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A New York judge has ruled that it can be defamatory to allege that someone is a homosexual. Courts in several other jurisdiction have issued contrary opinions for years.

In Yonaty v. Mincolla, 1003-2009, Broome County Supreme Court Justice Phillip R. Rumsey (See Profile) rejected the defendants' summary judgment motion, and held that the assertion of homosexuality constituted defamation. "While the law may, at some point, change in response to evolving social attitudes regarding homosexuality, the existing law in New York, as expressed by the Appellate Divisions, which this court is bound to follow, is that imputation of homosexuality constitutes defamation per se," Justice Rumsey wrote, citing 2007 Appellate Division, Second Department, decision Klepetko v. Reisman, 41 AD3d 551, which cites a 1984 case, Matherson v. Marchello, 100 AD2d 233.

The above-linked article notes that while New York state repealed its anti-sodomy statute in 1980, the state Court of Appeals has never been asked to rule on whether calling somebody a homosexual is defamatory.

Weeks after he allegedly paid a $15M hush-money settlement to the four young men who accused him of sexual coercion, the wife of publicly anti-gay Bishop Eddie Long has reportedly moved out the house. Black Media Scoop has the dirt:

The latest bombshell has hit his home life. BMS has learned that Bishop Eddie Long’s wife, Vanessa allegedly packed up her bags and moved out of the $1.5million dollar home. Long married Vanessa Griffin in 1990. She worked on the Board of Directors for the Faith Academy. She also headed many ministries, mostly those dealing with women’s issues. They have 3 children together Edward, Jared, and Taylor. BMS has also learned that she allegedly took one of the children with her to stay at an undisclosed family members home! Our source says Vanessa allegedly agreed to stick by Long until the sex scandal drama was over and then she’d leave. This is Long’s second go around at the chapel of love. He married Dabara S. Houston in 1981 and they have one son together Eric Long.

"The Catholic Church has often affirmed that here is no 'right to adopt.' It is a privilege and responsibility to be granted only to those married couples who can demonstrate, through their loving, permanent commitment to each other, their ability to make a lifetime commitment to raising a child in the best environment possible. May God bless these shepherds, their flocks and their work, and continue to grant them strength as they weather the storm which will certainly follow their bold leadership. We gladly welcome this clear, public stance for truth, religious freedom, and for children." - Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro, congratulating Illinois' Catholic bishops for their lawsuit demanding exemption from anti-discrimination laws.

It appears that Atlanta's Bishop Eddie Long has paid off the four young men who last year accused him of coercing them into totally gay homosexual sex. Long had regularly and viciously railed against LGBT people from his megachurch pulpit.

Barbara Marschalk, who represents New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Long Fellows Youth Academy, said she anticipates " the lawsuits will be dismissed, with prejudice, by close of business tomorrow." B.J. Bernstein, who represents the four men who sued Long, New Birth and LongFellows, also confirmed the lawsuits had been settled. Neither side would comment further and settlement terms were unknown. According to Bernstein's office, neither she nor the plaintiffs -- Maurice Robinson, Jamal Parris, Anthony Flagg and Spencer LeGrande -- would be available for an interview "on this matter, now or in the future. "

VIDEO: Once again, here's Cadillac Kimberly's now-classic rant upon hearing the news last fall. Totally NSFW and totally hilarious.

World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah says that he will be suing Esquire Magazine for posting a satirical claim that he had decided to pull the publication of Jerome Corsi's birther book, Where's The Birth Certificate?

On Wednesday, Esquire wrote:

In an exclusive interview, a reflective Farah, who wrote the book's foreword and also published Corsi's earlier best-selling work, Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak out Against John Kerry and Capricorn One: NASA, JFK, and the Great "Moon Landing" Cover-Up, said that after much serious reflection, he could not go forward with the project. "I believe with all my heart that Barack Obama is destroying this country, and I will continue to stand against his administration at every turn, but in light of recent events, this book has become problematic, and contains what I now believe to be factual inaccuracies," he said this morning. "I cannot in good conscience publish it and expect anyone to believe it."

The Esquire piece, which was not marked as satire until an update was posted several hours later, was picked up by numerous blogs. Farah rails: "I have concluded with attorneys who say we have an excellent chance of winning a lawsuit or lawsuits for the reckless disregard for the truth demonstrated by Mark Warren, Esquire and the Hearst Corporation in this matter. Personally, I think we should set our sights on taking ownership of Esquire. I think that would be a fair settlement. Obviously the magazine is in dire need of professional management."

NOTE: I came very close to posting about the Esquire piece, but luckily decided to check WND to see if they still had dozens of birther stories on the front page.

Los Angeles cop Sgt. Ronald Crump has won a $1M judgment in a lawsuit filed against the LAPD because of retaliation he suffered after complaining about anti-gay mistreatment by a superior.

Sgt. Ronald Crump sued the city last year, alleging that his direct supervisor at the Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Section -- Lt. John Romero -- made derogatory remarks about his homosexuality. Romero, who has since been promoted to captain, allegedly described him as "the new Ruby minus the heels," in reference to the woman he replaced in the unit. On another occasion, Romero allegedly told him, "I was a religion major at Liberty University. Jerry Falwell would roll over in his grave if he knew I had hired you."

In 2006 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a resolution denouncing the Vatican as an "insulting and ignorant" foreign country "hatefully" meddling in the right of gay Americans to adopt children. That didn't go over so well with the local Catholic Church, who sued the city for violating the separation of church and state. Oh, the irony.

Last year the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Church had no standing to sue the city, sending them running to the U.S. Supreme Court, who yesterday rejected the case. Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue says he's disappointed, but that the lawsuit still had the effect of "taming" anti-Catholic sentiment in San Francisco. Hunky Jesus might disagree.