Leah Johnson (left) and Miah Register

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

In an article posted by Outsports, a blog affiliated with the LGBTQ sports news website SB Nation, two former University of Richmond women’s basketball players, Leah Johnson and Miah Register, allege that they were victims of homophobia and racism while attending the school.

Johnson alleges that after her freshman year when Register was signed to the team, Richmond’s assistant coach Ebony Tanner Moore demanded Johnson end the relationship.

“I don’t know what it is you’re doing,” Johnson quotes Moore as saying, “I don’t know what phase you’re going through, but you need to break up with Miah before she steps foot on this campus.”

Johnson and Register, now engaged, said that their relationship was singled out by the coaching staff.

“I felt like we were really being singled out,” Johnson told Outsports. “There were other girls dating, there were other girls who identified as lesbian or bisexual, and there was such a focus on our personal issues that it affected the productivity of the team.”

Register shared her experiences with the GO! Athletes blog in May 2013, recounting the difficult times she faced after one of the University of Richmond coaches outed her to her mother. Register was forced to move in with Johnson’s family after an assistant coach contacted Register’s mother to tell her that both players would lose their scholarships if they didn’t end the relationship.

“I was absolutely treated differently,” wrote Register. “Not only for being a lesbian, (which, by the way, no one ever asked, it was just assumed, and because I was less feminine than the other girls, they assumed a lot about me) but or being black, and I was judged for being from an urban area. I was ostracized for being the former – being me – and I was abandoned by my family for the same reasons.”

Ultimately, both women transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University in December 2011. Johnson ended her basketball career in 2012 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; Register left the team in 2013 citing emotional issues.

In July 2014 the couple founded the Johnson-Register Alliance, a “platform for women, people with disabilities, people of color, and LGBTQ people,” which will be used to advocate for equality and inclusion.

The University of Richmond conducted its own internal investigation of the allegations and released a statement which read, in part, “The University takes seriously and investigates fully any allegation of discrimination…Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot comment on the specific allegations. University of Richmond is committed to a welcoming and inclusive environment.”

In February 2014, the University of Richmond hosted the first national LGBT student athlete conference.

The post Lesbian college hoopsters allege discrimination first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

What did you miss this week in the world of LGBT news? Check out our Lesbian.com round-up and you’ll be ready to gather ’round the rainbow-colored water cooler to talk about five of the biggest, best and most interesting stories for July 20 – July 26.

Indiegogo campaign launched to bring lesbian bar back to Philadelphia

Almost exactly one year ago, the oldest lesbian bar in Philadelphia, Sisters, closed its doors leaving lesbians in the City of Brotherly Love without a place to call their own. Now Sisters’ former manager, Denise Cohen, is hoping to change that.

“Every event I run or attend, I am asked over and over, when will we get a new place?” Cohen told PhillyGayCalendar.com. “For nearly a year now I have been trying every option I could think of to make that happen and now there is a plan in place and with the help of our community, friends and family it is time to bring a new LGBT space to Philly.”

Having identified both a potential new venue and investors for the new bar, Cohen has launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise at least $50,000 of the $250,000 necessary to provide lesbians in Philly a full-time gathering place.

Details on the venue are confidential at this point, but Cohen did reveal “it will feature several bar areas, private bottle service vip room, dancing and entertainment along with an amazing kitchen to produce a fantastic menu.” She’s also optimistic about the employment opportunities the new space would open up for those in the community.

To read more about the fundraising campaign and/or make a contribution, visit Indiegogo.

Ft. Worth police department video targets LGBT recruits

The Fort Worth, Texas, police department is hoping to diversify it’s department, launching a YouTube campaign targeting LGBT, female, Hispanic and African-American candidates.

The first video surfaced this week and stars officer Chris Gorrie.

“What does a 30-year-old White guy have to do with diversity? Well, the short answer — I’m gay,” says Gorrie in the intentionally humorous video.

Gorrie goes on to share his motivation for joining the force, as well as his personal experience since doing so. You can check out the full video below.

Supermodel comes out as transgender woman

Bosnian-born Super model Andreja Pejic has come out as transgender.

Pejic, formerly known as Andrej Pejic, shared the news exclusively with Entertainment Tonight, People.com and Style.com. She also worked closely with GLAAD during the week leading up to her announcement.

Pejic, who has been modeling both men’s and women’s wear since 2007, is known for her androgynous look. In an email statement received by The Huffington Post, GLAAD notes that Pejic “will only be modeling women’s clothing going forward.”

