GLBT News Summary for Progressives . . . . . Ray's List

GLBT DIGEST - June 09, 2009

2009-06-09T16:37:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Coup attempt leaves NY state Senate in disarray
(Reuters) - New York state Senate Republicans and two rogue Democrats said they wrested control of the Senate from the Democratic leadership on Monday in an unresolved dispute that had both sides claiming victory. The chaos threatened to throw a range of pending bills into disarray, including pension reform, New York City's mayoral control of the schools, and gay marriage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/09/AR2009060900084_pf.html

Court Ties Campaign Largess to Judicial Bias
By Robert Barnes
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled for the first time that excessive campaign contributions to a judge create an unconstitutional threat to a fair trial, a decision that could have a nationwide impact on whether judges must recuse themselves in cases involving their political benefactors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060801366.html

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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

iTunes celebrates Gay Pride Month
This month, iTunes features gay movies, music and podcasts:
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/itunes-celebrates-gay-pride-month.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

GLSEN Founder, Kevin Jennings, Smeared
By William McGuinness
The appointment of Kevin Jennings to federal office has not come without controversy. U.S. Department of Education secretary Arne Duncan announced nine appointments on May 19, including Jennings, founder and former executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. Jennings was named assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools. Those opposed to his placement took occasion to levy the expected accusations against him, warning that Jennings will use his office to “promote the homosexual agenda.”
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88830.asp

KRXQ to Apologize, 11 Ads Pulled
By Michelle Garcia
Management at KRXQ radio in Sacramento, Calif., have agreed to welcome a transgender person and the parent of a transgender kid as on-air guests after the hosts of a morning talk show made violent, transphobic remarks in May.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88973.asp

Lambert Honored at Hollywood Life Awards
Adam Lambert was honored at Hollywood Life’s Young Hollywood Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., last night. The singer joined fellow honorees Catherine Hardwicke, Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Westwick, Shawn Johnson, and others for the company’s 11th annual award ceremony. The ceremony was long and the night ended with Lambert accepting his award from American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. Lambert commented on what a wild ride it has been, from recently living in a small apartment in West Hollywood and dreaming that one day he could get into Teddy’s.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88919.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

RachelWatch: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Me You’re Fierce
By Ali Davis, Contributing writer
Fierce Advocate?
Rachel led off with the story that the Supreme Court has declined to hear the case of Captain James Pietrangelo, who after 13 years of service was fired for being gay under the monumentally stupid Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law.
http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-don%E2%80%99t-ask-don%E2%80%99t-tell-me-you%E2%80%99re-fierce/

Vanasco: Uproar in NY Senate - gay marriage gone?
By Jennifer Vanasco, editor in chief, 365gay.com
The New York Times is reporting that the Democrats have suddenly - and unexpectedly - lost control of the NYS Senate after two Democrats defected. This comes after gay marriage advocates were fairly confidently predicting that New York State would have gay marriage by Pride. The State Assembly has already voted in favor; the governor has said he’d sign.
http://www.365gay.com/news/vanasco-uproar-in-ny-senate-gay-marriage-gone/

DC pride festival honors gay rights pioneer Kameny
By The Associated Press
Fresh off his doctorate from Harvard, Franklin Kameny had been a government astronomer for just five months when he was asked to meet with federal investigators. They said they had information that he was a homosexual. He was promptly fired.
http://www.365gay.com/living/dc-pride-festival-honors-gay-rights-pioneer-kameny/

Ads pulled over radio hosts’ transgender remarks
By The Associated Press
Bank of America, Verizon, Chipotle and other companies have pulled advertising from a Sacramento radio station after talk show hosts referred to transgender people as “freaks” with mental disorders.
http://www.365gay.com/news/ads-pulled-over-radio-hosts-transgender-remarks/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Woman launches legal battle after son is placed with gay foster parents
A Catholic woman whose son was placed with a gay foster couple after she was unable to look after him is taking legal action over the case, saying the child could be "encouraged" into a lifestyle which is against her beliefs.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12757.html

Whosigned.org plans to publish online the details of voters who oppose equality measures
Groups threaten to publish names of US gay rights opponents
Two groups are threatening to publish the names of Washington voters who oppose a new law granting same-sex couples many of the benefits received by straight married couples.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12761.html

US gay advocates call for national march
Gay rights activists in the US are calling for a national march on Washington to coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11th.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12760.html

Peter Davies has vowed to cut funding for Doncaster Pride
New mayor of Doncaster cuts funding for Pride
The newly-elected mayor of Doncaster has vowed to cut funding for the town's annual gay Pride event. Peter Davies, an English Democrat, has said: "My policy on gays and lesbians is very simple. I don't think councils should be spending money on them parading through town advertising their sexuality."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12746.html

Bristol radio station censured by Ofcom over 'hostile' homophobic comments
A Bristol radio station has been forced to apologise after a presenter called homosexuality a "pestilence" and claimed that "right thinking" people thought it was unnatural. The segment was broadcast in March on Ujima Radio, a community station serving Bristol's black community.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12751.html

Public support for repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is rising
Poll finds rising support for gay US troops
A poll has found rising support for repealing the US ban on openly gay military personnel. The Gallup-conducted research found the biggest increases in support among conservatives and weekly churchgoers - up 12 and 11 percentage points respectively.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12756.html

Gordon Ramsay calls journalist a 'lesbian pig'
TV chef Gordon Ramsay has been condemned after calling a leading Australian journalist a "lesbian pig". He made the comment while giving a demonstration at a food show in Melbourne.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12745.html

Ron deHarte was attacked at the Equality Torch Relay
Video: San Diego Pride organiser attacked at equality event
The organiser of San Diego Pride, Ron deHarte, was attacked on Saturday at the city's annual Equality Torch Relay. Kenyatta Mitchell was arrested after taunting deHarte with homophobic slurs, kicking out at him and trying to take his Pride flag.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12762.html

Russian activists plan picket for Obama's visit to Moscow
Gay rights campaigners are planning to stage a picket during US President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow in July to highlight his pledge to increase rights for same-sex couples.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12753.html

BNP wins two seats in European elections
The British National Party won two seats in last week's European elections, with one seat in the north-west going to party leader Nick Griffin. The other, in Yorkshire and the Humber, was won by Andrew Brons, a former National Front chairman.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12748.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

The Civil Rights Challenge of Our Time
Star Parker | Kitsap Sun
An incensed Andrew Sullivan — homosexual journalist and activist — told CNN anchor Anderson Cooper the other night that Barack Obama is ducking the “core civil rights challenge of his time.” For once, I find myself on the same page with Sullivan. But he and I have very different ideas about what that “core civil rights challenge” is.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8025/

FL: Family Tree Helps American Legion Help Homeless Vets
The Family Tree Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center has paired with the American Legion Post 13 at Lake Ella to help collect household items that will be used in an apartment complex for homeless veterans. Items needed include kitchen wares, bathroom wares, rugs, lamps, decorative items and toiletries. Donations can be dropped off at 310 Blount Street, Suite 205. Small items can be dropped off at the Family Tree booth at Tom Brown Park during the city’s Fourth of July celebration.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8024/

OK: Court Removes Couple from Lawsuit Challenging Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
Marie Price | The Journal Record
A Tulsa couple vow to continue their effort to have same-sex marriage recognized in Oklahoma, despite a federal appeals court decision Friday that essentially removed them from a lawsuit challenging Oklahoma’s ban on such unions. On Monday, Sharon Baldwin noted that the weekend had marked the 2009 Pride celebration for Tulsa’s gay community.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8023/

Both Black and Gay: Internal Rights Fight
It was already challenging enough for Cornelius Jones Jr. to grow up being black in the racially-tense South. But facing the prejudices of the people outside the African American community wouldn’t be the hardest struggle of his life. Even from the young age of 5, Jones had a sense of the obstacles he would face on the inside.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8022/

An Interview with Alex Ortega, A Director of the National Marriage Boycott
Patrick Sauer | Huffington Post
A few weeks back, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek piece about how I would be getting an (Un)legal Divorce until same-sex marriages becomes the law of the land. I was contacted by Alexis Ortega, a student at Stanford and a director of the National Marriage Boycott. The organization calls on President Obama to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and encourages straight married couples to wear an “equality ring” as a sign of support. Here is an email exchange I had with Ortega.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8020/

Gay and Lesbian Adults More Likely to Read Blogs and Use Social Networking Tools
Business Wire
New online study also shows gay and lesbian adults are more likely to be members of Facebook and MySpace
ROCHESTER, N.Y. & WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to a recent national survey conducted by Harris Interactive®, a small majority of gay and lesbian adults online today are reading blogs (a familiar, and abbreviated term for online commentary known as a weblog). More than half (55%) of gay and lesbian respondents reported reading some type of blog, compared with only 38% of heterosexuals. This represents a small increase from March 2008 when 51% of gay and lesbian respondents reported reading some type of blog. A similar question was asked in November 2006 and only 32% of gay and lesbian adults then reported reading blogs.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8018/

First Out Gay Man in Colorado Senate Sworn In
Gay Politics
Sen. Pat Steadman, a former lobbyist, says his constituents are now his only clients, according to the Colorado Statesman newspaper. The first out gay man sworn in as a Colorado state senator last week was elected by a vacancy committee to fill the seat of former Sen. Jennifer Veiga, an out lesbian who resigned earlier this year to move to Australia with her partner.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8017/

119 Million Americans Want a Public Health Option–Why Aren’t Politicians Listening
Robert Parry, Consortium News | AlterNet
As the health insurance industry and its defenders in Congress lay out their case against permitting a public option in a reform bill, perhaps their most curious argument is that some 119 million Americans are ready to dump their private plans and jump to something more like Medicare – and that’s why the choice can’t be permitted. In other words, the industry and its backers are acknowledging that more than one-third of the American people are so dissatisfied with their private health insurance that they trust the U.S. government to give them a fairer shake on health care. The industry says its allies in Congress must prevent that.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8014/

Gay or Not, Marriage Limiting
Philadelphia Inquirer | Philly.com
Mikaya Heart is the author of “With the Sun in My Eyes”
I am the kind of person who holds radical views, but the issue of gay marriage is an odd one for me. I came out as a lesbian in 1977 in England. A wave of feminism was sweeping through the Western World, and a lot of women woke up. For me and many others, coming out and recognizing how traditional male dominance kept us down were one and the same thing. We didn’t just climb out of the box made for us; we leapt out. Discovering that we could have great sex without men was only the beginning. We were going to live our own lives, do what we wanted, and be independent. We certainly weren’t going to get married - to anyone. Marriage was all about being in that limiting little box. Wedding bells sounded too much like chains clanking.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8013/

Around 50,000 Turn Up at Gay Festival Europride in Zurich
Google
ZURICH (AFP) — Around 50,000 people turned out for the European gay and lesbian parade Europride’s annual festival in the Swiss city of Zurich on Saturday, organiser Michael Rueegg said. The festival, which was held for the first time in London in 1993, takes place in a different European city every year, attracting participants from all over the continent. This year’s Europride coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first gay rights movements in the United States.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8012/

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, India’s Gay Royal Prince
He types awkwardly, his fingers scrunched on the keyboard, back hunched over and elbows bent outward. I’m guessing he’s rarely done it. “Never mind typing, I’ve never had to bathe myself,” he says, turning his attention back to a gay men’s Web site.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8011/

Carrying the Torch for Gay Marriage
Jeanette Steele, Union-Tribune Staff Writer | Sign on San Diego
A handful of “marriage equality torches” were carried on foot, in cars and even on a unicycle to city halls around the county yesterday by people protesting Proposition 8, the November state ballot initiative that stripped gays and lesbians of the right to marry.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/8010/

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GLBT DIGEST - June 08, 2009

2009-06-08T15:32:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

A Big Night for Broadway, and Especially for Billy
By PATRICK HEALY
Broadway productions with roots in the London theater dominated the 63rd annual Tony Awards on Sunday, with “Billy Elliot” winning best musical and nine other awards and “God of Carnage” picking up honors for best play, best director and best actress.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/theater/theaterspecial/08tony.html?_r=1&scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse

A Deception, and a Reluctance to Ask Questions
By DAN FROSCH and JAMES DAO
The thick-muscled man with close-cropped hair who called himself Rick Duncan seemed right out of central casting as a prop for a Democratic candidate running against Bush administration policies last fall. A former Marine Corps captain who suffered brain trauma from a roadside bomb in Iraq and was at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11 attacks. An advocate for veterans rights who opposed the war. An Annapolis graduate who was proudly gay. With his gold-plated credentials, he commanded the respect and attention of not just politicians, but also police chiefs, reporters and veterans advocates for the better part of two years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/us/08phony.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse

Footnotes
Compiled by STEVEN McELROY

The New York Neo-Futurists (nyneofuturists.org), the company behind the fast-paced production “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind,” will present its third annual gay-pride show, “30 Gay Plays in 60 Straight Minutes.” This rapid-fire event will be performed on June 26 and 27 at the Kraine Theater in the East Village. Proceeds will benefit Marriage Equality New York to support that group’s efforts on behalf of gay marriage. ... “Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words,” the recurring show at the Triad Theater (158 West 72nd Street in Manhattan) presents actors and comedians reading from the memoirs of people including Elizabeth Taylor and Miley Cyrus.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/arts/08arts-006.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

Revisiting 1969 and the Start of Gay Liberation
By Sewell Chan
On Friday afternoon, officials from the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and also to honor Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/nypl-stonewall-post/?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Bette Midler marks her 100th show in Las Vegas
By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY
The Associated Press
Bette Midler admits it takes a little work to keep her Las Vegas Strip show fresh - especially now that it's hit its 100th performance. The entertainer marked the 100th milestone of "The Showgirl Must Go On" at the Caesars Palace Colosseum on Sunday. In a recent interview, she said focus was the key to keeping her song-and-sass act from "becoming a little like groundhog day, not a lot like groundhog day, but a little."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060801604.html

Activists Plan March On D.C. for Oct. 11
An activist who worked alongside slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk announced plans for a march on Washington this fall to demand that Congress establish equality and marriage rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/07/AR2009060702550_2.html

Supreme Court Turns Down 'Don't Ask' Challenge
By William Branigin
The Supreme Court today declined to hear a constitutional challenge to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning openly gay people from serving in the U.S. military, a move that could effectively leave it to the Obama administration to resolve the long-controversial issue.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060801368.html

Court rejects challenge to 'don't ask, don't tell'
By LARA JAKES
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed with the Obama administration and upheld Pentagon policy barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060801769.html

DC pride festival honors gay rights pioneer Kameny
By GILLIAN GAYNAIR
Fresh off his doctorate from Harvard, Franklin Kameny had been a government astronomer for just five months when he was asked to meet with federal investigators. They said they had information that he was a homosexual. He was promptly fired.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/08/AR2009060800899.html

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today released the 2009 edition of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Directory of Services and Resources for the New York Metropolitan area.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/new-york-city-issues-2009-lgbt-directory-of-services-and-resources.html

