National
National news in brief: March 25
Controversial ‘gay cure’ app pulled from Apple, Indiana lawmakers oppose gays and more
Apple yanks ‘gay cure’ app
DENVER — An iPhone app critics called “hateful and bigoted” has been pulled by Apple, several media outlets reported this week.
The company as of Blade press time had not released a statement but on Tuesday pulled the app released by Exodus International, an “ex-gay” organization that claims it can cure gays of unwanted same-sex desire.
According to Apple’s guidelines for app store submissions, “Any app that is defamatory, offensive, mean-spirited or likely to place the targeted individual or group in harms way will be rejected.”
The “reparative therapy” offered by Exodus International’s counseling services has been rejected by most major medical organizations, including the American Psychological Association, as damaging to the self-esteem and mental health of its patients.
An online petition against the app, organized by Change.org, has received more than 150,000 signatures since March 9 and coverage from major news websites and organizations.
Exodus says the iPhone application can help as an alternative to homosexuality not a “cure.”
Gay marriage ban remains in effect in Calif.
SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. appeals court this week left in place a ban on gay marriage in California, denying requests to allow same-sex weddings during a lengthy appeals process, Reuters and other news outlets reported.
A federal district court judge last year struck down the ban on the basis that it violated the U.S. constitution, but his decision is on hold pending the appeal.
The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is waiting for California’s supreme court to issue guidance on whether a group supporting the ban had the right to make the appeal.
California’s decision will add a year or so to the federal appeal process, Reuters said.
Indiana takes further step to ban gay marriage
INDIANAPOLIS — State lawmakers in Indiana took another step Wednesday toward amending a gay marriage ban into Indiana’s constitution, the Evansville Courier & Press and other outlets reported this week.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to one man and one woman, and would bar civil unions or other legal recognition of same-sex couples’ relationships, on a 7-3 vote. House Joint Resolution 6 has already cleared the House and now moves to the full Senate, where it is expected to pass with little resistance, the paper reported.
Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, noted the Senate has approved such a ban five times. In the past, it’s been blocked by Democratic majorities in the House. But Republicans now control both chambers.
“The basic unit of our society is our family, and I think the cornerstone of the family is the marriage of a man and a women and having children,” he said. “I think that is part of the main thrust of the whole idea here is to protect that unit that is basic to our society and all other societies.”
Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, said he is concerned that banning civil unions will affect domestic partnership health benefits.
Lanane offered an amendment that addresses what he called the “troubling language of the resolution.”
He suggested Indiana take the middle road and say no to recognition of same-sex marriage, but recognize same-sex relationships with civil unions.
“I think Indiana should seek compromise in this situation,” he said. “Why shouldn’t we exercise some independent thinking in this regards?”
The constitutional amendment process requires the exact same language win the approval of both chambers of the General Assembly in two consecutive but separately elected legislatures. That means after this year’s votes, the House and Senate would have to approve the measure once again in either 2013 or 2014. If they do, voters would have the final say in a November 2014 referendum, the Press reported.
Federal Government
US Census Bureau testing survey on LGBTQ households
Agency proposing questions about sexual orientation and gender identity
The U.S. Census Bureau is seeking public comment on a proposed test of sexual orientation and gender identity questions on the American Community Survey. The test would begin this summer and continue into next year.
The Census Bureau published the request as a Federal Register notice. In its press release the agency noted that the ACS is an ongoing survey that collects detailed housing and socioeconomic data. It allows the Census Bureau to provide timely and relevant housing and socioeconomic statistics, even for low levels of geography.
As part of the process for adding new questions to the ACS, the Census Bureau tests potential questions to evaluate the quality of the data collected.
The Census Bureau proposes testing questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to meet the needs of other federal agencies that have expressed interest in or have identified legal uses for the information, such as enforcing civil rights and equal employment measures.
The test would follow the protocols of the actual ACS — with one person asked to respond to the survey on behalf of the entire household. These particular questions are asked about people 15 years of age or older. Households are invited to respond to the survey online, by paper questionnaire or by phone.
