our organization.
There are two other organizations among the 100 finalists that work to improve the lives of LGBTQ youth: The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. In order to ensure that these organizations' life-saving work receives as much support as possible, we are pleased to announce that we will be pooling our resources to offer each other support in hopes of all reaching one of the top six places.
So what can you do to help? Besides casting your vote between Jan. 15 and Jan. 22, please spread word among your friends and contacts. Update your Facebook status, post a link on your profile/fan page wall, send private messages and tweet about the contest. Every person you reach out to is another vote and we can't win this without your help!
If you are willing to do any of these starting January 15, we will send you a follow-up email closer to the competition launch with specific language to use.
Thank you for your continued support.
About The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioningyouth. Every day, The Trevor Project saves young lives through its free and confidential helpline, in-school workshops, educational materials, online resources and public policy advocacy.
For the best
up to minute information on the Federal Prop 8 case, visit The
American Foundation for Equal Rightswhich is the group
bringing the case against Prop 8. This site is the best resource for
information about the trial, although we have provided various other links to
keep track of the proceedings.
From the American Foundation for Equal Rights... The federal trial over the unconstitutionality of
Proposition 8 began today with an opening statement by attorney Theodore Olson,
who with David Boies is leading the legal team assembled by the American
Foundation for Equal Rights to litigate the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger.
Opening statements will be followed by testimony from Kris Perry, Sandy Stier,
Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, who comprise two couples who wish to be married
but who were denied marriage licenses because of Proposition 8. After the
opening statement David Boies gave the direct examination of Jeff Zarrillo and
Paul Katami. Read
Olson's opening statement by clicking here
You can
follow live Twitter updates from the trial by clicking on the following link...Live Updates From
the Trial
Jennifer
Vanasco of 365Gay.com is also providing live Tweet updates from the Federal
Prop 8 Case. You can view her contributions HERE
Yet another source for keeping track of the
Federal Prop 8 case. This one is through the Courage Campaign with Rick Jacobs
writing from the courtroom. Many lengthy dialogues which are occurring in the
courtroom are written out here. Prop 8 Trial Tracker - Courage Campaign
Obama Administration Adds Gender Identity Protection For Federal Workers
Written by Chris Jarvis
Wednesday, 06 January 2010
WASHINGTON – Beginning in 2010, the
Obama administration, through the Office of Personnel Management, has started
to list gender identity among the classes protected by federal Equal Employment
Opportunity (EEO) policies. By including gender identity as a protected class,
the federal government is stating its commitment to protecting transgender
employees and has taken a significant step toward ending employment
discrimination of LGBT people in the federal workforce.
Although
a long-standing federal law prohibits any federal employment decisions that are
not based on merit and another law prohibits sex discrimination, the new EEO
policy marks the first time that gender identity discrimination has been
explicitly banned from the federal workplace. The policy is now on the federal
government’s jobs Web site as a link from more than 20,000 current federal job
listings. The American Civil Liberties Union praised the Obama administration
for initiating the change in EEO policy and urged Congress to continue to work
for further protections for LGBT Americans. Read
the rest of the story here.
Video Of Prop 8 Trial Will Be Available Online Only
Written by Chris Jarvis
Wednesday, 06 January 2010
From MercuryNews.com...A judge today approved a limited form of broadcasting the trial in the legal
challenge to California's ban on same-sex marriage, concluding it is the type
of case that warrants breaking with traditions that generally ban cameras in
federal courts.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker approved court-operated cameras in
his courtroom for delayed release on YouTube, but rejected a bid by media
organizations to televise the proceedings themselves for live broadcast.
Walker, by approving some broadcast of the Proposition 8 trial, became the
first federal judge in the West to make use of an experimental program put in
place recently by the 9th Circuit Judicial Council, which sets policy for
federal courts in nine states, including California.
Walker rejected the arguments of Proposition 8's defenders, who opposed any
broadcast of the proceedings outside the San Francisco federal building. It was
not clear from Walker's remarks how long the delay would be for the video to be
posted on the Internet.
The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in a challenge to Proposition 8,
approved by voters last year to restore California's ban on same-sex marriage.
Same-sex couples sued in May 2009 to overturn the law. The trial is expected
to last several weeks.
