Herndon Graddick

BRIDGEPORT, Ohio – A member of the board of directors of the Ohio River Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has resigned following the BSA’s decision to oust Jennifer Tyrrell, a Bridgeport mom, as her son’s scout leader because she is a lesbian.

David J. Sims resigned from the board April 27 in a letter that cites his long history and support of scouting. He wrote, “Ms. Tyrrell’s removal goes against my fundamental beliefs of how we should treat our fellow human beings and is, in my opinion, wholly discriminatory. I understand that the Boys Scouts of America is free to run its organization as it sees fit, however, I cannot formally be a part of it based upon this policy.”

Citing his and his family’s extensive ties with scouting Sims believes that his father would have supported his decision. He continued, “My grandfather was an Eagle Scout, my father was an Eagle Scout and I am an Eagle Scout. Other than his family and his Christian faith, the most important thing in my father’s life was the Boy Scouts. They lived and breathed scouting. That is what makes this decision so exceedingly difficult and emotional. However, I know that my father would support my decision.”

Sims concludes his letter with the hope that BSA “… will look into their hearts and find the wisdom and courage to re-examine the policies of the Boy Scouts of America.”

Moved by the support she has received Jennifer Tyrrell said, “I’ve been touched by the long list of supporters who, like me, believe that discrimination should not be a part of the Boy Scouts of America’s policies. The Scouts are losing board members, good volunteers and scouting families, and the time is now to join organizations like the Girl Scouts of America and the 4H Club in welcoming all.”

GLAAD president, Herndon Graddick said, “The only ‘character development’ and ‘values-based leadership training’ the Boy Scouts have taught our young people in this case is that blatant discrimination is OK. Tossing aside the hard work and leadership of a committed mom because of who she loves is not a ‘value’ that a majority Americans want taught to their children.”

(CNN and LGBT Weekly) – President Barack Obama said Wednesday he supports same-sex marriage, raising the political stakes on an issue in which Americans are evenly split.

“At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said in an interview with ABC News.

A Gallup Poll released Tuesday indicated 50 percent of Americans believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by law as valid, with 48% saying such marriages should not be legal.

But a CNN/ORC poll, taken in late March, indicated policies toward gays and lesbians were tied for last in the most-important issues facing the country.

Obama was “disappointed” by Tuesday’s vote on the issue in North Carolina, which he described as discriminatory against gays and lesbians, a spokesman said earlier Wednesday.

North Carolina voted to implement a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which was already prohibited by state law.

The president said he supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own, ABC News reported.

San Diego LGBT Weekly publisher and former 2008 Obama for America campaign co-chair for LGBT issues, Stampp Corbin said he is proud the president announced his evolution on the subject.

“Today is an historic moment in the history of the United States; President Obama announced his support of same- sex marriage,” Corbin said in a written statement provided to the media shortly after Obama’s announcement. “In 2007, when I decided to support candidate Barack Obama, I was attracted by his honesty and truth of character. During the 2008 campaign, candidate Obama announced his support for civil unions. Later, the president said his position was evolving. President Obama has been honest and truthful about his position from the beginning.”

Obama said his daughters, Malia and Sasha, have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. “It wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”

Obama spoke Wednesday with ABC’s Robin Roberts. The interview will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America Thursday. Excerpts were to air Wednesday evening on World News With Diane Sawyer.

The president’s stance will be among many key differences with Romney, but it is not expected to be a key talking point in his campaign.

In comments Wednesday to CNN Denver affiliate KDVR, presidential candidate Mitt Romney reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Visit LGBTweekly.com for more coverage of this fast-breaking story from our own reporters and from our national media partners CNN and HuffingtonPost.com.

WASHINGTON – New polling data from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows support for marriage equality at 47 percent – significantly higher than it was at any point prior to previous presidential elections. The poll also finds opposition to marriage equality has reached an all-time low. According to the polling, opposition to marriage equality has plummeted nearly 15 percentage points over the last decade, while support has climbed by more than 10 percentage points. The Pew data is just the latest in a number of polls illustrating how issues of LGBT equality are increasingly mainstream, and can no longer be used as divisive wedges.

The landscape surrounding support for LGBT issues has changed significantly since the 2008 presidential election. In previous elections, particularly in 2004, marriage equality was used as a wedge issue to divide voters. This growing wave of data shows that such strategies will no longer work.

For the first time in a Pew Research Center survey there is as much strong support as strong opposition to gay marriage. In the current survey, 22% say they strongly support allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally; an identical percentage (22%) strongly opposes gay marriage. In 2008, there was about twice as much strong opposition to as strong support for gay marriage (30 percent vs. 14 percent).

This latest round of data comes one week after Pew released statistics highlighting marriage equality as the least important issue on the minds of voters in advance of the 2012 election, signaling how matters of LGBT equality are no longer as divisive as they once were. That Pew poll identified the economy, jobs, and the budget deficit as weighing most heavily on voters’ minds.

