Free Republic

Lawsuit asks federal court to strike down Michigan's gay-marriage ban 6/9/2005, 8:26 p.m. ET By JAMES PRICHARD The Associated Press GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A new federal lawsuit seeks to strike down Michigan's constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, saying it violates the U.S. Constitution. Bangor attorney Jessie Olson is named as a co-plaintiff with her lesbian partner, Tabitha A. Flatau, in the suit she filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Kalamazoo. She said the amendment is stripping away job benefits such as health insurance from homosexual and unmarried heterosexual...

The Montgomery County public school system has changed parts of its new sex education curriculum after parents criticized it as favoring a homosexual agenda and encouraging promiscuity. 'It's a teeny little step in the right direction,' said Michelle Turner, president of Citizens for Responsible Curriculum. Educators have removed a sentence in the curriculum that said: 'Sex play with friends of the same gender is not uncommon during early adolescence.' In addition, the school system has removed a statement that said students would 'discuss how you develop your sexual identity.' Curriculum coordinator Russell Henke, who reports to the school board, is...

International gay leaders are planning a 10-day WorldPride festival and parade in Jerusalem in August, saying they want to make a statement about tolerance and diversity in the holy city... [L]eaders of the three faiths -- Christianity, Judaism and Islam -- are making a rare show of unity to try to stop the festival... "They are creating a deep and terrible sorrow that is unbearable," said Shlomo Amar, Israel's chief Sephardic rabbi, "...We are all against it." ..."That is something new I've never witnessed before, such an attempt to globalize bigotry," said Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of Jerusalem Open...

It was a shocking—yet not unexpected—decision by the Supreme Court. Speaking for the 5-4 majority, Justice Kennedy wrote that laws barring same-sex “marriage” infer “that the disadvantage imposed is born of animosity toward the class of persons affected.” Thus—by the stroke of a pen—the Court struck down state laws banning gay “marriage.” Okay, it hasn’t happened—yet. But if the words sound familiar, it’s because they come from Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion in Romer v. Evans. That’s the ruling in which the Court overturned a democratically enacted Colorado law barring special civil rights protections based on sexual orientation. While the Supremes...

“Man and Woman”, “Wife”, “Husband”, “Widow”, “Widower” Banished From all Ontario Law Terms, when referring to spouses, are banned from all government programs, services, documentsToronto, February 25, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – With the obscenely rapid, three-day introduction and passage of its same-sex “marriage” Bill 171, the Ontario government has advanced a revolutionary change in the way all laws and government programs and institutions refer to marriage and married persons. Everything referring to spouses must now be gender neutral. No longer can a married couple be referred to as “husband and wife” or “man and woman”. The terms “Widow” and “widower” are...

TORONTO (CP) - The hit feature Shrek 2 joins the ranks of animated films to be "outed" by some Christian fundamentalists in the U.S., who charge that cross-dressing and transgender themes have made their way into the beloved kids' movie and warn parents to beware. Although many people see the Oscar-nominated film as a humorous story about a green ogre and his true love, the Traditional Values Coalition has a different take on the animated feature. "Shrek 2 is billed as harmless entertainment but contains subtle sexual messages," the coalition says on its website of the movie, a popular DVD...

(CBS) The 19-year-old daughter of Alan Keyes has a Valentine for the anti-gay rights conservative pundit and frequent Republican candidate. Maya Marcel-Keyes will be making her first public appearance as a gay activist at a Valentine Day's rally in front of the Maryland State House, says Dan Furmansky, the leader of Equality Maryland, a gay rights group. Last summer her father, a conservative pundit and frequent Republican candidate, caused a stir during the Republican convention by labeling Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter a sinner and calling homosexuality "selfish hedonism." "It was kind of strange that he said it like a...

BOISE, Idaho — A proposal to ban same-sex marriages has been defeated for the second consecutive year in Idaho (search). The measure was defeated 14-21 in the state Senate on Wednesday after conservative supporters couldn't muster the two-thirds majority needed to send the constitutional change to a vote of the people. Eight Republican senators joined with six Democrats to form a blockade of moderates. The amendment would have invalidated any type of marriage or civil union (search) except those between one man and one woman. The issue has been at the forefront of legislative issues since the session began Jan....

