Louisville Ready To Ditch Gays
(Louisville, Kentucky) Gays and lesbians are expendable under proposals for a new human rights law in Louisville.


A Metro Council committee on Monday approved two versions of the civil rights ordinance: One that includes gays and one that does not.

Council must adopt some form of civil-rights law by the end of 2007 or, under the law that merges the city with the county, the existing legislation would be wiped from the books.

During a public hearing on the proposed ordinance the committee heard deputations from both sides of the issue.

The Rev. Cecil Blye Jr., of More Grace Ministries, an evangelical church, said  the council is being "hoodwinked and bamboozled" by gays.


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`Exorcism' at St. Paul cathedral investigated as hate crime
Associated Press


ST. PAUL - Police are investigating an informal exorcism at the Cathedral of St. Paul as a possible hate crime against homosexuals.

Authorities say the ritualistic sprinkling of blessed oil and salt around the church and in donation boxes amounted to costly vandalism.

The damage was discovered earlier this month after words were exchanged between members of the Rainbow Sash Alliance, a gay rights group, and an opposing group, Catholics Against Sacrilege.

The groups are at odds over homosexuals participating in communion.


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ACLU Sues Missouri School District
By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer


The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday sued a southwest Missouri school district for prohibiting a high school student from wearing gay pride-themed T-shirts.

The district has said the T-shirts were disruptive and therefore a violation of school dress code. The lawsuit filed in federal court also names Webb City High School Principal Stephen P. Gollhofer.

"Because I'm gay, my school is trying to take away my constitutional right as an American to express myself," the student, Brad Mathewson, said in a statement.


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Campuses are hot spots for sexual orientation hate crimes
ASU student groups combat discrimination with education
By Jenna Eckenrode


In a national 2003 report released by the FBI this month, hate crimes based on sexual orientation made up 17 percent of all hate crimes, with nearly half of those crimes taking place at schools or on college campuses.

Exactly 1,239 incidents were reported, which kept pace with 2002's numbers. Half of the hate crimes based on sexual orientation occurred at schools or on college campuses.





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Arizonans in poll split over amendment banning gay unions
Elvia Díaz
The Arizona Republic


Arizonans are split over a proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and they strongly support outlawing smoking in public places, a new statewide poll indicates.

The new poll suggests 49 percent of 372 registered voters surveyed last week favor amending the state's Constitution to ban same-sex marriages while 43 percent opposed it. Eight percent were undecided or had no opinio


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Student group sues University
CLS demands right to be selective with members
by Ryan Kost


ASU's Christian Legal Society is claiming in a lawsuit against ASU that the University's Student Code of Conduct's nondiscrimination policy discriminates against its beliefs.

ASU CLS members filed suit against the University Nov. 17 after a request to be exempt from a club nondiscrimination clause was denied by ASU administrators.

CLS spokesman Casey Mattox said the policy doesn't allow them to be selective with their membership, potentially forcing them to include as formal members students who are neither Christian nor uphold the Christian values they represent.



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L.A. Bishop Would Sacrifice Gay Rites For Unity 
by The Associated Press


(Los Angels, California) The Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles said he would stop blessing same-sex unions in an attempt to win back three breakaway Southern California parishes and appease conservative critics - but he also said his priests would be free to continue officiating at ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples.

Bishop Jon Bruno of the six-county Los Angeles diocese also called Tuesday for an international church summit in Los Angeles. He asked that it include African bishops who have claimed jurisdiction over the three parishes that bolted in mid-August from the Episcopal Church because of differences over Scripture and homosexuality.

The parishes - St. James Church in Newport Beach, All Saints' Church in Long Beach and St. David's Church in North Hollywood - said they had placed themselves under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Church in Uganda. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion.