"Suburban school district gets earful over anti-gay harassment"

Activists should be using this story to get other school districts to adopt gay-inclusive policies. No school district, especially nowadays, can afford to pay these kind of damages - and $25k is light.

Students, teachers and concerned residents of the Anoka-Hennepin School District crowded into the district’s board meeting on Monday evening to vent their concerns after learning that the district paid out $25,000 to a student who says he was continually harassed by two district teachers because they thought he was gay....

Alex Merritt says he endured taunting and harassment at the hands of his two teachers, Diane Cleveland and Walter Filson, during the 2007 school year, according to a complaint filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The school acknowledged it disciplined the teachers only minimally, stating that laws governing tenure prevent them from doing more. Residents of the district say it’s not enough.

Peter Gokey, who teaches at a school in the district, said last night, “About this being an isolated incident… that isn’t the case.”

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Mormon bigot politician promises to stop gay rights bill in Salt Lake City

He's a Republican too, surprise. First the background on the racist homophobe Mormon Republican, then the latest on what he's up to now. Read More...

Catholic Church continues shutting parishes in Maine -- even as Bishop funds anti-gay referendum

As we know, the Diocese of Maine is leading the charge to repeal the state's new marriage equality law. The Bishop, Richard Malone, donated $100,000 from a mysterious fund to the anti-gay campaign. The spokesman for the Diocese, Marc Mutty, is the chair of the anti-gay campaign. Same-sex marriage is clearly the obsession of the Catholic Church in Maine.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in Maine continues to close churches while the numbers of both priests and parishioners continues to decline:

Monsignor Rene Mathieu announced Sunday that Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Biddeford will close at the end of this year, as part of a statewide consolidation that started in 2004, shortly after Bishop Richard Malone was installed. St. Andre Church in Biddeford will close at the end of 2010.

Also Sunday, Monsignor Marc Caron announced in Lewiston that he plans to ask Malone's permission to close St. Joseph and St. Patrick churches, and he will discontinue their use in October.

The consolidation reflects declining numbers of priests and parishioners.

One would think that this loss of parishes, priests and parishioners might be a top priority for Bishop Malone and Marc Mutty. But, they're too busy obsessing about gays and same-sex relationships.

The Catholic Church is financing the anti-marriage referendum, along with the National Organization for Marriage. Our side needs all the help it can get. We can win, but the campaign needs money. Donate here via our ActBlue page. It's easy, safe and all the money goes right to the campaign. It helps to get money in early. And, in Maine, any and every contribution helps. Read More...