Mayoral Candidate Criticized For Anti-Gay Banner

MIAMI BEACH - Driving down Alton Road, one might notice a large banner in front of a home that some have called homophobic and offensive. It reads: "God created Adam + Eve, not Adam + Steve." The occupant of that house raised it as part of his campaign to become the next mayor of Miami Beach, a city that has a large population of gay and lesbian residents.
"I promise you, when I become mayor, we're going to clean up all this funny business going on down there," mayoral candidate Bill Smatt said about the large presence of gay and lesbians who find South Beach a welcoming place to live, work and party.
Smatt wishes they didn't, and the sign in front of his house confirms it.
"What's wrong with it?" Smatt asked Local 10's Michael Putney in an interview Monday.
For one, the sign offends Save Dade and other gay-rights groups. Some of Smatt's neighbors are also offended.
"I don't think it should be up there because it offends a certain part of our community and I really think that it should be taken down," neighbor Rosie Menendez said. "It's not right."
The 76-year-old native of Jamaica sees himself as a moral crusader.
"I am bringing back Miami Beach for the families," he said.
But Miami Beach officials see him as a nuisance and a code violator.
"We have a code of laws in the city of Miami Beach," Assistant City Manager Hilda Fernandez said. "They regulate what we can and cannot do in single-family residential neighborhoods. He is permitted to have a sign of a certain size. He's not allowed to have a banner."
Smatt's campaign controversy comes during gay and lesbian pride month. To honor the occasion, city hall has an art exhibition on display, including an autographed photograph that reads, "Love you, Tiffany Hilton."
"Miami Beach is communism," Smatt said.
When pressed as to whether he meant Miami Beach is a communist city, he replied, "Sure it is."
A spokesman for Save Dade said Smatt is not representative of Miami Beach residents and that his views are "bigoted and despicable." Smatt said he is merely willing to say publicly what others say or think privately.
from WPLG

Gay Comedian Ant And Joe Rogan Argue

Is fear of the gays a factor with comedian Joe Rogan? One pissed off VH1 star seems to think so.
Ant, the openly gay host of "Celebrity Fit Club" and star of "Last Comic Standing," fired off a seething message on his Myspace page, in response to Rogan's accusations on a radio show that Ant has been stealing jokes from other comics -- the most horrific insult in the world of stand-up comedy. In the post, Ant claims that the only reason the former "Fear Factor" star has made the accusation is because, "Joe just can't come right out and call me a FAGGOT," adding that the accusation of joke theft is "another way to gaybash." He also slams Rogan as a "homophobe."
On the page, Ant says he's ready for Rogan's retaliation, saying "I can't wait to hear him proclaim, 'ANT's using the homophobic card? How come a straight guy can't talk about a gay guy and blah blah blah.' A spade is a spade and I call 'em like I see 'em."
A rep for Rogan had no immediate response.
from TMZ

Culture Club George Slams Madonna As Gay Traitor

Former Culture Club frontman Boy George has renewed his attacks on pop superstar Madonna, insisting she has betrayed her legions of gay fans.
The singer - real name George O'Dowd - is disgusted the Material Girl adheres to the Jewish mystic offshoot Kabbalah because he finds the faith intolerant of same-sex relationships.
He says in a video interview, "I have investigated it and they are homophobic.
"I do think it's shocking that somebody who has made so much money out of gay people is now part of an organisation which is anti-gay."
George previously slammed Madonna in TV show The Madness Of Boy George, branding her "a vile, hideous, horrible human being with no redeeming qualities."
from Celebrities Insite

Michael Savage Dropped By Creative Artists Agency

Melissa Etheridge doesn't have to worry about running into one of radio's most antigay personalities when she's visiting her powerhouse agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
TMZ reported earlier today that CAA recently signed Michael Savage, who hosts the conservative radio program Savage Nation.
Savage has a history of spewing homophobic rhetoric. Savage was fired from MSNBC in 2003 for referring to an unidentified caller to his weekend show on the cable channel as a "sodomite" who should "get AIDS and die." And just this week, he reportedly went off on Etheridge's Oscar win, because she had thanked her wife, Tammy Lynn Michaels, during her acceptance speech. "I don't like a woman married to a woman," he said, according to TMZ. "It makes me want to puke. I want to vomit when I hear it. I think it's child abuse."
It looks like Savage's life at CAA was short-lived. I just got word from CAA's rep, who said in an email, "No longer rep him."
Why on earth CAA thought it was a good idea to add Savage to its roster is beyond me. But I'm sure the agency's megawatt clients like Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts will be thrilled to learn Savage is no longer part of the family.
from E! Online

