COLLEGE PRESIDENT CLAIMS GLBT PROTECTION AN "ACCIDENT"

This has to be one of the most bizarre and disgusting attempts by a college president to take back a GLBT student non-discrimination protection - ever.

It all started when Andrew Doherty, a gay employee of Westmoreland County Community College in Youngwood, PA who was legally married in Massachusetts, was denied health insurance for his spouse. His union filed a grievance on his behalf referring to the schools own non-discrimination policy that has been published on the school's website as well as in its catalog and student handbook. The statements published in all of the school's materials clearly say that the school will not discriminate against individuals based on their “sexual orientation” and “union membership.”

Well, in response to that grievance, newly appointed President Daniel J. Obara (pictured above) decided that the only way to handle the situation was to declare that the policy was an "accident" and shouldn't have included sexual orientation as a protected class.

The only problem with this absurd claim is that the policy has been used as a recruitment tool and touted as an incentive to join the college staff since it was adopted in 2000 - NINE YEARS AGO!

Obara at first tried to claim that the original policy wasn't supposed to include "sexual orientation" and then accused "the one who is not here anymore" of slipping it in without his "informed approval." But, of course, there's a real problem with those claims as well.

LezGetReal.com has reported that "the one who is not here anymore," who turned out to be the schools now-retired affirmative action officer, Mary Stubbs said that she was not happy about being rolled under the bus and has publicly stated that any revisions to the catalog and website she proposed would have been forwarded for review to the public relations staff and others, including the then vice president for academic affairs and student services - the one, the only - Dr. Daniel Obara.

“I would never take it upon myself to change a statement in the college, and anyone who told you that ought to know better,” Ms Stubbs said. “Of course not — not without having it approved.”

Asked about Stubbs' statement, Obara was forced to admit that the proposed wording change might have crossed his desk and that he may have signed off on it without noticing it.

Give me a break! He's either grossly incompetent or a pathological liar.

Doherty, who has been an employee for nearly five years, said it doesn’t make sense, “why now after nine years? How many institutions do you know that are taking people out of a non-discrimination policy?”

None of this seems to bother Obara though. He's clearly a member of the infamous Reagan/Bush/Cheney/Rove cabal - if history doesn't suit your purposes, well then - just ignore it or rewrite it.

Obara chose to rewrite it and has ordered the IT Department to remove all references to sexual orientation from the college's non-discrimination language, including the college’s Web site and all printed materials. No small undertaking - not a cheap one either. When all is said and done and court costs and legal fees are paid (because he WILL LOSE his case) and all of the materials are rounded up and disposed of and then reprinted and redistributed, it will probably cost the college in the neighborhood of tens of thousands of dollars - at least. This at a time when virtually all educational institutions are already desperately strapped for cash.

Obviously Obara believes that personal ideology is far more important than sound, intelligent and compassionate academic leadership.

I totally agree with Zemanta of LGR:

"You know if I were Mr. Doherty or any other gay facility member or student at Westmoreland County Community College, I’d be telling my attorney... to look into suing the school for false representation… because the original non-discrimination policy was the only reason I came to WCCC in the first place."

This joker has to be one of the biggest bozos in the entire country!

PEORIA, AZ SCHOOL DISCRIMINATES AGAINST GAY STUDENT

When 14 year old student Chris Quintanilla decided to wear a rainbow wristband that said "RAINBOWS ARE GAY" to school, he had no idea of the controversy his action would cause.

According to a letter the ACLU wrote to District Superintendent, Dr. Denton Santarelli, on the first day Chris wore the wristband (Monday, February 23rd of this year), David Savorinic, Principle of the Parkridge Elementary School in Peoria, AZ went up to him in the school yard and asked to take a closer look at it. At that point, Principle Savorinic didn't take any action and Chris wore the band for several more days without incident.

But on Wednesday, February 23rd, principle Savorinic called Chris's mother, Natali Quintanilla, and demanded that Chris stop wearing the wristband or wear it inside out so the words wouldn't be visible. When Natali asked why, Savorinic said that some of the teachers found it offensive and therefore it "caused a disruption." Savorinic went on to say that what Chris was doing was "putting his sexuality out there."

According to a report yesterday by Gay News Blog, Savorinic demonstrated his homophobia with almost the exact same words earlier in the school year. When Natali reported that her son was being harassed because he was gay, Savorini told her "If he didn't put it out there the way he does, he wouldn't have much of a problem."

Natali said of her son:

"My son is honest and happy about who he is, and I love him and support his right to be himself. There are a lot of things teachers should be more concerned about than one little wristband – like educating our children."

What a great mom! It's encouraging to know that there are parents who are willing to put themselves "out there" to support and protect their gay children.

Based on the many Supreme Court cases that consistently supported student's freedom of speech over the last four decades, I have no doubt that Peoria will lose their absurd fight against this courageous mother and son.

The ACLU letter to the Superintendent ended with:

"It is our hope that the district will allow Chris and other students to wear or otherwise display messages or symbols expressing their support of GLBT rights. Please confirm that this is the case within ten days of receipt of this letter. It is in the interest of all to resolve this on an informal basis without resort to formal proceedings.

Kudos and love to Natali and Chris Quintanilla. And to the never-ending vigilance of the ACLU.

Unanimous Supreme Court Decision Bars Discrimination By Doctors

In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court told doctors that they could not use their religious beliefs to withhold medical care from gays and lesbians.

According to a release by the Associated Press,

Justice Joyce Kennard wrote in the ruling that two Christian fertility doctors who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian have neither a free speech right nor a religious exemption from the state's law, which "imposes on business establishments certain antidiscrimination obligations."

Guadalupe Benitez, 36 of Oceanside filed the original lawsuit that led to the decision. According to Ms. Benitz, the doctors who treated her with fertility drugs and then showed her how to inseminate herself at home refused to assist with the actual insemination itself because it would conflict with their religious beliefs.

Those filing friends of the court briefs backing Ms. Benitz included the American Civil Liberties Union, California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the National Health Law Program and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

To read the AP release go to: Associate Press Release

DON'T BOYCOTT RITE AID!

Postings on several blogs this morning described a sign supposedly posted by a Rite Aid store in New York's West Village. The sign read:

"This store does not believe in Gay & Lesbian marriages. Any same sex activity which includes kissing, hugging, touching or anything that would make our customers feel uncomfortable is prohibited in this store."

THIS IS A HOAX! A comment posted by "duanereadefan" on queerty.com (which apparently broke the original story) said:

"I actually just got a call back from a VP of Northeastern operations, after I filed a complaint with the executive offices. It seems that a former disgruntled employee did this to about 11 different Rite Aid stores in Manhattan to cause trouble for the boss who fired him, and Rite Aid.

This actually rings true to me. I don’t think anyone is actually stupid enough to post that in the West Village and sign their name to it."

I looked up Rite Aid's Diversity policy that has long been posted on their website. It reads:

"Diversity expands beyond race, religion, color, sex (including gender and sexual orientation), disability, age, or national origin. It also includes differences such as corporate tenure, marital status, personal beliefs, and education level. At Rite Aid, we embrace our differences and strive to create an environment where every associate is valued individually and as a team member, treated with respect, and encouraged to do his or her best work."

We've fought long and hard to get major companies to include "sexual orientation" in their non-discrimination policies and I seriously doubt that a company like Rite Aid is going to go back on their commitment to the GLBT community. Rite Aid SHOULD BE supported by us and I intend to do just that.