Cleveland halts Gay Games payments
Advocate. com reports the city of Cleveland has issued a letter to the Cleveland Synergy Foundation informing the group that the Federation of Gay Games is terminating Synergy’s license agreement for Gay Games 2014 and the city is halting all funding due to outstanding issues.
Outsports.com obtained the letter, which was sent July 7 from Tracey A. Nichols, director of the department of economic development for the city of Cleveland.
This isn’t the first stumbling block for Gay Games 2014 since it was announced the games would take place in Cleveland. Recently, bidders from Boston and Washington, D.C., suggested foul play was involved in Cleveland’s selection.
Milwaukee settles with gay group for $20K
Wisconsin’s NBC15 reports the city of Milwaukee has paid a gay arts group $20,000 to settle a federal lawsuit that claimed officials violated its free-speech rights by halting a gay musical.
The city temporarily shut down “Naked Boys Singing!” in 2005 while it considered the group’s application for a theater permit. The Milwaukee Gay Arts Center later received a permit and reopened the show.
The suit alleged the city violated the First Amendment by shutting down the play after citizen complaints.
The center’s executive director, Paul Masterson, said the move sends a message that government shouldn’t interfere lightly with works that celebrate gay identity.
Conservatives step up attacks on Kagan
PoliticsDaily.com reports that despite the success Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is expected to have in the Senate, conservative groups have ramped up an aggressive opposition to the nomination, holding rallies, beefing up Facebook pages such as Stop Kagan, circulating a petition against her and individually urging their members to call senators to keep Kagan off the high court.
Kagan has generated conservative opposition from gay-marriage opponents, pro-military organizations, pro-business lobbyists, Tea Party groups and the National Rifle Association.
If the full Senate approves her nomination before the August break, Kagan will have about two months to prepare for the court’s opening session in October.
— Larry Nichols