Friday Whitey

Vintage Thursday

The English word "homosexual" did not enter the English language until the end of the nineteenth century. This word did not appear in any English translation of the Bible until the Revised Standard Version was published in 1952. Therefore, when reading a Bible which has this word appearing in it, the reader should be aware that the word has been put in it by the translators who have assumed or presumed that this is what the original writer intended.

- excerpt from Homosexuality and Christian Faith by Frederick L. Pattison



Cary Grant, born Archibald Leach, was one of the most popular movie stars of his era and remains an icon still today. Born in England,he ran away from home as a teen to join a traveling performance group. Once arriving in America, Grant worked his was to the top by beginning with small roles on Broadway. He would go on to star in numerous movie shorts and over 70 feature films, yet he never won an Oscar. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock in North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief, Grant also starred in Operation Petticoat, Monkey Business, and An Affair to Remember, to list only a few.
Although Grant married five times, he was regarded as a gay man by many in Hollywood. Grant had an enduring relationship with fellow actor Randolph Scott, lasting longer than many of their relations with women. Grant has also been linked to actor Francis Renault, costume designer George Orry-Kelly, and Howard Hughes.



History of gays on TV

These are some of the defining moments for gay characters on television:

1972: ``That Certain Summer,'' with Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen as lovers, becomes the first made-for-television movie with a gay theme.

1973 Teenager Lance Loud comes out on ``An American Family,'' PBS's controversial (at the time) cinema verite. For a lot of viewers, it was a shocker.

1977 Billy Crystal makes his TV debut as the openly gay Jodie Dallas on ``Soap,'' an ABC sitcom that was boycotted and picketed for its sexual content. Jodie eventually would go straight -- or at least bisexual -- in the show's third season.

1979 Many in a new generation of gay writers and producers in Hollywood, asked about what influenced them, mention ``Family,'' a domestic drama that aired on ABC from 1976 to '80. The last two years of the show included episodes featuring the gay friend of lead character Willie Lawrence (Gary Frank) and his struggle to come out of the closet.

1985 NBC's ``An Early Frost'' becomes the first network film to deal with the gay community and the AIDS crisis. Critically praised, it won a number of Emmys.

1988 ``Roseanne'' makes its debut on ABC. Over the next seven seasons, the series would add a number of strong recurring gay characters, including Leon Carp (Martin Mull), Nancy Bartlett (Sandra Bernhard) and Roseanne's mother, Bev (Estelle Parsons).

1990 ABC loses more than $1 million when advertisers flee from an episode of ``thirtysomething'' that showed a recurring gay character in bed with another man.

1991 A number of advertisers ask that their commercials be removed from the highly rated ``L.A. Law'' when lawyers Abby Perkins (Michele Greene) and C.J. Lamb (Amanda Donohoe) share a kiss.

1994 PBS airs Armistead Maupin's ``Tales of the City,'' with a cast of gay and straight characters living in mid-1970s San Francisco. The miniseries is rejected by some PBS affiliates, and the network is censured by several state legislatures.

1997 Nothing on TV involving a gay story line created more of a stir than Ellen DeGeneres' decision to come out of the closet and to bring her ``Ellen'' character, Ellen Morgan, along with her. Barely a year later, the series was off the air.

2000 On ``Dawson's Creek,'' Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith) shares a kiss with his boyfriend; it's the first romantic gay male smooch in network series history. ``Queer as Folk,'' the first drama set in the gay community to show relatively explicit lovemaking, makes its debut on Showtime.

2004 Showtime adds ``The L Word,'' set in Hollywood's lesbian community.

2006 ``The Sopranos'' reveals that one of its mafiosi is gay.



In 1914, "In Portland, Oregon, a dictionary of criminal slang is published, in which the first printed use of the word `faggot' to refer to male homosexuals appears."



1950s, "The New York Times routinely uses the word `perverts' to describe homosexuals."



