links for 2009-06-30

Parsing the far-right social conservatives defamation of Kevin Jennings, a decent human being who has dedicated his life to making public schooling easier for LGBT kids and teens, so that they can reverse his appointment as head the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.

The definitive tell-all.

Ritch C. Savin-Williams, a professor of developmental psychology at Cornell University, recently completed a survey of 160 men, straight and gay, and found that gay men provided valuable social insights to straight men.

“The idea is that a gay friend will be more in tune to women and more likely to have female friends,” Professor Savin-Williams said. “And it’s a stereotype, but straight men also feel they can talk to gay men about fashion and ask them if they’re looking O.K.”

Bryan Miller, 37, a director at a financial software firm in New York who has had several gay roommates, echoed that view. “A gay man’s advice on women is the only advice you can take to the bank,” he said. “They’re guys, but they’re not in competition with you.”

After Harvard University passed a similar plan last February, faculty members at the University of Kansas began to research how they could adopt one.

In April the University of Maryland rejected a plan to allow for open access to its research journals.