Appeals Court To Defiant Kentucky Clerk: Issue Marriage Licenses To Gays

A federal appeals court has ordered a defiant Kentucky county clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples — rejecting her bid to put an earlier ruling against her on hold while she sought an appeal.

Rowan County clerk Kim Davis cannot, on religious grounds, refuse to serve gays and lesbians wishing to marry, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled on Wednesday. The court’s decision cited Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark ruling in June that legalized gay marriage nationwide.

“In light of the binding holding of Obergefell, it cannot be defensibly argued that the holder of the Rowan County Clerk’s office . . . may decline to act in conformity with the United States Constitution,” the court said.

Shortly after the Supreme Court decided Obergefell, Davis turned away a longtime Rowan County couple whose thwarted attempts to get married went viral. They eventually sued in federal court.

After a lower court ruled in the couple’s favor, Davis defied the order and sued the Kentucky governor for making her choose between “abandoning the precepts of her religion and forfeiting her position,” according to her lawsuit.

The 6th Circuit’s order echoes the decision of the lower court judge who had initially ordered Davis to issue marriage licenses. As a county officeholder whose “duties include the issuance of marriage licenses,” Davis’ faith is not impacted, the court said, and there was “little or no likelihood” that she would succeed in her full appeal.

The 6th Circuit is one of the more conservative federal appellate courts in the country. Last year, it ruled against gay couples’ right to marry in the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan.

However, that ruling created an opening for the Supreme Court to rule definitively on whether whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry.

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Mormon church will continue relationship with Boy Scouts despite its dropping of anti-gay ban

Despite the Boy Scouts of America welcoming gay adult leaders into the fold, the Church of Latter Day Saints said Wednesday (26 August) it will continue its relationship with the organization.

Church leaders cited ‘the positive contributions Scouting has made over the years to thousands of its young men and boys and to thousands of other youth.

‘As leaders of the Church, we want the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to succeed in its historic mission to instill leadership skills and high moral standards in youth of all faiths and circumstances, thereby equipping them for greater success in life and valuable service to their country,’ they said in a statement.

It was last month that Boy Scouts of America has voted to immediately end the organization’s ban on openly gay and bisexual adults as employees and volunteers. Previously removed leaders were allowed to reapply for their positions and regional governing councils or non-Troop entities such as boy scouts camps are also now prohibited from discriminating against employees and volunteers.

But religious organizations, including the Mormon Church, that sponsor some 70% of scouting units are still allowed to set their own policies – a critical reason why the church is not dumping the BSA.

‘BSA has reiterated that it expects those who sponsor Scouting units (such as the Church) to appoint Scout leaders according to their religious and moral values “in word and deed and who will best inculcate the organization’s values through the Scouting program,”’ the church states.

‘At this time, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will go forward as a chartering organization of BSA, and as in the past, will appoint Scout leaders and volunteers who uphold and exemplify Church doctrine, values, and standards.’

Scouts for Equality Executive Director Zach Wahls, a former scout whose mothers are lesbian, led the fight against the anti-gay ban and cheered the church’s decision.

‘We are heartened by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ decision to continue working with the Boy Scouts of America and to continue offering the program to its young men,’ Wals said in a statement.

‘We have maintained from the beginning of our campaign that the values and life lessons of Scouting are universal, and we would have been saddened to see hundreds of thousands of youth denied the opportunity to participate in the Boy Scouts. We hope to continue to work to build a stronger and more welcoming Boy Scouts of America with friends and allies across the religious and political spectrum.’

The BSA decided to finally ended its ban on openly gay scouts in 2013 but until last month, the ban continued once a scout reached the age of 18 and applied to adults leaders and employees of the organization.