The current Federal Register notice gives the public a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Census Bureau submits its recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The public may provide feedback through May 30 online.
The White House
Judy Shepard to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Nancy Pelosi is also among this year’s honorees
Beloved LGBTQ advocate Judy Shepard is among the 19 honorees who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the U.S., the White House announced on Friday.
The mother of Matthew Shepard, who was killed in 1998 in the country’s most notorious anti-gay hate crime, she co-founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation with her husband Dennis to raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ violence.
The organization runs education, outreach, and advocacy programs, many focused on schools.
In a statement shared via the Human Rights Campaign, Shepard said, “This unexpected honor has been very humbling for me, Dennis, and our family. What makes us proud is knowing our President and our nation share our lifelong commitment to making this world a safer, more loving, more respectful, and more peaceful place for everyone.
“I am grateful to everyone whose love and support for our work through the years has sustained me.
“If I had the power to change one thing, I can only dream of the example that Matt’s life and purpose would have shown, had he lived. This honor reminds the world that his life, and every life, is precious.”
Shepard was instrumental in working with then-President Barack Obama for passage of the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, which was led in the House by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who will also be honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom during the ceremony on Friday.
Also in 2009, Shepard published a memoir, “The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed,” and was honored with the Black Tie Dinner Elizabeth Birch Equality Award.
“Judy Shepard has been a champion for equality and President Biden’s choice to honor her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom is a testament to what she’s done to be a force of good in the world,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“A mother who turned unspeakable grief over the loss of her son into a decades-long fight against anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence, Judy continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said.
“It is because of her advocacy that the first federal hate crimes legislation became law and that countless life-saving trainings, resources and conversations about equality and acceptance are provided each year by the Matthew Shepard Foundation,” Robinson said. “We are honored that Judy is a member of the HRC family and know that her work to create a more inclusive and just world will only continue.”
Other awardees who will be honored by the White House this year are: Actor Michelle Yeoh, entrepreneur and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jesuit Catholic priest Gregory Boyle, Assistant House Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), former Labor and Education Secretary and former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), journalist and former daytime talkshow host Phil Donahue, World War II veteran and civil rights activist Medgar Evers (posthumous), former Vice President Al Gore, civil rights activist and lawyer Clarence B. Jones, former Secretary of State and U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) (posthumous), Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, educator and activist Opal Lee, astronaut and former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Ellen Ochoa, astronomer Jane Rigby, United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero, and Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe (posthumous).
National
United Methodist Church removes 40-year ban on gay clergy
Delegates also voted for other LGBTQ-inclusive measures
The United Methodist Church on Wednesday removed a ban on gay clergy that was in place for more than 40 years, voting to also allow LGBTQ weddings and end prohibitions on the use of United Methodist funds to “promote acceptance of homosexuality.”
Overturning the policy forbidding the church from ordaining “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” effectively formalized a practice that had caused an estimated quarter of U.S. congregations to leave the church.
The New York Times notes additional votes “affirming L.G.B.T.Q. inclusion in the church are expected before the meeting adjourns on Friday.” Wednesday’s measures were passed overwhelmingly and without debate. Delegates met in Charlotte, N.C.
According to the church’s General Council on Finance and Administration, there were 5,424,175 members in the U.S. in 2022 with an estimated global membership approaching 10 million.
The Times notes that other matters of business last week included a “regionalization” plan, which gave autonomy to different regions such that they can establish their own rules on matters including issues of sexuality — about which international factions are likelier to have more conservative views.
Rev. Kipp Nelson of St. Johns’s on the Lake Methodist Church in Miami shared a statement praising the new developments:
“It is a glorious day in the United Methodist Church. As a worldwide denomination, we have now publicly proclaimed the boundless love of God and finally slung open the doors of our church so that all people, no matter their identities or orientations, may pursue the calling of their hearts.
“Truly, all are loved and belong here among us. I am honored to serve as a pastor in the United Methodist Church for such a time as this, for our future is bright and filled with hope. Praise be, praise be.”
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