Newsmakers – National Agenda

‘Out’ magazine reveals annual list of gays and allies who ‘made our year’

Posted Tuesday, November 17, 2009, Filed under: Celebrities, Newsmakers

Out 100 2009 Adam Lambert, Wanda Sykes and Cyndi Lauper are among the Out 100 “Class of 2009″ – a group of 100 gay men, lesbians, transgender people and allies who “made our year” – in the magazine’s upcoming December 2009 issue.

Lambert, the 27-year-old American Idol runner-up alum was named the Breakout Star, Sykes earned Entertainer of the Year, and Lauper, Ally of the Year.

Highlights from this year’s annual Out 100 edition:

Lambert on his sexulaity: “To some people, me being sexual is really offensive because I’m gay. They’re like, ‘He’s being really gay.’ And I’m like, actually, ‘No, I’m just being sexual.’ Male sexuality is frightening to America [but] female sexuality is all over the place.”

Sykes on coming out: After years of whispers and speculation, she felt she had no choice but to come out after California passed Proposition 8 in November. “It’s great being out. Everything is out on the table and I am what I am.”

Lauper on supporting the gay community: “We had the civil rights movement in the ’60s, women had to fight in the ’70s, and it’s just insane to think in 2009 there’s still a group of Americans recognized as ‘less than’ the rest of us.”

The Out 100 issue hits newsstands Tuesday, November 24. For the complete list of the 100 people recognized, visit Out.com.

Arkansas 5th grader refuses to ‘pledge allegiance’ until gays gain equality

Posted Thursday, November 12, 2009, Filed under: Arkansas, Around the Nation, Newsmakers

Will Phillips Updated 11/17/09. Added: Interview with CNN.

A 10-year-old Arkansas boy named Will Phillips has decided that he cannot in good conscience pledge allegiance to the flag as long as the country for which it stands refuses legal equality to its LGBT citizens.

The West Fork School District fifth grade student clashed with a substitute teacher for his refusal to stand for the pledge, prompting a call to Will’s mother, Laura Phillips. When the principal acknowledged that Will has the right to refuse to say the pledge, Ms. Phillips asked that her son receive an apology — a request that the principal declined to honor.

Laura Phillips told the Arkansas Times that her 10-year-old is “probably more aware of the meaning of the pledge than a lot of adults. He’s not just doing it rote recitation. We raised him to be aware of what’s right, what’s wrong, and what’s fair.”

On Monday, Will and his father sat down with CNN. Watch the interview here:

Will’s family has a number of gay friends. In recent years, Laura Phillips said, they’ve been trying to be a straight ally to the gay community, going to the pride parades and standing up for the rights of their gay and lesbian neighbors. They’ve been especially dismayed by the effort to take away the rights of homosexuals – the right to marry, and the right to adopt.

Given that, Will immediately saw a problem with the pledge of allegiance.

“I’ve always tried to analyze things because I want to be lawyer,” Will said. “I really don’t feel that there’s currently liberty and justice for all.”

After asking his parents whether it was against the law not to stand for the pledge, Will decided to do something.

On Monday, Oct. 5, when the other kids in his class stood up to recite the pledge of allegiance, he remained sitting down. The class had a substitute teacher that week, who tried to make him stand up, but Will respectfully refused.

After several days of Will refusing to stand for the pledge, it finally came to a head. The teacher, Will said, told him that she knew his mother and grandmother, and they would want him to stand and say the pledge.

“She got a lot more angry and raised her voice and brought my mom and my grandma up,” Will said. “I was fuming and was too furious to really pay attention to what she was saying. After a few minutes, I said, ‘With all due respect, ma’am, you can go jump off a bridge.’ ”

Will Phillips still refuses to stand during the pledge of allegiance. Though many of his friends at school have told him they support his decision, those who don’t have been unkind, and often attack him personally with anti-gay epithets.

“In the lunchroom and in the hallway, they’ve been making comments and doing pranks, and calling me gay,” Will said. “It’s always the same people, walking up and calling me a gaywad.”

Even so, Will said that he can’t foresee anything in the near future that will make him stand for the pledge.

Full interview at the Arkansas Times.

Tagged with: Arkansas • Gay Rights • Pledge of Allegiance • Will Phillips

KC Chiefs drop Larry Johnson following gay slur

Posted Monday, November 9, 2009, Filed under: Newsmakers, Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs released controversy-plagued running back Larry Johnson on Monday, the day he was scheduled to come back from his two-week suspension.

On his Twitter account two weeks ago, Johnson questioned Chiefs coach Todd Haley’s competence, insulted followers and used a gay slur.

He repeated the gay slur the next day to reporters and subsequently suspended for two weeks.

”We decided it was in the best interests of the Kansas City Chiefs’ organization to move forward at this time,” Haley said.

This latest incident was not the first trouble for Johnson.

The Kansas City Star reported Johnson was accused of aggravated assault in 2003 and misdemeanor domestic battery for waving a gun at his ex-girlfriend, but the charges were dropped because the running back entered a domestic-violence program.

In 2005, Johnson was accused of pushing a woman to the ground at another KC nightspot, but the charges were later dropped.

Full story at the Kansas City Star.

Tagged with: Gay Slur • Kansas City Chiefs • Larry Johnson

Chiefs, Johnson reach settlement over ‘tweets,’ gay slurs

Posted Saturday, October 31, 2009, Filed under: Newsmakers, Sports

Larry Johnson’s agent said he and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed Saturday night to cut the running back’s two-week suspension in half, saving him more than $300,000.

The Chiefs previously suspended Johnson for two weeks until Nov. 9 for what they called conduct “detrimental” to the team.

(Continue reading…)

Tagged with: Gay Slur • Kansas City Chiefs • Larry Johnson • Twitter

Chief’s Johnson suspended over disparaging remarks, gay slurs

Posted Thursday, October 29, 2009, Filed under: Newsmakers, Sports

Kansas City Chiefs starting running back Larry Johnson was issued a two-week suspension Wednesday night for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Johnson posted disparaging remarks Sunday night on his Twitter page, starting with a remark about Coach Todd Haley’s lack of football playing experience. He later posted a gay slur in response to one of his Twitter followers, and Johnson directed another gay slur Monday morning in the Chiefs’ locker room.

He will not be permitted at team headquarters or allowed to participate in team activities before Nov. 9, the day after the Chiefs play at Jacksonville.

Johnson’s agent, Peter Schaffer, said that an appeal would be filed, and would ask for an expedited hearing.

Johnson had already been barred from the team Tuesday for remarks he made earlier in the week, although that was not a suspension. Johnson will not be paid while suspended, saving the Chiefs about $660,000 in total compensation the next two weeks.

The Chiefs issued a statement Wednesday night announcing Johnson’s suspension, and a spokesman said the team wouldn’t comment further.