Thousands march in first Quezon City pride

Gay-friendly city marks 20 years of pride in the country

read more

darrenw

www.gaystarnews.com/article/thousands-march-first-quezon-city-pride151214

Joseph Scott Pemberton, U.S. Marine, Charged With Murder Of Transgender Woman In Philippines
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine government prosecutors charged a detained U.S. Marine with murder Monday in the killing of a Filipino transgender that reignited an irritant between the military allies over custody of American military personnel suspected of committing crimes.

Prosecutor Emily de los Santos said there was “probable cause” that Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton killed Jennifer Laude, whose former name was Jeffrey, in a motel room, where the victim’s body was found in October in Olongapo city, northwest of Manila. She had apparently been drowned in a toilet bowl. “It’s murder,” de los Santos told reporters after filing the non-bailable charge against the 19-year-old Pemberton before a regional court. “It was aggravated by treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty.”

The case reignited a debate over custody of American military personnel accused of crimes. But the looming irritant between the treaty allies over Pemberton’s custody was eased after Washington agreed to move him from a U.S. warship to the Philippine military’s main camp in metropolitan Manila, where he remained under American custody with an outer ring of Filipino guards.

Pemberton, who has not been seen in public, would have to appear during court arraignment, de los Santos said, urging loved ones of the victim, who doubted whether the Marine was still in the country, to attend to see him for the first time.

Harry Roque, the lawyer of Laude’s family, welcomed the prosecutors’ ruling and angrily demanded that Pemberton be thrown into an ordinary jail.

The murder case comes as the Philippines and the United States strengthen ties with the recent signing of a defense accord that allows greater U.S. access to Philippine military camps. The accord would help Washington’s bid to reassert its presence in Asia, and for Manila to deter what it calls China’s aggressive moves to reinforce its claims in disputed South China Sea territories.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/15/marine-charged-with-murder_n_6325232.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

South Carolina Could Owe Gay Groups $150,000 — or Maybe Even More
South Carolina’s anti-gay Attorney General may have to pay tens of thousands of dollars to gay rights groups. New research shows why marriage equality has been so successful so fast. And Hillary Clinton gets thanks for supporting the freedom to marry from an unlikely source.

Marriage is here to stay in South Carolina, but Attorney General Alan Wilson seems to be having a hard time accepting it. Even though South Carolina couples have been getting married since last month, Wilson has continued his losing battle to stop the weddings. But the longer he drags out his appeal, the more money he may wind up having to give to a coalition of gay rights groups.

That’s because the coalition has filed a petition seeking to recoup the money that they’ve had to spend to keep marriage legal. If the court grants their request, Wilson will have to give over $150,000 to organizations fighting for equality. Wilson really has no chance of stopping marriage at this point. He’s appealing to the Fourth Circuit, which has repeatedly allowed marriages to go forward. So all he’s doing now is running up a huge tab.

And the same thing’s happening Arkansas. Outgoing Governor Mike Beebe and incoming Governor Asa Hutchinson both say they oppose marriage equality. Last week Beebe went even further, telling supporters that he might be willing to consider limited civil unions. That might’ve been an okay position twenty years ago. But civil unions are a compromise, and at this point we’re so close to winning we don’t have to compromise anymore.

In fact, there’s a new study this week that shows why we’re so close to winning. And no surprise, it’s what Harvey Milk said back in the ’70s: you have to come out. The new study in the journal Science shows that when door-to-door canvassers come out, and talk about wanting to get married, voters’ minds change — and stay changed. If we don’t come out, their minds change back after less than a week. So that’s why coming out as queer is so important, and why those anti-gay politicians are going to lose.

And finally this week, congratulations to Hillary Clinton, who came out in favor of marriage equality last year and has now won the “Straight Ally of the Year” award, as decided by users of Grindr.

www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-baume/south-carolina-could-owe_b_6325108.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices&ir=Gay+Voices

Benjy the gay bull makes it to his new home in time for Christmas

Benjy the gay bull, saved from an end in an Irish slaughterhouse, is settling in at Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norwich, England and is already making new friends

read more

andrewp

www.gaystarnews.com/article/benjy-gay-bull-makes-it-his-new-home-time-christmas151214

Video director for a National Football League team comes out as gay

‘I’ll do whatever I can to help people. And I’ve had enough’

read more

Jamesw

www.gaystarnews.com/article/video-director-national-football-league-team-comes-out-gay151214