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By Tony Grew
A Hollywood actress has said she is backing the Democratic nominee for President of the United States after she heard him talk about equality for gay and lesbian people.
In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Drew Barrymore said that Barack Obama's "sensitivity" on the issue had won her over.
"When I heard him speak about a gay person never having to sit outside the hospital room with their loved one sick inside, I burst into tears because so many people I care about are homosexual and it was profound to have someone be sensitive to that," she said.
"That's the kind of world I want to live in, where we're not holding our own principles in judgement above someone or against someone."
While supportive of most gay rights, Senator Obama does not support gay marriage.
"I support the notion that all people — gay or straight — deserve the same rights and responsibilities to assist their loved ones in times of emergency, deserve equal health insurance and other employment benefits currently extended to heterosexual married couples, and deserve the same property rights as anyone else," he wrote in a response to questions put to him by the gay press.
"If elected, I would call on Congress to enact legislation that would repeal DOMA and ensure that the over 1,100 federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally recognised unions."
The Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) bars the federal government from recognising same-sex marriages.
The Republican nominee for President, Senator John McCain, opposes gay adoption and has said of marriage:
"Union - a union between a man and a woman, between one man and one woman. That's my definition of marriage."
He does not back a constitutional amendment on the matter.
However, during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in May he told the host, who was about to marry her girlfriend Portia De Rossi:
"I think that people should be able to enter into legal arrangements.
"I think that is something we should encourage, particularly in the case of insurance and other areas, decisions that have to be made.
"I just believe in the unique status between man and woman, and I know that we have a respectful disagreement on that issue."
Americans will elected the next President of the United States on November 4th.
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
New research published in Los Angeles today has revealed that estimated 11,000 same-sex couples have married in California in the first three months since gay weddings were ruled legal in the state.
The Williams Institute estimates that the number same-sex couples in the state has increased to 109,000, or 14% of the US total, and there are 861,000 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults living in California.
Same-sex couples live in every county in California, constituting 9 of every 1,000 households.
San Francisco has the highest percentage of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals at 14%, followed by Humbolt (5.6%), Lake (5%), Santa Cruz (5%), and Sacramento (4.3%).
Voters in California will consider a ballot measure on election day in November that would alter the state constitution and "eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry."
In May the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages in the state.
The Court voted 4 to 3 to strike down the ban.
Opponents of gay marriage raised more than a million signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot.
The research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law revealed that five counties account for nearly 80% of the estimated 11,000 same-sex couples: Los Angeles (2,719), San Francisco (2,708), San Diego (1,689), Riverside (1,247), and Alameda (475).
These are all counties known to have large and visible lesbian and gay populations and are also attractive tourist destinations for both in- and out-of-state weddings.
The Williams Institute also published three new research studies providing demographic and economic information for the 109,000 same-sex couples in California.
The first study, an analysis of recent data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, shows that nearly 25% of same-sex couples in California are raising more than 52,000 children.
“Clearly, same-sex couples who seek legal recognition are in enduring relationships,” said Gary Gates, Senior Research Fellow at the Williams Institute and co-author of all three studies.
"While lesbians are more likely to be in a cohabiting partnership than are gay men, gay men nonetheless have longer duration relationships, especially those who have sought official registration, 12 years average duration for gay men compared to 9 years for lesbians."
The third study, published in the journal Review of Economics of the Household, reveals that the usual predictors of marriage, economic factors like education and income, do not have as strong an impact in predicting which lesbian and gay couples will seek registered domestic partnership.
By Tony Grew
Australian diver Matthew Mitcham has said he was "very surprised" that he was the only gay male athlete at the Beijing Olympics in August.
The 20 year old won a gold medal in the 10-metre platform event, beating the Chinese favourites.
"I was actually very surprised that I was the only 'out' male at the Olympic Games," he told The Age newspaper.
"It's a little bit sad because, statistically, there should be a lot more.
"But, you know what, it's each to one's own and I'm not going to pressure anybody to come out of the closet because it's their own choice.
"But I'm proud to be there and proud to be that one that lots of other people can look up to."
Mr Mitcham came out before the Games, but said that the subsequent publicity did not affect his performance in Beijing.
"It's always just me, I'm comfortable with myself," he said.
"At least it wasn't a surprise to everybody else.
"And I am glad that I did it before I went away, than afterwards because there have been a few coming out after the Olympic Games and I just wanted to be a bit different."
Despite intensive coverage of other gold medallist’s personal lives during the Games, US broadcaster NBC failed to mention Mitcham was gay, or show footage of the diver’s partner cheering him on and congratulating him after the win.
The network's head of Olympics later conceded that NBC had been at fault.
"We regret that we missed the opportunity to tell Matthew Mitcham's story," Gary Zenkel told AfterElton.com
"We apologise for this unintentional omission."
Of the 11,000 athletes from 204 nations, just 11 LGB people, Mr Mithcam and ten openly female or bisexual atheles, competed.
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