Jay Michaelson
1. Not only does Biblical scholar Jay Michaelson believe that the Bible does not condemn LGBT people. He says that it specifically calls its followers to embrace the queer community and work for equality. Michaelson will host a conversation about his new book God vs. Gay tonight at the Jewish Community Center (5601 S. Braeswood Blvd) at 6 pm. Michaelson, a self-described good Jewish boy gone bad, is a Yale-educated lawyer with one master’s degree in Religious Studies from Hebrew University and another in Writing from Sarah Lawrence.
2. The Victory Fund had a banner day yesterday. Of the 75 candidates backed by the organization that works to elect out LGBT people to public office 51 won their races, including Houston Mayor Annise Parker and city councilman-elect Mike Laster.
3. While LGBT candidates across the nation were winning elected office Michigan recalled a rabidly transphobic state legislator. Michigan Radio reports that Rep. Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc) has conceded defeat in the recall election against him. During a previous run for Secretary of State Scott emailed supporters listing his top four priorities including: “I will make it a priority to ensure transgender individuals will not be allowed to change the sex on their driver’s license in any circumstance.” Although Scott’s positions on LGBT issues certainly played a part in some voters’ decisions to remove him from office, the recall effort was led by the Michigan Education Association, which objected to his support for education cuts and extending the state’s income tax to include retired teacher’s pensions.