1964, "Life magazine publishes an unprecedented look at gay life, entitle `Homosexuality in America'."



1978, "Time magazine publishes a homophobic caricature of `Gay Bob' the world's first gay doll, showing him with false eyelashes, lipstick, rouge and a lim wrist. They later apologized for reinforcing stereotypes."

Wednesday Woody

"The good thing about masturbation is that you don't have to dress up for it." — Truman Capote.



"For some reason I always confuse the words 'marinate' and 'masturbate'. Maybe that's why nobody likes my cooking." — Scott E. Frank.



I used to consider myself a member of the Mile High Club until I learned that masturbating in Denver doesn't count." — Tom Sullivan.



It is called in our schools 'beastliness', and this is about the best name for it... should it become a habit it quickly destroys both health and spirits; he becomes feeble in body and mind, and often ends in a lunatic asylum." — Buy at Amazon.comRobert Baden-Powell, British soldier and founder of the Boy Scouts. Referring to masturbation.



"Compulsive masturbator on board... check your windshield wipers." — Bumper sticker.



I don't know why I did it, I don't know why I enjoyed it, and I don't know why I'll do it again." — Bart Simpson.



"We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation." — Lilly Tomlin.

Tasty Tuesday

Womb environment 'makes men gay'



A man's sexual orientation may be determined by conditions in the womb, according to a study.

Previous research had revealed the more older brothers a boy has, the more likely he is to be gay, but the reason for this phenomenon was unknown.

But a Canadian study has shown that the effect is most likely down to biological rather than social factors.

The research is published in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Anthony Bogaert from Brock University in Ontario, Canada, studied 944 heterosexual and homosexual men with either "biological" brothers, in this case those who share the same mother, or "non-biological" brothers, that is, adopted, step or half siblings.


These results support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men
Professor Anthony Bogaert

He found the link between the number of older brothers and homosexuality only existed when the siblings shared the same mother.

The amount of time the individual spent being raised with older brothers did not affect their sexual orientation.

'Maternal memory'

Writing in the journal, Professor Bogaert said: "If rearing or social factors associated with older male siblings underlies the fraternal birth-order effect [the link between the number of older brothers and male homosexuality], then the number of non-biological older brothers should predict men's sexual orientation, but they do not.

"These results support a prenatal origin to sexual orientation development in men."

He suggests the effect is probably the result of a "maternal memory" in the womb for male births.

A woman's body may see a male foetus as "foreign", he says, prompting an immune reaction which may grow progressively stronger with each male child.

The antibodies created may affect the developing male brain.

In an accompanying article, scientists from Michigan State University said: "These data strengthen the notion that the common denominator between biological brothers, the mother, provides a prenatal environment that fosters homosexuality in her younger sons."

"But the question of mechanism remains."

Andy Forrest, a spokesman for gay rights group Stonewall, said: "Increasingly, credible evidence appears to indicate that being gay is genetically determined rather than being a so-called lifestyle choice.

"It adds further weight to the argument that lesbian and gay people should be treated equally in society and not discriminated against for something that's just as inherent as skin colour."



India Royals Disown Gay Prince

(BANG) - India's Prince Manvendrasinh Gohil has been disowned by his family after admitting he is gay.

Prince Gohil belongs to India's former royal family, which once ruled the state of Rajpipla in India's western state of Gujarat.

The prince was quoted on Gulf Daily News website as saying: "I told my parents I was gay.

"Initially, it was difficult for them to accept it. They tried to convert me to heterosexuality. The doctors told them that was not possible and I guess they could not deal with the stigma."

The royal scandal reportedly broke out after Gohil revealed his sexual orientation in a magazine interview.

The prince - who in actively involved with local government HIV/Aids programs - tends to lead a private life at the Rajpipla palace.

The royal - who is supported by Indian gay and lesbian groups - says he wants to bring gay issues into India's public arena.

