Kenneth Howell, a professor at Illinois University who was fired after sending an email to his students about homosexuality and the Catholic Church telling them it violated Natural Moral Law, has now been offered a new position by the University despite the fact that he is taking legal action against them saying that the firing infringes on his academic freedom.

Now it might sound strange to hear a man is taking legal action against an organisation for discrimination when in effect what he was doing in the first place was just that, but the reality is this is far from a one off as these ten examples proves:

1.  Lillian Ladele

Lillian Ladele, a former registrar for Islington council resigned in 2007 after being told she faced the sack for refusing to officiate civil partnerships. Acting to then sue the council saying that she was being discriminated against because of her religious belief Ladele, who said her rights were “trampled” by gay couples had her case and appeal to the Supreme Court turned down.

(Via Pink News)

2.  Jennifer Keeton

After telling fellow students that she believed homosexuality was a life choice and immoral Jennifer Keeton was told she needed to attend diversity sensitivity workshops in order to qualify as a counsellor. Keeton is now sueing Augusta State University for violating her constitutional rights

(Via The Advocate)

3. Peter Labarbera

Following a Holiday Inn in Naperville cancelling an “Americans For Truth About Homosexuality” event (for which he had no contract with them) because the hotel felt the chance of protests would  have a negative impact on a wedding party being held there Labarbera decided to sue them for religious discrimination saying they did it because  Labarbera’s group is against homosexuality.

(Via Daily Herald)

4. Csaba Marosan

Bringing us bang up to date, Marosan has just filed a complaint with the state human rights division in New York claiming he has been ostracized by administrators at the college where he is a Professor because he, unlike them, was not gay.

(Via ABC News)

5. Orville Nichols

Orville Nichols, a civil marriage commissioner from Saskatchewan decided to sue the provincial government back in 2008 because he had to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Saying it violated his religious rights and he should be able to deny services to whoever he liked.

(Via Slap Upside The Head)

6. Michael Savage

Michael Savage, the shock jock, who was fired from MSNBC after telling a caller “You should only get AIDS and die, you pig!” announced in 2009 that he was going to sue the British Government after Jacqui Smith banned him from entering the country because of his exteme view.

(Via The Independent)

7. Heidi Zamecnik

17 year old Heidi Zamecnik filed a federal suit against her Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education, Superintendent Howard Crouse, and high school officials from stopping her wearing an anti-gay t-shirt saying it was her right to do so after other students had previously worn ones in support of homosexuality.

(Via CBS Chicago)

8.  Ruth Malhotra

Malhotra went to court back in 2006 so she could seek to be given the right to be intolerant towards homosexuality saying that her Christian faith compelled her to speak out against homosexuality.

(Via LA Times)

9. Denise Haye

Sacked after posting homophobic comments on  gay Christian website, Denise Haye took Lewisham Council to court saying that she felt it unfair that she had been dismissed even though she had used her work computer and work email address to post on the site.

(Via The Voice)

10. Susan Comstock

Susan Comstock decided back in 2006 that it would be a good idea to sue her union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada for supporting the federal same sex marriage bill saying that the fact some of her union dues had obviously gone to supporting this meant their religious freedom was violated.

(Via Slap Upside The Head)

If there’s one sport in the UK that is perceived to have a big problem concerning homophobia it’s football. Apparently completely void of any gay footballers since the suicide of Justin Fashanu back in 1998, the reality is no-one believes that there isn’t a gay footballer in the professional football leagues, so why is this sport in such denial about the issue of homosexuality? Some say it has to do with the response of the fans in the stands. Others attribute it to how it would change the dynamics of a team if they found out one of their team mates was gay and then there’s perhaps the biggest problem of all. The media and how it would act to make a life that had been secret for so long suddenly very very public.

So what is the real truth about the issue of homophobia and football, and more importantly what do we need to do to make a change? Well that’s no easy question to answer, but let’s give it a go.

Speaking to The Justin Campaign following his documentary “Inside Sport – Football’s Last Taboo” BBC Radio 1 DJ and sports presenter Mark Chapman made it clear  that there is one truth about  homophobia. That it is real, and is an issue that needs to be dealt with, but for him it’s not just about inclusiveness, Mark also believes that it would be good in terms of level of performance, citing how the additional stress of hiding your sexuality could easily act to impinge on how well you perform.

So whose fault does he think it is? For Chapman some of the blame has to go to the football authorities for their lack of action, though not for how they deal with homophobic abuse because he doesn’t actually believe that to be the issue. For Mark, he believes the problem is when sportsmen actually come out citing how it was only once Gareth Thomas came out “he started getting abuse about taking it up the arse”, and so therefore the solution is to educate both supporters and teams that this isn’t acceptable so when a player does come out, they come out and accepted, not suddenly going from being just another talented footballer to the harassed one.

