Essayiste d'avant-garde farouchement engagée, ouvertement en couple avec sa compagne, elle s'était notamment distinguée par un article retentissant qui avançait l'idée d'un «continuum lesbien». Âgée de 82 ans, elle vient de nous quitter.
L'immense poète et essayiste d'avant-garde Adrienne Rich s'est éteinte mercredi à Santa Cruz. Née en 1929 à Baltimore, la jeune femme s'enthousiasme vite pour James Baldwin et Simone de Beauvoir. Et la jeune étudiante, brillante et déjà féministe, engagée en faveur des réformes sociale et des droits civiques, publiera dès 1951Change of world (qui lui vaudra le prix des jeunes poètes de Yale, décerné par W.H. Auden). Près de vingt-ans plus tard, pour Diving into the Wreck, considéré comme son chef-d'oeuvre, elle recevra même les honneurs du National Book Award (en 1974).
Elle vivait ouvertement avec sa compagne
Depuis 1976 - elle fut auparavant mariée à l'économiste Alfred Conrad - elle vivait ouvertement avec sa compagne Michelle Cliff. Adrienne Rich n'était pas femme à se satisfaire des décorations et honneurs. Intellectuelle critique, farouchement engagée contre la guerre du Vietnam, elle ne cessera jamais, sans jamais céder à la facilité des «bons sentiments» (qu'elle avait en horreur), de s'en prendre au militarisme et au cynisme des gouvernements américains - refusant le confort des évidences académiques, elle écrira qu'il n'est «pas de poésie sans vision sociale et critique». En 1997, elle exclura ainsi de recevoir la Médaille Nationale des Arts (qu'aurait dû lui décerner Bill Clinton), puis critiquera violemment l'engagement américain en Irak et, bien sûr, la torture.
Adrienne Rich s'était aussi distinguée par un article retentissant, Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence, qui allait durablement marquer les études gays et lesbiennes. Avançant l'idée d'un «continuum lesbien» - allant de la simple amitié entre femmes jusqu'à la relation sexuelle - elle redonnait une existence à tout un monde d'affections, d'amitiés féminines passionnées, sur le fond duquel la sexualité entre femmes n'apparaissait plus comme une «déviance» ou une «abomination».
http://www.tetu.com/actualites/culture/la-poetesse-lesbienne-americaine-adrienne-rich-est-decedee-21313
samedi 31 mars 2012
mercredi 28 mars 2012
Paris veut séduire la communauté gay
L'espace gay et lesbien du SMT a été l'occasion de lancer l'association Paris Gay Métropole, destinée à assurer la promotion de la capitale comme destination internationale pour le tourisme dit LGBT (lesbiennes, gays, bi et trans).
Créée en février, cette association rassemble le Comité Régional du Tourisme et la Mairie de Paris ainsi que l'International gay & Travel Association (IGLTA), des hôteliers d'Ile-de-France, des bars, des organisateurs de soirées, l'agence Absoluliving.com et le site Mygaytrip.com, etc.
Les premières actions programmées sont le référencement de l'offre parisienne gay friendly et la mise en place d'une charte d'accueil de la clientèle gay et lesbienne. Cette dernière sera mise en avant sur les différents supports de communication de la destination. Paris Gay Métropole entend ensuite s'associer à des évènements culturels et festifs se déroulant dans la capitale.
"L'ambition des membres est de se mesurer face à des villes comme Berlin et Barcelone qui font d'importants efforts à l'international pour se promouvoir sur le marché gay", précise Benoit Breton, ambassadeur IGLTA en France et directeur de l'hôtel Le 20 Prieuré à Paris.
L'association entend par ailleurs mettre en place des actions de conseil et d'information mais aussi de formation des professionnels du tourisme à l'accueil des visiteurs LGBT. Marché de niche, celui-ci est loin d'être négligeable, l'UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) venant de réaliser une étude sur le sujet qui estime que ces voyageurs représentent un chiffre d'affaire annuel de 65 milliards de dollars rien que pour les Etats-Unis.
mardi 27 mars 2012
EXCLUSIVE: 'Bully' director, lesbian teen talk controversial documentary
Lee Hirsch will never forget the brutality of his middle-school years, when he was the victim of what, in recent years, has become a tragic epidemic - bullying. The punches, taunts and name-calling were all wielded his way. And the bullshit justification for all the above: that it's just part of being a kid.
But, as Hirsch's controversial documentary "Bully" argues, it shouldn't be.
"The driving force behind the film was to give a voice to that experience for myself and for others," says the Long Island-raised writer/director, who sensitively spotlights the national issue in the film, opening April 13 in metro Detroit. "I made it for all of us ex-bullied and once-bullied - the coalition."
And he did it by putting a face on the ever-growing problem. Five faces, in fact. Harrowing and heartbreaking, the docu follows the teens - one of which is then-16-year-old lesbian Kelby Johnson, living in Tuttle, Okla. - as they're victimized within their own schools, which often brush it off as just a part of growing up.
"I was looking for a way to change something," Kelby says, "and Lee gave me that opportunity, and I was excited to take that and run with it."
To many gay teens, Kelby's story of being ostracized is devastatingly familiar: She's the reject of her small-town community, which doesn't accept that she's a lesbian - or that she has a girlfriend. Tuttle turns against not only Kelby but also her family.
"Kelby and I didn't bond over a conversation about sexuality," says Hirsch, who didn't want to discuss his own orientation with us. "We bonded over the experience of being bullied, and that was really the same as it was with all the kids. I feel like our relationship began with a real conversation about what I experienced, what I wanted to set out to achieve with this film, why her story mattered and why what was happening wasn't OK."
They met via "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," after Kelby's mom, desperate to help her daughter, reached out to the outspoken talk-show host through a message board because she was afraid her daughter would succumb to the same fate of the many gay teens who've killed themselves in the last few years. Kelby not only didn't, but she's now helping others get through those hard years.
"I know that being gay, you can feel very alone," she says, "and I hope that when they watch the movie, that goes away and they realize there is someone standing with them who has gone through that. The world is going to change and people are going to get more accustomed to (LGBT people), and they should be here to see it."
Hirsch began filming in 2009, before the rush of LGBT-related suicides was met with national attention: Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge; 13-year-old Seth Walsh, who hanged himself; and Asher Brown, who shot himself after being taunted for coming out.
"They didn't inspire the film, but it informed the early stages," Hirsch says of the suicides. "You're just overwhelmed by how much tragedy there is. The suicides were deeply moving, and people were writing in response to them - and it seemed that people everywhere were really struggling with this issue."
Youth selected for the film were all, coincidentally, from rural communities and not vast urban cities. "It wasn't intentional. It was the way it fell together, and the stories we found were most compelling there. A lot of it had to do with getting that access in Sioux City (the home of 12-year-old lead, Alex Libby) which kind of landed us in the Midwest to begin with."