In macho culture, gays find acceptance in Mexico City district
By MAIRYS JOAQUIN, McClatchy Newspapers
MEXICO CITY -- Bright neon lights twinkle from bars and clubs on the otherwise dimly lit streets of the Mexican capital's trendy Zona Rosa district. Same-sex couples embrace lovingly in public or hold hands without drawing so much as a raised eyebrow. Only one word describes this place, 21-year-old Antonio Flores said: freedom.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/in-macho-culture-gays-find-acceptance-in-mexico-city-district.html

Vermont program helps students explore gender
By WILSON RING
Like plenty of other high school students, a group of about a dozen Vermont teenagers trundled into a youth center one day every week this spring to participate in an after-school program. But their program was different; it focused on gender.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/vermont-program-helps-students-explore-gender.html

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Supreme Court actions on Monday
The Associated Press
On Monday, the Supreme Court:
- Ruled that judges must step aside from cases when large campaign contributions from interested parties create the appearance of bias. The high court on a 5-4 vote sent back to the West Virginia Supreme Court a case where a judge remained involved in a lawsuit filed against the company of the most generous supporter of his election.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1087550.html

Britain's far right wins first 2 seats in EU vote
By JILL LAWLESS
LONDON -- A British far-right party won its first-ever parliamentary seats in European Union elections as the extreme right advanced in several countries across the continent on a volatile mix of apathy, anger and economic uncertainty.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1087317.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gay Homeowners in Pride Flag Dispute
By Julie Bolcer
An Arizona couple in dispute with their property owners association charges that homophobia lies behind an order to remove a gay pride flag from their home, according to the Associated Press. Steven and Zeniff Vanderran, residents of Queen Creek southeast of Phoenix, say they were told to remove the rainbow flag from their home in August, after receiving a complaint from the Cambria Ocotillo Home Owners Association. They say that their previous management company approved the same flag for display in 2003.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88784.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

RachelWatch: All Hail to the Queen
By Ali Davis, Contributing writer
Feds Step Up
Rachel started us off with an update on the investigation of Dr. George Tiller’s murder, then noted that the American Life League was commemorating the sanctity of all human life in their own superclassy special way: By planning national birth control protests on the day of Tiller’s memorial service.
http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-all-hail-to-the-queen/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gordon Brown's reshuffle results in three openly gay cabinet figures
Openly gay MP Ben Bradshaw has been appointed as the new culture secretary, replacing Andy Burnham, who is to become health secretary. The latest reshuffle means that there will be three openly gay figures in the cabinet.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12734.html

LGBT group claims Iraq is waging a 'campaign of violence and murder' against gays
An Iraqi gay group has said it has evidence the Iraqi government is involved with militia groups advocating violence and murder towards gays. Iraqi LGBT also described a statement from the Baghdad US Embassy as "offensive and insulting".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12729.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

It’s Good to be Able to Relate to Others
LEONARD PITTS JR. | lpitts@miamiherald.com | Miami Herald
A few words about identity politics. That’s the knock on Sonia Sotomayor, who was nominated to the Supreme Court last week by President Obama. If confirmed, Sotomayor, who is Puerto Rican, will be the first Hispanic to sit on the nation’s highest tribunal.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7980/

Homosexual in Charge of School ‘Safety’ Draws Opposition
World Net Daily
A coalition of Christian organizations has launched an effort to have Kevin Jennings, the founder of the pro-homosexual GLSEN organization who has been appointed in president Obama’s administration to oversee the nation’s “safe schools” program, booted from office. “The American Family Association of Pennsylvania is repulsed by the idea that Jennings, who has a twisted idea of safety, will help make official policy for our nation’s school children,” the organization said. “Parents should be VERY concerned with Kevin Jennings’ appointment.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7979/

Opinions on Same-Sex Marriage Shifting in Michigan
Ed Brayton | Michgan Messenger
6/8/09 12:35 AM
The Detroit Free Press reports on a new poll that shows a remarkable and significant shift in public opinion in Michigan over the issue of same-sex marriage. In 2004, a state constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage passed with 59% of the vote, but if that vote were held today it would be much closer:
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7977/

HIV Challenge African-American Community
Peggy O’Farrell | pofarrell@enquirer.com | Cincinnati.com
Bishop Victor Couzens knows people don’t expect to hear about some things in church come Sunday morning. Like sex, for example, and condoms and the importance of HIV testing.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7976/

Is Rick Warren Scared of George Stephanopoulos?
Time
ABC’s “This Week” began Sunday with this announcement from a slightly miffed George Stephanopoulos: “For those of you tuning in this morning expecting to hear from Pastor Rick Warren, we were too. But the pastor’s representatives canceled moments before the scheduled interview, saying that Mr. Warren is sick from exhaustion.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7975/

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - June 07, 2009

2009-06-07T13:45:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

The Right to Divorce
By MARCELLE S. FISCHLER
WHEN C. C. married C. M. in Massachusetts in 2005, they expected the marriage to be forever. The lesbian couple, who lived together on the Upper East Side, had been in a relationship for five years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/fashion/weddings/07FIELD.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Mural memorializes victims of anti-gay crimes
FALLAN PATTERSON
In March 2007, Scott Hall watched as a news report flashed across his television screen about the murder of 25-year-old Polk County resident Ryan Skipper, who was targeted by two men for being homosexual. Hall later discovered that crimes like this were all too common, and he vowed to find a way to honor the memories of victims, those specifically targeted because of their sexual orientation. His work resulted in the formation of the nonprofit Gay American Heroes Foundation, based in Fort Lauderdale. Through the organization, Hall has designed a traveling memorial more than 7 feet high and 75 feet long made up of about 700 star-shaped metal plaques memorializing the names, ages and geographical information of hate-crime victims by attaching them to color panels. Photos corresponding to the names will appear on alternating panels. "When you murder a gay [person], he may have been the firefighter that saved your mother's life or the hairdresser who did your sister's hair for prom," Hall said. "If they were killing any other group of people — nuns, Harvard graduates — there would be a public outcry. This is our public outcry."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flhrbheroes0521esbmay21,0,1030444.story

Sotomayor would be court's sixth Catholic
By Rachel Zoll
If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, she will be the sixth Roman Catholic of the nine justices. But far from forming any unified bloc, the justices would represent the vast diversity of American Catholics, from weekly churchgoers to the occasional attendee.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-religion-fv-justicesbjun07,0,5008856.story

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Want to get married? Here’s how.
By Cory Stottlemyer
Equal marriage has been on a roller coaster this year. Yes in Iowa, Vermont, Maine and - just this week - New Hampshire, which join granddaddy Massachusetts. A big NO in California. Requirements for marriage licenses vary from state to state, and couples determining where to get married can find it baffling. Here’s a state-by-state equal marriage guide:
http://www.365gay.com/living/want-to-get-married-heres-how/

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Gays Push for Partner Immigration Rights
Matthew B. Stannard,Tyche Hendricks, Chronicle Staff Writer | San Francisco Chronicle
As Congress and immigrant advocacy groups gear up for the annual tussle over comprehensive immigration reform, a proposal by San Jose Rep. Mike Honda is opening up a new angle on the debate - one that some groups warn could overshadow years of effort at building consensus. Honda’s Reuniting Families Act, introduced Thursday, would extend to “permanent partners” the same naturalization rights accorded to spouses under the bill, allowing gay and lesbian Americans to seek legal residency for their immigrant same-sex partners.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7940/

PA: Lutheran Northeast Synod Assembly Votes in Reading to Back Proposal for Gay, Lesbian Pastors
John W. Smith | Reading Eagle
Northeastern Pennsylvania Lutherans voted overwhelming support Saturday for a proposal that would allow gay and lesbian pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The margins were even more decisive than in preliminary votes Friday night at the annual synod assembly in the Sovereign Performing Arts Center in Reading.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7939/

HomoQuotable–Chris Crain
Joe. My. God
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. HRC and the Democrats have been promising (with no plan to deliver) passage of a hate crime law and Employment Non-Discrimination Act for more than a decade, including before the 2006 election, and yet we are still expected to be satisfied by these same civil rights crumbs for the entire first year that Democrats are firmly in control of Washington. “In some ways, delay is somewhat more justifiable on DADT than other gay rights measures, given the implementation steps to be taken in the midst of two foreign wars. But make no mistake: if DADT waits until 2010, then relationship recognition — whether repeal of DOMA or a federal civil unions law — won’t get touched until after the midterm elections, if then.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7938/

WA: Gay-Rights Strategy Raises Issue of Privacy in Democratic Process
Lornet Turnbull | Seattle Times staff reporter | Seattle Times
Across the country, thousands who contributed to a campaign banning gay marriage in California — including some people in the Seattle area — have had their names and addresses permanently ascribed to an Internet site, along with the amount they gave and their place of employment. Last week, a Seattle gay man said he will do something similar: post and make searchable online the names and addresses of all who sign a referendum petition to recall legislation giving gay couples in Washington the benefits of marriage, except the name.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7937/

NV: How Speaker Corralled the Final Vote for Partnerships
David McGrath Schwartz (contact) | Las Vegas Sun
Sun, Jun 7, 2009 (2 a.m.)
Once the governor’s veto of the domestic partnership bill was overridden in the Senate, observers assumed that the legislation would easily make it out of the Assembly — even though the bill had been approved originally without enough votes to override. No one doubted that Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley would find the additional two votes she needed.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7936/

Ketner Apologizes for ‘Outing’ S.C. Republicans
Matt Comer | Q-Notes
June 6th, 2009
Linda Ketner, an openly lesbian 2008 South Carolina Democratic candidate for Congress, issued an apology on Friday, June 5, for comments she made claiming three Palmetto State Republicans were closeted gays. The bombshell statements were made in a FireDogLake interview on June 1.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7935/

AK: Ordiance is Simply About the Basics of Living Your Life
DON HUNTER | dhunter@adn.com | Anchorage Daily news
The following are excerpts from a recent interview with Jackie Buckley of Equality Works on the proposed city law to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Equality Works asked that the ordinance be proposed. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7934/

AK: Gay Rights Go Before Assembly Once Again
DON HUNTER | dhunter@adn.com | Anchorage Daily News
The longest, bitterest argument in Anchorage’s social and political experience returns to center stage Tuesday before the municipal Assembly. For the third time in little more than 30 years, a proposal to ban discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals is up for public hearing and action. It arrives at the request of Acting Mayor Matt Claman, who said he was happy to sponsor it when asked to do so by members of an organization called Equality Works. The change would add “sexual orientation” to a list of characteristics — race, color, religion, age, marital status and so on — for which it is illegal to discriminate in employment, property sales or rental, education, financing and public accommodations. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7932/

NY: Brooklyn Cops Beat Us, Say 2 Lesbians
Rachel Monahan and Wil Cruz | DAILY NEWS WRITERS | New York Daily News
Two lesbians Saturday accused cops of beating them with nightsticks while hurling anti-gay slurs at them outside of a Brooklyn lounge. The women, Jeannette Grey and Tiffany Jimenez, said five officers threw them to the ground May 17 in front of IFE Lounge in Crown Heights about 3:30 a.m. “All of a sudden cops are pushing,” Jimenez, 19, said in front of the 77th Precinct stationhouse. “I was on the floor. I had no shoes and they threw me on my back. “They’re yelling at me, ‘B—, get down!’” she added. “I’m screaming and crying. I was shocked and angry and scared.” “Tiffany and I were brutally beaten,” Grey, 31, claimed. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7930/

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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - June 07, 2009

2009-06-07T13:43:00.001-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Equality Florida
http://eqfl.org/

"No Excuses. No Delays." Do we really mean it?
by Nadine Smith, Executive Director
At a recent speaking engagement, I asked a group of people, "What would the world be like if, from the day you were born, prejudice had never touched your lives?" No homophobic bullying in school. Supportive families at homes No trans-bashing humor on TV. No workplace discrimination. Equal treatment of all families regardless or orientation or gender identity. No closet, ever, because you had never, ever needed one. Most of the people responded by talking about new laws that would be in effect but they struggled to name the deeper, more personal impact on the texture of their daily lives.
A few talked about what they would no longer fear but struggled to articulate what affirmative would replace those fears. [Contact Ray's List for the full article.]

Come Celebrate Stonewall Street Festival
with Equality Florida!
As a member of our Stonewall Pride Team you will have the opportunity to talk to all sorts of the fun and friendly people. Here's your chance to take a stand and get a tan. Take a stand for equality and have fun in the sun with family and friends. We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers who care about equality and who are willing to share their enthusiasm with others. Volunteer shifts typically last three hours, and involve engaging passers-by, signing up new members, and spreading the word about Equality Florida’s work. The work is easy and fun, and one of the best ways to get others involved! WE NEED YOUR HELP - Just click the link to sign up as a volunteer - Stonewall Street Festival June 20-21
https://indigo501.wufoo.com/forms/stonewall-street-festival/

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PRIDE SOUTH FLORIDA ANNOUNCES 2009 GRANT AWARDS
2009 Grant Recipients
Fort Lauderdale, Florida – June 1, 2009 – Pride South Florida, Inc., the 501 © 3 non-profit organization run by unpaid volunteers that supports a variety of groups who work to promote charitable activities, educational programs, and cultural arts for the GLBT community, is delighted to announce their 2009 Grant Award recipients. As a result of this year's successful “Destination Pride” festival, fifteen (15) qualifying grant requests/proposals were submitted to PSF. After careful consideration and an equitable election process, its Board of Directors selected ten groups for funding for over $24,000. The organizations, awarded dollar amounts, and their grant's missions are listed below.
**2009 Pride Grants
1- Red Hispana Florida – $1,500 - To preserve GLBT pre-AIDS era films which also serve as documentary of our lifestyles.
2- Tuesday's Angels - $2,500 – To provide emergency assistance in the form of eyeglasses to financially needy people with HIV/AIDS.
3- KP Productions - $2,500 – To continue the outreach program providing live musical entertainment to the GLBT community and seniors in our community.
4- Arts United - $2,500 – Sponsorship for Art Explosion 2010. 5- The Names Project South Florida (The Aids Memorial Quilt) - $2,500 – To preserve, care, and use the AIDS Memorial Quilt to foster healing, heighten awareness, and inspire in the struggle against HIV and AIDS.
6- Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives (TERI) - $2,500 – To provide educational, social support and outreach.
7- Sunshine Cathedral /MCC - $2,500 – to purchase follow spotlights for use at community concerts and events held at Sunshine Cathedral.
8- South Florida Musical Guild Inc. - $2,500 - To support the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble Fall Concert entitled “Incantations”.
9- Church of The Holy Spirit Song - $2,500 – To fund the COHSS food pantry.
10- Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus - $2,500 – To assist with four concert series during the upcoming season.

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Florida Democratic Party
Karen Thurman Honors PRIDE Month; Reaffirms Democrats' Commitment To GLBT Equality
Tallahassee, FL - As Floridians honor the contributions on the of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Community by celebrating PRIDE Month, Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman released the following statement: "During this month-long celebration of PRIDE and throughout the year, Florida Democrats are fighting for equality and civil rights for all residents of the Sunshine State. "As the Party of inclusion, Democrats know that all are created equal and we have fought against discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and disability. "Over the past several years, Democrats stood up to change Washington. In doing so, the cause of ending discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans has taken a giant leap forward. [Contact Ray's List for the full article.]

