Rod 2.0:Beta #gay #news #lgbt #gaynews

On Assignment: Dominican Republic

The view from my suite at the Meliá Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. That would be the Caribbean Sea just behind the trees, about a five minute walk away. But first a shower and a nap.

On assignment here for five days and will report from the 2011 Black Diaspora MSM Conference. HIV/AIDS experts from across the Americas and the Caribbean are in the Dominican Republic to discuss the epidemic among Black gay and bisexual men in their respective nations, as well as advances in treatment, policy and prevention.

More on the conference starting tomorrow, as well as  regular posts and csome ontent on gay/bi men in the Caribbean. Make sure you follow my Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.

Washington State to Recognize Out-of-State Same Sex Marriages

Beautiful news to start your day from the West Coast. The Washington legislature has voted to recognize valid out-of-state same-sex marriages and same-sex unions from all jurisdictions, reports the Associated Press.

On a 28-19 vote, the Senate cleared the last hurdle for the bill.  Under the measure, gay marriages performed elsewhere would be recognized as domestic partnerships here, as well as domestic partnerships performed in other states.

Currently, five states, the District of Columbia and Canada allow same-sex marriages. Washington becomes the fourth state to approve a similar bill, following Rhode Island, New York and Maryland. The measure enjoyed wide support among Democrats. It passed the House 58-39, mostly on party-line votes.

A slight clarification: Maryland and New York recognize valid out-of-state same-sex marriages ... but as marriages. New York's law is a directive implemented by former Gov. David Paterson, Maryland's law is an opinion delivered by AG Douglas Gansler.

The bill now goes to the desk of Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has promised to sign it.

Rhode Island AG Files Complaint, Alleges Racist, Anti-Gay Threats

The Rhode Island attorney general has filed a civil rights complaint against a 49-year-old Johnston man with an extensive criminal record.  Vincent B. Smith has apparently repeatedly threatened and hurled racist and homophobic remarks at a gay neighbor and a woman with a bi-racial child.

The Associated Press:

The complaint, filed Monday, alleges that Smith's behavior drove Jennifer Piscione—a single mother—to move out of her condo in January 2010. The complaint also says that Smith made homophobic remarks to Roger DiTusa, a gay neighbor, on about two dozen occasions over the course of two years. It says Smith was arrested in March for smashing the sliding glass door in DiTusa's condominium. If a judge rules that he violated Piscione and DiTusa's civil rights, Smith faces a $5,000 fine. The attorney general's office is also seeking a restraining order.

Smith's intimidation included vandalizing neighbors homes and repeatedly scrawling "KKK" graffiti, reports the Providence Journal. The misbehavior, according to the suit, has consisted of shouted slurs, writing the initials of the Ku Klux Klan on the woman’s storm door and requests to neighbors that they not rent to black or Hispanic people, among other incidents.

In 1988, Smith was arrested for "threatening to kill his former girlfriend and her family, and the Johnston police said he attempted to commit suicide in his cell at the police station," ProJo adds.

Smith pushes his wife twice during a television interview and his son also tried to grab the reporter's microphone. But everyone else is lying, he claims. Watch ABC 6's report AFTER THE JUMP ...

Wed and Thurs Travel Schedule

Planes and airports over the next two days. Headed (far) out of town on assignment so light posting until later on Thursday.

Mississippi Sheriff Reinstates Fired Gay Corrections Officer

There is excellent news to report on the case of Andre Cooley, the former Forrest County, Mississippi Sheriff's Department officer who was "fired because he turned out to be a faggot." Cooley said  his supervisors discovered he was gay when they responded to a 911 call he placed in June 2010 after his boyfriend became violent. 

Officer Cooley has been reinstated and the department will clarify its non-discrimination policy, thanks to a lawsuit filed by ACLU and ACLU Mississippi.

The Forrest County Sheriff’s Department will reinstate Andre Cooley as a deputy corrections officer as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Mississippi, in which Cooley alleged that he was fired because he is gay. As part of the settlement agreement reached today, the sheriff’s department will also update its written non-discrimination policy to make explicit that the sheriff’s department does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

"I am looking forward to returning to a job that I loved in the sheriff’s department," Cooley said. "I’m very happy that the sheriff’s department has clarified in writing that they do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Everyone should be judged by their ability to do the job, not by their sexual orientation."

"We are happy to have Mr. Cooley return to work in the department. His sexual orientation has no bearing on his ability to perform the duties of a corrections officer," said Sheriff Billy McGee. "The Forrest County Sheriff’s Department is an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Our new written policy will make this position clear to every employee in our department."

