By Ramy Eletreby

Ford To Advertise All Brands in Gay Publications

On Dec. 14, Ford Motor Co. reversed its decision to pull advertising for Jaguar and Land Rover from gay publications after receiving heat from several gay rights organizations that accused Ford of bowing to the religious right. The reversal comes less than two weeks after the Mississippi-based American Family Association (AFA) threatened to boycott the automotive company for being too gay-friendly, which is believed to have prompted Ford's decision to pull their advertisements. Ford cited cost cutting as the reason.

On Dec. 12, a coalition of 12 LGBT advocacy groups, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force met with Ford executives in Washington, D.C., and urged them to ignore anti-gay groups such as the AFA.

In a letter to the coalition on Dec. 14, the automaker decided to increase their advertising in the gay media and include all eight Ford b rands, though the ads will not be gay-specific. In addition to Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo ads, the automaker will now advertise its Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, and Aston Martin brands. On the same day, the coalition released a joint statement applauding Ford Motor Co. for its commitment to fairness and equality.

"It's important for corporations and media companies alike to understand that these anti-gay groups with the deceptive names do not speak for America's families," said GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano. "When 90 percent of Americans support employment non-discrimination for gays and lesbians, when 80 percent support military service by gay Americans, when six out of 10 Americans favor legal protections for gay and lesbian couples, it's clear that Ford's policies are in line with the values and the inclusion that most Americans support."

Gay Political Groups Announce Alito Opposition

On Dec. 12, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) joined forces with six other national LGBT political groups to announce opposition to Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The other groups are the Human Rights Campaign; the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC); Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; the National Center for Lesbian Rights; the National Stonewall Democrats; and Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays.

Alito has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Third Circuit since 1990 and has only delivered an opinion on two gay-related issues in that time, out of more than 800 rulings. Alito ruled in favor of gay interests in one issue but against gay interests in the other. However, the LGBT groups based their opposition on a wider study of Alito's rulings, such as on general civil, abortion, privacy, and free speech rights. "For African Americans there has been no more important institution in the nation that the Supreme Court," said NBJC Executive Director Alexander Robinson. "In his 15 years as a dissenter on the federal appeals court, Judge Alito has been hostile to race discrimination cases and sought to narrow individual rights."

The seven groups accuse Alito of putting his conservative political agenda ahead of certain inalienable constitutional rights. "We do not believe that Judge Alito has the necessary commitment to liberty and equality for all Americans," said Lambda Legal Executive Director Kevin Cathcart. "Put differently, his political agenda leads him to write judiciary decisions to make the law conform to his politics. Then he applies legal craftsmanship and precedent to justify the law he is making."

Six Iowa Same-Sex Couples Sue State

On Dec. 13, Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit in Polk County, Iowa, against the state's Defense of Marriage Act on behalf of six same-sex couples who seek to marry. The lawsuit maintains that Iowa state law guarantees equal protection and due process, which would make barring couples from marrying unlawful.

"This lawsuit is about fairness and equality," said Lambda Legal attorney Camilla Taylor. "Since marriage is the way the government provides protection, support and respect for families, it is only fair that these couples be able to marry." Tax benefits, property inheritance rights, workers' compensation death benefits, and the right to make health-care decisions are all in limbo for couples that do not have the ability to marry.

The Iowa Family Policy Center (IFPC), a conservative organization, sees the lawsuit as evading the will of the state's residents. "Rather than trusting Iowans to decide this critical social issue, Lambda Legal hopes to force Iowans to accept same-sex marriage through the courts," said IFPC President Chuck Hurley in a statement. "The people of Iowa should decide this issue, not a handful of unelected judges."

Log Cabin Republicans Honor Ariz. Rep. Jim Kolbe

The 2006 Log Cabin Republicans National Dinner, held during the 2006 Log Cabin National Convention and Liberty Education Forum National Symposium, will pay tribute to openly gay Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe from Arizona, who recently announced his retirement after 11 terms in the House of Representatives. "As a loyal Republican, Jim Kolbe never wavered in making a conservative case that all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation," says Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero. "From serving the people of Arizona, to promoting free trade, to fighting global AIDS, to standing up for equality, Jim Kolbe's public service has made Congress and our nation better." Congressman Kolbe is one of the main backers of a current bill to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military. The 2006 Log Cabin Convention will be held April 27-30 in Washington, D.C.

Soldier to Leave Army after Anti-Gay Attack

Pvt. Kyle Lawson requested a discharge from the 309th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. after suffering from two attacks when a friend let it slip at a battalion party that Lawson was gay. According to Lawson, a fellow soldier punched him in the face at an off-post party on Oct. 29 and a week later a second soldier threatened him with a knife outside a barracks. After the knife incident, Lawson started sleeping on a cot under his drill sergeant's watch.

Lawson's story adds fuel to the already growing fire under the federal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which bans openly gay troops from serving in the U.S. military. According to the Service Members' Legal Defense Network (SLDN) in Washington, D.C., over 900 troops were verbally or physically harassed in 2004 because of their sexual orientation, citing the policy as inciting negativity towards gays. "When the military as an institution can discriminate against you, what message does that send to your co-workers about how they can treat you?" said SLDN's Steve Ralls.

Nearly 10,000 gays and lesbians have been discharged so far under federal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." A bill backed by 100 federal lawmakers from both parties to repeal the 12-year-old policy is currently under discussion.

Virginia Governor Protects Gays in Hiring

On Dec. 15, with less than a month left in office, Virginia Gov. Mark D. Warner, a Democrat, amended an executive order to clearly ban state agencies from discriminating against gays in hiring and promotions. The policy went into effect immediately. Incoming Gov.-elect Timothy M. Kaine, also a Democrat, reportedly plans to maintain the policy by signing the same executive order when he is inaugurated on Jan. 14. Lawmakers and activists have pledged to rescind the policy, which would require a two-thirds vote if Kaine refused to sign it.

Warner, who is being touted as a possible presidential candidate in 2008, also added sexual orientation to the nondiscrimination language in the recently-delivered $72 billion budget. LGBT rights activists applauded Warner's action. "It's bringing Virginia in line with the majority of other states that have these laws on the books," said Dyana Mason, executive director of Equality Virginia, the state's largest gay rights group.

Chris Freund, communications director for the conservative group Family Foundation, says there is no evidence that discrimination against gays in state hiring exists.