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Stonewall Library & Archives - Ft. Lauderdale
We need you!
Stonewall will be participating in this year's Stonewall Street Festival
Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale 0 June 20 and 21
Stonewall will have a contingent in the evening parade, Saturday, June 20, 7:00 PM, and we will have an information/membership booth on Sunday, June 21, Noon -7:00 PM.
If you would like to join in the festivities and are able to volunteer your time please let me know.
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
954-763-8565
http://www.stonewall-library.org/

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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

In commemoration of the one year anniversary of Broward County adding Gender Identity and Expression as a protected class to Broward County's Human Rights Bill, TERI, the Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives has announced the recipient of it inaugural college scholarship. The winner of the 2009 TERI scholarship is Alexandra Vivas of Davie, FL. Ms Vivas is a junior at FIU, working towards a degree in Social Work. Her focus is in advocating for the international transgender community, especially in Spanish speaking countries, which have shown a reduced tolerance for the transgender population. The scholarship was open to transgender individuals and allies to the transgender community. Priority was given to transgender students, but students pursuing medicine, law, social work, psychology, education, public health, etc. and who want to work specifically with the transgender population, advocating on their behalf and providing comprehensive services were encouraged to apply. The scholarship is for future (new students beginning summer semester), current Broward College students, and BC alumni who are pursuing a Bachelor's degree at a University. The scholarship will be for Summer Semester 2009. The award amount is $500 and was given in its entirety to one student. TERI funding for this scholarship was made possible by a grant from PRIDE South Florida. (PRIDEFEST)

EDITOR MICHAEL MONTLACK TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK MY DIVA
AT STONEWALL LIBRARY & ARCHIVES
Saturday, June 13, 2:00 PM
On Saturday, June 13, at 2:00 PM, Stonewall will welcome editor Michael Montlack who will be reading from his new book, "My Diva: 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them." The essayists encompass a wide swath of experience, from poets and professors to novelists and activists. The range of the subjects of their adoration are no less varied.Please join us on Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 PM for this chance to hear Michael Montlack read selections from his book. The event will include light refreshments and is free and open to the public. Stonewall is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

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Dolphin Democrats - Ft. Lauderdale
The Dolphin Democrats Host “Presidential Pride Reception”
Event to Feature the Current and Former Presidents of the GLBT Democratic Club
WILTON MANORS, FL—The Dolphin Democrats, Florida’s largest and oldest Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Democratic Club, is hosting its annual “Presidential Pride Reception” on Sunday, June 7th at 5pm. With over 400 members, the Dolphin Democrats is the largest GLBT political club in Florida and one of the strongest in the nation. Please join us as we celebrate our success, honor our leaders, and plan for the future in this year of renaissance for the Dolphin Democrats.
Sunday, June 7th, 2009 - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
At the Home of - Julie Carson and Susan Pierce
1500 NE 24th Street - Wilton Manors, Florida
Member $10.00 • Non Member $20.00
FREE Entry with $30.00 Membership Renewal
Press is welcome to attend.

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Stonewall Street Festival - Wilton Manors
Stonewall Street Festival - 40th Anniversary
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which is internationally recognized as the catalyst for the modern gay rights movement. We send out the call to everyone to join us in honoring this historic event. The Stonewall Committee needs volunteers for this wonderful event. If you are interested, please contact Marc Hanson at marc@stonewallstreetfestival.com

~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Crist leading over Rubio for US Senate seat, poll shows
Florida Today - 06/06/09

Crist's high court pick puts him in political center
Miami Herald - 06/06/09

On offshore oil, a cracked door
Florida Today - 06/06/09

FLORIDA DMS HEADING TOWARD MAJOR PRIMARY
St. Petersburg Times - 06/05/09

A Brief History of the Radical, Violent Right: How Racist Hate Groups Joined up With Abortion Terrorists
AlterNet - 06/06/09

Florida's fourth black Supreme Court justice sworn in
Sun-Sentinel - 06/06/09

Obama's 2012 Florida strategy
Miami Herald - 06/06/09

Lower medical costs will boost economy
Miami Herald - 06/06/09

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - June 06, 2009

2009-06-06T12:27:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Challenging Sex Taboos, With Help From the Koran
By ROBERT F. WORTH
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
WEDAD LOOTAH does not look like a sexual activist. A Muslim and a native Emirati, she wears a full-length black niqab — with only her brown eyes showing through narrow slits — and sprinkles her conversation with quotes from the Koran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/world/middleeast/06dubai.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Cheney Supports Gay Marriage
Former vice president Dick Cheney this week voiced his support for same-sex marriage, as long as it is handled by the states and not the federal government. Cheney, whose daughter has a longtime female partner, said at the National Press Club that "people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060503423.html

The Last Act
By Amanda Long
His death was unexpected. So was my unusual eulogy. I killed at my best friend's funeral. Everyone was still in shock over John's sudden death. At 38, he had just run a marathon and received a job promotion. His naughty, hilarious e-mails were still in our inboxes. Some who knew John were angry that they'd lost touch with him. Others grappled with fears that it was suicide. (It wasn't: Word of his heart condition came later.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/29/AR2009052901622.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:

Judicial 'Activism' Isn't the Issue
By JEFF ROWES
Liberals and conservatives both show too much deference to Congress. The growing dispute between conservatives and liberals over the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor obscures a more troubling point of agreement: The government should almost always win.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124425367341590989.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Companies pull advertising after Calif. radio hosts refer to transgender people as 'freaks'
Bank of America, Verizon, Chipotle and other companies have pulled advertising from a Sacramento radio station after talk show hosts referred to transgender people as "freaks" with mental disorders.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-radio-station-transgender,0,1815731.story

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to the links for the following articles:

Video | Hulk Hogan interrogates Glenn Douglas Packard: On the 1 to 10 gay scale, where are you at?
The naked truth about Brooke Hogan’s roomie, dancer-choreographer Glenn Douglas Packard
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/video-the-interrogation-of-glenn-douglas-packard-hulk-hogan-keeps-an-eye-out-on-brooke.html

Gay-straight West Point alliance to Obama: Don’t expel Dan Choi and other gay/lesbian soldiers
KNIGHTS OUT CALLS FOR PRESIDENT TO ISSUE STOP-LOSS ORDER
The following statement was released today from Knights Out: Knights Out, an organization of 400 straight and gay West Point graduates, former staff and faculty, and allies, respectfully calls on our President to sign a stop-loss order immediately to allow Lieutenant Dan Choi, and all other gay and lesbian soldiers, to continue to serve without risk of expulsion under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/gay-straight-west-point-alliance-to-obama-dont-expel-dan-choi-and-other-gaylesbian-soldiers.html

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

U.S. grants asylum to gay Cuban
HIV immigrant ban stalled approval
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
U.S. immigration officials have granted political asylum to a gay man from Cuba who said he would face anti-gay persecution and internment in an AIDS sanatorium because of his HIV-positive status if forced to return to his homeland.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/national/5929.cfm

Florida: Students protest in Weston over teacher’s anti-gay remarks
Cypress Bay High School students learn real-life lesson in activism
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
A group of approximately 30 students took to the suburban streets of Weston in protest of GLBT rights, calling attention to anti-gay comments made public at Cypress Bay High School.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/localnews/5908.cfm

South Florida must take a step forward in activism
By TONY ADAMS
During a recent trip to New York City, I attended a rally to protest the California court decision to uphold Prop 8, and I got into a lively discussion about religion with the men carrying the “Dignity” banner. When the parade reached Union Square, I jostled for photo-op positioning, inside a circle of well-pierced goth girls debating Obama: friend or foe? Later, I was part of a large group of gay bloggers weighing the merits of a march on Washington. Daily, I sift through hundreds of email messages parsing the term “Civil Rights” in terms of comparing the black struggle with the gay struggle. The fine points of the dissemination of the President’s proclamation were presented to me as possible evidence of our low rung status in his administration.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/view/editorial/5914.cfm

Oh What a Riot!
Can we talk about the 2009 Stonewall Street Festival, please?
By Marc A. Hansen
40 years ago, under the trials and turbulence of the end of the 60’s, Judy Garland passed away and a large group of Drag Queens & Lesbians after morning her passing went to a little bar called The Stonewall Inn. The police raided that gay bar.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/view/columns/5912.cfm

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

BofA, Verizon Ax Ads From KRXQ
By Michelle Garcia
Eight companies have pulled advertising from a Sacramento, Calif., radio station after the hosts of a morning talk show encouraged violence against transgender kids.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88535.asp

Virtual Gays Say "I Do"
By Amita Parashar
Gays and lesbians can now get married all over the world -- the virtual world, at least. After playing The Sims 3 for a week, Lyle Masaki at AfterElton.com discovered that gay couples can now marry. Earlier versions of the game only allowed same-sex couples to move in together and declare unions.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88531.asp

Four Teens Charged as Adults in Locker Room Sex Assault
Four Tampa, Fla., teens charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy in a locker room multiple times over a two-month period will be tried as adults.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88510.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

New England may see long-term boost from gay marriage
By 365gay Newswire
New England might attract a new, young, “creative class” - thanks to marriage equality in every state but Rhode Island.
http://www.365gay.com/news/new-england-may-see-long-term-boost-from-gay-marriage/

San Angelo mayor resigns to be with gay partner
By 365gay Newswire
San Angelo, Texas residents were surprised this past week when Mayor J.W. Lown resigned from his office to be with his partner in Mexico. Lown, who was re-elected for a fourth term by a landslide vote, is helping his partner, a non-U.S. citizen, get a visa.
http://www.365gay.com/news/san-angelo-mayor-resigns-to-be-with-gay-partner/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Parents complain over school assembly on gay issues
By Jessica Geen
A number of parents at a Kent school have complained after gay relationships were mentioned at an assembly. Children at Bromstone Primary listened to a song by Elton John and were told what being gay means as part of an assembly on bullying.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12733.html

Gordon Brown's reshuffle results in three openly gay cabinet figures
By Jessica Geen
Openly gay MP Ben Bradshaw has been appointed as the new culture secretary, replacing Andy Burnham, who is to take over his role as health secretary. The latest reshuffle means that there will be three openly gay figures in the cabinet, as Peter Mandelson is currently the business secretary and Nick Brown is the chief whip.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12734.html

LGBT group claims Iraq is waging a 'campaign of violence and murder' against gays
An Iraqi gay group has said it has evidence the Iraqi government is involved with militia groups advocating violence and murder towards gays. Iraqi LGBT also described a statement from the Baghdad US Embassy as "offensive and insulting".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12729.html

Comment: Is Obama all talk and no action on gay issues?
Impatience is growing amongst the USA’s gay and lesbian community over President Barack Obama’s slow approach to tackling the LGBT issues he promised to address.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12743.html

Southwark votes in first openly gay mayor
The first openly gay mayor of Southwark, south-east London, has been elected. Councillor Jeff Hook, whose full title will be The Worshipful The Mayor of Southwark, will take on the role for the 2009-10 period with his civil partner as his official consort.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12731.html

Scottish parliament passes hate crime law to protect gays
Members of the Scottish Parliament have voted to pass legislation to protect gay, trans and disabled people from hate crime. The new law means targeting victims because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or disability will become an aggravating factor and is likely to lead to heavier sentences.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12732.html

Former Mr Gay Newcastle among contestants on Big Brother
A former Mr Gay Newcastle is among the gay contestants on this year's Big Brother. Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Drummond describes himself as "camp as Christmas".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12727.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Arizona Lawmakers Move to End Domestic Partner Benefits
Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services | Tucson, Arizona | The Arizona Daily Star
State lawmakers are moving to strip the domestic partners of state and university employees of the health insurance coverage they gained just a year ago. A provision in the state budget would legally define “dependents” of state employees who are entitled to coverage as a spouse or a child younger than 19 — or younger than 23 if a full-time student. Changing the law would override regulations adopted last year that added domestic partners and their children to the list.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7905/

Gay Youths Coming Out of the Closet and Onto the Web
Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah | Tribune reporter | Chicago Tribune
Moments before Isaiah Freeman-Schub left three years ago to study abroad in Paris, he picked up his laptop computer and wrote a life-changing blog entry. “I must disclose that I am a Martha Stewart-watching, fashion-abiding, flower-arranging, boxer-brief- wearing, hair-styling, … Rachel Ray recipe-cooking, vodka-drinking, nail-filing, exfoliated, pec-toning, pocket square-sporting, football-abhorring, Queer-as-Folk- viewing, Kelly-Clarkson- listening, accessory-coordinat ing, fitness-obsessed, Boystown-going, candle-lighting, fruit fly-leading, necktie-tying, pinky-extending, mirror-looking, GQ-reading, Jake Gyllenhaal-lusting, blow-drying, man-loving FAIRY.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7904/

Nice Try, Dick
By Mark Morford | SF Gate Columnist | San Francisco Chronicle
Sorry, Dick. You can’t have it. You can’t have even a moment of credit, a glimpse of sympathy, any sort of merciful forgiveness just because you sort of, kind of half-assedly came out in support of gay marriage, again, even though you actually didn’t. Here’s what you do get: a sidelong look of momentary disbelief, a quick glance in your direction as you sit in your puddle of sour irrelevance on the sidelines of modern culture, as the rest of the thoughtful, open-hearted human race leaves you in the embittered dust. Hey, you made your bed of nails, Dick. You get to impale yourself on it.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7903/

Gay Marriage Dominates Online, Ignored Offline
On Top Magazine
Coverage of gay marriage continues to dominate the conversation online but is being roundly ignored by traditional offline media sources, according to newly released New Media Index figures by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7900/

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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - June 06, 2009

2009-06-06T12:23:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Equality Florida
http://eqfl.org/

"No Excuses. No Delays." Do we really mean it?
by Nadine Smith, Executive Director
At a recent speaking engagement, I asked a group of people, "What would the world be like if, from the day you were born, prejudice had never touched your lives?" No homophobic bullying in school. Supportive families at homes No trans-bashing humor on TV. No workplace discrimination. Equal treatment of all families regardless or orientation or gender identity. No closet, ever, because you had never, ever needed one. Most of the people responded by talking about new laws that would be in effect but they struggled to name the deeper, more personal impact on the texture of their daily lives. A few talked about what they would no longer fear but struggled to articulate what affirmative would replace those fears. [Contact Ray's List for the full article.]

