Gay News from London

The Roundup

U.S.: The Bush administration is asking a court to dismiss a pending suit challenging the legality of a ban on openly gay servicemembers. It says the ban should not be affected by a Supreme Court decision striking down sodomy laws.

Salt Lake City police and prosecutors gathered on Capitol Hill today to rally support for a hate crimes bill increasing the criminal penalties for crimes motivated by bias or prejudice where the victim is selected based on that person's membership in a group. The state currently has a hate crimes law, but in order for it to be applied, a person currently is required to prove their civil rights were violated. About 62 hate crimes are reported annually in Utah, but the existing law is rarely if ever used.

Despite marketing overload, a new study finds that almost two-thirds of gay, lesbian and bisexual adults say they are likely to consider purchasing household products and services from companies that market directly to gays and lesbians over competing brands that do not.

Singer Elton John's face will appear on 20 AirTran jets to promote the airline's launch of satellite radio at each passenger seat.

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a lesbian seeking visitation rights with her child went to court today. Her attorney Alphonso David plans to argue the lower court's decision to deny her the right to see her kid was wrong. Her former partner, who is the biological mother, has child custody.

A constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage in Virginia passes the state's Senate 30-10 despite comparisons to Nazi Germany.
Today's Roundup[Date: 08-Feb-05 ]