Queer News

MsTinkerbelly · 07-08-2015, 08:36 AM

The Oregon Legislature, is the first to pass a bill to hire a coordinator to assist veterans with "less than honorable" discharges due to sexual orientation, to get them changed to honorable.

The bill now goes to the desk of the Governor for signature.

The full story can be found at LBGTQnation.com

MsTinkerbelly · 07-17-2015, 01:07 AM

The EEOC ruled today that gay men and women are protected in the workplace by the 1964 Civil Rights Act!

The government is working on expanding those protections, as individual states are trying to keep discrimination on the books.

The story is on LGBTQnation.com

puddin' · 07-24-2015, 04:11 PM

http://www.afterellen.com/people/444...abundance-2015

puddin' · 07-27-2015, 03:14 PM

http://www.wbtv.com/story/29269176/j...nttype=generic

Jesse · 07-27-2015, 06:31 PM

Boy Scouts vote to allow gay scout leaders. The vote had a 79% approval.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...l_nbn_20150727

Cin · 11-12-2015, 07:43 AM

Utah judge orders baby taken away from married lesbian foster parents

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...foster-parents

Cin · 11-13-2015, 12:00 PM

Update:
Utah authorities fight judge’s order to remove baby from lesbian foster parents

Utah state officials have announced they will fight a judge’s order that a baby girl be taken away from her married lesbian foster parents and placed with a heterosexual couple.

Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services said on Thursday that it would go to an appeals court if state juvenile Judge Scott Johansen did not rescind his decision.

The state agency said the judge went against its recommendation that the baby should stay with April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce, a married couple in Price, Utah.

In his decision Johansen claimed research had shown children did better when raised by heterosexual families.

Utah’s Republican governor, Gary Herbert, said on Thursday that the judge should apply the law rather than his personal beliefs. Herbert said he was puzzled by the ruling , which shocked rights groups and prompted a tweet from the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that being a good parent “has nothing to do with sexual orientation – thousands of families prove that”.

Herbert said: “He may not like the law, but he should follow the law. We don’t want to have activism on the bench in any way, shape or form.”

Herbert added that the judge should not “inject his own personal beliefs and feelings in superseding the law”.

The judge’s order calls for the baby girl the couple has been raising for three months to be taken away within a week.

April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce said the judge claimed that research showed children did better when raised by heterosexual couples. A Utah courts spokeswoman, Nancy Volmer, said judicial rules mean Johansen could not discuss the case.

Hoagland said: “We’ve been told to care for this child like a mother would, and I am her mother, I mean that’s who she knows.

“And she’s just going to be taken away in seven days, to another probably good, loving home, but it’s just, it’s not fair, and it’s not right and it just hurts me really badly.”

The ruling came during a routine hearing for Hoagland and Peirce. They are part of a group of same-sex married couples who were allowed to become foster parents in Utah after the recent US supreme court ruling that made gay marriage legal across the country, said a spokeswoman for the state’s family services agency, Ashley Sumner.

“We are shattered,” Hoagland told the Salt Lake City television station KUTV. “It hurts me really badly because I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Peirce added: “He’s never been in our home, never spent time with the child in our home or our other children so he doesn’t know anything about this.”

A full transcript of the ruling has not been made public, and may not be because court records of cases involving foster children were kept private to protect the children, Sumner said.

Sumner said she could not speak to specifics of the case but confirmed that the couple’s account of the ruling is accurate – the judge’s decision was based on the couple being lesbians. The agency was not aware of any issues with their parenting, she said.

Hoagland and Peirce had passed background checks, interviews and home inspections.

The couple said they had planned to adopt the infant with her birth mother’s blessing. Their family already includes Peirce’s biological children, aged 12 and 14.

Peirce told the Salt Lake City Tribune that the childcare agency and a court-appointed representative for the child also supported the couple, “so the only thing standing in the way is the judge”.

The judge’s ruling prompted a heated response from the Human Rights Campaign, which called it “outrageous, shocking and unjust”.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/utah...oster-parents/

07-08-2015, 08:36 AM	#1
MsTinkerbelly Timed Out - TOS Drama How Do You Identify?: ... Preferred Pronoun?: ... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: ... Posts: 6,573 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,737 Thanked 22,907 Times in 5,017 Posts Rep Power: 0	Military news The Oregon Legislature, is the first to pass a bill to hire a coordinator to assist veterans with "less than honorable" discharges due to sexual orientation, to get them changed to honorable. The bill now goes to the desk of the Governor for signature. The full story can be found at LBGTQnation.com

07-17-2015, 01:07 AM	#2
MsTinkerbelly Timed Out - TOS Drama How Do You Identify?: ... Preferred Pronoun?: ... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: ... Posts: 6,573 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,737 Thanked 22,907 Times in 5,017 Posts Rep Power: 0	EEOC major ruling The EEOC ruled today that gay men and women are protected in the workplace by the 1964 Civil Rights Act! The government is working on expanding those protections, as individual states are trying to keep discrimination on the books. The story is on LGBTQnation.com

07-24-2015, 04:11 PM	#3
puddin' Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: a genderqueer nuisance Preferred Pronoun?: bitchboi Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: new zealand Posts: 7,120 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,467 Thanked 7,962 Times in 2,340 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	a good article me thinks... http://www.afterellen.com/people/444...abundance-2015 __________________ be true, be you, be brave.

