Cyndi Lauper to open shelter for homeless LGBT youth

Singer-songwriter and actress Cyndi Lauper is opening a shelter for homeless LGBT youths in Manhattan, New York.

According to the report by Tonic, the six-story shelter, “The True Colors Residence” is backed by Cyndi's True Colors Fund, the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and other corporate, city and New York state funds.

Just a month ago, Cyndi advocated for equality on ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’ She recently launched her Give A Damn, a campaign aimed at informing people about LGBT equality and getting people involved.

The shelter’s website states that it will be the first permanent housing facility with for LGBT youth. Housing will be available for 18-24 year old youth with a history of homelessness. Construction of the shelter began last month and is planned to open in 2011.

(Photo: West End Intergenerational Residence)

Victim of homophobic bullying wins case against New York school

A gay teenager in upstate New York who had claimed he was relentlessly bullied by classmates while school administrators stood by, settled his lawsuit Monday against the school district, reports The Washington Post.

Jacob sued the Mohawk Central School District in federal court last summer with help from the New York Civil Liberties Union. He said school officials did virtually nothing to stop bullies who picked on him because he acted differently from other boys.

Yesterday, Jacob settled his lawsuit, with the help from the New York Civil Liberties Union, under which the district agreed to pay compensation of $50,000 to his family as well as reimburse the full costs for his counseling.

Jacob has since moved to a neighboring district, where he said he is much happier. Jacob’s father, Robert Sullivan, who has a different last name, said the money “is for Jacob’s future” and hopes that the settlement inspires other districts to change.

(Image: Google Street View)

Street preacher fined £1,000 for homophobia in Scotland

A  New York street-preacher has been fined £1,000 for telling passers-by in Glasgow city centre that homosexuals deserved the “wrath of God” and would go to hell, reports The Scotsman.

Shawn Holes admitted breaching the peace earlier this month by “uttering homophobic remarks” that were “aggravated by religious prejudice”.

The American Baptist, who was touring Britain with colleagues, was arrested by police while responding to questions from people in Sauchiehall Street on 18 March.

When asked his views on gay people, said: “Homosexuals are deserving of the wrath of God – and so are all other sinners – and they are going to a place called hell.”

New legislation introduced last week increased the penalties available for people convicted of “hate crimes” against groups such as gay and disabled people to the same level as race crimes.

LGBT community banned from NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The traditional St Patrick’s Day Parade excludes members of the LGBT community on the grounds that it is a religious event.

The organizers of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade, seeking to legalize their discrimination against Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender marchers, have redefined the parade as a private, religious procession.

Today, gay group Irish Queers lined the sides of the parade to protest against the exclusion. They also criticised local police departments for joining the march, estimating that tens of thousands of police officers and firefighters were involved.

JF Mulligan of Irish Queers said in a statement: “Anti-gay discrimination is now illegal in both Ireland and New York City. The NYPD, FDNY and Mayor Bloomberg need catch up. As city representatives, they cannot legally march until parade organisers renounce their discriminatory message.“

Dublin LGBT groups have also criticised the event. A statement said the exclusion was "deeply un-Irish and something that we cannot allow to happen in the name of an event that is about celebrating Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, of which the LGBT community are a corner stone here in Ireland”.

(Full story: Pink Paper UK)

Andrew Chapin of New York City takes part in a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington supporting legislative efforts to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

(Photo: The Washington Times)