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Friday, November 28, 2008
CHICAGO
(AP)
—
Backers
of
a
proposed
high
school
touted
as
a
haven
for
gay
and
bullied
youth
have
pulled
their
proposal,
saying
they
wanted
to
spend
another
year
to
finalize
their
plans.
Under
mounting
pressure
from
ministers
and
gay
activists
alike,
Social
Justice
Solidarity
High
School
planners
had
already
changed
the
school’s
name
and
focus
to
create
a
school
that
would
be
one
of
the
nation’s
largest
to
serve
any
students
who
have
fallen
victim
to
bullying
and
harassment.
The
plan
—
pulled
Nov.
18,
hours
before
a
scheduled
vote
on
its
creation
—
also
was
a
less
explicitly
gay
version
of
a
plan
first
presented
to
Chicago’s
board
of
education
in
October
by
schools
chief
Arne
Duncan.
The
school’s
intended
start
date
remains
2010,
planners
said.
“The
proposal
has
changed
since
the
Oct.
8
planning
hearing,
and
the
design
team
is
taking
an
additional
year
to
finalize
the
proposal,”
the
design
team
said
in
a
statement
released
by
Chicago
Public
Schools.
The
original
plan
was
for
the
Social
Justice
High
School:
Pride
Campus
to
open
in
2010
and
eventually
serve
600
students,
about
half
of
whom
were
expected
to
identify
as
gay.
The
newer
Solidarity
plan
had
the
same
timeline
and
enrollment
goals,
but
a
different
mission.
Dating
service
agrees
to
provide
same-sex
matches
TENTON,
N.J.
(AP)
—
Online
dating
service
eHarmony
said
Nov.
19
it
would
launch
a
new
web
site
that
caters
to
gay
singles
as
part
of
a
discrimination
settlement
with
New
Jersey’s
Civil
Rights
Division.
The
settlement
is
the
result
of
a
complaint
New
Jersey
resident
Eric
McKinley
filed
against
the
online
matchmaker
in
2005.
McKinley,
46,
said
he
was
shocked
when
he
tried
to
sign
up
for
the
dating
site
but
couldn’t
get
past
the
first
screen
because
there
was
no
option
for
men
seeking
men.
“It’s
very
frustrating
and
it’s
very
humiliating
to
think
that
other
people
can
do
it
and
I
can’t,”
he
said.
“And
the
only
reason
I
can’t
is
because
I’m
a
gay
man.
That’s
very
hurtful.”
Neither
the
company
nor
its
founder,
Neil
Clark
Warren,
acknowledged
any
liability.
Under
the
settlement,
eHarmony
will
pay
the
New
Jersey
state
division
$50,000
to
cover
administrative
costs
and
will
pay
McKinley
$5,000.
The
company
plans
to
launch
its
new
service,
called
Compatible
Partners,
on
March
31.
Former
Tenn.
police
officer
accused
in
trans
beating
MEMPHIS,
Tenn.
(AP)
— A
former
Memphis
police
officer
pleaded
not
guilty
Nov.
19
to
civil
rights
charges
in
the
jailhouse
beating
of
a
transgender
prostitution
suspect
that
was
captured
on
video.
An
indictment
unsealed
Nov.
19
accuses
Bridges
McRae,
28,
of
using
unreasonable
force
by
repeatedly
striking
Duanna
Johnson
with
his
fist
and
handcuffs
in
the
intake
area
of
the
Shelby
County
Jail
in
February.
Johnson,
a
biological
male
who
lived
as
a
woman,
was
being
booked
on
a
prostitution
charge
when
the
incident
happened.
A
video
of
the
beating
was
broadcast
on
Memphis
television
stations,
leading
to
McRae’s
firing.
McRae
pleaded
not
guilty
at
a
brief
hearing
on
Wednesday
before
a
federal
magistrate
and
was
released
without
bond.
No
trial
date
was
set.
He
is
charged
with
violating
Johnson’s
civil
rights
while
in
a
position
of
authority,
an
offense
that
carries
a
maximum
punishment
of
10
years
in
prison
and
a
$250,000
fine.
Johnson
was
found
murdered
earlier
this
month.
Vt.
lawmakers
threatened
over
gay
marriage
plan
MONTPELIER,
Vt.
(AP)
—
Vermont
Senate
Majority
Leader
John
Campbell
said
he’s
been
threatened
because
of
his
plan
to
introduce
a
bill
in
January
to
legalize
same-sex
marriage.
The
Windsor
County
Democrat
said
he
received
a
call
at
the
Statehouse
on
Nov.
19
from
a
woman
who
threatened
to
blow
up
his
house.
Campbell
said
the
woman
didn’t
give
her
name.
Campbell
said
the
call
is
disturbing
and
that
you
can
never
tell
if
the
call
is
from
someone
giving
an
emotional
reaction
or
it
it’s
a
serious
threat.
Campbell
said
police
are
investigating.
From
staff
and
wire
reports
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