Obama names first gay social secretary
The White House announced Feb. 25 that Jeremy Bernard, a senior staffer at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, has been named the new White House social secretary and special assistant to President Obama, CBSnews.com reported.
Bernard is the first male and the first openly gay person to be named to the post.
Bernard currently serves as a senior adviser to the U.S. ambassador to France. Prior to that, he worked as the White House liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities. He also worked on the Obama presidential campaign.
Bernard also previously served as a board member of Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
Belmont recognizes gay student group
Nashville’s WKRN reports Belmont University has officially recognized a gay student organization for the first time.
Bridge Builders is dedicated to advancing a campus dialogue about Christianity and human sexuality. The group had tried twice before to gain official status on campus.
Belmont is a Christian university that had been affiliated with the Southern Baptists until it broke away in 2007.
The school’s policies toward gays drew national attention in December after soccer coach Lisa Howe left her job. Students have accused the university of firing Howe for coming out as a lesbian to her team.
Belmont provost Thomas Burns and Bridge Builders president Robbie Maris announced the decision to recognize the student group in a joint statement on Feb. 25.
Burger King to pay $3.15M to gay couple
Advocate.com reports a gay New Jersey couple who were chased and beaten by Burger King employees in 2007 have been awarded $3.15 million by a Hudson County jury.
In a civil trial that began Feb. 7, victims Peter Casbar, 43, and Noel Robichaux, 46, testified that a dispute with the person taking their order escalated to involve other workers and then became violent, even after the couple had left the Union City restaurant.
The couple’s attorney, James F. Fine, said the manager and a group of angry restaurant employees chased the couple and then mercilessly assaulted them while screaming antigay invectives.
The jury ordered Food Service Properties Corp. and Union City Restaurant Corp., which owned the Burger King where the incident occurred, to pay damages.
— Larry Nichols