Buju Banton Concerts Canceled Due To Gay-Bashing Lyrics

LOS ANGELES - Under pressure from the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, concert promoter monoliths LiveNation and AEG Live have each canceled upcoming concerts by Jamaican dancehall artist Buju Banton, including the AEG promoted October 14 date at Club Nokia. The artist, who has been decried for his homophobic lyrics, has long drawn the ire of gay rights activists for his invectives, and for the past decade the singer has attempted, to no avail, to make peace with his foes by repudiating his lyrics.
The LA Times scooped us on this this morning, but didn't offer a video clip of the Banton song that started the whole thing: the shockingly explicit "Boom Bye Bye" from 1992. Writes Pop & Hiss's August Brown of the song:
Banton, the popular Jamaican dance-hall singer, has drawn the ire of gay activist groups for years, in large part because of the violently homophobic lyrics of his 1992 single "Boom Bye Bye," which proposes pouring acid on homosexuals and shooting them in the head.
In a press release this morning, LA Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri L. Jean had this to say: "I hope this victory sends a deafeningly loud message to other promoters and concert venues that singers who glorify violence against LGBT people, or any group of people, should never be welcomed. It shouldn't be necessary for us to pressure promoters to do the right thing; people like Banton should never have been booked in the first place."
from LA Weekly

Soccer Tarnished By Cold-Shoulder To Gays

Marcello Lippi, Italy's World Cup-winning soccer manager who seems to have both feet planted in the 19th century, says he's never come across a gay player in his 40-odd years in the sport.
Clearly, Lippi needs to take an eye-opening trip to Milan.
There's a gay soccer team there, competing weekly in an amateur league. The players' sexuality doesn't affect how they play. The ball, after all, is round for everyone.
Last season, Nuova Kaos Milano finished a creditable fourth in its league of 16 teams, not bad considering their opponents frequently try harder against them to avoid the "dishonor" of losing to gay players, says Nuova Kaos defender Klaus Heusslein.
"Here, people think, 'They have to share the same changing room. Who knows what might happen if they have gays in the locker room? They might attack people,'" says Heusslein, a 48-year-old German who lives and works in Milan.
"In Italy, it will take another 100 years to get rid of these misconceptions."
How depressing.
It's a terrible blemish on soccer that homophobia remains so rife in the sport. As long as there are no openly gay players in the English Premier League and elsewhere at the top of the game, the shiny gloss bought by soccer's wealth — in new stadiums, multimillionaire players and such like — is nothing but cheap veneer.
That players have their own perfume and fashion lines but still don't feel safe enough to be able to say that they are gay is a damning indictment on the sport. The smoke-filled backrooms may have vanished, but archaic mentalities remain. That was proved by the hooliganism that scarred an English League Cup match between West Ham and Millwall this week, where several hundred people confronted each other and hurled bottles and bricks at police officers. Those likely were the same kind of so-called fans who have taunted players with racist and homophobic abuse.
True, soccer is not alone in being behind the times. Institutional intolerance in many sports has meant that far too few top-level athletes have felt comfortable saying they are gay. All the more reason, therefore, why the world's most popular sport should take the lead. Peddling outdated views, as Lippi did this week, does soccer no favors. His comments were particularly unseemly given recent violence that has targeted gays in Rome.
Lippi, in a video interview with the Internet-broadcast program KlausCondicio, said he would advise gay players to stay in the closet. Because of the huge amount of attention that soccer gets in Italy, a gay soccer couple would create scandal if they came out, he argued.
"If a player came to me and confessed his homosexuality, I'd advise him not to express it, because it would create problems and could be exploited," he said. "I don't think it would be possible in football to have a relationship of this type. Maybe it already exists, I don't know."
Somewhere in Italy, perhaps in the national team he coaches or in the Serie A sides that Lippi once managed or played for, secretly gay players must have been shaking their heads.
Heusslein, the openly gay amateur, certainly did.
"It's just repeating the same old stereotypes," he said. "He's either blind or he's stupid."
"He should ask himself what really would be the problem if he had gays on his team. Would that change his capacity to play, would it change his skills?" Heusslein asked. "People should see what they are doing on the field, not what they doing in their own bedrooms."
According to British gay-rights campaigners, mentalities are only moderately more enlightened in the Premier League. The chanting of homophobic abuse by fans has been banned, on paper at least, at grounds since the start of the 2007-2008 season, and police this year charged 11 men who hurled abuse at former England defender Sol Campbell.
Nevertheless, the only top British player to date to have gone public was Justin Fashanu. The former Nottingham Forest and Norwich City striker hanged himself in 1998, fearful that because he was gay he wouldn't get a fair trial in the United States on sexual assault charges.
Activist Peter Tatchell, a friend of Fashanu's, says he knows of several gay players in the Premier League who want to come out but dare not because they are concerned that their clubs and sponsors wouldn't support them. This despite the fact that Tatchell believes British soccer has progressed sufficiently since Fashanu's death for gay players to be able to go public.
"They'd get a rough ride from some teammates and some fans for a while, but eventually it would calm down and most people would accept them," he says. "They'd also get quite a lot of support and admiration from liberal-minded fans."
That day, when it comes, will be a moment to celebrate because it will show that soccer is becoming the all-inclusive sport it professes to be. As a leader in the sport, Lippi should be a force for such progress, not standing in its way.
from The Associated Press

Just One Look...#115

'Penis Burning' Wife Accused Of Murder

A jealous wife who allegedly set her husband's penis on fire will answer a murder charge in October.
Rajini Narayan appeared briefly in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, charged with the murder of her husband.
The mother of three allegedly set fire to the genitals of her husband, Satish Narayan, in December last year.
Mr Narayan suffered major burns in the blaze and died several weeks later.
The fire also gutted the family's home in Unley, leaving a damage bill of $1 million.
A previous court hearing in January heard Narayan had told neighbours: "I'm a jealous wife, his penis should belong to me, I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else ... I didn't mean this to happen."
In court on Friday, the case against Narayan, 44, was adjourned until October 30, when she will answer charges of murder, arson and endangering life.
from The Sydney Morning Herald