So how does Chapman feel the problem should be solved? By growing up. I know what you’re thinking that’s far too throwaway and simplistic, but the reality is what Chapman is saying is true. The problem with negative responses to homosexuality, particularly concerning sport, isn’t because of religious beliefs, it’s down to people acting like they’re still in the playground and thinking it’s amusing to shout insulting things at other people. It’s because they think they’re being clever and when if no-one strict headmaster in the form of the FA is going to come out and tell them that it isn’t funny, that it’s offensive and they wouldn’t like it if people did it to them they aren’t going to stop. It’s too much fun for them.

And part of the reason Chapman isn’t so fussed about the fans is because he doesn’t seem them to be the problem. He puts that down to one thing. The media and their increasingly intrusive behaviour.  A player coming out and be called “faggot” or “poof” on the pitch by supposed fans would be hard, but the real negative result of coming out? That would be the media on your doorstep. The media at your parents. The media writing about the boyfriend you never actually had and the blurred photos every time you step out of a gay club. And the sad reality is none of us can talk our way out of this one. It is going to happen, with the only conciliation being eventually it will die down. Eventually people will get bored. The problem is though we’re talking about people and their lives. It’s all very well to say once three or four people come out everything will quieten down for the rest of us, but these three or four people are real people, people with emotions, people with families. People who are truly going to suffer to make it easier for the next generation of gay footballers. It’s not an easy sell is it.

Or maybe it is if Staffordshire University research is anything to go buy with a survey of 2,000 supporters finding only 7% felt there was no place for homosexuals in football, and according to senior sociology lecturer Jamie Cleland, that  homophobia “… should be stomped out and they felt that it brought shame on football”.  And it didn’t end there  with Cleland also highlighting interesting discovery that could lead the media to find out that sensationalising and outing footballers would act not to sell them more papers, but have quite the opposite effect with many calling great transparency and saying “they would prefer it if gay footballers came out because they don’t think they would have to put up with that much abuse.”

Still though it’s going to take a very brave gay footballer to be the first to dip his toe in coming out water and see just how bad it really might be.

Finding yourself the victim of homophobic bullying is a very isolating experience that knocks your confidence and leaves you unsure of who or where to turn to. These ten resources aren’t going to be able to stop it happening overnight but do offer some incredible information on how to deal with the issue whether this bullying is happening in the workplace or the playground.

1. Stonewall – What To Do If You Have Been Discriminated Against At Work

Feel that you’re a victim of homophobic bullying in your workplace? The 2003 Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulation Act is here to protect you and in this guide Stonewall talk you through the steps of what to do next.

Available at Stonewall.

2. Being Gay Is Okay – How To Deal With Bullying

We’re a big fan of Being Gay Is Okay and it’s comprehensive guides for LGBT youth and we feel no different about their homophobic bullying guide. Filled with helpful advice, as well as the personal experience of site owner Jason, this guide makes you feel like he really understands what you’re feeling and offers some great advice on what you can do to bring it to an end.

Available at BGIOK

3. Each

Dedicated to the issue of homophobia and homophobic bullying, this website not only offers advice on what homophobic bullying is and how you can begin to deal with it but more importantly offers an Actionline that LGBT youth can either ring up or access online to talk confidentially about the bullying they’re suffering.

Visit the EACH site.

4. Parentline Plus: Homophobic Bullying – Be Someone To Tell

If you’re a parent of a child who you think is being bullied because of their sexuality (or perceived sexuality) then this Parentline Plus guide is definitely worth a read. Offering advice on how to deal with the issue with the school, it also more importantly deals with the best way for you to approach the issue with your child.

Available at Parentline Plus

5. The Lesbian & Gay Foundation:  What Does Homophobic Bullying Look Like

Offering a comprehensive breakdown of what homophobic bullying is and  the forms it can take, this short but sweet guide from The Lesbian & Gay Foundation just marks one part of a comprehensive range of information on the issues of homophobia and homophobic bullying.

Available at The Lesbian & Gay Foundation.

6. Stonewall – Education For All

Stonewall commitment to the issue of homophobic bullying is an inspiration to us all and their Education For All website is definitely a site to visit for it’s comprehensive list of resources on dealing with homophobic bullying. Also giving you the option to become part of the campaign this really is a life-changing piece of work by the UK’s leading gay rights charity.

Visit the Stonewall Education For All website.

7. BBC Switch -The Surgery: Homophobia

Offering advice to teenagers who are the victims of homophobia bullying, the strongest part of this BBC Switch guide however is the responses from teenagers on how they’ve dealt with the issues themselves.

