COUNTY LOSES APPEAL TO CONTINUE TEACHING BIBLE CLASS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS


The federal appeals court in Cincinnati has upheld a ruling that ended the teaching of Bible classes in an East Tennessee county's public schools.

A three-judge panel sustained the February 2002 ruling by District Court Judge R. Allen Edgar that the classes, which had been taught in Rhea County schools for 50 years, violated the separation of church and state.

Rhea County school superintendent Sue Porter says she's disappointed, but not surprised. She says the school board will likely discuss whether to mount further appeals when they meet Thursday night.

The appeals judges said that despite school officials saying the classes were value-driven -- teaching responsibility and positive morals -- they were "also teaching the Bible as religious truth."


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Crowd gathers in Florence for marriage preservation rally
Associated Press


FLORENCE, Ala. - A crowd gathered at a marriage preservation rally in Florence to defend the traditional male-female marital structure.

"Citizens of the Shoals for the Preservation of Marriage" organized the rally, which was moved from the front of the Lauderdale County Courthouse to the city parking deck because of rain.

Organizers estimated the turnout Sunday afternoon at 1,500.


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Study: Ballot Questions on Gay Marriage Harmful to Communities
Gfn.com News


AMHERST, Mass.—This fall voters in a number of states, including Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah, will go to the polls to vote on whether same-sex couples should be denied equal marriage rights. A new report shows these elections may carry significant negative psychological and social consequences for local residents and for the community at large.

Research compiled by the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies, or IGLSS, says these referenda can affect the lives of both gay/lesbian/bisexual and heterosexual people in several ways.

The report, "The Dangers of a Same-Sex Marriage Referendum for Community and Individual Well-Being," finds that referenda on same-sex marriage can lead to serious negative psychological consequences for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.

"These elections create high levels of psychological and social stress for many LGBT individuals as well as for the children of lesbian and gay families," said Glenda Russell, author of the report and the Acting Executive Director of IGLSS. "Studies have demonstrated that these elections can lead to increased anxiety, depression, alienation, and isolation in LGBT people."