Conference to draw gay protest
The Birmingham News reports several gay-rights organizations in Alabama have announced plans to protest a Focus on the Family “Love Won Out” conference on homosexuality Nov. 7 at Metropolitan Church of God.
“They’re telling you to hate your child unless he lives the way you tell him to live,” said Johnathan Quinn, president of Central Alabama Pride. “Their literature tells the parents to abandon their children unless they go this route: forcing them to be straight.”
Equality Alabama, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of Birmingham and Covenant Community Church will also take part in the protest.
Gay couples similar to straight couples
Advocate.com reports an analysis of U.S. Census data conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, shows that gay couples who identify as married are similar to heterosexual spouses in age, income and child-rearing.
The report uses data from the annual American Community Survey concerning some 150,000 same-sex couples who are legally married or consider their partner to be a “husband” or “wife.”
The couples had an average age of 52 and household income of $91,558, with 31 percent raising children. That compares with an average age of 50, household income of $95,075 and 43 percent raising children for married heterosexual couples.
Equality March staffers resign
365gay.com reports the co-directors of the National Equality March have resigned, citing differences about Equality Across America’s direction.
Kip Williams and Robin McGehee claimed a mix of reasons for resigning.
“I’m moving on from EAA for personal and professional reasons,” Williams said in a statement. “First, I need more security in my life, because I worked on the march for less than minimum wage and without health insurance. Second, I share with EAA the goal of full federal equality, but I have different ideas about the road to get there.”
Tanner Efinger, Cleve Jones’ personal assistant, was elected by executive committee members to serve as a volunteer interim project director.
— Larry Nichols