He was quoted as saying: "All I want to do is to ensure there is a discussion and people talk about homosexuality and that we get some sort of social status."

MILITARY MONDAY

Speedo Sunday

Vintage Thursday

History of gay athletes



1920

Bill Tilden, who does not hide his homosexuality, wins the men's singles title at Wimbledon. He goes on to win two more Wimbledon titles, seven U.S. championships, and leads U.S. teams to seven Davis Cup victories. In 1950, a survey of sportswriters names Tilden the greatest tennis player of the half-century. He dies in 1953.

1968

Tom Waddell, a 30-year-old Army physician, places sixth in the Olympic decathlon. Waddell, who is openly gay, becomes increasingly involved in gay politics. In 1976, Waddell and his partner Charles Deaton are the first gay men to be featured in the "Couples" section of People magazine. Five years later, Waddell forms San Francisco Arts and Athletics to plan the first "Gay Olympic Games."



1975

David Kopay, an NFL running back who played for five teams (San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, New Orleans, Green Bay) between 1964-72, becomes the first professional team-sport athlete to come out -- doing so three years after retiring. He admits his homosexuality during an interview with the now-defunct Washington Star.

1981

Billie Jean King is "outed" when ex-lover Marilyn Barnett sues her for "galimony" while she is married to Larry King. King is currently preparing to launch her own Billie Jean Foundation that will support gay and lesbian youths.



Martina Navratilova publicly reveals that she is a lesbian during an interview with the New York Daily News.

1982

The first Gay Olympic Games takes place in San Francisco.

1983

Bob Paris wins the Mr. America and Mr. Universe bodybuilding titles. In 1989, he reveals his homosexuality to the bodybuilding community during an interview with Ironman magazine. He also weds his long-time partner Rod Jackson-Paris and discusses the marriage on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

1985

Ed Gallagher, an offensive lineman for the University of Pittsburgh from 1977-79, jumps from a dam 12 days after his first sexual encounter with another man. He survives but is left a paraplegic. Gallagher says that before his suicide attempt, he had become unable to reconcile his image of himself as an athlete with gay urges. He later admits that the incident forced him to come to grips with his sexuality: "I was more emotionally paralyzed then, than I am physically now."



1987

Jerry Smith, a tight end with the Washington Redskins from 1965-77, dies of AIDS complications. Smith never acknowledged that he was gay, but in David Kopay's autobiography, Smith was described as his first love.

1988

Dave Pallone, a National League umpire, is fired for his alleged involvement with a teenage sex ring. The charges are deemed groundless and the investigation is dropped. According to Pallone, the real reason he was fired was the fact that he was gay. He had privately come out to then-National League President Bart Giamatti, who caved in to pressure from National League owners who called for Pallone's firing. According to his widow, it was a decision Giamatti regretted.

Bruce Hayes, an Olympic swimmer who won a gold medal in 1984 as a member of the 800-meter freestyle relay, comes out publicly at the Gay Games and wins seven gold medals in competition



Justin Fashanu, a top soccer player in Britain, reveals that he is gay. He is the first athlete in a team sport to come out during his athletic career. After publicly coming out, Fashanu was described by others as "erratic." At one point, he makes the claim, which he eventually retracts, that he had sex with two British cabinet ministers. Fashanu commits suicide in 1998 at the age of 36. His body is found hanging in an abandoned garage in East London. At the time, he was wanted in the U.S. on charges of sexually assaulting a teenager in Maryland.

1991

Rene Portland, Penn State University women's basketball coach, states that she has a policy of forbidding lesbians from playing on her team.

1992

Matthew Hall, a figure skater on the Canadian National Team, comes out.

Roy Simmons, an offensive guard for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins from 1979-83, reveals he is gay during an appearance on The Phil Donahue Show.



1993

David Slattery, general manager of the Washington Redskins in the early 1970's, comes out.