“All pigs are created equal, except some pigs are more equal than others" wrote George Orwell in his classic “Animal Farm.” While it is always fun poking fun at Stalin being a pig, applying Owellian metaphors to American society will usually do nothing but get a person called “paranoid” by their friends, and a “ranting lunatic” by most others. However, when reality strikes you in the face and the preponderance of evidence is undeniable, the truth is the truth no matter how insane or impossible it may sound. The facts in America today are that homosexuals have been elevated to...

Prime Minister Paul Martin was forced to deal with the same-sex marriage issue in India Tuesday. Two days before Martin arrived in New Delhi, the Sikh religion's highest spiritual leader directed his followers around the world to reject the legalization of gay marriage. CTV's Joy Malbon explains that Joginder Singh Vedanti, who is equivalent to the Pope, urged Canada's six Sikh MPs (four Liberals and two Conservatives) to "rise above petty politics and take a stand against same-sex marriage." After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Martin was asked by reporters about the controversy. "This is a question of...

Back from the Marines and two combat tours chasing the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan, Joseph Singer found more trouble than he ever expected just two blocks from home. Tuesday night, Singer, 22, and his father, Bruce Singer, 50, both of Revere, fended off an attack by knife and shovel-wielding punks that left the younger Singer stabbed in the gut. ``They were vicious, godless animals, that's what they were,'' Bruce Singer said yesterday. About 6:30 that night, Joe Singer was on his way home to have dinner with his dad when he saw some youths throwing chunks of ice...

A North Carolina National Guard member thought to be the first U.S. soldier convicted of murdering an Iraqi said he "snapped" and shot the 17-year-old boy after they had consensual sex, according to court-martial records released this week. Pvt. Federico Daniel Merida, 21, of Biscoe, a tiny town south of Asheboro, pleaded guilty during a court-martial in Iraq to shooting the Iraqi national guard private, whose name the Army withheld. Merida was sentenced Sept. 25 to 25 years in prison and reduced in rank. He will be dishonorably discharged. Army officials at Forward Operating Base Danger, where the court-martial was...

We probably all deserve a spanking now and then, and state troopers say Nathan Allen McClain was getting his as he rode in a car while mooning motorists on Interstate 5 during rush-hour traffic Thursday morning. Witnesses said the driver of the white Acura, Dwayne Crandall of Vancouver, was paddling McClain's bare posterior as McClain displayed it to other motorists. In the end, McClain, 22, of Portland was ticketed for indecent exposure. Crandall, 20, was ticketed for aiding and abetting indecent exposure and reckless driving, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Garvin March. Besides spanking McClain's rear end, Crandall also rear-ended...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - While critics savaged Oliver Stone's long-waited epic "Alexander," novelist and social activist Gore Vidal rallied to the $160 million movie's defense saying it was "barrier-breaking" because of its frank depiction of bisexuality. Stone's film opened on Wednesday to near universal pans from critics who called it everything from a "noble failure" to an "indifferent epic." The Charlotte, North Carolina, Observer said the movie was "an act of hubris so huge, that, in Alexander's time, it would draw lightning bolts from contemptuous gods." Vidal said the critics failed to see it was a seminal movie because of...

Israel last night killed a top Hamas terrorist who had eluded Israeli forces for years, forcing another major blow to the already weakened terror group. An Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a car traveling in the Gaza Strip, killing Adnan al-Ghoul, a founder and the No. 2 figure of Hamas' "military wing," along with a second unidentified occupant in the car. The Israeli airstrike took place north of Gaza City as dozens of people left a nearby mosque following evening prayers. Upon news of al-Ghoul's death, thousands of angry Hamas supporters reportedly took to the streets in several refugee...