Gay Mayor Reaches Out To Hardaway

As the firestorm continued over Tim Hardaway's anti-gay remarks on radio, the mayor of North Miami, who is gay, invited the ex-Heat star to spend a day with him.
On Friday, Hardaway accepted, the mayor said.
''We're just trying to show him that there are living, breathing people that just happen to be gay,'' said North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns, who lives with his partner of 23 years and an adopted daughter.
He's still working out details of the visit with Hardaway's representatives and expects they will make a joint announcement on Monday, Burns said.
The plan is for Hardaway to join Burns and his family for a routine weekday at the mayor's office and home -- doing things like dropping off Burns' child at school, meeting with constituents and dinner with the family.
Hardaway has been hit hard since the broadcast on the local AM radio station 790 The Ticket, in which he said, ''I don't like to be around gay people'' and ``it shouldn't be in the U.S. or the world.''
Although he apologized within hours, the NBA canceled his remaining appearances at this weekend's All-Star festivities in Las Vegas, and he lost at least two major endorsement deals.
On Friday, Hardaway spent the day with his family, pleading for privacy as television cameras continued a vigil outside the gates of his Pinecrest home.
Terry Washington, a spokeswoman for Hardaway, said the former five-time All-Star had not yet spoken to Mayor Burns and that an announcement would be "premature.''
Hardaway played for the Heat from 1995 through 2001. On several occasions, he expressed interest in returning to the Heat's roster but was turned down.
He now has ownership in several South Florida businesses, including Tim Hardaway's U.S. 1 Car Wash in Miami and Tim Hardaway's House of Wings in Coconut Grove.
Burns has some experience building bridges outside the gay community, since he won the mayor's seat decisively in 2005 despite some hostility in a city without much of a gay constituency.
He has been open but low-key in public about his relationship with Rob Flint, his partner of 23 years, and their adopted daughter, Autumn. During the mayoral campaign, Burns said he understood the discrimination faced by the Haitian Americans and African Americans who predominate in the city.
''I don't expect [Hardaway] to be waving a peace flag anytime soon, even after this,'' Burns said Friday.
"But maybe he'll be less likely to say something bad about people if he knows them and understands a little more.
from The Miami Herald

