Free Republic

MAZOMANIE, Wis. (CBS) — To a Chicagoan, south central Wisconsin conjures images of the water parks of Wisconsin Dells, the cliffs of Devil’s Lake, the stark angles of Frank Lloyd Wright houses, and the bellowing Victorian music machines of House on the Rock. But nude beaches? Yes, believe it or not, they have one of those up there too. And officials have long turned a blind eye to the crowds in their birthday suits, but they’ve been drawing the line lately at public sex. The beach in question is located on the Wisconsin River just north of the town of...

Students in California public schools may not be leading the nation in their knowledge of the “three R’s,” but they are well on their way to being experts in deviant lifestyles. Under a law signed last year by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), all public schools in the state are now required to promote homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality, and same-sex “marriage” at every grade level, including kindergarten — and to do so without parental consent or even notification. Known as the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act, the law adds “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] Americans” to the list...

David Cameron has pledged to slash aid to African countries with poor records on homosexual rights. The Prime Minister will tell struggling nations they will receive funding ‘fines’ if persecution of gays continues.

'I am a girl': The plight of Tammy, the adopted son of two lesbians who started sex change aged 8 because he has always maintained he is a girl   'As soon as we let him put on a dress his personality changed to a very happy little girl thrilled to be alive'A boy who started the process of changing sex at age eight has told how he always knew he was meant to be a girl. Thomas Lobel, who now calls himself Tammy, is undergoing controversial hormone blocking treatment in Berkeley, California to stop him going through puberty...

A recent Gallup poll shows 53 percent of Americans support making gay marriage legal, Reuters reports. The poll shows a significant change in mood on the issue from a year ago, when an equal majority opposed same-sex matrimony. The latest Gallup findings, Reuters reports, are in line with two earlier national polls this spring that show support for legally recognized gay marriage has gained a newfound majority among Americans. According to Gallup, Democrats and political independents accounted for the entire shift in its survey compared to last year, when only 44 percent of all respondents favored gay marriage, while 53...

Russian gay-rights activists have expressed disappointment after Moscow authorities banned a gay-pride march in the city. The decision by Moscow's city hall quashes hopes the new mayor will foster more tolerance toward Russia's beleaguered homosexual community. Russia's top gay-rights activist, Nikolai Alekseyev, says he received a letter from the mayor's office on May 17 outlawing the rally on the grounds that it could spark civil unrest. A representative of the mayor's office press department confirmed the ban. Since the first attempt to hold the event in 2006, the annual gay-pride rallies have been marred by arrests and violent clashes with...

St. Anthony's High School A Long Island Catholic high school senior barred from bringing her ex-girlfriend to the prom can come by herself, find a male date - or just stay home. Angelina Lange, 17, of Bay Shore, was turned down by St. Anthony's High School administrators when she asked about a same-sex couple attending the annual event. Brother Gary Cregan, principal of the Roman Catholic school, said the decision was nothing personal - just a reflection of the school's religious tenets. "Our Catholic faith specifies that marriage involve a man and a woman, and our policies on dating...

HARTFORD, Conn., A “Transgender Bill” passed by the Judiciary Committee on April 5 is headed for a vote in the House of Representatives. This “Bathroom Bill” would extend sexual discrimination laws to people who disagree with the gender they had at birth or disagree with expressing themselves as a single gender and would allow them access to places where they would make other people uncomfortable or worse. Men in Women’s Bathrooms and Showers: This bill would permit men, sexually attracted to women, but disguised as women, to use women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and showers in Connecticut. Unlike homosexuals, many transgendered...

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A Minnesota lawmaker's speech against banning gay marriage in the state's Constitution has become an online hit. A video of Rep. Steve Simon's remarks had more than 170,000 views on YouTube early Thursday. At a Capitol hearing on Monday, the St. Louis Park Democrat asked, "How many gays must God create before we accept that he wants them around?"

LOXAHATCHEE GROVES, Fla.—On a recent Friday morning, Jessi Bartoletti arrived at the Sunsport Gardens Nudist Resort here in a T-shirt and shorts. By evening, the 19-year-old had stripped down to a string of purple Mardi Gras beads and was dancing around a bonfire with about 200 young nudists, many of them first-timers. "I don't think I've ever felt this free," Ms. Bartoletti yelled over pounding drums. That's good news to the nudist resort industry, which is desperate for young nudists like Ms. Bartoletti to augment its clientele of graying baby boomers. Membership in the two big nudist umbrella groups has...

