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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Obama signs bill to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

President Obama has signed a bill to end the ban on openly gay troops in the US military.

Two years after he promised to end the controversial policy in his election campaign, the president signed the bill during a ceremony at the Interior Department.

Today, he said that the change would “strengthen our national security and uphold the ideals that our fighting men and women risk their lives to defend”.

Referring to the sacrifices made by servicemembers, he said: “None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well.”

An estimated 14,000 troops have been dismissed under the 1993 ban.

Last weekend, the Senate voted to repeal the bill.

However, it may take months before gay soldiers are permitted to serve openly and those fired can re-apply to join the military.

Military officials must consider and rewrite policies related to the issue over the next few weeks.

Then, President Obama, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen must certify that the ban can be lifted without damaging the military.

Following this certification, 60 days must pass before repeal officially takes place.

The parents of a New Jersey student who jumped to his death after his roommate allegedly broadcast his gay sex session are to sue his university.

Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old student at Rutgers University, killed himself by jumping from the George Washington Bridge in September.

His roommate Dharun Ravi of Plainsboro, New Jersey, and Molly W Wei of Princeton, both 18, deny secretly recording him having sex with a man and broadcasting it online.

They have both been charged with invasion of privacy and have left campus.

Associated Press reports that Mr Clementi’s parents filed notice to sue last week and their attorney Stephen DeFeo said they will argue that Rutgers failed to implement or enforce policies that would have prevented or deterred the alleged invasion of privacy.

A Rutgers spokesman said that while the university was sympathetic to the Clementi family, it was not responsible for the student’s death.

Police are still mystified over the death of British spy Gareth Williams, whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in August.

Mr Williams, 31, was a GCHQ code-breaker who was on secondment to MI6 at the time of his death.

His naked body was found locked inside a holdall at his Pimlico flat with the keys inside the bag. He is thought to have been dead for a week.

According to Press Association, police revealed today that he had visited bondage websites and had a £15,000 collection of women’s designer clothing.

They also said that a witness saw him at a gay bar in Vauxhall several months before he died and that he had visited a drag show a few days before his death. He also had tickets for two more drag shows.

Mr Williams is rumoured to have been gay, but police say they have not been able to speak to any of his sexual partners. He is said to have been intensely private.

Today, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said she believes Mr Williams was locked in the bag by another person and that police would continue to study his private life for clues.

Speaking at New Scotland Yard today, she said: “We remain completely open-minded about how he died.

“We are appealing today to someone who is out there to come forward and tell us more.”

No traces of drugs or alcohol were found in Mr Williams’ body. Experts found that he would have died after 30 minutes inside the bag from suffocation.

Police are seeking a man and a woman who visited his flat several weeks before his body was found and say that forensic evidence shows that other people were in the property.

His death is still being treated as suspicious and unexplained and an inquest will be held in February.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, was accused of being “homophobic” by out gay Labour MP Chris Bryant yesterday for joking that the latter was a “pantomime dame”.

Mr Bryant, the MP for Rhondda, said afterwards: “I don’t think he would have said that phrase if I was not gay.

“I think when he gets back to the office he will probably think to himself ‘I should send a little note saying sorry, I didn’t mean to offend’.

“We all get it wrong sometimes and I think he got it wrong this time,” he added.

Mr Osborne’s aides said he had merely been making a Christmas joke after Mr Bryant accused him of being “Baron Hardup”.

Federal education officials are investigating the suicide of a 13-year-old California boy who killed himself after suffering homophobic bullying.

Seth Walsh died nine days after hanging himself in his garden on September 28th. His family said he had endured years of harassment and abuse at school for being gay.

Last week, his mother Wendy accused the Tehachapi school district of ignoring her pleas to tackle the bullying.

She said his grades had fallen and that some teachers had even joined in the harassment.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Education Secretary Arne Duncan confirmed that federal education officials were investigating how the school district dealt with the issue.

Mrs Walsh said she contacted Department of Education investigators while her son lay in hospital in a coma before he died.

She said they spent two days in Tehachapi last week, interviewing teachers, administrators and students.

In October, the Education Department’s civil rights division told school districts that they must take steps to stamp out anti-gay bullying.

According to Associated Press, the department has the power to investigate school districts where bullying is said to be so severe, it has resulted in a “hostile environment” for students who are, or are thought to be, LGBT.

Mrs Walsh is being supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, which last week sent a letter to the school district on her behalf asking it to prevent another tragedy.

The ACLU says that at least 11 US LGBT teenagers have killed themselves after suffering bullying in the last few months.

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to restore a reference to sexual orientation in a resolution opposing the unjustified killings of minority groups.

Last month, a UN panel deleted a reference to gays and lesbians in resolution introduced by Morocco and Mali. The vast majority of countries in support were African or Arabic.

Many of the supporting countries criminalise homosexuality and five treat it as a capital offence.

But today, the UN General Assembly voted 93 in favour of the United States’ proposal to restore the reference to sexual orientation, 55 countries voted against and 27 abstained. The assembly then approved the amended resolution with 122 in favour, none against and 59 abstentions.

The amendment passed last month called for the words “sexual orientation” to be replaced with “discriminatory reasons on any basis”. The resolution made explicit reference to a large number of groups, including human rights defenders, religious and ethnic minorities and street children.

It narrowly passed 79-70 and was then approved by the UN General Assembly committee with 165 in favour and ten abstentions. The motion condemns extra-judicial, summary and arbitrary executions and other killings, is voted on by the UN General Assembly every two years. For the past ten years, it contained references to sexual orientation.

A Malaysian Muslim man who spoke out about being gay has received death threats and says he fears for his life.

Azwan Ismail, a 32-year-old engineer, made a YouTube video called ‘I’m gay, I’m ok’, in an effort to encourage other gay Malaysians to feel comfortable with their sexual orientation.

His video clip was part of a series posted by Malaysian activists and was inspired by the US It Gets Better project, in which LGBT people speak frankly about their own experiences growing up.

Mr Ismail told Associated Press that he was scared he was about to be killed and that his life had been threatened.

He was the only Muslim to take part in the project. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia but offences are not usually harshly punished.

He said: “My intention was not to insult Islam. I just wanted to represent gay Malays in this project. I hope these videos will help to create a more open society and more discussion.”

