Browsing
365gay, I came across a few items of interest.
Suppressed Study Shows No Difference Between Same And Opposite-Sex Parents (7.5.07)
A study prepared for the Canadian government shows children do as well, perhaps better, when reared by same-sex parents as they do by opposite-sex couples.
The study has just now become public even though it was commissioned by the government in 2003 leading to accusations that the Conservative government of Prime Minister
Stephen Harper attempted to bury the research.
When the study was ordered the Liberals were in power and courts across the country were beginning to strike down federal restrictions limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.
The Liberals went on to legalize same-sex marriage in 2005. The party was defeated the following year by the Tories who promised to revisit the vote.
The study on child rearing was not complete until after the Conservatives came to power. […]
The 74-page study references about 100 studies on parenting. It says that although most of the literature study was empirical, the vast majority of studies show that children living with two mothers and children living with a mother and father have the same levels and qualities of social competence.
"A few studies suggest that children with two lesbian mothers may have marginally better social competence than children in 'traditional nuclear' families, even fewer studies show the opposite, and most studies fail to find any differences," the study says.
It also notes there is still too little research on gay male parents.
International Rights Group Slams Moldavian Gay Pride Ban (8.5.07)
City authorities in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, should stop interfering with lesbian and gay rights demonstrations, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.
In an open letter to Moldova's president, Human Rights Watch reminded the government that both European and domestic laws guarantee freedom of assembly and freedom from discrimination for all.
In April, Chisinau authorities banned a public march planned for later that month by the LGBT rights organization GenderDoc-M.
The march was to be a part of the "All Different, All Equal Campaign" of the Council of Europe and the European Commission. […]
Chisinau banned similar demonstrations in 2005 and 2006. Moldovan lesbian and gay activists are appealing the 2005 ban to the European Court of Human Rights.
When Chisinau authorities reviewed the 2007 gay pride application, they claimed the event would propagandize for homosexuality and threaten public order and Christian values. […]
Within the past month, two other bans on European gay pride parades have been declared illegal.
On May 3, 2007 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that a ban on a 2005 gay pride parade by Warsaw's then-mayor
Lech Kaczynski, who is now Poland's president, violated the rights to freedom of association and assembly, to effective remedy, and to freedom from discrimination.
On April 12, 2007 the Regional Administrative Court in the Latvian capital of Riga ruled that a ban against a lesbian and gay pride march last summer was illegal.
Pied Anti-Gay Pastor, Teen Faces Charges (10.5.07)
A teenager faces possible criminal charges after throwing a cream pie at the pastor of a breakaway Episcopal parish as the cleric was leading Sunday worship.
The pastor of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish [Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA], the Rev.
Donald Armstrong, was reading a Church of England sermon called "Of Christian Love and Charity" at the time. He ducked and the pie missed him.
The man,
Marcus Hyde, 18, tried to escape, but parishioners chased and caught him. […]
The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado late last year had moved to suspend Armstrong while it investigated allegations against him of financial misconduct. Armstrong has denied wrongdoing.
The pastor returned to the theologically conservative parish in March, when church leaders voted to leave the liberal-leaning Episcopal Church.
Comment: I deplore the secession of the conservatives from the ECUSA. However, I also condemn the use of violence in this schism (and all schisms). "Pieing" someone is not extreme violence, of course, but it is a violation of another’s personal and physical integrity, and therefore an act of violence. Committing it during a church service makes it even worse.
Priest Quits Rather Than Uphold Ban On Gay Marriages (11.5.07)
An Anglican priest has resigned rather than submit to a directive from his bishop not to officiate at gay weddings.
The Rev.
Shawn Sanford Beck of the Saskatoon Native Ministry [Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada] announced last month that he would marry gay couples if asked. Same-sex marriage is legal in Canada.
In an open letter, Sanford Beck said the Canadian church’s ban on same-sex marriages and blessings [is] "theologically problematic and fundamentally unjust."
Bishop
Rodney Andrews asked the priest to reconsider his position by March 31 or risk losing his license to minister. […]
"To my knowledge, the Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck has not presided at a same-sex blessing or a same-sex marriage. Accordingly, I issued Shawn a short-term license effective April 1, 2007. Shawn has chosen not to accept licensing and has returned the license to me," Andrews said in a statement.
"He has subsequently resigned his position with the Saskatoon Native Ministry."
Andrews said that Sanford Beck remains a priest but is considered "On leave without permission to officiate." […]
The head of the U.S. wing of the Anglican church supports ordaining gays and allowing blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. The Americans could be expelled from the international communion if they don't ban the blessings of same-sex couples and ordination of gay bishops by Sept. 30.
The Canadian church has placed a moratorium on such blessings at least until the General Synod next month, which is a gathering of about 400 Anglican delegates, staff, national and international partners. A General Synod is held once every three years.
Comment: The Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck seems to have the personal integrity to stand up for what he believes in, even when it means personal sacrifice. Presuming this news item covers all the bases; it is, naturally, possible that other factors figure into the situation. As it stands, however, I must tip my hat to my Canadian colleague.