TORONTO (CP) - Two young men dressed in little more than belts adorned with fabric fruit leaves and matching head-dresses in recognition of the "Bursting with Fruit Flavours" theme of Toronto's Pride Week stand out as symbols of a universal quest for gay rights. Ramon, 28, and his best friend Gianfranco, 20, both from Colombia, were part of the Hola Latino group, near the lead of Toronto's lesbian and gay pride parade. "For me, it's amazing because you know, in my country, it is like, really difficult to do it," said Gianfranco, who left his homeland to live in Toronto....

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - Springfield will soon no longer offer health benefits to unmarried domestic partners of city employees now that same-sex couples are legally allowed to marry in Massachusetts. Mayor Charles Ryan notified the city clerk on Thursday that he has rescinded all prior executive orders allowing unmarried domestic partners to participate in the city's group health insurance program. Unmarried domestic partners will not be cut off from access to health insurance immediately. Ryan offered a 90-day grace period to become legally married and retain insurance coverage. Ryan's predecessor, Michael Albano, had issued an executive order giving unmarried same-sex...

USCCB bureaucrats' loyalty to certain Democratic congressmen seen causing waffling WASHINGTON, May 14, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In his May 14 e-letter, Crisis Magazine editor Deal Hudson expresses serious concern that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) organization may have unexpectedly just deflated efforts to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) to the US Constitution. Hudson says that "Of course, the amendment is also running into opposition from homosexual activists and the radical left. But now it looks like it might be encountering resistance from another source? the USCCB". He emphasizes, "Yes, you read that correctly." The nationally influential...

<p>MARSHALL, Texas (AP) -- Victims of a former Lutheran minister who sexually molested boys won a jury award of nearly $37 million Thursday, bringing the total payout in the case to about $69 million.</p> <p>The case is the most serious to hit the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which has about 5 million members, and has drawn comparisons to the worst abuses committed during the Roman Catholic molestation crisis.</p>

Senator supports same-sex marriages Tuesday, April 6, 2004 It's been over a month since the last time I commented on the proceedings of the Legislature's constitutional convention. In that time frame, the Legislature met for a third and fourth time to debate the issue of same sex marriages. As many of you know, I wrote a column following the close of the first two days of debate that explained my opinion on this issue. Due to the important nature of this issue, I thought I would offer this updated column. I am not going to go back over my overall...

Teacher busted in pupil sex rap By SCOTT SHIFREL, WARREN WOODBERRY Jr. and BILL HUTCHINSON DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS Wednesday, March 17th, 2004 A married teacher at a Queens religious school has been busted for carrying on a seven-month lesbian romance with a teenage student, cops said yesterday. Cheryl Reyna, 31, a Spanish teacher at Martin Luther High School in Maspeth, was arraigned yesterday in Queens Criminal Court on charges of sodomy, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Reyna, who has taught at the Lutheran school for seven years, was suspended with pay on Friday after the...

<p>March 1, 2004 -- Hundreds of protesters descended on City Hall yesterday to demand that Mayor Bloomberg allow the city clerk to perform same-sex marriages.</p> <p>"In a city of tolerance, diversity and unity, it is past time that Mayor Bloomberg give the basic, fundamental civil right of marriage to same-sex couples," said City Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan).</p>

They refused the Attorney General's request that they issue an injunction preventing further gay marriages to be conducted in San Francisco.

  Saturday, February 21, 2004 Pilarczyk: Article XII unjust Archbishop supports repeal, opposes gay 'behavior' By Gregory Korte The Cincinnati Enquirer A Cincinnati charter amendment that prohibits City Council from passing anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation is morally wrong and should be repealed, Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk said Friday. LETTER EXCERPTS Excerpts from Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk's letter urging repeal of Article XII of the city charter: "It is not right to mistreat persons or to be legally able to mistreat persons on the basis of their homosexual orientation. All human beings have certain basic human rights. To provide...

