Cornell University invites all Central New York queer and ally college students to the annual Cornell University Queer Prom happening on April 22, 2006. The prom’s theme is ““Roaring Back to the ‘20s” and tickets are just $3.

Email Calvin Selth here for more information.

Kate Bornstein’s appearance at Fox Lane High School’s annual Wellness Day was cancelled by school officials after a local businessman complained about Kate’s personal Web site to the superintendent of schools, saying it contained “sexually explicit material.”

Kate planned to speak to students about alternatives to teen suicide.

Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher is undecided as to whether he will veto the $11 million for a pharmacy school at the University of the Cumberlands. “National accreditation rules for pharmacy schools prohibit discrimination against gays,” writes Art Jester in “Legislators oppose pharmacy proposal” at Kentucky.com.

Kentucky Senator Julian Carroll has spoken out against the state’s funding plan, labeling it a violation of the state’s Constitution. Christina Gilgor of Kentucky Fairness Alliance commented “Funding it with state tax dollars is unacceptable.”

I’ll be on the lookout for updates to this story.

The Courier-Journal published “Student expelled from University of Cumberlands for being gay” on April 11th. Brad Dobney, in an opinion piece responding to the article published today, tells us how every Christian feels about homosexuality (he must know a lot of people):

Christians also believe that homosexuality is a choice, not a fact of nature. A closer look at the theory of evolution (specifically survival of the fittest) would reveal that homosexuality is what Darwin would have called a negative trait. This trait would not have survived naturally, simply because two homosexuals cannot procreate. This defect would have never survived a single generation in a world where evolution truly existed. Creationists assert that God would never create something that is in exact opposition to His spoken word. Following this line of argument you have homosexuality standing alone as something that neither belief can claim is a natural occurence. It must, therefore, be a choice.

Washington Blade reported on Friday that a driver of D.C. Circulator tourist buses (operated by First Transit) has been fired for telling a passenger, Cameron Smith, to move to the back of the bus after Cameron complained about a sign equating homosexuality with murder behind the driver’s seat. The D.C. Department of Transportation still isn’t sure if the driver posted the sign, but does it matter?

Cameron Smith, the passenger who complained about the poster, sent an e-mail to the Washington Blade describing its message.

“The poster reads in part, ‘He is to be worshipped…[and] feared by refraining from all that he has forbidden (i.e. worship of other than Him…murder, oppression, homosexuality/lesbianism [sic]…all sins done in public or in secret),’” Smith stated in his e-mail.

“The poster bears no notice of authorship or affiliation,” Smith said. “It is a large white poster about 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide with large black lettering. It is posted directly behind the driver.”

Circulator buses were created under an agreement between D.C. government the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Back in 2002, the D.C. Metro, operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, received complaints from gay activists when Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays posters were placed in subway stations.

Some gay activists complained in 2002 when Metro accepted posters in its subway stations from the group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays. The posters stated that gays can change to heterosexuality and encouraged gays to call the group, known as PFOX, for help.

Metro argued that the posters met the transit systems guidelines for public service announcements, and that Metro also would accept messages from a gay rights group. The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance announced it would oppose efforts to remove the PFOX posters on First Amendment, free-speech grounds, saying a ban on certain messages could lead to bans on pro-gay messages.

Jay Sennett is seeking submissions for SPOKES: Intimates of color, trans-identities, masculinity and relativity, “an anthology on `persons of color’… who are / were born female and now live all or a significant portion of their lives as masculine women (butches, studs, aggressors, ballers, playas….,) Ftm, transmen (boi, daddy, tranny, tranny fag, G3 [gee cued –gender gifted guy,] drag kings, male illusionists, gender performers, transgenders, transsexuals, gender-queers and the likes. ”

The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2006. Get more information here.

Daily Dose of Queer reader Drew left some links in the comments section of my post about Jason Johnson being expelled from the University of the Cumberlands for being out on his MySpace.com page that I just got the chance to look at.

One link is to the article “Reaction grows to gay student’s expulsion” at Kentucky.com, in which Jamie Gumbrecht writes that Jason’s boyfriend, Zac Dreyer, wrote the following on his MySpace page after hearing that Jason had been expelled: “He is being asked to leave the university because he is gay… Help get the story out there so that all the gays and lesbians at the university will no longer have to live in secrecy, in fear of having their dreams crushed in front of them.”

Also from “Reaction grows to gay student’s expulsion,” the policy which the University of the Cumberlands claims Jason is in violation of did not exist when he became a student at the university:

Johnson, a sophomore majoring in theater arts, was expelled from the university Thursday because he declared online that he is gay. In a statement released last week, the university’s president, Jim Taylor said students are held to a “higher standard” and that “students know the rules before they come to this institution.”

But a copy of the student handbook provided by the university confirmed the policy was not spelled out in 2003-04, when Johnson chose to attend. The school did not provide a copy of the policy for the 2004-05 school year. The 2005-06 student handbook says: “Any student who engages in or promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles (including sex outside marriage and homosexuality) may be suspended or asked to withdraw.”

According to University of the Cumberlands officials, it doesn’t matter.

School officials said that although the 2003-04 policy did not explicitly mention homosexuality, it did say that students must “conduct themselves, on and off the campus, in a manner which is consistent with the objectives of the College and with its standards of conduct.”

Drew also linked to “Dean’s List Student Asked To Leave College After He Reveals He’s Gay” at MSNBC.com and pointed to this quote from a written statement by University of the Cumberlands President Dr. James H. Taylor: “At University of the Cumberlands, we hold students to a higher standard than does society he general…University of the Cumberlands isn’t for everyone. We tell prospective students about our high standards before they come. There are places students with predispositions can go such as San Francisco and the left coast or to many of the state schools.”

Yes, we really should be thankful to those places which continue to keep their standards down for us.

(Thanks for the links, Drew!)

Andrew Sullivan “ins” Aaron Hicklin, the new editor of Out.

Andrew Sullivan outs Aaron Hicklin. (Well, Aaron Hicklin outs Aaron Hicklin. Andrew Sullivan just posts the “I’m gay” email.)

Last May, Trinity Lutheran Church, located in St. Francis, Minnesota, refused to provide lunch services to a trans woman because her transition was “contrary to God’s revealed will.” Because of the church’s refusal to provide care for the woman, it was decided last month that Minnesota’s Anoka County Social Services Department will no longer be sending clients to Trinity Lutheran Church.

From United Press International, on the issues this, and many other similar disputes happening around the country, present:

The dispute — one of a growing number of cases nationwide — comes amid conflicting trends, University of St. Thomas law professor Robert Vischer told the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press.

“The government, recognizing the value of religious organizations providing services that contribute to the good of society, is funding them more. At the same time, we’re expanding the range of anti-discrimination laws,” Vischer said.

“But these new categories of discrimination run directly to the religious identities of these same groups. And the two are colliding all over the country.”

April’s Carnival of Bent Attractions is up! Go. Read.

May’s Carnival of Bent Attractions will be hosted at Multidimensional.Me. Get your submissions in by 12:01AM on May 2nd!