Today In Catholic Scandals

Catholic Church to gays: "No kids and definitely no fucking for you. As for ourselves, well that's a different story...."

An assistant bishop of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Los Angeles has resigned because he has a secret family, including two teenage children. The Vatican said on Wednesday that Pope Benedict had accepted the resignation of Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop of the diocese which has been plagued by sexual scandals. A brief Vatican announcement did not give the reason for Zavala's resignation, saying only that the pope had accepted it under the norm in canon (Church law) that says a bishop who is ill or otherwise unfit to carry out his duties should resign.

HomoQuotable - Randy Thomas

"I can’t imagine myself at 50 either! But when I was 24, EIGHTEEN years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined I would be single at 42 years old and not having sex with another person for the next 18 years! As a matter of fact, if I had know that at 24 my brain might have exploded." - Exodus International vice president Randy Thomas, writing to a young gay man worried about being alone at age 50. Thomas considers himself "ex-gay" just because (he claims) he longer has sex. (I can hold my breath, but that doesn't make me an "ex-breather.")

Canada: Child Porn Catholic Bishop Turns Self In, Is Released On Bail

Bishop Raymond Lahey, on the lam for several days after Canadian border guards found child pornography on his laptop, yesterday surrendered to authorities.

Lahey was released on $9,000 bail after turning himself in to Ottawa police on Thursday afternoon to face charges of possessing and importing child pornography. The Roman Catholic cleric, who resigned his post in Nova Scotia on the weekend before news of the charges broke, has been ordered to stay away from parks and from children. He is not allowed to use the internet, and while he is free he is to stay in Rogersville, N.B. The town is the site of a Trappist monastery. His next court date is Nov. 4 in Ottawa. A Canada-wide arrest warrant had been issued for Lahey, 69, who brokered a $15-million settlement for victims of sexual abuse by priests of the diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia. Lahey was returning to Canada on Sept. 15 when he was detained at Ottawa International Airport. Canada Border Services agents checked his laptop and found images "of concern," Ottawa police said in a release. Lahey was allowed to leave, but his computer and other media devices were seized. Police alleged a forensic examination ultimately found child pornography. On Friday, Ottawa police charged Lahey with possession of child pornography and importation of child pornography. The next day, he resigned as bishop of the diocese of Antigonish, citing the need for "personal renewal."

Lahey had frequently sermonized against child molestation and homosexuality. As my grandmother always said, "The guilty dog barks loudest."

Mormon Paper Refuses To Run Memorial Service Ad For Gay Suicides

The Mormon Church-owned Deseret News is refusing to run an ad for a memorial service for gay Mormons who've committed suicide.

MediaOne, which handles advertising for both the News and The Salt Lake Tribune , accepted payment from the nonprofit Foundation for Reconciliation to run an ad, announcing a memorial service this Sunday, in both papers. But on Wednesday, a MediaOne employee told the group's Cheryl Nunn that the ad had been rejected by the News. "Anything that's related to the church we have been asked to present that to [the Deseret News ] and then they decide," said MediaOne President Brent Low. "This one was directly talking about the church and sexual orientation."[snip] The foundation's memorial, "From Despair to Hope," honors lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) suicide victims as well as "those who have successfully overcome conflicts involving their sexual orientation and the LDS Church," the ad states. The event features a video appearance by actor Will Swenson, known for his roles in Mormon-themed films "Sons of Provo" and "The Singles Ward." Peter Danzig, a Salt Lake City spokesman for the foundation, called the newspaper ad "innocuous." "There's nothing anti-Mormon," he said. "We tried to create an event that would be welcoming to everyone on either side of the issue."

More about the memorial at LDSapology.org.

Monday: Outrage Premieres On HBO

Outrage, the documentary profiling Mike Rogers, Michelangelo Signorile, and others involved in outing closeted anti-gay politicians debuts on HBO this Monday. The film played in theaters earlier this year to positive reviews.

Morehouse College Fires Employee Over Homophobic Email

Atlanta's Morehouse College, one of the nation's most prominent black universities, has fired staffer Sandra Bradley after she went off on a rant to colleagues after receiving a forwarded email about a wedding between two black men. Her email:

"I can’t believe this wedding. It’s 2 men. They don’t smile in a lot of pictures and they look like a few brothers I’ve seen in the streets looking STRAGHT. Black women can’t get a break, either our men want another man, a white woman (or other nationality that’s light with straight hair), they are locked up in jail or have a 'use to be' fatal disease. I’m beginning to believe Eve was a black woman and we Black women are paying for all the world’s sins through her actions (eating the apple),"

After Morehouse president Robert Franklin promised an investigation, Bradley was fired. The college issued this statement:

"The views expressed in the e-mail entitled, 'The WTD of the Week,' (September 28, 2009) were the personal views of one individual and do not reflect the values or policies of Morehouse College. Morehouse College has a no-tolerance position on discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and the College has taken great strides toward building a diverse and tolerant community. After investigating the matter, the College has disciplined the persons involved in the incident, and one of the implicated employees is no longer with the College. In addition, the College has reminded its staff that the Morehouse e-mail system is College property, should be safeguarded as any other College property, and that e-mails that are discriminatory, inflammatory, or derogatory to any group are prohibited at the College."

