Indiana's Woodlan Junior-Senior High School may believe in free speech, just not on its property. The Indiana-based school has agreed not to fire Amy Sorrell after the journalism teacher published a "pro-gay" essay in the school's paper, The Tomahawk.

The offending article, penned by a kick ass student named Megan Chase, read:

I can only imagine how hard it would be to come out as homosexual in today’s society. I think it is so wrong to look down on those people, or to make fun of them, just because they have a different sexuality than you. There is nothing wrong with them or their brain; they’re just different than you.

Following the piece's publication, Woodlan principal Edwin Yoder swore he'd set things straight and took control of the paper, suspending Sorrell until he could decide her fate. After being suspended with pay, Sorrell and the school district have come to a "mutual" agreement.

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Homo hoosiers have something to celebrate after the proposed ban on gay nups died in a House committee yesterday. Lawmakers voted 5-5 to either block or pass the discriminatory ban, thus sending it into legislative limbo for at least a year.

Of the decision, Indiana Equality leader Jon Keep said:

[We] want to thank the many businesses, organizations, and individuals who stood with us in opposing SJR-7. They were instrumental in making the case that an amendment defining marriage had no business jeopardizing economic development, threatening the security of domestic violence victims, and stripping our citizens of important rights.

Though democrats supported banning the ban, it's not necessarily because they believe in full equality. Indy Star reports that the seemingly pro-gay politicos had no problem defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, but objected to the second part of the bill, which prohibits gays from getting similar recognition, regardless of name. But, it seems they had bigger political agendas.

Democrat Dan Parker said:

House Democrats took a stand today against ill-crafted legislation that would have done more harm than good. This wasn’t a vote against traditional marriage; it was a vote for protecting vulnerable Hoosiers and promoting job growth.

Job growth? Hmm, we guess that's a good thing, but what about all the benefits that go with it? You know the ones...

Same-sex marriage ban defeated [Indy Star]

• British passport authorities refused four-month old Eden Lurie's picture because her hair was deemed "too spiky". To curb the problem, the gave her a digital trim. How thoughtful.

• Meanwhile, another set of British passport authorities have admitted to issuing nine passports to al Qaeda operative, Dhiren Barot. Not only did Barot want to set off a dirty bomb, he also had big dreams of blowing up parking garages with gasoline packed limos. What a chap.

• Another teacher falls prey to anti-gay assaults on free speech. Amy Sorrell of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been suspended with pay after she allowed students to print a controversial op-ed that included such horrid homo propaganda as: "I can only imagine how hard it would be to come out as homosexual in today’s society. I think it is so wrong to look down on those people, or to make fun of them, just because they have a different sexuality than you."

• Police have finally found the body of Dr Joaquin Leal Bermudez. The Spanish hematologist went missing in Norway back in January. Police soon arrested a suspect found driving Bermudez's blood stained car, but he ain't talking.

• The Russian Orthodox Church still isn't down with gays. The deputy Patriarchate of Moscow says, "The authorities should be acting depending on public opinion which I find quite clear - open propaganda of a gay way of life is rejected by our public, arousing protests and antagonism."

• If Andy Warhol were still alive, he'd be a rich motherfucker. One of the artist's famous Marilyn's (the "Lemon Marilyn", to be specific) may be auctioned for $15 million. It's current owner bought it for $250. Shit, we need to start buying more art...

• Current Swedish law requires all transsexuals be sterilized. Now lawmakers are debating whether to let them freeze their eggs and sperm. Hooray!

• From a reader: "[HX Media owned] In Newsweekly in Boston has informed all of their freelance writers that they will not be paying them for pieces that have already been written and published in the paper. At least one writer immediately removed their column from the paper. They also dumped Q Syndicate which is where they used to get a ton of their freelance material." Note to young homo-journos: look elsewhere for work.

There's a scourge plaguing our nation, readers. It's worse than homophobic attacks, it's more devastating than AIDS, it's far more frightening than Flotilla DeBarge waving a stilleto. It's free speech.

