The Petition Craze
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TEGAN & Sara’s EVOLUTION The lesbian twin singer/songwriters continue to move forward with the new “Heartthrob.” page 24 THE VOICE OF PROGRESS FOR WISCOnsin’s LGBT COMMUNITY Feb. 21, 2013 | Vol. 4, No. 7 UWM adds to equality cred The petition craze with its new LGBT-sensitive housing policy By Louis Weisberg ment conducive to cultural, Staff writer intellectual and experiential The University of Wiscon- learning.” sin-Milwaukee has created a The inclusive housing pol- new housing policy to meet icy is the latest milestone the unique needs of lesbian, in UWM’s ongoing efforts gay, bisexual, transgender to create a campus that’s and gender non-conforming welcoming of LGBT stu- students – as well as their dents. UWM’s busy LGBT allies and other students who Resource Center occupies have specific needs based on a high-profile space on the their cultural background or ground floor of the student identity. union building – a placement UWM is the first institu- that officials say symbolizes tion in the University of Wis- the university’s commitment. consin system to approve As a result of its efforts, such a policy. It goes into “UWM was ranked No. 12 effect for the fall 2013 semes- in Newsweek’s Daily Beast ter, according to a press as a ‘Gay Friendly Campus’ statement issued on Feb. 15. in 2011,” said Jennifer Mur- Incoming students will be ray, director of the resource able to select an inclusive center. “The new inclusive housing assignment as part of housing policy will continue the enrollment process. to increase UWM’s ranking Progressive ‘click-tivism’ “We strive to provide an in both the Campus Pride inclusive environment for all Climate Index as well as the students, and with this policy TONI Project – two promi- campus leaders at UWM rec- nent national standards of spreads virally on Web ognize that traditional room LGBT+ inclusion in higher PHOTO ILLUSTRATION PHOTO assignments do not meet the education. The new … policy needs of all students,” said also supports the university’s By Lisa Neff year targeting both the youth group and its corporate Kelly Haag, the university’s ‘Best Place to Work’ and Staff writer supporters, propelled the BSA to reconsider a policy housing director. “Inclusive ‘Best Place to Learn’ initia- We, the people, are petitioning for greater gun control, it had taken all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to housing extends UWM’s mis- tives.” marriage equality, term limits for Congress, bans against defend. Only a year ago, the Scouts reaffirmed the anti- sion to develop an environ- animal research, permits to hunt wolves, Texas’ secession gay policy. But petition drives against the policy that were from the union and Atlanta’s secession from Georgia. launched on Change.org and promoted by the Gay and We, the people, are petitioning to close Wal-Mart Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation have yielded 1.4 mil- KICKING stores, build more Wal-Marts, free chimpanzees, pardon lion signatures. OUT THE pot smokers, teach Creationism, mandate school prayer, In another campaign, Katy Butler, a teenager from Ann CLOSET repeal Obamacare and institute universal health care. Arbor, Mich., launched a Change.org petition last spring DOOR With ever-improving, ever-expanding digital tools, we, that ended with a motion picture rating change for “Bully.” Soccer player the people, have e-exercised our digits and made the peti- Without the change, a key audience – kids – could not see tion all the rage. The fever has even seized anti-petitioners the documentary. Butler’s petition went viral and found Robbie Rogers – who are signing a petition to stop petitions. support with more than 500,000 people, including pro comes out as In May, the Boy Scouts of America will decide whether athletes, movie stars and members of Congress. gay. Page 6 to repeal a ban against gay Scouts and troop leaders. Butler has started other petitions on Change.org, Public pressure, largely from petition drives over the past PETITIONS page 14 2 WISCONSINGAZETTE.COM | February 21, 2013 News with a twist WiGWAG By Lisa Neff & Louis Weisberg what about the quality of activist who tion after telling gay Officer ing, he said, that he’d be the group’s social media TV news? A recent Public blogs about Kyle Calendine, “I don’t like involved in the child’s life. campaign spreading