Six men stand close together on a balcony. Four wear casual clothes, while two have pink bunny ears. Trees and a park are visible in the background.

Lesbian teacher suspended, shockers and other top stories


By Johnny Trlica

Another Easter has come and gone and, with that, another successful Bunnies on the Bayou. A few friends and I had the pleasure of attending this year’s event (number 39), at Water Works on the banks of Buff alo Bayou, downtown.

Bunnies on the Bayou, Inc. is a 501(c)3, all volunteer organization dedicated to the raising and distributing of funds for various charitable, educational and cultural programs that seek to improve the quality of life and promote education and awareness of human rights for individuals in the Houston LGBT community.

Here is a bit of what we’ve been reading on the Houston Rainbow Herald’s Facebook page.

Acknowledging wife gets lesbian teacher suspended

Being openly gay in Texas still has its risks.

Elementary school art teacher Stacy Bailey was suspended after at least one parent complained that she mentioned her sexual orientation to students, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The school district, located southwest of Dallas, said that she was placed on leave because parents complained about her mentioning her sexual orientation and refusing “to follow administration’s directions regarding age-appropriate conversations with students.†The district added that, “parents have the right to control the conversation with their children, especially as it relates to religion, politics, sex/sexual orientation, etc.â€

The teacher’s attorney describes the teacher’s discussion of sexual orientation as simply mentioning her wife when she spoke to students about her family.

“The fact is that she was placed on leave after years of exemplary work based on a single parent complaint,†Bailey’s attorney said in a statement emailed to the Dallas Morning News.

Autopsy shocker

Sometimes the dead can speak. Houston Councilman Larry Green died from a “combined toxicity of chloroethane and methamphetamine,†according to the medical examiner’s office, reports Click2Houston.com.

Green’s body was found in early March by officers conducting a welfare check at his home.

According to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, ethylchloride — the more common name of chloroethane — is a solvent, refrigerant and local anesthetic that is sometimes inhaled as a vapor, causing a sense of drunkenness and relaxation. While there is no safe dose, inhalation can be fatal at higher concentrations, officials said.

The family of Green released a statement that read: “We have just been made aware of the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy results.

Our family is still in shock and grief over Larry’s death. While learning the information we have about the circumstances of his passing is painful, it does not change the fact that Larry was a wonderful, caring person and a dedicated public servant for the people of Houston. Our family is grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we ask for privacy during this difficult time.â€

Courtroom shocker

The jury has spoken. Noor Salman, wife of Pulse shooter Omar Mateen, was found not guilty of helping her husband carry out the mass shooting that claimed 49 lives in 2016, reports MyFOX8.com. Prosecutors charged Salman with aiding Mateen ahead of his killing spree, then lied to the FBI in an attempt to thwart the investigation.

“This case is about what she knew and what she did,†Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney said. “The defendant didn’t pull the trigger that night, but she did serve as a green light for her husband.â€

Salman’s attorneys argued that their client was not an accomplice but a simple-minded victim of her husband’s infidelity and lies.

Roseanne’s return

On the triumphant return of Will & Grace comes another blast from the past. Roseanne returned to the ABC lineup reuniting the original cast of the 1988-97 sitcom about a middle class family. They are all a little older, still struggle to make ends meet, and scream and yell at each other as much as ever. And 23 million people tuned in to watch.

In the first episode, it is revealed that Roseanne Connor supported Donald Trump in 2016, as Ms. Barr enthusiastically did. This has estranged her from her sister, Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), who greets her, “What’s up, Deplorable?â€Â Besides Barr, John Goodman is back as Dan. The Connor children and grandchildren are represented by the originals as well reported the New York Times in a review. Becky (Lecy Goranson), Darlene (Sara Gilbert), and DJ (Michael Fishman) are joined by Darlene’s two children and DJ’s African-American daughter. His wife is serving in the army in Syria.

“In one of the stronger new stories, Darlene’s son, Mark (Ames McNamara), a spirited nine-year-old who likes to wear skirts, discovers that Lanford, Illinois is not as tolerant of daring fashion choices as his old home in Chicago. It’s a nuanced episode, pitting his grandparents’ worry for him against the Conners’ constitutional mandate to be defiantly different,†wrote the review.

Watching the show was sort of like reuniting with an old friend, despite Roseanne’s political affiliations. We will not have to worry about that when Candice Bergen returns this fall as Murphy Brown.

Johnny Trlica is the manager of the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page, your source for the latest LGBTQ news and information. Contact him at HRHeditor@gmail.com

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