Yes, we know it's scary, but it's a reality and it won't go away. Luckily for American principles everywhere, Woodlan High School's Principal Edwin Yoder has made it his duty to curb free speech at his Fort Wayne, Indiana stomping ground, ensuring that students will never, ever have to read filth such as this:

I can only imagine how hard it would be to come out as homosexual in today’s society. I think it is so wrong to look down on those people, or to make fun of them, just because they have a different sexuality than you. There is nothing wrong with them or their brain; they’re just different than you.

Oh, it burns! It burns!

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Homophobia's a poppin' in Indiana. Earlier this week a senate sub-committee forwarded an anti-gay-nup amendment and yesterday came news that known homosexual Charles E. Dayton has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Taco Bell after being assaulted by two of the fine restaurant's employees.

It all started way back on December 15, 2005, when Dayton popped into his neighborhood Hobart, Indiana, Taco Bell for a bit of their oh-so-delicious and oh-so-economic meals. He got an earful of homo-haterade from not-so model employee, Amber Barnes. Apparently not one for the 'mos, Barnes refused him service, called him, as Glenn Beck would say, "naughty" names and then kicked his ride as he made his getaway.

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• Libya's come to its senses and has agreed to free the six health workers it sentenced to death for "infecting" children with HIV. Of the mix-up, Muammar al-Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam said: "The case went in the wrong direction from the very beginning. There were many manipulations in the original files, many errors ... This is why we should seek a compromise". That means, of course, that Bulgaria's prepared to cough up the ransom.

• An Indiana senate committee voted 7-4 to ban same-sex marriage today. Protesters singing "We Shall Overcome" were promptly ejected from the room. God bless America.

• Has Tennis great Bill Tilden been written out of sports history because he was gay? Pink New UK's Ben Leung seems to think so...

• Brandy already apologized for accidentally killing someone with her car. Now the family wants $50 million? What's this world coming to?

• The United Nations has finally released a report on the plight of Iraqi gays. Guess what? It's not good.

• Ralph Fiennes love AIDS! Patients, that is. He's in India spreading some good will.

There's a religious debate brewing in Indiana, and for once it has little to do with God. Well, okay, God is still part of the debate – When isn't she? – but this time around it's got more to do with illegal advertising than anything else. The Jesus Metropolitan Community Center, which is being lauded for its inclusion of the gay community, is also on the receiving end of criticism for the way it's going about promoting itself: by placing signs in public rights of way, including on people's yards, in violation of local law. Local publication The Word is mounting the offensive.

The "Would Jesus Discriminate?" campaign is part of the Jesus MCC's push to include all people in its faith, and not just those Pat Robertson would approve. But The Word is calling the church on its have-cake-eat-cake approach, as well as its attempt to speak for an entire community of people that never authorized it to do so:

So what gives with the MCC Church and their recent anti-homophobia campaign? Church volunteers posted signs in public rights of way and then screamed discrimination when towns and cities rightfully asked that they be removed as they would any other illegal postings. And, we’re told by at least one source, church leaders were reminded in advance that such postings were illegal and might result in a backlash, but they went forward anyway.

While this newspaper does not and never would support discrimination, we find the MCC’s double-standard difficult to deal with, but somewhat sadly, we feel, typical of a church which we feel in many ways is as intolerant of others’ points of view as many they criticise for being inflexible and unresponsive to gay and lesbian needs. [...]

... from witnessing and attempts at proslytizing by church members to those who are happily not religious or who have chosen (or been born) into a non-Christian religion, to suggesting that some of the MCC’s leadership speak for many in the general gay and lesbian community who might not agree with parts or all of their message, especially as it relates to their brand of Christianity.

It saddens us when anyone tries to speak for us gays as a group, because just as this newspaper does not have that right, nor do we expect it, neither do any of the often self-appointed "leaders" who step forward and throw themselves in front of TV cameras and call daily newspapers pretending to talk for you and me.

As far as the current hooha and the MCC Church—nothing against their beliefs, but we feel that any attempt to convince outsiders that they speak for you or me any more than local rights groups, rabbis, or mainline Christian leadership do is wrong —regardless of whether or not they feel they have a unique relationship with a higher power.

And we tend to agree. In the same manner we'd call out an anti-gay organization for illegal promotion of their agenda, a pro-gay group has no more right to post placards on property they don't have a right to.

The Word Not Happy With "Would Jesus Discriminate?" Campaign [Advance Indiana]
Would Jesus Discriminate? [Jesus MCC]