In the video, which has been viewed more than 140,000 times on YouTube in just six days, Mr Ismail talked about his faith and his sexuality.

One prominent Islamic cleric criticised him for “derid[ing] his own dignity”, while Malaysia’s Cabinet minister for Islamic affairs, Jamil Khir Baharom, said action may be taken to prevent more people viewing the video.

Mr Ismail said he was now taking safety precautions in response to the threats.

Today is the fifth anniversary of civil partnerships in England and Wales.

The ceremonies, which give gay couples almost all of the rights of marriage, came into effect at 8am on December 21st 2005. Three gay couples in Brighton were the first to take advantage of the new legislation.

The very first civil partnership to take place was on December 5th 2005, between a gay couple where one partner was terminally ill.

An error meant that Scotland’s first civil partnerships were held on December 20th 2005.

Since 2005, an estimated 40,000 gay couples have entered into civil partnerships. London and Brighton remain the most popular areas for the ceremonies.

Last year, the average age for gay people to have a civil partnership was 41.2 for men and 38.9 for women. For straight couples, the average age at first marriage was 32.1 years for men and 29.9 years for women.

Currently, only gay couples may have a civil partnership. They cannot marry.

However, marriage equality campaigners hope to change this and will soon launch a legal bid to open up both institutions to everyone.

The coalition government has promised to work towards giving gay couples the right to religious civil partnerships but has stopped short of supporting gay marriage.

In a message released today, equality minister Lynne Featherstone said: “As well as benefiting the couples who have registered their unions, the introduction of civil partnerships has helped make a real, positive change in the way society thinks about lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

“As a government we’re committed to building on this progress, which is why we’re currently looking at what the next steps for civil partnerships could be.”

Two men and two teenage boys have been cleared of stabbing a man they allegedly thought was gay.

The group was accused of attacking Ricky Brown, of Homerton, east London, because they believed he had made advances to young boys after offering them drink or drugs.

Mr Brown, who survived being stabbed 12 times, said he had also been robbed.

After the attack in August last year, police arrested Bradley Goddard, 21, of Keston Road, Tottenham, Emmanuel Nwachukwu, of Station Road, New Barnet, 31, and a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old who cannot be named due to their ages.

The teenagers were arrested close to the scene but denied any involvement in the incident.

Mr Goddard and Mr Nwachukwu said to have been travelling in a car caught on CCTV in the area but Mr Nwachukwu said he had been in the area to buy cannabis with a friend.

All four were acquitted of aggravated burglary and two counts of burglary yesterday at the Old Bailey, the Muswell Hill Journal reports.

A Christian street preacher detained by police for being homophobic has won £7,000 in damages for wrongful arrest.

Dale McAlpine, 42, was arrested in Cumbria in April last year after he told a community support officer that homosexuality was a “sin”.

He was then arrested on suspicion of a public order offence by West Midlands Police.

Mr McAlpine, who regularly delivers sermons from a stepladder in Workington, was charged with using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

The charge was later dropped.

However, he sought the help of the Christian Institute and sued the force for wrongful arrest, unlawful imprisonment and breach of his human rights.

West Midlands Police have agreed to pay him a £7,000 settlement, plus court costs. He will also receive an apology from a senior officer.

Last week, a Christian street preacher who raged against the “effeminate” and said gays would go to hell won £4,000 in damages for being arrested.

Anthony Rollins, of Birmingham, was arrested in July 2008 when a passerby took offence to his remarks about homosexuality and called 999.

US awaits signing of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal laws

America is awaiting the presidential signing of the bill repealing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

The bill will be passed this week to President Barack Obama who has already confirmed that he will sign it into law, saying: “It is time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognise that sacrifice, valour and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed.

“It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly.”

The Senate passed the motion on Saturday 65-31 in favour of removing the restrictions on gays serving in the military. Numerous celebrities have responded positively to the vote.

Lady Gaga, who has been a vocal opponent of the ban, posted her reaction on Twitter, writing: “Can’t hold back the tears + pride. We did it!! Our voice was heard + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS.”

Ellen DeGeneres also added her thoughts on the social networking site, saying: “Thank you Senators for pushing us one step closer towards full equality.”

Musician Katy Perry agreed with P!nk, stating: “SUPPORTING ALL OUR TROOPS! RT @Pink: Congrats 2 US!!! REPEAL of DADT & 17 years of allowing Human Rights Violations. There’s hope after all.”

Openly gay actor Neil Patrick Harris wrote: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell REPEALED! So proud of Congress for making the right decision. Now all soldiers can serve with integrity. A great day.”

The repeal will take effect after a 60-day period to allow the US Defense Department to consider how best to implement the new policy.

The Catholic Church in Australia has advised its followers to call for politicians to resist gay marriage proposals based on the “natural order”.

MPs in Canberra are expected to receive calls from constituents who have been counselled by the Church to stress the importance of biological relationships, rather than protecting marriage as a religious institution.

The Sydney Archdiocese, the Catholic Women’s League and the Knights of the Southern Cross issued an open letter urging Catholics to take action.

The letter states: “Marriage between a man and a woman is not a religious construct but a natural institution found across all cultures and religions. Marriage is a unique kind of sexually complementary union with a natural orientation to life.”

The church has also written that heterosexual couples who are married but infertile have a greater right marriage than homosexuals because “their lovemaking is designed to give life”.

“Allowing two men or two women to marry would involve a fundamental change in our understanding of marriage, from a life-giving and sexually complementary union to a personal, romantic relationship with no true communion or connection to procreation.”

Currently, Australia’s Labor Party has an official policy against gay marriage.

The policy has been questioned recently, and a motion tabled by the Australian Greens party called on representatives to consult their constituents on the issue.

The motion was passed by 73 votes to 72.

Marriage Equality Spokesman Rodney Croome said the church should “should respect our right to marry under civil law – this kind of mutual tolerance is the hallmark of a modern, civilised democracy”.

“Our advice to the people we are encouraging to visit MPs is to highlight the fact that under Australian marriage law people of any faith or no faith can marry, as can people who cannot or do not wish to have children.”

Labour council candidate harassed rival with anti-gay abuse

A Labour council candidate has admitting bombarding his openly gay rival with homophobic abuse.

