Lesbian-themed documentary wins Academy Award

A Lesbian-themed film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 2008 Oscars ceremony Feb. 23, with the filmmakers using their acceptance speech as a platform to speak out for the rights of same-sex couples. Filmmakers Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth won the famous golden statuettes for Freeheld, a 38-minute film that profiles the 2006 struggle of New Jersey Detective Lt. Laurel Hester to transfer her pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree, in the months leading up to Hester's death from cancer. Hester and Andree battled locally elected officials to get benefits married straight couples receive automatically, and eventually won their fight a month before Hester died. Besides the Oscar, Freeheld has won prizes at Sundance Film Festival and Outfest. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of Laurel Hesters out there," Wade said during her acceptance speech. "It was her greatest hope that her story would make a difference for others." Local LGBT activists hope the win brings attention to the inequality of civil unions. "The Oscar means that millions of people across New Jersey and the entire nation will now want to see a film in which the gay community's struggle for marriage rights is so vividly portrayed.”

Microsoft mogul leaves millions to LGBT groups

The Pride Foundation of Seattle announced Feb. 24 the establishment of a multi-million-dollar fund that is the largest single bequest ever to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement. The unprecedented $65 million bequest comes from the estate of Ric Wieland, one of Microsoft's first employees and a high school classmate of the company's founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen. Through his estate, Weiland established a fund at Pride Foundation that will provide $46 million over the next eight years to 10 national LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations that he personally selected. Weiland, who retired from Microsoft in 1988, was active in philanthropy, but shunned the spotlight and public adulation. He committed suicide at the age of 53 in 2006. Weiland also bequeathed $19 million directly to the Pride Foundation for scholarships and grants supporting the Pacific Northwest's LGBT community. Groups scheduled to receive funding include amfAR, GLAAD, PFLAG, Project Inform, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, In the Life, and Lambda Legal. "Ric was a good friend, a terrific computer programmer, and a very generous man," said Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. “He will be sorely missed but his legacy lives on through the work of Pride and the charitable organizations it supports."

Groups Establish Political Science Award

The Gay & Lesbian Leader-ship Institute and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists announced Feb. 25 the establishment of the Bayard Rustin Award. The award honors contributions to the field of political science on the topic LGBT African-Americans in electoral politics. A cash prize will be presented to the inaugural recipient at NCOBPS's annual conference in 2009. Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of GLLI, said he hoped the award would foster research that could lead to more openly gay African-Americans seeking leadership roles in their communities. “More than 400 openly gay officials are serving their communities across America, but just a handful are African-American,” he said. “We hope to change that. The strength of our democracy depends on leadership that reflects all Americans.” The award is named after Bayard Rustin, the openly gay, African-American civil rights pioneer who organized the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Rustin was an influential organizer and adviser to Dr. King, and is said to have counseled King on non-violent resistance. In his later years, Rustin advocated for gay and lesbian rights.

Two back-to-back hate crimes reported in Fort Lauderdale

Less than a day after teenage transgender Simmie Williams, Jr. was shot to death in Fort Lauderdale, a gay man eating at one of the city's 24-hour restaurants was attacked by an assailant who had been shouting anti-gay epithets, the website Sun-Sentinel.com reported. Melbourne Brunner was eating at the Floridian restaurant with his partner on Feb. 22 when a man walked up to their table and started threatening them. When Brunner and his partner left the restaurant, the man blocked Brunner and punched him in the face. The assailant got away. Police say there is no evidence Brunner's attack was related to Williams' shooting.

Homophobic Texas D.A. Resigns in Disgrace

The Houston Republican District Attorney who fought to keep private consensual same-sex activity illegal has resigned under a cloud of misconduct, Newsweek and web site Pandagon reported. In 2002 Chuck Rosenthal wrote an argument in the Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court case encouraging the court not to overturn sodomy laws. Six years later, Rosenthal's name is back in the news. Thanks to a civil rights lawsuit, a series of racially inflammatory Rosenthal emails were revealed, along with adult video clips plus love notes from a former mistress. Local GOP leaders forced Rosenthal to not seek reelection.

