Homosexuality

A group of Anglican Church leaders, including some from the General Synod, the Church of England's governing body, has stated in a public letter opposition to the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, and a desire for it to include same-sex couples.

Homosexual marriage has been a controversial issue in Britain and especially in the Anglican Church. British Prime Minister David Cameron and several other political groups and leaders in the country want the government to allow same-sex couples, who already can partake in civil unions that allow them many of the same benefits as heterosexual couples, to make vows and marry.

The Church of England stands firm in its support of traditional marriage and says: more >>

Likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has named an openly gay man to his team of campaign advisers on national security and foreign policy issues in a move that is drawing criticism from some conservatives questioning his Mormon beliefs.

Richard Grenell, 45, is an experienced politician who has served as a spokesman for the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and was also appointed by Ambassador John Danforth in 2004 to serve as an alternative representative of the United States to the U.N. Security Council, SouthFloridaGayNews.com reported.

Grenell has been a prominent voice for gay Republicans and has worked for a number of GOP politicians, including New York Governor George Pataki, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, and San Diego Mayor Susan Golding. more >>

A group of high school students attending a recent national journalism conference in Seattle had to walk out on sex-advice columnist, author and gay anti-bully activist Dan Savage, after he allegedly made offensive remarks about the Bible. Contradictory his anti-bullying efforts Savage also reportedly called the Christian teens "pansies" for leaving during his speech.

Savage, who recently launched a sex advice show targeted toward college students on MTV, was the featured guest speaker April 13 at the Journalism Over the Edge/National Scholastic Press Association National High School Journalism Convention. During his remarks, which students reportedly thought would focus on bullying as the author would later sign copies of his new book about the subject, Savage said "people [use] the Bible as an excuse for gay bullying," according to one teen who walked out on the columnist.

The 17-year-old California student, whose name was not given, told CitizenLink's Karla Dial that Savage said people using the Bible to justify their views on homosexuality being a sin often cite Leviticus and Romans in saying that "being gay is wrong." more >>

The largest Colorado congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has voted to leave the denomination over theological differences.

First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs voted Sunday morning to leave the Pueblo Presbytery of PC(USA) in large part due to the denomination's decision in 2010 to allow the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals.

Of the 1,769 congregants of the 4,000-strong church present for the vote, 1,689 members voted in favor of dismissal from PC(USA) to join the recently created Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians. more >>

Gambia's president, apparently responding to demands from the U.K. and U.S. for acceptance of gay and lesbian rights, has stated that no amount of foreign-aid "bribing" was going to lead him to "insult God by doing something in the name of human rights."

"If you are to give us aid for men and men or for women and women to marry, leave it; we don't need your aid because, as long as I am the President of The Gambia, you will never see that happen in this country," His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh declared at the 2012 State Opening of the National Assembly on Friday.

The comments come only weeks after 19 people including Gambians, a Senegalese and a Nigerian were arrested in Gambia on suspicion of homosexual acts, and charged with two counts of attempts to commit unnatural offense and conspiracy to commit felony. more >>

Jay Bakker grew up in North Carolina in the limelight of his parents' Praise The Lord ministry before it crumbled in the 1980s after his father pled guilty to fraud charges. Now the young minister is opposing the state's efforts to pass a marriage amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

The tattooed-laden Bakker, 36, now lives in New York City and is the co-founder of Revolution Church, which meets on Sundays in Pete's Candy store, a bar. He was featured in a 2006 documentary "One Punk Under God."

Since he is no longer a resident of North Carolina, he cannot vote on the issue but still felt moved to join the efforts opposing it. more >>