hatred Policy Polling survey of vot- the evils of a queer working for the Several months into the of homosexual relation- ers found there’s only one homosexuality for village.” pregnancy, he claimed the ships. But on Feb. 6, Megan source with a trust rate the Christian Post couple tried to exclude Phelps-Roper posted a above 50 percent – PBS. recently put his profile on THE PREDICKTOR him from the family. That message online announcing And Fox News? Its trust the popular gay app Grindr, A new “medical pre- prompted a legal battle her and her sister’s aposta- rate is at an all-time low, where men troll for quick diction” app called “The of multiple years, which sy and apologized for their according to the survey. sex hook-ups with others Predicktor” attempts to recently ended in an under- past behavior. Nonetheless, it’s the chan- in their immediate vicin- predict a man’s penis size standing and agreement nel a majority of Republi- ity. Matt Moore, a post- by using stats such as his between the lesbian couple CHURCH TALK cans prefer. er child for the “ex-gay” height, sexual orientation and the gay man for some A Catholic school assis- DIVINE WEATHER movement, acknowledged and finger length while parental rights. Working on tant principal was fired Lightning struck St. SPEAKING OF that his recent move to cross-referencing trends a treatment for a sitcom or over comments he made Peter’s Basilica, one of the FAUX NEWS New Orleans proved to be from scientific studies. a family drama? on his blog in support of holiest Catholic sites, on A man who accused a too much temptation and Though the site stresses marriage equality. The Arch- the same day that Pope North Carolina church of he’d succumbed to his reli- that the app is strictly for GOOD-BYE TO diocese of Cincinnati fired Benedict XVI announced he holding him hostage and giously repressed urges to humorous purposes, Dr. ALL THAT Mike Moroski from Purcell was stepping down. Cath- abusing him as part of his have sexual relations with Chris Culligan said he hopes Two granddaughters Marian High School, telling olics rushed to the Web “ex-gay” treatment has other men. the Predicktor will help dis- of Fred Phelps, the gay- him in a termination letter en masse to share their recanted his story and apol- pel myths and relieve the obsessed leader of West- that he had shown “poor interpretations of what they ogized to the Word of Faith QUEER BEHAVIOR “penis-related insecurity, boro Baptist Church, have judgment” and violated the called a divine message. A Fellowship. He says the The mayor of a south- anxiety or dissatisfaction” left both their church and teachings of the Catholic few years ago the Vatican abuse didn’t happen. And eastern Ohio town resigned men have about themselves. their family behind. West- Church. Moroski, who is installed a lightning rod on he also lied about being gay. after repeatedly calling a “It’s not how long your pen- boro is best known for its married and lives in down- the basilica because it gets The man, Michael Lowry, gay police officer “queer” cil is, but how you write “God Hates Fags” campaign, town Cincinnati, signed a struck so often. is now under investigation in front of his colleagues. your name,” he said. which includes intrusive contract every year that and could be charged with Jackie Welker, council protests of military funer- required him to “comply FAUX NEWS filing a false report. president in the village of MODERN FAMILY als. As children, Megan and with and act consistently in There’s no shortage of Pomeroy, told The Associ- A gay man agreed to Grace Phelps-Roper were accordance with the stat- erroneous news circulating VICTIM OF ated Press that 78-year-old help out a lesbian couple frequent participants in ed philosophy and teach- on the Web, even on the TEMPTATION Mayor Mary McAngus sub- by becoming their sperm Westboro’s anti-gay pro- ings of the Roman Catholic mainstream press sites. But A prominent “ex-gay” mitted a letter of resigna- donor, with the understand- tests. They were also behind Church.” The best reward for saving money is...well, more money. S.T.A.R.T. is the automatic savings plan that lets you save at your own pace. Save $1,000 and you’ll earn a $50 U.S. Bank Rewards Visa® Card. Keep the balance for a year, earn another $50 U.S. Bank Rewards Visa Card. And now saving money has never been more rewarding. 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