A transgender man will remain as pastor of a United Methodist Church in Maryland, the church’s highest judicial entity ruled Tuesday.
According to The Baltimore Sun, the Judicial Council ruled that Rev. Drew Phoenix, formerly Rev. Ann Gordon, would be re-appointed to St. John’s United Methodist Church. The decision reaffirms Bishop John R. Schol’s decision last spring.
The Sun reports:

Schol’s action had been appealed to the Judicial Council by several local clergy in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, who have raised questions about the proper role of transgender people within the church.
Tuesday’s ruling concluded that “a clergyperson’s good standing cannot be terminated without administrative or judicial action having occurred and all fair process being accorded.”
The Methodists’ Book of Discipline bars noncelibate gays and lesbians from serving as clergy but does not include any commentary about transgender people. In addition, Tuesday’s decision by the nine-member council, made up of laypeople and clergy, did not specifically address “whether gender change is a chargeable offense or violates minimum standards” of United Methodism.

The Trenton Times ran an anti-gay attack ad in its Saturday edition, going after openly gay state legislator Reed Gusciora. Gusciora, who is seeking his seventh term in the New Jersey General Assembly, announced he was gay during his most recent term in office.

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Victory-endorsed Orange County, N.C.commissioner Mike Nelson discussed Jim Neal’s candidacy for U.S. Senate with The News and Observer. Neal recently confirmed his homosexuality during an online chat with the blog NC Blue.
The quote reads:

Mike Nelson, a gay county commissioner from Orange County, said, “I think it’s about time. I think the paper has held back in reporting about sexual orientation (of gay people), but yet the paper reports about straight people’s sexual orientation all the time” simply by, for instance, noting that Elizabeth Dole is married to Bob Dole. He said The N&O wouldn’t have been doing its job if it hadn’t reported the Neal story.

After Sen. Russ Feingold asked Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey about the Justice Department’s policy of not recruiting LGBT employees or celebrating gay pride activities, Mukasey claimed that he “[didn't] understand the reason for that treatment.”
Mukasey, who President Bush nominated to replace Alberto Gonzales, suggested that he was willing to change the policy that prevents LGBT employees from announcing group events and prevents the active recruitment of the community to fill vacant positions.
Page One Q reports:

Mukasey followed up with an explanation of his past hiring practices. “When I was a district judge,” Mukasey tells the committee, “I interviewed and hired without regard to any matter relating personal life of a prospective law clerk–any matter of that kind; I see no reason why there should be any different standard at the department.”

…

“We are very excited and happy that Mr. Mukasey is supportive of the efforts of DOJ Pride to educate the department’s staff on issues of importance to the LGBT Communty,” Chris Hook, president of the Justice Department’s LGBT staff association DOJ Pride, told PageOneQ.
When asked about the future, Hook replied that the group is “looking forward to working with Mr. Mukasey and to having what we hope will be a large Pride celebration in June.”

View video of Mukasey’s answer here.

Yesterday, during a Republican gathering, Fort Worth City Councilman Chuck Silcox told an audience to vote for candidate Chris Turner for city council because he is both straight and a Republican, unlike his opponent.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Silcox forsaw a runoff between Turner and openly gay candidate Joel Burns in a bid to replace Councilwoman Wendy Davis. The Star-Telegram recently endorsed Burns in the non-partisan race.

“This is an excellent time to have Republicans get out and support a Republican: Chris Turner,” Silcox told a group of about 50 at a Fort Worth Republican Women’s Club meeting and a forum for Republican state House District 97 candidates. “We have two people of opposite partisan politics, opposite philosophical persuasions and opposite sexual orientations.
“I didn’t tell you which one was homosexual,” Silcox said as the crowd laughed. Pointing to Turner, Silcox continued: “He’s married to a female, and the other’s married to a male. You make your own mind up.”

Burn told the Star-Telegram that while he was not surprised his sexual orientation became a public issue, but he was disappointed that it was cast in a negative light.
“We live in the state of Texas, and I have a partner that I live with, who is a partner of 15 years,” Burns said. “It is unfortunate that Mr. Silcox and Mr. Turner want to bring partisanship to a nonpartisan race.”
Silcox also criticized the Star-Telegram for not mentioning Burns’ sexuality.
“The Star-Telegram doesn’t talk about it. They don’t put the negative out there,” he said.

To help support Joel Burns in his race to become the first openly gay elected official in Tarrant County, please contribute to his campaign via the Victory Fund Web site.