Glenn Burke, former outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A's who was known for popularizing the high five, comes out publicly during an interview. He was released from his contract with the A's in 1979, ending his career at age 26. During the same interview in which he admits his homosexuality, Burke says he believes he was traded from the Dodgers because management suspected his was gay. By the early 1990s, Burke was living on the streets in the Bay area, plagued by personal problems and a drug addiction. He dies of AIDS complications in 1995.

1994

Gay Games IV is held in New York City. The event attracts more than 11,000 participants in 31 events, making it the largest athletic competition in history. In a waiver of U.S. policy, Attorney General Janet Reno allows HIV-positive individuals from outside the United States to enter the country, without special permits, to attend the Games.

Greg Louganis, four-time Olympic gold medalist in diving who becomes HIV-positive, comes out in public at the Gay Games.

Missy Giove, an openly lesbian mountain biker, wins her first world title. Considered the Michael Jordan of her sport, she subsequently wins back-to-back world titles in 1996 and '97.

1995

Ian Roberts, one of Australia's most popular rugby players, poses nude for a gay magazine. In the same issue, Roberts speaks about being "part of a different group ... an outsider." He becomes the first major sports figure in Australia to come out. Roberts soon becomes a fixture at a variety of gay events, and his endorsements increase.

1996

Muffin Spencer-Devlin, an 18-year LPGA veteran, speaks about being a lesbian in the March 18 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Rudy Galindo, the national men's skating champion, discusses being a gay man in the book Inside Edge: A Revealing Journey Into the Secret World of Figure Skating. Doug Mattis, another professional skater, comes out not long afterward.

David Pichler and Patrick Jeffrey, two openly gay U.S. divers, compete in the Atlanta Olympics.



998

Michael Muska, a former track-and-field coach at Auburn and Northwestern, is named athletic director at Oberlin College. Muska is the first openly gay man to hold such a position in college sports.

Paul Priore, a former New York Yankees clubhouse assistant, files a lawsuit on July 29 against Yankee pitchers Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera and former Yankee pitcher Bob Wickman. Priore claims that he was humiliated with gay-bashing remarks, harassed and threatened with sexual assault. He also says he was fired because he has contracted the AIDS virus.

Greg Louganis, in a special Goodwill Games edition of New York 1 News' nightly sports program, says that several athletes in professional team sports have asked him for advice about going public with their homosexuality.

Brian Orser, former world figure skating champion and two-time Canadian Olympic silver medalist, is revealed in November as gay in an palimony suit filed by an ex-boyfriend. In an affadavit in which he argued to keep the suit's documents sealed, Orser says, "Other skaters, both Canadian and American, guard their gayness closely because of the likely impact of public disclosure on their careers."

Sources: The Advocate, ESPN.

Wednesday Woody

The United States spent $200,000.00 and two years studying why the head of a man's penis is larger than the shaft. After two years the researchers concluded that the head of a man's penis is larger than the shaft simply for a mans pleasure.

The Germans did not think the Americans conducted an accurate study so they did the same study except they spent $300,000.00 and three years. After three years they determined that the head of a man's penis is larger than the shaft simply for the pleasure of women.

Now the Polish did not believe that the Germans or the Americans had any clue as to what they were studying. So the Polish did a study of their own and spent $400.00 and four weeks and concluded that the head of a man's penis was there so his hand would not slip off and hit him in the forehead.



The trial of penis pump judge Donald Thompson is waiting for a decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on the constitutionality of the state property law under which Thompson has been charged for alleged misuse of a state computer.

Thompson's trial was scheduled to get underway last Monday but has been mired in legal delays and is now scheduled to proceed at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. A jury has already been empaneled.

Former Creek County Judge Thompson has been charged with masturbating on the bench.

