ATLANTA
—
U.S.
Rep.
Paul
Broun
(R-Ga.)
introduced
an
amendment
to
the
U.S.
Constitution
on
May
22
to
ban
same-sex
marriage,
according
to
staff
reports.
The
introduction
came
as
a
result
of
the
backlash
by
lawmakers
upset
with
the
California
Supreme
Court’s
recent
ruling
legalizing
gay
marriage.
Broun,
a
freshman
from
Augusta,
announced
his
intent
to
introduce
the
legislation
on
May
20
and
got
29
co-sponsors
to
join
him
in
introducing
the
bill,
named
the
Marriage
Protection
Amendment.
One
co-sponsor,
Rep.
Walter
Jones
(R-N.C.),
said
in
a
statement
posted
on
his
web
site
May
28
he
was
joining
Broun
as
a
co-sponsor
because,
“The
recent
decision
by
the
California
Supreme
Court
to
overturn
the
state’s
ban
on
homosexual
marriage
is
an
assault
on
the
Judeo-Christian
values
of
America.”
Before
it
could
become
part
of
the
Constitution,
the
amendment
would
need
to
be
approved
by
a
two-thirds
majority
in
the
U.S.
House
and
Senate,
and
then
ratified
by
38,
or
three-fourths,
of
the
state
legislatures.
The
House
of
Representatives
last
voted
on
a
proposed
Federal
Marriage
Amendment
in
2006.
It
failed
by
a
significant
margin.
WASHINGTON
—
Bilerico.com,
a
gay
blog
headed
by
Bil
Browning
and
host
to
nearly
100
contributors,
was
not
granted
blogger
credentials
to
the
2008
Democratic
National
Convention
in
Denver,
according
to
Blade
staff
reports.
Browning
is
angry.
He
wanted
to
bring
a
troop
of
six
bloggers,
including
himself.
The
rejection
letter
said,
“As
you
may
know,
we’ve
had
overwhelming
interest
in
the
credentialed
blogger
program
this
year. Several
hundred
great
blogs
submitted
applications. But
we
have
very
limited
space.
Unfortunately,
your
blog
will
not
be
credentialed
at
the
2008
Democratic
National
Convention.”
Browning
figured
Bilerico
would
be
a
shoo-in,
with
its
wide
variety
of
writers
and
the
diversity
among
them.
Gay
sites
including
towleroad.com
and
Pam’s
House
Blend
were
granted
access.
FRANKFORT,
Ky.
—
Ken.
Gov.
Steve
Beshear
on
Monday
granted
employment
protections
for
gays
and
lesbians
in
state
government,
one
of
three
executive
orders
he
made
reversing
policies
of
his
predecessor,
the
Courier-Journal,
a
Louisville,
Ky.,
newspaper
reported.
The
other
two
fulfill
campaign
promises
he
made
to
labor
groups:
giving
the
state’s
labor
agency
cabinet-level
status
and
re-establishing
a
council
to
advise
him
on
the
concerns
of
state
workers,
the
paper
reported.
On
gay
rights,
former
Gov.
Ernie
Fletcher,
a
Republican,
had
stripped
from
his
administration’s
equal
employment
opportunities
policy
a
phrase
to
bar
job
discrimination
in
state
government
on
the
basis
of
“sexual
orientation
or
gender
identity.”
Beshear,
a
Democrat,
said
in
a
statement
Monday
that
the
policy
meant
that,
“a
gay
person
could
be
fired
simply
for
being
gay.
A
person
should
be
hired
or
dismissed
on
the
basis
of
whether
they
can
do
the
job.
Experience,
qualifications,
talent
and
performance
are
what
matter.”
The
order
says
that
the
protection
includes
matters
relating
to
“hiring,
promotion,
termination,
tenure,
recruitment
and
compensation.”
Reaction
in
the
state
was
mixed.
Gay
group
Kentucky
Fairness
Alliance
praised
the
move
but
Family
Foundation
called
it
“troubling,”
the
Courier-Journal
reported.
WASHINGTON
—
Colorado
Gov.
Bill
Ritter
(D)
this
week
signed
legislation
into
law
that
prohibits
discrimination
based
on
sexual
orientation
or
gender
identity
in
housing,
public
accommodations,
credit
transactions,
juror
service
and
other
areas.
The
legislation,
sponsored
by
state
Sen.
Jennifer
Veiga
and
state
Rep.
Joel
Judd,
expands
existing
laws
that
prohibit
discrimination
based
on
race,
sex,
religion,
disability
and
other
characteristics.
In
2007,
Colorado
enacted
laws
prohibiting
employment
discrimination
based
on
sexual
orientation
or
gender
identity
and
providing
for
second
parent
adoption. The
new
law
takes
effect
immediately.
CHICAGO
(AP)
—
Sociologist
Charles
Moskos,
an
expert
on
the
attitudes
of
servicemen
and
women
who
helped
formulate
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell”
has
died.
The
retired
Northwestern
University
professor
died
of
cancer
Saturday
at
his
home
in
Santa
Monica,
Calif.,
his
family
said.
He
was
74
and
best
known
for
the
advice
to
the
Joint
Chiefs
of
Staff
that
led
to
“Don’t
Ask,
Don’t
Tell.”
Under
the
policy,
passed
by
Congress
in
1993
in
the
early
months
of
the
Clinton
administration,
gays
are
allowed
to
serve
in
the
military,
but
they
are
prohibited
from
engaging
in
homosexual
activity
or
talking
about
their
sexual
orientation
(see
related
story
on
page
12).