David Bradley, 29, of Bristol, sent 33 text messages to Ed Bramall, 33, calling him “creepy” and “vile”.

The messages also called gay people “bum rapists” and “gay lords”, the Bristol Evening Post reports.

Bradley, a failed Labour candidate for the seat of Weston-Super-Mare in the general election, lost out to Mr Bramall in the contest to represent Whitchurch Park ward at this year’s local elections.

His hate campaign began shortly afterwards.

Bradley pleaded guilty to harassment at Bristol magistratres’ court and will be sentenced at a later date.

His solicitor Anna Van Wely said he had been suffering a “difficult period” in his life. She said he was now receiving counselling and had cut down his drinking.

“I think it is probably the case that this man has been suffering from a mental health problem for some time,” she said.

Mr Bramall said the messages were “unpleasant” but he was not frightened by them.

“[Bradley] clearly has some mental health issues,” he said. “I don’t really hold any malice towards him. I just think it’s sad that he has done it and got himself in this situation.”

A South West Labour spokesperson said Bradley had been suspended by the Labour Party.

The mother of a California teenager who killed himself after he was bullied for being gay has pleaded with his school district to do more about the problem.

Seth Walsh, 13, died nine days after hanging himself in September. He had endured years of homophobic bullying at school.

His mother Wendy and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have asked Tehachapi school district to prevent another tragedy.

In a letter sent yesterday, they asked the school district to work with them and demanded that changes be made.

Mrs Walsh has also recorded a video (see below) about her son.

She said that teachers did not seem to care that her son was badly bullied and had done nothing to stop the harassment.

She said: “Seth told me he was gay when he was in the sixth grade. He was a wonderful, loving child, and I loved him for who he was.

“I can’t bring my son back. But schools can make a difference today to keep this from happening to any more young people. Schools need to take harassment and bullying seriously when parents or students tell them about it, and when they see it in the halls.”

According to Seth’s mother and close friends, some teachers even joined in the bullying. One allegedly called him “fruity” in front of a class of students.

Mrs Walsh said her son was a clever student but his grades had fallen as the harassment intensified. She said teachers were aware he was suffering but did not respond to her pleas for something to be done.

His friends said he had become depressed and frightened about using the bathroom or boys’ changing room before gym class.

He was taunted with abuse such as “fag” and “queer”, they said.

Seth hanged himself from a tree in the family garden on September 17th. He left a note criticising his school for not helping him and died in hospital on September 28th.

An investigation carried out by the ACLU said that school district officials were aware of the bullying but “largely ignored” it.

California law requires schools to protect students from harassment based on sexual orientation and the US Department of Education has also launched an investigation of the school district.

The ACLU says that at least 11 LGBT teenagers have killed themselves after suffering bullying in the last few months.

“Students have the right to be safe and supported at school for being exactly who they are. And parents deserve to know that their kids are going to school in a respectful environment where they are nurtured to reach their full potential,” said Elizabeth Gill, staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT Project and the ACLU of Northern California.

“Public schools have a duty to protect students from harassment based on sexual orientation, but too many schools get a failing grade in this respect.”

Winona Ryder claims that Mel Gibson was homophobic and anti-Semitic when she met him 15 years ago.

The actress told GQ that he had called her an “oven dodger” – a reference to the gas chambers used to kill Jews during the Holocaust.

“I was at one of those big Hollywood parties. And he was really drunk,” she said.

“I was with my friend, who’s gay. [Gibson] made a really horrible gay joke.

“And somehow it came up that I was Jewish. He said something about ‘oven dodgers,’ but I didn’t get it. I’d never heard that before.”

She added: “I was like, ‘he’s anti-Semitic and he’s homophobic’. No one believed me.”

Gibson’s spokesman did not comment.

Ryder is half-Jewish and has spoken before about her relatives being killed in the Holocaust.

Gibson, who has been accused of homophobia before, is struggling to save his reputation after he was arrested in the summer for alleged domestic violence.

In 2006, he declared that Jews were responsible for “all the wars in the world”.

In 1991, he told a Spanish magazine that his posterior was “only for taking a s**t”. He later said he had been drunk at the time.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has apologised for saying that gay football fans shouldn’t have sex in Qatar when the country hosts the 2022 World Cup.

Earlier this week, he dismissed concerns that the country is homophobic, despite laws punishing gay sex with up to five years in prison.

When asked about gay football fans visiting Qatar, he said: “I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities.”

Today, he said he was sorry if anyone had been offended by his comments.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi, he said: “It was not my intention and never will be my intention to go into any discrimination.

“This is exactly what we are against. If somebody feels that they have been hurt, then I regret it and present apologies.”

Gay campaigners were furious at his earlier comments.

Former basketball star John Amaechi, who came out in 2007, said he was “enraged” at the comments and had made a complain to FIFA.

The Gay Football Supporters’ Network called on him to retract the remarks or resign.

Gay referee Nigel Owens on reporting homophobic abuse

Rugby referee Nigel Owens has spoken about why he called police over homophobic abuse at a recent game.

He was on duty at a Welsh premiership game between Llanelli and Neath at Parc y Scarlets last month when a fan allegedly began shouting anti-gay abuse.

Mr Owens told the South Wales Post: “It’s the first time it’s happened when I have heard it so loud, the stadium was fairly empty and everyone there must have heard it, I know the players did.

“The reason something needs to be done about it, and why I took it to the police, however, is I recently spent six hours talking to a young rugby player who was contemplating taking his own life because he felt that he couldn’t deal with coming out.

“I have been through it myself and was telling him people would understand.

Then a few days later you get an idiot like that shouting homophobic abuse. It’s really not on.

“The Samaritans will tell you that around 4,000 young men a year take their own life in the UK and the reason in some cases is because they can not adjust to being gay.”

The referee, 39, is supporting a Samaritans campaign to prevent male suicides. He has documented his own struggle with depression and admitted he tried to kill himself at the age of 26.

Llanelli police are appealing for witnesses to the alleged abuse, which happened just before half-time at the November 15th game.

A 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were convicted today of the manslaughter of gay man Ian Baynham.

Ruby Thomas and Joel Alexander, both of south-east London, are facing jail.

Mr Baynham, 62, died 18 days after he was attacked in Trafalgar Square in September 2009.