<p>San Francisco officials went on the attack Thursday in their fight over same-sex weddings, suing the state on the grounds that laws defining marriage as between a man and woman illegally discriminate against gays and lesbians.</p> <p>In bringing the Superior Court suit, officials also tried to gain an edge over anti-gay marriage forces by naming as defendants the two groups that have sued the city, the Proposition 22 Legal Defense and Education Fund and Campaign for California Families.</p>

(CNSNews.com) - A Denver man is suing AT&T Broadband after he was fired for refusing to sign off on "tolerance" portions of the company's employee handbook that he felt violated his religious beliefs. The handbook contained a provision that "each person at AT&T Broadband is charged with the responsibility to fully recognize, respect and value the differences among all of us," including "sexual orientation." Albert Buonanno said his religious beliefs prevented him from condoning or approving of homosexuality. Attorneys for the Rutherford Institute are presenting testimony in federal court in Washington on behalf of Buonanno, who worked as a quota...

<p>The Post's criticism of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's gay marriage ruling is simply nonsense ("Kerry & Gay Marriage," Editorial, Feb. 6). The Post notes that crime, drug use and welfare dependency are "directly traceable to teen illegitimacy." What on earth do the problems caused by underage, heterosexual premarital sex have to do with allowing committed, adult gay couples to marry? Nothing. The Post also claims that the Massachusetts court, by requiring gay marriage, turned "several-score centuries of venerable social practice tradition squarely on its head." It was not long ago that commentators said the same of courts that overturned laws discriminating against racial minorities, interracial couples and women. The Post should not confuse what is traditional with what is commendable. There is nothing more traditional and longstanding in this world than discrimination, oppression and prejudice. Michael Kavey New Haven, Conn.</p>

QUEERLY BELOVED'Freedom to Marry Week' celebratedHomosexual activists 'raise awareness' about same-sex marriage Posted: February 10, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Homosexual and lesbian activists have kicked off "Freedom to Marry Week," hoping to use events planned across the nation to build support for legalizing same-sex marriage. "Once again, as they have for the last six years, same sex couples and our non-gay allies will organize events to help our neighbors see the value of full equality under the law," said Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, in a statement. "The gay and non-gay people taking part in Freedom to...

(CNSNews.com) - Rep. Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat, said just because Massachusetts legalizes same-sex marriage, that doesn't mean other states will have to do the same thing. "Remember, we are talking about one state," Frank said in an interview on NBC's Today show Thursday. "If Massachusetts goes ahead with same-sex marriage, does this compel other states to do it? I don't think it should. I don't think it will," he added. Frank said the main question is this: Should the federal government step in and stop Massachusetts from doing something which is being done according to Massachusetts rules?" Frank said...

February 4, 2004 STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT Today's ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is deeply troubling. Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. If activist judges insist on re-defining marriage by court order, the only alternative will be the constitutional process. We must do what is legally necessary to defend the sanctity of marriage.

From 'Patriot' to explicit 'gay' sex?Heath Ledger reportedly in talks to play homosexual cowboy Heath Ledger portrayed minuteman son of Mel Gibson in 'The Patriot' (Columbia Pictures) Mel Gibson fans will remember Heath Ledger as the eldest son determined to fight for independence against the British, the innocent but brave fair-haired boy-man who struggles for justice even among his fellow southern colonialists. They will remember him in that role in the "The Patriot," that is, until the release of "Brokeback Mountain." Production on Ang Lee's movie begins this summer. It is the story of two cowboys on the range...

<p>The Phoenix Suns are embroiled in a battle between a conservative religious group and some Valley churches over anti-gay-marriage literature that accompanied invitations to "Church Night" at a March basketball game.</p> <p>The Suns dropped the Center for Arizona Policy as its "Church Night" sponsor for the March 19 game after several Valley clergy members complained about invitation packages sent by the Suns and the center.</p>

Friday, January 09, 2004 - WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney, who argued during the 2000 presidential campaign that the issue of gay marriage is best left to the states, said today he would support a presidential push to ban same-sex marriage. Cheney, whose daughter Mary, a lesbian, is a close adviser, said that the recent action by courts in Massachusetts and other states that recognize the rights of gays to the civil benefits of marriage has caused the administration to revisit the need for a constitutional amendment. Cheney made his comments on gay marriage in the course of an...

