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Sunday, Nov 22, 2009
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National News |
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| National News | |
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by Rex Wockner -
SGN Contributing Writer George Takei, Star Trek's Sulu, marries partner George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek TV series, married his longtime partner, Brad Altman, at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles on September 14. Takei, 71, and Altman, 54, have been together for 21 years. About 200 people attended the Buddhist ceremony in the museum's Democracy Forum. "I vow to care for you as you've cared for me ... and to love you as my husband and the only man in my life," Takei said as he held Altman's hands. Guests included U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii and Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry. Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Chekov on the first Star Trek series, was best man, and Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, was best lady. Takei helped create the museum to honor Japanese-Americans such as himself who were placed in internment camps during World War II. About 120,000 people suffered that fate. "The lifelong promise George and Brad made to each other, in the presence of friends and family, is an affirmation of the love and commitment that they have shared for 21 years," said Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Dianne Feinstein comes out against Proposition 8, Brad Pitt donates $100,000 to fight initiative U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., came out September 12 against Proposition 8, the November 4 ballot initiative that would amend the California Constitution to undo the state's legalization of same-sex marriage. "I oppose it as a matter of equality and fairness," Feinstein said. "The right to marry is fundamental. It provides social stability, economic equality and the ability to make decisions for a spouse in a time of crisis. If Proposition 8 were to pass, not only would it eliminate the right to marry for Gay and Lesbian couples, but it would also create a complicated legal quagmire for those who have exercised this right under the California Constitution." The state Supreme Court legalized marriage for same-sex couples in May and the ruling took effect June 16. The court said the state constitution contains a fundamental right to marry and that the ban on same-sex marriage violated the document's guarantee of equal protection under the law. Four recent polls have found that between 51 percent and 55 percent of California voters oppose re-banning same-sex marriage by amending the state constitution and between 38 percent and 42 percent support it. The newest poll, a Field Poll released September 17, found the lowest level of support to date for the proposal: 38 percent. "The views of Californians on this issue have changed over time, and as a state, I believe we should uphold the ability of our friends, neighbors and co-workers who are Gay and Lesbian to enter into the contract of marriage," Feinstein said. "I urge Californians to oppose Proposition 8." Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times reported September 17 that actor Brad Pitt has given $100,000 to the campaign against Prop 8. "Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8," Pitt said in a statement. John Burnside, Harry Hay's lover, dies at 91 John Burnside, longtime partner of the late legendary Gay activist Harry Hay, died September 14 in San Francisco of brain cancer. He was 91. Burnside was one of the founders of the Gay group Radical Faeries as well as an activist, dancer and inventor. He invented the teleidoscope and the Symmetricon. A teleidoscope is a kaleidoscope that can form kaleidoscopic patterns of objects outside the instrument rather than only from items inside it. The Symmetricon allows the image of a kaleidoscope to be projected. Symmetricon images were used in a number of Hollywood movies, including Logan's Run, according to information provided by Burnside's friends. Activists march across Brooklyn Bridge for marriage equality Hundreds of people marched across the Brooklyn Bridge September 14 in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The marchers included out City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and city Comptroller William Thompson Jr. The New York state Assembly has passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage but the measure has stalled in the state Senate. New York state recognizes the marriages of same-sex couples who marry in states and countries where they can - California, Massachusetts, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain and South Africa. Brokeback fans torment author Proulx Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx has told The Wall Street Journal that her short story, which was made into the hit movie of the same name, has become a "source of constant irritation in my private life." "There are countless people out there who think the story is open range to explore their fantasies and to correct what they see as an unbearably disappointing story," she told the newspaper. "They constantly send ghastly manuscripts and pornish rewrites of the story to me, expecting me to reply with praise and applause for 'fixing' the story." "They certainly don't get the message that if you can't fix it you've got to stand it," she said. "Most of these 'fix-it' tales have the character Ennis finding a husky boyfriend and living happily ever after, or discovering the character Jack is not really dead after all, or having the two men's children meet and marry, etc., etc. ... Beneath every mangled rewrite is the unspoken assumption that because they are men they can write this story better than a woman can." With assistance from Bill Kelley |
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| picture: John Burnside | |
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