Gay attacks in Jamaica draw media attention

Jamaica is considered one of the more dangerous places in the Caribbean, but the island nation's gay community is a particular target for violence, the New York Times reported Feb. 24. Attacks on gay men are common, and justice for perpetrators is rare. Jamaica's public defender, Earl Witter has suggested that gay men who “flaunt” their sexuality are asking for trouble, the Times reported. “It may provoke a violent breach of the peace,” Witter said. Even Gareth Henry, who ran a Jamaican LGBT rights group, left for Canada because of the hostility. “I'm finally able to be myself, to be an out gay man,” he told the Times.

Police group criticizes TV anchor assault case

The New York City Region of the Gay Officers Action League is criticizing a decision to downgrade charges against a former TV news anchor who was accused of assaulting an undercover officer and using homophobic remarks, WNBC.com reported Feb. 27. Charges against Alycia Lane were downgraded from felony assault to misdemeanor obstruction of government administration and harassment in the Dec. 16 incident. "If people cannot control their anger and hatred, and choose to confront and injure a police officer, then what chance does the everyday citizen have of expecting a general sense of personal safety in our city?" the league's executive director, Thomas Verni, said in a statement.

Porn Star Twins Arrested for Robbery

Brothers Keyontyli and Taleon Goffney are known to gay porn aficionados as a very sexy pair of twins, but police consider the Goffneys serial burglars, the website Philly.com reported. The twins, who were arrested Feb. 19, are thought to be behind a series of burglaries in the Philadelphia region. The Goffneys are accused of using a handsaw and an ax to break through the roofs of several businesses, including a beauty salon and a pharmacy. Known as Keyon and Teyon Goffney in the gay porn world, the brothers appeared in the Las Vegas-themed video Marc and the Twins with porn star Marc Williams.

"That's the thing with soap operas. They're always trying to keep peoplewanting more."

—Procter & Gamble Productions spokeswoman Jeannie Tharrington, responding to criticism that the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns is holding back on showing physical affection between same-sex couple Luke and NoahMembers of Congress call on Rice to change rules for gay staffers

Out Rep. Tammy Baldwin has joined a group of bipartisan Congress members encouraging Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to address workplace inequities facing gay and lesbian staffers at the U.S. Department of State. “The inequitable treatment of gay and lesbian Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) and their partners should not be allowed to lead highly qualified employees to leave the State Department at a time when their service is needed more than ever,” Baldwin wrote with three of her colleagues. The letter asked Rice to offer same-sex partners of FSOs similar benefits to what State gives heterosexual spouses.

China develops rules to cut AIDS among MSM

The Chinese Ministry of Health is working to cut AIDS infections among men who have sex with men by developing a specific prevention program for 2008, Xinhua news agency and Reuters reported Feb. 21. The Ministry's website listed the announcement, but gave no specifics on the program, although it did say its wider AIDS prevention work for the year would promote condom use. Just over 10 percent of China's AIDS infections are estimated to come from men having sex with men. The focus on MSM is a break for China, which traditionally has not discussed gay issues publicly.

Lesbian LAPD officer's case going to trial

A lesbian police officer's lawsuit alleging the LAPD fired her because she complained about mistreatment over her sexual orientation can go to trial, a judge ruled Feb. 20. Shelby Feldmeier alleges that when she worked as a probationary officer at LAPD's Wilshire Station, male officers made offensive comments about homosexuality and asked if she was gay, according to her lawsuit. Feldmeier claims her complaints about harassment and discrimination to supervisors and then-Deputy Chief Michael Berkow (right) were not taken seriously. Berkow promised to investigate, but did not follow up, she said. Feldmeier filed her lawsuit in January 2006, seeking damages from the city for alleged wrongful termination and retaliation.

This page compiled by Christopher Lisotta from The Associated Press and other news reports.