Scott Schoettes

NEW YORK – Lambda Legal has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the New York Court of Appeals urging the Court to drop the aggravated assault charge leveled at a criminal defendant based on his HIV status.

“The last time I checked, being HIV-positive is not a crime,” said Scott Schoettes, HIV project director at Lambda Legal. “And a person should not face criminal punishment – or, as in this case, significantly enhanced penalties – simply because he or she happens to be living with HIV.”

In September 2006, David Plunkett was arrested following an altercation with police during which he allegedly bit one of the police officers. Because he subsequently revealed to the officers that he has HIV, Plunkett was charged with aggravated assault upon a police officer, a felony premised on use of a “dangerous instrument.”

“There was no possibility of transmission here. The real ‘dangerous instrument’ appears to be in the hands of the prosecutors, who are twisting this law to trump up the charges against a man who is living with HIV,” Schoettes added.

“The notion that saliva can transmit HIV is contrary to the scientific evidence. As an association representing HIV care providers and scientists, a key tenet of our work is to advance accurate and evidenced-based policies, including on how HIV is transmitted. Prosecutions like this one fuel HIV-related stigma and discrimination and set back HIV prevention efforts,” said Andrea L. Weddle, HIV medicine association executive director.

Lambda Legal filed an amicus brief in the matter, urging the Court of Appeals to drop the aggravated assault charge. The brief explains that the realities of HIV transmission risk do not support prosecuting Mr. Plunkett under a law addressing the use of a dangerous instrument and that this charge leads to public misunderstanding of how HIV is transmitted and contributes to stigmatizing people with HIV and undermines important public health goals.

WASHINGTON – Three senators say the Pentagon is putting too much red tape in front of veterans who want the word “homosexual” removed from their discharges when they were kicked out under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Web site The Hill reports that Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urging him to streamline the “overly burdensome process” for veterans to have their discharges corrected.

“As long as a former service member’s Narrative Reason for a discharge is ‘Homosexual Conduct,’ ‘Homosexual Act’ or ‘Homosexual Marriage,’ that service member is compelled to be ‘out’ to any future civilian employer and anyone else who sees the document,” the senators wrote. “Likewise, the negative re-entry code serves as a barrier to employment opportunities.”

The senators asked Panetta to remove the documentation requirements for changing the discharge, including providing evidence that must overcome the “presumption” from the discharge review board that the discharge was proper.

Jennifer Tyrrell

BRIDGEPORT, Ohio – Bridgeport resident Jennifer Tyrrell has been told that, because she is gay, she would no longer be able to serve as a den leader of her son’s Cub Scout chapter by the District Councilmember. In response, parents and scouts from Pack 109 held a peaceful protest outside of the local Boy Scouts of America (BSA) chapter to show support for Tyrrell.

Bob Drury, a scout executive for the Ohio River Valley, attempted to defend the decision to WTOV-TV following the show of support saying, “We do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals.” He continued, “The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to develop character and leadership skills and [for] the youth of today to become the leaders of tomorrow. And anything that distracts from that mission distracts from what our program is.” WTOV-TV reported that the decision was “solely based on her sexual orientation.”

WTOV-TV reporter Ryan Eldredge said he was struck by “just how much support the former leader had from the members of her troop.”

Tyrrell, who served as a den leader for more than a year after registering her son for the Boy Scouts, launched a Change.org petition calling on the BSA to end its pattern of discrimination against LGBT people.

“The Boy Scouts of America is one of the only cultural institutions to categorically discriminate against LGBT Americans,” said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. “Sending the message to America’s youth that they or their parents are somehow less than everyone else is dangerous, inaccurate and should be changed immediately.”

BSA has a long history of discriminating against both gay youth and LGBT families. Most notably, in 2004 the BSA adopted a new youth leadership policy which strips Boy Scout leaders of their positions in the organization and often denies them access to the organization all together. Just last year, the BSA removed an out lesbian from her volunteer post with a local Potomac Falls, Va. chapter because of her sexual orientation. None of BSA’s various Web sites currently contain non-discrimination policies with enumerated protected classes.

Tyrrell wrote on Change.org, “There was an outcry of support for me by the parents of my Tiger Scouts, many of whom waited for hours to voice their concerns to members of the council and the pack’s charter organization, but were turned away without the opportunity to do so.”

“Lesbian and gay parents have proven themselves time and time again to be dedicated, caring, and trustworthy Scout leaders and volunteers, as evidenced by Jennifer and many others who have served in welcoming local Scout groups,” said Dana Rudolph, founder and publisher of popular LGBT parenting blog Mombian.

A.G. Crowe

BATON ROUGE, La. – Forum For Equality Louisiana and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) are calling on Louisiana state Sen. A.G. Crowe to withdraw SB 217, a discriminatory measure that would force state agencies and local governments to write discrimination into public contracts by limiting protected classes to just race, religion, national ancestry, age, sex, or disability.