The Old Bailey heard this month that he had suffered homophobic abuse before being knocked to the ground and then kicked and stamped on.

The assault was described as a “Clockwork Orange-style” attack.

Mr Baynham suffered severe head injuries and never regained consciousness.

Alexander and Thomas were found guilty of manslaughter and affray in a retrial. The jury in the previous trial could not agree on a verdict.

Rachel Burke, who was also present at the attack, was cleared of assault but found guilty of affray at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC told the court that Ms Thomas had drunkenly hurled anti-gay abuse at the pair and Mr Baynham had confronted her.

Ms Thomas is said to have lashed out at Mr Baynham and he retaliated towards her friend, Rachel Burke, the jury heard.

The court was told that Mr Alexander then knocked Mr Baynham to the floor with a punch to the jaw.

As he lay on the floor, the girls are said to have kicked him and stamped on him.

Mr Alexander admitted punching the older man but said he struck out to protect the girls.

Mr Baynham died from head injuries sustained when he hit his head on the pavement, the court heard.

Thomas, a former private school pupil, already has a conviction for violence after assaulting a bus driver in 2007.

Thomas, Burke and Alexander will be sentenced in the New Year.

The House of Representatives has for the second time passed a bill to overturn the US’s military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy that bans military personnel from being openly gay.

The vote, which was was 250 to 175, pressurises the Senate to delay its recess for Christmas in order to vote to repeal or keep the law. In January, those senators and congressmen elected in the mid-term elections held last month, will be sworn into office, with more Republicans in office, diminishing hopes of finally ending the ban.

“It’s been a long time coming, but now is the time for us to act,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrats) said prior to the vote. “We know our first responsibility as elected officials. We take an oath of office to protect and defend, and our first responsibility is to protect the American people, to keep them safe. We should honor the service of all who want to contribute to that security.”

Yesterday, the head of the marines said that repealing the law would lead to the death of troops troops. “When your life hangs on a line, on the intuitive behaviour of the young man … who sits to your right and your left, you don’t want anything distracting you,” said Marine Commandant General James Amos.

“I don’t want to lose any Marines to distraction. I don’t want to have any Marines that I’m visiting at Bethesda [hospital] with no legs,” he added.

“When your life hangs on the line, you don’t want anything distracting. . . . Mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines’ lives. That’s the currency of this fight.”

But senior military officials including the Defense Secretary Robert Gates support the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’.

In May, the House of Representatives voted 234-194, in favour of repealing the ban. This was followed by the Senate Armed Services Committee who followed the same path and voted 16-12 in favour of axing the law. In both cases, the measure was offered as an amendment to a defence spending bill

But, the hopes to repeal the law have been continually blocked in the Senate, mainly on procedural grounds. Just last week, a bill failed to get the 60 votes needed for a debate to be initiated.

A new bill, focused purely on the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ has been introduced by Senator Susan Collins and former Vice-Presidential candidate Senator Joe Lieberman. The vote in the House of Representatives, puts enormous pressure on the Senate to debate the issue this weekend, before the recess.

The killing of out gay man Ian Baynham shows that work to tackle anti-gay bullying in schools must continue, campaigners have said.

Mr Baynham’s killers, Ruby Thomas and Joel Alexander, were teenagers at the time of the homophobic attack last year.

Today, they were found guilty of his manslaughter. Rachel Burke was found guilty of affray at an earlier hearing.

The Old Bailey heard that Thomas had shouted homophobic abuse at Mr Baynham and “put the boot” into him as he lay dying on the floor.

Gay rights groups said that his killers’ ages proved that plenty of work still needs to be done in schools.

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall chief executive, said: “We welcome this verdict and urge the judge to take into consideration the homophobic element of this crime when sentencing.

“The perpetrators of this homophobic crime were educated in Britain’s education system within the last five years – demonstrating how much more needs to be done to tackle homophobia in our schools before it festers into violence on the streets.”

Paul Martin, of the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, added: “This is a hugely important result, but it is still greatly upsetting that we live in a society where these crimes are still happening and that Ian Baynham is no longer with us.

“The three accused of attacking Mr Baynham were still teenagers at the time of the attack, not long out of the UK education system, highlighting the work that needs to be done in all schools, other young peoples’ settings and throughout society to change attitudes, promote understanding and challenge homophobia.”

He added: “But today’s ruling sends out an important message, that prejudice won’t be tolerated, that homophobic hate crimes are treated seriously and that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people should have the confidence to report hate crimes.

“Our thoughts are with Ian’s family and friends.”

General James Amos, Commandant of the USMC, says the "distraction" of openly gay soldiers will cause more casualties on the battlefield.

"When your life hangs on a line, on the intuitive behavior of the young man ... who sits to your right and your left, you don't want anything distracting you," Amos told reporters at the Pentagon. "I don't want to lose any Marines to distraction. I don't want to have any Marines that I'm visiting at Bethesda (hospital) with no legs," he said. He added that "mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines' lives. That's the currency of this fight." His comments were the toughest yet on the issue, after he testified at a congressional hearing that he opposed lifting the ban in a time of war. Amos said Marines in combat in Afghanistan sent a "very strong message" in the Pentagon's study released earlier this month, expressing opposition to repealing the ban in a survey."I have to listen to that," he said.

Metro Weekly's Chris Geidner reports that Amos' comments have sparked outrage among pro-repeal groups. Aaron Belkin, the director of the Palm Center, told Metro Weekly, "Among those U.S. Marines who know a gay or lesbian peer in their unit, 88.1 percent say that the unit functions effectively. Gen. Amos is cherry-picking the data to support his 20th century views, and everyone knows it." Belkin added, "Gen. Amos admitted [in his testimony on Dec. 3] that he is the only Service Chief who did not take the time to ask his colleagues in foreign militaries whether allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly undermines combat effectiveness." [snip]

Servicemembers United executive director Alex Nicholson, meanwhile, said in a statement that Amos's "commentary is moving from the realm of reasonable disagreement in the provision of professional military advice to hysteria-inducing absurdity on this topic that reflects very poorly on DOD and on the administration." SLDN's Sarvis went on in his statement to say of Amos's comments, "He had his say before the Senate and House. General Amos needs to stop lobbying against his Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. If he cannot do that, the President should ask for his resignation."

