The news has been a bit depressing lately. It’s the end of the school year and apparently everyone wants to get in one last shot at the gay kids before heading off to college and becoming a LUG.
But here’s one trend that’s far from depressing: parents standing up for their gay kids! Like Cheyenne Williams’ mom (here’s the update on that case — defense is claiming it was staged), and Ceara Sturgis‘s Mom, and Constance McMillen’s parents, and Debbie Novotny! And also the woman from Prayers for Bobby and Matthew Shepard’s Mom! Maybe even your mom!
These are parents that are standing by their kids and defending their daughters, refusing to relent to bigotry or social pressure. And they’re setting a positive example for other parents who might be afraid to advocate for their parents’ rights. ‘Cause the truth is that in a year, when Ceara, Constance and Cheyenne are away at college, it’s the parents who will remain in town, bravely.
CEARA STURGIS:
Remember Ceara Sturgis, the girl who wanted to wear a tux in her yearbook and the school said no? She did get into the glaad awards in Los Angeles last week, but in what seems to be a growing trend, did not find success locally:
They didn’t even put her name in it,” Sturgis’ mother Veronica Rodriguez said. “I was so furious when she told me about it. Ceara started crying and I told her to suck it up. Is that not pathetic for them to do that? Yet again, they have crapped on her and made her feel alienated.”
Sturgis and her mother commissioned the Mississippi ACLU to protest officials’ October 2009 decision not to allow Sturgis’ photo to appear in the senior yearbook because she chose to wear a tuxedo instead of a dress.
CALIFORNIA:
The California Assembly has struck down a law equating homosexuality with child molestation. The lower house adopted a measure Monday to strike a 20-year-old line of state code that directed the Department of Mental Health to conduct research into “the causes and cures of sexual deviation” including “the causes and cures of homosexuality.”
TRANS:
A trans student was slashed in a campus bathroom at CSU Long Beach, but police took 10 days to publicize it and ask for help finding the attacker. There’s no question that this one was a hate crime: the attacker called the student by name and then slashed the word “IT” into the victim’s chest. (@presstelegram)
HOUSTON:
Lesbian is making shit HAPPEN. The Houston Police Department will allow gay and lesbian officers to march in uniform in the city’s Pride parade this June!
MURDER:
You need more terrible news, don’t you? How about the story of Jerry Lee Seger, who allegedly killed his daughter’s girlfriend. Police say he allegedly blamed 24-year-old Courtney Bright for leading his daughter down what he felt was the wrong path — including a three-year lesbian affair — strangled Bright to death and left her body in an abandoned house. The world is losing its sh*t. (@cbsnews)
THE BLADE:
The Washington Blade is back after some former staff members recently bought the rights to the name and the archives. The Blade is one of the longest-running gay publications in the US. Some staff members had kept the spirit alive after the Blade was forced to close a few months ago. They’ll publish under the old moniker again starting Friday. (@washingtonpost)
TORRIES:
Despite the efforts of the UK’s conservative party, the Tory’s gay support is dropping ahead of upcoming elections. The latest of these polls from Pink News (which has its own demographically-weighted voter panel) is showing a 30-point collapse in Tory support over the last 10 months (39% in June 2009 to 9% today) and a 38-point surge for the Liberal Democrats (20% in June 2009, 58% today). (@guardian)
GAY DOGS:
It’s not the weirdest thing we’ve read all week (I know it’s only Tuesday; it’s been a weird few days), but this is still SUPER ridiculous. A restaurant in Australia refused service to a blind customer “after staff misheard his female companion, and thought his ‘guide dog’ was a ‘gay dog.’” They’ve been ordered to pay the man for damages and apologize. But for real, these people thought the dog was gay. I don’t even understand how that’s possible. (@huffpo)
FINLAND:
Finland is expected to legalize gay marriage next year!! YAY FINLAND!