Defense attorneys had asked Tuesday for District Judge C. Allen McCall to recuse himself from the misdemeanor charge against Thompson for the alleged misuse of a state computer. Thompson's attorneys have vehemently argued to dismiss that charge, or to have it tried separately, saying it is an effort by prosecutors to prejudice Thompson before the jury. The charge alleges that Thompson placed pornographic photos of himself and a woman on his judicial computer. That woman is alleged to be Thompson's business partner, Angela McClanahan.

Thompson's attorneys also challenge that prosecutors can't prove who owns the computer and that the charge is unconstitutional. In documents filed with a subpoena request, Thompson's attorneys claim that pornographic material has been found on state-owned computers of three other Oklahoma judges. The judges were not named in the court documents.

Thompson's attorneys failed in their attempt for the recusal of Judge McCall. During an argument by defense attorney's about the law being overbroad and vague, McCall had mused if he might be in violation of the state law because he had placed something of a personal nature dealing with bass fishing on his office computer.

Defense attorneys immediately tried to force McCall to recuse himself which he denied as well as their motion to find the law unconstitutional. They appealed and on Friday, Washington County District Judge Janice Dreiling upheld McCall's decision, saying that she found no proof that McCall had acted in a biased manner towards Thompson on the computer charge.

Thompson, 59, is also facing four felony counts of indecent exposure. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 41 years in prison.

The defense attorneys appealed Dreiling's decision to the appellate court which is expected to issue a ruling sometime Monday and if they hold the two lower court decisions, the trial will resume on Tuesday.

The case centers on complaints against Thompson made from two court stenographers who allegedly witnessed Thompson exposing himself while presiding at trials during 2002 and 2003.

DNA samples have reportedly been taken and processed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. However, according to test results, there were no signs of Thompson's DNA on any of the materials seized from around the judge's bench including the carpet.

Thompson has denied the accusations and says that the pump seized was a gag gift from a friend. The sex toy and another one found under the bench will be admitted as evidence at trial and jurors will be allowed to see the sex toy.

Jurors for the murder trial told police that they heard whooshing noises coming from the bench during the proceeding.

Thompson's former court reporter for 18 years, has claimed to have seen the judge's penis "12 to 15 times" during trials. The evidence for the misdemeanor count of improper computer use reportedly provides significant support for the testimony of Foster and another court reporter about Thompson's actions on the bench from 2000 to 2003.



Scientists Grow Artificial Penis in Lab

It's now possible to replace a defective, damaged, or diseased penis with a penis grown in a laboratory -- in rabbits.

But the finding promises an amazing new treatment for infants, boys, and men who suffer penis disfigurement. The replacement organ would be grown on a penis-shaped matrix seeded with cells from the patient's own body.

Researcher Anthony Atala, MD, director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, reported the findings at this week’s annual meeting of the American Urological Association in Atlanta.

"Our goal is eventually to treat infants and adults with birth defects, penis trauma, or penis cancer," Atala tells WebMD. "But this is a future goal. We are now deciding which animal model to explore next."

While human trials are still far off, the Atala team's recent accomplishments make their goal highly credible. Atala and colleagues recently reported successfully using much the same technique to replace defective bladders in human children with spina bifida.

In the rabbit study, Atala's team removed the penises from rabbits and entirely replaced the organs with penises grown from the animal's own cells.
Atala says the new penises have blood vessels and nerves that allow them to become fully functional. Indeed, the replacement penises worked like a charm. The rabbits were able to get erections, mate with females, and get females pregnant with normal, healthy pups.



Prison guard's retrial date on sex charges set
21 June 2006

A Rimutaka Prison guard accused of a indecently assaulting a convicted sex offender is scheduled to face a second trial on July 12.

A Wellington District Court jury in May found the officer not guilty on one charge of indecent assault. But after 10 hours of deliberations, it could not reach a verdict on the remaining two charges.

The officer, whose name is suppressed, is alleged to have pinched the inmate on the bottom, touched him on his thigh near his buttocks and prodded his penis, each time through clothing.