The post Mormon church will continue relationship with Boy Scouts despite its dropping of anti-gay ban appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/mormon-church-will-continue-relationship-with-boy-scouts-despite-its-dropping-of-anti-gay-ban/

Critical Legislation Introduced To Protect LGBT Pennsylvanians From Discrimination

The Pennsylvania Fairness Act would protect LGBT people from discrimination at work, in housing, and in public places
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/critical-legislation-introduced-to-protect-lgbt-pennsylvanians-from-discrim?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

UFC Fighter Daron Cruickshank Steps Out Of The Cage (And His Clothes) For Full-Frontal Photo Shoot

Michigan-born Daron Cruickshank has been a professional fighter since 2008 and is currently competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

And if you think he shows no mercy in the fighting ring, then you’ll have to admit he shows no shame in these recently surfaced nude modeling photos.

Click here for uncensored (NSFW) photos.

Related: Ultimate Fighter Dakota Cochrane Addresses Gay-Porn Past

Click here for uncensored (NSFW) photos.

Dan Tracer

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Matt Baume on the Rentboy.com Raid: ‘Should Sex Work Be A Crime?’ – VIDEO

Matt Baume is offering up his take on the Rentboy.com raid, specifically tackling the question of whether prostitution should be illegal in the first place.

As Baume points out, one of the most frequent arguments in favor of making sex work illegal is that decriminalizing prostitution would increase human trafficking and exploitation. But Baume is left to wonder, “If sex work is so harmful, why is it that so many major medical and human rights groups actually support decriminalization?” And while the intent of decreasing trafficking and exploitation is surely worthy of support, he suggest that “[a]rresting people who exchange money for sex may not stop exploitation and in fact might make things worse.”

RELATED: The Complaint Against Rentboy.com: A Legal Perspective

Baume also asked a question we, and others, have been asking ever since news of the raid came to light: “Why was the Department of Homeland Security involved at all?”

Watch and listen to Baume’s take below:

The post Matt Baume on the Rentboy.com Raid: ‘Should Sex Work Be A Crime?’ – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Matt Baume on the Rentboy.com Raid: ‘Should Sex Work Be A Crime?’ – VIDEO

STUDY: Women Are More Likely to Be Bisexual Than Men

A new study from Notre Dame shows women’s sexual identities are more ‘flexible’ than men’s.

read more

Eliel Cruz

www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2015/08/26/study-women-are-more-likely-be-bisexual-men

21 Men Reveal How Porn Shaped Their Views Of Sex

In an age of unprecedented access to pornography, there seems to be one central — and polarizing — question: Is porn detrimental or benign to the way young men learn about and understand their sexuality?

It’s a question that’s been tricky to answer, given the range of experiences men have with porn. Much of the research out there points to porn as a source of relationship strain and the cause of infidelity and sexual dissatisfaction. Other studies, however, have found that porn has no effect on sexual functioning.

Opinions on the matter vary, too: Many Americans — 71 percent, according to a 2014 survey — think porn is morally unacceptable, while others consider it a matter of erotic rights.

When it comes to porn, what we do know is that a good sexual education outside of viewing pornography has become increasingly important — as many men learn, porn isn’t always such a good indicator of what sex IRL is like. 

To gain a little insight on how men interpreted their first glimpses of porn, we (unscientifically) polled our male readers, asking them to tell us how they thought it shaped their sexual development. Within 24 hours, we received nearly 150 responses.

Some men said they learned about sex through early Internet-era downloads, while others caught their first glimpse of nudity via stolen issues of Hustler. And everyone who responded seemed to get something different out of the experience. How a guy interpreted the porn he saw really depended on the guy.

Here’s what 21 men had to say: 

1. “I mostly learned about sex from porn, rather than sex ed.”

I was in 5th grade when I first looked up porn, around the same time I got the Internet. It wasn’t necessarily monumental moment — I still didn’t understand how to have sex. All I knew was that it looked like rolling around naked and kissing. I mostly learned about sex from porn, rather than sex ed. I didn’t talk with my parents about it, and my friends and I didn’t really talk about it until we were all doing it.



2. “I ended up having more questions than answers.”

I was 12, and I ended up having more questions than answers.



3. “I find it very demeaning towards women, so I can’t stand it.”

I was 21 and I was kinda disgusted with most kinds of clips. I still am. I am a 101 percent heterosexual straight guy, but I find it very demeaning towards women, so I can’t stand it. That’s not how I look at sex. Though I do like the [porn] where the woman is “treated well” and is at least enjoying it, rather than being treated as a sex object.