"Look, at the end of the day people have to respect people's differences. I am different than some people would like me to be. I just don't buy into that the personal can be political. I just think that's horseshit. No one's personal life is in the public interest. It's gossip, bottom line. End of story. Now some people feed that. They'll go to the trendy restaurants where all the photographers are and then bitch about being famous. But if you don't want to feed that and you want your life to be based around what your work is then it ends there." - Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, taking a page from Queen Latifah in a Daily Beast interview that asks why he won't officially come out.

The two runners-up were WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the Tea Party. TIME says about Zuckerberg: At 26, Zuckerberg is a year older than our first Person of the Year, Charles Lindbergh — another young man who used technology to bridge continents. He is the same age as Queen Elizabeth when she was Person of the Year, for 1952. But unlike the Queen, he did not inherit an empire; he created one. (The Queen, by the way, launched a Facebook page this year.) Person of the Year is not and never has been an honor. It is a recognition of the power of individuals to shape our world. For connecting more than half a billion people and mapping the social relations among them (something that has never been done before); for creating a new system of exchanging information that has become both indispensable and sometimes a little scary; and finally, for changing how we all live our lives in ways that are innovative and even optimistic, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is TIME's 2010 Person of the Year.

"He pretty much spit on me, my Purple Heart, and my 13 years of service. I would definitely ask Amos for a meeting to explain his comments, and I’d bring my Purple Heart with me. I wish Obama would invite [Amos] to the White House and fire his ass on the spot." - Former USMC Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, responding to USMC Commandant General Amos' comment that repealing DADT would cost Marines their limbs due to the "distraction" of all those homo soldiers. In 2003 Alva became the first Marine to be injured in Iraq when he lost his leg due to a landmine

Openly gay Colorado state Sen. Pat Steadman plans to introduce a civil unions bill early next year.

Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, said he believes the majority of Coloradans support civil unions and oppose gays being treated unfairly. Steadman, who is gay, said he expects his proposal to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, but he's not sure what kind of reception the idea will get in the Republican-controlled House. It could be a frosty one, said the speaker-elect, Rep. Frank McNulty, who noted Coloradans rejected a similar proposal four years ago. "I think that kind of bill would be of concern with the vast majority of the members of our caucus," the Highlands Ranch Republican said. But Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, who will be the speaker pro tem next year, said he supports civil unions "in concept, precisely because they are not gay marriage." However, he added, he would have to read the bill before he decides where he stands.

Colorado-based Focus On The Family says they plan to oppose the bill, surprise surprise.

"How many brave men and women are liberals willing to sacrifice so that homosexuals can flaunt their lifestyle? The only reason for changing the present policy is if it would help the military accomplish its mission. So far, no one has produced a single reason how it would. Until then, the Senate has to ask itself: Do they want the blood of innocent soldiers on their hands just to appease the political base of Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)? If they can live with that, then they're unlike any human beings I've ever met." - Family Research Council head Tony Perkins, in a post agreeing with USMC Commandant James Amos.

Lt. Colonel Terrence Lakin, the Army birther who said he didn't have to obey the orders of his "illegitimate" commander in chief, has been found guilty on four felony counts of military disobedience at his court-martial.

"I am extremely sorry for everything that has come of this," Lakin said during unsworn testimony in the sentencing phase of his trial. "As a military member, I was wrong." Lakin faces as much as 42 months in prison, forfeiture of pay and retirement benefits, and dismissal from the service after being convicted of four felonies. The court-martial panel found him guilty of two counts of disobeying orders to report to his commanding officer, one count of failing to report to his new unit, and, most seriously, missing the movement of an airplane that was to take him to his new post. Lakin will be sentenced tomorrow.

Lakin says he continues to believe the president is not a U.S. citizen, but that he shouldn't have allowed that opinion to affect the orders of his immediate superiors.

Kevin Spacey has compared media interest in his sexuality to anti-gay bullying.

The actor has fiercely protected his private life and has denied that he is gay for years.

Speaking to interviewer Kevin Sessums for the Daily Beast website, Spacey equated the interest in his personal life to the bullying suffered by gay teenagers who attempt suicide.

Sessums said: “We gay men have always proudly claimed you as a member of our tribe, and yet you don’t proudly claim us back. Why?”

In response, Spacey said: “Look, I might have lived in England for the last several years but I’m still an American citizen and I have not given up my right to privacy.”

After Sessums argued that heterosexuality was not considered private, the actor continued: “I think what we have seen in terms of gay teenagers committing suicide because of bullying is anguishing. I think young people, if they are feeling like they are confused, need to know that there are people to talk to and that there are places they can go and not feel alone.

“But I feel that they have just as many rights as I do to not be bullied. And I don’t understand people who say, ‘Well, this is a terrible thing that is happening to this young person whose life is being exposed,’ and then turn around and do it to another person.

“People have different reasons for the way they live their lives. You cannot put everyone’s reasons in the same box. It’s just a line I’ve never crossed and never will.”

Sessums responded that he did not consider the line of questioning to be bullying and asked whether the actor would make an ‘It Gets Better’ video.

Spacey said: “Yeah. Absolutely. I’d do one of those. But why is it in this country that kids might think it’s okay to bully and make fun of somebody?

“I’ll tell you why, because what do they see in the media happening all the time? In the media they seem to think that’s okay. So if we stop using sexuality as a weapon against people maybe everyone will eventually get cool with it.”

Husband of murdered bride accused of gay sex with prostitute

Police are questioning a male prostitute who claims he was paid for sex by the husband of murdered honeymooner Anni Dewani.

Mrs Dewani was shot dead in Cape Town, South Africa, last month and local police believe her husband Shrien arranged for her to be killed by hitmen.

He has already faced questions about his sexuality and a 39-year-old German man is understood to have contacted British police to claim that Mr Dewani paid him for sex on three occasions.

According to the Sun, the escort told detectives at Scotland Yard that the pair had been in contact for months and had “kinky” sex in the Midlands and west London.

He said that Mr Dewani, a millionaire businessman, paid him a total of £1,100 in cash for his services between September 2009 and April of this year.

Mr Dewani is on £250,000 bail and strenuously denies having anything to do with his wife’s death.