Come Celebrate Stonewall Street Festival
with Equality Florida!
As a member of our Stonewall Pride Team you will have the opportunity to talk to all sorts of the fun and friendly people. Here's your chance to take a stand and get a tan. Take a stand for equality and have fun in the sun with family and friends. We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers who care about equality and who are willing to share their enthusiasm with others. Volunteer shifts typically last three hours, and involve engaging passers-by, signing up new members, and spreading the word about Equality Florida’s work. The work is easy and fun, and one of the best ways to get others involved! WE NEED YOUR HELP - Just click the link to sign up as a volunteer - Stonewall Street Festival June 20-21
https://indigo501.wufoo.com/forms/stonewall-street-festival/

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PRIDE SOUTH FLORIDA ANNOUNCES 2009 GRANT AWARDS
2009 Grant Recipients
Fort Lauderdale, Florida – June 1, 2009 – Pride South Florida, Inc., the 501 © 3 non-profit organization run by unpaid volunteers that supports a variety of groups who work to promote charitable activities, educational programs, and cultural arts for the GLBT community, is delighted to announce their 2009 Grant Award recipients. As a result of this year's successful “Destination Pride” festival, fifteen (15) qualifying grant requests/proposals were submitted to PSF. After careful consideration and an equitable election process, its Board of Directors selected ten groups for funding for over $24,000. The organizations, awarded dollar amounts, and their grant's missions are listed below.
**2009 Pride Grants
1- Red Hispana Florida – $1,500 - To preserve GLBT pre-AIDS era films which also serve as documentary of our lifestyles.
2- Tuesday's Angels - $2,500 – To provide emergency assistance in the form of eyeglasses to financially needy people with HIV/AIDS.
3- KP Productions - $2,500 – To continue the outreach program providing live musical entertainment to the GLBT community and seniors in our community.
4- Arts United - $2,500 – Sponsorship for Art Explosion 2010. 5- The Names Project South Florida (The Aids Memorial Quilt) - $2,500 – To preserve, care, and use the AIDS Memorial Quilt to foster healing, heighten awareness, and inspire in the struggle against HIV and AIDS.
6- Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives (TERI) - $2,500 – To provide educational, social support and outreach.
7- Sunshine Cathedral /MCC - $2,500 – to purchase follow spotlights for use at community concerts and events held at Sunshine Cathedral.
8- South Florida Musical Guild Inc. - $2,500 - To support the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble Fall Concert entitled “Incantations”.
9- Church of The Holy Spirit Song - $2,500 – To fund the COHSS food pantry.
10- Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus - $2,500 – To assist with four concert series during the upcoming season.

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Florida Democratic Party
Karen Thurman Honors PRIDE Month; Reaffirms Democrats' Commitment To GLBT Equality
Tallahassee, FL - As Floridians honor the contributions on the of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Community by celebrating PRIDE Month, Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman released the following statement: "During this month-long celebration of PRIDE and throughout the year, Florida Democrats are fighting for equality and civil rights for all residents of the Sunshine State. "As the Party of inclusion, Democrats know that all are created equal and we have fought against discrimination based on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and disability. "Over the past several years, Democrats stood up to change Washington. In doing so, the cause of ending discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans has taken a giant leap forward. [Contact Ray's List for the full article.]

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Stonewall Library & Archives - Ft. Lauderdale
We need you!
Stonewall will be participating in this year's Stonewall Street Festival
Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale 0 June 20 and 21
Stonewall will have a contingent in the evening parade, Saturday, June 20, 7:00 PM, and we will have an information/membership booth on Sunday, June 21, Noon -7:00 PM.
If you would like to join in the festivities and are able to volunteer your time please let me know.
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
954-763-8565
http://www.stonewall-library.org/

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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

In commemoration of the one year anniversary of Broward County adding Gender Identity and Expression as a protected class to Broward County's Human Rights Bill, TERI, the Transgender Equality Rights Initiatives has announced the recipient of it inaugural college scholarship. The winner of the 2009 TERI scholarship is Alexandra Vivas of Davie, FL. Ms Vivas is a junior at FIU, working towards a degree in Social Work. Her focus is in advocating for the international transgender community, especially in Spanish speaking countries, which have shown a reduced tolerance for the transgender population. The scholarship was open to transgender individuals and allies to the transgender community. Priority was given to transgender students, but students pursuing medicine, law, social work, psychology, education, public health, etc. and who want to work specifically with the transgender population, advocating on their behalf and providing comprehensive services were encouraged to apply. The scholarship is for future (new students beginning summer semester), current Broward College students, and BC alumni who are pursuing a Bachelor's degree at a University. The scholarship will be for Summer Semester 2009. The award amount is $500 and was given in its entirety to one student. TERI funding for this scholarship was made possible by a grant from PRIDE South Florida. (PRIDEFEST)

EDITOR MICHAEL MONTLACK TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK MY DIVA
AT STONEWALL LIBRARY & ARCHIVES
Saturday, June 13, 2:00 PM
On Saturday, June 13, at 2:00 PM, Stonewall will welcome editor Michael Montlack who will be reading from his new book, "My Diva: 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them." The essayists encompass a wide swath of experience, from poets and professors to novelists and activists. The range of the subjects of their adoration are no less varied.Please join us on Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 PM for this chance to hear Michael Montlack read selections from his book. The event will include light refreshments and is free and open to the public. Stonewall is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

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Dolphin Democrats - Ft. Lauderdale
The Dolphin Democrats Host “Presidential Pride Reception”
Event to Feature the Current and Former Presidents of the GLBT Democratic Club
WILTON MANORS, FL—The Dolphin Democrats, Florida’s largest and oldest Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Democratic Club, is hosting its annual “Presidential Pride Reception” on Sunday, June 7th at 5pm. With over 400 members, the Dolphin Democrats is the largest GLBT political club in Florida and one of the strongest in the nation. Please join us as we celebrate our success, honor our leaders, and plan for the future in this year of renaissance for the Dolphin Democrats.
Sunday, June 7th, 2009 - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
At the Home of - Julie Carson and Susan Pierce
1500 NE 24th Street - Wilton Manors, Florida
Member $10.00 • Non Member $20.00
FREE Entry with $30.00 Membership Renewal
Press is welcome to attend.

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Stonewall Street Festival - Wilton Manors
Stonewall Street Festival - 40th Anniversary
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which is internationally recognized as the catalyst for the modern gay rights movement. We send out the call to everyone to join us in honoring this historic event. The Stonewall Committee needs volunteers for this wonderful event. If you are interested, please contact Marc Hanson at marc@stonewallstreetfestival.com

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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net ]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - June 05, 2009

2009-06-05T17:00:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Old-School Treatment for Miss California
Regarding Michael Kinsley's May 22 op-ed column, "A Crown of Thorns for Miss California?":
I am in favor of same-sex marriage, and I agree with Mr. Kinsley that Miss California, Carrie Prejean, should be free to voice her opinion against it. Yet I found it amazing that, in service to his argument that Miss California be allowed to speak out, Mr. Kinsley qualified it with, "[she did so] ever so politely and tentatively, and only when asked." Huh?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/04/AR2009060404168.html

Ganymede Readings
Forty years ago this month, the patrons of a popular Greenwich Village gay bar called the Stonewall Inn -- fed up with the frequent police raids and arrests -- decided to fight back, during a time when it was still risky to make noise about being gay. Known as the Stonewall Riots, the angry, sometimes violent demonstrations that followed marked the birth of the modern gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) rights movement. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/04/AR2009060401778.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Lowe cartoon hit its mark
June 5, 2009
I want to thank Chan Lowe for his outstanding gays in the military cartoon, which a friend passed on to me. It says so much, so eloquently, without rancor.
Richard Fogaley, Atlanta, Ga.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-lowe-cartoon-letter-m060509pnjun05,0,65792.story

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

The Forward: Why straight people go to gay synagogues – and what we can learn from them
From The Jewish Daily Forward:
By Jay Michaelson
In the next few weeks, gay and lesbian synagogues and Jewish organizations will be marching in New York, San Francisco and other cities around the country as part of gay pride parades. But many of the people marching won’t be gay themselves: More and more “gay” or GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) synagogues have significant percentages of “straight allies” among their membership — in some cases, even majorities. Although there are no precise statistics quantifying this trend, it is unmistakable to anyone who visits one of these congregations, and, in an era of shrinking synagogue affiliation, prompts the question of why these institutions are growing among a population they do not even try to serve. Maybe all of us have something to learn here.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/the-forward-why-straight-people-go-to-gay-synagogues-and-what-we-can-learn-from-them.html

Photo gallery | Miami Gay Men’s Chorus rehearses for June 19, 20 concerts at Colony Theater on Lincoln Road
Thursday night, I attended rehearsal for the Miami Gay Men’s Chorus’ upcoming concerts on June 19 & 20 at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach. The chorus will perform Look Back, Inward & Forward, a “celebration of the Miami Gay Mens Chorus’ fabulous first decade features a sparkling selection of audience favorites from ABBA to Sondheim to Elton John,’’ according to a news release.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/photo-gallery-miami-gay-mens-chorus-rehearses-for-june-19-20-concerts-at-colony-theater-on-lincoln-road.html

'Bent' at Rising Action Theatre
BY CHRISTINE DOLEN, cdolen@MiamiHerald.com
Martin Sherman's Bent opened on Broadway almost 30 years ago, but the power of its storytelling, which helped win it the 1980 Tony Award as best play, hasn't aged. Fort Lauderdale's Rising Action Theatre is taking on its biggest dramatic challenge to date in producing Sherman's play about gay men who were shipped off to Nazi concentration camps. Michael Perry, Larry Brooks and Larry Buzzeo, who is also staging the play, are featured in the cast. Bent, which contains sexual situations and nudity, runs through July 19 at Rising Action, 840 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $35 ($25 this Friday, Sunday and Wednesday only). Call 800-595-4849 or visit www.risingactiontheatre.com.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/bent-at-rising-action-theatre.html

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

SoFla gets Syked out
Wanda Sykes serves up her signature sarcasm
By SHERI ELFMAN
Angry, outspoken and politically incorrect, Wanda Sykes is always outrageously funny. Known for her roles on “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Chris Rock Show,” “Monster-in-Law” and most recently for killing at the White House Correspondents’ dinner, the sassy comedian will perform at the Fillmore Miami on Saturday, June 6.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/arts/feature/5919.cfm

Students protest in Weston over teacher’s anti-gay remarks
Cypress Bay High School students learn real-life lesson in activism
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
A group of approximately 30 students took to the suburban streets of Weston in protest of GLBT rights, calling attention to anti-gay comments made public at Cypress Bay High School.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/localnews/5908.cfm

Pride is a go!
Plans for festival keep marching on
By JASON MICHAELS
The Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale organization voted Wednesday to approve the festival plans and hold the event, as scheduled on the weekend of June 20th and 21st. For several weeks, the annual festival faced cancellation because of lack of sponsorships.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/localnews/5906.cfm

Broward GLBT Youth Group: the community’s next generation
"It’s really transformed my life and given me a greater sense of belonging"
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
Many teens who are struggling to come to terms with their sexuality hide behind a wall of emotional angst and unanswered questions, but one local group is available for adolescents and their parents to help in the understanding process.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/localnews/5909.cfm

Oakland Park attackers appear in court
Suspects accused in beatings of two gay men in separate attacks
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
The two men accused of assaulting two gay men in separate attacks in April had their first appearance in front of a judge on May 28.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/localnews/5907.cfm

Harvard to create chair in gay studies
$1.5 million gift helped create visiting professorship
BOSTON
Harvard University is creating a visiting professorship in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies with a gift of $1.5 million from the Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus. The professorship is one of the first for gay and lesbian studies in the United States. The University of Louisville has a chair in race, class, gender and sexuality studies named for lesbian poet and activist Audre Lorde.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=25641

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Air Firm Cleared of Antigay Claims
By Julie Bolcer
A cabin crew boss’s claims that she was told not to hire male flight attendants who might be perceived as gay were dismissed this week by a UK tribunal, reports the BBC. Alexandria Proud had claimed unfair constructive dismissal by Gama Aviation, a charter aircraft firm that supplies pilots and flight attendants for privately-owned aircraft.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88436.asp

Drag Queens, Canada, and Gum
Stride Gum, known as the "Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum," must really want gay chewers -- a new promotion for Stride will feature drag queens performing a dance-off during the Toronto Pride festival.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88297.asp

R.I.: Pick Up Your Dead Gay Partner
Rhode Island, the last New England state holding out on same-sex marriage, isn't quite ready to let gay couples walk down the aisle -- but it may grant domestic partners the right to claim each other's body and arrange funerals.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88252.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

German zoo: Gay penguin pair raising chick
By The Associated Press
(Berlin) A German zoo says a pair of gay male penguins are raising a chick from an egg abandoned by its parents.
http://www.365gay.com/news/german-zoo-gay-penguin-pair-raising-chick/

New England may see long-term boost from gay marriage
By 365gay Newswire
New England might attract a new, young, “creative class” - thanks to marriage equality in every state but Rhode Island. “It will be a selling point when it comes to trying to lure people with same-sex partners who are being wooed for a job,” M.V. Lee Badgett, a University of Massachusetts economist who studies gay and lesbian issues, told Reuters.
http://www.365gay.com/news/new-england-may-see-long-term-boost-from-gay-marriage/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gay couples to be protected by Hong Kong domestic violence law
The Domestic Violence Ordinance will have an amendment to include same sex couples, the Hong Kong Government have announced. However, they have been keen to stress that this will not mean the government will legally recognise same sex marriages or relationships in any other respect.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12718.html

Tennessee schools to remove block on gay educational and news websites
A long running battle to unblock educational gay websites from schools in Knox County, Tennessee may be over. Following the start of legal proceedings, the County Superintendent has said web filters would be adjusted.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12723.html

Study finds gay men do better at college but bisexual women lag behind
New research has indicated that gay men achieve more at college than their straight male counterparts. However, the work also showed that bisexual women do worse during higher education than straight women.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12728.html

Gay couples refused marriage and partnership announcements
A number of American newspapers in states where gay marriage is illegal are refusing to print announcements of civil unions.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12725.html

LGBT group claims Iraq is waging a 'campaign of violence and murder' against gays
An Iraqi gay group has said it has evidence the Iraqi government is involved with militia groups advocating violence and murder towards gays. Iraqi LGBT also described a statement from the Baghdad US Embassy as "offensive and insulting".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12729.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

IL: Civil Unions Bill in Limbo
Amy Wooten | Chicago Free Press
Because state lawmakers Sunday faced a fiscal crisis and a looming deadline, a bill that would have granted Illinois same-sex couples civil unions if passed never came up for a vote before the session ended.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7861/

IL: Chicago after Stonewall: The First Year
St. Sukie de la Croix | Chicago Free Press
In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided New York’s Stonewall Inn and lesbians and gay men fought back for three days. We all know the story, but how did the lesbian and gay community in Chicago react? They didn’t … not at first, anyway.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7859/

Assaulted Lesbian Musician Posts Online Video Alleging Homophobia
Rhythm Turner, 25, singer and guitarist in local band, Rhythm and The Method believes she was the victim of a hate crime when Vincen Matthew Williams, 21, assaulted her, after she hugged her girlfriend, outside Canes Bar & Grill in Mission Beach on Thursday, May 14. “I was assaulted because of my sexual orientation, because I choose to want to give my girlfriend a hug,” Turner said.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7855/

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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net ]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - June 04, 2009

2009-06-04T12:10:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

RAY'S LIST ARTICLES CONTINUE BELOW:

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
The New Hampshire legislature approved revisions to a same-sex marriage bill on Wednesday, and Gov. John Lynch promptly signed the legislation, making the state the sixth to let gay couples wed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse

Harvard to Endow Chair in Gay Studies
By JACQUES STEINBERG
Harvard University will endow a visiting professorship in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies, a position that, it believes, will be the first endowed, named chair in the subject at an American college.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/education/04harvard.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