The acclaimed model has appeared on covers of Elle and French Vogue and notes that her agency has been supportive of the transition.

“As a transgender woman I hope to show that after transition (a life-saving process) one can be happy and successful in their new chapter,” Pejic said in a Facebook post.

Pejic is set to appear in Sophia Coppola’s upcoming live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”

“The Bridge” star Emily Rios comes out

Emily Rios, star of the RX series “The Bridge,” came out as a lesbian during an interview published Monday on AfterEllen.com.

Rios, who portrays a lesbian character on the show, told the Logo-affiliated website, “I’m gay, personally, so being Mexican and a lesbian — this is why I love the character because I deal with the same type of things with my own family,” Emily said.

Rios, 25, told AfterEllen that she’s had more support from her family than has her character on “The Bridge.” “Adrianna’s story on “The Bridge” is a little different because her mom is ashamed and embarrassed, but I dealt with that as well,” she said. “But it just took a year for ‘Hey it’s not a phase, this is really happening.’ And then they get comfortable with it. So it was a little bit more extreme, but the Mexicans are very family-oriented. It’s all about the love so they’re very supportive.”

Rios is perhaps best known for her role as recovering drug addict and mother, Andrea Cantillo, on “Breaking Bad” in which she played Jesse Pinkman’s on-again-off-again love interest.

Michigan water park denies entry to lesbian in men’s swim trunks

A story surfaced this week about a July 9 incident in which an Indiana lesbian was kicked out of a Michigan water park during her bachelorette party celebration for wearing men’s swim trunks.

Jill Sweeney told a Michigan news station that she was kicked out of Muskegon’s WildWater Adventure while attempting to join her sister-in-law on the water slide. Sweeney was wearing swim trunks, a sports bra and tank top.

“I’d already been in the lazy river and the wave pool and then my sister in law went up to go down the slide. And that’s when I was stopped,” said Sweeney. “A supervisor had come up and she said, ‘Ma’am, you have to wear a women’s bathing suit. You’re not allowed to wear men’s.’”

The park’s general manager told the news station that Sweeney was in violation of park rules.

“A sports bra would not be a swim suit. We require our patrons to wear swim suits and street clothes of any kind would not be allowed,” said WildWater Adventure general manager Camille Mark.

The park denies Sweeney’s claim that she was targeted because she’s a lesbian.

When asked about Sweeney saying she felt singled out because she’s gay, Mark said, “I couldn’t possibly comment on that. How would anyone be aware of [Sweeney’s] sexuality?”

Sweeney produced a number of photos showing other park patrons who appear to be in violation of WildWater’s dress code policy and is seeking legal representation, though she said that she’s not in it for the money; she just wants an apology for the way she was treated.

The post LGBT week in review: New lesbian bar for Philly; ‘The Bridge’ star comes out first appeared on Lesbian.com.

What did you miss this week in the world of LGBT news? Check out our Lesbian.com round-up and you’ll be ready to gather ’round the rainbow-colored water cooler to talk about five of the biggest, best and most interesting stories for July 6 – July 12.

Lesbian college student expelled for marrying partner

On Wednesday, Christian Minard, 22, received written notice from Southwestern Christian University that she was being expelled. The reason? She married her same-sex partner.

“I was informed that you recently married someone of the same sex and saw a few pictures from Facebook,” Brad Davis, the school’s vice president of student life, wrote. “Of course, this is opposing to our view as an International Pentecostal Holiness denominational university as well as the Lifestyle Covenant that all students must agree and sign.”

Minard, who married her partner March 17, is just one semester shy of earning her degree in sports management from the the International Pentecostal Holiness Church affiliated university. She claims that other students violate the cited Lifestyle Covenant regularly without repercussion and believes she was singled out for being a lesbian.

The expulsion leaves the would-be senior with an uncertain future.

“I’m trying to figure out how and where I can graduate,” Minard told CNN, noting that she’ll have to start paying off her loans at the end of next year unless things change. “… It’s going to be hard to get into classes that may be full, because they gave me very little notice before the fall semester starts.”

Italian mayor wants to ban same-sex PDA

If Mayor Gianluca Buonanno of Borgosesia, an Italian municipality, gets his way same-sex couples who kiss in public could be fined up to 500 euros ($680 USD) for the affectionate display.

