Gay Marriage Catches On

Following the lead of the District of Colombia this week, lawmakers voted in favor of same-sex marriage in New Hampshire and Maine. Since Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts already have laws on the books approving gay marriage, tiny Rhode Island stands alone as the New England state without legislation in favor of the issue. Read the rest.

 
Foster Mom Taped Pacifier to Baby’s Mouth

A 30-year-old foster mother in Georgia was arrested Wednesday on charges that she killed a 9-month-old boy by taping a pacifier to his mouth to keep him quiet. Read more.

Norfolk State Gets $3.5 Million Gift The president of historically Black Norfolk State University said she’s not sure where the windfall came from, but she was happy to receive a $3.5 million donation – the largest in school history – during these tough economic times, Black College Wire reports. “We have no idea who gave that money, but we have a lot of people taking credit for it,” university President Carolyn Meyers joked. Jevonya Hughes reports that Meyers announced the gift at last month’s Board of Visitors meeting. A total of  $3 million has been designated to provide financial assistance for NSU students, according to Black College Wire. A second gift of $500,000 will assist the institution in meeting its priorities in areas such as faculty support, research and equipment. “I love the fact that someone donated to the university, because NSU can use that money for so much. The donor should be honored that they gave; they should not want to be kept anonymous,” sophomore music education major Anthony Moody told Hughes. Said Meyers, “We want to make the donor proud to invest in us.”

Yesterday, Washington, D.C.’s city council voted to legalize same sex marriages performed elsewhere in the United States. The decision was almost unanimous except for the nay vote of former Mayor Marion Barry, who represents a district in the southeastern quadrant of the city. “All hell will break loose,” said Barry, who is fiercely opposing the vote. “We may have a civil war,” he added. “The Black community is just adamant against this.” Outside of the chamber, a group of protesting ministers from D.C. and the Maryland suburbs caused an uproar after the decision. “What you’ve got to understand is 98 percent of my constituents are Black and we don’t have but a handful of openly gay residents,” Barry said. “Secondly, at least 70 percent of those who express themselves to me about this are opposed to anything dealing with this issue. The ministers think it is a sin, and I have to be sensitive to that.” Security guards were called in to calm the protests. Gay activists in D.C. are calling Barry, once a strong ally, a “hypocrite.” They say he is siding with protesters only because its politically convenient right for him now.

See the video here.

‘Jena Six’ Mom is Arrested
The mother of Mychal Bell, one of the so-called “Jena Six” youths, was arrested Monday on charges of failure to pay child support. The 39-year-old Melissa Bell was being held at the Caldwell Parish Detention Center as of Monday night, The Associated Press reports. Mychal Bell is one of six Black youths who were charged with attempted murder in 2006 following a schoolyard fight with a White student in Jena, La. Their seemingly harsh prosecution sparked cries of racism, and thousands of protestors, headed by the Rev. Al Sharpton, headed to Jena to show support for the six youths. Mychal Bell is the only one of the Jena Six youths, whose case is resolved. Late last year, Bell shot himself with a gun and told authorities that it was a suicide attempt after being caught shop lifting. He said at the time that he thought about all of the people he had disappointed by his actions.

Gay Marriage Recognized in D.C.
Same-sex couples are one step closer to having their unions recognized in the nation’s capital. The Washington City Council voted unanimously in favor of recognizing marriages in other states.  The 12-0 vote came the same day that Vermont became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage, joining Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa. Click for more.

Gay marriage not yet dead in Calif. In the latest showdown over the California Gay marriage measure known as Proposition 8, the state Supreme Court moved to consider three lawsuits that challenge the legality of the measure. But the court rejected a bid to put Prop 8 on hold while the legal challenges continue. Get the rest here.

Prince misquoted about gay marriage, source says. A quote attributed to superstar Prince in the New Yorker magazine has reportedly left the singer furious. The article featuring the Jehovah’s Witness singer states: “When asked about his perspective on social issues – gay marriage, abortion – Prince tapped his Bible and said, ‘God came to Earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out.’” But a Prince camp insider reportedly disputes the article’s account, telling celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton that Prince only referenced the Bible’s principles of loving others. “We’re very angry he was misquoted,” the Prince rep is quoted as saying.

Duo earns award for public service announcement. Actor Jamie Foxx and actress Queen Latifah have won their first Emmy for an HIV awareness ad. The 2007 spot, which also featured NBA players Luke Walton, Lamar Odom and Richard Jefferson, was aired on BET and MTV as part of educational campaigns. The National Public Service Emmy Award is presented in special recognition of productions designed to heighten awareness in the community.

California says no to gay marriage. Supporters of same-sex marriage have filed at least three lawsuits challenging a ban on gay marriage in California after the state approved an initiative Tuesday to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples. California residents voted to amend the Constitution in Tuesday’s general election by a vote of 52 percent to 48 percent in near complete results. Voters in Arizona and Florida also approved amendments to ban gay marriage in their respective states.