Vt. court hears arguments in lesbian custody case

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Supreme Court justices aren’t ruling yet on an appeal by lawyers for a Virginia woman who say their client shouldn’t have lost custody rights for her 8-year-old daughter.

Lawyers for Lisa Miller argued their case Wednesday in Montpelier challenging a Family Court judge’s decision to award custody to former partner Janet Jenkins, of Fair Haven, Vt.

Miller, of Forest, Va., and daughter Isabella Miller-Jenkins failed to appear for a court-ordered Jan. 1 custody swap in which Jenkins was to get the girl. The girl is now listed as missing.

Jenkins’ lawyers told the justices Wednesday there’s no reason to revisit the custody issue now.

Annapolis extends benefits to same-sex couples

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Mayor Josh Cohen has extended employment benefits to the same-sex partners of Annapolis’ workers, giving them access to medical plans.

Under the new city rules taking effect July 1, the same-sex partners of city employees can enroll in city-offered medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits. Those benefits do not extend to unmarried heterosexual couples.

Only same-sex partners are eligible for the domestic partnership benefit option because they don’t have the ability to marry in Maryland.

The city’s policy comes months after state employees and retirees and their same-sex domestic partners were allowed to enroll in benefit programs.

“This is very exciting and it’s a move in the right direction towards equality in Maryland. And it’s appropriate because it’s the seat of our government,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director for Equality Maryland, an advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Marylanders.

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Thousands celebrate Berlin’s gay pride parade

BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of gays, lesbians and other revelers are marching and dancing in downtown Berlin for the German capital’s annual gay pride celebration, which features a colorful parade through the heart of the city.

Under the motto “Normal is different,” an estimated 250,000 people lined the route for the Christopher Street Day parade Saturday, as some 50 floats carrying dancers wove through the city streets.

Christopher Street Day commemorates the start of the gay rights movement in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1969 and the parade generally draws large crowds in Berlin, which has a history as a gay metropolis going back as far as the 19th century.

Jury: Philly can’t evict scouts for no-gays rule

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The city of Philadelphia cannot evict a local Boy Scouts chapter from a city-owned building for refusing to admit gays, a federal jury ruled Wednesday.

The city had insisted that nonprofits given free use of its property must abide by local anti-discrimination laws, which include equal protection for gays. But the jury found the city’s reason violated the local scout council’s First Amendment rights.

“We do hope that eventually national (Boy Scouts of America) will change its minds. But at this point, the Cradle of Liberty (Council) is still obligated to follow its policy,” said foreman Merrill Arbogast, 40, of Reinholds, a trucker and former Eagle Scout.

In their lawsuit, the scouts had sought an injunction barring the city from evicting them, or charging $200,000 a year in rent, on their stately Beaux Arts headquarters building.

While the verdict gives weight to their request, the judge did not immediately issue the ban. Instead, he told jurors the city’s anti-discrimination policy is “principled” and said he hoped the two “honorable institutions” could work something out.

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Minn. pastor likely to keep job despite gay report

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Lutheran pastor ardently critical of allowing gays into the clergy is on leave from his Minneapolis church after a gay magazine reported his attendance at a support group for men struggling with same-sex attraction.

Church officials, however, said Wednesday that the Rev. Tom Brock likely will return to the pulpit at Hope Lutheran Church because he acted in accordance with his faith by attending the group.

A fixture on local cable access shows, Brock regularly broadcasts conservative views on homosexuality and criticizes the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for liberalizing its gay clergy policy. Lavender Magazine published a story last week about Brock’s quiet attendance of the Faith in Action meetings, written by a reporter who falsely posed as a member of the group.

“The fact that he said one thing publicly, and privately he’s a homosexual — that’s somewhat inconsistent,” said Lavender president Stephen Rocheford. “This company has a policy not to out people. The one exception is a public figure who says one thing and does another.”

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New rules for Neb. counselors mired in gay debate

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Rules changes for Nebraska’s licensed counselors have been held up for more than a year over concerns about conflicts between religious convictions and sexual orientation.

Jim Cunningham, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, says psychologists, therapists and other licensed counselors should be able to refuse to treat or refer clients because of religious or moral convictions. But, he says, the proposed addition of sexual orientation to anti-discrimination rules makes it unclear whether that’s allowed.

“Our concern had to do with services that we would not be able to provide because they would promote or enhance or validate conduct that is contrary to our religious beliefs,” Cunningham said.

“To make a referral would be cooperation ... so that would be problematic as well.”

So, Nebraska’s top medical officer, Dr. Joann Schaefer, is pushing three state credentialing boards to allow counselors to refer patients elsewhere without concern for the controversial issue — what’s called a whole-patient referral. That would mean a counselor with a moral or religious objection would have to find a referral for the patient, although it wouldn’t have to be the most appropriate one.

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