Agents Involved In Rainbow Lounge Inspection Are Fired

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — The two state agents who assisted Fort Worth police during the controversial bar check at a gay bar in June have been fired, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Christopher Aller, who had been with the commission for five years, and Jason Chapman, four months, were fired Friday, a news release stated.
Their supervisor, Sgt. Terry Parsons, who had earlier announced his retirement, will be terminated effective Wednesday.
The commission also disciplined two other supervisors and announced several policy changes, including increased supervision over agents, the teaching of new de-escalation tactics and improved training.
"We are continuing to look at ways to bridge the gap between our employees and the communities we serve and to ensure that everyone who comes into contact with TABC is treated with respect," said Joel Moreno, the commission’s chief of field operations. "The changes outlined here are the first steps the agency is taking, but they will not be the last."
Jon Nelson, a spokesman for Fairness Fort Worth, called the firings "fair, proportional and correct" in light of the agents’ failure to follow departmental policies during the incident at the Rainbow Lounge, a gay bar in Fort Worth.
"The agents’ misconduct that evening is simply unacceptable and TABC is right to have terminated them," Nelson said in a statement. "Fairness Fort Worth appreciates TABC’s strong commitment to instituting changes that result in better trained agents and improvements to services for all Texas communities."
The commission is continuing an investigation into whether its agents used excessive force.
Fort Worth police officials continue their investigation as well.
In an internal affairs report that was released earlier this month, the commission said that Aller and Chapman violated numerous policies in connection with the inspection, including:

Participating in the operation with Fort Worth police without approval.

Wearing "unapproved" attire.

Failing to follow bar inspection procedures.

Failing to report using force against patrons.

Failing to report that one patron was injured.

Disrupting business, among other things.

The officers could not be located for comment Friday. Aller declined to comment Friday through a relative, but according to the report, he told investigators that he violated some policies.
"I hope I’m not the scapegoat for some things... I’ll take the responsibility for the things I did wrong." Aller said.
Chapman, a trainee, told investigators: "We conducted ourselves in a professional manner. We had some hiccups on policy. There’s no two ways about that, and that’s my responsibility."
The report details what happened during the June 28 bar inspection by Fort Worth police and beverage commission agents, which led to five public-intoxication arrests and left one bar patron, Chad Gibson, seriously injured.
According to the report, Aller committed eight violations in connection with the incident and Chapman is accused of seven.
Parsons and Aller have a right to file a grievance over the firing within 10 working days, but Chapman cannot because he was a new employee on a six-month probationary period, the commission said.
Aller has filed a complaint regarding public comments that commission Administrator Alan Steen made after the bar inspection, and those comments are also being investigated.
Parsons, who supervises the agents but was not with them at the Rainbow Lounge — and did not approve the operation — is accused of four violations.
According to the report, Parsons acknowledged to investigators that he "messed up" for not inquiring more about his agents’ activities that night.
"I accept responsibility," Parsons said, according to the report. "I made a mistake and I know it’s going to cost me."
The beverage commission announced Friday that it had disciplined two other supervisors: Fort Worth District Lt. Gene Anderson received three days’ suspension without pay and six months’ probation for inadequate oversight of his employees.
Capt. Robert Cloud received a written reprimand for inadequate supervision and failure to follow the incident notification policy. The commission will also transfer a sergeant from the Fort Worth office to the Dallas office, although the move is not considered disciplinary action, the agency said.
A management review also led to operational changes, the commission announced. Agents will no longer be allowed to work four 10-hour shifts and will instead work five eight-hour shifts. Sergeants will be required to spend the majority of their work hours on the night shift.
The agency also plans collaborate with community groups to add more cross-cultural education to its diversity training, which already includes sexual orientation and gender identity, the agency said.
Staff writer Lee Williams contributed to this report, which includes material from Star-Telegram archives.
The agents’ misconduct that evening is simply unacceptable and TABC is right to have terminated them."
from The Star-Telegram

Related Post: Bar Check Was Caused By 'Flawed Policy"
Related Post: Forth Worth Gay Bar Raided On The 40th Anniversary Of Stonewall

Just One Look...#114

Runner To Have Gender-Test

BERLIN - A day after winning her first 800-meter world title amid a gender-test controversy, the father of South African teenager Caster Semenya dismissed speculation his daughter is not a woman.
The 18-year-old runner's father, Jacob, told the Sowetan newspaper: "She is my little girl. ... I raised her and I have never doubted her gender. She is a woman and I can repeat that a million times."
Semenya dominated her rivals to win the 800 on Wednesday despite revelations that surfaced earlier in the day that she was undergoing a gender test. Her dramatic improvement in the 800 and 1,500, muscular build and deep voice sparked speculation about her gender.
She said to me she doesn't see what the big deal is all about," South Africa team manager Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane said Thursday. "She believes it is God given talent and she will exercise it."
Mlangeni-Tsholetsane said Semenya was thrilled about winning the race and picking up her first world title.
"She was over the moon," Mlangeni-Tsholetsane said.
Semenya wasn't the only one wondering what all the fuss was about.
Semenya's paternal grandmother, Maputhi Sekgala, said the controversy "doesn't bother me that much because I know she's a woman."
"What can I do when they call her a man, when she's really not a man? It is God who made her look that way," Sekgala told the South African daily The Times.
About three weeks ago, the IAAF asked the South African athletics federation to conduct the gender test after Semenya burst onto the scene by posting a world leading time of 1 minute, 56.72 seconds at the African junior championships in Bambous, Mauritius.
The test, which takes weeks to complete, requires a physical medical evaluation, and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, an internal medicine specialist and an expert on gender.
Semenya did not attend the news conference after winning Wednesday night's race by a margin of more than 2 seconds, in 1 minute, 55.45 seconds. She was replaced at the dais by IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss.
Weiss said the testing was ordered because of "ambiguity, not because we believe she is cheating."
If the tests show that Semenya is not a woman, she would be stripped of her gold medal.
"But today there is no proof and the benefit of doubt must always be in favor of the athlete," Weiss said.
The most common cause of sexual ambiguity is congenital adrenal hyperplasia, an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands produce abnormally high levels of hormones.
Gideon Sam, the president of South Africa's Olympic governing body, congratulated Semenya on a "truly remarkable achievement."
"We condemn the way she was linked with such media speculation and allegation, especially on a day she ran in the final of her first major world event," Sam said. "It's the biggest day of her life."
The medal ceremony for the 800 is later Thursday.
Morris Gilbert, a media consultant for TuksSport, the University of Pretoria's sports department, said the issue of Semenya's gender has not been raised since the freshman began attending the school, where she studies sports science.
"We are all very proud of her and of what she's achieved," Gilbert said. "The university stands behind her all the way."
He attributed her recent success to hard work and rigorous training.
"She trains a lot," Gilbert said. "If you go to the athletics track, you're sure to find her there. I don't think she had really good training before she came to the university. She's from a very poor area."
Semenya's former school headmaster said he thought for years that the student was a boy.
"She was always rough and played with the boys. She liked soccer and she wore pants to school. She never wore a dress. It was only in Grade 11 that I realized she's a girl," Eric Modiba, head of the Nthema Secondary School, told the Beeld newspaper.
Semenya's family in the village of Fairlie, about 300 miles north of Johannesburg, said she was often teased about her boyish looks.
"That's how God made her," said Semenya's cousin, Evelyn Sekgala. "We brought her up in a way that when people start making fun of her, she shouldn't get upset."
Semenya moved to Fairlie at about age 13 to help care for her grandmother, Maphuthi Sekgala.
Her cousin, who also lives with the grandmother, remembers Semenya playing soccer with the village boys, before a teacher got her interested in running.
Evelyn Sekgala said the family was pleased Semenya took up an interest in sports, and not in drinking and partying like other teenagers.Her grandmother would give her money to enter races.
"She was mainly interested in running," Evelyn Sekgala said. "She wanted to further her athletic dream."
While Semenya's case has attracted a flurry of attention, it's not the first gender controversy in track and field history.
In 2006, the Asian Games 800 champion, Santhi Soundarajan of India, was stripped of her medal after failing a gender test. Perhaps the most famous case is that of Stella Walsh, also known as Stanislawa Walasiewicz, a Polish athlete who won gold in the 100 at the 1932 Olympics, who had ambiguous genitalia.
The IOC conducted the gender tests at the Olympics, but the controversial screenings were dropped before the 2000 Sydney Games.
Among reasons for dropping the test, not all women have standard female chromosomes. In addition, there are cases of people who have ambiguous genitalia or other congenital conditions.
from The Associated Press