Morehouse is the alma mater of Martin Luther King. Praise goes to President Franklin for doing the right thing. And congratulations to the two men, Michael Cole Smith and Jamil Smith Cole.

More Scandal For Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)

The New York Times has uncovered serious ethical violations committed by anti-gay Sen. John "Defender Of Marriage" Ensign. This new information is related to the adultery scandal Ensign confessed to early in the summer. Rachel Maddow lays it all out below.

Illinois Senate Introduces Marriage Bill

Yesterday Illinois state Sen. Heather Stearns introduced a marriage equality bill. Via Equality Illinois:

“This is not an issue of sacred versus secular - there are plenty of synagogues and churches that both recognize and perform same-sex marriages,” said Bernard Cherkasov, Chief Executive Officer of Equality Illinois. “Rather, marriage is a civil right – plain and simple. The state cannot have a civil institution of marriage – with its plethora of benefits, rights, and responsibilities – and exclude from it an entire class of citizens.”

The bill would provide for state recognition of same-sex marriage, while ensuing that religious institutions are not required to perform any marriages that inconsistent with their religious practices. This is a companion bill to the one introduced in the State House of Representatives by Representative Greg Harris, HB178. The House bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Deb Mell, Sara Feigenholtz, Constance Howard, Harry Osterman and John Fritchey. Equality Illinois applauds the sponsoring legislators for their leadership.

What chance does this bill have? Illinoisans, weigh in.

Texas Judge Allows Gay Divorce

Texas Family District Court Judge Tena Callahan has ruled that a gay couple can get divorced, even though the state has a ban on same-sex marriage.

A judge ruled Thursday that a married gay couple in Dallas can be granted a divorce, setting the stage for a same-sex marriage battle royal in the Lone Star State. Dallas state district judge Tena Callahan ruled that two men married in Massachusetts could be divorced in Texas, a state with a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Callahan declared that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violated equal protection under the law. "This is huge news. We're ecstatic," Dallas attorney Peter Schulte, who represents the man who filed for divorce, told The Dallas Morning News. The men in the case are asking not to be identified in the press because one of them is not out to his employer.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says he will appeal her ruling.

Rep. Michele Bachmann: Obamacare Will Result In Abortion Field Trips

You think she couldn't get crazier, and then she proves you wrong.

Morning View - Chrysler Building

David Letterman Reveals Affairs With Staffers, Extortion Attempt

Last night David Letterman shocked his viewers when he revealed that he has been the subject of a $2M extortion attempt by a man threatening to go public with information that he'd had sexual affairs with female staffers of his show. Letterman said that yesterday he'd testified before a grand jury and that the man, a CBS employee, has been arrested. Recently Letterman was the target of a "Fire Dave!" campaign after he made jokes about Sarah Palin's youngest daughter. Conservatives are already drawing their knives over last night's revelation.

Prominent Iowa LGBT Activist Charged With Embezzling Millions From Employer

This one is gonna hurt. Phyliss Stevens, chairperson of the Iowa chapter of Marriage Equality USA has been arrested and charged with embezzling $5.9M from her insurance company employer. Her wife Marla Stevens, a contributor to the LGBT activism blog Bilerico Project, has also been named as a co-conspirator. Marla is the public policy director at the LGBT Fairness Fund.

A Des Moines woman has been accused of embezzling an estimated $5.9 million from Aviva USA in a scheme discovered by company employees last week and has been arrested on federal charges. Lawyers for Aviva also filed a civil lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines naming Phyllis Stevens and her spouse, Marla, of defrauding the company in a five-year scheme. Phyllis Stevens, a 35-year-employee of Aviva and a predecessor company, Indianapolis Life, allegedly devised a program to have fictitious agent commission payments paid by Aviva into a bank account jointly held by the two women. The civil suit names only Phyllis Stevens as the perpetrator of the embezzlement, but also names Marla Stevens as receiving the benefits “as a result of the conversion of funds.”

GOP blog The Iowa Republican is already on the story, demanding that the many political candidates who received donations from women return the money to Phyliss Stevens' employer. The couple donated more than $60,000 to various candidates and causes since 2007. Expect this story to dominate the headlines on right-wing blogs for a long time. Bil Browning at Bilerico has much more on the story.

NOTE: The above post has been edited and corrected.

NH Marriage Repeal Underway

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in New Hampshire on January 1st and the usual fuckweasels are planning a ballot measure to repeal it.

“Republican Rep. Dan Itse is affiliated with Citizens Leadership of New Hampshire, which was created a few years ago to highlight threats to constitutional freedoms,” reports the Boston Globe. “He said Wednesday he will sponsor two constitutional amendments when the Legislature reconvenes in January. One would make only marriages between men and women recognized by the state. The other would prohibit the state from abridging a parent's right to control their child's health, education and welfare.” The legislature would first need to approve the amendment, which if passed, would be presented to voters in November 2010, after same-sex marriages become legal.

