Ten-year-old Won't Recite Pledge Until Gays Can Marry

Here's an act of defiance on the part of a ten-year-old that deserves some applause, rather than a sit-down in a corner. It all began when Will Phillips refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance in a West Fork, Arkansas elementary school.

Why did he do so? Not because it has the phrase "Under God" in it, which some have protested against. No, he did so because of the phrase "Liberty and Jutice for All" in it.

Speaking to CNN's John Roberts on CNN's American Morning on Monday, Will said he remained seated four straight days while his classmates repeated the words, "with liberty and justice for all."

Will, who wants to be a lawyer, said he was analyzing the meanings of the Pledge of Allegiance, the weekend before his protest. When asked what he found in the Pledge that caused him refusal, Will said:

"Well, I looked at the end and it said 'with liberty and justice for all.' And there isn't really liberty and justice for all. There's ... Gays and lesbians can't marry. There's still a lot of racism and sexism in the world. Um, yeah."

Roberts: "So you think then that the country isn't living up to the ideals of the Pledge, and you took it upon yourself to sit down, not recite the Pledge Allegiance until the country comes in line to embody the ideals that are embodied in the Pledge.

Will: "Yes."

When asked what he told his substitute teacher when he was given grief over the issue, Will said:

"I eventually, very solemnly -- with a little bit of malice in my voice -- said, 'Mam, with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge.'"

While his father initially reacted as most parents might, which is with anger, once he spoke to Will and realized the reason for his stance, his tune changed, and he became supportive. Once again, when asked why he took the position he did, Will said:

"Because I have many -- I've grown up with a lot of people and good friends with a lot of people that are gay and I really -- I think they should have the rights all people should. And I'm not going to swear that they do."

This video is from CNN's American Morning, broadcast Nov. 16, 2009, via Raw Replay.

Skywest Airlines Accused of Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples

Skywest Airlines gives spouses free fares, but a Skywest Airlines baggage agent who married his partner last year after the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex unions, and before Prop. 8 banned them again, says the airline is refusing to recognize his legally sanctioned same-sex marriage.

While Prop. 8 amended the state Constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, those 18,000 or so same-sex couples who married before the November election are still legally recognized as married. The state Supreme Court upheld Prop. 8 this past May, it also ruled that couples who wed before the election could remain legally wed.

Gilbert Caldwell, 56, who has worked for SkyWest in Palm Springs since September 2004, married David Farrell, 72, his partner of 34 years, in June 2008. They had been registered domestic partners since 2002. Skywest says that "travel companion," entitled to fly at a discount but not for free, as spouses are.

Interestingly, even with same-sex marriage, California law entitles same-sex spouses and domestic partners to be treated the same as heterosexual married couples in employment, housing, insurance and commerce. As Caldwell and Farrell were already domestic partners, they should have been eligible for this free fare discount already.

Tara Borelli of the gay-rights organization Lambda Legal is Caldwell's attorney. She said Skywest's position for the last year has been that Delta Air Lines, its partner in regional flights in the West, insisted on denying equal benefits to same-sex couples. Howeever, Borelli added that SkyWest's explanation is hard to believe: Delta has a policy of treating its own gay and lesbian employees equally.

She said Caldwell would sue for damages unless SkyWest changed its policy.

AFA Says 500,000 Sign Petition to Boycott Pepsi

A firestorm has been brewing among conservatives with regards to soda. It's not because soda is bad for you, but because PepsiCo Company has been accused of advocating both same-sex marriage and homosexuality. The furor has become such that the American Family Association (AFA) says it has now secured over 500,000 signatures on a petition from those pledging to boycott PepsiCo.

AFA has been promoting a boycott of PepsiCo since January, 2009. The AFA says that PepsiCo has made contributions to organizations that foster the "homosexual agenda."

The organizations that the American Family Association notes are the Human Rights Campaign (HRC, $500,000) and the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG, $500,000). The AFA says that the $1,000,000 was used to help promote homosexuality in the workplace.

PepsiCo has confirmed its position on this issue, by saying "The grants were made in direct support of safety and respect in the workplace. They do not reflect political or public advocacy of any kind."

However, AFA said that PepsiCo is advocating a lifestyle that is extremely unhealthy and dangerous. President Tim Wildmon said "It's a medical fact that persons trapped in homosexuality are statistically higher to experience shortened life spans, clinical depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and life-ending diseases. Why can't PepsiCo understand that is not a good cause to be supporting?"

The AFA launched its boycott campaign in January. The campaign has reached some form of critical mass. For example, in September, a Brandon, FL church removed Pepsi products from its site.

It's interesting that, according to the blog LezGetReal, Coca Cola is actually far more gay-friendly. "Coca Cola has consistently scored higher on the Human Rights Campaign’s list of LGBT friendly businesses." Perhaps these churches simply like Coke better than Pepsi.

George Takei, Brad Altman, to Be First Gay "Newlywed Game" Contestants

The "Newlywed Game," which debuted on prime time television in the mid-1960s, has run off-and-on since then. It is now on its second season on the GSN cable network and will have a first in its new season: the first gay couple. To make it more interesting, the couple is George Takei of "Star Trek," and his longtime partner, Brad Altman.

George Takei's sexuality was sort of an open secret since the 1970s, but he first openly publicized it in 2005, in an interview to "Frontiers" magazine. He said the following: "It's not really coming out, which suggests opening a door and stepping through. It's more like a long, long walk through what began as a narrow corridor that starts to widen."

The new version of the "Newlywed Game" that appears on GSN is hosted by former singer Carnie Wilson, with the show updated somewhat, including having older contestants.

This year, besides George Takei and Brad Altman, the show will have other newly married celebrities, including Davy Jones ("The Monkees"), Kristy Swanson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and Christopher Knight ("The Brady Bunch").

George Takei and Brad Altman, who have been together for over 20 years, will tape their episode soon. Kelly Goode, GSN's programming chief, said she couldn't speculate on why gay couples were excluded in the past because GSN has only had the rights to the "Newlywed Game" for two years. She did add that the game's rules specify that the couple needed to have a legally-recognized marriage to appear.

George Takei and Brad Altman were married in California during the brief period after the California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, and before Proposition 8 banned it again.