ONE Community - For. By. Committed to the Community.

Gay Marriage In The U.S.: What's Next In The Fight?

ONE Community — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:04:24 +0000

Momentum in the states to allow gay marriage may be about to stall.

Recent victories have given same-sex marriage advocates hope that the tide has turned in their long-running fight for marriage equality, given the number of states approving same-sex marriage has doubled since Election Day 2012.

But 36 states still ban such unions, and there’s little sign of change in those states anytime soon.

Peace Corps says same-sex couples can apply to serve together

ONE Community — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

(Reuters) - The Peace Corps said on Tuesday it will start accepting applications next month from same-sex couples who want to volunteer together as part of the overseas service program.

But not all of the 76 countries that host the program established by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 will be open as assignments for those couples, an agency spokeswoman said.

"The Peace Corps is only going to consider placement for same-sex couples in countries where homosexual acts are not criminalized," spokeswoman Shira Kramer said.

"We're obviously aiming to foster the most productive and safe environments for same-sex couples," she added.

Bisbee approves civil unions, again

ONE Community — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:24:30 +0000

BISBEE — New language for a proposed civil union ordinance didn’t change the outcome of a vote by Bisbee City Council members Tuesday night.

The council voted 5-2 to pass a revised version of an ordinance originally adopted April 23. After Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne warned that his office would file a lawsuit to prevent Bisbee from enacting the ordinance, city attorney John MacKinnon revised the local legislation.

Tuesday night a crowd number about 85 people showed up at the council chambers to again take up debate on civil unions.

Obama delivers LGBT-inclusive commencement address at all-male college

ONE Community — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:30:26 +0000

ATLANTA — President Barack Obamaon Sunday delivered an LGBT-inclusive commencement address at Morehouse College, a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta.

Obama challenged graduates to “transform the way we think about manhood,” and encouraged them to take responsibility for their families and their communities.

"Keep setting an example for what it means to be a man. Be the best husband to your wife, or your boyfriend, or your partner. Be the best father you can be to your children. Because nothing is more important. [...]

Gay Marriage Amendment Withdrawn From Immigration Bill Debate

ONE Community — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:50:32 +0000

The Senate “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill survived perhaps its toughest challenge late in the day, as the Senate Judiciary Committee refused to approve an amendment that would have allowed gays and lesbians to sponsor their partners for immigration in the same way married heterosexual couples would be able to do under the proposed legislation.

The amendment by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was introduced and then withdrawn after he saw that his amendment could potentially kill the bill.

Republican members of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” that co-wrote the immigration bill said they could not countenance the amendment and would walk away from the entire legislation if passed.

Presbyterian Church Of Scotland OK's Gay Ministers

ONE Community — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:15:38 +0000

CANTERBURY, England (RNS) The Church of Scotland’s General Assembly on Monday (May 20) passed a historic vote to allow actively gay men and lesbians to become ordained ministers.

After more than six hours of debate, more than 700 commissioners attending the Presbyterian church’s 2013 General Assembly in Edinburgh voted in favor of gay ministers, but in a mind toward compromise agreed to allow parishes that disagree to opt out of the new rules.

The decision will now need to be endorsed by the church’s 48 regional presbyteries and, if it survives the regional ratification, will become official at next year’s General Assembly.

ONE Community Taste-It Tuesday Spotlight: Humble Pie

ONE Community — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:34:19 +0000

This week's adventure in "Foodie-Land" takes us to Humble Pie!

Humble Pie has multiple locations in Phoenix and each one is sure to deliver a delicious dining experience! Their menu is filled with many options ranging from sandwiches, burgers, pastas, and of course their famous pizzas. Additionally, they don't let down for us "winos" and individuals who appreciate a good alcoholic drink! They have an extensive list of red wines, white wines, and a plethora of beers available.

22 for You launches at District American Kitchen & Wine Bar

ONE Community — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:59:19 +0000

A new $22 dinner menu showcasing creative new American-inspired entrées launches May 22 at District American Kitchen and Wine Bar. The new dinner menu features innovative culinary creations, locally sourced ingredients and dishes infused with flavor. District American Kitchen and Wine Bar consistently incorporates artisan products, herbs from the restaurant’s rooftop garden, and sustainably farmed items from local growers into each and every menu item.

Griner: No talking sexuality at Baylor

ONE Community — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:58:11 +0000

Former Baylor women's basketball star Brittney Griner says that Kim Mulkey, her college head coach, told players not to be open publicly about their sexuality because it would hurt recruiting and look bad for the program.

"It was a recruiting thing," Griner said during an interview with ESPN The Magazine and espnW. "The coaches thought that if it seemed like they condoned it, people wouldn't let their kids come play for Baylor."

Bans Of Same-Sex Marriage Can Take A Psychological Toll

ONE Community — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:05:38 +0000

As the country awaits two important Supreme Court decisions involving state laws on same-sex marriage, a small but consistent body of research suggests that laws that ban gay marriage — or approve it — can affect the mental health of gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans. When several states passed laws to prohibit same-sex marriage, for example, the mental health of gay residents seemed to suffer, while stress-related disorders dropped in at least one state after gay marriage was legalized.

