Monthly Archives: July 2015
Cara Delevinge: "My Sexuality Is Not A Phase"
Cara Delevinge: "My Sexuality Is Not A Phase"
Delevinge responds to the controversy sparked by her interview with Vogue.
Eliel Cruz
www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2015/07/19/cara-delevinge-my-sexuality-not-phase
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Gay dad and daughter trapped in Thailand after surrogacy turns sour
Gay dad and daughter trapped in Thailand after surrogacy turns sour
A gay father claims he is unable to leave Thailand with his infant daughter because the surrogate who gave birth to her objects to the fact he is married to a man.
Gordon ‘Bud’ Lake, from Florida, USA, used a surrogacy agency in Thailand, choosing a suitable surrogate mother and signing a surrogacy agreement.
His daughter, Carmen, was born on January 17 2015, but in an interview with Gay Star News he explained the surrogate is refusing to sign any legal documents – leaving his daughter stuck in Thailand without a passport.
Under Thai law, a woman who gives birth to a child has all legal parental rights over the child, even though Bud is Carmen’s biological father.
After listing Bud as the father on the birth certificate, and allowing Carmen home from the hospital, the surrogate discovered the couple were two men.
Bud explained in an email to Gay Star News: ‘It became apparent that the surrogate had issues with Carmen being raised by what she would later describe as “not an ordinary family”.’
Bud said the surrogate had started to make appearances in the media, making remarks including ‘they are not natural parents in Thai society’, and ‘they are same-sex, not male and female that can take care of babies’.
The American in Bangkok has issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, which recognizes Carmen as an American citizen – but she will not be able to obtain a passport without the consent of both parents listed on the birth certificate.
Now, Bud explains the authorities want to stop him requesting a passport altogether, because he is ‘not the legal father’ of Carmen.
‘There is a new law that, although outlawing surrogacy for foreign couples, has a temporary provision that states: “husband or wife executing to surrogacy, . . . has right to file a complaint to the Court for ordering a person who was born by surrogacy before this act enforced be legitimate child of husband and wife executing to surrogacy,”‘ he explained.
‘In principle the provision is written to do the right thing and give parental rights to commissioning parents, BUT since it says “husband and wife” we don’t know how they will rule given we are “husband and husband”.
‘We will be forced to go through this court procedure, facing another year and half in Thailand, with complete uncertainty of how this temporary provision will be interpreted.’
In order to cover the mounting costs of legal proceedings, and accommodation in Thailand, the couple are appealing for donations, but they also hope to change the phrasing in the new Thai law so it does not only include ‘husband’ and ‘wife’.
As things stand, Bud says the U.S. embassy are unable to take any further action, so he and his husband are campaigning to get Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on side in order to help speed the decision-making process along.
‘We are involving Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama because we think they will be sympathetic to our call, and be able to reason with the right people to be able to initiate this engagement with the Thai authorities,’ Bud said.
‘Carmen is an American citizen and she should be protected by the U.S.
‘Obviously prolonging this whole situation isn´t in the best interest of the Carmen, which is what we believe the Thai authorities will give top priority – what’s in the best interest of the child – in making their decisions.
‘The Thai authorities only need to be given the chance to help.
‘If the U.S. State Department would only let them.’
The post Gay dad and daughter trapped in Thailand after surrogacy turns sour appeared first on Gay Star News.
Mel Spencer
www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-dad-and-daughter-trapped-in-thailand-after-surrogacy-turns-sour/
Anti-Gay Former Archbishop Denies Allegations Of Cruising Parks, Inappropriately Touching Male Student
Anti-Gay Former Archbishop Denies Allegations Of Cruising Parks, Inappropriately Touching Male Student
An internal church probe is investigating allegations against anti-gay Archbishop John Nienstedt that he cruised parks, sought poppers, inappropriately touched understudies and went to gay clubs in the 1980s reports The Star Tribune.
The probe, commissioned by Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, collected affidavits from several priests and former seminarians alleging that Nienstedt visited gay clubs around Detroit in the early 1980s along with reports of inappropriate touching. Nienstedt resigned June 15 after Ramsey County prosecutors filed criminal and civil charges against the archdiocese citing a “failure to protect children,” regarding accusations of priests abusing children under Nienstedt’s tenure. Nienstedt has denied all allegations disclosed in affidavits:
“It pains me deeply that my good name and reputation have been put into question by allegations that are entirely false and based wholly on rumor, hearsay, or innuendo.”
However, numerous testimonies from Nienstedt’s contemporaries indicate otherwise. Priest Lawrence Ventline from Harristown Township, Mich. reported seeing Nienstedt outside a gay club in Windsor, Ontario in the 1980s:
“I recall seeing John — and there is no doubt in my mind that it was him based on my prior interactions with him — at the Happy Tap. He appeared to wave me off as I was coming — and I backed off because I did not want impose on him.”
Another Michigan priest disclosed that Nienstedt approached his car in an area frequented by gay men in the 1980s asking him for poppers, an inhalant used to enhance sexual pleasure. A former student at Sacred Heart Seminary also disclosed Nienstedt groped his buttocks after a dinner together back in 2000-2002; Nienstedt threatened the student saying that he could, “make things unpleasant for you very quickly,” after the student protested.
Nienstedt says the accusations are “retribution” for his anti-gay views. Nienstedt claims he has evidence to debunk his accusers claims, but says that revealing said evidence is “a disservice to the people who cooperated with the investigation under a promise of confidentiality.” However, Ramsey County’s investigation in its criminal prosecution of Nienstedt is still active with a court hearing scheduled for Aug. 25.
The post Anti-Gay Former Archbishop Denies Allegations Of Cruising Parks, Inappropriately Touching Male Student appeared first on Towleroad.
Anthony Costello
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Thomas Roberts Becomes First Openly Gay Evening News Anchor On Network TV
Thomas Roberts Becomes First Openly Gay Evening News Anchor On Network TV
Thomas Roberts anchored NBC’s “Nightly News” on Saturday, a huge milestone for both the 42-year-old journalist’s career and gay rights history.
Until the broadcast, an openly gay person had never anchored the nightly news on network TV. Roberts told The Advocate that it was a “huge honor” to fill the role.
During the week, Roberts hosts “MSNBC Live With Thomas Roberts.”
There are a few openly gay evening news anchors on cable TV — MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon — but Roberts is the first for one of the big three networks.
Watch the historic broadcast:
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Tom Hardy is on the Run in a Galaxy Far, Far Away in Mad Max/Star Wars Mashup – VIDEO
Tom Hardy is on the Run in a Galaxy Far, Far Away in Mad Max/Star Wars Mashup – VIDEO
It was only a matter of time before the desert wasteland world of Mad Max: Fury Road was thrown together with Tatooine and the rest of the Star Wars universe. Lucky for fans of both franchises, the mash-up is a smashing success.
Watch as X-Wings chase cars, Darth Vader lords over the Citadel, and Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron go full Jedi (complete with lightsabers) in “Road Wars: The Imperator Strikes Back” below:
The post Tom Hardy is on the Run in a Galaxy Far, Far Away in Mad Max/Star Wars Mashup – VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.
Kyler Geoffroy
Tom Hardy is on the Run in a Galaxy Far, Far Away in Mad Max/Star Wars Mashup – VIDEO
Car2Go Go Girl
WATCH: 'Do You Think Being Gay Is A Choice?' Scott Walker Says He Doesn't Know
WATCH: 'Do You Think Being Gay Is A Choice?' Scott Walker Says He Doesn't Know
The Wisconsin Governor’s answer is that this is “not even an issue for me to be involved in.”
Dawn Ennis