Some footage was filmed in New York and Minneapolis, but none as powerful as what made the final cut, Hirsch says. "There was something about the landscape of small-town America, the quiet and incredible heroism of the families, that I was really drawn to. There are so few outlets there; in big cities, there's more for kids who don't fit in or are different, so I think bullying in a small town can be more acute. It can be a harder world."
Once he had his subjects, shooting was another challenge. Kelby's school, unlike that of Alex, denied them access to film inside the premises. And the scenes involving bird's-eye-views of bus rides and principal office sit-downs were "incredibly difficult" to capture.
One scene, on the bus, involves coarse language that the MPAA deemed too obscene for anything less than a hard R rating. Disappointed that the film's message wouldn't reach those it intended to, the studio fought the decision - with Michigan teen Katy Butler leading a movement that rallied nearly a half-million supporters, including - no kidding - Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. Just days before its N.Y. release date, Weinstein Co. decided to go the unrated route, leaving the decision to screen the film up to individual theaters.
"We were just shocked," Hirsch says of the MPAA's decision. "I guess I wasn't as shocked at the initial R, because technically we knew that that might happen, but the appeal was really devastating because we had such a strong, compelling argument and other films had been overturned and had much worse profanity. We really thought they'd understand and recognize the value and the merit and the hope that this film offers to so many."
One of them being Kelby, who's now 19, just got her GED and is living in Oklahoma City - much less close-minded, she mentions - with her girlfriend. Her plan now involves becoming a gay activist and working with LGBT groups, like Do Something, to continue blasting the bullying issue.
"There's always going to be something, but (the bullying) has calmed down a little bit for me after the film," she says, "and there are a lot of things I can brush off now. The film has helped me grow stronger and be more aware of others around me. It's definitely been a positive experience, and I will carry it with me for the rest of my life."
dimanche 25 mars 2012
"Smash" producers get top award by gay media group
(Reuters) - The producers of the new TV musical drama series "Smash" were honored by gay and lesbian watchdog group GLAAD at a gala on Saturday that highlighted gay marriage and bullying.
Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, film and television producers known for such movies as the Oscar-winning "Chicago," and "Hairspray" were honored at New York's Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, Media Awards.
The awards, hosted by Cory Montieth and Naya Rivera from the hit TV musical show "Glee," recognize the best portrayals of gay community members in film, television, radio, music, newspapers and blogs.
GLAAD honored the efforts of Meron and Zadan on "Smash," the program about a Broadway show that features a healthy gay relationship, as well as several of the pair's previous efforts, including the television movie "Serving in Silence."
In accepting the top award named after gay activist Vito Russo, the producers noted they had received death threats for their controversial 2003 miniseries, "The Reagans," which argued that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan failed to recognize the AIDS crisis.
Zadan said being gay was "part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we do," while Meron said the pair had spent years trying to "fight, persuade and manipulate" the entertainment industry to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and stories.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein presented openly gay high school student Katy Butler a special award in recognition of her anti-bullying efforts, while outstanding TV segment was awarded to "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" for "Battle Against Bullying."
The 2011 indie film, "Pariah," about a black teenager living in Brooklyn, New York, who embraces her identity as a lesbian, won outstanding film in limited release, and HBO's "Cinema Verite" took home the best TV movie or miniseries award.
TV's "Dancing With The Stars" won outstanding reality TV program for featuring contestant Chaz Bono, the transgender child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono, who completed a female-to-male sex change in 2010.
Pop Star Lady Gaga, who did not attend the awards, won outstanding music artist for her album "Born This Way." Best talk-show episode went to Oprah Winfrey's program for the episode "Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests."
Playwright Tony Kushner won the theater award for his play "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures."
Among other media winners were CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360", Metro Weekly, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Advocate.
GLAAD, which promotes positive images of LGBT people in the media, will present additional media awards in Los Angeles on April 21 and San Francisco on June 2.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/25/entertainment-us-usa-glaad-idUSBRE82O03R20120325
Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, film and television producers known for such movies as the Oscar-winning "Chicago," and "Hairspray" were honored at New York's Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, Media Awards.
The awards, hosted by Cory Montieth and Naya Rivera from the hit TV musical show "Glee," recognize the best portrayals of gay community members in film, television, radio, music, newspapers and blogs.
GLAAD honored the efforts of Meron and Zadan on "Smash," the program about a Broadway show that features a healthy gay relationship, as well as several of the pair's previous efforts, including the television movie "Serving in Silence."
In accepting the top award named after gay activist Vito Russo, the producers noted they had received death threats for their controversial 2003 miniseries, "The Reagans," which argued that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan failed to recognize the AIDS crisis.
Zadan said being gay was "part of who I am, so it impacts the work that we do," while Meron said the pair had spent years trying to "fight, persuade and manipulate" the entertainment industry to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters and stories.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein presented openly gay high school student Katy Butler a special award in recognition of her anti-bullying efforts, while outstanding TV segment was awarded to "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer" for "Battle Against Bullying."
The 2011 indie film, "Pariah," about a black teenager living in Brooklyn, New York, who embraces her identity as a lesbian, won outstanding film in limited release, and HBO's "Cinema Verite" took home the best TV movie or miniseries award.
TV's "Dancing With The Stars" won outstanding reality TV program for featuring contestant Chaz Bono, the transgender child of singers Cher and Sonny Bono, who completed a female-to-male sex change in 2010.
Pop Star Lady Gaga, who did not attend the awards, won outstanding music artist for her album "Born This Way." Best talk-show episode went to Oprah Winfrey's program for the episode "Coming Out on the Oprah Show: 25 Years of Unforgettable Guests."
Playwright Tony Kushner won the theater award for his play "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures."
Among other media winners were CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360", Metro Weekly, The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The Advocate.
GLAAD, which promotes positive images of LGBT people in the media, will present additional media awards in Los Angeles on April 21 and San Francisco on June 2.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/25/entertainment-us-usa-glaad-idUSBRE82O03R20120325
jeudi 22 mars 2012
"Bye Bye Blondie", comédie sentimentale et optimiste
En adaptant l’un de ses textes, l’écrivaine surprend avec une belle comédie romantique lesbienne, sentimentale et optimiste
Il y a deux ou trois idées reçues sur le cas Virginie Despentes que Bye Bye Blondie contredit d’emblée, et avec fougue. Cette vieille rumeur médiatique, par exemple, qui en a fait l’écrivaine imprécatrice trash qui n’aime rien tant que gueuler contre le monde, les bourgeois, les hommes, les mauvais coucheurs – ce qui est sûrement un peu vrai, mais insuffisant. Ou cette autre idée, largement répandue depuis le scandale provoqué par son premier film-manifeste Baise-moi (réalisé avec l’ancienne porn-star Coralie Trinh Thi), selon laquelle le féminisme ne se formulerait chez elle qu’un flingue à la main, la censure en embuscade.