He has also denied having sex with men and his spokesman, the PR guru Max Clifford, said: “It is categorically denied. Shrien Dewani has never had a sexual relationship with a man in his life.”

Mr Dewani’s lawyer said he had witnesses to corroborate his story.

He is currently fighting extradition to South Africa, where local police want to investigate him on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

Mrs Dewani’s family have urged him to return to the country to “clear the doubts”.

She was initially thought to have been killed in a hijacking. Mr Dewani and their taxi driver Zola Tongo escaped unharmed.

Tongo was jailed for 18 years last week. His sentence was reduced from 25 years after he implicated the British businessman in the killing. Two other m

Gay rights campaigners are preparing to launch legal action after the last of eight couples to challenge the UK’s marriage laws were turned away from a registry office today.

The Equal Love campaign aims to overturn the bans on gay marriage and straight civil partnerships.

Lucy Hilken and Tim Garrett applied for a civil partnership in Aldershot but clerks rejected them, citing UK law.

In the last two months, four gay couples and four straight couples have applied for – and been denied – ceremonies they are not entitled to.

They now plan to challenge the law in court.

Mr Garrett, 31, said: “We hope Britain will soon join other civilised, liberal democracies such as South Africa and the Netherlands, by casting off this unpleasant and offensive form of segregation. Allowing civil partnerships only to gay people and civil marriages only to straight people is unjust discrimination.”

Ms Hilken added: “We have been refused a civil partnership on unfair and discriminatory grounds. We are now are going to pursue this matter in the courts.”

Campaign organiser Peter Tatchell said a press conference would be held next Tuesday and that further details about the next steps would be released later this week.

The couples are being advised by Robert Wintemute, professor of human rights law at Kings College London.

Prof Wintemute says that the twin bans violate Article 14 (protection against discrimination), Article 12 (the right to marry) and Article 8 (the right to respect for family life) of the Human Rights Act.

A gay member of the UK Youth Parliament website has been suspended after allegedly posting explicit pictures of himself on the internet.

Reace Mcdonnell, 19, put the images on a “porn networking site”, the Plymouth Herald reports.

He was suspended after a mother found them and complained.

The woman, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper: “I am concerned as a mother for my child. He has recently ‘come out’ as gay and has been following the out youth in Plymouth.

“Reace Mcdonnell, who leads this group and is an apparent role model for young teens in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, is on the internet.

“My son has spoken to me about this internet site and thinks that this is ‘cool’.”

Andy Hamflett, chief executive of the UK Youth Parliament, said: “Our primary concern is for the safety of all the young people we work with and we are taking these allegations very seriously.

“The young person in question has been suspended whilst the matter is investigated.”

Mr Mcdonnell has not commented but posted on his Facebook profile yesterday: “I would like to remind people NOT to believe everything you read in the papers.

“I think its really quite pathetic that you should intringe on my life like this, not only at this pivotal stage, but atall, considering im an adult.

“My statment is that the allegation is not based on fact and should be discredited and ignored by all who read it [sic].”

He joined the Youth Parliament in 2007 and said he would campaign for LGBT rights and better sex education.

The US Marines’ top general has said that lifting the ban on out gay soldiers could cost lives.

General James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, says a Pentagon study on lifting the ban showed that front-line troops were most concerned about serving alongside out gay colleagues.

He said that gay servicemembers might cause a “distraction” that could result in increased injuries and deaths.

Gen Amos told reporters at the Pentagon: “When your life hangs on a line, on the intuitive behavior of the young man … who sits to your right and your left, you don’t want anything distracting you.

“I don’t want to lose any Marines to distraction. I don’t want to have any Marines that I’m visiting at Bethesda [hospital] with no legs,” he said.

“When your life hangs on the line,” he said, “you don’t want anything distracting. . . . Mistakes and inattention or distractions cost Marines’ lives. That’s the currency of this fight.”

He has opposed lifting the ban before but according to the Washington Post, this is the first time a senior officer has suggested that troops could be seriously injured or killed if gay soldiers can serve openly.

The pro-repeal Servicemembers Legal Defense Network accused him of “fear tactics” and said he should resign.

Army veteran and executive director Aubrey Sarvis said: “General Amos needs to fall in line and salute or resign now. He implied that repeal will lead to Marines losing their legs in combat.

“Those fear tactics are not in the interest of any service member. The General’s goal is to kill repeal no matter the consequences, perhaps at the dereliction of his other duties.

“He had his say before the Senate and House. General Amos needs to stop lobbying against his Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. If he cannot do that, the President should ask for his resignation.”

The Pentagon survey found that most troops were relaxed about lifting the ban.

However, nearly 60 per cent of troops in the most dangerous roles – in the Marines and combat units – said repeal would be damaging.

In October, the the retiring commandant of the Marine Corps said that almost all Marines would be unhappy about serving with out gay colleagues.

Gen James Conway said that “90 to 95 per cent of the Marines” he had informally surveyed said they had concerns about the consequences of allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly.

Jimmy Carter, who served as president of the United States of America between 1977 and 1981, has told the BigThink project that his country is ready for a gay president.
Asked whether he thought the country was ready for a gay person to serve as president he replied: “I think the entire population of America has come tremendous strides forward in dealing with the issue of gays. And I would say that the answer is yes.”

He added: “I don’t know about the next election, but I think in the near future. Because step-by-step we have realised that this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago… or 40 years ago.

“So I would say that the country is getting acclimated to a president who might be female, who might obviously, now be black and who might be as well, a gay person. Yes, I would say the answer is, yes.”

The Christian couple at the centre of a court case around gay rights and religious freedom say they may have to close their hotel if barred from discriminating against gay couples.

Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who own the Chymorvah Private Hotel in Cornwall, are being sued for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

In 2008, they refused to let civil partners Martin Hall and Steven Preddy stay in a room with a double bed because they are both men.

At Bristol country court today, their lawyer James Dingemans QC said that if they were not allowed to retain their policy of only allowing straight married couples to share rooms, they would have to shut their hotel.

The Bulls state on their website that they will only let heterosexual married couples share rooms. They say that their longstanding policy applies to all unmarried couples, whether gay or straight but they do not check whether couples are legally married.

Catherine Casserley, the lawyer for Mr Hall and Mr Preddy, argued that the couple were being discriminated against purely on the basis of their sexual orientation because straight couples could pretend to be married.

