Eviction proceedings have started (a hearing takes place today) against Youth Pride Inc., Rhode Island’s only non-profit group for queer youth. The organization holds a three-year lease for its current Providence location, which is in a complex that was recently sold.

Michelle Duso, Executive Director of Youth Pride Inc., explains that “they claim we are improperly using the premises as a social gathering place and such use is wholly inconsistent with the agreement and the other uses of the property.”

Youth Pride Inc. alleges discrimination.

“Bullying YPI and our youth by towing vehicles, refusing parking passes to valid tenants, locking doors to the building during YPI office hours and literally turning out youth away is egregious,” Duso said.

The new landlord claims he simply does not want the building to be used as mixed-use space any longer.

“It’s incredibly insulting,” said new owner Bill DiStefano. “I don’t know what’s going on. You know, we bought a property in Providence that we want to revitalize. It’s been in rough condition. We want to change the property and better it.”

David Parker was arrested last year when, after his son was given a book about gay families by a teacher, he refused to leave Joseph Estabrook Elementary School unless school officials agreed to notify him before any discussion including homosexuality took place in front of his son. Months later the charges were dropped.

Parker and his wife, along with another set of parents, are now filing a civil-rights lawsuit against the principal of Joseph Estabrook Elementary School, the superintendent and other school officials, reports Yahoo News:

The suit, according to the parents’ attorney, will contend that the school system violated the parents’ civil rights because they weren’t notified about the books or discussions in class, reported the Boston Globe.

The principal and other school system officials have maintained that the material was about families, not sexuality, according to the Globe. Parker claims the town violated his religious freedom by including homosexuality in the curriculum without notifying him.

Get all the details at Transcending Gender.

Sue Beckwith purchased Lesbian.com back in 1995 and is now, along with the co-producers of the site, looking to sell the domain name for $2 million.

Koan Bremner is hosting the next edition of the Carnival of Bent Attractions on May 10th. Submissions are due by 12:01AM on May 2nd.

Read the current edition of the Carnival of Bent Attractions here.

A new investigation published by Simon Forbes of OutRage!, a UK human rights group, finds that bisexual and gay Iranian men are being executed under the cover of rape and kidnapping charges and entrapped with foreign gay websites.

Back in January I posted about Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller pulling BrokeBack Mountain from the movie schedule of a theater he owns before the film’s first showing, stating he was setting “an example for the people of Utah.”

Miller recently spoke at the University of Utah, and was met by over 100 people wearing cowboy hats in a silent protest over his decision.

The Salt Lake Tribune:

“We’re wearing the hats to show how individuals were hurt when he didn’t show ‘Brokeback Mountain,’” said Charles Milne, coordinator for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center at the U. But “we’re going to be here listening to his speech in celebration of his right to speak.”

Milne was one of about 30 people who met with Miller on Thursday to discuss concerns that orginally prompted some students to protest organizers’ choice for the speech, part of “Discover U Days,” several days of events encouraging the community to get involved with the university.

Before moving into his planned speech, Miller took a few minutes to describe that meeting. “Something remarkable happened in this building the other day,” he said, tears welling in his eyes. “For two hours, we had a remarkably open dialogue, and I learned a lot.’

Miller said people on all sides of the issue went into the meeting “with one thing in common: fear and trepidation,” but the group quickly established a feeling of respect, if not agreement. Miller said people in the meeting told him stories of being ostracized by family members and the community in general because of their sexual orientation.

“One of the great lessons learned by me, and maybe others in that room, is that we have a lot more in common than we previously thought.”

More on Thursday’s meeting from “Miller at the U.: Second thoughts about ‘Brokeback’?”:

During the meeting, folks talked about coming out to their families about being gay and the heartbreak of not being accepted. Others talked about the fear of being physically harmed while walking in public with their partner, said Kathryn Stockton, the U.’s gender studies program director.

“I felt like he cared about what we had to say,” said Charles Milne, coordinator of the university’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Campus Resource Center. “I wouldn’t say we changed his mind, but I think he did come away with ideas he had to process.”

By pulling the movie from the Jordan Commons movie complex, Miller said he thought he was demonstrating a “social statement,” but he didn’t think about the consequences, perpetuating gay stereotypes or “the toes I had stepped on.”

“In 2006, it’s wrong that they have to live in that fear,” he said about the stories he heard during the meeting.

Miller had this comment after the meeting ended: “Now, I understand how something I said inadvertently made them feel demeaned as individuals… Maybe their well-being trumps my beliefs, my rights to express myself.”

If you’re over eighteen years of age and identify as gender variant, Az Aizura would like you to take the Gender Travel Questionnaire.

(via jay sennett jaywalks)

Jason Johnson will finish up his current course load at the University of the Cumberlands and receive final grades for this semester:

Johnson was expelled April 6 after posting his sexual orientation on a Web site. The dean’s list student received all Fs on his transcript when he was expelled.

“This will preserve my academic record,” he told the Lexington Herald-Leader in a story posted on the newspaper’s Web site.

Under the agreement, Johnson relinquishes his right to sue the university for damages but retains his right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the regional accrediting agency.

After finishing up this semester, Jason says he plans to transfer to Eastern Kentucky University.

Previous posts here, here, and here.

The Lesbian/Gay Law Notes, edited by Professor Art Leonard of New York Law School, is published monthly (click here for the April edition) by the Lesbian and Gay Law Association of Greater New York (LeGaL). In each edition, you will find reports on significant new legislation, new court decisions, and administrative rulings. The Notes also includes information on new publications of interest. You’ve probably already noticed the new Lesbian/Gay Law Notes banner in my sidebar. If you haven’t clicked over to the Notes yet, it’s a great publication to check out when you have the time!