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - An Anglican bishop in British Columbia has closed a church that won't support same-sex unions. Church officials say the Holy Cross Church in Abbotsford, B.C., brought the closure upon itself. Ronald Harrison, executive archdeacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, told the National Post that by declaring itself "independent" the church lost its funding from the archdiocese and eventually had to be closed. Despite the timing of the closure, the church's congregation intends to celebrate mass on Christmas Day. "Can you imagine abandoning my people at this point and not serving them communion on Christmas Day?" said...

LESBIAN “LOVE NEST” AT IWAKUNI M.C.A.S. LCDR MOM DUMPS HUBBY, FIVE KIDS FOR BULL DYKE M.P. – COMMAND “LOOKS THE OTHER WAY” – WRIST SLAP, TRANSFER FOR OFFICER – NO FINE OR REDUCTION IN RANK FOR MARINE CORPORAL – SHE GETS GENERAL DISCHARGE “UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS” – HER LCDR LOVER STILL ON DUTY WITH THE NAVY © MilitaryCorruption.com 2003 The U.S. Navy leadership in Japan either doesn’t care or doesn’t dare to properly discipline a doctor (lieutenant commander) stationed at Iwakuni MCAS who dumped her husband and five children to carry on a lesbian affair with a Marine corporal in...

Exposing the facts of homosexuality Posted: December 13, 20031:00 a.m. Eastern By Dr. Brian J. Kopp © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com In the recent pro-life victory on partial-birth abortion, graphic images illustrating its barbaric reality were arguably one of the decisive factors in its ban. Ultrasound views of the fetus juxtaposed with images of mutilated and discarded aborted babies are involuntarily burned into subconscious memory, changing hearts and minds. Christian activists see the lengths to which pro-abortion groups and the mainstream media go to censor this harsh reality from the view of the public; both sides know that when the average citizen witnesses the...

Fallen AngelUnder the Reverend Michael Piazza, the world's largest gay and lesbian church soared, only to tumble into divisiveness and anger BY J.D. SPARKS ––––––––People flocked by the hundreds to Cathedral of Hope to hear the sermons of senior pastor Michael Piazza. –––––––– Preparation for Sunday-morning services at the Cathedral of Hope resembles backstage on opening night of a Broadway production. The halls bustle with activity as volunteer coordinators and staff tick off their to-do lists. Everything must be perfect, from preparing urns of coffee to ushering in latecomers to ordering multimedia presentations that flash headlines, film clips and still...

No matter how you cut it up, eating people is simply wrong - By Barbara Amiel (Filed: 08/12/2003) Not a few modern cannibals in the West have been German and it would be tempting to say, after reading the testimony of self-confessed cannibal Armin Meiwes, now on trial in Kassel, that eating people is a peculiarly German thing to do. But there have been some American and British cannibals, with the odd Russian as well. What may be an EU speciality is that apparently cannibalism is not a crime - though using wooden chopping boards may be. Somehow, one would...

IS THERE A GAY AGENDA? omosexual activists often scoff at the idea that a "gay agenda" exists. Please read the following and decide for yourself: In February 1972 the National Coalition of Gay Organizations met at the Armitage Avenue United Methodist Church in Chicago. An invitation had been sent out to 495 homosexual organizations across the U.S. to come and prepare a "gay stance for the 1972 elections." About 200 individuals from 18 states representing 85 organizations showed up for the two-day event. Conference participants adopted the 1972 Gay Rights Platform, which included 17 federal and state "demands." DEMANDS: Federal:...

Greetings from a fellow FReeper! I am a fervent debater, and most anybody who's ever met me in person can testify to that. One of the most controversial issues I have been debating lately has been gay marriage. Does the U.S. government have a right to ban gay marriage? Can America justify making homosexuality illegal? As a proud Christian, I believe whole-heartedly in the Bible. There isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that the Bible finds homosexuality to be a highly immoral practice. However, when I am arguing with atheists or followers of other religions, especially over a political...