Bar Check Was Caused By 'Flawed Policy'

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - Police Chief Jeff Halstead said Tuesday that "flawed policy" led to a controversial bar check at the Rainbow Lounge in June and that a new policy being implemented will ensure that such an event never happens again.
"I am apologizing for the actions and the reflection that this gave our community because they perceived it as a bar raid, and all our interviews with our officers and the other agents, they never, ever intended this to look that way," Halstead told Fort Worth City Council members Tuesday morning during a progress report on his department’s investigation.
Halstead said officials are still investigating what happened during the June 28 bar check by Fort Worth police officers and state agents that resulted in five arrests and left another patron, Chad Gibson, with a serious head injury.
Gibson, who was cited for assault and public intoxication, and George Armstrong, who was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, have filed complaints of excessive force against two officers, officials confirmed Tuesday.
While officials continue to investigate whether excessive force or other police misconduct occurred, Halstead said investigators have interviewed an independent witness who confirms a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent’s account that Gibson fell to the ground, hitting his head, while handcuffed outside the club.
Halstead said a final report on the incident, which outraged the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, may be ready for council review by October.
A report by the alcohol commission released this month noted several procedural violations by its agents during the bar check. A separate commission report about possible use of excessive force is continuing.
Jon Nelson, spokesman for Fairness Fort Worth, told reporters that he was impressed with the chief’s honesty and that it took "a lot of guts" for him to apologize.
"I think if you compare the statements made by the chief of police early on and the statements made by him today, it’s a world apart," Nelson said. "I think he realizes that working with the LGBT community is the way to go in this particular situation. I think he’s doing that right now."
Bar Check Policy
Halstead said the department will continue to conduct bar checks and make public-intoxication arrests, calling them an important tool in the fight against drunken driving and alcohol-related traffic fatalities.
He pointed to statistics showing that the Hemphill corridor, an area south of downtown that includes the Rainbow Lounge, yielded more public-intoxication arrests than downtown or the Stockyards in the 18 months ending in June. (The figures include all people arrested on suspicion of public intoxication in those regions, including homeless people.)
"So the question we all have to ask ourselves is, 'Is public intoxication a safety issue?'" Halstead said. "From my position, yes it is."
But Halstead said the department’s current bar check policy is short and vague, giving "way too much freedom and flexibility." Under a new policy, which he plans to implement by Sept. 1, Halstead said the department will take a threefold approach to enforcement.
A bar check, the first level, will consist of police making "public relations" contact with the bar.
To proceed to the second level — a bar inspection — officers will require two levels of supervisory review and documentation that the location has "public safety challenges" and that there has been ongoing dialogue with the owner, manager and employees on how to address those issues.
Only when problems persist will the department authorize proceeding to the third level — a bar investigation — which incorporates the assistance of other agencies. The Rainbow Lounge bar check was the equivalent of a third-level investigation.
"That will never occur unless the other two levels were met first," he said. "Then there will be full knowledge and full historical, statistical proof that we had a need to be there."
Halstead said all operations with the alcohol commission will remain suspended until policies consistent between the two agencies are created.
Ongoing Investigation
As the alcohol commission reported, Halstead said the officers’ decision to include the newly opened Rainbow Lounge as one of three bar checks on the night in question was prompted by the public-intoxication arrest of a bar patron two days earlier.
He acknowledged that the bar checks that night were led by Fort Worth police and that the two commission agents had been asked to assist.
Halstead told council members that investigators are still trying to determine through interviews whether Gibson received any injuries inside the club, when he was taken to the floor as agents tried to handcuff him.
None of the officers noted injuries to Gibson before his fall, Halstead said.
Gibson’s sister, Kristy Morgan, has said, "He was in their custody and therefore should not have gotten hurt, however it happened."
Investigators are also looking into internal allegations of possible unprofessional conduct, neglect of duty and failure to supervise. If any are sustained, officers could be disciplined.
The presentation brought praise from several council members, including Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks, whose district includes the Rainbow Lounge.
"I’m proud of the fact you’ve admitted and said there are issues that we need to address and that we are addressing these issues head-on," Hicks told the chief.
Fort Worth police changes The department has taken or is taking these steps to prevent future incidents:
Named Sara Straten as interim liaison officer to the LGBT community.
Revising the department’s bar check policy to provide specific guidelines and protocols, creating three distinct levels of police interaction: bar check, bar inspection and bar investigation.
Working to provide cultural-awareness training through guest speakers to Police Department employees.
Working with human resources to improve current training in diversity and multiculturalism.
Committed seven department members, including the chief, to the city manager’s Diversity Task Force Committee.
Holding meetings between the chief and community leaders to solicit feedback and ideas on how the department can improve service.
from The Star-Telegram

