Jennifer Tyrrell, the gay mother who was forced to quit serving as her son’s Scout den leader, was in Dallas this week, where she delivered a 300,000-signature petition to the national headquarters of BSA. The petition, launched in April after Tyrrell’s unceremonious ouster, asked BSA to end their policy prohibiting gay scouts and scout leaders, and to reinstate her to her Scouting post.

Scouting officials cited support from parents across the country as a reason for upholding the exclusion policy. BSA national spokesman Deron Smith said that the ban “is absolutely the best policy” for Scouting. According to Smith, the decision of the committee—which was comprised of professional scout executives and adult volunteers— was unanimous.

It reaffirms a longstanding policy that was upheld in 2000 by the U.S. Supreme Court. LGBT rights groups expressed anger over the decision. “With the country moving toward inclusion, the leaders of the Boy Scouts of America have instead sent a message to young people that only some of them are valued,” said Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).

“I will not lie to myself anymore about my own sexuality,” said Rep. Zach Wyatt, a first-term member of the state General Assemble. “Today I ask you to stand with me as a proud Republican, a proud veteran, and a proud gay man who wants to protect all kids.” According to the Victory Fund—which supports the recruitment and election of LGBT candidates to public office—yatt, 27, is the only openly-gay Republican member of a state legislature in the U.S.

The legislation, HB 2051, requires a ban on school curriculum, materials, or extracurricular activities in the Missouri public schools that discuss sexual orientation except in “scientific instruction concerning human reproduction.”

A former U.S. Air Force linguist who raises cattle in rural Northern Missouri, Wyatt said that he had been bullied throughout school because of a weight problem and for “not always being perceived as the most masculine of men.”

He said that the thought of “accepting” his own sexual identity was “probably the hardest thing to come to terms with. I’ve always ignored it and didn’t even think about it or talk about it.”

Last week, London Mayor Boris Johnson, a well-placed figure in the country’s Conservative Party, ordered municipal employees to pull the ads, which were paid for by a Christian group called Core Issues Trusts, which supports “reparative therapy,” a highly controversial and widely-discredited course of “treatment” to turn gay people straight.

The bus ads—which were scheduled to run for two weeks starting this Monday—carried the message “Not Gay! Post-Gay, Ex-Gay, and Proud. Get Over It.” They were meant to mimic a recent campaign by LGBT rights group Stonewall that included the message “Some people are gay. Get over it.”

“London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance,” said Johnson. “It is clearly offensive to suggest being gay is an illness someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses.”

According to Core Issues’ Web site, the group is “a non-profit Christian initiative seeking to support men and women with homosexual issues who voluntarily seek change in sexual preference and expression.” The group’s co-director, Mike Davidson, expressed displeasure with Johnson’s decision to block the ads.

“It is of deep concern that there can only be one point of view and that is the point of view of individuals who are determined to push through gay marriage and apparently believe that homosexuality cannot be altered in any possible way,” said Davidson. “This is a disturbing development.” Davidson has previously said that he believes “homoerotic behavior is sinful.”

Johnson, who is seeking a second term, was also criticized by one of his opponents, Labor candidate Ken Livingstone. “In 1906 the front page of the Daily Mail’s headline was ‘Jews bring crime and disease to Britain,’” said Livingstone, a former Mayor of London who was defeated in 2008 by Johnson. “Then it was the blacks, then it was the Irish, then it was the lesbians and gays—there has always got to be an enemy.

Valerie Jarrett, Special Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, met with gay rights activists on April 11 to inform them of the administration’s decision not to sign the executive order, which has the support of the Departments of Justice and Labor. The order would have applied to LGBT persons who are currently employed by or are seeking employment from federal contractors.

Joe Solmonese, the President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT advocacy group, was an attendee of the meeting called by Jarrett. His comments afterward reflected the sentiments of most in attendance. “We are extremely disappointed with this decision and will continue to advocate for an executive order from the president,” said Solmonese. “The unfortunate truth is that hard-working Americans can be fired simply for being gay or transgender.”

The Employment Non- Discrimination Act (ENDA), legislation which would ban workplace discrimination by federal contractors for LGBT individuals, is currently stalled in the Republican-controlled Congress, lacking sufficient votes for passage. The White House supports ENDA, but its decision not to sign the executive order stands in sharp contrast to many of its recent policy positions. Over the past several months, the president has signed executive orders on a number of issues, citing a “we can’t wait” approach to Republicans’ putative intransigence on certain legislation.

The president also risks alienating political supporters who so far have been willing to allow him some leverage because of his decisive action on issues such as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. These same supporters have been a reliable source of campaign donations.