The former inmate also alleged the officer leaned against a table where the inmate's hand was so it touched his scrotum.

The charges relate to incidents that allegedly happened in April 2005 in the prison kitchen.

In the first trial, Judge Bridget Mackintosh said the prosecution's case should be taken in context with discussions at the time about nudity and sex as well as the officer showing the inmate naked photos of himself.

The white-haired, bespectacled officer also showed the inmate his nipple piercing.


Three guys die and go to hell.

When they arrive the devil informs them that he is going to remove their penises.

"Oh, how are you going to do it", asks one of the guys.

"Whatever your fathers jobs were, that's how I'll remove them" says the devil.

So he calls over the first guy "Your father was a lumberjack... So I'll cut it off with a saw"

To the second guy he says "Your father was a blacksmith... So I'm going to burn it off"

As he calls the third guy over he notices he's smiling.

"Why are you smiling, you just watched me remove your friends penises" says the devil.

"I know" replies the man "but my father was a popsicle maker"

Tasty Tuesday

Summer camp caters to gay teens



DETROIT -- Steven Howard is looking forward to summer camp, where the 15-year-old hopes to ride horses, hike in the woods -- and learn to advocate for gay rights.

Steven, a ninth-grader at the Detroit School for Performing Arts, is among several Metro Detroit youths who plan to attend "Camping.Out," a weeklong summer camp organized by the Triangle Foundation that aims to teach youths to become political activists for gay rights.

Steven, who lives on the east side of Detroit, said he's looking forward to getting out of his urban neighborhood for a week. "I really want to go horseback riding," he said, "but I'm interested in the political stuff, too."

The camp is the first of its kind in Michigan, said Greg Varnum, the Triangle Foundation's youth initiatives coordinator. It will feature workshops and visits by national gay rights leaders who will talk about how teens can become politically active.

"This is a unique program," Varnum said. "In Michigan, there haven't been any camps for gay youths that I'm aware of. There are camps in other states that cater to gay youths, but they focus more on traditional camping. What makes this camp unique is the focus on activism."

Camping.Out comes at a time when gay teens are organizing more than ever before. Support groups for gay youths are being formed in high schools across the country, said Martha Fugate, director and founder of the Yes Institute, a Florida-based nonprofit organization that educates school officials and clergy on gay issues.

"When I started this organization in 1995, there were no gay-straight alliances in high schools, and very few gay-oriented programs in schools," Fugate said. "But the culture is changing rapidly. There's still a long way to go, but these programs are allowing more kids to see that it's OK to come out; that they don't have to alter their lives just to be who they are."

At the same time, summer youth camps have become more specialized. There are Christian camps, soccer camps, drama camps, band camps and baseball camps, to name a few.

"This camp will be no different than, say, YMCA youth camps that give leadership training to kids," said Grace McClelland, executive director of the Ruth Ellis Center, a program that offers various social services to gay youths. "We have to train and cultivate our young people."

The camp, which will be held Aug. 13-18 at an undisclosed location in western Michigan, is offered to eighth- to 12th-graders. Varnum said about a dozen teens are registered so far for the $475 camp. Scholarships will be available for those who cannot afford the fee.

"We're going to keep the location of the camp a secret," Varnum said. "We don't want protesters to ruin what should be a fun experience for these kids."

Critics expressed several concerns about the camp, including the age of the participants, and the sleeping arrangements, in which teens who could potentially be attracted to each other will stay in the same rooms.

"Would you ever have a camp where you allowed teenage boys to be housed with girls? Or, would you allow camp counselors who are men to be housed with young girls? This is the same kind of situation -- it's a time bomb," said Linda Harvey, director of Mission America, an Ohio-based nonprofit Christian organization that studies youth homosexuality. Those concerns have been taken into consideration, McClelland said. She said the program will send a group of kids to Camping.Out.

"In a straight camp you'd separate the boys from the girls, because these are teenagers after all," McClelland said. "We've taken the necessary steps. We're going to send one adult for every two youths."