NBA Sends Hardaway Home

The NBA banished Tim Hardaway from All-Star weekend in Las Vegas because of his anti-gay remarks.
Hardaway, who played in five All-Star games during the 1990s, was already in Las Vegas to make a series of public appearances this week on behalf of the league. But after Hardaway said, "I hate gay people" during a radio interview, commissioner David Stern stepped in.
"We removed him from representing us because we didn't think his comments were consistent with having anything to do with us," Stern told reporters Thursday at the opening of a fan festival at a Las Vegas casino, part of the NBA's All-Star weekend.
Stern said he had not spoken with Hardaway, who left Las Vegas on Thursday, but he planned to do so.
While Stern said a discussion about openly gay players could be part of future rookie orientation programs, he doesn't see a need to address the league.
"This is an issue overall that has fascinated America. It's not an NBA issue," Stern said, pointing to the ongoing debate over gay marriage at the state and federal levels.
"This is a country that needs to talk about this issue," he said. "And, not surprisingly, they use sports as a catalyst to begin the dialogue."
Hardaway apologized for his comments, which came a week after John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to say he was gay.
"As an African-American, I know all too well the negative thoughts and feelings hatred and bigotry cause," Hardaway said Thursday in a statement issued by his agent. "I regret and apologize for the statements that I made that have certainly caused the same kinds of feelings and reactions.
"I especially apologize to my fans, friends and family in Miami and Chicago. I am committed to examining my feelings and will recognize, appreciate and respect the differences among people in our society," he said. "I regret any embarrassment I have caused the league on the eve of one of their greatest annual events."
The NBA brings in many former players to take part in various All-Star events. Hardaway had already represented the league in Las Vegas earlier this week at a Habitat for Humanity event and a fitness promotion. The former U.S. Olympian was also scheduled to be an assistant coach at a wheelchair game Thursday night and later appear at the fan-oriented Jam Session until Stern told him he was no longer welcome.
"His views are not consistent with ours," Stern said.
Amaechi, who spent five seasons with four teams, came out last week in advance of the release of his autobiography, "Man in the Middle." He is the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports - basketball, baseball, football, hockey - to openly discuss his homosexuality.
"David Stern has sent a clear message," Amaechi said on Good Morning America on Friday. I'm very pleased that the NBA put their money where their mouth is."
Though Stern said last week a player's sexuality wasn't important, Hardaway disagreed Wednesday on a Miami radio show.
"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team," the former Miami Heat star said. "And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room."
When show host Dan Le Batard told Hardaway those comments were "flatly homophobic" and "bigotry," the player continued.
"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," he said. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."
Hardaway also said if he did find out that a teammate was gay, he would ask for the player to be removed from the team.
Hardaway apologized later Wednesday night in a telephone interview with WSVN-TV in Miami, but the furor over his remarks continued Thursday.
"I don't need Tim's comments to realize there's a problem," Amaechi told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday. "People said that I should just shut up and go away - now they have to rethink that."
Two major gay and lesbian groups denounced Hardaway's remarks.
"Hardaway's comments are vile, repulsive, and indicative of the climate of ignorance, hostility and prejudice that continues to pervade sports culture," said Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "And by apologizing not for his bigotry, but rather for giving voice to it, he's reminding us that this ugly display is only the tip of a very large iceberg."
Said Matt Foreman, president of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force: "Hardaway is a hero to thousands of young people. And that's what makes his comments so troubling. Sadly, his words simply put the pervasive homophobia in the NBA on the table."
Amaechi, who detailed his life in "Man in the Middle," hoped his coming out would be a catalyst for intelligent discourse.
"His words pollute the atmosphere," Amaechi said. "It creates an atmosphere that allows young gays and lesbians to be harassed in school, creates an atmosphere where in 33 states you can lose your job, and where anti-gay and lesbian issues are used for political gain. It's an atmosphere that hurts all of us, not just gay people."
Amaechi taped a spot Thursday for PBS' gay and lesbian program "In the Life." He said the anti-gay sentiment remains despite Hardaway's apology.
"It's vitriolic, and may be exactly what he feels," he said. "Whether he's honest or not doesn't inoculate us from his words. It's not progress to hear hateful words."
from The Associated Press

Audio From The Tim Hardaway Interview

Click Image For Audio

Hardaway later apologized for the remarks during a telephone interview with Fox affiliate WSVN in Miami.
"Yes, I regret it. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said I hate gay people or anything like that," he said. "That was my mistake."

Hardaway issued a statement to Local 10 News saying:
"There are more important things to worry about than my comments. We should be more concerned about President (George) Bush and all the people dying in Iraq."