Vote on Gay Marriage
Six states have now made it legal for same-sex couples to marry. New York is not one of them. Gov. David Paterson wants the state to guarantee that right, and the protections that come with it, and the Assembly approved legislation legalizing same-sex marriage last month. Malcolm Smith, the leader of the State Senate, insists that he, too, favors marriage for gay couples, but he won’t let a bill go to the floor unless he’s privately lined up enough votes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/opinion/04thu4.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Liberals May Be Looking for a Take-Back
By Dana Milbank
President Obama is just killing the progressive movement. For the past few years, liberal activists have gathered in Washington each spring for the Take Back America conference, where speaker after speaker -- Obama sometimes among them -- would give rollicking denunciations of the Bush administration before packed rooms of partisans.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/03/AR2009060303173.html

Playing for Pride
By Lavanya Ramanathan
Capital Pride week will get underway tomorrow, and although many folks here know it for the parade through Dupont Circle, club events and pageantry (or should we say pageants?), there are a ton of off-the-radar Pride-related and Pride-friendly events in town this week.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/03/AR2009060304155.html

In NH and Iowa, gay marriage has political angle
By HOLLY RAMER and MIKE GLOVER
Iowa and New Hampshire traditionally offer presidential candidates vastly different political landscapes when they seek their party nominations. Yet legalizing gay marriage, as both states have now done, is unlikely to have much impact in 2012 because of party dynamics and the different emphasis voters place on social issues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/04/AR2009060400568.html

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Activists to take Moscow mayor to court over homophobic comments
Russian gay rights activists are to take the city's homophobic mayor to court for saying that gay people undermined the heart of a morally health society.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12699.html

Gay penguins rearing chick in German Zoo
A gay penguin couple living in a German zoo have hatched a chick which they are now rearing as if it were their own child. They're one of three gay couples living in the zoo.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12697.html

Labour launch gay election video ahead of European elections
Village bar in Soho saw the launch of the Labour Party's LGBT Election Broadcast last night by the Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12700.html

Chicago may appoint 'anti-gay' city councillor
The mayor of Chicago may be about to appoint an openly homophobic alderman to its city council, according to reports.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12693.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

The ‘Big M’ is ‘Empathy’
Chris Crain | Citizen Crain
It was a bit of a head-turner this week when Dick Cheney, the former vice president and conservative attack dog, took time out from his blistering critique of Barack Obama to disagree with the president from the left on the issue of same-sex marriage. “I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish — any kind of arrangement they wish,” Cheney said during a question-and-answer session that followed his harsh assessment of how the current occupant of the White House is handling the economy and national security. “The question of whether or not there ought to be a federal statute to protect this, I don’t support. I do believe that historically the way marriage has been regulated is at the state level. … But I don’t have any problem with that. People ought to get a shot at that,” he added. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7843/

Thirty Five Percent of Americans Live in States with Some Same-Sex Relationship Protections
Timothy Kincaid | Box Turtle Bulletin
Six states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire) now recognize marriage equality. Although actual marriages do not yet take place in a few (due to effective dates), sixteen million Americans live in states that value their same-sex couples as equal citizens. This is 5.3% of the US population.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7842/

Video: Do Gays and Lesbians Have a Friend in the White House
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7841/

Deceased Bishop’s Son Goes on the Record with GCM Watch
Gay Christian Movement Watch
The son of a deceased COGIC bishop voluntarily spoke on the record with GCM Watch about his father’s administration and the controversy surrounding a murdered homosexual pastor in COGIC. GCM Watch reported on the shocking news of the murder and Pastor Ronald Paige’s apparently openly homosexual lifestyle here. Additionally, we raised questions (as did the Memphis media) about why sexual abuse allegations reported to Walker went unheeded. But according to Walker’s son, the elder Walker did do something: he removed Paige from his jurisdiction.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7840/

CA: S.F.’s Blast at Vatican was Legal, Court Says
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer | San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco didn’t cross into constitutionally forbidden territory of government hostility to religion when the Board of Supervisors denounced a Vatican order to Catholic Charities not to place adoptive children with same-sex couples, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. The 2006 resolution condemned the Vatican’s “hateful and discriminatory rhetoric” and urged local church officials to defy the order by Cardinal William Levada. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights sued, contending the city was expressing hostility toward Catholicism in violation of the Constitution.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7838/

Mental Illness Less Likely for Lesbians’ Kids
The Copenhagen Post
The challenges faced by homosexual parents could play a role in how well their children ward off psychological problems
Children with lesbian mothers have a lower risk of developing psychological illnesses than children growing up with a father and a mother, a recent University of Copenhagen study finds. The study is the first of its kind in Denmark. The study found that while five percent of children from traditional families developed conditions such as depression or anorexia between 1992 and 2008, the number was two percent among the 387 children of lesbian parents participating in the study. The findings, according to Merete Lauberg, of the University Of Copenhagen Department Of Public Health, suggest that concerns that alternative families have a negative effect on child development are over.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7834/

Former Candidate Linda Ketner ‘Outs’ S.C. Republicans
Matt Comer | Q-Notes
An openly lesbian 2008 South Carolina Democratic candidate for Congress has called out three Palmetto State Republicans for being closeted gays in an interview for a progressive Democratic blog. The bombshell statements were made in a FireDogLake interview on June 1 from Linda Ketner, an openly lesbian 2008 Democratic candidate against South Carolina’s First Congressional District incumbent Henry Brown.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7831/

Alberta Passes Controversial Human Rights Law
Poe News
Alberta legislators passed legislation early Tuesday that will give parents the option of pulling their children out of class when lessons on sex, religion or sexual orientation are being taught. Link
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7830/

Senate Talks LGBT Immigration
Kerry Eleveld
The Senate Judiciary Committee held the first congressional hearing on the Uniting American Families Act Wednesday. The act would allow gay and lesbian citizens to sponsor their partners for residency in the United States. “For too long, gay and lesbian American citizens whose partners are foreign nationals have been denied the ability to sponsor their loved ones for lawful permanent residency,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Under current immigration law, many citizens have been forced to choose between their country and their loved ones. No American should face that choice.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7826/

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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net ]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - April 03, 2009

2009-06-03T14:28:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

‘A Secret Weapon to Destabilize Systems’
Your Jokes | Send via the comment link below:
In the next issue of Rolling Stone, “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert will apparently announce he is gay. This will come as quite a shock to both people who are just getting over the discovery that Clay Aiken is gay. – Janice Hough, Palo Alto, Calif.
http://laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/a-secret-weapon-to-destabilize-systems/?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

Harvard to Endow Chair in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies
By Jacques Steinberg
Harvard University will endow a visiting professorship in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies, a position that, it believes, will be the first endowed, named chair in the subject at an American college. The visiting professorship, which the university is planning to formally announce as part of commencement exercises on Thursday, was made possible by a gift of $1.5 million from the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus. With the gift, Harvard said it would regularly invite “eminent scholars studying issues related to sexuality or sexual minorities” to teach on campus for one semester, according to a draft of a university press release.
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/harvard/?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse

Bill Proposes Immigration Rights for Gay Couples
By JULIA PRESTON
Senator Patrick J. Leahy, the Democrat from Vermont who is the powerful chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is adding another controversial ingredient to the volatile mix of an immigration debate that President Obama has said he hopes to spur in Congress before the end of the year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/us/politics/03immig.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Federal City Digest: What to Watch
by Garance Franke-Ruta
The Senate Judiciary Committee holds the first-ever congressional hearing on obstacles faced by gay couples under U.S. immigration law and the Uniting American Families Act, written to address them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/02/AR2009060203942.html

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Candidate to lead North Carolina GOP sues over 'vicious rumor' that he's gay
By SARAH OVASKA, News & Observer
Tom Fetzer, the former mayor of Raleigh, N.C., filed a libel lawsuit late Monday afternoon against a Wilmington radio host who is accused of forwarding an e-mail insinuating that Fetzer is gay.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/candidate-to-lead-north-carolina-gop-sues-over-vicious-rumor-that-hes-gay.html

MTV Awards writer: Eminem, Bruno stunt was completely planned, rehearsed
By JAKE COYLE, Associated Press
The head writer for the MTV Movie Awards has settled the debate: the stunt involving Sacha Baron Cohen and Eminem at the MTV Movie Awards was completely planned. Comedy writing veteran Scott Aukerman wrote in a posting on his blog that the incident was staged and rehearsed in advance.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/mtv-awards-writer-eminem-bruno-stunt-was-completely-planned-rehearsed.html

Dunedin, Fla., takes small step boldly against gay and transgender discrimination
Editorial in The St. Petersburg Times:
Without a peep of protest from any resident, Dunedin city commissioners gave preliminary approval two weeks ago to an ordinance intended to protect gay and transgender individuals from some forms of discrimination. Thursday night, commissioners will take a final vote, and if the proposal is approved, Dunedin will be only the second Pinellas city to go so far to protect people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation or identification. Dunedin's effort is commendable and the protections are needed, but city officials should make sure they understand the limitations of their proposal and some potential problems with its implementation.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/dunedin-fla-takes-small-step-boldly-against-gay-and-transgender-discrimination.html

BBC video | Venezuela 'silent' on hate crimes rise
By Will Grant
In a city where about 40 murders take place every weekend, it may not come as a big surprise that four prostitutes have been killed on the same stretch of road in Caracas in recent months. But when you find out that all four were transsexuals or transgender, it changes the picture somewhat.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/bbc-video-venezuela-silent-on-hate-crimes-rise.html

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

D.C. ministers back same-sex marriage
More than 130 sign ‘marriage equality’ declaration
By LOU CHIBBARO JR
More than 130 clergy representing dozens of churches and at least two synagogues in the District of Columbia released a joint statement Tuesday expressing support for legalizing same-sex marriage in the city.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=25624

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Vanasco: Where is Obama on Ill. civil unions?
By Jennifer Vanasco
Southern Illinois’ The Pantagraph reports that Illinois’ civil unions bill, after passing a state House committee, was left to languish at the end of the session. The bill is still alive, if barely: it can be passed anytime in the next two years.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/vanasco-where-is-obama-on-ill-civil-unions/

Together - but apart: the challenging world of same-sex, binational couples
By Jennifer Vanasco
“I fell in love with America because of the Declaration of Independence, with the idea of a right to the pursuit of happiness,” says Fred, from France, in Sebastian Cordoba’s documentary ‘Through Thick and Thin.’ “Now I live in America, and to me my family is my happiness; and it is this most simple happiness that we are denied.”
http://www.365gay.com/living/together-but-apart-the-challenging-world-of-same-sex-binational-couples/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Stonewall: Go and vote tomorrow to keep homophobes out
By Comment
As the homophobic British National Party (BNP) look set to gain a seat in the European Parliament, Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill calls on gay voters to go to the polls. It's been a tough month for politics. From moats to mortgages, dog food to duck islands, the credibility of the democratic process in Britain has been hit hard.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12694.html

Tribunal rules Catholic charities are breaking the law over gay adoptions
By Jessica Geen
The Charity Tribunal has ruled that Catholic adoption charities which refuse to serve gay couples are breaking the law. Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) had wanted to take advantage of a clause the 2007 Sexual Orientation Regulations which allows charities to discriminate by amending its charitable objectives.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12692.html

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Daily Queer News
http://ww.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Video: Masters & Johnson’s Notorious ‘Ex-Gay’ Study Debunked
Wayne Besen | Truth Wins Out
For decades, anti-gay organizations have gleefully pointed to a Masters & Johnson study that claimed to cure homosexuality. It has also been used by the so-called “ex-gay” industry to “prove” gays could go straight, if they just tried hard enough. In a groundbreaking book, “Masters of Sex”, author Thomas Maier discovered through investigative reporting that the results of Masters & Johnson’s study were fabricated.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7797/

Gitmo Detainee Dies of Apparent Suicide
DAVID McFADDEN and DANICA COTO The Associated Press | Rutland Herald
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Yemeni detainee at Guantanamo Bay has died of an apparent suicide, U.S. military officials announced Tuesday. The Joint Task Force that runs the U.S. prison in Cuba said guards found Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih unresponsive and not breathing in his cell Monday night. His is the fifth apparent suicide at the Guantanamo prison, which President Barack Obama plans to close by January.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7796/

Honduran Police Aide, Abet Trans Murder
Michelle Garcia | Advocate
Human Rights Watch released a report on Friday calling on Honduras’s police to stop abusing transgender citizens. According to the international human rights group, transgender people are reporting repeated rape, beatings, extortion, and arbitrary arrests by officers. At least 17 transgender Hondurans have been publicly murdered since 2004, yet none of the killings have led to prosecution. Juliana Cano Nieto, LGBT researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the state is “failing miserably” at protecting those under the most basic of rights. “The police have an obligation to protect people and to investigate violence, no matter who the victims are,” she added.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7794/

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GLBT DIGEST - June 02, 2009

2009-06-03T09:20:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

RAY'S LIST ARTICLES CONTINUE BELOW:

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Amid Criticism, D.C. Plans Big Effort to Spread Word on AIDS
By Darryl Fears
On her drives from one end of the District to the other, Anita Hawkins is struck by the rarity with which she sees billboards or bus stop advertisements telling residents that AIDS is a major health threat in the city.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/01/AR2009060103479.html

Cheney Endorses Gay Marriage on a 'State-by-State Basis'
By Dan Eggen
Former vice president Richard B. Cheney waded into another roiling public debate yesterday, saying that he supports legalizing same-sex marriage as long as the issue is decided by the states, rather than the federal government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/01/AR2009060103266.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Jonah Goldberg: GOP should be proud to promote its beliefs
It's a lovely thing when the conventional wisdom proves to be so spectacularly wrong. The entire Democratic Party, not to mention the media establishment, simply took as a given that suave and charming, President Barack Obama would mop the floor with grumpy, truculent, sardonic former Vice President Dick Cheney.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-02goldbergsbjun02,0,6045708.story

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

National Center for Lesbian Rights: ‘Tell Congress keep our families together!’
Letter from Kate Kendell, executive director of National Center for Lesbian Rights:
Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), a long-time champion of the LGBT community, will soon introduce the Reuniting Families Act. This landmark immigration bill helps to end discrimination that prevents loving families from being together, such as preventing same-sex partners from sponsoring their foreign partners for a permanent visa, long visa wait times, and more.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/national-center-for-lesbian-rights-tell-congress-keep-our-families-together.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

India's Little Gay Magazine That Could
By Amita Parashar
In a country where it's still illegal to be gay, a newly relaunched LGBT magazine is becoming a strong voice for a growing community. Bombay Dost (Bombay Friends), India's first and only LGBT publication, has just relaunched after going out of print in 2002 when the then-underground publication ran out of financial support. The original Dost, which printed from 1990 to 2002, was available mostly through roadside vendors and often wrapped in plain brown paper.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87572.asp

Evangelical: Christians Owe Gays Apology
A prominent professor of Christian ethics says Christians should ask for forgiveness from gays and lesbians in his review of a new book chronicling the pain experienced by gay youths when religion is used to justify prejudice and discrimination.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87543.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Vanasco: Christine Quinn thinks NY is getting gay marriage
By Jennifer Vanasco
Open lesbian and Speaker of the New York City Council Christine Quinn says that after conversations with Albany lawmakers, she thinks gay marriage will pass. Read more...
http://www.365gay.com/blog/vanasco-christine-quinn-thinks-ny-is-getting-gay-marriage/