Bye Bye Blondie est certes encore le récit d’une guerre menée par un couple de femmes jouisseuses contre un ordre moral et sexuel oppresseur ; les hommes y sont encore figurés comme de beaux salauds parfaitement lâches ; le tableau de la société est toujours aussi binaire. Mais toutes ces données de base n’empêchent en rien le film d’être une vraie surprise venant de son auteur (du moins selon l’idée que l’on pouvait s’en faire) : une pure comédie romantique, drôle, hypersentimentale, parfois même un peu fleur bleue.
Librement adapté de son sixième roman (la liaison hétéro est devenue lesbienne), Bye Bye Blondie chronique les retrouvailles tardives de deux femmes, Gloria (Béatrice Dalle) et Frances (Emmanuelle Béart), deux anciennes punkettes qui se sont follement aimées adolescentes dans les années 80, avant que le destin ne se charge de les séparer. L’une est devenue riche, parisienne, enfermée dans un mariage prétexte avec un écrivain frustré (Pascal Greggory, assez irrésistible), l’autre zone toujours dans les squats de province, mais c’est une même douleur qui les réunit la quarantaine finissante : le sentiment d’une passion gâchée, le retour obsédant des souvenirs de jeunesse (ici synonymes de sexe, drogue et Bérurier Noir), qui creusent encore un peu plus l’abîme du présent.
C’est ce manque que le film va se charger de combler, en recomposant l’histoire du couple dans une série de flash-backs fantasmatiques (les excellentes Soko et Clara Ponsot interprètent Gloria et Frances période 80’s) dont la finalité n’est pas de pleurer un âge teen mais d’en retrouver quelques signes ici et là, de renouer avec une énergie, un désir, que les conventions sociales n’auraient pas encore réussi à éteindre.
La grande réussite de Bye Bye Blondie tient précisément dans ce refus de la nostalgie (qui est le nihilisme des vieux), dans sa façon frondeuse de prolonger les amours et les rébellions adolescentes, qu’importe si ces personnages de quadras néopunks sont ridicules (et le couple Béart-Dalle l’est forcément un peu). Avec une candeur réjouissante, dans un style économe débarrassé des excès de Baise-moi, Virginie Despentes filme les retrouvailles électriques et pulsionnelles de ces femmes résistantes, pour qui le (no) futur s’envisage désormais à deux.
http://www.lesinrocks.com/cine/cinema-article/t/80170/date/2012-03-20/article/bye-bye-blondie/
Il y a deux ou trois idées reçues sur le cas Virginie Despentes que Bye Bye Blondie contredit d’emblée, et avec fougue. Cette vieille rumeur médiatique, par exemple, qui en a fait l’écrivaine imprécatrice trash qui n’aime rien tant que gueuler contre le monde, les bourgeois, les hommes, les mauvais coucheurs – ce qui est sûrement un peu vrai, mais insuffisant. Ou cette autre idée, largement répandue depuis le scandale provoqué par son premier film-manifeste Baise-moi (réalisé avec l’ancienne porn-star Coralie Trinh Thi), selon laquelle le féminisme ne se formulerait chez elle qu’un flingue à la main, la censure en embuscade.
Bye Bye Blondie est certes encore le récit d’une guerre menée par un couple de femmes jouisseuses contre un ordre moral et sexuel oppresseur ; les hommes y sont encore figurés comme de beaux salauds parfaitement lâches ; le tableau de la société est toujours aussi binaire. Mais toutes ces données de base n’empêchent en rien le film d’être une vraie surprise venant de son auteur (du moins selon l’idée que l’on pouvait s’en faire) : une pure comédie romantique, drôle, hypersentimentale, parfois même un peu fleur bleue.
Librement adapté de son sixième roman (la liaison hétéro est devenue lesbienne), Bye Bye Blondie chronique les retrouvailles tardives de deux femmes, Gloria (Béatrice Dalle) et Frances (Emmanuelle Béart), deux anciennes punkettes qui se sont follement aimées adolescentes dans les années 80, avant que le destin ne se charge de les séparer. L’une est devenue riche, parisienne, enfermée dans un mariage prétexte avec un écrivain frustré (Pascal Greggory, assez irrésistible), l’autre zone toujours dans les squats de province, mais c’est une même douleur qui les réunit la quarantaine finissante : le sentiment d’une passion gâchée, le retour obsédant des souvenirs de jeunesse (ici synonymes de sexe, drogue et Bérurier Noir), qui creusent encore un peu plus l’abîme du présent.
C’est ce manque que le film va se charger de combler, en recomposant l’histoire du couple dans une série de flash-backs fantasmatiques (les excellentes Soko et Clara Ponsot interprètent Gloria et Frances période 80’s) dont la finalité n’est pas de pleurer un âge teen mais d’en retrouver quelques signes ici et là, de renouer avec une énergie, un désir, que les conventions sociales n’auraient pas encore réussi à éteindre.
La grande réussite de Bye Bye Blondie tient précisément dans ce refus de la nostalgie (qui est le nihilisme des vieux), dans sa façon frondeuse de prolonger les amours et les rébellions adolescentes, qu’importe si ces personnages de quadras néopunks sont ridicules (et le couple Béart-Dalle l’est forcément un peu). Avec une candeur réjouissante, dans un style économe débarrassé des excès de Baise-moi, Virginie Despentes filme les retrouvailles électriques et pulsionnelles de ces femmes résistantes, pour qui le (no) futur s’envisage désormais à deux.
http://www.lesinrocks.com/cine/cinema-article/t/80170/date/2012-03-20/article/bye-bye-blondie/
Chely Wright Talks Being A Lesbian In Country Music, LikeMe Lighthouse And Celebrity Support
Almost two years after going public about being a lesbian, breaking a barrier as the first commercial country music star to come out, Chely Wright says the experience has been "everything one might imagine" and "by and large it's been really positive." But she's also received death threats and hate mail, some from fans who just couldn't accept it. And Wright has witnessed the stone cold silence of so many other country music stars, many of whom she considers her friends but realizes don’t have the courage to speak out.
"Many of them I know have a personal feeling about gays and lesbians because I’ve received support from them privately," she said on my radio program on SiriusXM OutQ, a week after she cut the ribbon at the LikeMe Lighthouse, an LGBT Center she founded in her hometown, Kansas City. "The minute I came out I received several beautiful emails of support from my friends. Now, most of them did not say any word publicly in support of me."
Wright could only name three who in fact spoke out in support.
"The only ones who supported me publicly are Mary Chapin Carpenter, Leann Rimes and SHeDAISY," she said.
Some of her friends among country stars -- though "not all of them" -- did reach out to her privately, but they were apparently fearful of coming out publicly in support.
"Privately -- Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood and Naomi Judd. Now, there are a lot of people who make country records, and I know all of them," she explained, emphasizing that no one else supported her, publicly or privately, obviously including male country stars.