According to Press Association, she said: “Nobody wants to see the defendants out of business, but we say they have to abide by the law. They either have to change their policy or offer single rooms to everyone.”

The Bulls claimed that they had been the victims of a sting but Mr Preddy and Mr Hall denied this.

The court will give a judgment after Christmas.

German researchers believe they have cured a man of HIV by using a stem cell transplant.

Timothy Ray Brown, 42, was also being treated for acute myeloid leukaemia – a cancer of the immune system. Three and a half years later, he apparently shows no sign of either disease.

He stopped taking HIV medication and was given the stem cell transplant in February 2007. He also underwent high-dose chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which wiped out his immune system.

Mr Brown received another round of treatment and a new stem cell transplant from the same donor just over a year later, when his leukaemia relapsed.

Researchers at Charite-University Medicine Berlin said that the donor’s stem cells had a rare inherited genetic mutation that made them resistant to HIV infection.

It was expected that his HIV would return but this has not happened yet.

Dr Gero Huetter, a hematologist and professor at the University of Heidelberg, and a co-author of the new paper, told Deutsche Welle: “We weren’t able to find HIV in his cells. The new cells have a natural resistance against HIV.”

The study, published in the journal Blood, said his immune system has returned to normal health and concluded: “Our results strongly suggest that cure of HIV has been achieved in this patient.”

However, HIV experts said that while the results were promising, they did not represent a potential cure for all patients.

Dr Michael Saag, professor of medicine and director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham AIDS Center, told CNN: “This probably is a cure, but it comes at a bit of a price.”

“For him to receive the donor cells, his body had to have all of his immune system wiped out. . . . The Catch-22 here is that the best candidates for a cure, ideally, are people who are healthy.”

”I would call this a functional cure,” Dr Margaret Fischl, an AIDS researcher at the University of Miami, told the Brisbane Times.

”It’s on the level and a very remarkable case. But would we do this with an HIV patient? No.”

Gay basketball star John Amaechi has condemned the head of FIFA for saying that gay football fans should not have sex in Qatar.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Sepp Blatter appeared to laugh at concerns that Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, is deeply homophobic.

When asked how gay fans could visit the country for the event, he joked: “I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities.”

Qatar punishes homosexuality with five years in jail and lashes.

Amaechi, who came out in 2007, said he was “enraged” at the comments and had made a complain to FIFA.

He said: “The statements and the position adopted by Sepp Blatter and FIFA regarding LGBT fans who would pay the enormous ticket and travel prices to attend the World Cup in 2022 should have been wholly unacceptable a decade ago.

“Instead, with little more than an afterthought, FIFA has endorsed the marginalisation of LGBT people around the world.

“Anything less than a full reversal of [Blatter's] position is unacceptable and if the FA and football and sporting associations around the world fail to acknowledge this insult, they too will be complicit.”

Amaechi added: “Blatt’s [sic] words aren’t really about sex. . . Rather, what Blatt is really saying is ‘don’t be camp… don’t hold hands… don’t look into each others eyes… don’t book rooms with one bed… don’t have candle-lit dinners in the restaurant…’ and so on.”

Meanwhile, the Gay Football Supporters’ Network said Blatter should resign.

Chris Basiurski, chair of the GFSN, said: “Many LGBT people live in countries where they would face execution or imprisonment if discovered, these people deserve our help, our respect and our support. They, like the rest of us, do not deserve to be laughed at.

“Mr Blatter should retract his remarks and apologise immediately. Otherwise, he should reconsider his position and resign.”

The jury in the case of a gay man killed in central London has retired to consider its verdict.

Ian Baynham, 62, died 18 days after he was attacked in Trafalgar Square in September 2009.

The Old Bailey heard this month that he had suffered homophobic abuse before being knocked to the ground and then kicked and stamped on.

He suffered severe head injuries and never regained consciousness.

Joel Alexander, 20, and Ruby Thomas, 18, both of south London, deny manslaughter and affray.

Mr Baynham had been out with a friend celebrating a new job on the night he was attacked.

Prosecutor Brian Altman QC told the court that Ms Thomas had drunkenly hurled anti-gay abuse at the pair and Mr Baynham had confronted her.

Ms Thomas is said to have lashed out at Mr Baynham and he retaliated towards her friend, Rachel Burke, the jury heard.

The court was told that Mr Alexander then knocked Mr Baynham to the floor with a punch to the jaw.

As he lay on the floor, the girls are said to have kicked him and stamped on him.

Mr Alexander admitted punching the older man but said he struck out to protect the girls.

Mr Baynham died from head injuries sustained when he hit his head on the pavement, the court heard.

Ms Burke was not in court and the jury was told not to speculate on reasons for her absence.

Scientists breed mice with two fathers

Scientists have created mice with two fathers, suggesting that technology could one day be used to allow gay male couples the chance to have children with genes from both parents.

Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Texas used a series of steps to create the mice.

They manipulated stem cells from a male mouse (father A) to create ‘”male eggs” without the male Y chromosome. These were then put into embryos and transplanted into surrogate mother mice.

The resulting mice, which were all female, had genetic material from both father A and the donated eggs and sperm from the embryos. Some of the eggs they produced had only genetic material from father A.

They were then mated with another male (father B) and their offspring, both male and female, contained genetic material which came from only father A and father B.

The researchers admitted that the process was complicated but said that if it was refined, “someday two men could produce their own genetic sons and daughters”.

It could also be used for lesbians to have children.

“It may also be possible to generate sperm from a female donor and produce viable male and female progeny with two mothers,” researchers said.

Another use could be to preserve endangered species where no females remain.

The study was published this week in the journal Biology of Reproduction.

In 2008, researchers at the University of Newcastle created primitive sperm cells with female embryonic stem cells.

An Atlanta judge has approved a $1.025 million payout to patrons of a gay bar raided by police.

US District Judge Timothy Batten Sr signed the settlement order today after the city council agreed to pay the sum.

The Atlanta Eagle was raided in September 2009 and patrons said the dozens of officers subjected them to excessive force and homophobic abuse.

Police claimed that the bar was raided because of anonymous reports of drug use and and men having sex. However, no evidence for this was found.

