Same-sex marriage to go ahead in Florida
Thirty-six down, 14 more to go. The US Supreme Court has refused to extend a stay on a district court decision striking down Florida’s same-sex marriage ban, effectively meaning gay marriages can begin in Florida Jan 6. Unlike previous cases, the Supreme Court stepped in before a district circuit court could hear the case, suggesting it may be closer to accepting a national gay-marriage case.
Read more at the Miami Herald.
Chinese court supports gay-therapy victim
A Beijing court has ruled in favour of a Chinese man who received shock therapy from a clinic that claimed to be able to turn him straight. The court ordered the clinic to pay a fine and apologize on its website. It also reaffirmed China’s official, but not always recognized, policy that homosexuality is not a disease.
Read more at The New York Times.
Benjy the gay bull is in love
The emotional roller-coaster story of Benjy the gay bull has taken another swoop. First, Benjy was destined for the slaughterhouse because he spurned the cows he was supposed to impregnate. Then he was saved by a crowd-funding campaign and sent to an animal sanctuary. Now, Benjy seems to have taken a liking to a one-year-old bullock. Tragically, their romance cannot last, however, because Benjy is scheduled to be castrated. Who needs soap operas?
Read more at the New York Daily News.
Tim Cook donates to Southern pro-gay campaign
After coming out as gay in October, Apple CEO Tim Cook has now made a “substantial” donation to a campaign to build support for gay rights in the Southern United States. Cook grew up in Alabama and has spoken out about the lack of employment protection for gay people in his home state.
A nine-year-old girl’s adorable letter to her gay teacher
When a British teacher came out as gay to his class to fight bullying, he received a letter from one of his students that he says he’ll keep forever.