07-27-2015, 03:14 PM	#4
puddin' Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: a genderqueer nuisance Preferred Pronoun?: bitchboi Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: new zealand Posts: 7,120 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,467 Thanked 7,962 Times in 2,340 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	the man said no not today... http://www.wbtv.com/story/29269176/j...nttype=generic __________________ be true, be you, be brave.

07-27-2015, 06:31 PM	#5
Jesse Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Transguy Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Central West Coast of Florida Posts: 5,204 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 34,866 Thanked 17,784 Times in 3,940 Posts Rep Power: 21474857	Boy Scouts vote to allow gay scout leaders. The vote had a 79% approval. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...l_nbn_20150727 __________________ “You’re so hard on yourself. Take a moment. Sit back. Marvel at your life: at the grief that softened you, at the heartache that widened you, at the suffering that strengthened you. Despite everything, you still grow. Be proud of this.”

11-12-2015, 07:43 AM	#6
Cin Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: Truly Madly Deeply Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: In My Head Posts: 2,814 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,333 Thanked 10,404 Times in 2,476 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	Utah judge orders baby taken away from married lesbian foster parents http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...foster-parents

11-13-2015, 12:00 PM	#7
Cin Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: Truly Madly Deeply Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: In My Head Posts: 2,814 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,333 Thanked 10,404 Times in 2,476 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	Update: Utah authorities fight judge’s order to remove baby from lesbian foster parents Utah state officials have announced they will fight a judge’s order that a baby girl be taken away from her married lesbian foster parents and placed with a heterosexual couple. Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services said on Thursday that it would go to an appeals court if state juvenile Judge Scott Johansen did not rescind his decision. The state agency said the judge went against its recommendation that the baby should stay with April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce, a married couple in Price, Utah. In his decision Johansen claimed research had shown children did better when raised by heterosexual families. Utah’s Republican governor, Gary Herbert, said on Thursday that the judge should apply the law rather than his personal beliefs. Herbert said he was puzzled by the ruling , which shocked rights groups and prompted a tweet from the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton that being a good parent “has nothing to do with sexual orientation – thousands of families prove that”. Herbert said: “He may not like the law, but he should follow the law. We don’t want to have activism on the bench in any way, shape or form.” Herbert added that the judge should not “inject his own personal beliefs and feelings in superseding the law”. The judge’s order calls for the baby girl the couple has been raising for three months to be taken away within a week. April Hoagland and Beckie Peirce said the judge claimed that research showed children did better when raised by heterosexual couples. A Utah courts spokeswoman, Nancy Volmer, said judicial rules mean Johansen could not discuss the case. Hoagland said: “We’ve been told to care for this child like a mother would, and I am her mother, I mean that’s who she knows. “And she’s just going to be taken away in seven days, to another probably good, loving home, but it’s just, it’s not fair, and it’s not right and it just hurts me really badly.” The ruling came during a routine hearing for Hoagland and Peirce. They are part of a group of same-sex married couples who were allowed to become foster parents in Utah after the recent US supreme court ruling that made gay marriage legal across the country, said a spokeswoman for the state’s family services agency, Ashley Sumner. “We are shattered,” Hoagland told the Salt Lake City television station KUTV. “It hurts me really badly because I haven’t done anything wrong.” Peirce added: “He’s never been in our home, never spent time with the child in our home or our other children so he doesn’t know anything about this.” A full transcript of the ruling has not been made public, and may not be because court records of cases involving foster children were kept private to protect the children, Sumner said. Sumner said she could not speak to specifics of the case but confirmed that the couple’s account of the ruling is accurate – the judge’s decision was based on the couple being lesbians. The agency was not aware of any issues with their parenting, she said. Hoagland and Peirce had passed background checks, interviews and home inspections. The couple said they had planned to adopt the infant with her birth mother’s blessing. Their family already includes Peirce’s biological children, aged 12 and 14. Peirce told the Salt Lake City Tribune that the childcare agency and a court-appointed representative for the child also supported the couple, “so the only thing standing in the way is the judge”. The judge’s ruling prompted a heated response from the Human Rights Campaign, which called it “outrageous, shocking and unjust”. http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/utah...oster-parents/