Gay victory for prom girl McMillen

A federal judge has ruled that a student’s rights were violated when her school refused her and her girlfriend permission to attend its prom.

Earlier this month Itawamba Agricultural High School in Mississippi denied senior student Constance McMillen’s request to wear a tuxedo and escort her girlfriend to the event.

After Miss McMillen challenged the decision via the American Civil Liberties Union, the school decided to cancel the prom informing the students they would have to organize their own private function.

The case has in the past week grabbed world media attention following the American Civil Liberties Union’s decision to sue and force the school to reverse the decision.

An outpouring of public support for the student has since snow-balled - including an invitation to appear on the Ellen Degeneres’s Talk Show where Miss McMillen received encouragement from the host and a $30,000 university scholarship.

Kristy Bennett, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, said: “Prom is supposed to be about all students being able to express themselves, have fun, and make memories that will last the rest of their lives.

“Constance has a constitutional right to take the person she’s dating to the prom, just like any other student at any other public school.”

This week the court ruled the school’s decision unconstitutional but declined to force it to reschedule the event since a replacement private function had already been announced – open to all students, including McMillen.

The ACLU quoted the 18 year old in its announcement celebrating the outcome: “It feels really good that the court realized that the school was violating my rights and discriminating against me by cancelling the prom. All I ever wanted was for my school to treat me and my girlfriend like any other couple that wants to go to prom

“Now we can all get back to things like picking out our prom night outfits and thinking about corsages”

Several gay and lesbian students have since taken Constance’s lead, challenging similar same sex discrimination at their schools in regards to prom events.

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U.S. Military Personnel: Gays are OK

A new survey conducted among Iraq and Afghanistan service veterans reveals that military personnel feel ‘very’ comfortable with gays serving openly in the armed forces.

The poll carried out by Lake Research Partners and American Viewpoint, Inc registered an overwhelming majority of 73% responding positively when asked how comfortable they would feel serving along gays and lesbians open about their sexuality.

Sixty percent agreed that sexual orientation has no bearing on a service member’s ability to perform their duties, including 42% who strongly agree.

Overall 81% serving in the Air Force, 78% in the Navy, 67% in the Army, and 68% in the Marines agreed it was acceptable to let gay personnel not only serve, but to be open about their sexuality.

Currently, gay men and women are permitted to serve in the U.S. military as long as their sexuality is not disclosed.

The highly controversial Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy which prevents gays and lesbians from serving openly was introduced by the Clinton administration in 1993.

Mounting criticism of the policy, both within and outside the military, is putting pressure on the U.S. government to repeal the law.

Results of the survey which was announced by the Vet Voice Foundation show that the notion that today’s military members are uncomfortable around gay and lesbian people is unfounded says the report.

‘This recent bipartisan survey, conducted among service members in the United States, in many ways runs counter to the idea being asserted by many, that service members in the military cannot handle this change [Gay military personnel disclosing their sexuality]’ comments Vet Voice Foundation.

Notably, it is younger Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have the most positive attitude towards their gay colleagues. Eighty percent of veterans aged below 35 said they were personally comfortable serving alongside gays and lesbians.

Last month the US military’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff publicly denounced DADT calling for its withdrawal.

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Related link: http://www.vetvoicefoundation.com/new?id=0002

GaGa and Beyonce go Gay in new video

Lady GaGa and Beyonce play lovers on the run in a nine minute promo to accompany their new single, “Telephone”.

The video, which mimics female fugitive flick “Thelma & Louise” opens with GaGa arriving in prison, suitably flamboyant with tongue firmly implanted in cheek.

Same-sex innuendo features from the get go with uber-butch female prison wardens and jail-birds alike ogling GaGa as she’s stripped and thrown in a cell.

Beyonce plays GaGa’s partner in crime, Honey B who bails her out and the two set off on a Thelma & Louise type murder spree poisoning the patrons of a diner.

The final shot shows the two stars clasping hands as they escape the crime scene in their ‘Pussy Wagon’.

Lady GaGa’s meteoric rise to fame has been fuelled by a strong gay following who hail her as the new Madonna. “Telephone” features on the singer’s second album The Fame Monster and was originally written with Britney Spears in mind.

In support of her core fan base GaGa, real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, has become an advocate for gay rights.

Last October she joined the National Equality March in Washington in support of ending discrimination against the LGBT community.

She told Out magazine: “When I started in the mainstream it was the gays that lifted me up. I committed myself to them and they committed themselves to me, and because of the gay community I’m where I am today.”

Earlier this year the 24 year old hosted a Marriage Equality benefit in aid of same-sex partnerships.

“I feel intrinsically inclined toward a more gay lifestyle," She has said , "I myself am not a gay woman – I am a free-spirited woman.”

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Daniel Radcliffe: I’m not Gay, get over it!

Just because you support gay equality doesn’t mean you are necessarily gay - a highly complex concept that apparently seems to confound and amaze many people.

Harry Potter heartthrob Danielle Radcliffe has once again had to ‘deny’ persistent internet rumours that he prefers guys to girls.

When asked about it in an interview with MTV this week the young star said: “If people want to say that, they can. I’m not. I’m straight.”

“My favourite thing I saw was a guy on the internet who said, ‘Of course he’s gay – he’s got a gay face,’ which I thought was kind of an odd thing to say anyway” he laughed.

And the reason why?

The 20yo has proved himself to be one of that ultra rare commodity: straight men who actively support gay equality. Part and parcel of this is sometimes being on the receiving end of homophobia himself. Rather than let it get him down it inspires Radcliffe to take action.

After making a large donation to the Trevor Project, a suicide and crisis prevention helpline for LGBT people, he has now agreed to film an advert against homophobia.

Last year Radcliffe appeared on the cover of gay glossy “Attitude” and says he has always been outspoken when it comes to gay rights.

"I grew up knowing a lot of gay men, and it was never something that I even thought twice about—that some men were gay and some weren't," he recently explained to reporters in New York.

"And then I went to school and for the first time I came across homophobia. I had never encountered it before. It shocked me.

"I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals," he said. "Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it."

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