"I think some of the artists really have a fundamental belief that there's something wrong with me," Wright opined. "But I think most of the artists don't want their fans to know that they're supportive of me because they don't want to lose a record sale. Because, look, there's a reason I'm the first artist to come out in commercial country music. I don’t want to be a hypocrite here, but I am a bit of a hypocrite. I hid for 17 years. I'm a hider just as well as anyone else is, whether they’re a straight person who’s hidden their support of the LGBT community or a gay person who’s hiding in country music. There's a reason we hide in country music. Because we know who buys our records by and large. It’s a christian conservative fan base who doesn’t approve or thinks we’re going to hell. You know, I receive a lot of letters from people who say, 'I won't support that sick behavior.' it’s not pretty."
"It's amazing and everything I prayed and hoped it would be,” Wright, who also got married last year, said. “It's not lost on me that it's a blessing. I had a gal hand-write a letter to me that was ten pages long, and the ink was smeared and I wondered if maybe she cried when she wrote the letter. And I said, 'Do you not have a computer? Why did you hand-write this?' And she said, 'I was afraid my mom would search my computer.' And she said, 'I was thinking of taking my life the night I wrote this letter and I think you saved my life.' That’s pretty powerful stuff. It’s just a blessing."
Wright is also excited about the LikeMe Lighthouse, where Alan Cumming, MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts, “Queer as Folk’s” Hal Sparks and other celebrities were on hand for last week’s opening.
"What it means for Kansas City and the heartland is that it can really create a sense of connectivity," she said. "Kansas City has a really robust LGBT community. It deserves a place like the Lighthouse. It's right there on Main Street, where people can go. It's bright and open and beautiful. This is not a back door dark place, back alley place with no windows. It's not a bar. It's not a seedy place. It’s a beautiful lighthouse. It's gorgeous. It means everything."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/chely-wright-lesbian-country-music-likeme-lighthouse-celebrity_n_1369531.html
"Many of them I know have a personal feeling about gays and lesbians because I’ve received support from them privately," she said on my radio program on SiriusXM OutQ, a week after she cut the ribbon at the LikeMe Lighthouse, an LGBT Center she founded in her hometown, Kansas City. "The minute I came out I received several beautiful emails of support from my friends. Now, most of them did not say any word publicly in support of me."
Wright could only name three who in fact spoke out in support.
"The only ones who supported me publicly are Mary Chapin Carpenter, Leann Rimes and SHeDAISY," she said.
Some of her friends among country stars -- though "not all of them" -- did reach out to her privately, but they were apparently fearful of coming out publicly in support.
"Privately -- Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood and Naomi Judd. Now, there are a lot of people who make country records, and I know all of them," she explained, emphasizing that no one else supported her, publicly or privately, obviously including male country stars.
"I think some of the artists really have a fundamental belief that there's something wrong with me," Wright opined. "But I think most of the artists don't want their fans to know that they're supportive of me because they don't want to lose a record sale. Because, look, there's a reason I'm the first artist to come out in commercial country music. I don’t want to be a hypocrite here, but I am a bit of a hypocrite. I hid for 17 years. I'm a hider just as well as anyone else is, whether they’re a straight person who’s hidden their support of the LGBT community or a gay person who’s hiding in country music. There's a reason we hide in country music. Because we know who buys our records by and large. It’s a christian conservative fan base who doesn’t approve or thinks we’re going to hell. You know, I receive a lot of letters from people who say, 'I won't support that sick behavior.' it’s not pretty."
Wright is also excited about the LikeMe Lighthouse, where Alan Cumming, MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts, “Queer as Folk’s” Hal Sparks and other celebrities were on hand for last week’s opening.
"What it means for Kansas City and the heartland is that it can really create a sense of connectivity," she said. "Kansas City has a really robust LGBT community. It deserves a place like the Lighthouse. It's right there on Main Street, where people can go. It's bright and open and beautiful. This is not a back door dark place, back alley place with no windows. It's not a bar. It's not a seedy place. It’s a beautiful lighthouse. It's gorgeous. It means everything."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/chely-wright-lesbian-country-music-likeme-lighthouse-celebrity_n_1369531.html
mercredi 21 mars 2012
Justice Department committed to protecting gays and lesbians
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department is “committed to using every tool in its arsenal” to combat bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and has already made strides in bringing more prosecutions in that area, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.
“I’m proud to say this Department of Justice has never been more committed to this (issue),” Holder said, touting the department’s efforts during a speech at a conference at the University of Texas at Arlington aimed at promoting safe schools and communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
About 400 law enforcement officials, educators, students and community leaders registered for the one-day conference sponsored by the White House and the U.S. departments of justice and education. It was the third in a series of events the White House is sponsoring to raise awareness of LGBT issues.
Holder recounted several successful criminal prosecutions under federal and state statutes in saying the Obama administration is stepping up efforts to make sure no one is harassed because of “who they love.”
In particular, Holder cited the effect of the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2009. The government has secured eight convictions under the law, which expands the definition of hate crimes to include those related to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, he said.
The law was named for Matthew Shepard, the Wyoming college student who was tortured and murdered in 1998 because he was perceived as gay, and James Byrd Jr., the black man who was dragged and killed by white supremests in Jasper that year.
Holder also pointed to the government’s case against the school district in Tehachapi, Calif., which it says failed to stop the harassment that led to the 2010 suicide of a 13-year-old gay student, Seth Walsh. In that case, a settlement requires the school district to take steps to prevent sexual and gender-based harassment.
“We have an obligation to protect young people who are targeted just because they are perceived as different,” Holder said.
Another speaker, senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, told the story of an Oklahoma high school student who stood up to harassment after she told people she was gay.
“Every day, bit by bit, she changes the world around her,” Jarrett said of the young woman, who was in the crowd.
Holder and Jarrett’s remarks followed panel discussions on making both schools and communities safer for LGBT individuals. The panelists included federal prosecutors who have dealt directly with those issues as well as Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead, whose department came under fire in 2009 after a raid at a gay bar, the Rainbow Lounge, left a patron with a severe head injury.
Halstead drew applause when he said that 90 percent of the officers under his command now have advanced training in how to deal with hate crimes, which he said should be standard for all in law enforcement.
“June 28, 2009 is going to come your way at some point,” he said, referring to the date of the Fort Worth incident, which prompted widespread changes in his department as well as the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
http://www.lsureveille.com/news/justice-department-committed-to-protecting-gays-and-lesbians-1.2717967
“I’m proud to say this Department of Justice has never been more committed to this (issue),” Holder said, touting the department’s efforts during a speech at a conference at the University of Texas at Arlington aimed at promoting safe schools and communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
About 400 law enforcement officials, educators, students and community leaders registered for the one-day conference sponsored by the White House and the U.S. departments of justice and education. It was the third in a series of events the White House is sponsoring to raise awareness of LGBT issues.
Holder recounted several successful criminal prosecutions under federal and state statutes in saying the Obama administration is stepping up efforts to make sure no one is harassed because of “who they love.”
In particular, Holder cited the effect of the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2009. The government has secured eight convictions under the law, which expands the definition of hate crimes to include those related to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, he said.
The law was named for Matthew Shepard, the Wyoming college student who was tortured and murdered in 1998 because he was perceived as gay, and James Byrd Jr., the black man who was dragged and killed by white supremests in Jasper that year.
