Atlanta Black Gay Pride participants dead
The Georgia Voice reports two men found dead from gunshots Aug. 5 in southeast Atlanta were among the participants at the city’s Black Gay Pride events over Labor Day weekend. The victims were identified as Calvin Streater, 26, of Atlanta, and Samuel Blizzard Jr., 21, of Virginia. Blizzard was a student at Georgia State University. A friend found the victims in an apartment. Police, who said the men attended the Black Gay Pride festivities, believe the victims knew their killer. Late last month, Atlanta Black Gay Pride organizer Durand Robinson was found shot to death in the city. Police continue to investigate the murder. School official marries, gets ousted The Boston Herald reports a top administrator at a Springfield Catholic school says she was forced out of her job after marrying her female partner. Christine Judd, who served as dean of students and athletic director at Cathedral High School, claims she met with school officials Sept. 1 and was given the choice of resigning or getting fired. Judd said she was exploring legal options. Although gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, it is against church policy. Judd worked at the school for 12 years, beginning as a science teacher in 1998. She became dean of students six years ago and athletic director three years ago. A spokesperson for the Springfield Diocese said Judd resigned, but would not discuss the reasons for her resignation. Court won’t force officials to defend Prop. 8 Yahoo News reports a California court has refused to order Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown to appeal a ruling that overturned the state’s gay-marriage ban. The 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento on Sept. 1 denied a conservative legal group’s request to force the officials to defend Proposition 8 in court. The court did not give a reason why it turned down the request by the Pacific Justice Institute. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker recently struck down Prop. 8 as unconstitutional. The state has until Sept. 11 to challenge Walker’s ruling. Both Brown and Schwarzenegger said they won’t appeal. — Larry Nichols