CINCINNATI: Community Rallies In Memory Of Ohio Trans Teen Leelah Alcorn

JMG reader Andy writes:

My partner and I live in Northern Kentucky in the greater Cincinnati area and attended Leelah's vigil at the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood last night.  There were approximately 600 persons attending the vigil last night in the theater, both on the floor and in the balcony. In attendance were many of the Cincinnati LGBT community, parents and family of area Trans youth, representatives from local organizations supporting Trans persons (both religious and non-religious), City councilman Chris Seelbach and a representative from the Mayor's office, and the LGBT liaison to the Cincinnati Police Department, Angela Vance.

Andy captions the photo above: "MUSE Cincinnati Women's Choir forming a protective circle around the young transgendered persons in attendance during their musical performance, which was one of the most touching moments of the evening."

The event's primary sponsor was Heartland Trans Wellness Group, with co-sponsorship from the Trevor Project, PFLAG, HRC, Diverse City Youth Chorus, GLSEN Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Transgender Clinic, Bound by Truth and Love Ministries, and Trans-Saints Ministry.

All Sixth Circuit Audio Files Are Posted

Audio files of the arguments for all four states have now been posted.  Dig in and give us your thoughts.

At The Marriage Rally In Cincinnati

The Sixth Circuit Hearings Begin At 1PM

Today's marriage hearings in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will begin at 1PM local time. Streaming audio of the proceedings will be posted here shortly after things wrap up. The Louisville Courier recaps today's "pretty conservative" panel of judges:

The three appellate judges who will consider the fate of gay marriage bans in Kentucky and three other states include two appointed by President George W. Bush — and the nomination of one of them was fiercely opposed by liberal groups. That judge, Jeffrey S. Sutton, writing in March in Harvard Law Review, said, "Count me as a skeptic when it comes to the idea that this day and age suffers from a shortage of constitutional rights." Sutton also wrote an opinion in 2012 for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstating a suit filed by a graduate counseling student and evangelical Christian who was expelled from Eastern Michigan University when she refused to work with clients in same-sex relationships. The two other judges who will hear the gay marriage cases Aug. 6 are Deborah L. Cook and Martha Craig Daughtrey. Daughtrey, a senior judge appointed by President Bill Clinton, is known for opposing the death penalty and supporting affirmative action and other liberal views, while Cook, in her previous position on the Ohio Supreme Court, ruled against injured workers, consumers and victims of discrimination.

Other outlets and LGBT sites have also posted worrying recaps.

Archbishop Of Cincinnati: Pray Against The Gays At the Sixth Circuit Court

"The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati will be hearing arguments on efforts to strike down laws against 'same-sex marriage' in four states, including Ohio. The law in our state was a constitutional amendment strongly supported by Ohio’s bishops in 2004, and for good reason. Traditional marriage, the union of one man and one woman for life, is the cradle of the family, which is the basic building block of society. And at the same time, as Pope Francis said last April: 'The image of God is a married couple, man and woman, not only man, not only woman, but rather both. This is the image of God: love, God’s alliance with us is represented in the alliance between man and woman.' Please join me in praying the federal appeals court will act wisely to uphold traditional marriage." - Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Schnurr suggests using the "Prayer In Defense Of Marriage" from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Read it here.

WEDNESDAY: Sixth Circuit Court To Hear Marriage Cases From OH, MI, KY, & TN

In two days the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in five marriage equality cases out of Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Via the Columbus Dispatch:

A same-sex marriage showdown happens in Cincinnati on Wednesday as three federal appeals judges, including two Ohioans, hear marriage cases from Ohio and three neighboring states. It will be the single-largest legal event in the same-sex marriage debate since June 26, 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court declared part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act to be unconstitutional. Since then, every major federal and state court ruling nationwide has gone in favor of gay-marriage proponents. The Cincinnati hearings are expected to draw such large crowds of journalists and spectators to the Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse that the clerk of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has set up two overflow courtrooms equipped with piped-in audio of the proceedings. All five cases will be heard by the same three-judge panel, consisting of former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deborah L. Cook, 62; ex-state Solicitor Jeffrey Sutton, 53; and Martha Craig “Cissy” Daughtrey, 72. Daughtrey was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, while Cook and Sutton were picked by President George W. Bush in 2003.