Holder also pointed to the government’s case against the school district in Tehachapi, Calif., which it says failed to stop the harassment that led to the 2010 suicide of a 13-year-old gay student, Seth Walsh. In that case, a settlement requires the school district to take steps to prevent sexual and gender-based harassment.
“We have an obligation to protect young people who are targeted just because they are perceived as different,” Holder said.
Another speaker, senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, told the story of an Oklahoma high school student who stood up to harassment after she told people she was gay.
“Every day, bit by bit, she changes the world around her,” Jarrett said of the young woman, who was in the crowd.
Holder and Jarrett’s remarks followed panel discussions on making both schools and communities safer for LGBT individuals. The panelists included federal prosecutors who have dealt directly with those issues as well as Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead, whose department came under fire in 2009 after a raid at a gay bar, the Rainbow Lounge, left a patron with a severe head injury.
Halstead drew applause when he said that 90 percent of the officers under his command now have advanced training in how to deal with hate crimes, which he said should be standard for all in law enforcement.
“June 28, 2009 is going to come your way at some point,” he said, referring to the date of the Fort Worth incident, which prompted widespread changes in his department as well as the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
http://www.lsureveille.com/news/justice-department-committed-to-protecting-gays-and-lesbians-1.2717967
lundi 19 mars 2012
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to honor Facebook
Summary: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has announced it will be honoring Facebook during its 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Marriott Marquis Times Square later this week.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has announced the people and groups it plans to honor during its 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on March 24, 2012. Among the honorees are film and television producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, financial services company Wells Fargo, and Facebook.
You might be wondering what Facebook has done to get a nod from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization. Facebook will receive a Special Recognition Award at the ceremony for its company’s strong stand and leadership around bullying prevention as well as its inclusive options for LGBT users. The video embedded above is just one example.
Another is what happened following anti-gay comments on a memorial page for LGBT youth. Facebook worked with GLAAD to monitor the highly visible page and launched, in conjunction with several LGBT organizations, and its Network of Support, which serves in a consultative capacity on issues of importance to the LGBT community like bullying prevention.
In February 2011, Facebook added two new relationship status options: “in a civil union” and “in a domestic partnership.” The following month, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama used Facebook to promote their anti-bullying message in a video and Facebook announced two new safety improvements in conjunction with the White House summit for preventing bullying.
Last but not least, Facebook was among corporate leaders that participated in Spirit Day with GLAAD. The day’s goal is to encourage employees to turn Facebook photos purple and wear the color on October 20 as a sign of support for LGBT youth.
Muslim lesbian couple fight deportation
TORONTO - A Muslim lesbian couple who claim they will be killed if deported to their native Israel due to their sexuality is being given a second chance to remain in Canada.
Iman Musa and Majida Mugrabi, of Toronto, arrived in Canada from Tel Aviv in 2007 and filed unsuccessful refugee claims that were appealed to the Federal Court of Canada.
Judge Roger Hughes on March 8 granted the couple another hearing by an Immigration and Refugee Board based on new information that shows one of Mugrabi’s cousin confessed to the “honour killing” of his sister 12-years ago.
The couple in an emotional letter that was presented to court claimed they would be killed if turfed to Israel for being a same-sex Muslim couple.
“We have a same sex relationship, which is forbidden back home,” the couple wrote. “We have dishonoured our families by running away to try and start a life with each other.”
The couple, through their lawyer, Daniel Kingwell, said they were pleased by the court’s decision but still fear for their lives.
“As Muslim women, we don’t have any rights in our families,” the couple wrote. “The fact that we are lesbians does not help.”
The letter claimed Mugrabi’s grandfather is a Muslim sheikh, who “repeatedly threatened to kill her.”
“Same sex relationships are not permitted or accepted in all Arabic countries,” they said. “There are many stories about honor killing and we are victims of this.”
They said same-sex relationships is banned by most Muslims worldwide.
“Musa’s brother has threatened to kill her if she does not leave her lesbian relationship and marry a male,” the women alleged. “There are several police complaints regarding the threats of her brother.”
Kingwell said the women will be killed if deported to Israel.
“The situation is not the greatest for gays or lesbians in some Arab countries,” Kingwell said on Saturday, adding many “honour killings” occur from family members who slay their same-sex or gay relatives.
“This couple face a real threat from Muslims in a Conservative country,”
Kingwell said. “It is not often the court will overturn a decision as this.”
No date has been set for a new hearing.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/canada/2012/03/17/19516446.html
Iman Musa and Majida Mugrabi, of Toronto, arrived in Canada from Tel Aviv in 2007 and filed unsuccessful refugee claims that were appealed to the Federal Court of Canada.
Judge Roger Hughes on March 8 granted the couple another hearing by an Immigration and Refugee Board based on new information that shows one of Mugrabi’s cousin confessed to the “honour killing” of his sister 12-years ago.
The couple in an emotional letter that was presented to court claimed they would be killed if turfed to Israel for being a same-sex Muslim couple.
“We have a same sex relationship, which is forbidden back home,” the couple wrote. “We have dishonoured our families by running away to try and start a life with each other.”
The couple, through their lawyer, Daniel Kingwell, said they were pleased by the court’s decision but still fear for their lives.
“As Muslim women, we don’t have any rights in our families,” the couple wrote. “The fact that we are lesbians does not help.”
The letter claimed Mugrabi’s grandfather is a Muslim sheikh, who “repeatedly threatened to kill her.”
“Same sex relationships are not permitted or accepted in all Arabic countries,” they said. “There are many stories about honor killing and we are victims of this.”
They said same-sex relationships is banned by most Muslims worldwide.
“Musa’s brother has threatened to kill her if she does not leave her lesbian relationship and marry a male,” the women alleged. “There are several police complaints regarding the threats of her brother.”
Kingwell said the women will be killed if deported to Israel.
“The situation is not the greatest for gays or lesbians in some Arab countries,” Kingwell said on Saturday, adding many “honour killings” occur from family members who slay their same-sex or gay relatives.
“This couple face a real threat from Muslims in a Conservative country,”
Kingwell said. “It is not often the court will overturn a decision as this.”
No date has been set for a new hearing.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/canada/2012/03/17/19516446.html
dimanche 18 mars 2012
Les Marocaines dans la rue contre le viol
Une semaine après le suicide d'une adolescente contrainte d'épouser son violeur, un sit-in s'est tenu ce samedi à Rabat pour réclamer la réforme d'une loi discriminatoire envers les femmes.
Une semaine jour pour jour après le suicide d'une adolescente contrainte d'épouser son violeur, plusieurs associations féminines marocaines ont organisé samedi un sit-in devant le parlement pour réclamer la réforme d'une loi discriminatoire envers les femmes.
"Nous sommes des Amina", "Halte aux violences contre les femmes", "Abrogez la loi" scandaient les militantes et sympathisantes de ces associations des droits de la femme, rassemblées à l'appel de Woman-Shoufouch, un groupe et réseau social anti-harcèlement.
