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Homosexuality and Military Leadership at US Merchant Marine Academy
Brett Edward Stout will discuss the topic of homosexuality and military leadership at the United States Merchant Marine Academy on April 13th, 2010. This will be the first time that this topic has ever been openly discussed at the Academy. The US Merchant Marine Academy is one of the nation’s most conservative military related schools.

On the US Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point is a federal service academy, like West Point of Annapolis.  It falls under the Maritime Administration, which is part of the US Department of Transportation.  Its graduates are mostly preparing to serve as officers in the maritime industry.  About one quarter go active military (all branches, including USMC).  Those who don’t are required to take a commission in some reserve component, most often US Naval Reserves.  The midshipmen spend a full year at sea.  They combine a BS degree, Coast Guard unlimited license, and the requirements for commissioning into the remaining three.

On Brett Edward Stout
Author, columnist, and military veteran Brett Edward Stout served 5 years in the US Marine Corps as a Russian Linguist before becoming the Executive Director of the Honolulu Gay and Lesbian Cultural Foundation. In 2008 he published his first novel Sugar-baby Bridge while attending the University of Iowa and currently writes the social-political column “Action Reaction” for ACCESSline, Iowa's LGBT+ Newspaper (http://www.ACCESSlineIOWA.com).

The three Republicans who are running for governor in Iowa gathered at KTIV studios in Sioux City early this afternoon for the first “debate” of the 2010 primary campaign season.  It will air this evening at 7 p.m. on the three NBC affiliates (KTIV, KTTC & KWWL), but was available “live” online at 1 p.m.  What follows is a live blog of the event.

The three candidates had 90 second opening statements.  Former Governor Terry Branstad trotted out a new line: ”Results over rhetoric, that’s what this is all about.”

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Read the complete post at OKHenderson.com: http://bit.ly/dAJKsS

In 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics, an association of 60,000 pediatricians, voted to adopt a position in support of gay parents. Six pediatricians who opposed this policy on religious grounds rallied like-minded friends and, on October 19th, about 15 people founded the American College of Pediatricians. It would be accurate to describe this organization as a vehicle through which a small minority of anti-gay doctors advocate in opposition to gay rights, abortion rights, and euthanasia.

According to Focus on the Family’s CitizenLink, at the end of March, the ACP sent out a letter to school superintendents.

Despite the name, ACP is not a institute of higher learning. Nor is it a professional organization for pediatricians. This is an advocacy group dedicated to political goals which is using an authoritative sounding name to fool the unaware.

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Read the complete post at BoxTurtleBulletin.com: http://bit.ly/98t0Os

If he loses June 8 in the GOP gubernatorial primary, Bob Vander Plaats told The National Journal he has no interest in an independent run, although he would not commit to supporting whoever does emerge from the three-way primary.

In a story about the issues former Gov. Terry Branstad has had convincing Iowa’s social and evangelical conservatives to support his campaign for a fifth term as governor, Vander Plaats finally put to rest the idea that he might run as an independent this fall.

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Read the complete article at IowaIndependent.com: http://bit.ly/aj0zX3