As George W. Bush traveled to London on Nov. 18, he learned of the decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upholding gay marriage. It had been dreaded, expected and awaited for months, giving the president plenty of time to decide whether to endorse an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Yet, he uttered only pro forma disapproval of the decision, pledging to defend ''the sanctity of marriage.'' Aides said Bush wanted to concentrate on his mission in Britain without distraction by a domestic social issue. However, he has long since returned to Washington (and made a round trip to Baghdad),...

Parade organizers fighting 'firestorm' started by N.Y. Times op-ed The famous Santa Claus who signals the finale to every Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade doesn't have a same-sex marriage partner after all, according to organizers of the 77-year-old event. Macy's Santa (Photo: NYC & Company) Responding to claims made in a guest editorial in the New York Times today, a parade spokeswoman, Elina Kazan, told WorldNetDaily the official Mrs. Claus will not be depicted by cross-dressing Broadway actor Harvey Fierstein. Fierstein, who won the 2003 Tony Award for his performance in "Hairspray," wrote that on Thanksgiving day, "to the delight of...

LAST WEEK, the long-awaited Massachusetts Goodridge gay-marriage decision came down--hard. In a 4-3 ruling, the Massachusetts high court held that the millennia-old, cross-cultural definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman is utterly irrational. Using the lowest level of scrutiny (the "rational basis" test, which almost always results in deference to the legislature), four well-educated judges could not think up any reason other than "animus" why the people of Massachusetts and their elected representatives might not want same-sex marriage. Only a fool or a madman (or a bigot), they implied, could possibly disagree. The judges gave...

<p>November 20, 2003 -- Time to face the music. Bizarro superstar Michael Jackson has been ordered to surrender to police on child-molestation charges that could send him to prison for more than 10 years.</p> <p>A warrant issued in Santa Barbara, Calif. - where the King of Pop enjoys entertaining youngsters at his fairyland-like, 2,600-acre Neverland Ranch - accuses him of committing "lewd or lascivious" acts with a child under 14.</p>

Mass. Supreme Court rules that illegal for state to deny marriage license to gay couples.

Special to The Press 10/31/2003 NEW HAVEN -- Students at Yale Law School filed their own suit Thursday challenging the constitutionality and application of the Solomon Amendment, which has forced the law school to compromise its nondiscrimination policies since 2002. A majority of the law school’s professors filed a similar suit earlier this month, but this is the first challenge to exclusively represent the interests of students. "Our position is this is not something that just affects gay students. "This is something that goes to the law school being able to protect its principles of nondiscrimination," said Adam Sofen, 24,...

<p>The widening rift within the Episcopal Church over homosexuality spilled over into court Friday when a liberal Pittsburgh priest and his church sued conservative Pittsburgh Episcopal Bishop Robert Duncan over the future of church property.</p> <p>Calvary Episcopal Church of Shadyside and its leader, the Rev. Harold Lewis, sued Duncan and a host of other Episcopal leaders in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court yesterday over who owns local church property.</p>

<p>NEW YORK — The priest about to become the first openly gay Episcopal bishop said Tuesday that several Anglican leaders have appealed to him to step down, but the only thing that could sway him would be if he felt a personal call from God to stand aside.</p>

The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to side with conservatives in the Anglican communion on the issue of homosexuality to prevent a schism at this week's meeting of church leaders, a cleric claimed yesterday. Rowan Williams has called the 38 primates leading the world's 70 million Anglicans to Lambeth Palace for an emergency summit on the ordination of gay clergy. He is prepared to reiterate the church's official view reached five years ago that homosexuality is "incompatible with scripture". The two-day meeting in London was called after the election in America of Canon Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest with...

Transgender rights advance in Penn. and San Diego Tue Jul 29, 8:37 PM ET Add Community - Planet Out to My Yahoo! Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network SUMMARY: Advocates for transgender rights hailed two developments on Monday that extended nondiscrimination protections for transgender people in Pennsylvania and San Diego. Advocates for transgender rights hailed two developments on Monday that extended nondiscrimination protections for transgender people in Pennsylvania and San Diego. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Ed Rendell signed an executive order that bars discrimination among state employees based on "gender identity or expression." Rendell, a Democrat, called the order "an important step...