Les femmes, au nombre de deux cents au début du rassemblement, brandissaient des banderoles réclamant l'abrogation ou la refonte d'un article du code pénal qui punit le violeur d'emprisonnement si la victime est mineure, sauf en cas de mariage. En cas de mariage, consenti par les parents de la fille violée, l'agresseur n'est plus poursuivi par la justice.
Electrochoc
"Amina martyre", "La loi m'a tuer", "Mettons fin au mariage des mineures", pouvait-on lire sur les pancartes tenues par des militantes de plusieurs associations féminines, rassemblées sous la houlette de la Fédération de la ligue démocratique des droits des femmes.
"Amina et les autres, victimes de l'article 475 du code pénal", lisait-on sur une banderole d'Anaruz, mot berbère qui signifie espoir. Anaruz est un mouvement d'écoute des victimes d'agressions sexuelles qui travaille en coordination avec l'Association démocratique des femmes du Maroc (ADFM).
"En 2008, le gouvernement avait déposé un projet, qui est resté lettre morte, pour réclamer la refonte du code pénal en vue de mettre fin à la discrimination et à la violence", a indiqué à l'AFP Houda Bouzil, présidente du bureau de Rabat de l'ADFM.
Le suicide le 10 mars d'Amina Al Filali, 16 ans, contrainte d'épouser l'homme qui l'avait violée, a fait l'effet d'un électrochoc au Maroc où se sont multipliés les appels à la réforme d'une loi qui bénéficie le plus souvent davantage au violeur qu'à sa victime.
"Je ne voulais pas aller avec eux chez le juge pour les marier. Mais ma femme m'y a obligé. Elle m'a dit qu'il fallait le faire pour que les gens arrêtent de se moquer de nous, pour faire taire la honte", a déclaré il y a quelques jours à l'AFP le père de la victime, Lahcen Al Filali, présent à un premier sit-in dans la localité de Larach, près de Tanger (nord) d'où la famille est originaire.
Nouvelle Constitution
"Est-ce qu'on peut imaginer qu'un homme qui force une fille à le suivre avec un couteau et qui la viole peut ensuite vouloir l'épouser?", a-t-il demandé.
Cette affaire est révélatrice des contradictions d'une société à la fois traditionnaliste et aspirant à la modernité, comme en atteste la nouvelle Constitution adoptée en juillet, qui prévoit l'égalité des sexes et bannit "toute discrimination".
Ce drame continue de susciter diverses réactions dans le pays, y compris au sein du gouvernement qui a promis un réexamen de la loi.
"C'est la loi, une règle sociale absurde, grotesque, que celle qui veut remédier à un mal, le viol, par un autre encore plus répugnant, les épousailles avec le violeur (...) Qui punissons-nous au final, la victime ou son bourreau?", écrit le journal Al Sabah (Le matin, indépendant) dans un long éditorial.
Un article du code de la famille prévoit que la décision du juge autorisant le mariage d'un mineur – comme cela a été le cas dans cette affaire – n'est susceptible d'aucun recours.
L'époux de l'adolescente a été entendu par la police, après le suicide de sa femme qui a absorbé de la mort aux rats, et laissé en liberté.
L’homoparentalité dans les mains de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme
C’est une histoire qui part de Clamart et pourrait connaître, après près de dix années, une forme de happy end à Strasbourg. Demain, la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme dira si Anaïs (le prénom a été modifié), 12 ans, peut espérer être adoptée par la compagne de sa mère. Et donc avoir deux parents, comme n’importe quel enfant. Même s’il s’agit de deux femmes.
Nathalie D., 50 ans, sa mère biologique, l’a mise au monde après une insémination avec donneur anonyme en Belgique ; Valérie G., 45 ans, est sa compagne. C’est ensemble qu’elles ont voulu cette enfant. Et c’est ensemble qu’elles l’élèvent. Ensemble encore qu’elles ont écumé en vain les tribunaux avec un seul objectif : permettre à Valérie d’adopter Anaïs. Sa demande, une adoption simple (1) qui lui permettrait de transmettre à Anaïs son nom de famille, son patrimoine et autoriserait un vrai partage de l’autorité parentale. Afin d’être, à égalité avec Nathalie, l’interlocutrice du collège, du médecin, etc.
Faute d’assurer cette égalité, la France risque d’être condamnée, demain, par la Cour européenne, pour «discrimination». Au nom de l’article 8 de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme qui veille au respect de la vie privée et familiale, et de l’article 14 interdisant toute forme de discrimination (sexe, race, religion, etc.).
Blackbouler. Pour l’instant, la France n’autorise l’adoption qu’aux couples mariés (art. 365 du code civil). Et comme le mariage gay n’existe pas, les couples homos sont d’office mis hors jeu. C’est peu dire que Nathalie, mère au foyer, et Valérie, psychologue, croisent les doigts. Comme les 175 000 couples homosexuels français (et au moins autant d’enfants) qui, depuis des années, se font systématiquement blackbouler par tous les tribunaux de l’Hexagone.
Mais si la Cour européenne jette l’éponge ? «Si je ne gagne pas, souligne Caroline Mécary, l’avocate de ce couple de femmes, seul un changement législatif en France pourra résoudre la situation. Et ce ne sera possible qu’avec la victoire d’un candidat de gauche, Sarkozy s’étant prononcé contre l’évolution des droits des homos.Or, l’enjeu est de taille : il s’agit de la protection des enfants. On est forcément beaucoup mieux protégés quand on a légalement deux parents plutôt qu’un seul.»
C’est au nom de cette protection que l’avocate a décidé de guerroyer jusqu’à Strasbourg. Une première pour ce genre de dossier. Le combat avait pourtant commencé classiquement. 2005 : première demande d’adoption simple devant le tribunal de grande instance de Nanterre. Retoquée. Nouvelle tentative devant la cour d’appel de Versailles. Encore ratée. Reste, logiquement, à se pourvoir en cassation. Mais, en juin 2007, l’avocate bifurque et décide de s’en remettre directement à l’instance européenne. Car entre-temps, la plus haute instance française a rendu deux arrêts de principe (cinq à ce jour) rendant impossible tout espoir d’adoption simple par des couples homos. «C’est pour cela, explique Caroline Mécary, que j’ai préféré m’en remettre à Strasbourg, l’organe judiciaire suprême qui veille à la bonne application de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme par les Etats membres.»
Août 2010 : Strasbourg juge la requête recevable. Et fixe une audience publique (fait rare) au 12 avril 2011. L’affaire est de taille : le gouvernement français missionne dix-huit fonctionnaires à Strasbourg. Anne-Françoise Tissier, sous-directrice des droits de l’homme (au ministère des Affaires étrangères), plaide. Elle enfonce le clou sur le mariage, et rappelle que dans l’esprit du législateur, l’union conjugale reste «le cadre le plus protecteur de l’enfant», avant d’invoquer une question sociétale dépassant la cour : «La possibilité pour un enfant d’avoir une filiation établie uniquement à l’égard de deux femmes ou de deux hommes est un bouleversement sociétal de la conception séculaire de la famille fondée sur une appréciation de l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant[…]. De tels changements ne peuvent être avalisés que par le Parlement.»
