YAY OR NEY: Iowa Supreme Court to rule on same-sex marriage tomorrow The Des Moines Register states:
"A long awaited and significant Iowa Supreme Court case ruling on same-sex marriage will be released tomorrow, likely at 8:30 a.m. The case, Varnum vs. Brien, involves six same-sex Iowa couples who sued Polk County Recorder Timothy Brien in 2005, after his office denied them marriage licenses. Polk County District Judge Robert Hanson sided with the couples in a ruling last year, but he suspended his decision until the high court speaks. The case would have consequences outside the state's borders. Iowa would become the first Midwestern state to allow same-sex marriage and the fourth in the nation if the court sides with the gay couples. Legal experts say such a decision would echo across the country and strengthen the gay rights movement."
YEY OR NEY TODAY: Vermont House to Vote on same-sex marriage today. As we have been reporting, Governor Douglas has threatened to veto this bill if it came across his desk. The clear picture looks like it will have enough votes from the house to pass because they have expended all this energy proposing it and laboring for it.
The Burlington Free Press issues: "Predicting the outcome is complicated by the fact that some Democrats who plan to vote against the bill say they would change course and challenge the governor’s veto, meaning that even if today’s vote falls short of 100 in support, an override might be possible...[Debbie] Evans, a Democrat from Essex, is a member of her Catholic parish council. She is also a justice of the peace who has performed more than 100 civil union ceremonies for same-sex couples. 'I have done a lot of soul-searching,' she said. 'It’s very hard.' When her name is called today, though, she will vote against same-sex marriage. 'I still look at the definition of marriage as traditional.' If there is a vote to override a gubernatorial veto, however, Evans said she will vote for it. The Democratic caucus is firm about sticking together to challenge the governor, she said. Evans said she believes Gov. Jim Douglas interfered with the legislative process by declaring last week that he would veto the bill before it went through the Legislature. 'No one was happy with that,' she said."
BAD APPLE: Chicago Police Officer Richard Florito has four federal lawsuits pending against him. The alleged charges states that Florito goes after gays and lesbians with bogus charges, uses homophobic epithets during arrests and exercises excessive force, reports Chicago LGBT activist group Gay Liberation Network. A press conference is planned at 11am Chicago time to announce the lawsuits at the Dirksen Federal Court Building in the lobby where victims of Florito and their attorneys will be in attendance.
GLN and Attorney Jon Erickson have released this press statement:
Officer Richard Fiorito allegedly rang up false charges so frequently against lesbian and gay drivers in the heart of the gay North Halsted entertainment district that out of his earshot, his fellow officers disparaged the charges to the people he pulled over.
According to several of Fiorito’s victims, the transport officer from the 23rd to the 19th Districts routinely informs defendants that "Fiorito is an overtime whore and the arrestee should get a lawyer." No official action has been taken to curb Fiorito, 60, who is assigned to the 23rd District "Town Hall" police station at Addison and Halsted. Fiorito is among the state's highest writers of DUI tickets and arrested over 300 people for DUI last year.
On Thursday, four more federal lawsuits will be filed against Fiorito, in addition to three already filed, alleging that he targets lesbian and gay for false charges, frequently using anti-gay epithets during arrests, and occasionally uses excessive force. Attorney Jon Erickson says that as many as 11 more similar suits will be filed against Fiorito over the next six weeks.
In two separate cases of lesbians arrested by Fiorito, the lock-up officers at the Belmont and Western 19th District station made entries on the arrest report that directly contradict Officer Fiorito’s account.. In one report, the lock-up officer wrote that the subject was "not under the influence of alcohol/drugs," and that "Chicago Police Officer Neita was unable to detect the smell of alcohol coming from subject." In another report, the lock-up officer wrote, “arrestee entered women's lockup she seems to be fine at this time is speaking clearly."
In two other cases, Fiorito insisted on conducting field sobriety test which test the subject’s ability to listen to and follow instructions even though the arrestees told Fiorito they are deaf. Lawyers claim Fiorito made bogus arrests to rack up overtime pay by appearing in court when he wasn't on duty.
Story developing......
FRANK, adjective: open, honest, and direct in speech or writing, esp. when dealing with unpalatable matters : a long and frank discussion: The Daily Beast interviews Congressman Barney Frank on a number of topics:
Larry Craig: "I feel sorry for him."