Freedom Ohio and Why Marriage Matters Ohio will both stage rallies in downtown Cincinnati. A local anti-gay group will hold a prayer vigil. From their leader: "We’re praying for people caught up in homosexuality. We’re praying for (judges) to do the right thing.”  I'll be posting tweets from the scene and whatever live video is available all day. (Tipped by JMG reader Arthur)

OHIO: Catholic Church Fires Principal Over Blog Post Supporting Gay Marriage

"On Monday, February 4, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati gave me an ultimatum after I expressed my personal opinion in support of freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples. I was asked to resign as assistant principal at Purcell Marian High School, or keep my job until June by signing documents recanting my statements. I was given this ultimatum after I wrote a blog on my personal web page entitled, 'Choosing Your Battles.' I could not in good conscience recant my statements. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has now put me on administrative leave with a pending termination. As a proud Catholic, I’m heartbroken that my belief that all committed, loving couples should be able to make a public pledge to take responsibility for each other for a lifetime has led to this ultimatum." - Mike Moroski, principal at Purcell Marian High School, Cincinnati, Ohio.

From Moroski's original blog post:

I unabashedly believe that gay people SHOULD be allowed to marry. Ethically, morally and legally I believe this. I spend a lot of my life trying to live as a Christian example of love for others, and my formation at Catholic grade school, high school, 3 Catholic Universities and employment at 2 Catholic high schools has informed my conscience to believe that gay marriage is NOT something of which to be afraid. To me, it seems our time would be much better spent worrying about the economy, our city’s failing pensions, retaining our big business neighbors and finding creative, efficient, effective ways to fund our excellent Cincinnati Public Schools.

Towleroad has more from the Associate Press:

Moroski had anticipated the move after refusing to take down the blog post and hiring an attorney. Moroski did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday, but he told The Cincinnati Enquirer last week that he was following his conscience when he wrote about his support of gay marriage. He said he knew he the post violated the social media policy but doesn’t feel that he violated the teachings of the church. “I put it up there because I really truly honestly believe it,” he said. “I’m absolutely willing to lose my job over this. The only difficult thing for me now is the students.” Moroski had been in his second year at Purcell Marian High after teaching at Moeller High School for 10 years, according to the Enquirer.

Remember how our enemies scream bloody murder when an anti-gay teacher is disciplined for doing something like this? Wanna bet they have a different opinion this time? (Tipped by JMG reader Casey)

At The University Of Cincinnati

Kind of curious that the cop was wearing a microphone.

Cincinnati: Threats Force Removal Of Atheism Billboard

Two days after it went up, yesterday a Cincinnati billboard promoting atheism was removed after the landlord of its site received "multiple serious threats."

The group that funded the billboard, the United Coalition of Reason, was contacted by Lamar Advertising of Cincinnati. Lamar reported that the landowner of the site had been threatened over the billboard's message and wanted it taken down. "We weren't given the landowner's identity or precise details," reported Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason. "Nor did we pursue them. It was sufficient to learn that multiple, significant threats had been received and that Lamar would act quickly to alleviate the problem. Lamar was most apologetic to us regarding the situation. It was a development they hadn't expected. Nor had we. Nothing like this has ever happened to us before." "Everything that has happened shows just how vital our message is," said Shawn Jeffers, co-coordinator for the Cincinnati Coalition of Reason. "It proves our point, that bigotry against people who don't believe in a god is still very real in America. Only when we atheists, agnostics and humanists come together and go public about our views will people have a chance to learn that we too are part of the community and deserve respect."

The billboard was moved to a less visible location, locals still aren't happy. "I think the sign needs to come down. Its atheist. Its going to cause problems around all the churches, not just Catholic, but Lutheran, baptist, all of them," said one man.

(Tipped by JMG reader Dorothy)