As part of his big Biblical push, Barack Obama announced that he plans on expanding President Bush’s faith-based programs, which Obama says can help alleviate woes for poor and struggling Americans. But there could be trouble: “…Obama’s support for letting religious charities that receive federal funding consider religion in employment decisions could invite a storm of protest from those who view such faith requirements as discrimination… [But] he also only supports letting religious institutions hire and fire based on faith in the non-taxypayer funded portions of their activities, said a senior adviser to the campaign…” [Yahoo!]

“More than 100 gay Australian couples have paid $80,000 to create a baby using rent-a-womb women in the United States, a fertility clinic says. The controversial scheme, branded as ‘one-stop baby shopping’, is becoming increasingly popular among professional gay men in Sydney and Melbourne, according to The Fertility Institutes based in Los Angeles.” [News Ltd]

There’s a holy war brewing here in the States.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain flew to Ohio last week to woo the traditionally right wing bloc, but rival Barack Obama’s intent on trumping McCain’s efforts: Between now and November, the Obama forces are planning as many as 1,000 house parties and dozens of Christian rock concerts, gatherings of religious leaders, campus visits and telephone conference calls to bring together voters of all ages motivated by their faith to engage in politics. It is the most intensive effort yet by a Democratic candidate to reach out to self-identified evangelical or born-again Christians and to try to pry them away from their historical attachment to the Republican Party. Obama, who will speak in Ohio today, hopes to use the power of Christ to compel voters to heal the rifts that have for so long divided the electorate.
Continued…

Iris Robinson needs to learn to shut her mouth. The N. Ireland politician raised eyebrows last month when she came out against the gays. Robinson has since become the butt of many-a-joke - as well as a campaign to unseat her - and, quite frankly, she’s pissed. No, not because people are mad at her, but because they’re twisting her words, she claims: Stormont Health committee chair Iris Robinson last night accused her political rivals of twisting her comments on homosexuality and denied she believed it was a mental disorder.
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Mrs Robinson said: “People have attempted to suggest that I indicated that homosexuality was a mental health issue. Nothing could be further from … Continued…

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, does not approve of anti-gay leaders’ plan to shift the church’s power to Africa. Said Williams: “A Primates Council which consists of only a self-selected group…will not pass the test of legitimacy for all in the Communion. Any claim to be free to operate across provincial boundaries is fraught with difficulties, both theological and practical.” [NY Blade]

Republicans Larry Craig and David Vitter made headlines last week after cosponsoring a Senatorial act “protecting” marriage from the vile homosexual beasts.

This is hilarious, of course, because the men both had extramarital excursions last year. Seizing the absurd moment, Patriot Boy mocked up these faux ads mocking the hypocritical politicians.

Brilliant!

A queer California copper will be sitting pretty pretty soon.

Twenty-nine year old Adam Bereki settled with Huntington Beach’s police department after agreeing to shelf a discrimination lawsuit. Bereki originally alleged that his peers often took the piss about his homosexuality. And he didn’t like it, obviously: Bereki joined the force in 2001 and alleged in the suit that his colleagues frequentlyharassedd him for five years over his sexuality. The suit contends the incidents included someone placing a gay escort ad in Bereki’s locker and peers making comments that he only handles gay sex crimes and suggesting that he was infected with HIV.

“It seems from this case that a gay in the cop … Continued…

“Which singing ex-husband of an A-list actress would rather have people think he’s gay than admit that he cheated on her with a groupie?” [NYDN]

It’s a sad day for New York’s lesbians. Rubyfruit owner Debra Fierro confirmed that her legendary West Village bar, which has been a mainstay for fifteen years, will close up shop later this year. Remarked Fierro, “It was the first of its kind as a meeting place for local lesbians and those visiting New York from all over the world. But there have been great strides, and I think lesbians are comfortable anywhere now.” [NY Post]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently sat down to gush about gay marriage, which, if her enthusiasm is any indication, she thinks is just the best thing ever.

While she’s proud of her home state of California’s decision to give same-sex love the green light, she’s very firm in her belief that nuptials should remain a state-based issues. She’s hopeful, however, that younger generations will stamp out institutional discrimination and squash down anti-gay marriage laws.

Gotta love that optimism!

Darren Manzella is one brave soldier!

The Iraqi veteran made waves when he came out on 60 Minutes last year, a big no no considering the military’s ban on openly gay soldiers. Despite the hubbub, Manzella returned to active duty and, at the time, it seemed that the government had no plans of ousting him. Unfortunately that was not the case and Manzella received his walking papers last week.

While the military brass didn’t approve of Manzella’s man-loving, he says his peers didn’t seem to mind. On the contrary - they were “proud!” After my appearance on 60 Minutes I received a lot of support from most of my colleagues. Some were … Continued…

Conservative Anglican leaders aren’t breaking away from the international communion, but they are hoping to change the balance of power. Anglican conservatives, frustrated by the continuing stalemate over homosexuality in the Anglican Communion, declared Sunday that they would defy historic lines of authority and create a new power bloc within the communion led by a council predominantly of African archbishops.
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They depicted their efforts as the culmination of an anti-colonial struggle against the communion’s seat of power in Britain, from which missionaries first carried Anglican Christianity to the developing world. The conservatives say many of the descendants of those Anglican missionaries in Britain and North America are following a “false gospel” that allows … Continued…

California governor and former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger reiterated his support of gay marriage on yesterday’s Meet The Press: “I personally believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. But at the same time I think that my, you know, belief, I don’t want to force on anyone else, so I think we should stay with the decision of the Supreme Court and move forward. There are so many other more important issues that we have to address in California. So I think to spend any time on this initiative I think is a waste of time.” [MSNBC via Joe.My.God]

“Backers of Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that would amend California’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage, had, as of last week, raised nearly $2.3 million while foes had raised about $1.3 million. Fund-raising for the campaigns is only now beginning in earnest, and consultants predict that by the time voters go to the polls, each side will have raised as much as $15 million.” [Boston Globe]

Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim does not appreciate being called gay. The opposition leader, who fled Malaysia this week over an alleged assassination attempt, filed a defamation lawsuit against a former assistant who accused him of sodomy. Ibrahim faced similar rumors in 1998, when the then-deputy PM was thrown in jail after being accused of sodomy. Those charges were later overturned. Ibrahim’s wife called the latest allegations a form of “political murder.” [Telegraph]