Amaechi On Hardaway

How do you deal with a gay teammate?
''First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team,'' former Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway said Wednesday. "Second of all, if he was on my team, I'd really distance myself from him. I don't think he should be in the locker room when we are in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that. . . . I'd ask for him to get traded. Something has to give. The majority of the players would ask for him to be traded, or they would want to get traded. Or just buy him out of his contract and let him go.''
But, Tim, you realize that's bigotry and homophobia?
''I hate gay people,'' Hardaway said in an interview on 790 The Ticket. "I let it be known. I don't like gay people. I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. I don't like it. There shouldn't be a world for that or [a place] in the United States for it. I don't like it.''
There it is, ignorance and hatred without a filter, coming from one of the most popular players in Heat history. And Hardaway is hardly alone, even though he is the first to voice it so plainly since former player John Amaechi last week became the first former NBA player to come out of the closet.
Amaechi's response?
''I'm actually tempted to laugh,'' Amaechi said Wednesday. "Finally, someone who is honest. It is ridiculous, absurd, petty, bigoted and shows a lack of empathy that is gargantuan and unfathomable. But it is honest. And it illustrates the problem better than any of the fuzzy language other people have used so far.''
SHOCKING WORDS
You've heard the fuzzy language. LeBron James said he'd have trouble trusting a gay teammate. Wide receiver Andre Johnson said he wouldn't want to share a shower with a gay teammate. Philadelphia 76er Shavlik Randolph said he'd be fine as long as said player ''didn't bring your gayness on me.'' Hardaway, always blunt, turned mere discomfort into transparent hate, talking in a way that was shocking to hear. And now you know why Amaechi is the first in the history of his sport -- that's a lot of players, folks -- ever to announce he is gay.
Amaechi is grateful for Hardaway's words, believe it or not. It gets the conversation going, and gets ugly things out in the light. Publicists have been pushing their athletes away from this uncomfortable question, trying to avoid the kind of trouble Hardaway's words cause. The Heat franchise is going to have to apologize for him today, and that's just the start. If he were still on television, he'd be fired.
Amaechi is the smartest athlete I've ever met in two decades in this business. He is uniquely qualified to be an eloquent spokesman for his cause. But he is terrified and exhausted while fighting it during his book tour at least in part because hatred is scary, heavy and awfully unpredictable.
And although Hardaway doesn't speak for everybody, neither does Charles Barkley when he says this is simply a media issue.
''Hey, nobody cares John Amaechi is gay,'' Barkley says. ``I just find it humorous and amazing people think we care if someone is gay or not. It is always fun to hear these reporters say how we'd treat them in the locker room. Trust me, we'd treat reporters a lot worse than we treat a gay guy.''
WHAT IF?
But what would it be like? There's a reason no active player in a male team sport has ever come out. There's a reason that the one who does while active would cross the last uncrossed barrier in sports and become a modern-day Jackie Robinson. Barkley sounds naive.
''You don't think we've all played with gay guys?'' Barkley said. "Of course we have. It has never been an issue. America, the more I live in it, the more I realize how full of it we are. If we're not bombing the wrong country, we're not fixing hurricane-relief areas. America is homophobic. It's so easy for [reporters] to say the other jocks won't like it. America discriminates against gay people, but we've all played with gay people.''
There's no way to know how an entire macho league populated by different personalities would react to an outed gay athlete. There have been Internet rumors for months now that a current NBA player has already come out privately to his family. The reaction if he is outed? It will be somewhere between Hardaway's hate, Barkley's indifference and Mavs owner Mark Cuban's contention that the first gay NBA player will be a rich, pioneering hero. But Hardaway's words give voice to at least one person's truth:
The league isn't quite ready for this.
from The Miami Herald

Judge Dismisses Hazing Charges Against UVM Students

BURLINGTON, VERMONT - A judge has dismissed hazing charges against four University of Vermont fraternity members accused of making prospective members wear cowboy outfits while they were taunted with homophobic language.
Vermont Judicial Bureau Judge Charon True ruled police hadn't proved the allegations. The Judicial Bureau handles traffic violations and other civil complaints, including hazing violations.
"To accuse someone or an organization of hazing, you first have to prove that the conduct occurred in the context of some sort of initiation or membership or qualification procedure. The university failed to prove that," said the students' attorney, David Sleigh. "Second, you have to prove that the activity was directed at a specific student or students and was done so with intent of causing mental or physical harm. The university didn't have a single declaration that any person was harmed."
UVM officials are considering an appeal.
"I'm confident that we understood the law and the context of the case. We have until January 7 to appeal," said UVM Police Chief Gary Margolis. "It's a new law and this was the first time it's been tested, so I think it requires full judicial scrutiny to make sure it's applied correctly."
The four students -- Scott Curley of Bridgewater, Mass.; Eric Freedman of West Simsbury, Conn.; Bill Holohan of Branford, Conn.; and Geoffrey Robinson of Middletown Springs -- were given civil tickets in May after a police investigation into a March 2 party at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity in Burlington. Witnesses told police the theme of the party was the film "Brokeback Mountain," which has a gay theme.
The fraternity has been placed on interim suspension pending the university's review of the case, said UVM spokesman Jeffrey Wakefield.
The Vermont Legislature passed its anti-hazing law in 2000, a year after UVM upper-class hockey players forced freshman to drink warm beer until they vomited and hold each other's genitals.
from The Boston Globe

