“How is marriage protected by intimidating gay and lesbian people into loveless and lonely lives? I am morally compelled to vote no on Proposition 8. . . I know these words of truth will cost me dearly, but to withhold them. . . I would become an accomplice to a moral evil that strips gay and lesbian people not only of their civil rights but of their human dignity as well.”

Fr. Geoffrey Farrow speaking during a sermon to St. Paul Newman Center, Fresno, California.

Saturday, 11th October

A story to bring a smile to even the most hard-hearted of homophobes came from San Francisco, California today when a group of first-graders took a field trip to City Hall to shower their teacher, Erin Carder and her wife Kerri McCoy, with rose petals and bubbles. The teacher was unaware of the excursion and the whole event was the brainchild of one of the children’s parents who thought it would make a nice surprise for the newlyweds.

Sunday, 12th October

Today marked the tenth year since the death of Matthew Shepard, who was fatally injured in a brutal and savage hate crime attack on October 12th 1998. Judy Shepherd, Matthew’s mother and Executive Director of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, released a statement to mark the anniversary. The full statement can be read here. The foundation seeks to educate and enlighten others on the importance of diversity, understanding, compassion, acceptance and respect. The foundation was established in memory of Matthew Shepard.

Monday, 13th October

The LA Times today reported an incident about a priest truly deserving of our respect. Fr. Geoffrey Farrow. Fr. Farrow—a gay man and parish priest in Fresno, California—was removed from his post after he spoke against Proposition 8 during a sermon. A week before he was removed from his post (which consequently costs him his salary and health benefits), Fr. Farrow stood before his congregation of Catholic parishioners and spoke against the upcoming referendum which seeks to overturn the California Supreme Court decision earlier this year which recognised same-sex marriage. So what prompted “Father Geoff” to take a stand before his flock on October 5th? Apparently, Fr. Farrow resolved to go public and express his position against Proposition 8 when he received a “pastoral letter” from Fresno Bishop John T. Steinbock in which the bishop not only condemned the California Supreme Court’s ruling, but compared it to efforts by Nazi Germany and the Communist regimes in Russia and China to alter family arrangements. Fr. Farrow’s former parish are reportedly divided in support of his action but one thing is for sure, when a Catholic priest takes a moral stand against the Church, that one man’s protest will not be forgotten quickly.

In other US same-sex marriage-related news, Arizona will also be voting on whether or not to adopt a constitutional amendment which would prohibit same-sex marriage. Proposition 102, if accepted by voters, would restrict marriage to a union between one man or one woman. The anti-marriage for gays and lesbians group, YesForMarriage.com, erected hundreds of signs urging “Yes to 102” which were vandalised by activists who painted the words “Yes to Hate” over the original slogan. Today it was reported that the damage cost the YesForMarriage.com $6,000 to repair. Pity. Again in the US, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and The Advertising Council teamed up to produce a national multimedia public service advertising (PSA) campaign, which aims to educate teens on the hurtful, albeit unintended effects, homophobic language can have on their gay and lesbian peers. The advertisements feature casual scenarios in which the term “that’s so gay” is used off-the-cuff. Celebrities then interrupt the banter in an effort to help the teens recognise that anti-LGBT language is harmful.

Tuesday, 14th October

CNN reported on a new public high school for Chicago, Illinois in the US which appears to have taken a leaf out of the Harvey Milk High School in New York City. The Chicago Public Schools’ Office for New Schools announced that the School for Social Justice Pride Campus (The name is a bit of a mouthful but still beats the hell out of “Our Lady’s Manor of the Faithfully Devout”!) will cater for up to 600 students and seeks to foster a supportive and welcoming environment for the city’s gay or marginalised youth.

Wednesday, 15th October

Comedienne, actress, talk show host, and godess among gays, Ellen DeGeneres has put her name and $100,000 of her fortune behind the campaign to secure a no vote to Proposition 8. The capital is being used to fund the publicising of a public service announcement, in which Ellen passionately tells the viewer “I believe in fairness. I believe in compassion. I believe in equality for all people. Proposition 8 does not. Please, please, vote NO on Prop. 8.” Speaking on the Jay Leno Show—which broadcasts from Los Angeles, California—Ellen urged voters to “love thy neighbour” and reject the proposed constitutional amendment.

In Brazil, a left-wing mayoral candidate for the city of Sao Paolo—home of the world’s largest Pride parade—was in hot water after endorsing a television advertisement which allegedly insinuates homophobic assertions about her competitor for office. Candidate for the Worker’s Party, Marta Suplicy, appears in the advertisements asking of her opponent Gilberto Kassab, “Is he married? Does he have children?” The Brazil LGBT Committee quickly released a press statement saying that Sulpisy’s comments were “wrong and unacceptable”. Sulpisy’s provocative comments came as a shock to many LGBT campaigners as she had been an advocate to several gay causes previously.

Thursday, 16th October

A Ugandan Bishop, Eria Paul Luzinda of Mukono, publicly admonished homosexuality, and “blamed” its recent proliferation in Uganda on a concurrent surge in the desire for wealth. *Yawn* Come on now Bishop Luzinda. Blaming 21st century greed on the gays? It’s more than a little clichéd and uninspired. And since back in the days of B.C. the Bible documented celestial inscriptions prohibiting ‘coveting’ of the wives of our neighbours, His Divinity was hardly talking to the lesbians hanging out with Moses…or was He?

Friday, 17th October

Paul Elliot, a retired professional footballer, made a splash across various tabloid front-pages after he claimed that he knew of at least a dozen gay professional football players playing the beautiful game at the moment. Elliot was speaking at a conference in London hosted by the British FA, Homophobia: Football’s Final Taboo. Elliot, who now works as an advisor to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, was speaking in relation to the launch of a new campaign by Kick It Out which seeks to remove prejudice from soccer. Elliot also claimed that gay players do not come out because they fear the reaction of fans.

A posthumous reconstruction of the last movements of Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider has revealed that he was drinking in a gay bar before he died. Haider’s alleged homosexuality had been the subject of much speculation and had resulted in his “outing” in the German and Austrian press in 2006 although Haider himself had never confirmed the allegations. The suit and tie combo Haider’s sporting in the picture (right) screams Queer Eye for the Fascist Guy to me but controversial rumours are bound to stalk any pro-Nazi politician. Perhaps because the laddy doth protest too much?

As always, all images are used in good faith and without any implying any infringement. if they need to be removed, just let me know and it’ll be done.

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