Visit the BBC switch site

Visit the BBC Switch site

8. No Outsiders

Set up to explore the ways that greater equality concerning sexuality can be taught in primary schools, the No Outsiders website offers an incredible and very diverse range of resources on dealing with bullying, but also finding support from others in the community. Definitely a site you’ll want to dip in and out of time time and time again.

Visit the No Outsiders website.

9. NASUWT : Tackling Homophobic Bullying

Focused on dealing with the issue of homophobic bullying in schools, this NASUWT Teachers’ Union is an incredible resource for anyone working in education offering not only strategies on advice on how homophobic bullying against pupils should be dealt with, but also that of bullying against teachers.

Available at NASUWT

10. Teachernet – Preventing And Responding To Homophobic Bullying In School

If you’re working with with young people and feel that some of them may be the target of homophobic bullying then this guide, like the NASUWT one,  is definitely worth a look. It’s written in a more academic way than most of these other resources which makes it more difficult to just skim, but is definitely worth the time for the valuable point contained within it, not only on dealing with actual cases, but also on how to recognise potential ones.

Available at Teachernet.gov.uk

Photo credit: Eddie~S

Taken by Joeklk75 as part of the “Breaking the Silence 2010″ event at World’s Fair Park on April 16 which aimed to support GLBT youth from local high schools and protest against homophobia.

Via @Glinner

Irish born actor Colin Farrell has given his support to a new Irish anti-homophobic bullying campaign that has been launched by BelongTo.

Entitled STAND UP! this campaign acts to raise awareness of the issues and problems LGBT youth encounter growing up with Colin speaking out about his brother’s own struggle.

Discussing the abuse his gay brother Eamon faced growing up, Colin said:

Actor Colin Farrell is supporting an Irish campaign against homophobic bullying.

“I can’t remember much about the years of physical and emotional abuse my brother Eamon suffered. I was very small. The thing I do remember though, quite literally, is blood on his school shirt when he came home in the afternoon. The beatings and taunting were very frequent for my him and a constant part of his school years.

“People are often afraid of difference. They feel that anything that causes fear, should be turned away from. My brother represented fear for so many people, but caused joy in my life. From a very young age he made me laugh with his intelligence and wit, made me aspire to his strength and goodness. He was to be embraced.

“To many of the students of his school however he was to be feared. He was to be turned away from. I didn’t understand it then, and I still don’t know.”

Describing bullying as something that should have no place in the world, Farrell’s support  of the first STAND UP! event, which runs from the 9th – 18th April 2010 is likely to bring much needed attention to the issue of homophobic bullying, with the event itself  acting to further push the message home through workshops and other fun activities in youth services around Ireland.

You can learn more about STAND UP! at the BelongTo website.

Showing Labour’s support for reducing homophobic hate crime and improving reporting of such crimes, Home  Secretary Alan Johnson yesterday launched the Stonewall’s new plain English guide for victims of anti-gay hate crime.

Entitled Blow the Whistle on Gay Hate the guide acts to explain what homophobic hate crime is, alongside why it should be reported and what we should be saying when we reporting it.

Speaking about the guide and the need to reduce the amount of homophobic hate crime in society Johnson said:

“Gay people have the same rights as everyone else to live in peace and security. Homophobic incidents have no place in a civilised, decent society. There are no extenuating circumstances.

‘” welcome this excellent plain English guide that encourages gay men and lesbians to report hate crimes. It sends a clear signal that there’s no place in a civilized society for such hatred. Gay people should have the same right as everyone else to justice, to live their lives without fear.”

A survey conducted for Stonewall by YouGov found that one in five gay people have been subject to homophobic hate crimes or incidents in the last three years with six gay men having been the victims of murder or attempted murders which police identified as homophobic in Britain in just the last 18 months.

Alongside launching the guide, Alan Johnson also used the event to announce a Labour Party manifesto commitment to fight the ‘Waddington amendment’ to the recent Criminal Justice Bill which attempts to dilute new protections against incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Commending Stonewall for the role they have played, he said

“Stonewall has played an absolutely paramount role in recent legal changes. It’s a testament to their skilful campaigning that the case for greater equality is on the agenda of every mainstream political party.”

The Chief Executive od Stonewall, Ben Summerskill, said:

“We believe that no human life should be overshadowed by hatred or prejudice or fear. We hope this guide will encourage more people to report anti-gay hate crime, and will help the police to respond and target their work more effectively.”

The new guide will be made available through bars and clubs, student unions, police services and Citizens Advice Bureaux as well as online at the Stonewall website.