“Senate Bill 217 is nothing more than a power grab that says that only the Legislature can make decisions about discrimination issues in Louisiana. This is a sad attempt by hate groups to not only prevent local governments, school boards, and charter schools from having anti- discrimination policies, but also to take away protections many city governments have already enacted,” said John Hill, chair of Forum for Equality Louisiana.

WASHINGTON – New data from the Pew Research Center shows marriage equality ranks last among the top concerns of voters ahead of the 2012 elections. Support for LGBT equality is increasing and issues pertaining to the LGBT community are no longer a “wedge” for voters, representing a remarkable turnaround in the last 8 years. The Pew poll is just the latest piece of evidence pointing to Americans’ broad support for equality. A 2011 Gallup poll found 53 percent of Americans support marriage equality; while a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner poll recently found that an astounding 85 percent of people of faith say their religious beliefs lead them to the conclusion that LGBT people should be treated equally under the law.

As a growing number of Americans support equality for LGBT people and oppose discrimination, demonizing LGBT people is becoming increasingly perilous for any politician or organization. Last month, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released strategic documents outlining the National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM) plan to drive a wedge between the LGBT community and other minority communities; while NOM founder Maggie Gallagher often claims being anti-marriage equality is a “winning issue.” But the Pew data – along with data that points to strong Latino and African American support for a wide array of equality issues – soundly repudiates NOM’s strategy and continued false assertions.

“Americans care about job creation and providing for their families. This latest data reinforces the fact that supporting LGBT equality is not a divisive wedge issue, but rather just common sense,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

The Pew poll identified the economy, jobs and the budget deficit as weighing most heavily on voters’ minds. Other issues of importance include healthcare, education, energy, taxes, terrorism, and the environment.

Kelli Evans and Karen Wade with their triplets

RALEIGH, N.C. (CNN) – May 8, voters in North Carolina will head to the polls to vote on Amendment 1, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would define “marriage between one man and one woman” as “the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized.”

According to same-sex marriage advocacy group Marriage Equality, North Carolina is one of 20 states that are considering whether to allow or ban same-sex relationships. Twenty-one states recognize some form of same-sex relationships, either as marriage, civil union or domestic partnership. Thirty states ban same-sex marriage by law, constitutional amendment or both.

Justin Cook, an independent photographer based in Durham, N.C. has launched Commitment NC, a documentary photo project that aims to show the faces of the families that would be affected by the passage of Amendment 1. Cook says he wanted to show the “real love and real lives” of gay and lesbian couples.

Same-sex marriage in North Carolina is already banned under existing legislation, but supporters of the amendment say it’s needed to protect the ban from “activist judges” who might overturn it.

Commitment NC participants, Kelli Evans and her partner of 17 years Karen Wade, voiced concerns about Amendment 1’s potential impact on their family – which includes 3-year-old triplets.

“It could destroy our family unit. That was one of the major reasons we wanted to be a part of (Commitment NC),” Evans said. “I think it’s very important to educate people and get them away from the gay marriage issue. If they could see that it’s a family they’re affecting, maybe they could sit down and think about the issue before they vote on Election Day.”

Mary Baranovich and Beverly Sevcik

LAS VEGAS – Lambda Legal has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Nevada on behalf of eight same-sex couples challenging Nevada’s constitutional ban on marriage equality, which relegates them to only a second-class status.

“Every day that same-sex couples in Nevada are denied marriage equality, the government sends a message that their families are not worthy of equal dignity and respect,’” said Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Tara Borelli.

In the lawsuit, Lambda Legal, joined by pro bono co-counsel from O’Melveny & Myers LLP and Snell & Wilmer LLP, argues that the Nevada constitutional amendment barring same-sex couples from marriage violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The lead plaintiffs, Beverly Sevcik, 73, and Mary Baranovich, 76, of Carson City, have been together for nearly 41 years and committed their lives to each other in October, 1971. Together, they raised three children, and they are now proud grandmothers of four grandchildren.

“We’ve been together for almost 41 years. We’ve seen each other through thick and thin, in sickness and in health,” Sevcik said. “After four decades of sharing a life together, all we want is to show our love for each other as other couples do, through marriage.”

The other plaintiffs in the case are: Antioco Carrillo and Theo Small of Las Vegas, who have been together since 2006; Fletcher Whitwell and Greg Flamer of Las Vegas, who have been together for 14 years and adopted a baby girl last year; Karen Goody and Karen Vibe of Reno, who have been engaged since 2005; Mikyla and Katie Miller of Reno, who are expecting a baby girl in July; Adele Terranova and Tara Newberry of Las Vegas, who are raising two children; Caren and Farrell Cafferata-Jenkins of Carson City, who have been together for 15 years and are raising two sons; and Megan Lanz and Sara Geiger of Las Vegas, who have been together since 2004 and have a daughter.