Neff: Reaching out to Californians
By Lisa Neff
An angry, raw, bitter, hostile response from a stranger about idiotic, bigoted, uninformed voters of California. Read more...
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/neff-reaching-out-to-californians/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Sweden appoints lesbian bishop
The Church of Sweden has appointed a lesbian as the Lutheran bishop of Stockholm. Eva Brunne, who is in a registered partnership, is believed to be the world's first lesbian bishop. She won the post by 413 votes against 365 votes and will succeed Bishop Caroline Krook, who is to retire in November.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12673.html

Scottish National Party and Catholic Church's 'secret plan' to defy gay adoption laws
The Scottish National Party and the Catholic Church worked together secretly in order to avoid new legislation requiring religious adoption agencies to help gay couples, it has been reported.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12678.html

Spanish Supreme Court rules judges cannot refuse to marry gay couples
The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that judges in lower courts or in local town halls must marry gay and lesbian couples if required.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12680.html

64% of homophobic incidents in Northern Ireland are not reported
One of the largest surveys on the experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Northern Ireland has revealed many have been the victim of homophobic abuse and violence.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12683.html

US President Barack Obama proclaims June to be LGBT Pride Month
The President of the United States yesterday issued a proclamation in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Pride month.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12684.html

PinkNews.co.uk survey: Greens tipped for Euro elections but Tories on top for next general election
A survey of PinkNews.co.uk readers has found that support for Labour has dropped dramatically since the last general election. Thirty-seven per cent of the 270 respondents had voted for Labour in May 2005, compared with 24 per cent for Liberal Democrats and 23 per cent who voted Conservative.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12682.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Life Only Gets Worse for LGBT Iraqis
Seth Michael Donsky | EDGE Contributor | EDGE Boston
Two young gay men were found dead recently in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum, wearing diapers and women’s lingerie–at least according to reports. The bodies of four other men, beaten to death, were discovered by Iraqi police, each bearing signs reading “pervert” in Arabic on their chests. Additionally several coffee shops in Sadr, that were popular with gay Iraqis have been set on fire recently.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7726/

WA: Gay Rights Group Wants to Name Petition Signers
Mark Rahner | Seattle Times
A gay-rights group is promising to “out” some people in a way, but in this case it won’t mean exposing closeted gays. Instead, members of Washington-based WhoSigned.org plan to shine a light on those who sign petitions for Referendum 71, an attempt by religious and conservative groups to overturn the state’s 2009 Domestic Partner Expansion Bill.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7723/

CA: Judge Says State Can Bar School Discrimination
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer | San Francisco Chronicle
California can prohibit public schools from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or identity, a judge ruled Monday, rejecting an invasion-of-privacy claim by a conservative group that said a new state law would force school officials to allow boys into girls’ locker rooms. The law, which took effect last year, added sexual orientation and gender identity to a list of categories in which schools may not discriminate in teaching or instructional materials. Other categories include race, sex and national origin. A legislative committee analysis said the new measure merely clarified existing statutes and didn’t actually change them. The committee noted that another section of the state’s education laws already prohibited bias based on any status covered by California’s hate crimes law, which included sexual orientation and identity. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7722/

Gay Couples View Marriage as Legal Protection, Not Commitment Symbol, Study Shows
University of Texas
Challenging the idea that marriage is necessary for solidifying relationships, a new study from The University of Texas at Austin reveals same-sex couples in long-term relationships believe marriage is more important in terms of legal rights, but less so as a symbol of commitment.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7721/

When Asked, This Gay Soldier Told
CAMERON BIRD | THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
TUSTIN In a calm corner of his garage, a soldier rummages through reminders of the last ten years of his life. Silver coins. A Middle Eastern sash. An Army pistol. Only a few of the souvenirs in Dan Choi’s war chest will fit into his travel duffel. As he packs, his mom walks in. She reaches around her son’s boulder-sized biceps for a hug. “Are you staying for dinner?” “I’m not sure.” By nightfall, though, Choi will surely be gone. He’s getting out of Tustin, maybe for good. Monumental change has unsettled the 28-year-old combat veteran and his family. In March, on national television, he said, “I am gay.” Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7720/

Australia to Clamp Down on Hate Crimes
Express Buzz
MELBOURNE: The string of attacks on Indian students in this Australian city has led the provincial government of Victoria to push for a plan that would have tougher sentences for hate crimes. The damage control action comes within months of Australia launching a multi-million dollar effort to woo Indian students. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7716/

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - June 01, 2009

2009-06-01T20:03:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Nevada Partnership Bill Now Law
By STEVE FRIESS
The Nevada Legislature voted into law a domestic partnership registry for same-sex and unmarried straight couples on Sunday evening, with the Assembly mustering the two-thirds vote required to override a veto by Gov. Jim Gibbons, a Republican. The move makes Nevada the 17th state to recognize the relationships of gay men and lesbians, creating the registry with the secretary of state by which couples receive legal protections associated with marriage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/us/01nevada.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Sotomayor Was a Passionate but Civil Activist
By Amy Goldstein and Alec MacGillis
Around Christmas of 1973, a fellow sophomore approached Frank Reed, a leader of Princeton University's Chicano Caucus, to hand him a formal complaint she had typed up and to ask him to support it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/31/AR2009053101935_pf.html

Calif. Gay-Marriage Opponents Plan Rally: Opponents of same-sex marriage announced plans to gather Sunday night in two California cities to celebrate weddings between men and women, a day after hundreds of supporters of legalization marched in Fresno.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/31/AR2009053102314_2.html

What to Watch
Educator Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, will address the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in New York tonight at the group's annual Respect Awards gala, which recognizes leaders in creating safe schools for all students, "regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/31/AR2009053102416.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Church Ousts 61 Antigay Clergy
By Amita Parashar
The Episcopal Church has ousted 61 clergy over an ongoing dispute around LGBT issues in the church. The members, the church said, had aligned with former bishop John-David Schofield, who was ousted from the church and stripped of his title in 2008. At the time, the church said he "repudiated the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church."
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87258.asp

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

New Hampshire reaches compromise on gay marriage
The New Hampshire House and Senate have agreed to change one word and add a sentence to a bill which will allow gay marriage in the state.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12671.html

Sweden appoints lesbian bishop
The Church of Sweden has appointed a lesbian as the Lutheran bishop of Stockholm. Eva Brunne, who is in a registered partnership, is believed to be the world's first lesbian bishop. She won the post by 413 votes against 365 votes and will succeed Bishop Caroline Krook, who is to retire in November.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12673.html

Police 'concern' over gay murders and rise in homophobic hate crimes
Police have expressed concern over a rise in homophobic violence following a number of murders of gay men. Scotland Yard statistics show a nine per cent rise in homophobic and transphobic offences to 1,372 in the year up to April. Greater Manchester police saw a 63 per cent rise in homophobic crime.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12670.html

Danny La Rue dies aged 81
Drag queen Danny La Rue died last night aged 81. The entertainer was best known for his impersonations of of female celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Margaret Thatcher.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12672.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Diversity Benefits Community
The Daily Star
In a proclamation dated June 2, 2000, then-President Bill Clinton decried prejudice against gay and lesbian citizens. “Gay and lesbian Americans have made important and lasting contributions to our nation in every field of endeavor,” Clinton wrote. And with that, the month of June was declared Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. “I encourage all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities that celebrate our diversity and recognize the gay and lesbian Americans whose many and varied contributions have enriched our national life,” Clinton wrote. Read More
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7664/

Exhibit Celebrates 40 Years of Gay Activism
Gay News Blog
Forty years ago this month, riots against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement. An exhibit opening today at the New York Public Library charts what happened in the heady year that followed.Before Stonewall, gay rights activists pursued a lonely agenda, working for homosexuals to be accepted as part of normal society and not as the sociopaths judged by psychiatric associations. “But 1969 suddenly saw a mass movement getting behind these activists,” said curator Jason Baumann, amid the artifacts of the blossoming battle, from colorful newsweekly publications to photos of the first Gay Pride march up Sixth Avenue in 1970. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7663/

Illinois House Did Not Vote on Civil Unions Bill Before Deadline
LGBT Q News
Illinois will not be joining Nevada with a civil unions law this month.
Greg Harris, the sponsor of the Illinois civil unions bill, has been reporting on his Facebook page on the mad rush to close out the Illinois legislative session today. He reports that it was a hectic day that saw the governor’s budget rejected, which forced the legislators to scramble to put together an austerity emergency budget that will force deep cuts across state programs.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7662/

Spain Judges Have to Marry Gays
Typically Spanish
A judge had appealed to the Supreme Court saying he did not want to carry out a gay wedding on religious grounds
The Spanish Supreme Court has ruled that judges in lower courts or in local town halls cannot refuse to marry gay and lesbian couples. The case was brought after a magistrate in Sagunto, Valencia, presented an appeal to the Supreme Court saying he did not want to carry out the ceremony on religious grounds. The General Council for Judicial Power, the body which oversees the judiciary in Spain, has already ruled that judges cannot refuse, and now the Supreme Court has ruled that members of the judiciary are subject to law as is everyone else. Link
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7660/

Study shows gay couples want legal rights, regardless of marriage
Contact: Matt Shipman
matt_shipman@ncsu.edu
919-515-6386
North Carolina State University
New research from North Carolina State University shows that gay and lesbian couples are forming long-term, committed relationships, even in the absence of the right to marry. However, couples surveyed for the study overwhelmingly said they would get married if they could in order to secure legal rights – such as retirement and healthcare benefits. “Our study indicates that marriage is both more and less important to gay and lesbian couples in long-term relationships than was perhaps previously understood – more important in terms of the legal rights it conveys, but less important as a symbol of commitment,” says study co-author Dr. Sinikka Elliott, an assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at NC State. “This research underscores the need for legal protections and rights for all couples.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7654/

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 31, 2009

2009-05-31T14:36:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Nevada Senate Overrides Veto on Domestic Partners Measure
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Nevada Senate has voted to override Gov. Jim Gibbons’s veto of a measure that would give domestic partners, whether gay or straight, many of the rights and benefits that Nevada offers to married couples.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/us/31nevada.html?scp=14&sq=gay&st=cse

Suze Orman Is Having a Moment
Suze Orman almost had me with her professed aversion to frivolity, her seasoned advice to families in debt, her advocacy for gay rights in the financial world. But teachers? “Too underpaid ever to have any real self-worth?” Perhaps it is better for all involved that she stay out of our classrooms; she clearly buys into the notion that infects much of American culture — that money is our way of keeping score, that it is some validation of our worth. And has Oprah, champion of schoolteachers, heard Orman’s rhetoric on the subject?
ALISHA GOLDBLATT
North Yarmouth, Me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/magazine/31letters-t-SUZEORMANISH_LETTERS.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=cse

Sotomayor Would Be Sixth Catholic Justice, but the Pigeonholing Ends There
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed for a seat on the Supreme Court, she will be the sixth of the nine justices who are Roman Catholic — a stunning robed portrait in a country where Catholics were once targets of discrimination and suspicion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/us/politics/31catholics.html?scp=9&sq=gay&st=cse

What’s a Liberal Justice Now?
By JEFFREY ROSEN
When talking about the Supreme Court, Barack Obama has resisted the familiar ideological categories that have defined our judicial battles for the past several decades. He has made clear that despite his progressive inclinations, he is not a 1960s-style, Warren Court liberal — someone who believes that the justices should boldly define constitutional rights in an effort to bring about social change. It’s true that Obama has cited Chief Justice Earl Warren as a judicial ideal, emphasizing that Warren, a former governor of California, had a sensitive understanding of the real-world effects of Supreme Court decisions. But at the same time, Obama has suggested that liberals in the Warren Court mold may have placed too much trust in the courts and not enough in political activism. “I wondered,” he writes in his book “The Audacity of Hope,” alluding to Senate battles over George W. Bush’s court appointments, “if in our reliance on the courts to vindicate not only our rights but also our values, progressives had lost too much faith in democracy.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/magazine/31court-t.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Sizing Up Judge Sotomayor
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is taking flak for her comment that judges decide cases from their own frames of reference ["Heritage Shapes Judge's Perspective," front page, May 27]. Although some seem shocked by this revelation, it is clear that all judges decide cases from their own frames of reference -- if they did not, then every judge would reach the same decision based on the same facts and the same law (and there would be a lot fewer lawyers). Everyone's opinions are colored by their personal frames of reference. People have different views on abortion, taxes, gay marriage, immigration, gun control, health care and every other social, political, and legal issue because of their different upbringing, culture, education and life experience. Judge Sotomayor is no exception; she just chose to express it.
LUCINDA LOW SWARTZ
Kensington
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/30/AR2009053001694_2.html

Opinion to Address Same-Sex Unions
At Issue Is Md. Recognition of Marriages Performed Elsewhere
By John Wagner
Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) is planning to issue a formal opinion in coming weeks on whether the state can recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, his office said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/30/AR2009053001917.html

Calif. gay marriage opponents gear up for rallies
By GARANCE BURKE
Hundreds of gay marriage supporters marched in rural, conservative California, but before the dusty roads could clear, opponents of same-sex couples planned to take to the streets to renew their resolve.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/31/AR2009053100213.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

View From the Hill: Obama's Silence
Next month the Obama administration is expected to present a package of pro-LGBT announcements. But on the heels of his silence surrounding Prop. 8, will it be enough to satisfy the masses?
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid87139.asp

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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

U.S. embassy to hold first-ever gay pride party tonight -- in Iraq (May 29)
In the short time that President Obama has been in office, there have been many breaches of foreign protocol such as an overt familiarity with the British Queen and bowing to the Saudi King. But the most significant indiscretion will occur tonight as homosexuality is promoted in our embassy in a foreign land — in Baghdad, Iraq, no less. In the May 22, 2009 edition of The Washington Post, columnist Al Kamen wrote a piece entitled, "For One Night, Baghdad Gets a Pink Zone." He revealed that the State Department is "holding what the invitation says is the first-ever U.S. Embassy Gay Pride Theme Party next Friday at Bagdaddy's, which is the embassy employee association's pub." The invitation, which was sent out on May 10, encouraged everyone to, "Dress in drag or as a gay icon."
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/cavere/090529

Following an eight year ordeal the Ugandan gay asylum seeker John 'Bosco' Nyombi has finally won asylum in the UK.
Despite a well-documented media and government anti-gay campaign in Uganda, which has included articles and photos of Bosco, he was deported in September last year. The UK Border Agency making it usual claim that LGBT can be safe in such countries if only they are 'discrete'. However the method of his deportation, which involved deception, violence and rule breaking, led to a historic decision by a British court following which the Home Office was forced to return him to the UK in March, where he was immediately put into a detention centre due to an 'error'.
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-major-victory-for-lgbt-asylum.html

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Video | ‘My Miserable Lonely Lesbian Pregnancy’ author Andrea Askowitz at Books & Books in Coral Gables
On YouTube:
Who Have You Told by Andrea Askowitz from Lip Service 9, May 16, 2009. Taped at Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL. Check out AndreaAskowitz.com for more information or to buy her memoir, "MY MISERABLE LONELY LESBIAN PREGNANCY"
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/video-my-miserable-lonely-lesbian-pregnancy-author-andrea-askowitz-at-books-books-in-coral-gables.html

