Former Republican Chair Comes Out
It has been rumored for several years and those rumors were amplified when he bought a luxury apartment in the ultra-gay neighborhood of Chelsea in New York City last June, but former Republican National Committee chair- man, Ken Mehlman came out of the closet as being gay. In an interview in The Atlantic, Mehlman stated that he is, in fact, gay and that he plans to be an advocate for legalizing same-sex marriage.
According to the New York Times, Mehlman’s “announcement makes him apparently the most prominent Republican official to come out.” This disclosure followed years of him avoiding and denying inquiries about his sexual orientation. During his RNC chairmanship, Mehlman supported social positions of the Republican Party, including opposition to same-sex marriage. Mehlman claimed that he could not have gone against party consensus, but acknowledged that, had he come out of the closet earlier, he could have impacted Republican efforts to pass state initiatives banning same-sex marriage.
TV Astronomer Dies
Jack Horkheimer, executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium died from a respiratory ailment he had since birth. However, Horkheimer was most famous for his PBS television show, “Star Gazer” which was produced locally at WPBT, channel 2 in Miami and picked up by other PBS stations throughout the country. In “Star Gazer”, Horkheimer would describe celestial events that could be viewed with the naked eye during the week. Episodes of “Star Gazer” only lasted a few minutes and would generally be shown late at night. Horkheimer would also be seen on other networks, such as CNN, discussing astronomy. Horkheimer started his astronomy career in 1964 after he moved to Miami. Shortly after, he began working at the Miami Science Museum planetarium and worked his way up to become the director in 1973. He remained executive director for 35 years until his retirement in 2008. Horkheimer’s final installment of “Star Gazer” is currently being broadcast on channel 2 and carries its viewers through this Labor Day Weekend. Horkheimer was 72.
Charlie Crist Comes Out Against Gay Marriage
Florida governor and U.S. Senatorial candidate Charlie Crist said that he favors a constitutional ban on gay marriage on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, August 29, 2010. Both Crist, an independent candidate and Kendrick Meek, the Democratic candidate appeared on the show in separate inter- views. “When it comes to marriage, I think it is a sacred institution, I believe it is between a man and a woman,” Crist said, “but partners living together, you know, I don’t have a problem with it. … It’s just how I feel.”
Within hours of the telecast, Crist issued a clarification on his position of same-sex marriage: “In an interview that aired today, I was not discussing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution banning same-sex marriage, which I do not support, but rather reaffirming my position regarding Florida’s constitutional ban that I articulated while running for Governor. In fact, the interviewer’s question reflected just that. I am fully supportive of civil unions and will continue to be as a United States Senator, but believe marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman.”
Julie Carson Starts Her Campaign
Former Wilton Manors City Commissioner, Julie Carson has started her campaign to return to the city’s dais. Carson was the first openly lesbian com- missioner in the city’s history. On November 4, 2008, then-City Commissioner Gary Resnick ran for and won the mayoral seat on the Wilton Manors City Commission leaving his commission seat open. Carson was voted in unanimously by the commission to fill Resnick’s old commission seat on an interim basis until the February 10, 2009 election which she lost to former Wilton Manors City Commissioner, Scott Newton. Carson moved to South Florida from Nashville, Tennessee eight years ago. In Nashville she was active in her synagogue and in politics.
Six years ago she moved to Wilton Manors from Fort Lauderdale. Carson has already earned the endorsement of Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl and Broward Property Appraiser Lori Parrish.
4 Year Old Turned Away From School Due to Lesbian Parents
Olivia Harrison was not allowed to start prekindergarten at St. Vincent’s School Christian School because school administrators did not approve of her parent’s lesbian relationship. School was to begin on Monday, August 23, 2010. The child’s parents, Jill and Tracy Harrison were married in California in 2006 and filled out their daughter’s application in June. Last week, the women were told they could not enroll their daughter because their relationship does not fit in with the traditions of the Anglican Church. The Harrisons found a new, nonreligious school for their daughter.