Gay News

(Newser) - Gay and Christian groups have slammed Pope Benedict XVI's remarks that defending the “natural order” of man and woman is as important as protecting the rainforests, the Times of London reports. British Catholic leaders have countered that the pontiff didn’t explicitly mention homosexuality in his annual Christmas speech, but critics say the church—which has taken a harder line against gays recently—is fanning the flames of homophobia. More »

(Newser) - Rick Warren—whose upcoming invocation at the Obama inauguration is causing a ruckus—has removed anti-gay language from the website of his Saddleback Church, Queerty reports. A page that explicitly barred gays from membership has suddenly gone missing, along with some Catholic bashing and a defense of dinosaurs in the Bible. Warren also posted a video in which he blamed bloggers for distorting his views and accused them of "Christ-o-phobia," the Boston Globe notes. More »

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI used a Christmas address today to call for a defense of heterosexuality, which he suggested was as endangered as the rainforest.  He called homosexuality and deviance from gender norms "a destruction of God's work." The pontiff said "the tropical forests do deserve our protection; but man, as a creature, does not deserve any less," the Guardian reports. More »

(Newser) - California’s attorney general has reversed position and asked the state’s supreme court to void the ban on gay marriage enacted by voters in November, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Jerry Brown said in a filing yesterday that Proposition 8 is "inconsistent with the guarantees of individual liberty" in the state's charter, and that such guarantees should not be nullified by popular vote. More »

(Newser) - Retired military leaders and congressional Democrats are urging Barack Obama to nominate Bill White, an openly gay executive at the New York museum featuring the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, as secretary of the Navy, the Washington Times reports. The civilian post would not be subject to the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, but the appointment would reignite a contentious debate. More »

(Newser) - Gay-rights groups are fuming over Barack Obama's selection of evangelist Rick Warren to perform the invocation at his inauguration ceremony, Politico reports. Warren opposed California's recently defeated Proposition 8 that would have legalized gay marriage. His selection may help Obama mend fences with conservative voters, but gay activists say they feel insulted and won't let it pass quietly. More »

(AP) - Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to "call in gay" Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the United States' economic distress. Organizers of "Day Without a Gay" also are encouraging people to perform volunteer work and refrain from spending money, the AP reports. More »

(Newser) - Listen to opponents of gay marriage cite scripture, and you might believe it is not what Jesus would do. But, Lisa Miller writes in Newsweek , no sensible modern person wants to use the Bible as a “how-to script.” (Polygamy, anyone?) “Why,” Miller asks, “would we regard its condemnation of homosexuality with more seriousness than we regard its advice, which is far lengthier, on the best price to pay for a slave?” More »