Per a Huffington Post translation, Mayor Buonanno told Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “Kissing in public between homosexuals? No thanks… It’s a matter of respect. And I am convinced that is morally harmful for children.”

Buonanno is regarded as an eccentric, having previously engaged in behavior uncharacteristic of someone in position, including shredding the European Union flag to use as a handkerchief, waving a sea bass around during a session of Parliament and now announcing his intention to add a photo of anti-gay Russian President Vladimir Putin to his office decor.

According to Pink News, European Parliament member Daniele Viotti said the “new decree is just the latest, pathetic publicity stunt by a narrow-minded man who desperately wants to be in the spotlight.”

Colorado marriage ban struck down

On Wednesday, District Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree ruled that Colorado’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Crabtree found that Amendment 43 of the state constitution, approved by voters in 2006 and defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, “bears no rational relationship to any conceivable government interest.”

In his 49-page decision, the judge also stated that, “confining same-sex couples to civil unions is further evidence of discrimination against same-sex couples and does not ameliorate the discriminatory effect of the Marriage Bans.”

Crabtree immediately put his ruling on hold pending an appeal and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers issued a statement on his website indicating his intention to do just that.

“Judge Crabtree provides additional clarity that until the high court rules on the issue of same-sex marriage, Colorado’s current laws remain in place,” said Suthers.

2014 Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame inductees

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and Olympic swimmer Diana Nyad were among those honored Friday as inductees into the LGBT Sports Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization launched in 2013 and headquartered in Chicago, was established to honor individuals and organizations whose achievements and efforts have enhanced the fields of sports and athletics for the gay and lesbian community.

Other notables joining Griner and Nyad in the 2014 class were Billy Bean (MLB), Wade Davis (NFL), Mayor George Moscone (straight ally, deceased), Tom Daley (Olympic diver) and Nike.

The inaugural 2013 class of inductees included tennis legends Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, and LPGA Tour champion Patty Sheehan.

Lesbian moms denied family pool pass

An outdated ordinance in Galion, Ohio, which defines a family as a “mother, father and up to three children” came under fire this week when Melody Mohn and her partner, Hela Young, attempted to buy a family pool pass at Galion’s Heise Park.

Mohn, a mother of three, had purchased a family pass for herself and her three children for the past nine years, but when she inquired about adding her partner under the “family” rate, she was denied based on the city’s definition of family.

Members of the city council agree that the ordinance language needs to be changed.

“We certainly don’t want to do anything to prevent children and parents to go swimming in our pool,” Carl Watt, Galion City Council president, told a local news station, adding about the current definition of family, “I mean, 20 years ago, it probably fit the scene, but not today. Not today’s lifestyle.”

Mohn is glad the City Council will be updating the ordinance and has no regrets about pushing for the change.

“We’re not the only same-sex couple, and we’re not the only non-traditional family, either,” said Mohn.

Given that the pool is set to close next month, it is unlikely that the Mohn/Young household will enjoy a family rate at the pool until 2015.

The post LGBT week in review: Lesbian student expelled, Griner inducted, lesbian moms denied first appeared on Lesbian.com.

A Photo by Brian Harkin/Getty Images

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

Anti-LGBT discrimination in the workplace is alive and well in corporate America. That may not exactly be news to most of us, but now there is new data to back up what we already knew.

The Equal Rights Center and Freedom to Work recently released the results of a one-year study in which fake resumes were submitted to eight different federal contracting firms. In total, resumes were submitted in response to 100 different job postings listed by ExxonMobil, General Electric, L-3 Communications, AmerisourceBergen, Supreme Group Holding SARL, L-3 Communications, Fluor and URS.

In each instance, a pair of similar resumes was submitted in response to a job listing. The resumes were virtually identical in almost every regard, with one notable exception – one resume hinted that the applicant may be a member of the LGBT community via a reference to a leadership position in an LGBT rights group. In each case, the resume with the LGBT reference also included stronger credentials, as shown in the example below featuring two fictitious resumes presented to ExxonMobil.

The study revealed that the better qualified LGBT-related applicants were 23 percent less likely to receive a call in response to their resume submission than their fictitious less suitable counterpart.

“Despite significant progress in advancing civil rights and equality, employment discrimination remains a persistent barrier for the LGBT community,” said Melvina Ford, executive director of the Equal Rights Center.

Tico Almeida, president and founder of Freedom to Work added, “As much progress as our LGBT community has made in freedom to marry, there’s still a lot to be done to make sure our LGBT community has the freedom to work without discrimination.”