Espoir. En face, des ONG ont demandé à être tiers intervenant. Dont la Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’homme (FIDH), l’European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (Ilga-Europe)… Le dossier mobilise. Avec l’espoir que l’heure est venue : «Désormais, onze pays européens permettent l’adoption simple au parent social d’un couple homo (Allemagne, Belgique, Espagne…), explique Me Mécary.Et la Suisse et le Luxembourg sont en train de modifier leur législation pour permettre cette forme d’adoption. Cela veut dire qu’aujourd’hui en Europe, il existe un consensus sur le fait que l’intérêt de l’enfant doit prévaloir sur des considérations morales concernant la sexualité de ses parents.»
samedi 17 mars 2012
Baird warns of Russian 'homosexual propaganda' law
OTTAWA — Canada is warning gay and lesbian travellers bound for Russia's historic St. Petersburg to be wary after the city enacted a new law banning what it calls homosexual propaganda.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has told the House of Commons he is deeply concerned by the legislation, which he says runs counter to core Canadian values of freedom of speech, human rights and the rule of law.
The warning comes after the governor of St. Petersburg signed a law that makes it a criminal offence to publicize acts of sodomy, bisexualism or lesbianism.
The city says the law, which comes into effect Saturday, is designed to protect children.
But gay rights groups see it as part of a backlash led by some politicians and the Russian Orthodox Church.
St. Petersburg is the fourth Russian city to be enact such a law.
Baird said Canada has lodged an official protest, as well as warning travellers.
"Canada's ambassador has written to the Russian government to express our deep concern and, yes, we have at his request, put a travel advisory on our website," Baird said.
Scenic, historic and cosmopolitan, St. Petersburg is one of Russia's -- if not one of the world's -- top travel destinations.
Canada's new travel advisory has been amended to read: "Homosexuality is legal, though some still strongly disapprove of it. Canadians are advised to avoid displaying affection in public, as homosexuals can be targets of violence."
The advisory states that the new law prohibits "propagandizing homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and transsexuality among minors, and prohibiting public actions propagandizing pedophilia."
Among other things, the advisory warns travellers against "displays or conspicuous behaviour," which could lead to arrest or a fine.
Baird said he will consider amending travel advisories to other destinations to deal with specific threats to gay and lesbian travellers.
"We'll certainly look at that," said Baird. "Obviously one of the core responsibilities I have as Canada's foreign minister is to promote Canadian values around the world, and I will continue to do this."
jeudi 15 mars 2012
Lesbian teenager campaigning for movie Bully to be honored
Katy Butler says she found out what it's like to be bullied after she came out as a lesbian while she was in middle school.
That knowledge is what has driven this 17-year-old from Michigan to take a stand against the Motion Picture Association of America when it slapped an R rating on the documentary Bully.
She launched an online petition on Change.org demanding that the rating be changed to PG-13 which would make it easier for the film's intended audience - middle and high school students - to get into the movie. An R rating means they must be accompanied by an adult if they are age 17 and under.
'I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change -- and, in some cases, save -- their lives,' Butler states on the petition. 'According to the film’s website, over 13 million kids will be bullied this year alone. Think of how many of these kids could benefit from seeing this film, especially if it is shown in schools?'
The petition, personally delivered by Butler to the MPAA offices in Los Angeles, has been signed by more than 300,000 people. Included among them are Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep and several members of the US Congress.
So far, the MPAA has not budged on the rating for the documentary which will hit theaters on March 30.
But Butler's campaign has brought much attention to the situation and for her efforts, she is being honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation at the GLAAD Media Awards in New York City on March 24.
The award will be presented to Butler by Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein whose company has been unsuccessful in its appeals to get the MPAA to change the rating.
'I am proud and honored to present this Award to Katy,' Weinstein said. 'Her commitment to this campaign and passion for taking action against bullying is incredibly impressive.'
Colorado High School Yearbook Censored Lesbian Photo
Members of a Colorado high school yearbook staff are protesting after a faculty adviser allegedly forced them to remove a photo of a lesbian couple from the yearbook.
Rudolpho Tribulio and Anna Carmicheal, students at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., told local station KRDO-TV that their adviser took issue with a photo of a same-sex couple holding hands that was slated to appear as part of a collage on a page in the yearbook devoted to relationships.
“She told me to in these exact words, you either cut the gay couple or I cut the page,” Tribulio told KRDO-TV. The two students were reportedly kicked off the staff after the incident and two others quit in protest.
District 11 public information officer Devra Ashby said that the photo was one of at least three, including another of a heterosexual couple kissing, in a collage that was pulled from the yearbook because they violated the school’s policy on excessive physical displays of affection — not because of the sexual orientation of the students pictured.
“A photo of two women holding hands could be allowed in the yearbook. That doesn’t go against the policy,” Ashby said. “The photo was part of a collage that included multiple pictures with multiple public displays of affection. When the photos came back from that page, there was too much PDA and that is against Palmer policy.”
This is not the first yearbook photo flap to make headlines this year. AColorado high school senior was thrust into the spotlight when a racy photo she submitted of herself posing in a short yellow skirt midriff and shoulder-exposing black shawl was rejected from her school yearbook because it violated the dress code. Teen Sydney Spies fought back and her family told local media that she would file a complaint with the Durango, Colo., school board.
The school district is reportedly conducting an investigation into the incident at Palmer High School.
Instead of the relationships page, Ashby said that the yearbook will now have a diversity page to highlight the student body’s varied backgrounds.
mercredi 14 mars 2012
ACLU: Student has right to wear ‘all the cool girls are lesbians’ t-shirt
An ACLU lawyer is sticking up for a Boston-area high school student who was told by her vice principal to cover up her “All The Cool Girls Are Lesbians” t-shirt.
Sarah Wunsch, a staff attorney for ACLU Massachusetts told the Daily News she sent the school a letter on Monday, "to just give them some additional information about the law."
"The only disruption," she said of the t-shirt, "was the administrator telling her not to wear it."
The law in Massachussets, she said is among the most stringent in the U.S. in allowing free speech in school.
The brouhaha over the shirt occurred in January when an unnamed high school sophomore at Lynn English High School was sent to the office after a teacher spotted her wearing the shirt in school, The Lynn Daily Item reported.
The vice principal, Joseph O'Hanagan, told the student to cover up the shirt, decribing it it as "political" and "offensive" to some people, the student claimed in a letter to the town's Mayor and School Committee Chairman.
"Well, frankly I'm the one who feels offended," she wrote in the letter, adding: "The word lesbian is not inappropriate. Saying it is, is calling homosexuality inappropriate."
Wunsch told the Daily News she was relieved to see that most school officials agreed with the teen.
The student did not contact the ACLU personally, Wunsch said, but the organization wanted to weigh in on the issue after reading about it in the news.
