Liberty University, a “Christian” school in Virginia cofounded by Rev. Jerry Falwell, has banned its one-year-old College Democrats club because of the party’s views on various social issues, most notably LGBT rights.

An email from the school to the club officers stated the following:

[W]e are unable to lend support to a club whose parent organization stands against the moral principles held by [Liberty University]. The Democratic Party platform is contrary to the mission of Liberty University and to Christian doctrine

The message went on to indicate specific issues on the Democratic agenda that the university was most concerned about: abortion, the LGBT agenda, socialism, and attempts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

According to an announcement published about the formation of the club last year in The Liberty Champion, the purpose of the club was “to promote the values of: tolerance, equal opportunity for all, and a commitment to social justice. Liberty democrats are here to educate fellow peers about the Democratic Party and the principles the party stands for.”

The university has had an active Republican club for some time. According to the article, many Republicans on campus supported the creation of the College Democrats.

In regards to the 30 or so club members, Falwell said, “They are good Christian kids who sit with me at ball games. I just hope they find a pro-life family organization to affiliate with so they can be endorsed by Liberty again.”

Brian Diaz, President of the club, stated, “I want to be able to share the love of Christ, but I guess I can’t do that on campus because I’m a Democrat as well.”

Photo: Flickr

Before taking office, President Barack Obama pledged to end the ban on openly gay personnel in all branches of the armed forces. He has yet to do this, but most analysts believe hs is just biding his time, waiting for the right moment.

A senior military official speaking on the condition of anonymity yesterday stated that the Pentagon wants more time before the ban on openly gay servicemen is repealed. He is concerned about the change sparking a polarizing debate and splitting unity among personnel.

There have been instances of gays serving openly in the military for years without problem, though. What about Lt. Daniel Choi, who graduated from West Point and was recently discharged? He said, “My subordinates know I’m gay. They don’t care. They are professional.”

If some of our servicemen and women aren’t able to handle a few openly gay individuals, then perhaps these dissenters aren’t mature enough for the military. Don’t our armed forces call upon recruits to be more professional and mature than the average citizen, after all?

The fact of the matter is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” doesn’t work. It represses the rights of those brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day, but also discourages qualified individuals from entering the military because of a sexual preference.

Photo: Flickr

Citizens of the central Texas city San Angelo were shocked to hear the resignation for their mayor, J.W. Lown, yesterday- only ten days after being reelected to a fourth term.

Lown said made his decision in order to pursue a relationship with a non-citizen in Mexico, where he is currently residing. The ex-mayor will return to the United States once his partner, who has been kept anonymous, obtains a visa.

“I made the final decision when I knew it was the right decision to make for me and my partner and our future — and for the community,” Lown said.

In poll on GoSanAngelo.com, the city newspaper’s website, 69% of respondents rated his performance as “excellent.” Another 13% rated him as “good,” while only 7% said he was “poor.” In the recent election, he received 89% of the vote.

In a letter to City Manager Harold Dominguez, Lown announced his resignation:

While I know that the timing of this announcement is less than ideal, I have my own compelling reasons for making this decision. I have made thousands of decisions on behalf of our community, and I weighed this decision in the same manner that I approached other decisions.

Lown’s position paid $600 a year. He is the owner of Lown Properties, a real estate agency in San Angelo. He was the city’s youngest mayor on record when first elected six years ago at the age of 26.

Photo: Flickr

Daughter of acting Cuban President Raul Castro, Mariela Castro, made news today when she led a gay rights conga down the streets of Havana.

“We’re calling on the Cuban people to participate … so that the revolution can be deeper and include all the needs of the human being,” she said.

In the 1960s, Cuban homosexuals, seen by the government as products of capitalism, were sent to corrective labor camps. Since then, the regime has eased up its restrictions. Homosexuality was legalized in 1979. Though public display of affection between same-sex partners is still illegal, Havana has developed an active gay scene over the years.

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In defiance of Mayor Yuri Luzhkov’s ban on gay rights protests, 30 activists took the to the streets in Moscow today for “Slavic Gay Pride.”

Moscow put an end to the event before it could get started, however, arresting all 30 participants, including Peter Tatchell, who had offered to meet with Luzhkov and to find a “cooperation and an amicable solution” to the protest ban.

During his arrest, Tatchell, who was severely beat up at a 2007 Moscow march, said, “This proves that Russian people don’t have freedom.”

Rather than organize in one central location, this year the protesters decided to spread themselves out at various places around Moscow State University in order to avoid confrontation. The protest was held during the Eurovision 2009 song contest, an event popular in the gay community. Yesterday, the mayor’s spokesman dismissed the rights march as threatening to “destroy the moral foundations of our society.”

This was to be the city’s fourth “Moscow Pride” organized by LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseev. Previous marches sported greater attendance, but ended in violence.

A counter-demonstration was held in the central part of the city earlier in the day by conservative nationalists.

Source: Telegraph
Photo: Flickr

This weekend Moscow will host the Eurovision Song Contest finals. As musicians face off this Saturday, another contest of sorts will occur between gay rights activists and city Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

The activists are fighting for their right to hold a march this Saturday, which Luzhkov banned for the third year in a row. The mayor is notorious for his anti-gay stance, calling homosexuals “satanic.” At an AIDs conference in 2008, he said the protests have not been permitted because “they could turn out to be one of the factors in the spread of HIV infections.”

Previous protests in 2006 and 2007 ended in violence. The annual marches, known as “Moscow Pride,” have all been banned by Luzhkov but held anyway. The organizer, Nikolai Alekseev, is a journalist. A documentary chronicalling his attempts to hold a march was released in 2008.

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