The study was initiated in December 2012, prompted by President Obama’s indication that he wouldn’t be signing an executive order prohibiting federal government contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Equal Rights Center and Freedom to Work concluded their experiment in December 2013, releasing the results shortly after the President’s Pride month announcement that he intends to move forward with the executive order which will require companies like ExxonMobil and other federal contractors, which employ approximately 20 percent of the total U.S. workforce, to adopt LGBT workplace protections.

LGBT rights advocates have urged the President to take action as 29 states still allow employers to fire or deny employment to an individual based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Taxpayers should never have to subsidize the kind of anti-LGBT discrimination that was uncovered during this year-long study of contractors with inadequate LGBT workplace protections,” said Almeida. “President Obama’s upcoming executive order will send a strong message that government contracts should be staffed with the highest qualified job candidates, and nobody should ever lose out on a career opportunity just because of who they are or whom they love. President Obama’s executive action to protect LGBT workers confirms that he has advanced fairness for LGBT Americans more than all of his predecessors combined.”

The post Study reveals anti-LGBT bias by major federal contractors first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY CANDY PARKER

I’m not terribly happy right now. In fact, one might be able to classify me as bordering on furious at the present moment, a rare state for this easygoing Libra.

Why am I on the verge of spitting nails? Well, I’ll tell you – I’ve about had it up to here (insert mental image of me with my right hand, palm down, extended just above my head) with middle-aged straight guys, in the form of sports radio talk show hosts and bloggers, whining about “thought police” and the “LGBT mafia” and “bullying” in the context of discussing Michael Sam, the reaction to his being selected in the NFL draft and the resulting disciplinary actions taken against high-profile sports figures who spoke out against the move via social media.

I just ran out to get lunch and heard yet another sports radio talk show host bantering with his guest, a FOX sports blogger, carping about how the world has become so politically correct that people can’t even say what they think anymore. What a terrible world it is we live in when people can be fined, fired or publicly taken to task for merely voicing their opinion! Shouldn’t we all be scared to live in a world where corporations and monopolized organizations like the NFL and NBA can squelch the personal beliefs of their employees?

The not-good-enough-to-play-so-I-write-and-talk-about-sports twins went on to compare the Miami Dolphins’ Don Jones’ tweets following Sam’s on-screen kiss with his boyfriend (“OMG” and “Horrible” – that Jones is an eloquent and loquacious fellow, after all) to someone voicing an opinion about gun ownership or the legalization of marijuana. If Jones doesn’t want to see two dudes kissing on television shouldn’t he be able to say that? Shouldn’t people be able to speak up if they believe drugs should be legal or that the right to bear automatic weapons in Chipotle is inalienable? (Don’t even get me started on the yahoos who did that over the weekend!)

The always-picked-last-for-kickball duo went on to extoll the virtues of free speech and the importance of open discourse in society. Isn’t that how we solve our problems? Shouldn’t we be discussing our differences in order to reach agreement? For a brief moment, I think I may have even heard American flags gently flapping in the wind as it swept over amber waves of grain.

Of course, the guest made a point of mentioning that he was Libertarian in his views on gay rights or, more specifically, gay marriage. Hey, if those gay people want to get married, then we should go ahead and let ‘em. The ol’ “Hey, I’m not prejudiced; I have black friends”-like disclaimer. (I personally find these types maddening as they’re typically the ones claiming they’re “fine with the gays,” but don’t think we need any “special rights,” having failed to actually familiarize themselves with the actual issues at hand.)

But what these guys don’t get is that talking about my basic rights to be treated like a human being isn’t the same as talking about whether or not someone should be able to spark up on the street corner or own a grenade launcher (solely for hunting purposes, of course).

Yes, there should be public discourse and sharing of opinions regarding matters such as legalized marijuana, gun ownership, abortion, taxes, religion and any countless number of other controversial topics. If an NFL player wants to hop on Twitter and tweet “Taxes suck” then by all means let him. (He certainly won’t get any argument from me on that one.)

But what all the middle-aged straight guys on sports radio don’t understand is that when someone like Jones tweets “Horrible” or when former Ole Miss hoopster Marshall Henderson tweets “Boycotting sportscenter til this michael sam nasty ass s—t is off…My brothers are 7 and 11 and saw that!!! #sickening” what is really being said is “I hate gay people.”