Gay Central Valley is
pleased to announce that we have joined as a sponsor for the Proyecto Poderoso’s “Orgullo
y Poder Latino” Leadership Conference, which will be held in Fresno on
Saturday, January 23rd. Below you can find all the details of the event,
courtesy their official website...http://www.crla.org/index.php?page=orgullo-y-poder-latino-conference
Proyecto
Poderoso’s “Orgullo y Poder Latino” Leadership Conference - Your
Voice is Your Power! A leadership conference for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people in rural California, and our allies.
Conference
Overview: Our goal is to empower
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and allies, in particular those
who speak Spanish, to build understanding and support for LGBT people and their
families in rural California. The central theme of the conference is “Your
voice is your power.” The conference will inspire and train leaders to share
their stories and build peer support networks in rural communities. The
conference dovetails with California Rural Legal Assistance’s new speakers
bureau — a bilingual (Spanish and English-speaking) pool of LGBT people and
allies, who will share their personal stories with community groups, agencies,
schools, churches, and media outlets in order to humanize LGBT people and their
families. Personal story-telling and social networks of LGBT people and
supportive friends and family members can dispel anti-LGBT myths and
stereotypes to promote greater inclusion in otherwise socially conservative
communities.
Our day-long conference
will train 75 leaders from the following California communities: Fresno, Salinas,
Watsonville, El Centro, Bakersfield, Coachella, Delano, Visalia, Madera,
Stockton and Modesto. You can learn more about
CRLA’s LGBT focused program, Proyecto Poderoso, by
visiting our website at http://www.crla.org/index.php?page=orgullo-y-poder-latino-conference. This
program is a joint project with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and has
received widespread recognition for its success in improving LGBT-related legal
services and advocacy in rural California.
Training
Tracks:
1. How to share your story
2. How to create a peer
support group
3. Developing positive
self-identities as LGBT Latinos
Conference
Date & Time: 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday, January 23th
Conference
Location: First Congregational Church of Fresno,
2131 N. Van Ness Blvd.
Fresno, CA 93704
Contact
Information: Angeles Jimenez,
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Lisa Cisneros,
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(831) 757-5221
Conferencia de lideazgo: “Orgullo y Poder Latino” de Proyecto
Poderoso
La Conferencia: Nuestra
meta es empoderar a lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgéneros (LGBT) y aliados,
en particular aquellos que hablan español, para crear entendimiento y apoyo por
las personas LGBT y sus familias en California rural. El tema central de la
conferencia es “Su voz es su poder”. La conferencia inspirará y entrenará
líderes para compartir sus historias, además de crear networks de apoyo en las comunidades
rurales. La conferencia se complementa con el nuevo foro de voceros LGBT de
CRLA - un
grupo bilingüe (español e ingles), de personas LBGT y aliados, que compartirán
sus historias personales con grupos comunitarios, agencias, escuelas, templos,
y medios de comunicación para así humanizar a las personas LGBT y sus
familiares. Las historias personales y networks sociales de personas LGBT
además de familiares y amigos que apoyen pueden disipar mitos anti-LGBT y estereotipos
para promover su inclusión en comunidades que de otra manera fueran
conservativas socialmente.
Nuestra
conferencia que durará un día, entrenará a 75 lideres de las siguientes
comunidades: Fresno, Salinas, Watsonville, El Centro, Bakersfield, Coachella,
Delano, Visalia, Madera, Stockton and Modesto. Puedes
enterarte más acerca de Proyecto Poderoso, el programa de CRLA enfocado en la comunidad LGBT, visitando
nuestra pagina de internet http://www.crla.org/index.php?page=conferencia-orgullo-y-poder-latino.
Este programa trabaja en colaboración con el Centro Nacional por Derechos
Lésbicos (NCLR) y ha recibido una
gran cantidad de reconocimiento por su éxito en mejorar los servicios legales
relacionados a la comunidad LGBT, además de su apoyo en las zonas rurales de
California.
Entrenamientos:
1.
Como compartir tu historia.
2.
Como crear un grupo de apoyo mutuo.
3.
Desarrollando identidades positivas como latinos LGBT.
Fecha de la Conferencia: 9am a
5pm, sábado, enero 23 de 2010
Lugar: First Congressional Church of Fresno,
2131
N. Van Ness Blvd.
Fresno,
Ca 93704
Contacto: Angeles Jimenez,
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Lisa
Cisneros,
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