Corey Howard, Steven's father, said he thinks the camp is a good idea.

"I think it will be a positive experience," he said. "I'll admit -- I'm not a big fan of homosexuality, and I wasn't happy when he told me he was gay. But I'm his father, first and foremost, so I support him. I don't love him because of his sexual preference, I love him because he's my son."

Varnum, who said he has 20 years of experience working in various camps, and who sits on the board of directors of the American Camp Association's Michigan Branch, said special precautions are being taken with selecting volunteers to monitor the kids.

"We have people who are way overqualified who have volunteered to be camp counselors. There are directors of organizations, leaders in the field of child psychology -- it's like a dream team of camp professionals," Varnum said.

Steven said the concerns about sexual activity are unfounded.

"People think all gay people think about is sex," he said. "But that's wrong."



Hawaii To Pay $625,000 To Mistreated Gay Teens In Prison System
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Honolulu, Hawaii) In the first case in the country to specifically address the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in juvenile facilities, the state of Hawaii will by pay $625,000 to end a federal lawsuit by the ACLU on behalf of three LGBT young people.

The agreement was announced Thursday by the ACLU.

In March a federal judge found that conditions at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility are dangerous, that harassment is pervasive, and that the facility is "in a state of chaos."

Judge Seabright said the case was "replete with documents and testimonial evidence demonstrating verbal harassment and abuse'' of inmates by prison officials.

The suit said that youth correctional officers routinely told a lesbian ward and her girlfriend that their relationship was "bad" and that they were going to hell and referred to the couple's relationship as "this butchie shit." Other guards routinely made lewd and humiliating remarks to the couple, including, "You two eating fish earlier? At least you're not finger-banging yourselves in the TV room."

Male wards in the facility allegedly surrounded a teen who was perceived to be gay in the shower, threatening him with rape, and once rubbed semen into his face in the bathroom. When the young man reported the incidents, HYCF did nothing the suit claims.

Last April, according to the lawsuit, the head administrator at HYCF called a special meeting of all the girls and staff at one of the units in the facility for the specific purpose of singling out a lesbian couple to belittle them about their relationship. The administrator told the couple that their relationship was "disgusting," then required the other wards to create a list of rules for the couple; the wards decided that the girls shouldn't be allowed to even speak to each other under threat of disciplinary measures, including lockdown.

In another instance cited in the suit, a male-to-female transgender student was repeatedly verbally abused and preached to by guards who called her "wrong" and "unnatural" and threatened to cut off her hair. After she was transferred to the boys' unit, she was physically assaulted and groped, often in front of guards who did nothing. Rather than attempting to ensure her safety, HYCF segregated her for almost two months, and did not allow her to interact at all with other wards.

"What has happened here in Hawaii should put juvenile systems nationwide on notice," said Tamara Lange, a staff attorney with the ACLU's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project.

"If other states don't take decisive action to stop anti-gay and anti-transgender abuse and harassment, then they can expect to have to answer for it in court as well."

In addition to the $625,000 settlement the state also agreed to pay court costs in the case and to cover the costs of a court-appointed consultant to train staff, help craft new prison policies, and create a functioning grievance system for wards who need to report abuse.

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender young people are often abused in their schools, abandoned by their families, and end up on the streets, so it's no surprise that many of these youth enter the juvenile justice system," said Lois Perrin, Legal Director of the ACLU of Hawaii.

"Young people who end up in state care should be rehabilitated, fostered, and nurtured, whether they're gay or straight - not singled out for cruelty and mistreatment because of who they are."



Camp closed because he's gay, Loney says
Ex-hostage worked at Catholic camp
Knights of Columbus deny his charge

PHINJO GOMBU
STAFF REPORTER

Former Iraq hostage James Loney says his homosexuality is behind a decision by Ontario's Knights of Columbus to close a Catholic youth leadership camp.

