Another anti-LGBT skeletons in Romney’s closet; controversial study on LGBT parenting; La Raza endorses marriage equality; former marriage equality opponent David Blankenhorn changes his mind; a transgender man’s marriage proposal goes viral; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska (with supplemental info from Bent Alaska).

Romney and LGBTs

No mention of ‘bisexual,’ ‘transgender’ under Romney: Words brought halt to antibullying guide
Massachusetts, Boston Globe, June 12, 2012

Former governor Mitt Romney’s administration in 2006 blocked publication of a state antibullying guide for Massachusetts public schools because officials objected to use of the terms “bisexual’’ and “transgender’’ in passages about protecting certain students from harassment, according to state records and interviews with current and former state officials….

Stifling the guide’s publication was among steps that Romney and his aides took during his last year in office to distance the Republican governor from state programs designed to specifically support gays, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender people. His critics said it was part of an effort to court social conservatives as he prepared for his first campaign for president in 2008.

Gay conservative group endorses Mitt Romney
Yahoo News, June 20, 2012

The executive board for GOProud, a group founded by two former members of the Log Cabin Republicans, Christopher Barron and Jimmy LaSalvia, voted Tuesday to make an official endorsement.

LGBT parenting

Kids of gay parents fare worse, study finds, but draws fire from experts
CBS News, June 12, 2012

A new study that finds children of a gay or lesbian parent may be more likely to have social and emotional problems has sparked controversy on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate.

The study, from Mark Regnerus, an associate professor of sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, surveyed more than 15,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 39, asking them questions about their upbringings. Its findings are published in the July issue of Social Science Research.

Gay Parents Study Suggesting Downside For Kids Draws Fire From Social Scientists
Huffington Post, June 11, 2012

A new study claiming to find disadvantages for children raised by same-sex parents is attracting criticism from social scientists, who say that the research does not actually address how well gay and lesbians parent….

The study found “that the scholarly and popular consensus that there are no notable differences between the children who grew up with a mother or father in a same-sex relationship and those whose (heterosexual) mother and father were and are still married is a fiction,” study researcher Mark Regnerus, a sociologist at the University of Texas, told LiveScience.

But other scientists say the research is deeply flawed, and does not measure the effect of same-sex parenting at all. The study defined same-sex parenting by asking participants if their parents had ever had same-sex relationships, and whether they had lived with the parent at that time. That led to a “hodgepodge” group of people who Regnerus then compared with kids in stable, married homes, said Judith Stacey, a sociologist at New York University who was not involved in the research.

N.C. sued over same-sex adoption
North Carolina, Charlotte Observer, June 13, 2012

The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday sued North Carolina, hoping to overturn state laws that prevent gay and lesbian couples from adopting their partners’ children.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of six North Carolina same-sex couples who are seeking to provide their children with two legal parents.

LGBT youth

Parental Acceptance a Top Concern for LGBT Teens
U.S. News & World Report, June 11, 2012

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens are fielding negative messages about their sexuality from places most consider as safe havens, according to a survey of more than 10,000 LGBT youth ages 13 to 17.

Ninety-two percent of LGBT teens surveyed confront hostility toward homosexuals–and schools, religious leaders, and elected officials are often the ones sending the messages, states a report released last week by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a nonprofit that advocates for LGBT rights.

Marriage equality

Referendum to overturn gay-marriage law [WA state] makes fall ballot
Washington, Seattle Times, June 13, 2012

Referendum 74, the measure that would overturn Washington state’s new law legalizing gay marriage, has qualified for the November ballot.

National Council of La Raza endorses marriage equality

Largest Latino Group Backs Marriage Equality
Washington, Advocate, June 23, 2012

Just days after LGBT groups joined activist groups of color to protest laws that penalize immigrants and people of color, the country’s largest Latino civil rights organization unanimously passed a resolution in support of marriage equality. Eric Rodriguez, vice president of public policy for the National Council of La Raza, told the Washington Blade that there was very little opposition to the vote, which came just weeks after the NAACP passed a similar measure.