Related Post: Fort Worth Gay Bar Raided On The 40th Anniversary Of Stonewall

Sleep Apnea Raises Risk of Death For Men

The classic manifestations of sleep apnea -- loud snoring, interrupted breathing and sleep disruption -- nearly double the risk for chronic disease and premature death among middle-aged and elderly men, according to major new research.
Even patients with moderate sleep apnea face an increased death risk, as much as 17 percent, compared with those who do not have sleep-disordered breathing problems, the decade-long U.S. study finds.
"The primary finding of our study is that sleep apnea can increase the risk of death by about 40 percent, even after other factors have been accounted for," said study lead author Dr. Naresh Punjabi, an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
"Our study also shows that it is the decrease in oxygen levels during sleep from sleep apnea that explains the increased risk of death," added Punjabi. Men with sleep apnea between the ages of 40 and 70 are particularly at risk of death from any source, but especially from cardiovascular disease, the researchers found.
Punjabi and his colleagues published their findings in the online Aug. 18 issue of the journal PLoS Medicine. The research effort is the largest ever to explore associations between sleep disturbances and illness, they said.
Sleep apnea is a common, chronic condition that affects about one in four men and about one in 10 women, the authors note. Left untreated, it can lead to excessive sleepiness, difficulties with daytime alertness and an increased risk for driving accidents.
For their study, the research team at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center focused on more than 6,400 men and women between 40 and 70 years old who had mild to severe sleep apnea or had no such sleeping difficulties. Many participants described themselves as "snorers," a prime feature of sleep apnea.
During home monitoring of sleep patterns, the team amassed almost 10,000 in-depth recordings of breathing patterns, heart rhythms and brain activity during sleep.
After determining that about half the patients had moderate to severe sleep apnea, the researchers went on to track the incidence of sickness or death from high blood pressure, heart disease and/or stroke.
Over a tracking period of a little more than eight years, on average, the research team found that 587 men and 460 women died during the study.
Stacking the death tallies against the sleep pattern recordings, the team found that experiencing just 11 minutes of severe sleep apnea -- during which blood oxygen levels dipped to below 90 percent of normal -- appeared to roughly double the risk of death among men.
The small number of women with severe sleep apnea who died during the study ruled out similar conclusions about women.
Nonetheless, Punjabi and his colleagues stressed that the findings were alarming enough to warrant diligent physician attention to patient sleeping habits, in order to intervene quickly when appropriate.
"With such mounting evidence indicating the range of clinical effects of sleep apnea, awareness amongst health care professionals and the general community needs to increase," Punjabi said.
Losing weight sometimes reduces sleep apnea, and some sufferers get relief using a device that keeps them from rolling on their backs while they sleep. For serious cases, a current treatment is the "continuous positive airway pressure" (CPAP) device, which functions as a kind of oxygen mask worn over the nose to help force air into nasal passageways and prevent airways from collapsing.
People with clinical symptoms of sleep apnea, which include loud snoring, sleepiness during the day and fatigue, should discuss their symptoms with a physician, Punjabi advised. "Effective therapy for sleep apnea can improve such symptoms and lead to a better quality of life," he said.
Jim Cappuccino, a 49-year-old sleep apnea patient living in the Baltimore suburbs who was part of Punjabi's study, agreed.
Cappuccino, the owner of a surgical equipment and medical device sales company, knew he had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes before enrolling in the study.
Although he can trace the onset of sleep apnea difficulties, such as disruptive snoring and breathing pauses, back to his mid-30's, it was only when he enrolled in the study that he was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea, he said.
"When you're in that career mode, and you're on the go-go-go, you put your health issues on the back burner," he said. "But as I got older, I realized that this is probably something that I should have addressed years ago. I was shocked by the correlation between sleep apnea and heart disease and diabetes, and actually even death, but getting tested and diagnosed and treated has made all the difference. It's actually allowed me to wake up not feeling tired, which hasn't been the norm for me for a few years."
"So the only thing I can say," Cappucino added, "is people who feel that they are having trouble should get tested, because sleep apnea is going to deteriorate your system and lead to many other health problems."
Similar findings that linked severe sleep apnea with a greater risk of dying were reported last year in studies out of Australia and the University of Wisconsin.
from HealthDay News

Suit On Access To Gay-Themed Web Sites At Schools Dismissed

TENNESSEE - A judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee school districts that once blocked access to gay-themed Web sites. The schools already had agreed to remove the filters to the sites.
If that agreement is broken, the case will return to court, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which fought in favor of students suing the schools.
The suit that included Metro Nashville Public Schools and Knox County was over access to sites that were nonsexual.
In mid-April, the ACLU sent a letter to the Nashville school district asking to adjust search filtering software that would allow students to access Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network; the Human Rights Campaign; the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; and Dignity USA.
The ACLU filed the case on May 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against Metro Schools and Knox County Schools on behalf of three high school students in Nashville, one student in Knoxville and a high school librarian in Knoxville who also is the adviser of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance.
from The Tennessean

Kids Use Internet For Porn

Children are using the Internet to watch YouTube videos, connect with friends on social network sites and look up "sex" and "porn," according to a study of the top Web searches by youngsters.
Computer security firm Symantec Corp identified the top 100 searches conducted between February and July through its family safety service OnlineFamily.Norton, which monitors children's and teenager's Internet use.
It found the most popular search term was for YouTube, the video sharing website owned by Google, with Internet star, Fred Figglehorn, a fictional character whose YouTube videos are popular with children, coming ninth in the top searches.
The search engine Google was the second most popular search term and Yahoo came seventh, while social network site Facebook ranked third and MySpace came fifth in the list.
But the words "sex" and "porn" also made it into the top 10, ranked numbers four and six respectively.
Other popular search terms included Michael Jackson, eBay, Wikipedia, Miley Cyrus who plays Hannah Montana in the hit Disney series, Taylor Swift, Webkinz, Club Penguin, and the Black Eyed Peas' song "Boom Boom Pow."
California-based Symantec's Internet safety advocate Marian Merritt said the list showed that parents needed to be aware what their children were doing online.
"It also helps identify "teachable moments" when parents should be talking with their kids about appropriate online behavior and other issues in their kids' online lives," she said in a statement.
The list was compiled after Symantec studied 3.5 million searches made by the OnlineFamily.Norton which lets parents see what children are searching and who they are talking to on instant messaging and what social networks they are using.
from Reuters