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Letters to the Editor
I was raised in a Catholic home, attended Catholic schools and a Catholic university and, at one point, studied for the priesthood. I understand Alberto Cutié's decision. I also recently joined the Episcopal Church. The Roman Catholic Church is a noble institution, and I am thankful for all that it gave me in terms of spiritual beliefs and values. Unfortunately, it is also an institution with a history of resisting change. Cutié found everything he needed in the church except the right to form a deep and lasting relationship with someone he loved. I left the church because I am gay and was told that my sexuality was an affliction that I had to bear silently and forgo the possibility of creating a loving relationship with another man. I expect that Cutié will find the Episcopal Church a warm, familiar and welcoming home. I did.
FRED FEJES, Fort Lauderdale
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/1073022.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Alaska: Fundamentalists Raise Bar of Intolerance
Alan Boraas | Anchorage Dail News
In the 1930s the public health nurse in Kenai was a lesbian. Before post-WWII homesteading and the late-1950s oil boom, Kenai was an isolated little Alaska coastal village off the road system. The population of 2,300 was half Dena’ina and half assorted Americans, Scandinavians, and a few Filipinos and Russians. The economy centered on the fish canneries at the mouth of the Kenai River, which operated full-throttle in the summer. Life quieted down in the winter: men trapped, women sewed, the kids attended the American Territorial School and everyone visited and went to church on Sunday. Life was pretty much like every similar-sized Alaska coastal village.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7618/

TX: Annise Parker: “Pragmatic Houston Gal” Runs for Mayor
Gay Politics
Houston City Controller Annise Parker has been elected citywide six times, a political record that has prepared her for the toughest campaign of her life. Earlier this year she announced her run for mayor of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States. GayPolitics sat down with Annise to talk about the campaign ahead and her decision to run in what could be an historic election. GP: Let’s get the big question out of the way first. Why do you want to be mayor of Houston? I know it sounds trite, but I love this city. I’m a Houston gal, through and through. I grew up in Houston and attended public schools. I worked my way through college, then up the ladder in our oil and gas industry for 20 years before I went into public service. This city has given me everything I have. I love it and want to give something back. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7616/

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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - May 31, 2009

2009-05-31T14:06:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Priest who left Catholic Church prepares sermon for Episcopal Church
The Rev. Alberto Cutie will preach at his new church, the Episcopal Church of The Resurrection. The church allows its priests to marry, unlike the Catholic Church.
A popular Miami priest nicknamed "Father Oprah" was set to give his first sermon Sunday since leaving the Roman Catholic Church after photographs surfaced of him kissing his girlfriend on the beach. The Rev. Alberto Cutie will preach at his new church, the Episcopal Church of The Resurrection. The church allows its priests to marry, unlike the Catholic Church.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-alberto-cutie-episcopal-sermon-f053109,0,1997032.story

~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

City and county officials across Florida fight law they say "muzzles" local leaders
By Josh Hafenbrack
Decrying an attempt to "muzzle" local leaders, city and county officials are urging Gov. Charlie Crist to veto a bill that they say would leave residents in the dark about the impacts of everything from property tax cuts to charter changes. Under the bill, cities, counties and school boards would be banned from using public funds for political advertisements on ballot issues, although the expenditures would still be allowed if the information was purely factual. And elected officials could still express their opinions, as long as they don't use taxpayer resources to do it.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-ballot-amendments-muzzle-053109,0,6331879.story

Florida Democrats Rally Around Alex Sink For Governor
State Democrats will host a dinner Saturday evening for Alex Sink in Miami Beach. Sink serves as Florida's chief financial officer. She will be one of the featured speakers at the state party fundraiser. The event will be her first major speech since announcing she will run for governor. About 1,000 party supporters and activists will be at the dinner.
http://www.justnews.com/news/19611466/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000105312009&ts=H

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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Gelber drops out of Fla. Senate race
Associated Press - 05/31/09
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_SENATE_GELBER_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

It's time to stand behind national catastrophe fund
Tampa Tribune - 5/31/2009
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/may/31/co-its-time-to-stand-behind-national-catastrophe-f/news-opinion-commentary/

Safe-home program allowed to lapse
Daytona Beach News Journal - 5/31/2009
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD09053109.htm

Businesses hail workers'-comp legal fee cap
Miami Herald - 5/31/2009
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1074029.html

Lifting embargo a trade-off for S. Fla. business
Miami Herald - 5/31/2009
http://www.miamiherald.com/581/story/1073952.html

Governor should sign 'electioneering' bill cracking down on Florida local government
St. Petersburg Times - 05/31/09
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article1005891.ece

FAU lays off 30 employees, including five tenured professors
Sun-Sentinel - 05/31/09
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-fau-profs-laid-off-052909,0,5105001.story

Florida A&M divided over President Ammons' six-figure bonus
Tallahassee Democrat - 05/31/09
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090530/FAMU/905300320/Florida+A&M+divided+over+President+Ammons++six-figure+bonus

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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net ]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 30, 2009

2009-05-30T18:41:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

RAY'S LIST ARTICLES CONTINUE BELOW:

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

The Right to Counsel, Weakened
In a troubling 5-to-4 ruling, the Supreme Court has significantly weakened the Sixth Amendment’s right to legal counsel. The decision came in the case of Jesse Montejo, a Louisiana man sentenced to death for murder based on incriminating statements that he made when the police questioned him without his lawyer present.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/opinion/30sat3.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Bush-Clinton Policy Talk Strikes a Congenial Tone
By JIM RUTENBERG
TORONTO — Former President Bill Clinton really misses the presidency. “All of a sudden nobody plays a song,” he told an audience here on Friday, referring to “Hail to the Chief,” the anthem played at presidential events.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/us/politics/30bush.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Obama court pick puts spotlight on Sen. Sessions
By BEN EVANS
Sen. Jeff Sessions has made a career of speaking out and voting against anyone he considers an activist liberal judge. Sonia Sotomayor was no exception the last time they crossed paths.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/30/AR2009053000761_pf.html

Northern Virginia Votes
Our endorsements in the contested House of Delegates primaries
AS THE NUMBER of Republican delegates in Northern Virginia dwindles, the Democratic primaries take on added importance; often the candidates who emerge have a clear path to Richmond. Here are our endorsements for the contested House of Delegates primaries in Northern Virginia on June 9.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/29/AR2009052903334.html

Divided Va. GOP Prepares to Pick Chairman
By Anita Kumar
Virginia Republicans ousted their controversial leader last month, but the beleaguered party still suffers from sharp divisions that could pose problems during the critical fall campaign.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/29/AR2009052903184_pf.html

GOD IN GOVERNMENT : The Best From This Week's Blog
Poll Shows Opposition to Gay Marriage
A Gallup poll released this week suggests that Americans are becoming increasingly supportive of civil rights for gay men and lesbians, but one area remains a major holdout: marriage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/29/AR2009052903177.html

A Killer's Charmed life
Murdering his father with a hammer spawned surprisingly few complications in Bill Bond's avid pursuit of the good life. But that may finally be changing.
By Manuel Roig-Franzia
The killer at middle age lives in a stately, terra-cotta-colored Georgian colonial on the same Baltimore block as a former U.S. senator.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052201289.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

Gun Advocates See Reason to Be Wary of Nominee
By GARY FIELDS
Gun-rights advocates are using Judge Sonia Sotomayor's involvement in two Second Amendment cases as ammunition to challenge her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, threatening to draw the Obama administration into a debate over firearms laws that it has tried hard to avoid.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124364571646268287.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Good news: El Nino may arrive by peak of hurricane season, suppress storm formation
By Ken Kaye
A growing number of tropical experts say El Niño might arrive by the peak of the hurricane season, August through October, and that might keep the number of powerful storms in check. Among them is Jeff Masters, chief meteorologist of The Weather Underground, an online weather website.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-el-nino-b053009,0,348538.story

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Video | How to Shave Your Groin - Shaving tips from Gillette
In today’s Miami Herald:
Associated Press reports that Gillette is winning fans on YouTube with videos teaching men how to shave more than their cheeks and chins.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/video-how-to-shave-your-groin---shaving-tips-from-gillette.html

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Cutié trades good graces
Alberto Cutié's exit from the Catholic Church is expected to attract more Hispanics to the Episcopal Church, and sour relations between the two.
BY JAWEED KALEEM
A day after celebrity priest Alberto Cutié left the Catholic church, there was a considerable buzz surrounding the small Biscayne Park congregation where he's to give his first sermon Sunday as a new member of the Episcopal church.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/front-page/story/1072731.html

Obama court pick puts spotlight on Sen. Sessions
By BEN EVANS
Sen. Jeff Sessions has made a career of speaking out and voting against anyone he considers an activist liberal judge. Sonia Sotomayor was no exception the last time they crossed paths. In 1997, she was nominated to the federal appeals court. Session, R-Ala., was a backbench senator demanding to know whether she had refused to join in a standing ovation for conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She said she had.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/v-print/story/1073213.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gay Marriage Debates vs. Wipeout!
Summer TV is here. So where’s the brainless fun? Coverage of the California supreme court's Prop 8 ruling or Wipeout!? Decisions.
By Dave White
Honestly, if this entire column could be about how great Wipeout! is -- and is there anything not to love about people getting knocked on their ass by low-tech obstacle course punishments in which they’re punched, thrown into icy water, and catapulted through the air past stuff that’s on fire? -- then I’d be way happier than I am right now. Instead I have to keep on talking about all the knuckleheaded fools parading endlessly across my TV screen telling me about why I don’t understand the true nature of marriage and how I shouldn’t be allowed to have one.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid87093.asp

Dean: Gay Marriage a "Nonissue" in 2010
Click the byline to view more stories by this author.By Julie Bolcer
Former Vermont governor Howard Dean told a gay rights group in Iowa on Thursday that same-sex marriage would be a “nonissue” in the state’s 2010 election. Dean, who recently ended a four-year tenure as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, addressed a reception held by the One Iowa organization in Des Moines.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87106.asp

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Most Americans Oppose Gay Marriage
Jeremy Ganz | PageOneQ
Depending on how you feel about same-sex marriage, the results of a Gallup poll released this morning might surprise you, or seem to state the obvious. The poll’s big finding is that 57 percent of Americans currently oppose making same-sex marriages legal â€“ essentially the same number as last year. And support for those marriages appears to have stalled at 40 percent, after peaking at 46 percent in 2007. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7582/

Video: Gay Marriage Controversy in the US
BBC
Maine has become the latest US state to endorse gay marriage but gay rights campaigners face an uphill battle to have civil unions accepted across the country. A ban on gay marriage has recently been upheld in California, while national law decrees marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Philippa Thomas reports from Maine. Link
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7579/

Is It Ever OK for the Media to ‘Out’ Gay and Lesbian Politicians?
Los Angeles Times
That’s the provocative question The Times’ On the Media columnist James Rainey raises today. He notes that some journalists believe it’s their duty to reveal the sexual orientation of gay and lesbian officials who support policies that many in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community would oppose. Says Rainey: Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7576/

Utah to Allow Gay and Lesbian Mormon Marriages
Gather.com
Salt Lake City, UT - More than 7,600 gay and lesbian Mormons streamed into city and town halls across the state yesterday seeking licenses to marry, as Utah marked the first day of legalized same-sex Mormon marriage. Green River received 84 license applications from one gay man, while Cedar City accepted 119 from a lesbian. Logan received 62 applications from two gay men, in addition to the 427 accepted during its special first-in-the-state session that began shortly after midnight. Link
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7576/

IA: Culver: Gay Marriage Not a Major Issue
O.Kay Henderson | Radio Iowa
Governor Chet Culver says he doesn’t believe gay marriage will not be a “major political issue” in the 2010 election. Culver, a Democrat, intends to seek a second term as governor and Republican critics say Culver’s failure to do something to stop gay marriage from occurring in the state will be an issue with voters. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7575/

The Christian Right’s Worldwide Anti-Gay Crusade
Bill Berkowitz | Buzz Flash
Scott Lively, the founder of Abiding Truth Ministries and the author of the Holocaust revisionist anti-gay book, ‘The Pink Swastika,’ is taking his anti-gay crusade overseas and declaring war against the Southern Poverty Law Center. In between battling the homosexual menace in the U.S., hawking his notorious holocaust revisionist book “The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party,” and declaring war against the Southern Poverty Law Center for refusing to remove his Abiding Truth Ministries (http://www.abidingtruth.com) from its list of hate groups, Scott Lively president of “Defend the Family” — a service of Abiding Truth Ministries - has again taken his anti-gay crusade on the road. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7573/

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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

Tortured and Killed in Iraq for Being Gay
Baghdad's Militias Are Carrying Out a Violent Crackdown on Iraq's Gay Community
Two gay men were killed in Baghdad's Sadr City slum, and police confirmed they found the bodies of four more men, all killed during a 10-day period after an unknown Shiite militia group urged a crackdown on homosexuals in the country.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7448915&page=1

State Dept Mourns HIV Denier's Death;
U.S. Silent on Gay Iraqi Torture
This is a twisted tale, and I hope you'll bear with me through the many turns that eventually lead to Baghdad and the torture of gays. Let's begin with Thursday's State Department press briefing. On behalf of the United State government and people, spokesman Ian Kelly used 260 words to mourn the passing of longtime correspondent Lambros the Greek, who was also an HIV denier: This is a sad day for all of us here. We learned this morning that our long-time friend and colleague Lambros Papantoniou passed away. Lambros was a veteran member of our press corps family here and he was proud to say that he covered the State Department from Nixon to Obama. He loved his work here and we loved him.
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/05/state-dept-mourns-hiv-deniers-death-u.html

OBAMA APPEASES RELIGIOUS RIGHT
by Doug Ireland
When candidate Barack Obama announced last summer during his campaign that he would expand President George W Bush's so-called 'faith-based initiatives' program, this bad news was greeted with moans of distress from those who believe in the separation of church and state. Among them: the Rev Jesse Jackson, who was caught on videotape whispering into an open TV microphone that Obama's proposal was so repugnant to him that he'd 'cut his nuts off' over it. When Obama rolled out his re-baptized 'Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships' in February, he refused to repeal the Bush executive order permitting discrimination by religious groups receiving federal funds. It was a Scud aimed squarely at nonbelievers. Remember, Congress has yet to pass a law protecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans communities against discrimination in employment. There is no constraint on church-sponsored programs from refusing employment to the sexually different.
http://www.guidemag.com/magcontent/invokemagcontent.cfm?ID=17D9F974-51F3-482C-A67AAD20B77440E0

Abdellah Taïa: Openly Gay Moroccan Writer Takes on Homophobia in the Muslim World
http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/abdellah-taia-openly-gay-moroccan-writer-takes-on-homophobia-in-the-muslim-world/

Gay Divorce Still Legal in California
By Robert Mackey
Gay and lesbian couples who took advantage of California’s brief fling with gay marriage last year to tie the knot, but now can’t stand the sight of one another, will be relieved to hear that gay divorce remains an option.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/gay-divorce-still-legal-in-california/?hp