And when people say that they hate gay people, what they’re really saying is that they don’t think gays should have the right to marry; that it’s OK for people to be fired from their job simply for being gay; that they’re all for allowing businesses to discriminate against gays; and, in some of the more extreme cases, that they don’t believe gays have the right to live. And none of that is OK.

If you’re among those bashing us “thought police” types, try substituting the word “black” for the word “gay” in the prior paragraph and see how offensive it sounds. Ooooh, so that’s what we’re all upset about! (If only it were that simple to persuade them, huh?)

If a white NFL player had commented on an image of African-American NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III kissing his white wife by saying, “I don’t want to see that nasty ass n—-r kissing a white woman on ESPN!!! #hanghimhigh” I’d venture a guess that the NFL would have acted swiftly in fining, suspending and/or sending said ignorant white player to “sensitivity training.” So why is it so unreasonable to expect the same in the instances of anti-gay remarks? Answer me that, Mr. middle-aged straight guy sports radio talk show host and blogger!

What it comes down to quite simply is one word – discrimination.

Just because marijuana isn’t legal everywhere doesn’t mean it’s being discriminated against. And just because every gun hasn’t yet found a home doesn’t mean it’s being discriminated against either. It’s OK to voice your opinions “for” or “against” such things. Heck, you can even be for some types of guns and against others; I don’t care. And you can be pro-medical marijuana, but anti-recreational marijuana – tweet away about such things and be as self-contradictory or irrational as you choose. We in the “LGBT mafia” won’t care.

But note that we are not “things;” we are people. And it absolutely isn’t OK to discriminate against people or to be “for” some and “against” others simply because their DNA differs from yours.

You know what’s most remarkable about all of this is that while we’ve made it illegal in this country to discriminate against items that are simply “beliefs” (e.g., religion), we have yet to make it illegal from coast to coast to discriminate against people for simply being born with a given genetic composition. Sure, we took care of it in regard to skin pigmentation (at least from a legal standpoint), but we have yet to do the same for those born with the gay gene.

So middle-aged straight guy sports radio talk show hosts and bloggers, I’m sorry. The world it is a-changin’. It’s not OK to use the “n-word” anymore, wives aren’t the only ones cooking dinner and taking care of the kids these days and it’s not alright to discriminate against the LGBT community either. We’re here, we’re queer and we’re demanding our inalienable rights as human beings. If that makes us “bullies,” so be it. (Actually, we know it doesn’t make us bullies and we’re amused by your attempts to misappropriate the word in an effort to bolster your feeble argument.)

We’re not trying to squash anyone’s right to free speech or stifle open discourse. But our rights are not subject to debate, and, yeah, we’re going to be a little sensitive about the whole thing until it is no longer legal to discriminate against gays and lesbians (and all the other initials in LGBTQIA) in regard to employment, housing, marriage, business services or in any other fashion.

You have to understand that we’re not trying to change minds, we’re trying to change laws and, as I’m sure the African-American community can tell you, the former is far more difficult to affect than the latter. So the small-minded can hate us all they want; we realize that’s not changing any time soon. But just know that we’ll likely be much more tolerant of bigoted rants and social media posts once our rights are fully protected under the law.

So, middle-aged straight guy sports radio talk show hosts and bloggers, do you get it now?

The post Thought police, the LGBT mafia, bullying in the wake of Michael Sam first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Former Latta, S.C., police chief Crystal Moore

BY CANDY PARKER
Lesbian.com

Until last Tuesday, Crystal Moore was the police chief in Latta, S.C. But then the openly lesbian, 22-year veteran of the department was fired by Mayor Earl Bullard, sparking controversy in the small southern town.

Many, including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), believe Moore’s dismissal is a clear case of anti-LGBT discrimination.

Mayor Bullard asserts Moore was released as a result of seven reprimands she received. Critics of the firing note that the reprimands were suspicious in that all seven were received on one day and Moore had previously never received a reprimand. Further, it was noted that Bullard broke with protocol by not giving Moore a verbal or written warning for any wrongdoing, or discussing the matter with the council before taking action.

Adding to the doubts regarding the Mayor’s motive were comments caught on audio tape shortly before Moore’s firing in which Bullard shared the following views with Latta Town Councilman Jared Taylor:

“I would much rather have … and I will say this to anybody’s face … somebody who drank and drank too much taking care of my child than I had somebody whose lifestyle is questionable around children.