NEW YORK - Major League Baseball has suspended and fined Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell for his alleged homophobic and threatening conduct toward fans before a game in San Francisco. The league announced its decision Sunday, suspending McDowell for two weeks without pay retroactive to April 29, when the Braves placed him on administrative leave. The amount of the fine was not disclosed. McDowell will also be required to participate in a sensitivity training program, and will apologize directly to the fans involved now that the investigation is complete. McDowell had requested to apologize to the fans last week,...

It’s certainly a relief that Judge Barbara Lenk has had an opportunity to “clarify” her statements in 2010 about homosexual incest. Pay no attention to that pesky present tense that she uses in her written opinion — the lesbian appellate judge says she was merely referring to an old law. “By necessary implication,” she wrote last year, before Gov. Deval Patrick nominated her to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court, “homosexual conduct . . . does not constitute incest and is not prohibited by the statute.” Lenk wrote her opinion in a decision last year about two brothers who were...

Republican leaders in California today admonished Orange County official Marilyn Davenport for disseminating racist rhetoric about President Obama. Meanwhile, in Washington, Speaker John Boehner wants government money to reinforce anti-gay discrimination. Is the GOP totally blind to double-speak? Speaker of the House John Boehner officially requested Department of Justice funds today to fight for the Defense of Marriage Act, 15-year old legislation that prohibits the federal government from recognizing marriage equality. Referencing the DOJ’s decision not to defend DOMA, which the Department and President deemed unconstitutional earlier this year, Boehner wrote to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, “Obviously, [that] decision results...

Backers of California's same-sex marriage ban today moved to wipe out last year's ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional, saying the federal judge who heard the historic case should have recused himself because he is gay and has been in a long-term same-sex relationship. . In court papers, the Proposition 8 campaign argues that former Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker had a presumed bias in the case because he is openly gay. Walker has never concealed the fact he is gay, but never discussed the issue publicly until a meeting with reporters last month in his San Francisco office before...

Kobe Bryant and four of his Los Angeles Laker teammates called for understanding, compassion and acceptance in a public service announcement released today. The release of the public service announcement comes six days after Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA for using an obscene antigay slur aimed at a referee during a game last Tuesday. The Lakers and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced on Friday they would work together to eliminate antigay slurs. The announcement begins with Bryant saying, "There are all kinds of different people in the world. That's what makes the world special. So...

Delaware will be the eighth state to allow civil unions or comprehensive domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. The state House of Representatives voted 26 to 15 Thursday night in favor of the measure. Governor Jack Markell, who has been a gay rights advocate throughout his public service career, has said he will sign the civil union bill, which gives gay couples the same rights, benefits, and responsibilities as heterosexual married couples. The Senate passed the bill last week. "We are tremendously proud that the Delaware House has passed civil union legislation," said Equality Delaware President Lisa Goodman. "The fact that...

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), joined by several other House Democrats, re-introduced on Thursday the Uniting American Families Act, which would permit homosexual and lesbian American citizens to sponsor their partners for legal residency in the United States, saying the status-quo is “humanly cruel.” The New York congressman, who is leading the push for passing the legislation, said there are more than 100 Democrat co-sponsors of the bill, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He also said that a similar bill is being introduced in the Senate by Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). The prospects of the bill passing...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people would be added to the lengthy list of social and ethnic groups that public schools must include in social studies lessons under a landmark bill passed Thursday by the California Senate. If the bill is adopted by the state Assembly and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, California would become the first state to require the teaching of gay history. Supporters say the move is needed to counter anti-gay stereotypes and beliefs that make children in those groups vulnerable to bullying and suicide. Opponents counter that such instruction would further burden an...

A bill is moving forward in the California Legislature that would require all public schools – and all textbooks – to actively portray homosexuality and transgenderism / cross-dressing in a positive light. It would also require all of the state's history textbooks to include figures and events in gay history in a positive light.

Gov. Deval Patrick has tapped Associate Justice Barbara A. Lenk to be his fourth pick for the Supreme Judicial Court, the first openly gay nominee in the Bay State and another historical pick for Patrick. Patrick selected Roderick Ireland to become the first black chief justice of the SJC following the retirement of Margaret Marshall last year.