• The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network hopes to combat homophobia and other forms of schoolyard bullying with January's "No Name-Calling Week". All those who utter a nasty name will have their tongues cut out and hung from the flag pole.

• In other education-related news, ACLU Florida has filed for a preliminary injunction on behalf of Okeechobee High School's Gay-Straight Alliance. Apparently the school tried to block their meetings. When will they learn: fuck with GSA and you fuck with the ACLU.

• New Jersey Attorney General Stuart Rabner issued a statement saying that religious organizations opposed to same-sex unions have the right to refuse. That's good - we wouldn't want them blurring that whole church/state line. Even in the name of faggotry.

• Robert Klein Engler's constructed an essay deconstructing constructionist queer theory. Careful it doesn't fall apart...

• New York Governor Elliot Spitzer asked homo-politico Sean Patrick Maloney to join his staff as first deputy secretary. A political match made in heaven.

• Via our favorite bear, Andrew Sullivan, here's a fun (and hairy) song-and-dance site.

• Butt is it art? Virginia teacher Stephen Murmer just got canned for his side-job: making paintings with his posterior.

• This is getting ridiculous: another pastor from Ted Haggard's church has stepped down. Eric Gorski writes, "Christopher Beard, who headed a ministry that trained young adults in leadership skills, stepped down Friday after admitting to "a series of decisions displaying poor judgment, including one incident of sexual misconduct several years ago..." [Denver Post]

• If there's one thing GMHC's new leader Marjorie Hill knows, it's that fighting stigmas half the battle. [The New York Blade]

• Speaking of battles: everyone's favorite civil rights warriors, the ACLU, is taking on a Rhode Island abstinence program. Their preferred weapon: herpes. [365 Gay]

• Best Week Ever's got some behind-the-scenes footage of Clay Aiken on Days of Our Lives. Seriously, the fact that this kid's "not gay" defies reality.

• $35 billion. That's how much money America's pot industry brings in every year. That's right, billion. [LA Times]

• Homo-journo Brian Juergens thinks this year's movies may be the gayest yet. Gayer than last year, even. Astounding. [AfterElton]

Wow! The ACLU's all over the show today!

We've just received a news release concerning a group of young journos in California. It seems that administrators at East High School tried to stop students from running a series on sexual orientation in the school newspaper, The Kernal.

Representing six students and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (again), the ACLU fought for a court order to prevent further censorshop. Former EIC of The Kernal says:

Even though I'm in college now, I really wanted to make sure that future newspaper staffs could write about serious topics like sexual orientation in a meaningful way without worrying that they would be censored. Now I know that's the case.

Go team.

Also, a note: it's great hearing about the ACLU. Seriously. We mean that. We think it's absolutely fabulous that we live in a country where such organizations exist. You know, where people are free to fight for a freedom of speech we should technically already have. It's almost a nice as receiving crazy emails from crazy people.

CONTINUED »

Ah, what would a morning be without the ACLU? Well, probably less liberated, but let's think about the smaller picture for a second...

The Florida branch of everyone's favorite defenders of American civil liberties have filed a lawsuit against the School Board of Okeechobee County. It seems that school officials in good ol' Okeechobee County barred a Gay-Straight Alliance from meeting on school grounds. Pretty mean, right?

Well, not only would they not let the group gather on their property, they wouldn't even recognize their legitimacy. Because, you know, that would just be wrong. According to a press release we received yesterday:

According to students, anti-gay harassment and discrimination are serious problems at Okeechobee High School (OHS). Unfortunately, school officials have made the problem worse by discriminating against LGBT students. Students Yasmin Gonzalez, Amber Sewell and Erica Rodriguez, among others, decided to form the GSA to discuss problems caused by anti-gay bias at OHS after school officials refused to allow Gonzalez and her girlfriend to attend the prom as a couple. They hope the GSA will promote equality and open-mindedness among students, administrators and staff of the high school.

Apparently they were wrong, beccause administrators simply weren't having it and the 50-strong group has been meeting at a local restaurant.

