Gay activist backs Isaiah

NYPost.com reports that Isaiah Washington is getting some unexpected support in the form of a petition drive spearheaded by a gay activist.

Jasmyne Cannick, who worked with Washington on the Pan African Arts Festival, said she has launched a petition to get the actor his job back on the popular ABC series “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Washington came under fire after getting into an altercation with Patrick Dempsey and slurring openly gay actor T.R. Knight.

Cannick said, “Isaiah has done more for the gay and lesbian community than T.R. Knight did in or out of the closet. He did what they asked him to do, and now they want to make sure he will never work again. At what point is enough enough?”

Gay man tossed from shelter

365gay.com reports that a 34-year-old homeless Fort Collins, Colo., man says that he was told to leave a shelter because he is gay.

John Garon said that he had been staying at Open Door Mission when he was told by the director, the Rev. Richard Thebo, that he was no longer welcome.

“He said, ‘I don’t allow homosexuals to use these facilities,’” Garon said.

Thebo does not deny he told Garon to leave and said that he will allow gays and lesbians to use the soup kitchen and shower at the shelter but not sleep there.

Last month, Colorado passed legislation making it illegal to discriminate in the workplace on the basis of sexuality, but the law does not cover accommodations.

Lesbian custody dispute settled

Advocate.com reports that a Vermont judge has dissolved the civil union of a lesbian couple and awarded custody of their 5-year-old daughter to one, with regular visitation for the other.

The girl’s biological mother, Lisa Miller, who now claims she is heterosexual, has fought efforts by her former partner, Janet Jenkins, to maintain contact with the girl.

The courts have consistently ruled in Jenkins’ favor. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a decision by the Vermont Supreme Court awarding Jenkins visitation rights.

Rutland County Family Court Judge William Cohen awarded custody of Isabella to Miller, who lives in Winchester, Va., and granted regular visitation to Jenkins, who lives in Fair Haven, Vt.