Gays More Likely To Seek Counseling

Gay patients seek out mental health counseling more often than their heterosexual counterparts, researchers say.
More than twice as many lesbians, gays, and bisexuals reported receiving mental health treatment in the preceding year compared with heterosexual men and women, Susan D. Cochran, PhD, of UCLA School of Public Health, and colleagues reported online in BMC Psychiatry.
And homosexual women were more likely than homosexual men to seek counseling, they said.
"This study builds upon previous epidemiological studies that have shown higher prevalences of mental health or alcohol and drug disorders among sexual minority populations," the researchers said.
Previous research has found that lesbians, gays, and bisexuals use mental health services more frequently than do heterosexuals.
To draw that picture in more detail, the researchers surveyed 2,074 California residents ages 18 to 64, oversampling for sexual minorities.
They found that 48.5% of homosexuals reported receiving treatment in the preceding year, compared with 22.5% of heterosexuals.
A greater proportion of gay and bisexual men reported receiving treatment, compared with heterosexual men (42.5% versus 17.1%).
Similarly, more lesbian and bisexual women received treatment during that time, compared with heterosexual women (55.3% versus 27.1%).
But lesbians were more likely than gay men to seek counseling. These women had a 2.08-fold increased likelihood of getting treatment, while gay and bisexual men had a 1.57-fold increased likelihood compared with heterosexual women.
Heterosexual men, on the other hand, had about half the likelihood of seeking treatment as heterosexual women.
The researchers said it's well known that women generally tend to seek out mental health services more than men do.
In their survey, overall, 33.8% of women reported receiving treatment in the preceding year compared with 24.5% of men.
Ethnic minorities were less likely to seek out mental health or substance use services, possibly because they aren't familiar with what types of services are available, or because of a greater stigma attached to use of these services by their families and communities, the researchers said.
They said sexual minorities may be more likely to seek out help because they're more exposed to discrimination, violence, or other stressful life events.
The fact that homosexuality has historically been categorized as a mental health problem may contribute as well.
And gay and lesbian communities may promote the norm that therapeutic services are appropriate places for coping with the stresses associated with being a sexual minority.
The authors noted that their study may be limited in its generalizability because they surveyed only Californians.
Further research is needed, they said, on how psychological distress, impairments in functioning, and social norms influence the way people seek treatment, and how these factors are different for men and women of all sexual orientations.
They also called for more research into the effects of treating people who don't have diagnosable disorders, as well as studies of the factors that encourage sexual orientation minorities to seek treatment, in order to improve delivery to those who underutilize it.
from MedPage Today

15,000 For A 'Faggot'

POLAND - "Everyone has the right to the protection of their dignity and private life,' said Judge Urszula Chmielewska, explaining the ruling. "Everyone has to right to live a normal life in society and for their sexual orientation to remain their private business. The word 'faggot' is offensive and the context in which defendant Anna S. used it served to offend her neighbour," said the judge.
Last year, in a grocery in Wolin (a town with a population of 5,000 in the Zachodniopomorskie province), in the presence of other customers, the woman said about her neighbour, Ryszard Giersz, aged 25, "Look, a faggot's brought himself another faggot." Subsequently, according to the case files, she offended him on many other occasions, saying, for instance, that she "saw the faggots going to the park for a fuck."
The court ordered Anna S. yesterday to stop violating Ryszard Giersz's personal rights, that is, his freedom, dignity, intimate life and good name. She is not allowed to use the word 'faggot' towards Mr Giersz and his partner or comment on their intimate life or sexual orientation in public.
The judge agreed for the defendant to pay PLN 15,000 in damages, as originally demanded by the plaintiff. Anna S. will also pay PLN 4,000 in court fees.
"Compared with other personal rights violation cases, this amount is not particularly high," said the judge. "The defendant has to feel that the penalty is severe. It is not only to compensate the plaintiff for the harm that has been done to him, but, above all, to cause the defendant to change her behaviour."
The defendant maintained throughout the trial that she was innocent.
"All the witnesses lied," she said during yesterday's session. "It was the complainant who offended me, threw all kind of objects at me from his window. I'm depressed because of him and have to go into therapy."
Ryszard Giersz had tears in his eyes when the judge read out the ruling. He received congratulations from the trial's observers, including activists of the gay-and-lesbian rights organisation Campaign Against Homophobia.
"We won!" he told his partner, Tomasz, who had from the outset supported him, though without appearing in court. "We did it. There is justice, after all."
He told the press, "I'm very happy. I'm a normal person and I just want to live with my partner. The last half-year was excruciating. I hope S. finally stops interfering with my life and offending me at every step. Perhaps we'll manage to move out to a larger flat. Then we'll no longer have to meet this lady."
The plaintiff is happy not only because of the ruling but also because the case was brought to light.
"I didn't regret for a single moment that I had decided to go to court,' he says. 'I hope this verdict makes people more tolerant and think twice before they offend someone who is simply different from them."
Mr Giersz hasn't decided yet what he will do with the money. He will think about this with his relatives (he lives with his mother, siblings, and his partner in an old two-bedroom flat). They are thinking about donating at least part of it to charity.
Anna S. left the courtroom angry. "I won't comment on the ruling," she said over her shoulder. "I don't feel guilty, just cheated. And for an unemployed person on benefits 15,000 is a huge amount."
The ruling is not legally valid and the defence said it would appeal.
The precedential case came up before the court in February this year. The incident at the grocery shop triggered off, as Mr Giersz's attorney, Agnieszka Stach, called it, an "avalanche of hatred." The homosexual couple were called names on the street, thrown tomatoes and stones at. Ms Giersz had to change his job. Recently a stranger warned him that if he won the case, he would "smell flowers from underneath."
According to Campaign Against Homophobia, Mr Giersz's case is the first case in Poland where a homosexual person decided to pursue their rights in a court of law so openly.
"This is a very important ruling for us," said Robert Biedro of the CAH. "It was a fight for dignity, not for money. And not only this one man's but the dignity of all homosexuals. We are grateful to him for his courage. For deciding to make his face public and show everyone that there's been enough offending. Offensive treatment of gays and lesbians is common in Poland, but I believe that now, when the court has stopped to treat us as second-rate citizens, so will the rest of society."
from Gazeta