According to the Washington Blade, which broke the story,

Eric Rodriguez, vice president of public policy for the National Council of La Raza, confirmed to the Blade that the vote took place on June 9 during a previously scheduled board meeting.

NCLR will formally announce the marriage resolution during its annual convention in Las Vegas next month.

Former marriage equality opponent David Blankenhorn changes his mind

Leading Right-Wing Prop. 8 Proponent Comes Out in Support of Marriage Equality
Advocate, June 22 2012

David Blankenhorn, the founder of the Institute for American Values and author of The Future of Marriage, announced in The New York Times that he now supports same-sex marriage, calling it “a victory for basic fairness.” It was a surprise move from the man who opposed marriage equality so much he was one of just a few witnesses to testify in favor of Proposition 8, the ballot measure that defined marriage as between a man and woman in California.

How My View on Gay Marriage Changed
New York Times, June 22, 2012

IN my 2007 book, “The Future of Marriage,” and in my 2010 court testimony concerning Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that defined marriage as between a man and a woman, I took a stand against gay marriage. But as a marriage advocate, the time has come for me to accept gay marriage and emphasize the good that it can do. I’d like to explain why.

Wedding announcements

Comic Books Take a Big Leap Forward With Gay Wedding
Advocate, June, 19 2012

Now, 20 years after super-speeding out of the closet, Northstar will make history once more when he takes a trip down the aisle with his boyfriend Kyle on Wednesday in Astonishing X-Men#51 — officially making him the first gay superhero to put a ring on it in mainstream comics. The initial announcement of the Northstar and Kyle’s pending nuptials gained worldwide media attention and sent conservative groups like One Million Moms into a full-fledged panic. However, despite the expected controversy, the creative team behind X-Men felt the time was right for the happy couple to say “I do.”

Dick Cheney’s Daughter Marries Her Partner
ABC News, June 22, 2012

Dick Cheney is celebrating the marriage of his daughter Mary to her longtime partner, Heather Poe.

Transgender Man Responds To Critics After Marriage Proposal Video Goes Viral
Washington, Huffington Post, June 22, 2012

A week after popping the marriage question to his girlfriend at a White House LGBT reception, a transgender man has released a video response to conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham and others who condemned the proposal, which was caught on tape and posted on YouTube.

The proposal was from Dr. Scout of the Network for LGBT Health Equity at The Fenway Institute to his longtime sweetie, Liz Margolies of the National LGBT Cancer Network. An earlier Huffington post story described the proposal itself:

Scout, whose full name is legally one word, popped the question to Liz Margolies just minutes after President Barack Obama addressed the guests, many of whom are leaders in the LGBT community. Scout said he had been planning to propose to Margolies at the White House for almost a year, but when the moment presented itself, he realized he hadn’t chosen a place to do it. So he just got down on his knee in the middle of Cross Hall, the main hallway on the first floor of the White House, where dozens of guests were sipping champagne and listening to the U.S. Marine Band.

Watch Scout propose  (proposal starts at 1:55) —

Scout writes, “After an unusual amount of attention for our White House Proposal video, we felt it was important to address the supporters and especially the unexpected detractors publicly. Please share these widely so LGB and especially T youth who are seeing the hate, also know how much support we’ve gotten.” Watch:

Here’s Liz Margolies’ video — “the personal is ALWAYS political” —

Health

Gay and lesbian couples more likely to mutually influence each other’s health habits
News Medical, June 12, 2012

Women bear the brunt of being the health police in heterosexual marriages, but gay and lesbian couples are more likely to mutually influence each other’s health habits – for better or for worse. The findings are reported in the June issue of the journal, Social Science & Medicine.

Why Bisexuals Drink More Than Gays
Missouri, Advocate, June 19, 2012

The bisexuals and “students whose sexual orientation was in flux” reported more often that they drank to relieve anxiety and depression. They also had higher rates of uncontrolled drinking and withdrawal symptoms.

“One possible explanation,” said MU psychology professor Amelia Talley, “is that people who aren’t either completely heterosexual or homosexual may feel stigmatized by both groups.”