The Institute was established to secure full equality for Florida’s LGBT population. The event also honored Jessica Lowe- Minor, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

“Jessica has been a pioneer in finding new ways to give voice and visibility to the LGBT community,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida. “She is a steadfast supporter of equal rights for all and a leading voice in Tallahassee for women, LGBT rights and basic fairness in public policy.”

Proceeds for the evening, which included a suggested $100 donation from each guest, benefited the not-forprofit organization.

The honoree, Lowe-Minor, is a former legislative advocate for the National Organization for Women (NOW), as well as the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates.

She was recognized by Smith for her outspoken advocacy of LGBT issues, and for her opposition to Florida’s most anti-gay laws.

Mancini, a criminal attorney and former litigator with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, says that a major part of his election strategy with be support from Broward’s large gay community. “I have served the LGBTQ community with Pride for over a decade,” says Mancini. “I understand the importance and needs of this community, and also realize their potential power and influence.”

Mancini, whose previous courtroom trial experience includes the Miami Rivers Cops case, says there is plenty of room for improvement in the way cases are prosecuted under the current system. “As a lawyer, I see many problems with the judicial system in Broward County, and how groups and individuals can be targeted,” he notes. “Unfortunately the current State Attorney’s Office has been ineffective and inefficient in addressing these problems. The 36-year-old system created by the current State Attorney just does not meet our needs.”

If he is elected, Mancini would like to establish an initiative he calls “’Justice Without Prejudice,’ where you do not receive special favors if you have power or money, or suffer undue persecution if you are poor or a member of a minority group.”

Mancini is calling for “a new way of approaching the issues, with new solutions. We need to implement restorative justice programs that have reduced recidivism by 50 percent in states where these programs are used.” He also stressed the “need to fight corruption on all levels of government. We need to ensure that there is one standard of justice; that you do not get special treatment if you have money or a badge.”

Mancini’s campaign headquarters will open on Friday to an invited group at his office at 908 N Federal Hwy, in Fort Lauderdale.

On March 3, Daniel Zamudio was attacked and badly beaten for over an hour. His four alleged attackers have been jailed and charged with attempted murder. Among the suspects are men who have previous criminal records for attacks against LGBT persons.

Zamudio, who was in a vegetative state, finally succumbed to his injuries on March 27, dying more than three weeks after he was attacked. Within hours of his death, prosecutors asked that the charges against the men be upgraded to premeditated murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. They say that Zamudio’s beating was motivated by homophobia.

Chile does not have a hate crimes statute. In 2005, lawmakers proposed anti-discrimination legislation, which was passed by the country’s Senate in November, but has yet to come to a vote in the lower Chamber of Deputies. Conservative organizations say that the measure is a first step toward gay marriage, which Chilean law bans forbids.

The legislation would make illegal “any distinction, exclusion or restriction that lacks reasonable justification, committed by agents of the state or individuals, and that causes the deprivation, disturbance or threatens the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights established by the constitution or in international human rights treaties ratified by Chile.”

Zamudio’s death prompted Chile’s president, Sebastian Pinera, to urge passage of the anti-discrimination law.

During a state visit to South Korea, Pinera tweeted that the “brutal and cowardly attack of Daniel Zamudio wounds not only his family but all people of good will.” Added Pinera: “His death will not remain unpunished, and reinforces the complete commitment of the government against all arbitrary discrimination and for a more tolerant country.”

Rolando Jimenez, the leader of Chile’s Gay Liberation and Integration Movement, called for the suspects to be additionally charged with torture.

During a condolence call at the hospital where Zamudio died, Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter, acting as head of state during Pinera’s absence, promised swift action on hate crimes legislation. “We are going to work tirelessly in our Congress to pass our anti-discrimination law as quickly as possible,” Hinzpeter told reporters on March 27. Zamudio’s alleged attackers range in age from 19 to 26. One of the suspects told police that two attackers carved swastikas into the victim with a broken bottle.

Producer and comedian Poppy Champlin announced last month that the nation’s largest LGBT rights organization, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), had signed on as the tour’s 2012 sponsor.

Vickie Shaw

For the South Florida run, Champlin tapped comedian Vickie Shaw to headline the tour’s performances. Shaw, a mother, grandmother, and favorite on Olivia Cruises, says of her origins, “I’m from Texas where the speed limit is a suggestion.”

Barb Neligan, a former writer for the CMT cable network, brings her native Tennessean sensibilities to the hilarious stories she recounts about growing gay in a traditional Irish Catholic family in the Deep South. Accompanied by her banjo, Neligan informs audiences, “I’m from Nashville. It’s the law.”