Obviously, a win for us in Maine would suck a lot of the wind out of blowhards like Dan Itse.

80's Flashback

Tanita Tikaram, Twist In My Sobriety, 1988. This spooky number from Tikaram's debut album Ancient Heart was a top ten hit in most of Europe, but went largely unnoticed in the U.S. Except, of course, in the gay clubs where it became an immediate morning music favorite. In '96 came a fleet of remixes, but for me they mostly lost the ethereal quality of the original. Ancient Heart was recorded with the Tom Waits Band and that is more obvious on its first single, Good Tradition. Trivia: The first line of Twist In My Sobriety is the title of a Maya Angelou book. More Trivia: In 1989 Liza Minnelli covered Twist with Pet Shop Boys producing.

NEM Seeks Volunteers

The National Equality March is seeking more volunteers for all three days of the event. They need more route marshals, media wranglers, security, rally venue workers, and help with post-event clean up. Clicky-click above to send your Gay Card into platinum status.

Stars Come Out For HIV Vaccine

The Covalent Immunology Foundation, who last week held a Manhattan event to promote their vaccine research, has rounded up some bold-face names to support their EndHIV.com site, which asks viewers for a $5 to help their cause.

Actors, performers, comedians, HIV activists, and scientists come together to show support for Covalent Immunology, and Dr. Sudhir Paul. The Cast includes Lady Bunny, Justin Bond, Ben Andrews, Angie Pontani, Kristen Renton, Thea Gill, Wilson Cruz, The Pixie Harlots, and Hydeia Broadbent

Father Tony attended Covalent's vaccine event, his report is here.

DC Marriage Bill Coming Next Week

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington DC will be introduced on Tuesday by openly gay city council member David Catania.

After months of buildup, D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At large) announced Wednesday evening he would introduce his proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in the District at Tuesday's council meeting. Catania made his announcement before 150 gay rights activists gathered in Shaw for a rally featuring the Rev. Eric P. Lee, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. "We are going to do it now," Catania told the crowd. "We are going to do it now, not for ourselves, but for the young people who are 20 years-old, 16-years-old, 13-years-old." According to a copy of the bill, the city code would be changed to state "marriage is the legally recognized union of two people" and "any person ... may marry any other eligible person regardless of gender." Catania's bill, which states religious organizations and officials have the right not to participate in same-sex marriages, is expected to pass the council easily when it comes up for a vote around Thanksgiving. Ten of 13 council members will co-introduce Catania's bill Tuesday, and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) has pledged to sign it.

After approval by the DC city council, the bill will have to get past Congress, who has final say in local legislation. Catania says he's reached out to the White House for support and that their response has been "very good."

Ottawa: Catholic Bishop Flees On Child Pornography Charges

Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey has gone on the lam from Canadian authorities shortly after border guards found child pornography on his computer. Lehey resigned abruptly on Saturday and has not been seen since.

Sgt. Brigdit Leger of the Halifax RCMP said Ottawa police officers have spoken with Lahey, though they do not know where he is. A spokeswoman for Anthony Mancini, the archbishop of Halifax who is overseeing the Antigonish diocese until a replacement for Lahey is named, said Mancini spoke briefly with Lahey by phone after learning of the charges through the media, but he did not know Lahey's whereabouts. Lahey was re-entering Canada at the Ottawa International Airport on Sept. 15 when members of the Canada Border Services Agency pulled him aside for a secondary examination, according to a release from Ottawa police. Officers found images on Lahey's laptop computer "that were of concern." He was released at the time. The computer was seized and police said a subsequent forensic examination of the computer revealed child pornography. Lahey was charged on Sept. 25. No court date has been set.

Lahey was elevated to bishop by Pope John Paull II in 2003. Gee, I wonder why border guards would think to the examine the laptop of a Catholic bishop??

Pre-Orders Send Palin's Book To #1

Pre-orders for Sarah Palin's coming memoir, Going Rogue, have sent the title rocketing overnight to #1 on the bestsellers lists of book merchants nationwide.

Just two days after HarperCollins announced that Palin's "Going Rogue" had been moved up from the spring to Nov. 17, preorders Wednesday night for the former Alaska governor's memoir made it No. 1 on both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. Among the books "Going Rogue" is outselling: Sen. Ted Kennedy's "True Compass," Mitch Albom's "Have a Little Faith" and Brown's "The Lost Symbol," his first novel since "The Da Vinci Code" and, perhaps until now, the year's most anticipated release.

Palin got a reported $7M advance for the book. Meanwhile, she is finding few takers for her $100,000 speaking tour.

After quitting as governor of Alaska in July, Palin signed with the top-notch Washington Speakers Bureau, which also reps George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Condoleezza Rice, hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger, LA Dodgers manager Joe Torre and magician David Blaine. Palin's bookers are said to be asking for $100,000 per speech, but an industry expert tells Page Six: "The big lecture buyers in the US are paralyzed with fear about booking her, basically because they think she is a blithering idiot." "Palin is so uninteresting to so many groups -- unless they are interested in moose hunting," said our insider. "What does she have to say? She can't even describe what she reads."