Following comments by the Tony Abbott, leader of the opposition in the Australian House of Representatives, that he felt “threatened” by homosexuality, the Australian Coalition for Equality has written to the politician inviting him to meet with same sex attracted people to see there’s nothing to be fearful of.

Speaking about their offer, Corey Irlan, who is the spokeman for the gay rights group, said:

“We hope Mr Abbott will take up our invitation so he can overcome feeling threatened by homosexuality,”

“Mr Abbott can pick any place he feels safe, and we’ll invite ordinary members of the gay and lesbian community to come and talk with him to show him he has nothing to fear from us.”

The group however indicated that they wanted to do more than just change Abbott’s mind, with Irlam saying it proved there was a need for a national law which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and that:

“The opposition leader can show leadership on this issue by publicly committing the coalition to support federal anti-discrimination laws on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

The current Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives Tony Abbott, who could become the next Prime Minister of the country has done nothing to improve the issue of homophobia in Australia by responding to questions about his views on homosexuality in an interview with Australia’s Channel 9′s 60 Minutes program by saying:

“I probably feel a bit threatened, as so many people do. It’s a fact of life. I try to treat people as people and not put them in pigeonholes.”

His comments have undoubtedly angered the LGBT community in Australia who have called his views dangerous, with one gay rights campaigner, Gary Burns, saying Abbott was acting like an “imbecile” and that “I think poor old Tony thinks it’s 1956…. “This is the 21st century.”

Focusing in on Abbott’s choice of wording, Burns also went onto question:

“Why is he using such dangerous words? How could he feel threatened? You know what I’m frightened by? Funnel-web spiders and crocodiles.”

Fierce in his criticism Burns is also passionate about showing Abbott the error of his ways saying he would happily spend time with the politician to show him that members of the LGBT community were hard working Australians and nothing to be scared of.

The convener of the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights, Anthony Bendall, has also added his voice to the criticism directed at Tony Abbott saying he should have kept his personal views to himself as they weren’t useful to teens struggling with their sexuality, stating:

“It certainly isn’t a very helpful comment in terms of trying to eliminate discrimination and homophobia,”

A group of students in Wembley have forced their school to recognise the issue of homophobia by making them adapt their bullying policy to cover homophobia specifically.

Talking about the achievement, Grace Organ, who is a student at Queen’s Park Community School, told the Wembley and Kingsbury Times:

“We’ve had friends who were victims of sustained homophobic abuse.

Lots of teachers felt they couldn’t say anything and were afraid to say something.

“We wanted to make the school policy clear, because our school’s ethos of inclusiveness is so strong and it seemed incongruous with that.”

The push for the change in policy first began in September 2008 following a visit from a group called Envision who urged pupils in the school to began a campaign on an issue of their choice. Beginning with an aim of merely pushing for a change in the school’s bullying policy, the campaign quickly grow using not only Facebook but also assemblies and surveys to get pupils involved.

Talking about the issue of homophobic bullying, Grace said the main problem was that it “puts you on the defensive” and added:

“It never gets solved and there is a culture of saying that something is ‘gay’ and people don’t see a correlation between that and bullying. It’s common practice and everyone seems to say it.”

The girls say they think education on the issue is the best way to tackle the problem, something that the Queen’s Park ward Lib Dem Councillor Will Motley agrees with saying:

“This is the ‘Cinderella’ issue of the bullying spectrum. People are often afraid that if they challenge it they will be thought to be gay themselves or that the abuse will turn in their direction.”

And added that teachers had to be central to this stating:

“Teachers are very busy with a complex profession, so a sensitive and difficult issue like this can easily be filed under ‘To be dealt with another day.’”

The Canadian television station RDS has found itself under heavy criticism following homophobic comments made by sports commentators covering the mens figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics where they suggested Johnny Weir was hurting the image of the sport and should undergo a gender test or compete in the women’s event.

Deemed to be of a homophobic nature by the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians, the council has now called for the station to apologise for the comments which were aired on the morning of February 17th.

Releasing a statement criticising the station, Quebec’s gay and lesbian council stated:

“For the council, it is unacceptable for a sports commentator to mock and denigrate an athlete because of his appearance,”

Claude Mailhot, who was commentating alongside Alain Goldberg on the show has apologised for both of their behaviour saying he was sorry for their:

“…tactless comments on the appearance and manner of a figure skater,”

however the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians don’t believe this is enough stating that they have not addressed the homophobic comments that were made.

Weir, who has neither come out publicly as straight or gay, has  apparently shrugged off the comments made by the presenters having been reported as saying:

“Every little boy should be so lucky as to turn into me. And that’s all I have to say about that.”