Therapy Won't Change Being Gay

The nation's leading psychologists' professional organization has issued a new statement advising mental health professionals against leading patients to believe that therapy may somehow reverse their sexual orientation.
On August 4 the American Psychological Association adopted a resolution that says there's no scientific evidence therapy can make gay people straight. In a review of 83 English-language, peer-reviewed studies from 1960 to 2007, an APA task force found nothing to suggest that therapy could steer a member of a sexual minority (a term that encompasses all varieties and degrees of same-sex attraction) toward heterosexuality. Moreover, the task force found insufficient evidence to illuminate whether such therapy might in fact do harm.
The APA statement counters the notion that "sexual orientation change effort" or "reparative therapy," approaches embraced by a small but dogged group of therapists, can make gays and lesbians straight.
The APA has been chipping away at this issue for years; in the mid-1970s the organization helped establish that homosexuality and its variants are normal expressions of human sexuality and should not be considered pathologies in need of treatment. The new statement reaffirms that stance.
The new statement also takes care to address the concerns of those whose sexual identities are at odds with their religious beliefs. Such people should be counseled about accepting their sexuality in light of their religion.
Similarly, gay youths and adults seeking therapy should be offered guidance in coming to terms with their sexual identity and in dealing with societal reactions to that identity, the paper says.
Does this news surprise you? Or do you find it more surprising that we're still having this discussion?
from The Washington Post

Exodus International Chimes In On APA Resolution

When the American Psychological Association makes a resolution, people listen. When the APA makes a statement about reparative therapy, Exodus International listens for a way to twist the words.
Recently, the APA passed a resolution stating that therapy is quite unlikely to cause any change in a person’s sexuality, and trying to do so could be harmful. The group has opposed reparative therapy before; this resolution, passed 125-4, states how therapists should deal with clients who struggle with being gay and a member of a religion that demonizes homosexuality.
The APA says mental health care providers should help clients “explore possible life paths that address the reality of their sexual orientation, reduce the stigma associated with homosexuality, respect the client’s religious beliefs, and consider possibilities for a religiously and spiritually meaningful and rewarding life.”
Then, in a craftily worded statement, Exodus International’s president, Alan Chambers, says, “not only is faith an essential part of life for many gay men and women, it is almost always the motivating factor behind their decision to leave it behind and that many in Exodus have experienced a shift in attractions along the way.”
Chambers further notes how grateful he is that the APA acknowledges that religious belief “is an essential element of many people’s lives and creates great moral conflict and tension for those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction.”
Exodus International positions itself as a ministry that offers “freedom from homosexuality through Jesus Christ,” and counts thousands of successful transformations. Its work also gave rise to the phrase “ex-ex-gay,” describing people who realize they can’t change what they are and exit Exodus.
In what turns out to be a research duel, an APA task force looked at 83 studies, dating back to 1960, on therapy designed to help a gay person become straight.
Evangelical psychologist Mark Yarhouse of Regent University and Prof. Stanton Jones of Wheaton College took a shot. Their six-year study of people in Exodus programs shows that more than half of 61 people changed to heterosexual lives or “disidentified” with being gay and embraced chastity. Thus their conclusion that people indeed can change, and there is no harm in trying.
Exodus International continues helping gays “leave homosexuality behind,” as if they would hang up their winter coats when the weather changes.
If only these people had a sense of humor, they’d remember the old joke: If I could change and not be gay, why would I continue to put up with this?
from MSN Health & Fitness

Just One Look...#113

Newspaper Rejects Same-Sex Wedding Announcement

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — A southern Utah newspaper has rejected a gay California couple's wedding announcement, saying its policy is to publish announcements only for marriages legal under Utah law.
The Spectrum in St. George initially accepted a paid wedding announcement for Tyler Barrick and Spencer Jones last week, but then changed course, Jones said. The San Francisco couple were legally married June 17, 2008. They wanted the announcement printed in Jones' hometown paper ahead of a family party next week.
Jones, 30, said he initially agreed to the paper's request that the announcement run without a photo, after a clerk told him the publisher feared the picture might make readers uncomfortable. Then Jones changed his mind and appealed to publisher Donnie Welch, asking him to reconsider.
"After all, our marriage is just as real and legal and entitled to celebration as any of the others that are announced each week in the pages of The Spectrum," Jones, 30, wrote in an e-mail to Welch.
"This simply is not true," Welch replied in an Aug. 10 e-mail, a copy of which the couple provided to The Associated Press. "While that may be the case in some states it is not the case in the state of Utah. As our policy is to run marriage announcements recognized by Utah law, I have made the decision not to run the announcement."
A telephone message seeking comment from Welch was not immediately returned Thursday. The Spectrum is owned by Gannett Co. A message left at Gannett's corporate offices in McLean, Va., was not immediately returned.
As more states move to legalize gay marriage, newspapers across the country are faced with similar decisions. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which conducts telephone surveys every two years, says more than 1,000 papers have policies allowing same-sex wedding and engagement announcements.
The Salt Lake Tribune, owned by MediaNews Group Inc., has accepted Jones and Barrick's announcement and will run it Saturday.
In 2008, The Spectrum was included on GLAAD's list of "inclusive newspapers."
A GLAAD representative contacted Welch on Wednesday, but wasn't able to change the publisher's mind, said Rashad Robinson, the organization's senior director of media programs. Robinson said GLAAD has also contacted Gannett to express its concern.
"At the end of the day, this is not about their editorial pages or the opinions of their columnists," Robinson said. "This is about the celebration pages reflecting the community, and a community is going to have people from many very different walks of life. We are diminished if our stories are put aside."
On Thursday, GLAAD posted a message on its Web site asking supporters to contact the paper to express concerns. Robinson also said GLAAD plans to contact Spectrum advertisers, many of whom have long-standing nondiscrimination policies.
"So the question is, do these advertisers, who have a long track record of diversity, want to be lumped in with a business decision that falls down on the side of inequality?" Robinson asked.
The California Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in the state in June 2008, not long before Barrick and Jones wed. Less than five months later, California voters approved Proposition 8, a ballot initiative to ban gay marriage. In May, the court upheld the ban, but also ruled that gay couples who wed before the ban took effect would remain legally married.
Gay marriage is banned in Utah.
Jones, a Utah native, and Barrick, 28, were both raised as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Salt Lake City-based Mormon church is opposed to gay marriage and called on its members last year to give time and money to the campaign to pass California's Proposition 8.
"I've thought a lot about the gay and lesbian kids who are surely all over the place in southern Utah, and maybe it's gratuitous on my part, but they need to see this announcement in the paper," he said. "When I was a kid ... I would have loved to have seen a picture of two guys having their life together celebrated in the paper."
from The Associated Press

