Man Testifies in Transgender Killing
MICHELLE LOCKE
Associated Press
HAYWARD, Calif. - An angry confrontation over whether a transgender teen was male or female began abruptly the night she was killed, with one suspect grabbing the teen's neck and demanding the truth, a man who was at the 2002 party testified Monday.

Jaron Nabors said he and two other suspects joined in questioning the pretty 17-year-old they knew as "Lida." He said they urged her to physically reveal whether she was a man or a woman, to which she replied, "I'm not going to let you molest me."

The teen, Eddie "Gwen" Araujo, who lived as a woman, was killed later that night.



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Sermon points out that slavery was Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
The Guardian

In a move likely to provoke renewed aggravation from conservative evangelicals, Canon Jeffrey John, the dean of St Albans, yesterday broke his silence in a sermon in which he reminded the Church of England that Jesus excluded no "untouchables" such as homosexuals from his special care.

The dean, who is gay, attacked "prejudice, bigotry and oppression" within the church, and said Jesus himself was condemned to death by fundamentalist zealots who believed they were obeying scripture - remarks which mirror the argument of his opponents that they are defending biblical orthodoxy in opposing his ministry.

The words will sting because Dr John, canon theologian at Southwark cathedral, uses biblical arguments against the evangelicals. They have insisted that he should not be allowed to challenge the church's policy and that his appointment defies biblical injunctions against homosexuals.


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Mass. Gov. to Ban Gay Marriage for Out-Of-State Couples
By Mark Wilkinson
BOSTON (Reuters) - Gay rights groups criticized Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Monday for his decision to forbid gay couples from other states from marrying in his jurisdiction and called the move was unconstitutional.

Gay marriage is set to become legal in Massachusetts on May 17 and Romney said at the weekend he would implement a state law dating back to 1913 that bans out-of-state couples from marrying in Massachusetts if the marriage was illegal under the laws of their home state.

The Republican governor, however, would allow couples from jurisdictions where gay marriage is legal, such as the province of Ontario in Canada, to marry.

Gay rights groups said Romney was stretching the limits of his own power in enforcing the 91 year-old law.


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Lesbian minister's trial to be central topic at Methodist meeting
By RACHEL ZOLL
AP RELIGION WRITER
After three decades of disagreement over what the Bible says about homosexuality, the church trial of a lesbian minister has sharpened the debate for the United Methodist Church as it prepares for a national meeting that occurs once every four years.

The church's General Conference, which starts Tuesday in Pittsburgh and lasts until May 7, will take up the question of gays' role in the church amid bitter feelings over the case of the Rev. Karen Dammann.

Last month, a jury acquitted Dammann - a minister now on leave from her Ellensburg, Wash., church who had disclosed she was in a committed relationship with a woman - of practices the denomination has declared are incompatible with Christianity. The church bars ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians.

Traditionalists have called the ruling a "schismatic act" that flouted Methodist law. Their anger is expected to infuse the assembly.


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ACLU Blasts School Officials for Illegally Censoring Gay Student

NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union has come to the aid of a gay student at James Baxter Hunt, Jr. High School in Wilson, North Carolina, criticizing the school for removing two posters promoting his campaign for student body president and demanding that it take steps to remedy its illegal censorship.  
Jarred Gamwell beside his censored campaign posters

“All I wanted to do was be open about who I am and let other students know that if they elect me president I'll welcome and accept diversity and a variety of ideas,” said Jarred Gamwell, a 17-year-old junior who hopes to become an English teacher.  He added, “I’m ready to fight for the rights of students at my school, but I didn't expect to have to fight for my own rights first.” 

On Tuesday, April 20, Jarred put up some campaign posters, as all the candidates are allowed to do, and went to his Honors Band class.  When his class ended, Jarred discovered two of the posters -- one with the slogan “Queer Eye for Hunt High” and another reading “Gay Guys Know Everything!” -- had been taken down.  Jarred went to school administrators and discovered that it was Principal Bill Williamson who had ordered the removal of the posters.  

The next day, Jarred met with Williamson and asked why the posters were taken down.  The principal refused to answer, so Jarred left a list of questions about why the posters had been removed and asked for a response in writing.  Williamson let Jarred take the posters when he left.  On Thursday, Jarred asked again, but Williamson again refused to answer any questions about the incident, telling Jarred that principals don't have to explain their actions to students.  No other candidates’ posters have been taken down by school officials.