U.S. General John Sheehan: Blame the Gays

Earlier today, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende denounced claims made by retired U.S. General John Sheehan that gay Dutch soldiers were partly to blame for allowing Europe’s worst massacre since World War II as “irresponsible”.

According to several various sources, Dutch officials, including many from the Cabinet to the military, were shocked and outraged by the remarks Sheehan made at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing being held on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in D.C. on Thursday.

Sheehan suggested that Dutch military leaders blamed the inclusion of gay soldiers in the Dutch army as “part of the problem” that led to the killing of over 8,000 Muslim men during the overrun of the Srebrenica enclave in 1995 by Serb forces in Bosnia.

In truth, the Dutch troops that were part of a U.N. peacekeeping force in Srebrenica were simply outnumbered when they were overrun by heavily armed Serb forces.

Prime Minister Balkenende stated that Sheehan’s comments were untrue and an irresponsible conclusion of the event and stated at his weekly news conference that “these remarks should never have been made.”

Gay Marriage Headed Back to Court in NJ

The six gay couples who sued New Jersey for the right to marry in 2002 are taking their case and are heading back to court.

The couples along with the surviving partner from a seventh couple filed a motion earlier today claiming that even though the state offers civil unions to same-sex couples, the law which states they are not allowed to marry is discrimination.

The 2002 law suit was lost by one vote by the state’s Supreme Court in 2006 and after efforts to get lawmakers to pass a bill earlier this year fail, the couples decided to take the issue up with the courts again.

Opponents of marriage equality in the garden state claim gay and lesbian couples do not have the constitutional right to marry and cite that civil unions are working.

Will Gainesville Florida Become Gaynesville?

Hat tip to Lyndon Evans of Focus On The Rainbow for bringing this to our attention.  It’s highly possible at this point that Gainesville, Florida may be the next city to elect an openly gay mayor, after Annise Parker was elected in Houston earlier this year.

According to a post on Gainesville.com:

Lowe, with 4,073 votes, had nearly 11 percent more votes than Marsh, who got 2,960, he failed to get the 50 percent majority required to avert a runoff.

The five-candidate field probably had something to do with that.

Lowe said he wasn’t disappointed in the showing.

“I feel great,” Lowe said. “I’m ready to move forward.”

Lowe felt he made a “very strong case” to the voters and would continue pushing his record after serving seven years on the commission.

While his “Victory Party” at The Top restaurant on North Main Street went on as scheduled, it was a subdued affair.

Still, Eric Conrad, the spokesman for Lowe’s campaign and a University of Florida student, remained confident.

“Craig Lowe will be the next mayor of Gainesville,” Conrad said.

How ever, just as in the Houston race, those who are opposed to LGBT equality and are fearful of LGBT politicians have been busy spreading their handywork in an effort to thwart Lowe’s campaign efforts.

According to a post on City Limits, anti-gay fliers have been circulating around the city:

The pink fliers sarcastically suggest Lowe, who is openly gay, will work to get: “Gays in Women’s Restrooms,” “Gay Marriage,” “Gay Public Sex Education,” “Gay Oriented Churches,” “Gay Communities,” “Gay Civil Rights” and “Gay Parades.”

“Please help to make this town more like San Francisco, CA,” the flier reads. “Don’t let Traditional Value Activists use scare tactics against you!”

Hopefully this tactic, as it did in Houston, will fail, and as Lowe stated when asked if he’d file a complaint, “I think that the biggest recourse is with the voters.”

Craig Lowe

Bay Windows: LGBT Senior Support

According to a post on Bay Windows – New England’s largest GLBT newspaper, the White House has awarded a large sum to fund a resource center for aging LGBT community members.

The White House announced in February that it will award a three-year, $900,000 contract to a coalition of LGBT senior organizations, including Boston’s LGBT Aging Project. The result will be the first-ever federally funded national resource center devoted to providing support and education for LGBT elders.

More at: Bay Windows!

CBS5: Newsome Announces Run for LG

Good news out of California from CBS5:

Months after abruptly dropping his bid to be California’s governor, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he wants to be second in command.

More on the story at: CBS5.com!

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