Rosie Rips Kelly for "Homophobic" Remark

Rosie O'Donnell started a bitchfight with fellow morning-diva Kelly Ripa when she accused Ripa of making a "homophobic" remark.
The fracas started on "The View" when O'Donnell said that Ripa was "homophobic" for her scolding of Aiken when he co-hosted her show the other day and playfully put his hand over her mouth, prompting Ripa to snap, "I don't know where that hand has been." Rosie suggested that if Aiken had been a "straight guy, a cute guy" or, for instance, Mario Lopez, Ripa wouldn't have made the same remark. (Aiken, of course, has never said anything publicly about his sexuality.)
Ripa was incensed enough to call into the show immediately, firing back that Rosie's accusation was "outrageous" and "irresponsible" and that Ripa made the remark last Friday because it was "cold and flu season" and that Aiken had shaken the hands of the studio audience. Rosie wasn't buying it, and in acknowledging that she admires Ripa, said that "from where I sit" as an openly gay woman, Ripa's response was homophobic.
Kelly, for her part, continued to pile on Aiken as well, saying that his behavior on last week's episode was "disrespectful," including the fact that he never thanked her for the opportunity to co-host. Kelly and the ladies agreed on one thing: guest host Sherri Shepherd's assertion that Clay probably wouldn't have muzzled Regis like he did Kelly.
from TMZ

Sex Comedy To Open Gay Film Fest

He has gone from "American Idol" to gay icon, and with a little luck, Jim Verraros will be a matinee idol.
With a boy-next-door quality, Verraros, a Crystal Lake native, was a contestant on "American Idol's" first season.
While he hasn't left music behind (his first album was released last year, and a follow-up is due in 2007), he is pursuing acting. His second film, a sex comedy called "Eating Out 2," opens the Reeling Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival tonight.
"I still keep in touch with everyone from that first season," he says. "Of course, it's getting harder and harder now that we're all doing our own thing, but there are a few people I talk to regularly, or in Kelly [Clarkson's] case, we talk through our people."
Verraros, who lives in East Dundee with his partner of several years, will attend tonight's screening and post-party, as will the film's director and co-writer, Phillip J. Bartell (an Illinois native and a graduate of Columbia College's film school).
Bartell wrote the script earlier this year with Verraros in mind. "I got to pick my favorite characters from the first film," Bartell says.
In the first film, Verraros' character Kyle helped his straight roommate pretend to be gay to get the attention of a girl. For the sequel, a series of circumstances has Kyle pretending to be straight.
Brenda Webb, founder of the Reeling Film Festival, says the film represents a new type of queer cinema.
"There is a younger generation that doesn't strictly define their culture or themselves in strict gay or straight terms," she says. "People aren't as defined by their sexuality anymore, and this film really speaks to that audience."
Being less obvious about his sexuality is something he has experience with, thanks to "American Idol." While he never hid his sexuality from the producers, he says they were less than thrilled.
"All the staff, the other contestants and the executive producers knew I was gay ... ," he says. "Were the producers threatened by it? Of course they were. With 'American Idol' being the title, the show had to be safe and with a cookie-cutter appeal. There was no place for an out gay performer."
Verraros had his first taste of homophobia growing up in conservative Crystal Lake. "Middle school was the worst three years of my life," he says, "and the torture started the minute I got on the school bus and didn't stop until I got off."
If there is a silver lining in the gay bashings he received while growing up, he says thay prepared him for his career in music and film.
"People will love you or they will hate you," he says. "You have no control over it, so the only thing you can do is be true to yourself."
from The Chicago Sun-Times

