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Today’s Top Headlines

Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban
Guilty Verdict in NYC Beating Death of Immigrant
Australia’s 1st Woman Prime Minister is Against Gay Marriage
Rugby Club Fined for Homophobic Chants by Fans

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Castleford have been fined £40,000 by the Rugby Football League after fans aimed homophobic abuse at Crusaders winger Gareth Thomas. Thomas, 35, announced in December 2009 that he was gay. “The RFL finds homosexual abuse unacceptable, which is reflected in the size of the fine,” RFL spokesman John Ledger told BBC Sport. Castleford chief executive Richard Wright said he was “shocked” by the decision, adding the club will appeal.

Read the full story from the BBC.

In a major blow for campaigners, New Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made it clear she does not support legalising gay marriage. She has told the Austereo show that Labor policy on gay marriage will remain the same under her leadership. “We believe the marriage act is appropriate in its current form, that is recognising that marriage is between a man and a woman, but we have as a government taken steps to equalise treatment for gay couples,” she said. Ms Gillard says it’s her personal view.

Read the full story from Gay NZ.

A man was convicted Monday of murder as a hate crime during his retrial on charges that he beat an Ecuadorean immigrant with an aluminum baseball bat after mistaking him and his brother for a gay couple. Jurors deliberated for about seven hours before convicting Keith Phoenix in the death of Jose Sucuzhanay. He also was convicted of attempted assault as a hate crime in the attack on Romel Sucuzhanay. The trial started about six weeks after the mistrial was declared on May 11 when a juror refused to deliberate.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

he Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld the state’s constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions. In a 7-0 ruling, the court on Wednesday ruled that the 2006 constitutional amendment was properly put to voters in a statewide referendum. The court rejected a lawsuit that claimed the amendment violated a rule that limits referendum questions to a single subject. The lawsuit, filed by a voter opposed to the amendment, argued that gay marriage and civil unions were two different subjects.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

 

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Today’s Top Headlines

Fort Worth Police and Gay Leaders Gather Year After Raid
Joan Rivers Urges Gay Stars to ‘Stay in the Closet’
Case Challenges Military Gay Ban
Hate Crimes in Ireland Rise ‘Significantly’

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A homophobic attack on two gay men in Derry has been widely condemned. The two, aged 22 and 38, were targeted and beaten by three men in the city early on Saturday. Details of the incident were made public yesterday. The incident has prompted the PSNI to admit that the rate of such attacks in the area has risen significantly in the past year. Insp Tony Callaghan said: “I believe there are low-level hate incidents that happen on a daily basis. Whether it’s race based, religion based, sectarian, homophobic or relating to disabilities. People out there are suffering in silence.”

Read the full story from the Irish Times.

A judge has agreed to hear a case challenging the U.S. government’s “don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy against openly gay soldiers. Lawyer Dan Woods says U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips in Riverside, Calif. agreed Monday to send the case to trial July 13. Woods is representing the Log Cabin Republicans, a group rights group. He says the group hopes to end the 1993 policy by having it declared unconstitutional.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.

Joan Rivers has caused controversy by urging gay stars not to reveal their true sexuality – because coming out could damage their career. The outspoken comedienne is adamant show business is still difficult for homosexual stars, and she’s convinced they would be better off keeping their love life private until they become well-established as an artist. And Rivers cites singer Ricky Martin, who revealed he’s gay in March after years of speculation, as an example.

Read the full story from SF Gate.

Fort Worth police marked the first anniversary of a controversial raid on a gay bar by having dinner with the owner and patrons as a sign of unity. Chief Jeff Halstead was on hand Monday night at the barbecue dinner at the Rainbow Lounge with operator David Schrock, who welcomed the improved relations with police. It was June 28, 2009, when several patrons were arrested during a raid that left one man seriously hurt. A task force was later appointed to try to improve Fort Worth’s relations with gays.

Read the full story from the Dallas Morning News.

 

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Today’s Top Headlines

Iceland’s Prime Minister Marries Lesbian Partner
Man Dead, 2 Injured After San Francisco Gay Pride Shooting
US Supreme Court Says Christian Group Can’t Bar Gays
Gay Former NFL Player Esera Tuaolo Charged with Domestic Assault

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Thousands of revelers gathered in downtown San Francisco for the 40th annual gay pride parade on Sunday, one day after a related celebration turned deadly with a shooting at a street party. Stephen Powell, 19, was among three people shot late Saturday night during the city’s “Pink Saturday” event that precedes the parade. Powell died early Sunday from gunshot wounds to the chest, authorities said. A 19-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man also were injured, each shot in the leg, but are expected to survive, said Officer Samson Chan, a police spokesman.

Read the full story from the Los Angeles Times.

A former Minnesota Vikings player was arrested this week and accused of domestic assault in North Oaks. Esera Tuaolo was charged in Ramsey County with domestic assault, assault and disorderly conduct — all misdemeanors. Tuaolo, 41, of Eden Prairie, could not be reached for comment Friday. According to the incident report, Ramsey County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 5:45 p.m. Sunday on a report of a domestic assault. Tuaolo is accused of assaulting the person near the 300 block of County Road 96 in North Oaks. It is unclear who the alleged victim was.

Read the full story from the Pioneer Press.

An ideologically split Supreme Court ruled Monday that a law school can legally deny recognition to a Christian student group that won’t let gays join. The court turned away an appeal from the Christian Legal Society, which sued to get funding and recognition from the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. The CLS requires that voting members sign a statement of faith and regards “unrepentant participation in or advocacy of a sexually immoral lifestyle” as being inconsistent with that faith. But Hastings said no recognized campus groups may exclude people due to religious belief or sexual orientation. The court on a 5-4 judgment upheld the lower court rulings saying the Christian group’s First Amendment rights of association, free speech and free exercise were not violated by the college’s decision.

Read the full story from the Huffington Post.

Iceland’s prime minister has married her partner under a new law legalizing same-sex marriage in the country. One of her advisers, Hrannar B. Arnarsson, said Monday Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir and writer Jonina Leosdottir were officially married Sunday, the day the law came into force. The pair has been in a registered partnership since 2002 and had applied to have it converted into a marriage under the new law. No ceremony was held.

Read the full story from the Associated Press.