Says producer/performer Poppy Champlin: “This show is just what the doctor ordered: it is working all over the country and getting people to come together. Gay men and women both enjoy these shows. [Through] HRC, 10 percent of sales go towards fighting for our LGBT rights.” She adds: “Fighting with laughter: I like it.”

Barb Neligan

Performance times for the Queer Queens of Qomedy: Saturday, April 7 at 8:00 p.m. at The Palladium in St Petersburg; Sunday, April 8 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ft. Lauderdale Improv (Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino); Monday, April 9, 8:30 pm, Miami Improv; Tuesday, April 10, Palm Beach Improv, West Palm Beach.

For more information, visit queerqueensofqomedy.com.

In a ceremony and presentation held during the Florida ADL’s Regional Board Meeting on Tuesday at the Westin Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Wierzbicki received the prestigious Anti-Defamation League Doris and Murray Felton Excellence in Law Enforcement Award for his “extraordinary efforts in combating hate crimes and bullying in Broward County.” Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney of Miami-Dade County and Chairperson of the Selection Committee, said that Wierzbicki’s and the Task Force he commands “exemplifies an ongoing commitment to make your community a better place to live and work.”

Wierzbicki, who was nominated for the commendation by Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti, has also been the recipient of the Dolphin Democrats of Broward County’s Community Alliance Award, and has been cited by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for his contributions to promoting the film Bullied.

The documentary—based upon the true story of a gay teen’s court battle to uphold the rights and safety of LGBT students–has done much to raise awareness of the scourge of anti-gay bullying in schools. It has been shown several times in Broward County, most recently in Coral Springs: at that showing, a private citizen donated $25,000 to promote the film and anti-bullying initiatives.

Of their decision to select Wierzbicki, a former Chief of Police of Wilton Manors, the committee wrote: “We concur with Sheriff Al Lamberti, who nominated you for this honor, on your unwavering dedication and involvement with various initiatives.”

AUGUSTA, ME – According to confidential strategy documents made public last week, officials with the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) considered a plan to manipulate Latino and black groups—two core constituencies within the Democratic Party—into political opposition against LGBT rights organizations in general, and gay marriage in particular. The strategy also called for the recruitment of children in same-sex families in an effort to coax admissions from them on video of familial unhappiness.

The memos, which were released by court order on March 26, detail a well conceived strategy for manipulating Hispanic and African American opinions into opposing marriage equality for LGBT persons. They also suggest connecting marriage equality to unpopular topics including pornography.

The documents portray the Democratic Party leadership as “increasingly inclined to privilege the concerns of gay rights groups over the values of African-Americans,” presaging the strategy to play upon cultural differences.

One memo urges gay marriage opponents to “find, equip, energize and connect African-American spokespeople for marriage; develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots.”

“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks–two key Democratic constituencies,” reads another of the NOM memoranda. The memo also lays out a social engineering scheme to “interrupt” the assimilation of Hispanics into mainstream American culture as a means of fracturing Latino support for marriage equality.

“Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values?” posited one of the court released NOM memos. “We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity,” adding that this would become for Hispanic Americans “a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation.”

NOM’s memos also outline a strategy in which President Barack Obama would be depicted as a “social radical.”

The documents and memorandum were unsealed by Maine court officials as part of a legal challenge to the state’s financial disclosure laws. The courts must also determine whether NOM, the nation’s largest opponent of same sex marriage, must release the names of donors to its 2009 campaign that successfully banned gay marriage in the Pine Tree State.

“With the veil lifted, Americans everywhere can now see the ugly politics that the National Organization for Marriage traffics in every day,” said Joe Solmonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT rights organization.

“While loving gay and lesbian couples seek to make lifelong commitments, NOM plays racial politics, tries to hide donors and makes up lies about people of faith,” added Solmonese.

Julian Bond, the former chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) also denounced NOM’s strategy.

“NOM’s underhanded attempts to divide will not succeed if Black Americans remember their own history of discrimination,” condemned Bond, a veteran of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. “Pitting bigotry’s victims against other victims is reprehensible; the defenders of justice must stand together.”

Brian Brown, the president of NOM, refused to back down from his organization’s opposition to marriage equality for all Americans. “Gay marriage advocates have attempted to portray same-sex marriage as a civil right,” said Brown. “This claim is patently false.”

“Gay marriage is not a civil right, and we will continue to point this out in written materials such as those released in Maine,” Brown added.

“We proudly bring together people of different races, creeds and colors to fight for our most fundamental institution: marriage.”

Same-sex marriage supporters have gotten the issue placed on Maine’s November ballot. Although the court-released documents contain detailed information on NOM’s Maine campaign, they do not list the names of financial donors, among them three who contributed over one million dollars each in 2009 to defeat gay marriage.