Anti-Gay Mail In Canada

VANCOUVER - Neither rain, nor hail, nor sleet, nor snow nor refusal to deliver an anti-gay pamphlet will keep the mail from getting through.
That seemed to be the message yesterday from Canada Post in reacting to a brief walkout over the letter carriers union's refusal to deliver a pamphlet the union regards as "homophobic" and "hate mail."
The problem began Wednesday when letter carriers at Station F on the city's east side were told they had to carry the pamphlets or face disciplinary action, said Ken Mooney, the Vancouver local president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
"One person actually refused to touch it and there were others who said they are not going to deliver it," Mooney said.
Canada Post spokeswoman Colleen Frick had a different take, saying the only postie required to carry it on his route was "intimidated" by his colleagues. "He did not refuse it," she said. "He was basically intimidated into not delivering it and that's not appropriate."
The pamphlet is the September edition of The Prophetic Word, published by the Fundamentalist Baptist Mission in Waterford, Ont. The article that spurred the dispute was called The Plague of this 21st Century: The Consequences of the sin of Homosexuality (AIDS).
"It's homophobic," Mooney said. "It's really offensive."
Mooney said the corporation should not be in the business of delivering "hate mail."
Frick said "hate mail" is not a legal term she was aware of and "it's not in the (Canada Post Corporation Act). So we don't speak about mail in terms of this and we're not about to go into the business of defining what hate mail is," she said.
By yesterday, the issue seemed to have cooled but was not settled. Mooney says the 50 letter carriers were told they would not have to carry the pamphlet. But Frick countered that they didn't have to carry it — yesterday. "It will be delivered at some point in the next two days," she said, explaining that the corporation has three days to deliver ad mail from the time it arrives at the depot.
The posties don't have the right to refuse to deliver the mail, she said. The contract between the corporation and the union requires them to deliver mail the corporation deems acceptable. "And this item was deemed such."
She said she was certain the 200 pamphlets would be delivered by a carrier in the depot.
Mooney acknowledged the possibility of disciplinary action if all carriers refuse. "They may want to adjust the attitude of some employees," he said.
A spokesperson for the sender of the pamphlet was not immediately available to comment.
from The Toronto Star

Metro Transit Changes Mind On Driver, Gay-Themed Ads

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - Metro Transit said Friday that it inadvertently sent the wrong message about tolerance in trying to accommodate a bus driver's religious objections to driving buses that carried gay-themed ads.
Metro Transit spokesman Bob Gibbons said the company made a temporary accommodation to the driver on Oct. 12, allowing her not drive buses that carried an ad for Lavender, a local magazine aimed at the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.
The ad showed the face of a young man with the slogan, "Unleash Your Inner Gay." Fifty buses carried it periodically.
The ad contract ran only through Oct. 18, Gibbons said, and buses no longer are carrying the ads.
However, in reviewing the issue, Gibbons said the company likely would not make the same decision again.
"We are not persuaded that advertising, per se, infringes on religious practices and would be reluctant to make similar accommodations in the future," Gibbons said.
The woman is still driving for Metro Transit, he added.
Metro Transit had come under fire from a union leader and some other drivers, who said the company was condoning intolerance.
"We deeply regret any impressions of intolerance," Gibbons said in a written statement. "Metro Transit employs and serves a diverse population, and we do our best to be respectful of all views."
The bus controversy followed news of many Muslim taxi drivers serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport refusing to accept passengers carrying alcohol and some pharmacists across the country insisting on the right to refuse to fill contraceptive prescriptions.
from The Pioneer Press

Transit Bus Driver Free From Gay-Themed Ads

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - The back of the bus was once a synonym for racial discrimination. This week, something on the back of some buses has become an issue of religious discrimination. The "something" is a billboard-type advertisement that appeared on the back of a number of Metro Transit buses for one week.
"It's very innocuous," Lavender Magazine owner and President Stephen Rocheford insists. The ad simply showed the face of a young man with the slogan "Unleash your inner gay", then directed people to the magazine's Web site.
Rocheford shrugged, "We knew just having the word "gay" on it was controversial to some people."
The ad for the gay-lesbian-bisexual and transgender oriented monthly magazine was more than controversial for one Metro Transit bus driver. "She came forward and said that the ad offended her religious beliefs," explained transit company spokesman Bob Gibbons.
Gibbons said they decided to accommodate the driver. She was reassigned to buses that did not have the Lavender ad. Gibbons said such accommodation is on a "case by case" basis.
"And you say to yourself, can you make a reasonable accommodation? If the answer to that is yes, the second question is does it cause you a business hardship? If the answer to that is yes, it does cause a business hardship, no accommodation would be made," said Gibbons.
Charles Sameulson of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota sees the issue differently. "There is a sense in this society, that it's okay to refuse to be offended." As for Metro Transit's "accommodation"? "I think you just say I'm sorry, you have to drive the bus that's assigned to you."
Samuelson argues that public workers like bus drivers, taxi cab drivers, pharmacists and doctors have certain obligations that go with the job. "People who have occupational licenses, granted to them by the state, cannot discriminate."
Lavender owner Rocheford said freedom of religion is an important factor in American life, but it has some limits. "It does not allow people who work for organizations that get 54 - 55 percent of their funds from the public to decide whether they want to perform their job."
Interestingly, the driver's bargaining unit, local 1005 of the Amalgamated Transit Workers, did not side with their member. Union officials said making such accommodations based on religious objections could cause havoc with the bus system. What, one official wondered, would happen if a number of drivers objected to liquor ads or other advertising on religious grounds?
State Senator Scott Dibble was pleased to hear the union's take on the issue and he called on the Metropolitan Council and Transit officials to reverse their decision, "This is an outrageous decision. As a community, we should promote tolerance."
Dibble is a member of the Senate's Transportation Committee and has been a strong advocate for transit initiatives, but he said in a statement, "It is difficult for me to go to my constituents and ask their support for transit initiatives this fall.. When Metro Transit officials take such divisive actions."
Metro Transit called union officials into a meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation. The transit provider said it is reviewing its policy about such objections by drivers.
They may need to. Lavender Magazine intends to put more ads on Metro buses next spring.
from KARE 11 TV