Loney and the Christian Peacemakers Team claim in a statement released yesterday that his decision to disclose his relationship with partner Dan Hunt after his release prompted the closure of the camp where he is a staff member.

The Ontario Catholic Youth Leadership Camp, near Orillia, was to operate this year between Aug. 21 and Aug. 26.

Reached at his Peterborough home last night Jack Clancey, a Knights of Columbus official, said the decision to close the camp had nothing to do with the organization's views on homosexuality.

"That statement is totally out of left field," said Clancey. "We closed down that leadership camp because we needed to review the way we were going and the curriculum that we were teaching."

Loney plans a news conference today. But his statement yesterday drew a connection between the decision to close the camp and apparent concerns it was "promoting a homosexual lifestyle."

Loney and Hunt are being given the "Fearless" award at a fundraising gala and awards dinner tonight as part of Toronto's Pride Week festivities in recognition of their perseverance during the hostage ordeal.

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal organization. Its website says it has more than 1.7 million members in nine countries and was described by the late Pope John Paul II as the "right arm of the Church."

The website says the decision to close the camp camp was made April 8 "as part of its routine policy review." Loney, a Roman Catholic who helped found Toronto's Catholic Worker community, hit international headlines when he was kidnapped along with three colleagues in Baghdad last November.

He was held for four months before being released.

The fact that Loney was gay was kept a secret by family and friends for fear that, if his captors found out, it would endanger him.

"I was worried that if the captors did find out, that it would substantially change my treatment or would, or could, endanger my life," Loney later said.

The Knights of Columbus has made headlines in the past with its strong views opposing same-sex marriage.

Last year, the Elliot Lake chapter in Northern Ontario weighed in on the issue of same-sex marriage, distributing thousands of postcards opposing the unions, and urged residents to mail them to their member of Parliament.

In British Columbia, another chapter made the decision to cancel a wedding reception in its hall after finding out that it had been rented by a lesbian couple.

A British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal ruled last year the organization had acted illegally and ordered it to pay the couple the cost of printing new invitations and booking another hall.

The Knights of Columbus have stated they want Ottawa to re-introduce legislation to "recognize, protect and re-affirm the definition of marriage as a voluntary union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others."

In the United States, at the behest of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Knights of Columbus printed 10 million postcards addressed to U.S. senators to support a constitutional amendment blocking same-sex marriage.



Police say man's death possibly a hate crime
Fort Bend victim met suspects in a gay bar before he was robbed and killed, officials say

By ERIC HANSON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

RICHMOND - Police are trying to determine whether suspects wanted in the brutal beating death and robbery of a Fort Bend County man last month targeted the victim because he was gay.

Arnulfo Q. Aguilar, 43, was killed in his home after meeting the suspects at a Houston gay bar, police said.

One suspect, Alberto Ramos, 17, of Houston, has been arrested while two others remain at large.

"It is too early to tell from the information I have. It very well could be a hate crime or it could just be that they figured he would be an easy target and weren't really motivated because he was gay," Chief Deputy Craig Brady of the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Ramos was arrested Friday night and has been charged with murder in connection with the slaying at the victim's home in the 10200 block of Kent Towne Lane. He is being held in the county jail without bail.

Aguilar had been tied up and beaten, probably with a baseball bat, and his house ransacked, Brady said.

His body was found a few minutes after midnight May 28 by friends who stopped by to check on him.

Police said Ramos and two others met Aguilar at a gay bar in the 800 block of Pacific. Personal items were taken from the home as well as the victim's 1997 red Jeep Cherokee.

Because property was stolen during the commission of the slaying, the charge could be upgraded later to capital murder, Brady said.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Terriann Carlson said Houston police stopped the Jeep on a traffic violation Friday night. One of the occupants of the vehicle was Ramos, who gave investigators a statement admitting to the crime.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office at 281-341-4665 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342- TIPS.