 

4. “Sex for me was more intimate and personal; porn was not.”

I was maybe 7 years old and found pornographic magazines in my parents’ bedroom. For whatever reason, however, I don’t feel it influenced my view of sex when I began to be sexually active at age 15 — though I could be wrong about that. Sex for me was more intimate and personal; porn was not, and the two largely remained separate, if that is possible.



5. “I wanted to see if I got stimulated by gay sex.”

I was 15. I had at quite a young age realized I was gay, so I wanted to see if I got stimulated by gay sex.



6. “I thought I was supposed to be built like those guys and have sex like they did.”

I was 11, and I had no clue what sex was until I saw [porn]. The influence was detrimental. For a long time, I thought what I saw in porn was normal. I thought I was supposed to be built like those guys and have sex like they did. When the time came for me to actually have sex, I realized I was worrying over nothing. Real sex was nothing like what I saw.



7. “Porn has made me curious and understanding of the female body.”

I was 8 when I found my dad’s stash of Hustler mags in a drawer in the bathroom. Porn has made me curious and understanding of the female body, and taught me how to be a sensual, open-minded and exciting partner. I think it’s just normal human instinct to be sexual and seek out sexual things. Erotica and porn can be used in healthy ways or negative, just like anything else.



8. “It made me feel like a girl would never have sex with me, because I was overweight and the male actor was not.”

I was around 12 or 13. It made me feel like a girl would never have sex with me, because I was overweight and the male actor was not.



9. “I found different things hot about black or white women, and started noticing early on that whiteness got higher production quality.”

I was 13 and it led to me wondering a lot about how sexuality would even work along lines of race. I found different things hot about black or white women, and started noticing early on that whiteness got higher production quality.



10. “Watching porn influenced me to experiment with other kids my age.”

I was 11 and I was exhilarated! Watching porn influenced me to experiment with other kids my age, and it helped me understand what sex was to a degree.

 

11. “I think it may have cost me a relationship or two.”

I first experienced porn at the age of 10. I quite literally wanted to try everything the actors did. In hindsight, I think it may have cost me a relationship or two.

 

12. “It gave me what turned out to be a very false idea of what having sex would be like.”

I was 13 when I had my first experience with porn. It gave me what turned out to be a very false idea of what having sex would be like. It wasn’t until I actually experienced sex for the first time that I really realized that using porn as a how-to guide does not work.

 

13. “It made me wrongfully perceive sex as an object or activity for pure leisure.”

I was 12. It made me wrongfully perceive sex as an object or activity for pure leisure, with no emotional value attached whatsoever.

 

14. “It made me think all women liked to give oral sex.”

I was 12 years old. It made me think all women liked to give oral sex.

 

15. “I think it confirmed my fear that all men wanted was sex all the time and women could take it or leave it.”

I saw a Hustler magazine at age 12 when a friend showed it to me. I think it confirmed my fear that all men wanted was sex all the time, and women could take it or leave it. It made women seem very powerful to me.



16. “It influenced me to always try to please my partner.”

I was probably 9. It influenced me to always try to please my partner.

 

17. “Sometimes it’s fun to act like a porn star and try some more daring things.”

I was probably 11 or 12 when I found a bunch of magazines and a VHS of a porn from the ‘70s in the barn on my family’s land. Sometimes it’s fun to act like a porn star and try some more daring things, and ejaculate on women other than in them or in a condom.

 

18. “I was baffled that real breasts weren’t perfectly round.”

I was between 9 and 10. When I got older, I was baffled that real breasts weren’t perfectly round.

 

19. “Porn made it seem like sex was something you did to someone else or had done to you, instead of being a shared experience of intimacy.”

I was a child, couldn’t have been older than 8 or 9. My friend’s father had magazines stacked under the coffee table, and we would look at them when there weren’t any parents around. Porn made it seem like sex was something you did to someone else or had done to you, instead of being a shared experience of intimacy.