In an interview with the Daily Item, the school's principal, Thomas Strangie, said there hadn't been a problem since the January incident — but added he stood by his vice principal's decision.
"The [school\] policy says anything that is deemed disruptive," he told the newspaper. "This could have been disruptive."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aclu-student-wear-cool-girls-lesbians-t-shirt-article-1.1038088#ixzz1p5LRkhdk
Sarah Wunsch, a staff attorney for ACLU Massachusetts told the Daily News she sent the school a letter on Monday, "to just give them some additional information about the law."
"The only disruption," she said of the t-shirt, "was the administrator telling her not to wear it."
The law in Massachussets, she said is among the most stringent in the U.S. in allowing free speech in school.
The brouhaha over the shirt occurred in January when an unnamed high school sophomore at Lynn English High School was sent to the office after a teacher spotted her wearing the shirt in school, The Lynn Daily Item reported.
The vice principal, Joseph O'Hanagan, told the student to cover up the shirt, decribing it it as "political" and "offensive" to some people, the student claimed in a letter to the town's Mayor and School Committee Chairman.
"Well, frankly I'm the one who feels offended," she wrote in the letter, adding: "The word lesbian is not inappropriate. Saying it is, is calling homosexuality inappropriate."
Wunsch told the Daily News she was relieved to see that most school officials agreed with the teen.
The student did not contact the ACLU personally, Wunsch said, but the organization wanted to weigh in on the issue after reading about it in the news.
In an interview with the Daily Item, the school's principal, Thomas Strangie, said there hadn't been a problem since the January incident — but added he stood by his vice principal's decision.
"The [school\] policy says anything that is deemed disruptive," he told the newspaper. "This could have been disruptive."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aclu-student-wear-cool-girls-lesbians-t-shirt-article-1.1038088#ixzz1p5LRkhdk
lundi 12 mars 2012
Priest who refused communion to lesbian removed from church
A priest who refused to serve communion to a lesbian at her mother’s funeral service last month at a Catholic church in Gaithersburg, Md., has been removed from the church and placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, according to a letter from the Archdiocese of Washington to all of its priests.
The March 9 letter, written by Bishop Barry C. Knestout, chief of staff to Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who heads the Archdiocese, said the action taken against Father Marcel Guarnizo was based on allegations that he engaged in “intimidating behavior” against members of the staff and “others” at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, where he served as a parish priest.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Blade, makes no mention of the allegation by D.C. resident Barbara Johnson that Guarnizo “humiliated” her at her mother’s funeral Mass at the church on March 25 when he reportedly refused to allow her to receive communion as she and others approached the church altar, saying she was living in sin.
“I write to inform you that effective today, Father Marcel Guarnizo’s assignment at St. John Neumann Parish is withdrawn and he has been placed on administrative leave with his priestly faculties removed until such time as an inquiry into his actions at the parish is completed,” Bishop Knestout said in his March 9 letter.
“This action was taken after I received credible allegations that Father Guarnizo has engaged in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others that is incompatible with proper priestly ministry,” he said in the letter. “Given the grave nature of these allegations, and in light of the confusion in the parish and the concerns expressed by parishioners, Father Guarnizo is prohibited from exercising any priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington until all matters can be appropriately resolved, with the hope that he might return to priestly ministry.”
Last month, Johnson told the Washington Post that Guarnizo “put his hand over the body of Christ and looked at me and said, ‘I can’t give you communion because you live with a woman and in the eyes of the church that is a sin.’”
According to the Post’s account, Johnson’s partner of 20 years had been helping Johnson’s family at the church prior to the service when Guarnizo asked Johnson who she was. “I’m her partner,” the Post quoted Johnson as saying she told Guarnizo.
Bishop Knestout said in his letter that Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow, Russia, and has been serving since March 2011 as “parochial vicar” at the St. John Neumann Church parish.
Reports of Guarnizo’s refusal to serve communion to Johnson triggered an uproar among LGBT activists, including LGBT Catholic activists in the D.C. area.
Shortly after the reports surfaced, the Archdiocese of Washington issued a statement saying Guarnizo’s action violated church policy and Archdiocesan officials would look into the matter.
“When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person,” the statement said. “Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting.”
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/11/priest-who-refused-communion-to-lesbian-removed-from-church/
The March 9 letter, written by Bishop Barry C. Knestout, chief of staff to Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who heads the Archdiocese, said the action taken against Father Marcel Guarnizo was based on allegations that he engaged in “intimidating behavior” against members of the staff and “others” at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, where he served as a parish priest.
The letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Blade, makes no mention of the allegation by D.C. resident Barbara Johnson that Guarnizo “humiliated” her at her mother’s funeral Mass at the church on March 25 when he reportedly refused to allow her to receive communion as she and others approached the church altar, saying she was living in sin.
“I write to inform you that effective today, Father Marcel Guarnizo’s assignment at St. John Neumann Parish is withdrawn and he has been placed on administrative leave with his priestly faculties removed until such time as an inquiry into his actions at the parish is completed,” Bishop Knestout said in his March 9 letter.
“This action was taken after I received credible allegations that Father Guarnizo has engaged in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others that is incompatible with proper priestly ministry,” he said in the letter. “Given the grave nature of these allegations, and in light of the confusion in the parish and the concerns expressed by parishioners, Father Guarnizo is prohibited from exercising any priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Washington until all matters can be appropriately resolved, with the hope that he might return to priestly ministry.”
Last month, Johnson told the Washington Post that Guarnizo “put his hand over the body of Christ and looked at me and said, ‘I can’t give you communion because you live with a woman and in the eyes of the church that is a sin.’”
According to the Post’s account, Johnson’s partner of 20 years had been helping Johnson’s family at the church prior to the service when Guarnizo asked Johnson who she was. “I’m her partner,” the Post quoted Johnson as saying she told Guarnizo.
Bishop Knestout said in his letter that Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow, Russia, and has been serving since March 2011 as “parochial vicar” at the St. John Neumann Church parish.
Chieko Noguchi, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Washington, said the Archdiocese issued a statement on the same day Bishop Knestout issued his letter that repeats, nearly word for word, the contents of the letter. The letter, Noguchi said, was read during Mass at area churches this weekend.
Nogurchi said the Archdiocese would have no further comment, including a clarification of whether the action taken against Guarnizo is linked to his alleged behavior toward Barbara Johnson, because the action is a “personnel” matter that must remain confidential.
Guarnizo has told news media outlets that he would have no comment on the matter involving Barbara Johnson.Reports of Guarnizo’s refusal to serve communion to Johnson triggered an uproar among LGBT activists, including LGBT Catholic activists in the D.C. area.
Shortly after the reports surfaced, the Archdiocese of Washington issued a statement saying Guarnizo’s action violated church policy and Archdiocesan officials would look into the matter.
“When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person,” the statement said. “Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting.”
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/03/11/priest-who-refused-communion-to-lesbian-removed-from-church/
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