Here's the research trail:

Kaitlyn Hunt, Florida Teen, Faces Felony Charges Over Same-Sex Relationship

nvillamon — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:21:38 +0000

A Florida teenager faces criminal charges stemming from her relationship with another young female student.

Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, faces two felony counts of "lewd and lascivious battery on a child 12 to 16" after the parents of her 15-year-old girlfriend pressed charges earlier this year, according to Examiner.

"These people never came to us as parents, never tried to speak to us... and tell us they had a problem with the girls dating," Kaitlyn Hunt's mother, Kelley Hunt-Smith, wrote in an statement posted to Facebook. "...They were out to destroy my daughter. [They] feel like my daughter 'made' their daughter gay."

New Smartphone App BUYCOTT Lets You Boycott The Koch Brothers and Support Pro LGBT Companies

ONE Community — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:32:56 +0000

Last year former Microsoft programmer and congressional candidate Darcy Burner pitched a seemingly simple idea at Netroots Nation. The creation of a smartphone app that would allow shoppers to swipe barcodes to check whether conservative billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch were behind a product on the shelves.

But what Burner didn’t realize at the time is that a group of developers was hard at work on Buycott, an even more sophisticated version of the smartphone app she proposed.

Duke University Press' Transgender Studies Quarterly To Publish In 2014

ONE Community — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:22:55 +0000

Dr. Susan Stryker (University of Arizona) and Dr. Paisley Currah (CUNY-Brooklyn) are collaborating with Duke University Press to bring forth TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly, a groundbreaking interdisciplinary academic journal which will debut next year.

Stryker and Currah will serve as co-editors, while Duke University Press serves as the publisher. The two professors first collaborated back in 2008 as co-editors of a special transgender studies edition of Women's Studies Quarterly. After receiving over 200 submissions for the publication and only being able to publish 12, they realized how important it was for transgender studies to have its own high-profile publications domain.

An executive order could end LGBT discrimination in contracts

ONE Community — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:14:43 +0000

President Obama’s continuing popularity among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans is due in large part to major accomplishments of his first term:overturning the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, abandoning support for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act in court and his personal backing for marriage equality, which he announced a year ago this month.

Obama has also supported LGBT rights in other, more indirect ways, including by appointing more “out” LGBT individuals to political office than all previous presidents combined; I was, proudly, one of them.

Mountain Park is soliciting for Proposals to provide janitorial services

ONE Community — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:08:51 +0000

Mountain Park Health Center (MPHC) is a federally funded primary healthcare facility with five locations serving the metropolitan Phoenix area. With 200,000 medical encounters per year and 55,000 patients, we have built a reputation for providing affordable primary care in medically underserved communities for the last 30 years.

The janitorial services for our clinics are an integral piece of our ability to provide quality healthcare to our patients. Mountain Park is soliciting for Proposals to provide janitorial services for our locations listed below:

· Baseline – 635 E. Baseline Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85042

· Maryvale – 6601 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85033

Int’l Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia observed around the globe

ONE Community — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:37 +0000

LGBT rights advocates and allies will observe the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (or IDAHO) in more than 100 countries around the world on Friday.

First recognized in 2004, IDAHO commemorates the May 17, 1990 decision by the World Health Organization that decategorized homosexuality as a mental disorder, and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights advocacy.

In 76 countries around the world, same-sex relationships are still considered illegal and punishable by jail, fines and in some countries, lifetime imprisonment. In seven countries, a conviction is punishable by death.

Gays 'thrown under the bus' in immigration bill

ONE Community — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:44:02 +0000

The Senate Judiciary Committee is marking up the massive bill that leaders in both parties agree presents the best opportunity to reform immigration policy in decades. The bill contains many provisions sought by progressive groups, but lacks protections for LGBT families, specifically binational same-sex couples whose relationships are not recognized by the government.

While endorsing key provisions in the bill drafted by the bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” LGBT civil rights groups continue to urge the adoption of amendments that protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their families.

Polls Show Pro-Equality Majorities in Mich., Ariz., and Va.

ONE Community — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:38:53 +0000

Momentum for marriage equality is spreading beyond the safely liberal strongholds of the East Coast, according to several new polls that found majority support for the freedom to marry in locales as diverse as Michigan, Virginia, and even Arizona.

Arizona House OKs religious-protection measure

ONE Community — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:03:14 +0000

Supporters of a bill that would change the state’s religious-protection law say it would strengthen Arizonans’ ability to defend their “practice or observance of religion.”

But critics of the legislation, particularly in the gay and transgender community, say it’s so broadly worded that it could have dangerous implications, particularly in providing a legal defense for those who ignore state law or city ordinances meant to protect groups such as same-sex couples and transgender individuals from discrimination.

A Top LinkedIn Exec On Why Content Marketing Matters More Than Ever

ONE Community — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:33:12 +0000

In the past few years, there’s been a real transformation in the way people consume information and communicate. Fueled by the mass adoption of social platforms, this transformation in consumer behavior demands that the ways we market also evolve. This is especially true in business-to-business where brands compete in a content-flooded environment with countless information sources to capture buyers' attention.