20. “Porn gave me a more relaxed view of sex. “

I was 20 years old. It was my sophomore year in college, and I had this huge crush on a girl. Things were getting serious, so I sought porn out to help me feel less awkward when the time came. Porn gave me a more relaxed view of sex. I didn’t think it was something to take too seriously. It helped me feel more comfortable talking to women.



21. “I learned a lot on how to keep it interesting in bed.”

I was 14 when I first watched porn. I learned a lot on how to keep it interesting in bed.

 

Also on HuffPost:

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Will Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis finally be be honored with a Wheaties box?

At one point during a recent HBO documentary about his life, Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis says with a shrug: ‘Never got a Wheaties box.’

While it may be 27 years since he last competed in an Olympics, there are plenty of people who don’t think it’s too late for General Mills, which produces the breakfast cereal, to honor Louganis.

As of Wednesday, more than 23,000 people had signed a Change.org petition launched by Julie Sondgerath of Chicago.

‘After watching HBO’s documentary Back on Board: Greg Louganis, I felt inspired to ask General Mills to right a wrong and put him on the Wheaties box,’ Sondgerath writes.

She adds: ‘Greg Louganis deserves (still) to be on the cover of the Wheaties box. And with marriage equality passing in June of 2015, what a great way to pay it forward to Greg and all of his accomplishments.’

Louganis, now 55, had watched while fellow gold medalists from the 1984 and 1988 games were immortalized on boxes of the breakfast cereal that had also famously featured Bruce Jenner after the 1976 Olympics where a 16-year-old Louganis had won silver.

Louganis went on to win four gold medals in future Olympics and is still considered to be the best in the history of his sport.

While he was not out publicly as a gay man during his competitive career, there was enough speculation about his sexuality that he was never offered the endorsement opportunities that Jenner, Mary Lou Retton and other American champions were flooded with.

Back on Board producer Will Sweeney tells The New York Times that Louganis’ sexuality can be the only possible reason for the snub.

‘Greg is always very careful and willing to consider alternate explanations,’ Sweeney says. ‘But rationally, I can’t come up with any other one. Here was a guy who by any metric or evaluation was the dominant figure in his sport. And here he was standing against a wall of Wheaties boxes of people who people don’t know. How was it possible he never had a Wheaties box?”

Wheaties is aware of the petition and says in a statement: ‘Greg Louganis was certainly a world-class diver and truly embodied the championship mentality of a Wheaties athlete. While we do not discuss future marketing decisions, we will look into how we celebrate his accomplishments.’

The post Will Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis finally be be honored with a Wheaties box? appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/will-olympic-diving-legend-greg-louganis-finally-be-be-honored-with-a-wheaties-box/

Public Official’s Personal Religious Opinion No Excuse To Refuse Service To Same-Sex Couples

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit denies request for stay from Kentucky’s Rowan County clerk regardless of her personal religious opinion of marriage equality.
HRC.org

www.hrc.org/blog/entry/public-officials-personal-religious-opinion-no-excuse-to-refuse-service-to?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Denies Emergency Motion From Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis

It was just last week that notorious anti-gay Rowan, County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis filed an emergency motion with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the justices to exempt Davis from having to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples because Jesus. 

Now, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in and the results are not good for Davis.

The Courrier Journal reports:

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied a request from Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis to stay a federal injunction that called on her to provide marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Judges found that “it cannot be defensibly argued that the holder of the Rowan County Clerk’s office, apart from who personally occupies that office, may decline to act in conformity with the United States Constitution as interpreted by a dispositive holding of the United States Supreme Court. There is thus little or no likelihood that the Clerk in her official capacity will prevail on appeal.”

RELATED: Thousands Rally at Kentucky Capitol in Support of Lawless, Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis: VIDEO

Read the 6th Circuit’s ruling below:

#28 on Scribd” href=”https://www.scribd.com/doc/276268285/15-5880-28″>15-5880 #28 by Equality Case Files

RELATED: WATCH: Gay Couple Gets Degraded and Denied a License (Again) By Lawless Kentucky County Clerks

The post Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Denies Emergency Motion From Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis appeared first on Towleroad.

Sean Mandell

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Denies Emergency Motion From Anti-Gay County Clerk Kim Davis