Challenges Ahead In Fight Against AIDS

BALI, INDONESIA - Leading health experts on Monday called for repeal of outdated laws criminalizing prostitution and homosexuality so that people suffering from HIV/AIDS or at risk from the disease could get medical treatment.
"The main challenge is overcoming the whole issue of stigma and discrimination, repealing of outdated laws and legislation that countries have got," Prasada Rao, director of UNAIDS Asia Pacific regional support team, said on the margins of an HIV/AIDS conference.
Rao and other experts, kicking off a four-day meeting, said that while progress has been made in research and getting people treated for AIDS, huge challenges lie ahead and much more needs to be done.
"All this progress is not meaningful if we don't address the stigma and discrimination in this region. Young children (whether infected themselves or have family members who are infected) or are still being evicted from schools," Rao told the conference.
"This must change. Without this, progress is not possible," he added.
After HIV/AIDS was first identified in the early 1980s it unleashed fear and a strong wave of prejudice against high-risk groups such as gay and bisexual men and prostitutes, but little appears to have changed after more than 20 years.
Everywhere around the world, criminalization of behavior involving illicit drug use, sex work and sex between men is seriously hampering effective prevention and support programs, according to experts working to help these people.
"For gay men, we need to reach out to these people but if their behavior is criminalized, they are not going to come to you and say hey I need help. This is a classic case of a clash between public health and public security," said Loretta Wong, who heads the Hong Kong-based help group AIDS Concern.
"If they don't get access to services and treatment, their health cant be monitored, they wont get tested. They will instead be driven underground and there will be the risk of infections increasing," she added.
More Treatment, Money Needed
The conference also heard strong calls for more access to treatment. Women and children were particularly left out of the loop, experts said.
"We are supposed to be achieving universal access by 2010. We are not going to make these goals particularly in treatment, said David Cooper, professor of medicine and director at the National Center in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research in Sydney.
Although about 3 million people were receiving drugs to control HIV by the end of 2007, or nearly 950,000 more compared with the end of 2006, only 31 percent of people who were in need of drugs were getting them.
Cooper said children and pregnant women in low and middle-income countries need better and adequate drugs.
"There is incontrovertible new evidence that treating women with antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy and during their breastfeeding period will almost eliminate HIV infection in their infants."
"But we are not getting access to these women and we are not treating them with proper antiretroviral therapy. We are just giving them single-dose drugs," Cooper said.
from Reuters

Can't Sue For Being Called Gay

NEW YORK - A companion of late Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith can sue an author for defamation but not over gay sex claims because homosexuality is no longer viewed as contemptible, a U.S. judge said on Wednesday.
Howard K. Stern is suing Rita Cosby and the Hachette Book Group over Cosby's bestseller "Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death."
Stern is the former lawyer and boyfriend of Smith, the Playboy playmate and Guess jeans model who died in 2007 from an accidental prescription drug overdose.
Stern claimed the book, which was published six months after Smith's death, contained 19 libelous statements, including that he had engaged in oral sex at a Los Angeles party with Larry Birkhead, the father of Smith's child, and that Smith had later called Stern gay.
U.S. District Judge Denny Chin ruled the defamation case could proceed on 11 of the statements.
Chin dismissed Stern's claims that statements implying he was homosexual were defamatory, although he acknowledged that gays and lesbians still suffered prejudice.
"I respectfully disagree that the existence of this continued prejudice leads to the conclusion that there is a widespread view of gays and lesbians as contemptible and disgraceful," the judge said.
Chin ruled that Hachette could not be sued because it had no reason to doubt the truth of the book. But he noted Cosby, who is also a television reporter, had to answer to claims that she knew some of her sources were not truthful.
"Cosby's actions are extremely troubling, and suggest that she was attempting to obstruct justice by tampering with witnesses," the judge said.
Hachette gave Cosby an advance of $405,000 plus royalties for the instant bestseller, the ruling said.
A lawyer for Cosby, Elizabeth McNamara, said she was pleased the case had been narrowed down.
"As to the remaining statements, we are fully confident that a jury will dismiss them as well once it hears all the evidence surrounding Howard K. Stern's life with Anna Nicole Smith," she said.
Stern's lawyer, Lin Wood, called the decision a victory.
"Defamation cases brought by public figures, such as Mr. Stern, only go to a jury in the most egregious of cases, and Judge Chin has found the case against Cosby to be one of those cases," Wood said in a statement.
In a separate case, Stern, 40, and two doctors face an October hearing in Los Angeles on charges they were illegally supplying Smith with prescription drugs for years.
from Reuters

Stewie Get's Outed

Seth MacFarlane is finally spilling the secrets of "Family Guy" — including the fact that, yes, baby Stewie is gay.
"We had an episode that went all the way to the script phase in which Stewie does come out,” MacFarlane, the show’s creator, says in the September issue of Playboy magazine. “It had to do with the harassment he took from other kids at school. He ends up going back in time to prevent a passage in Leviticus from being written: ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is an abomination.’
"But we decided it’s better to keep it vague, which makes more sense because he’s a 1-year-old. Ultimately, Stewie will be gay or a very unhappy repressed heterosexual. It also explains why he’s so hellbent on killing [his mother, Lois] and taking over the world: He has a lot of aggression, which comes from confusion and uncertainty about his orientation."
In the issue MacFarlane also weighs in on why Protestant Lois seems to have a Jewish accent.
"Watch this season!” he says. “Lois finds out she is, in fact, Jewish.”
As for his advice to girls who are like Meg (the nerdy, unpopular sister), the funnyman says, “I guess maybe her parents aren’t as loving as they should be. As a result, I would say, ‘Your parents are assholes. Get out of the house as soon as you can.”
The hit Fox show, which kicks off its eighth season on Sept. 27, has even generated a spinoff, “The Cleveland Show,” which focuses on main character Peter Griffin’s neighbor pal Cleveland Brown. Fans of the program will be happy to know that there will definitely be some crossover between the two shows.
But how did Cleveland — who some fans consider one of “Family Guy’s” least-interesting characters — score his own series?
“Cleveland is soulful and dimensional,” MacFarlane says. “Maybe he didn’t have enough to do [on “Family Guy”], and as a result, he came off dull. He makes a point of saying that in ‘The Cleveland Show’ pilot: ‘I’m sick of being just an accessory to Peter’s world. I’ve got my own shit going on.”
from New York Daily News