Why he hit out at Scalia's homophobia: "Oh, it became relevant. People were asking me strategically what I thought, and I said I thought it was better that this [pursuing the constitutionality of gay marriage] was going to be delayed with Scalia still on the court. I have done so from time to time, when there were people acting out of what seems to me a bias, but only if it’s relevant to public policy. I’m not a commentator in general, and I do that when it becomes relevant to a strategic or tactical decision."
Waxes on the reaction of his infamous rant with FOX News talker Bill O'Reilly:
"Mostly I heard from people who were sympathetic to me. I do think in that one he got somewhat damaged, and he did apologize for it a couple of times, in an article and elsewhere. Part of it was incredulity. “Why would you go on?” And I said, I think you don’t want to let these things go unrefuted. He’s not invited me back. Ten years ago, I might have reacted more angrily, but I really am able to kind of separate it out. I’m being attacked not because of me personally but as an obstacle to regulate. I just did a fundraiser. I said, OK, they need to get some money, they’ve got to refute some of these things. I’m being attacked by Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove—none of these people I respect. Finally to top it off, I was one of the handful criticized by Dick Cheney in his post-vice presidential interview, and I said, my mother was wonderful woman, died three years ago at 92, and I have missed her constantly. But I particularly would’ve liked her to be around when Dick Cheney attacked me, because—I don’t know how good your Yiddish is— she would’ve kvelled at the notion that I’m still haunting Dick Cheney."
Incidentally, O'Reilly also recently commented on that segment in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter after they asked him "what's the angriest he's been" while on the air.
Said O'Reilly: "... the Barney Frank thing (in which O'Reilly called Frank a 'coward' during an October debate over Fannie May and Freddie Mac). But I really wasn't angry; I just needed to scold him because he was blaming everyone else, even though some of this economic mess is his fault...That didn't backfire at all because I don't care if a congressman is re-elected or not. That's not my job. If people in his district like him, that's fine. I'm not trying to get him out of there, I'm trying to hold him accountable. That interview was seen by tens of millions of people, so I held him accountable."
Frank delivered a slamdown of Republicans on the House floor yesterday over the Bonus Ban bill. The Huffpost writes: "The bill at issue, authored by Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), would cap executive compensation at bailed-out financial institutions and it puts the GOP in a tough spot: after expressing outrage over the AIG bonuses, it's tough to vote against the bill."
ORANGE YA GLAD YOU WORK FOR US: Syracuse University to consider paying gay staff more because of tax inequalities:
"Because federal law doesn't recognize gay marriage, Wrigley and other same-sex couples pay taxes on their SU benefits, healthcare and tuition costs, unlike their heterosexual married colleagues. [...] To combat this inequality, SU may consider providing what's called "grossing up" to its employees. The university would pay Wrigley and other same-sex couples more to make up for the extra government taxes. This would ensure all employees pay the same amount for the same coverage. A movement to guarantee equal benefits for all couples at SU began approximately three years ago through the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns Committee in the University Senate, SU's governing body of faculty and staff. But gay partners still pay more for their benefits today, despite the committee's lobbying. SU also requires heterosexual couples to be legally married to receive any benefits." [Daily Orange]
HUSH MONEY:
Already notorious for its homophobic gaming policies, Microsoft's Xbox also stood accused of letting gay discrimination run rampant in its own offices. Jamie Durrant sued the company for about $70,000 after co-workers branded him as "Fag Boy Jim" and messages reading "I'm Jim and I'm Gay' were circulated — and HR refused to do anything. Now, the two parties have reached a settlement.
Too bad we'll never know the terms, thanks to the confidentiality agreement Durrant had to sign in order to see a payday after coming to terms with Microsoft at an employment tribunal.
But let's let Microsoft talk out of its ass. According to a spokesman: "We are pleased to have reached an amicable resolution to this matter with Mr. Durrant. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but we can confirm that Mr. Durrant will not continue his employment at Lionhead as part of the agreement. Microsoft has a longstanding commitment to diversity. We attract, recruit and respect diverse talent and we have included sexual orientation in our anti-discrimination policies for 20 years. Our efforts have been recognised by a wide range of groups, including the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in its 2009 Corporate Equality Index. We do not tolerate breaches of our code of business conduct and take any complaints extremely seriously. Throughout this process, those to whom Mr. Durrant brought his concerns have taken them seriously and concrete actions have been taken to address them. Neither Mr. Durrant's sexual orientation nor the nature of his complaint had any bearing on the way it was handled." [queerty]
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