The settlement agreement includes a monetary amount for Cooley, the ACLU adds.

The reinstatement and non-discrimination policy is a huge win. Last December, you may recall the Forrest County Sheriff responded to the ACLU complaint and said they did absolutely nothing wrong—wait for it—because "no federal or state law exists in regard to firings over sexual orientation."

Congrats to Officer Cooley and the ACLU. And the case is yet another reminder of why we need the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. 

You May Have Missed ...
Miss. Sheriff: No Laws Broken Firing Gay Officer
Corrections Officer Fired, "He Turned Out to Be a Faggot"

Justice Dept. to Review HIV Discrimination in Trade Schools

The Obama Administration has announced it will aggressively investigate charges of HIV discrimination in trade schools. The announcement follows the case of a cosmetology school in Puerto Rico that discriminated against HIV positive applicants.

The Justice Department has issued guidance  in the form of letters to "the attorneys general of all 50 states and U.S. territories" asking them to address the "illegal exclusion of individuals with HIV/AIDS from occupational training and state licensing."

The Justice Department has learned that public and private trade schools for barbering, cosmetology, massage therapy, home health care work and other occupations, as well as state licensing agencies, may be illegally denying individuals with HIV/AIDS admission to trade schools and/or occupational licenses because of their HIV status. However, because HIV cannot be transmitted by casual contact or by the circumstances present in these occupations, HIV-positive status is irrelevant.

The department recently entered into a settlement agreement with Modern Hairstyling Institute Inc., a private cosmetology school in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, for delaying the admission of an HIV-positive individual. That settlement agreement requires the school to remove questions about applicants’ HIV/AIDS status and to promptly enroll the aggrieved individual in its cosmetology program.

Persons living with HIV/AIDS are protected from discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Administration's aggressive enforcement of HIV discrimination cases was mentioned last month in  detailed operational plans to implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS),  which was released last July. Black Americans, Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons are prioritzed  for federal funding and resources. Read our report for the Black AIDS Institute.

IN Senate Votes 40-10 to Ban Same Sex Marriage and Civil Unions

Claiming it will provide "maximum protection for the basic family unit of society", the Republican-dominated Indiana Senate voted 40 to 10 enshrine discrimination in the state constitution. The proposed constitutional amendment will ban same-sex marriage, civil unions or any relationship recognition for same-sex couples..

If the General Assembly passes the measure again in 2013 or 2014, it would go to the voters in 2014, before the state constitution can be amended. Democratic Sen. Tim Lanane of Anderson argued that attitudes toward same-sex marriages are rapidly changing and the amendment would make it difficult for future changes in state law. ... Some major Indiana corporations, including Eli Lilly and Co. and Cummins, oppose the amendment saying it will make it harder to draw top talent to the state.

The House passed the measure by a 70-26 vote on February 15.

Not sure how this "creates jobs" ...

HOT: Bulging British Boxer Rob Evans for CK One Underwear

Insanely gorgeous Irish-British model slash boxer Rob Evans said CK One was his favorite cologne in a recent interview. Now we see why: Rob is boxing in (what looks to be) well-fitted briefs in a four-page insert for CK One spotted in GQ, another page AFTER THE JUMP ...

EEOC Regulations Now Include HIV/AIDS as a Disability

New guidance from the EEOC classifies HIV/AIDS as a workplace disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, reports POZ.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency responsible for enforcing laws against workplace discrimination, has released the final revised version of its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, according to an EEOC statement. The EEOC's new regulations clarify that impairments of major bodily functions-such as being HIV positive-qualify as disabilities under the law. The revisions were triggered by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, which overturned a number of Supreme Court rulings that defined "disability" narrowly, reinforcing the inclusive intentions of the original legislation.

The full EEOC statement can be read HERE.

This is very good news. The new regs will have a major impact on HIV positive persons ability to receive Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability benefits. It will also impact private, employment-based health insurance and disability coverage.

Persons living with HIV/AIDS are already protected from discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

WATCH: Chris Brown's "GMA" Outburst Animated by Taiwan News

Taiwan's Next Media Animation takes on Chris Brown's anger management issues and his recent violent outburst backstage at Good Morning America.

The short offers a creative and amusing take on America's love-hate relationship with celebrity ... and a few comparisons to the Charlie Sheen trainwreck. Watch AFTER THE JUMP ...