Chick-fil-A says it will no longer fund organizations against gay marriage (with Current.com video)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA -- A Georgia-based restaurant chain that drew national attention when its owner reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage says it's leaving the debate to politicians in the future.

Chick-fil-A issued a statement to that effect Wednesday when asked to comment on a claim earlier in the day that the company had stopped funding organizations that oppose same-sex marriage.

Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno announced the alleged policy change, which he said followed extended negotiations. He said as a result, he would no longer try to block a Chick-fil-A restaurant from opening in his district.

The company declined to comment beyond a statement saying it planned "to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena."

Anti-gay groups listed as recipients of funds in the past declined to comment.

Gay film fest to screen 'Joshua Tree, 1951: Portrait of James Dean' Wednesday at Botanical Garden

From the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival:

HBO LATIN AMERICA PRESENTS:
MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL’S
MONTHLY MOVIE SERIES “GLOW MIAMI”
 
“JOSHUA TREE: 1951 A PORTRAIT OF JAMES DEAN”
 
Pre-Screening Reception and Meet & Greet with Filmmaker Matthew Mishory

Rain or Shine.  In Case of Rain, the Screening Will Move Indoors at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden

MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL MONTHLY MOVIE SERIES: “GLOW MIAMI”

The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival starts up its monthly movie series “GLOW Miami” (Gays & Lesbians on Wednesdays) by presenting “Joshua Tree: 1951 A Portrait Of James Dean,” directed by Matthew Mishory.

Part portrait, part love story, part road trip exposé, “Joshua Tree: 1951” presents an intimate, untold portrayal of James Dean and those closest to him. Illustrated through dreamlike sequences that jump back and forth in time, the film melds historical and fictionalized accounts of Dean’s life to depict an icon-in-the-making who is at once childlike and world-weary; brutish and romantic; playboy and sensitive; all wrapped up in complicated sexuality.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012
6:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception
8:00 p.m. Screening
Miami Beach Botanical Gardens
2000 Convention Center Drive
Miami Beach, FL, 33139

Advanced:  $15 Members / $20 Guests
Box Office: $20 Members / $25 Guests
 
+ $2 transaction fee per order
 
Tickets are available here.
or 800-927-0939

Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen on the gay slur maricón: 'In my house, we call (each other) that word every 20 seconds'

Suspended without pay for three games, Yunel Escobar -- paid $5 million a year, according to the Associated Press -- explained in a New York news conference that he meant no harm writing in his eye black on Saturday, "TU ERE MARICON," or "You are a faggot."

Escobar, who agreed to work with GLAAD as his non-monetary penalty, told reporters:

"I have friends who are gay. The person who decorates my house is gay. The person who cuts my hair is gay," he said. "Honestly, they haven't felt as offended by this. There's a different understanding in the Latin community with this word."

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen -- suspended for five games by his team in April because of comments that he loves Fidel Castro -- agrees with Escobar, according to AP:

On Tuesday, Guillen said he didn't think Escobar meant to be offensive.

"I think he just did it for fun. I know he didn't mean to hurt anybody's feelings. Nobody is that stupid," he said before the Marlins hosted Atlanta.

"In my house, we call (each other) that word every 20 seconds. I've got three kids," Guillen said. "For us, it's like 'What's up, bro? What's up, dude?' It's how you say it and to who you say it. But that's our country. We have to respect this country. Sometimes for us it's funny, for other people it's not."

Click here to read the complete AP news story.

Click here to watch Yunel Escobar's news conference on Deadspin.com