Same-sex weddings in Monroe County will continue to be on hold.
Circuit Judge Luis Garcia has denied an emergency motion requesting that he lift a stay on his July 17 ruling that overturned the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Judge denies request to lift stay on Monroe County weddings
By : Jamie Hyman
July 21, 2014
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Obama signs executive order for LGBT employee protections
By : Staff Report
July 21, 2014
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Washington, D.C. An executive order signed by President Barack Obama on July 21 prohibits federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and leaves no exemption for religious groups.
“America’s federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American People,” Obama said during a ceremony at the White House, adding that with the move, “our government will become a little bit fairer.”
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UPDATE! Florida attorney general has filed a response to the request to lift the stay on Monroe County marriages.
“The United States Supreme Court has issued orders staying lower court decisions regarding same-sex marriage lawsuits. So have several federal courts of appeals. And
many trial courts have stayed their orders on their own. They have all acted to maintain the status quo while the issues presented are resolved. This Court should likewise maintain the status quo and leave the automatic stay in place until further appellate proceedings are concluded,” the response reads, after stating that “This Court should deny the motion.”
Stepping out of the Spotlight: Drag legend Lorrie Del Mar retires
By : Kirk Hartlage
July 20, 2014
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The Palace Club. The Diamond Head. The Parliament House. They’re all part of Orlando’s LGBT nightlife history, and soon, one of its legendary performers will be too. Lorrie Del Mar, preeminent drag artist and multiple title-holder, has announced her retirement from the stage. Known for her extreme over-the-top performances, Del Mar’s triumphs in the spotlight took a tragic turn in the mid-1980s when a car accident left her partially disabled. Del Mar’s career – and Larry Ligori, the man behind her – will be celebrated in “A Farewell Tribute,” Mon., July 21, at the Parliament House. An all-star cast of presenters and performers, including several of her former fellow Footlight Players costars, are scheduled to appear in the 9 p.m. show. Advance tickets are $8 at Wanzie.com or $10 at the door.
Born and raised in Tampa, Larry Ligori’s parents were a stay-at-home mom who worked odd jobs and a construction planner father. Pressures of being raised Catholic at a time when homosexuality was kept hush-hush, Ligori says he never thought of being gay until well after high school. Ligori was once even engaged to a girl, but before the two could get married, his fiancé committed suicide.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Elaine Stritch, the brash theater performer whose gravelly, gin-laced voice and impeccable comic timing made her a Broadway legend, has died. She was 89.
Joseph Rosenthal, Stritch’s longtime attorney, said the actress died Thursday of natural causes at her home in Birmingham, Michigan.
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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Connecticut’s highest court ruled July 16 that some legal rights of same-sex couples predate the state’s approvals of civil unions in 2005 and gay marriage in 2008, a decision that gay rights supporters call the first of its kind in the country.
The state Supreme Court issued a 6-0 decision overturning two lower court rulings and allowing a widow to sue a doctor in a medical malpractice case for the death of her spouse and the loss of her spouse’s companionship and income. The alleged malpractice occurred from 2001 to 2004, a time when only married couples were allowed to sue for loss of spousal “consortium.”
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A Catholic organization has decided to cut off long-standing funding to a Portland immigrant rights group that works with day laborers over its affiliation with an organization that supports same-sex marriage.
Voz Workers’ Rights Education lost a $75,000 grant in June from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which is the national anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) – Macedonia’s parliament has agreed to consider proposed constitutional amendments to effectively ban gay marriage and impose limits on public debt.
Lawmakers agreed July 16 to begin the amendment process proposed by the governing conservatives, who with their political allies already have the two-thirds majority of seats needed to approve the changes after winning a landslide election victory in April.
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Michael Sam receives Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPY 2014
By : Staff Report
July 17, 2014
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Los Angeles, CA – At the 2014 ESPY Awards, Michael Sam, the NFL’s first openly gay player, was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
He gave a very emotional five-minute speech after accepting the award from presenter Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson, where he emphasize on going after your dreams no matter what people say or think.
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UPDATE! Florida attorney general Pam Bondi has appealed the Judge Luis Garcia’s decision to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
“With many similar cases pending throughout the entire country, finality on this constitutional issue must come from the U.S. Supreme Court,” reads a statement Bondi’s office released quickly after the ruling.
UN music video on LGBT rights features Indian actress Celina Jaitly
By : Wire Report
July 17, 2014
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UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United Nations says a Bollywood-inspired United Nations music video promoting equal rights for gays, lesbians, transgender people and bisexuals has been watched by more than one million people online and millions more on television since its release on April 30.
Charles Radcliffe of the U.N. Human Rights Office said July 15 that for the United Nations the novel approach has “paid off.”
Not quite – Truvada helps prevent HIV, but doesn’t replace condom use
By : Steve Blanchard
July 17, 2014
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Suddenly, Truvada is getting a lot of attention. But that’s not because it’s a new drug. It’s because new studies have shown the HIV drug helps inhibit the transmission of HIV, meaning it can help reduce infection in those who are negative.
In a controlled study with strict adherence by participants, Truvada was nearly 96% effective in reducing HIV transmission rates. However, another study shows that healthy gay men who use condoms can lower their risk of becoming infected up to 42%. That second study incorporates real-world factors like forgetting to take the medication, not using condoms and other factors.
Watermark was founded by publisher Tom Dyer in Orlando in 1994, and expanded to Tampa Bay in 1995. Dyer is an attorney, former board member of the Metropolitan Business Association and Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and current advisory board member of the Harvey Milk Foundation.