So, you may be thinking: what's the problem? It's school property, the school can do whatever they please. Well, we hate to break it to you, but that's not true. In fact, the federal Equal Access act insists that if a school's going to have one extracurricular group, they must accept all groups. Considering that educators at Okeechobee currently sanction the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Key Club, and the Rodeo team, they're legally required to permit the GSA. (BTW: What the fuck is the Key Club?)

Given the GSA's, you know, gay focus, however, the school board's resisting and the conflicting sides will have to duke it out in court.

We think that rather than taking the school board to court, they should hold a drag competition. Sure, it's not so legal, but it's a whole lot more fun.

We've gone ahead and pasted the complete press release, after the jump...

CONTINUED »

You may recall a post from yesterday in which we brought up a debate raging at Swarthmore college over the appopriateness of so-called lewd, yet empowering queer coming-out chalkings. We asked you, our brilliant and opinionated readers, whether or not people should censor themselves. Well, today we want to take a look at the other side of the spectrum.

The American Civil Liberties Union has successfully petitioned for a man named Edwin Crayton to protest that bellwether of international fashions, Wal-Mart. As you may recall, conservative organizations have been making a stink over the super-store's so-called positive stance on the homos (for example, they recently included same-sex couples in their benefit packages). Last month, the American Family Association sent out a letter urging its members to boycott the store over products of products "relating to homosexuality [and promotion of] the agenda of the homosexual community."

In response, Mr. Crayton took it upon himself to start a one man protest outside a Lousiana branch of the famed retailer. Brandishing a sign reading "Christians: Wal-Mart Supports Gay Lifestyles And Marriage. Don't Shop There", Crayton marched in the parking lot, spreading his message to anyone who would listen.

Local coppers threatened Crayton with arrest, insisting he didn't have the necessary permits. Always ones to defend free speech, the ACLU insisted that Crayton's constitutional rights had been violated and asked that the city lift its permit requirement. ACLU lawyer Katie Schwartzmann said, "The right to speak one's conscience on matters of religious and political import is integral to a free and democratic society." Bending under the weight of American freedom, the court agreed and has granted Crayton permission to go about his expressive way.

As you may know a number of courts have recently passed legislation barring protesters from coming with certain distance of military funerals, most notably Fred Phelps and his homo-hating brethren. As we're sure you're aware, many of these protests involve virulently anti-gay messages, including the delectable, "God Hates Fags".

We ask you readers, if Phelps and his homies can't raise their voices, should Crayton be able to publicly oppose Wal-Mart? Sure, the messages may not be of the same caliber but the message remains the same: homos are bad news.

At what point, then, do hateful messages become too distasteful for public exposure? What makes military funerals worthy of special protection? Should any and all hateful messages be banned? Do court's have the right to censor people's voices?

You know, just a few things we've had on our mind...

Speaking of discrimination: it seems that the License & Permits Unit of Atlanta's Police Department is none-too-fond of masseurs with HIV.

That's what James Dustin (pictured) found out the hard way. It seem that they consider the risk of blood-to-blood contact between masseur and client to be so high, that Dustin has qualified as a "direct threat" to HIV transmission. As such, he can't get official permission to practice his sensual craft.

The Southern Voice reports:

Individuals seeking a massage permit in Atlanta must complete a series of applications, pay $250 in fees and consent to a criminal background check. They must also submit proof of certification, reference letters, two photographs and a health certificate to the License & Permits Unit.

The health certificate requires a doctor’s signature indicating the applicant is “in sound mental and physical health, and free of all contagious or communicable diseases.” HIV/AIDS is considered a communicable disease, although it can only be transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids such as blood and semen.

Obviously this is direct discrimination and, as they're wont to do, the ACLU has joined the fight in over-turning the HIV qualification. ACLU Legal Director Beth Littrell says, "Any administrative action that categorically denies people to practice their trade, that has no foundation in public safety and public health, is blatantly prejudicial."

We have to ask: is the License and Permits Unit really concerned about blood-to-blood contact? We're more inclined to think they're worried about the semen. No one asks for a bloody ending, now do they?