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July 3, 2009

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

7

newsbriefs

Church's 'exorcism' of gay teen is called child abuse

Bridgeport, Conn.-The video shows a 16-year-old boy lying on the floor, his body convulsing, as elders of a small Connecticut church cast a "homosexual demon" from his body.

"Rip it from his throat!". a woman yells. "Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer!"

The 20-minute video posted on YouTube by Manifested Glory Ministries is being called child abuse by gay and youth advocates, who are demanding an investigation. But a church official last week denied that the teenager was injured or that the church is prejudiced.

The church posted the video on YouTube but has since removed it; it is still available on some web sites that copied it.

It shows church members standing the youth on his feet by holding him under his arms, and people shouting as organ music plays.

"Come out of his belly," someone commands. "It's in the belly-Push."

Later, the teenager is back on the floor, breathing heavily. Then he's coughing and apparently vomiting into a bag.

Robin McHaelin, executive director of True Colors, an advocacy group for gay youth, said her organization is aware of five cases in recent years in which youths in her program were threatened with exorcism.

In one case, she said, a child called to report that his caregiver had called a priest who was throwing holy water on his bedroom door.

McHaelin said she planned to report the situation to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.

"They have this kid in a full nelson," she said. "That just seems abusive to me." McKinney said the youth was 18. The

boy confirmed he is 16 but otherwise declined to comment, citing the advice of his pastor.

U.S. apologizes for firing Kameny

Washington, D.C.-The White House Office of Personnel Management has issued an apology to a veteran gay rights activist, 52 years after he was fired for being gay. Frank Kameny was fired in 1957, and his termination was upheld by the U.S. Civil Service Commission.

Kameny has worked since then on equal rights for gays and lesbians. His house has been declared an historic landmark and his papers are in the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian.

"By virtue of the authority vested in me as Director of the Office of Personnel Management, it is my duty and great pleasure to inform you that I am adding my support . . . for the repudiation of the reasoning of the 1957 finding by the United States Civil Service Commission to dismiss you from your job solely on the basis of your sexual orientation," wrote director John Berry, who is himself openly gay. "Please accept our apology for the consequences of the previous policy of the United States govern-

ment.'

""

Kameny supplied the June 24 letter to the Washington Blade, which published it.

Passports can show married names

Washington, D.C.—Members of samesex couples will be able to use their spouses' last names on passports under a new decision from the State Department.

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders announced the change on June 17.

GLAD represented Al and Keith Toney, a legally-married same-sex couple, in filing

suit against the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

One of the points made in their suit is that the State Department would not allow Keith Toney, born Keith Fitzpatrick, to change his name on his passport after his marriage.

A June 15 letter from the State Department, however, notified the couple and GLAD that federal rules have now been changed to allow his new name, and that Keith Toney could apply for a new passport with waived fees.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Toneys and eight other same-sex couples, is still active on the other issues involved, including Social Security benefits.

Half million join in NYC Pride festival

New York City-Four decades after a riot at a Greenwich Village bar sparked a movement for equal rights, gay New Yorkers celebrated their gains at the June 28 Pride parade and lamented that the state has not legalized same-sex marriage.

The annual march down Fifth Avenue commemorated the Stonewall rebellion of 40 years ago, when patrons at a gay bar resisted the police. The several days of disturbances that followed the uprising became one of the defining moments of the gay civil rights movement.

The celebration was tempered by the knowledge that six other states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa, have legalized same-sex marriage before New York.

"Hopes and dreams and expectations have been raised, and there is nothing worse than to for people to have their hopes die out, to have the rug pulled out from under them," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, New York City's most prominent openly gay elected official.

Gov. David Paterson said he remains hopeful that the state senate will pass a same-sex marriage bill-if it can resolve a partisan stalemate that has paralyzed it.

Parade organizers claimed as many as 500,000 participants. That number was difficult to verify, but many thousands marched or lined Fifth Avenue to watch.

As part of the yearlong celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Dutch founding of New Amsterdam-now called New YorkAmsterdam officials held a contest for couples to marry in that city, where samesex marriage has been legal since 2001.

The winners, five couples with one Dutch partner and one American partner, will travel to Amsterdam for its August gay pride celebration and get married there.

The state of New York, under a two-yearold policy, does recognize gay and lesbian marriages performed elsewhere.

Portland mayor cleared in affair

Portland, Ore.-The city's openly gay mayor has been cleared of wrongdoing in an affair with a teenager four years ago.

Attorney General John Kroger, in a report released last week, said investigators found no credible evidence that Sam Adams initiated a sexual relationship with Beau Breedlove in 2005, before Breedlove turned 18. Adams was not mayor at the time.

Breedlove said he was 17 when he and Adams first kissed, but Kroger said Breedlove's account of the relationship lacked credibility and there were no other witnesses.

Adams, 45, has admitted having sex with Breedlove, but said it wasn't until after the younger man turned 18. V

Compiled from wire reports by Brian DeWitt, Anthony Glassman and Patti Harris.

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