Because that ain’t the damn way it’s supposed to be. You know … you got people out there — I’m telling you buddy — I don’t agree with some of the lifestyles that I see portrayed and I don’t say anything because that is the way they want to live, but I am not going to let my child be around.

I’m not going to let two women stand up there and hold hands and let my child be aware of it. And I’m not going to see them do it with two men neither.

I’m not going to do it. Because that ain’t the way the world works.

Now, all these people showering down and saying ‘Oh it’s a different lifestyle they can have it.’ Okay, fine and dandy, but I don’t have to look at it and I don’t want my child around it.”

On Thursday, HRC issued a statement calling for Moore’s reinstatement as police chief.

“By all accounts, Chief Moore has served the people of Latta, S.C., well for over 20 years,” said HRC Vice President of Communications Fred Sainz. “On the surface this looks a like clear-cut case of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Without explicit federal or state employment protections, a decorated police chief is left to fend for herself.”

HRC said the case highlights the need for Congressional passage of ENDA. A statement on the organization’s website read, in part:

“There is no explicit federal law against sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination, and lesbian, gay and bisexual people lack protection under the laws of 29 states, including South Carolina, and transgender people are not explicitly protected by the laws of 33 states, also including South Carolina. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would address discrimination in the workplace by making it illegal to fire, refuse to hire or refuse to promote an employee based on the person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Public employees, such as Chief Moore, often have recourse under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, but ENDA is necessary to expand those protections to private employees and to place all employers on notice of their obligations to their employees.”

The post Dismissal of lesbian police chief sparks controversy first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on January 21 that removing a potential juror solely on the grounds of sexual orientation is discrimination, thus extending a Supreme Court protection that previously covered only gender and race.

In the final written decision, a panel of three judges unanimously ruled that removal from a jury pool over sexual orientation is unlawful discrimination; the decision came after an issue arose in a 2011 antitrust and contract dispute between the drug companies GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Abbott Laboratories, involving the pricing of a commonly used HIV/AIDS drug.

Read more at dot429.com

The post Court ruling: Juror dismissal was unlawful discrimination first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman, a veteran National Football League reporter, reported Wednesday that over the summer, at least one NFL player was close to coming out as gay. The player, according to Freeman’s report, was a free agent, but he was negotiating a contract with a team that knew he was preparing to come out. Another gay player was close to signing at the same time. The second player’s team also knew he was gay and didn’t care. When it asked current players, they said it would be no problem. That deal fell apart too, when the player, who Freeman describes as a “high-profile defensive back,” requested too much money.

More interesting, though, is why the deal with the first player never happened. All of this was happening around the time that the NBA’s Jason Collins came out as gay in April, a major media story in a sports world still looking for its first openly gay player in one of the four major American sports leagues. It turned into a media storm, and that, according to Freeman, scared the NFL team away.

Read more at ThinkProgress.org

The post Is the NFL afraid of an openly gay player? first appeared on Lesbian.com.

A former Home Depot employee has slapped the hardware chain with a $100,000 discrimination lawsuit claiming the company targeted older, higher-paid managers as well as gay male employees for termination following the 2008 financial crisis.

Hardy “Lex” Housh, a gay man, was fired from a Home Depot store in Lemon Grove, Calif., in February 2012 after 25 years with the company, according to Courthouse News. He claims his termination was rooted in a scheme singling out older people and gay males because of their higher salaries and insurance costs.

Read more at Huffington Post Gay Voices

The post Lawsuit alleges Home Depot targeted gay staff first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Your honor, is this what we call justice?

BY IAN MILLHISER
ThinkProgress

Carolyn Compton is in a three year-old relationship with a woman. According to Compton’s partner Page Price, Compton’s ex-husband rarely sees their two children and was also once charged with stalking Compton, a felony, although he eventually plead to a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing. And yet, thanks to a Texas judge, Compton could lose custody of her children because she has the audacity to live with the woman she loves.

According to Price, Judge John Roach, a Republican who presides over a state trial court in McKinney, Texas, placed a so-called “morality clause” in Compton’s divorce papers. The clause forbids Compton from having a person that she is not related to “by blood or marriage” at her home past 9pm when her children are present. Since Texas will not allow Compton to marry her partner, this means that she effectively cannot live with her partner so long as she retains custody over her children. Invoking the “morality clause,” Judge Roach gave Price 30 days to move out of Compton’s home.

Read more at ThinkProgress.org

The post Texas judge invokes ‘morality clause’ to separate lesbian couple first appeared on Lesbian.com.