Mickey Rourke's 'Homophobic' Rant

Mickey Rourke has been forced to dismiss claims he's homophobic after launching into a foul-mouthed rant about a "fag" he almost punched in New York City. The Sin City actor insists he has lots of gay friends and "faggot" is a word they "toss around" all the time, without any derogatory meaning. But Rourke has upset many in the Big Apple's gay community with his potentially offensive comments. Speaking about a recent near fight with a drunken fan, the tough guy actor said, "He was really, really out of control - some big fucking obnoxious fag. I don't mean fag in a derogatory way, just like the guy was a fuck off. "Look, I'm not afraid to say the word fag. I've got plenty of gay friends. We toss the word around. If I wanna say fag, I'm gonna fucking say it. And if somebody has a problem with that, they can kiss my fucking ass."
from Contact Music

Apology Over Rio Ferdinand Faggot Remark

UNITED KINGDOM - BBC Radio 1 have issued an apology after premiership footballer Rio Ferdinand called Chris Moyles a "faggot" live on air.
The England star made the derogatory comment during a light-hearted conversation with Moyles about which players he found attractive.
Ferdinand immediately said: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm not homophobic."
A spokesperson for the station said: "There was no offence intended and we apologise for any offence caused."
On-air Chris Moyles said: "you can't say that," he then added that the comment was "footballing terminology for a funny lad".
Swearing apology
The whole conversation had started as Moyles had been discussing footballers and the way they look.
When Peter Crouch's name came up Ferdinand said: "He is a half decent looking geezer.
"I am not feminine or gay in any way but he is not ugly and a few birds like him," he added.
It is not the first time Radio 1's Breakfast Show has been in trouble for its language.
Earlier on in the year, complaints were received about Moyle's use of the word "gay" to mean rubbish, although the complaint was not upheld.
And he was forced to apologise for swearing live on air during a phone call with a listener.
from The BBC

Football Player Under Fire For Homophobic Remarks

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Gay rights campaigners have urged Paul Scholes to apologize after he allegedly made a homophobic remark during the 1-0 win over Benfica.
The 31-year-old Manchester United midfielder is alleged to have made the comment after receiving a yellow card from referee Frank De Bleeckere in the 10th minute of Tuesday night's clash at the Stadium of Light.
UEFA are waiting for reports from the match delegate and the referee before they decide whether to address the complaints, although they are unlikely to take action if the incident is not reported. They expect the report on Thursday.
Peter Tatchell, of gay human rights group OutRage!, said: "We urge Paul to apologise and to express his opposition to homophobia.
"No player, referee or fan should have to endure abuse about their race or sexuality.
"There should be big fines and match suspensions for players, managers and supporters who wilfully use anti-gay insults.
"Stewards should be ordered to identify fans who shout homophobic abuse and the Football Association should secure the agreement of the police to arrest and charge them."
Tatchell also urged the FA to tackle the problem in the game.
The FA set up the 'Football For All' scheme four years ago to make the sport as accessible as possible, encompassing a number of problem areas, including homophobia.
"The Football Association works very closely with a number of group to stamp out inappropriate behaviour in the sport," an FA spokesperson said.
from Fox Sports

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