'Love Won Out' To Have New Organizers

Focus on the Family announced on Tuesday that it will be passing the reigns of its Love Won Out conferences on homosexuality to another ministry.
The move is a logical step, the Colorado Springs-based evangelical organization said, especially as it faces a "serious" budget shortfall.
"Everyone knows these are challenging times for organizations and individuals all across the globe," said Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media and public relations for Focus on the Family, in a statement. "It is not an inexpensive undertaking to put on a Love Won Out event; and contrary to what our detractors say, the conferences rarely have recouped the financial investment made in them. That is a cost we have always paid because of the positive impact the events have had."
Jim Daly, president and CEO of the family ministry, said income is down nearly $6 million from what they planned for this year.
Starting November, Love Won Out conferences will be led by Exodus International, one of the largest Christian organizations that deals with homosexual issues and promotes "freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ." Exodus has always contributed to and been a part of the conferences.
Although financial realities played a role in the conference's transition, Schneeberger said the move also makes strategic sense.
"Exodus is really the one who should be running 'Love Won Out' anyway," he said, according to The Associated Press.
Launched in 1998, the Love Won Out conference has traveled to churches around the world, educating Christians on how to respond to the issue of homosexuality in a biblical way and offering hope to those struggling with same-sex desires. The conference has been met with dozens of protests by gay activists who claim the event sends a message of homophobia and hatred.
But James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and a preeminent evangelical, has stressed that Love Won Out conferences are not about hate or rejection.
"Regardless of what the media might say, Focus on the Family has no interest in promoting hatred toward homosexuals or anyone else," he last year as the ministry marked the 10th anniversary of Love Won Out. "We also don't wish to deprive them of their basic constitutional rights. The Constitution applies to all of us."
While the conservative family group opposes redefining marriage, Dobson said they are committed to loving homosexuals and reaching out to them.
Focus on the Family will continue to support Love Won Out financially and by providing speakers.
"After all, we're still in the truth and grace business," commented Melissa Fryrear, director of the ministry's gender issues department and a Love Won Out speaker and host for more than six years.
The transition comes as Exodus International is boosting efforts to educate and equip mainline and evangelical churches to respond to homosexuality compassionately and effectively. Last month, Exodus announced plans to merge with outreach ministries of the Presbyterian and Reformed faith communities and The United Methodist Church.
Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, said the Love Won Out conference is "a natural fit" in their ongoing efforts.
"Love Won Out has been and will continue to be a powerful event dedicated to helping the global Christian church better understand and more effectively reflect biblical truth and Christ-like compassion to a hurting world," Chambers assured.
The final Love Won Out conference for 2009 is scheduled for Nov. 7 in Birmingham, Ala., and will be led by Focus on the Family before the transition.
from The Christian Post

Durex Launches Extra Large Condoms

UNITED KINGDOM - Tesco condoms - every little helps!
A supermarket giant is to cater for well-endowed men by stocking extra large condoms.
The new condoms - which are 10mm longer than the average 205mm version and 1mm wider - will go on sale in Tesco branches across the UK from Wednesday.
A store spokeswoman said the launch of the Durex Extra Large range follows "overwhelming consumer demand".
Healthcare buyer Nicola Evans added: "These new condoms are designed to allow larger men more comfort than ever before.
"We know through customer research that there has been a growing demand for an extra large condom that is easily available in high street pharmacies.
"In the last year there have been more than 200 calls from customers requesting the availability of an extra large condom."
The most popular ranges of condoms at the supermarket are currently Durex Fetherlite and Durex Extra Safe.
Durex Extra Large condoms will cost £9.53 for a packet of 12 and will be sold exclusively at 400 Tesco stores.
from Press Association

Fired Gay New Anchor Speaks Out

MIAMI, FLORIDA - Recently fired Local 10 anchor Charles Perez took his side of the story to the Daily Beast , in a wide-ranging column explaining why he'll continue his suit against WPLG, claiming they fired him because he was gay, attacking the state of the news business, positioning himself as a gay rights hero, and saying the station pressured him not to get married or have children with his male partner.

One of my colleagues, a higher-up at the station, told me: "The weekends will be better for you, anyway, Charles. You and Keith [my partner] want to have kids. It's a lot less high-profile there."
It was a suggestion that never would have been made to one of my straight colleagues, male or female. The only thing I could take from it was that my profile as a gay man, especially if I were to have kids and, God forbid, get married, would render me less promotable and less advertiser-friendly.
In fact, over the previous five months, I'd been told, "Don't get married, Charles. We don't need that." I'd also been told not to have children. In essence: "You're the main anchor and you're gay, but let's not push it."

If that allegation is true, it illustrates an interesting sacrifice that gay and lesbian professionals, especially those in the public eye, could be pressured to make. Miami might be perfectly accepting of a gay news anchor. In fact, before Perez was fired, the top two prime-time newscasts were co-anchored by openly gay men, but are we -- or any other market -- ready for the openly gay anchor who's married with children? Viewers might love it when straight female and male anchors banter about cute things their kids do, but are people ready to hear the same filler from the gays?
Perez's other allegation, one that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, is that Local 10 News is soft.

The news business has become a place of fear, where principle and the news have become the casualties and ratings and dollars the prizes. A perfect example: In the runup to the war in Iraq, Mohamed El-Baradei, the top man looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, stood in front of a dozen microphones in Paris and announced that there weren't any. It was a front-page story in Paris, London, Moscow, and Tokyo. It was buried in the New York Times. I, however, read it.
I went to one of my bosses at Miami's Fox affiliate, WSVN, and said, "We have to run this. This is big!" He said, "Charles, that's not what our advertisers want to see." We never ran it.
Today, the major news outlets are held hostage by what they "think" their advertisers -- and by extension their audiences -- want to see. Sacrificed is the news we may need to know. As a result, they contribute to building a less-educated electorate that only wants more of the Twinkies it has been fed.
from The Miami New Times

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