By Ramy Eletreby

New Jersey Legislature Enacts Civil Unions, Not Marriage

On Dec. 14, New Jersey lawmakers voted to give gay couples civil unions, not full marriage equality. As we go to press. Gov. Jon Corzine signed the bill as expected, New Jersey would join Connecticut and Vermont in offering civil unions, offering many of the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples. (California’s expansive domestic partnership law is similar to civil unions, without the designation). Only Massachusetts offers full marriage equality.

Not everyone was pleased. “There is no reason to enact civil unions other than to send the message that our families are not worthy of equality. That unprincipled message harms same-sex couples, their children and ultimately all of New Jersey,” said Lambda Legal’s David Buckel, who criticized the Legislature for acting too fast to allow for a full debate on marriage.

“We’re planning a massive rally the day the civil union law takes effect, to pre-empt the idea that this is a day for celebration,” said Steven Goldstein, the chair of Garden State Equality, which promises to keep pushing for marriage.

Corzine, who supports marriage equality, told reporters he is concerned that some mayors may legally refuse to conduct the ceremonies. "That would not be equal treatment under the law,” Corzine said.

Mitt Romney’s Conservative Values Questioned

Republican Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s conservative values are being questioned after articles surfaced showing Romney advocated for gay rights. When running for the U.S. Senate in 1994, Romney sent a letter to the gay Republican Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts saying that he would provide stronger support for gays than opponent Sen. Edward Kennedy, reports the New York Times.

“If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern,” wrote Romney, a contender for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination. “My opponent cannot do this. I can and will.”

Also in 1994, Romney was quoted in Bay Windows, a Boston gay newspaper, that same-sex marriage should remain a state issue, which contradicts his recent support for a federal constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a man and a woman.

On Dec. 18, Romney tried to clarify his position, telling the Associated Press, "I'm not in favor of discrimination of any kind, including people who have a different sexual preference than myself. At the same time I'm very committed to traditional marriage between one man and one woman and believe that marriage should be preserved in that way."

More Colorado Evangelical Leaders Step Down Due to “Sexual Misconduct”

The founding pastor of the 2,100-member Grace Chapel in Englewood, Co., stepped down after admitting to homosexuality. In a videotape message Dec. 10, Paul Barnes told his congregation, “I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy. I can’t tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away.”

Barnes is the second major evangelical leader to resign over homosexuality. In November, Ted Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs. On Dec. 15, Christopher Beard, the youth pastor at New Life Church, resigned after admitting to consensual “sexual misconduct” several years ago with an unmarried adult. Beard headed the “twentyfourseven” ministry, which trained young adults in leadership skills.

New Report Reveals High Murder Rate among Gender Non-Conforming Youth

The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) reports that more than 50 people, ages 30 and under, were murdered within the past 10 years because they did not fit typical masculine-feminine gender stereotypes. The report, 50 Under 30: Masculinity and the War on America’s Youth, shows how gender ambiguity, especially in youth of color, can raise the likelihood of brutal attacks.

“[The victims] were mostly black or Latina, were biologically male and presenting with some degree of femininity, and were killed by other young males in attacks of extraordinary and often multiple acts of violence,” said GenderPAC Executive Director Ricki Wilchins.

Same-Sex Marriage Advocate Beaten During Massachusetts Rally

While at a rally in Worcester, Mass., organized by VoteOnMarriage, a Boston-based Catholic Citizenship group advocating for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, an advocate for same-sex marriage was attacked by the leader of the group.

Sarah Loy was standing with other same-sex marriage supporters staging a counter-protest when speaker Larry Cirignano noticed her carrying a sign reading, “No Discrimination in the Constitution.” Cirignano then reportedly tackled Loy and pushed her head into the concrete ground while saying, “You need to get out. You need to get out of here right now,” reports the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Loy, a straight woman who attended the protest with her husband, reportedly lay bruised and bloodied on the sidewalk as Cirignano returned to the podium to condemn same-sex marriage and demand the proposed amendment banning gay marriage be put on the ballot.

Quintana Not Involved with Pelosi Parties

Refuting a Dec. 11 Los Angeles Times story, Jennifer Crider, a spokesperson for Congressmember Nancy Pelosi, e-mailed IN that controversial gay party planner Brian Quintana “is not involved in the planning of any of the events [surrounding Pelosi’s swearing-in as speaker of the House], nor was he ever hired to do them.” Last February Quintana accused socialite Paris Hilton of assault and harassment and in 1995 he accused actress Stephanie Powers of sexual assault. In 2005, a judge dropped sexual assault charges against Quintana but found him guilty of using a brick against a gay man. He served minimal time under house arrest. - Karen Ocamb

Virginia Parishes Vote to Leave Episcopal Church

Two large and significant Episcopal parishes and five smaller churches in Virginia voted Dec. 17 to leave the Episcopal Church over its stand on LGBT rights and become affiliated with a conservative opposition in Africa led by Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola. The vote is the latest response to the 2003 consecration of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson, which some believe prompted a movement toward schism in the 77-million member Worldwide Anglican Communion and within its American branch, the Episcopal Church. Legal fights over church property are now expected to ensue.

Heroes Sidekick Zach De-Gayed

Zach sure seems to be gay—he’s an outsider who gets gay-baited in the boys locker room; his MySpace profile includes Pricilla, Queen of the Desert as a favorite film; and, notes AfterElton.com, Heroes creator Tom Kring told interviewers while marketing the show that Zach is gay. The NBC publicity department, however, told AfterElton that Zach is definitely not gay. They’ve even deleted gay suggestions on the show’s NBC Web site. “We apologize for misleading the audience, and wish that we could have handled things better on our end,” Kring e-mailed AfterElton.com, promising to include a gay character in the future.

Poll: 73 Percent Comfortable with Gays in the Military

On Dec. 18, Zogby International and the Michael D. Palm Center released a new poll indicating that 73 percent of military members are comfortable serving with openly gay colleagues, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network reported. Nearly one in four (23 percent) servicemembers report knowing that someone in their unit is lesbian or gay, including 21 percent of those in combat units. “Today’s poll is one more nail in the coffin of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” said SLDN director C. Dixon Osburn. “It is time for Congress to do away with this archaic law.” For more information, go to www.sldn.org.

Focus on the Family’s Dobson Misuses Research in Time Column

In a Dec. 12 column for Time magazine, Focus on the Family’s James Dobson distorted the work of psychologist Carol Gilligan and Dr. Kyle Pruett to argue that same-sex parenting is harmful to children, reports Media Matters for America.

“Not only did you take my research out of context, you did so without my knowledge to support discriminatory goals that I do not agree with,” wrote Gilligan in a letter to Dobson.

Meanwhile, on Dobson’s Dec. 11 radio broadcast, Michael Medved denounced the animated feature Happy Feet for its “subtext about homosexuality.”

Numbers As of 4:00 p.m., December 20, 2006:

U.S. Deaths in Iraq: 2,955 - 3 pending DoD confirmation
Iraqi Dead since 2003: Between 50,998-56,533
Cost of War: $351,746,000,000+
National Debt: $8,617,545,788,159.32
U.S. Trade Deficit: $749,227,000,000+