Gay & Lesbian

  WILTON MANORS, Fla. , Aug. 29, 2014 /  -- With a large portion of its population unable to enjoy the legal rights and privileges that millions of married Floridians take for granted, the City of Wilton Manors applauds the recent court rulings in our state which find that the ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. The most recent came from U.S District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle of Tallahassee on August 21 . "Those who enter opposite-sex marriages are harmed not at all when others are given the liberty to choose their own life partners and are shown the respect that comes with formal marriage. Tolerating views with which one disagrees is a hallmark of civilized society," Judge Hinkle wrote. The Judge stayed his decision pending appeal to a higher court, but he predicts future Floridians and Americans will look back on the ban on same sex marriage with curiosity and contempt. "When observers look back 50 years from now, the arguments suppor...

  The United Nations (UN) has begun to recognize same-sex marriages of all its staff members worldwide, regardless of whether the employee`s home country recognizes such unions, the world body announced on Monday, though some UN agencies are not covered by the new policy. UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the policy change was communicated in an internal bulletin to staff last Thursday, but it was not made public until Monday afternoon. UN-GLOBE - a group representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and inter-sex (LGBTI) UN staff members - hailed the announcement as a "historic achievement." In the July 3 bulletin, the world body said it would now determine the personal status of an employee by the law of the competent authority under which the personal status was established. Previously, a staff member`s personal status was determined by the laws applicable in their country of nationality. As such, employees who are citizen of a country that ...

WASHINGTON , July 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, President Obama issued an Executive Order mandating that all federal contractors and subcontractors grant special treatment to the politically-charged categories of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in the workplace. Peter Sprigg , Family Research Council's Senior Fellow for Policy Studies, released the following statement: "President Obama has ordered employers to put aside their principles, and practices in the name of political correctness. This level of coercion is nothing less than viewpoint blackmail that bullies into silence every contractor and subcontractor who has moral objections to homosexual behavior. This order gives activists a license to challenge their employers and, expose those employers to threats of costly legal proceedings and the potential of jeopardizing future contracts. "Religious faith is not simply a matter of intellectual affirmation ...

  On Tuesday July 1st 2014 , the new Danzza ( http://www.danzza.nl ) website went live internationally. After months of development we have introduced a unique website for people who are searching for an ovum donor, sperm donor or surrogate mother.  You can create a personal profile and then use the available search engine for searches with criteria including hair and eye colour, background, etc.  For many, the often near-impossible search for a donor or surrogate mother will become a more viable option through our website. Because this site is now available in various languages, we can also help people in Spain , Germany and the UK.  Commercial donorship laws in these countries are different to those in the Netherlands.  This will bring with it a level of commotion, given that commercial donorship is not allowed in the Netherlands but is legal in countries such as Spain and Russia . Danzza ' s aim   Danzza's goal is to responsib...

NEW YORK , July 2, 2014 /  Please attribute the following statement to Bill White & Bryan Eure:  "We've just passed the three-year mark since marriage equality was approved on our home state of New York - which means our own three-year anniversary is right around the corner," said veteran and military advocate, entrepreneur and CEO of Constellations Group  Bill White  and his husband, Bryan Eure , SVP at Willis, a leading commercial insurance broker.  "On the day of our wedding, David Boies joined us for life in a gesture of love and commitment. These same values formed his commitment to men and women in California and all over the US on whose behalf he fought selflessly two years later to successfully battle Proposition 8 at the Supreme Court. We can't wait to read the book which details the behind-the-scenes take of the Prop 8 case this summer. "For the rest of our lives, when we think of our wedding and the forces that join us,...

TORONTO , June 25, 2014   - Although exploring one's sexual identity can be an ongoing process, it can be particularly complex for LGBTQ youth – young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer or questioning – as they realize they may have to cope with stigma, discrimination, and social intolerance. LGBTQ youth often face many challenges that contribute to putting them at greater risk for violence, abuse, isolation, mental illness, homelessness, and suicide. As a frequent first-point of contact for these young people, Kids Help Phone is enhancing its support for LGBTQ youth with the launch of new information, tips and tools at kidshelpphone.ca. This initiative was generously funded jointly by TD Bank Group and Ecclesiastical Insurance Office. For teens, Kids Help Phone's newly updated Sexual Orientation content includes practical information that can also be helpful to LGBTQ youth and their parents, teachers, and peers. Visitors c...

NEW YORK , June 23, 2014   -- According to YouGov's LGBT Omnibus research results LGBT responders find the media overly represented by beautiful, rich people.  Four in ten (40%) heterosexual Americans think there are too many gay men and lesbian women (34%) in the media.       As well as comparing attitudes to media representation, marriage and morality we took a look at prevailing myths.  Although men gay and heterosexual men are more confident with a tire change lesbian women are best with a flat pack.  77% of lesbian women are confident building IKEA style furniture compared to 58% of heterosexual men. YouGov surveyed 1024 LGB and 969 heterosexual adults between 6th - 10th June 2014 and looking at Marriage, Media, Myths and Morality.  Full survey results can be accessed here: http://research.yougov.com/news/2014/06/02/americans-would-support-right-be-forgotten/ In the Media  We asked both groups how well the media p...