Twenty-eight patrons filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta Police Department last November seeking damages and alleging that some officers committed crimes of false imprisonment, assault, battery and trespassing.

It was pointed out today by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the city could have saved the money – and the funds it spent defending the case – by accepting a settlement offer in February that had almost identical terms, but did not ask for $1,025 million.

On Wednesday, Mayor Kasim Reed made a statement apologising to each of the patrons in the lawsuit for their mistreatment at the hands of police.

A prominent gay journalist in San Diego has been found dead after apparently jumping from a seven-storey hotel.

Michael Portantino, 52, was the publisher of the weekly San Diego’s Gay and Lesbian Times, which he bought in 1989.

He was credited with turning the newspaper’s focus to news and politics and was said to have been dedicated to LGBT equality.

However, reports said he was rumoured to be depressed after closing the newspaper in October when it suffered financial difficulties.

He was found dead on Wednesday night after apparently jumping from the building near Balboa Park.

Jeri Dilno, a former editor of the Gay and Lesbian Times, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Mr Portantino was “sometimes controversial and not afraid to point fingers”.

“He was very committed to the community and provided a lot of free ads to struggling organisations,” she added.

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, chair of the Legislative LGBT Caucus, said: “He was a passionate and fearless advocate for the cause of LGBT equality.”

The Canadian military has published new guidance on transgender soldiers.

While debate continues in the US about openly gay troops, the Canadian military has been putting together a new policy on how trans soldiers should be treated, the National Post reports.

The policy says they should wear the uniform of their “target” gender but must be given privacy and respect. For example, no reason must be given when a person’s name is changed on military records.

The new policy does not allow military honours to be reassigned to new names, saying “there is no legal authority for rewriting history”.

Canada’s military first paid for gender treatment for a member in 1998 and deals with one or two trans troops every year.

Cherie MacLeod, executive director of PFLAG Canada, said the change was positive.

“This is an important step towards recognising a community that has always struggled for equal rights and basic human protection,” she told the newspaper. “When government becomes more inclusive, over time, society will follow.”

The husband of a British woman murdered in her honeymoon in South Africa has denied he is secretly gay.

Shrien Dewani is under suspicion for the death of his new wife Anni and South African police are reportedly looking into the possibility that he was gay and did not want to start a family with her.

The 30-year-old is fighting attempts to extradite him to South Africa over claims he paid two hitman to kill his wife.

Mrs Dewani, 28, was shot dead in an apparent hijacking in Cape Town last month. Her husband and their taxi driver Zola Tongo escaped unharmed.

Tongo was jailed for 18 years this week. His sentence was reduced from 25 years after he implicated the British businessman in the killing. Two other men are accused of murder, aggravated robbery and kidnapping.

According to The Sun, a South African detective involved in the case said: “We are looking closely at suggestions that all was not well within the marriage – and that Shrien Dewani’s sexuality was a factor.

“They appear to have had different views about starting a family.”

Mr Dewani’s relatives said the claims were “ridiculous” and he denied he was gay in a recent interview with the Sun.

He was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and will appear at a court hearing today.

The Christian owners of a seaside hotel are being sued by a gay couple they refused a double room to.

Peter and Hazelmary Bull, who own the Chymorvah Private Hotel in Cornwall, refused to let civil partners Martin Hall and Steven Preddy stay in a room with a double bed in 2008.

The Bulls state on their website that they will only let heterosexual married couples share rooms.

A month before Mr Hall made the booking, the Bulls had been contacted by gay rights charity Stonewall to warm them that their policy broke the law.

Mr Hall and Mr Preddy, of Bristol, have lodged a claim for sexual orientation discrimination and are seeking £5,000 in damages.

Mr and Mrs Bull say that their longstanding policy applies to all unmarried couples, whether gay or straight. . Their legal defence is being financed by The Christian Institute.

Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: “This case is about liberty of conscience. This guesthouse is Mr and Mrs Bull’s own home. They have rights too, and they should not be forced to act against their sincerely held religious beliefs under their own roof.

“Their guesthouse is not the only one in Cornwall, there is plenty of room for diversity of opinion. This Christian couple are being put on trial for their beliefs. Equality laws are being used as a sword rather than a shield.”

The case will be heard at Bristol County Court on Monday December 13th and the hearing is scheduled to last for two days.

Earlier this year, another gay couple said they would sue a bed and breakfast for damages after the Christian owners refused to let them share a room.

Michael Black and John Morgan, from Brampton, Cambridgeshire, were barred from staying at the Swiss B&B in Cookham, Berkshire, in March.

The US Senate yesterday blocked legislation to end the ban on out gay troops.

Senators voted 57-40 – three votes short of the 60 needed – to pass military funding legislation which included a repeal measure.

The vote means it is unlikely the controversial law will be overturned this year.

Republicans had promised to block all bills other than those to fund the government in a row over expiring tax cuts.

President Barack Obama, who promised two years ago he would end the ban, criticised a “minority of senators” for voting against the legislation because they oppose repeal.

“While today’s vote was disappointing, it must not be the end of our efforts,” he said.

“This law weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and violates fundamental American principles of fairness, integrity and equality.”

The 1993 law allows gay and lesbian troops to serve in the military so long as they keep their sexuality secret.

Also known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it bans superiors from asking troops whether they are gay but they can still be fired if their sexuality becomes known.

One Republican voted to pass the legislation – Susan Collins of Maine. She said after the vote that she and independent Senator Joe Lieberman would jointly introduce a separate bill to end the ban.

Ms Collins said a standalone bill would be more likely to garner the necessary support.

However, their bill would have to be passed by the House and may run out of time before the Republicans become stronger in the Senate in the next session.

Aubrey Sarvis, of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said another way to repeal the ban must be found.

He said: “The Senate and the president must remain in session and in Washington to find another path for repeal to get done in the lame-duck.

“While difficult, realistic options still exist for advocates and Senators to move repeal this year. We need to keep pushing as the Senate is scheduled to break for holiday vacation.

“We implore all who support repeal to join us outside the Senate this Friday. As secretary of defence Robert Gates said, ‘If not now, when?’.”

The group plans to hold a rally today on Capitol Hill to protest at the vote.

A Pentagon report released at the beginning of this month said that the ban can be lifted safely without too much disruption.

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