Macy’s alters Pride Week display after complaints from anti-gay group
A Macy’s department store located in the heart of Boston pulled a window display celebrating Gay Pride Week after protests organized by MassResistance, an organization opposing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, according to a report in the Boston Herald.
The display originally featured a list of Gay Pride Week events planned in the area and two male mannequins, on which wore a rainbow Pride flag wrapped around his waist.
MassResistance posted photos of the display on its Web site, calling the flag a “skirt” and urging its supporters to call the store to complain about the display.
A store spokeswoman said Macy’s compromised by removing the mannequins but leaving the list of events on display, prompting MassResistance to call for “more pressure” to get the store to remove the list also.
Lambda Legal, charter school announce settlement over gay-straight alliance
Students belonging to the Noble Street Gay Straight Alliance and officials with the Noble Street Charter School on Tuesday filed an agreement in federal court ending a lawsuit filed by the alliance and establishing equal treatment of the club within the school.
The alliance was represented by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund.
Lambda filed the lawsuit on behalf of the alliance’s founding students, Jorge Mena and Heather Hall on April 18, asserting the students’ rights to advertise alliance meetings on campus, to have access to classrooms for meetings and events, to hold fundraising events and participate in community service and to be included in the school yearbook.
The settlement guarantees the alliance those privileges for at least the next three years.
Michael Milkie, school superintendent, said the agreement “clearly establishes policies for all non-curriculum-based student group at Noble Street campuses.”
Milkie also said the school has, since its beginning, been supportive of the AIDS Marathon, the AIDS Ride and Day Without Art, among other efforts, through the school’s student AIDS Action Club.
Internet search engine Yahoo launches gay Pride microsite in honor of Pride Month
Yahoo is compiling global Pride celebrations as well as LGBT-related services and resources for a microsite in honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, according to a report Wednesday by UPI.
The comprehensive microsite, events.ya-hoo.com/pride, will include shopping resources, travel and destination information, LGBT-friendly venues, community-building tools and volunteer opportunities with LGBT organization, the company said.
It will also feature links to photos from international gay Pride celebrations, to the Yahoo!Answers site, GLBT blogs and podcasts. And the site will let users dress their avatar in a selection of gay Pride clothing.
According to Yahoo, the site was conceived and built by members of the company’s LGBT employee stakeholder group.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, June 09, 2006.