Photos: Rainbow Pride in Russia
St. Petersburg
http://gaynews.ru/photo/section.php?&SECTION_ID=403

Other Russian cities:
http://gaynews.ru/photo/section.php?&SECTION_ID=404

Honduras: End Violence Against Transgender People
Government Should Prosecute Attackers and Prohibit Discrimination
Honduras should act to end an epidemic of violence against transgender people by investigating, prosecuting, and convicting those responsible, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The organization also called on Honduran authorities to repeal legal provisions on “public morality” and “public scandal” that give police excessive power and enable abuse. To read the Human Rights Watch report, “‘Not Worth a Penny’: Human Rights Abuses against Transgender People in Honduras,” please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/node/83449

Slideshow: To download photos of LGBT demonstrations and transgender victims of attacks in Honduras
http://www.hrw.org/en/features/not-worth-penny-abuses-against-transgender-people-honduras

NEWS FROM THE GREEN PARTY of England and Wales LGBT GROUP
Vast majority of Green Euro election candidates pledge to fight LGBT discrimination http://www.lgbtgreens.org.uk/

United States Exporting Homophobia
Despite the global recession, the U.S. is promoting and aggressively selling a costly product overseas: homophobia. Uganda, one of America's closest partners in Africa, is currently home to vicious and violent attacks on its citizens based solely on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The high cost in terms of individual privacy and freedom of expression is mounting daily. Regrettably, much of the inspiration and call for these attacks is coming directly from these shores.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/23-0

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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

FULL LEGAL EQUALITY FOR LGBTQ AMERICANS
WHY NOT NOW?
Two weeks ago, a group of 24 thinkers, activists, and donors got together to discuss how to reach legal equality faster for LGBT Americans. The result was the creation of a document called The Dallas Principles. It includes a preamble, eight principles, goals, and a call to action. The following eight guiding principles underlie our call to action.
In order to achieve full civil rights now, we avow:
1.Full civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals must be enacted now. Delay and excuses are no longer acceptable.
2.We will not leave any part of our community behind.
3.Separate is never equal.
4.Religious beliefs are not a basis upon which to affirm or deny civil rights.
5.The establishment and guardianship of full civil rights is a non-partisan issue.
6.Individual involvement and grassroots action are paramount to success and must be encouraged.
7.Success is measured by the civil rights we all achieve, not by words, access or money raised.
8.Those who seek our support are expected to commit to these principles.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The first, and simplest, thing you can do is tell us you support The Dallas Principles by signing up at
www.TheDallasPrinciples.org

Congress slow to act on key LGBT-rights measures
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/pYlohixlhXeImXCibTdfBVFwNp

Iraqi gays thriving, says Baghdad blogger
A radically different view of life for gay Iraqis is on an Islamic web site and worth checking out:
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/05/islam-online-iraqi-gays-thriving.html

ShanghaiPRIDE 2009: Mainland China's 1st Gay Pride held in Shanghai June 7-14th
http://shanghaipride.com/

America's 'Emerging Church:' Will a New Post-Evangelical Christianity
Reflect More Tolerant Views?
http://www.alternet.org/story/140321/america%27s_%27emerging_church%3A%27_will_a_new_post-evangelical_christianity_reflect_more_tolerant_views/

Watch Out Conservative America -- the Queer Base Is Getting Organized
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/www.alternet.org/140187/

Apologies from California/Wow, did we ever botch the gay marriage thing!
Sorry, world By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2009/05/29/notes052909.DTL

West Virginia: Sexual orientation part of proposed Kanawha schools policy
Kanawha County school board members said Thursday they may consider a student or employee's sexual orientation as part of the county's cultural-diversity policy.
http://wvgazette.com/News/200905210780

Bush v. Gore lawyers launch new same-sex marriage appeal
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/27/same.sex.marriage.court/index.html

On behalf of the National Council for Research on Women, I would like to invite you to our annual conference, "Igniting Change: Activating Alliances for Social Justice." The conference will be held on June 10-12, 2009 at the CUNY Graduate Center(365 Fifth Avenue, New York City).
http://www.ncrw.org/events/conference2009/

Perú: Action Alert-Protest Discriminatory New Law to Ban Gay Police
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=legpiaINNrJI3qIG5ZJCIDMKiwDRuyCe

Omaha: 'I'm a boy-girl,' says 8-year-old
Now that Ben has had his final day at a west Omaha Catholic school, he gets to give away the last of his boy clothes — his school uniform — and live full time as the person inside: Katie. This decision seems like a no-brainer for parents who at first presumed their prancing, pink-loving son who squirreled away cousins’ girl toys was gay. That was before he told them he had a girl heart, a girl soul and was, in fact, a girl.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10636013

The big gay shrug/Sorry, enemies of gay marriage. Prop 8 or no, you've already lost
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2009/05/27/notes052709.DTL

Public Sex Memo from incoming NYC Health Commishoner
Policy Regarding Bathhouses and Other Commercial Sex Venues
http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19176537&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=590556&rfi=6

Transgendered in Prison
Marisa Mauro, Psy.D.
During my first week of work at the prison I spotted a beautiful inmate with dark flowing hair, impeccably arched eyebrows, and a trim figure sitting on the bench amongst muscled and tattooed men with her legs primly crossed. Confused I'd turned to a nearby colleague for answers, "I didn't know we accepted female inmates," I half stated and half asked. "We don't," she replied matter-of-factly and then paused to look up at me questioningly. Her furrowed brow showed bewilderment but her eyes gave away her amusement.
http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/take-all-prisoners/200905/transgendered-in-prison

Will Hollywood play a bigger role in California's next round of fighting over same-sex marriages? That was the question for many in showbiz Tuesday after California's Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on such nuptials, approved by a narrow majority of voters in November.
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=bio&peopleID=1169

Obama delays on Federal Funding for Needle Exchange HIVPrevention
""The Administration says no. Responding by email, Jeff Crowley, director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy said that the President has no plans to abandon needle exchange, but is simply not moving on the issue yet. "The President is looking forward to working with Congress and the American people to build support for this change," says Crowley, "and his Administration is committed to moving forward to address the federal ban on syringe exchange programs as a part of a national HIV/AIDS strategy."
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1898073,00.html?xid=newsletter-daily

Reflecting on The Way to Win Marriage Rights from the Perspective of Roe v. Wade
http://blogs.law.columbia.edu/genderandsexualitylawblog/2009/05/21/reflecting-on-the-way-to-win-marriage-rights-from-the-perspective-of-roe-v-wade/

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender marriages thrive
Glenn A. LeCarl
glennalecarl@embarqmail.com
This spring my life-partner and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary together. While some might say that 10 years of marriage is no big deal — even in this age of high divorce rates — clearly it is a milestone year, and especially for a gay couple like us. I should note from the start that I do not place marriage in quotation marks, as though ours somehow doesn't measure up; our marriage is different in some ways and very much the same in others, but it is certainly not less. We know what a precious gift we have in each other.Our love and commitment, in fact, are as strong and vital as in the best heterosexual marriages, often more so. Why? Because like all successful lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) marriages, ours thrives despite formidable odds, any one of which would crush many heterosexual marriages. Little wonder LGBT friends and acquaintances tell us our 10 years is actually twenty, even 30 — in straight years.
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20090527/OPINION05/905270305/1006/OPINION/Lesbian++gay++bisexual+and+transgender+marriages+thrive

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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

Teleconference on Transgender Health and HIV: June 5 at 1:00 pm ET
A teleconference, "Transgender Health and HIV," will take place Friday, June 5 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm ET. The training, hosted by the AETC National Resource Center, will include:
* An overview of the transgender community, common issues faced, and culturally appropriate terminology;
* Discussion on current epidemiology of HIV in trans communities;
* Description of specific interventions HIV clinicians and staff can use to improve health outcomes for transgender patients related to prevention interventions, mental health, and general health care.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ncfxklRnAvQv_2b0dIW7JMsw_3d_3d

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Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus' Summer Conference - Key West
Alot of you have probably gotten this exciting announcement of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus' Summer Conference, but I just want to make sure every one saves the dates of July 17-19. We are going to Key West and this will be a weekend not to miss!!! Every night's a party in Key West and they will be rolling out the red carpet for us in a big way. Register early at the link below, as we expect to sell out very quickly. Michael A. Albetta
President, Dolphin Democrats
http://www.floridaglbtdemocrats.org/

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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - May 30, 2009

2009-05-30T15:25:00.000-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Ft. Lauderdale: ArtsUnited Presents United & Proud Art Exhibit
ArtsUnited presents is annual member art exhibit, United & Proud, from June 1-18 at the downtown Main Library, in celebration of Gay Pride Month. An artists reception will be held on Wednesday, June 3, to meet the artists. Over 50 member artists will exhibit their work in both 2D and 3D form and prizes are awarded for Best of Show, Best of Class, and People's Choice. The exhibit is on display from June 1 to June 18 at Gallery Six at the Broward Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL. The exhibit will be on display in conjunction with Stonewall Library & Archives' historical exhibition, Stonewall: The End of the Beginning, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall riots which is widely viewed to have sparke the Gay rights Movement. A reception will be held to view both exhibits, and meet the artists on Wednesday, June 3 from 5:30-7:30pm. Both exhibits and the reception is free and open to the public. The reception will include light fare and cash bar.
www.artsunitedonline.org

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Registration Now Open for “The Smart Ride 6”
165 mile bike ride to raise money for six Florida HIV/AIDS agencies
Fort Lauderdale – On January 8, 2010, over 500 participants will depart Miami for a two day, 165 mile ride to Key West in order to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS and six agencies throughout the state of Florida. The Smart Ride, now in it’s sixth year and one of the largest HIV/AIDS rides in the country, was born out of a dream to make a real and significant difference in the lives of those infected, affected and at risk for HIV/AIDS. 100% of the funds raised from the ride go to six HIV/AIDS Charities throughout the state of Florida Registration for riders and crew members is now open at
Http://www.TheSmartRide.org.

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News from GLCCSF - Ft. Lauderdale
http://www.glccsf.org/

SunServe's Polynesian Pride Event
June 1, 6:00-8:30PM
Galanga, 2389 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, Tickets $35. Come join us on Galanga's beautiful outdoor patio for an evening of hor d'oeuvres, cocktails, music and more. Support SunServe, your LGBT Social Services Agency. Contact Joel Rosado for more information: 443-722-3988,
joeldavidrosado@gmail.com

Call for Volunteers
The Stonewall Street Festival needs you!
The Stonewall Street Festival and Parade will soon be upon us. This year's event will take place on June 20 & 21 with an expected attendance of over 30,000. The organizing committee depends on volunteers to ensure the success of this event. There is no better way to celebrate the meaning of the Stonewall Rebellion than to be part of the festival itself. The committee needs volunteers to set up for the parade, crowd control, breakdown and parking. To volunteer, send contact info to:
marc@stonewallstreetfestival.com

The Women's Theatre Project Presents:
"GIRL PLAY"
First Annual Lesbian Play Reading Festival
The Women's Theatre Project will be presenting GIRL PLAY, the First Annual Lesbian Play Reading Festival on Saturday, June 27th at 8 PM and Sunday, June 28th at 2 PM in association with the GLCC at their new building, 2040 N. Dixie Hwy, in Wilton Manors. Scripts were submitted for consideration from all over the USA, as well as Australia. The two performances are completely different programs featuring readings of the thirteen selected short scripts with a focus on lesbian themes. For more information or to reserve seats, call TWTP's Box Office at 954-462-2334.

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From Lambda Legal
Lambda Legal invites you to help spread the word about how we are making the case for equality. Come help out at our informational booth at the Stonewall Street Festival on Sunday, June 21 where we will be passing out some fun and educational giveaways! With the help of members and supporters like you, we will attend over 30 Prides this year. Last year, we engaged over 10,000 people at Prides. Together, we can reach even more people in 2009. If you’d like to help out at the Stonewall Street Festival, please email Simone Bell or call 404-897-1880, ext. 235. Indicate when you are available, so we can send you details about when and where to meet us. For more information, visit Lambda Legal’s Pride Central. See you at Pride!
http://www.lambdalegal.org/take-action/campaigns/lambda-legal-pride-central/lambda-legal-pride-central.html

~~FLORIDA AND GENERAL NEWS~~

From the Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/

Florida officials' salaries to be cut 2 percent
http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/1072715.html

More socially accepted, multiracial people outpace Hispanics to become fastest-growing group
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-multiracial-americans,0,7957867.story

Will Crist Lose in Sotomayor Confirmation?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/28/politics/politico/main5046936.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_5046936

A FLORIDA EPIDEMIC: FEMALE TEACHERS SLEEPING WITH THEIR STUDENTS
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1901762,00.html

The Big Inflation Scare
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/opinion/29krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion\

LeMieux reviews legislative session
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/05/25/daily46.html?ana=from_rss

FLORIDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD
http://flcc.harvesthost.com/legtrack/executivesummary1271.asp

Property insurance: Florida stands alone
http://www.jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2009-05-29/story/property_insurance_florida_stands_alone

Gov. Crist signs Fla. workers' compensation bill
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_WORKERS_COMPENSATION_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

Florida hospitals not eager to report bad doctors, study says
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1070839.html

SEARCH: Florida FCAT reading and math test score results
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-fcat-test-scores-florida-search-052109,0,122929.htmlstory?appSession=74230533366492&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=1&cpipage=1&CPISortType=&CPIorderBy=

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 29, 2009

2009-05-30T09:18:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Celebrities Champion State’s Same-Sex Marriage Bill
By JEREMY W. PETERS
State Senator Shirley L. Huntley, a brassy, big-haired Democrat from Queens who opposes same-sex marriage, received a call on Wednesday that left her momentarily stunned. Maya Angelou was on the line, and she wanted to know if the senator might reconsider her position. Ms. Huntley, hardly the type to be played for a fool, at first thought her staff might be pulling a fast one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/nyregion/29celebrity.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

D.C. Pledges Quick Review On Marriage Referendum
By Tim Craig
City election officials said yesterday that they will expedite their review of a request for a referendum to block a D.C. Council bill recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, as opponents vowed to fight to keep it off the ballot.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/28/AR2009052803851.html

'The Mormons Are Coming!'
Supporters of Same-Sex Marriage Trumpet the Church's Work Against It
By Karl Vick
As more states take up the debate on same-sex marriage, some advocates of legalization are taking a very specific lesson from California, where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dominated both fundraising and door-knocking to pass a ballot initiative that barred such unions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/28/AR2009052803573.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:

The Sotomayor Rules
Some were made to be broken.
By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL
President Barack Obama has laid down his ground rules for the debate over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. The big question now is whether Republicans agree to play by rules that neither Mr. Obama nor his party have themselves followed.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124355478303064587.html

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Photo gallery | Gay-rights protesters demonstrate at Democratic Party fundraiser attended by Obama
From Associated Press:
Dozens of gay rights protesters demonstrate outside the Beverly Hills hotel, where U.S. President Barack Obama attended a Democratic Party fundraiser in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. The crowd chanted and waved rainbow flags and American flags outside the hotel, a day after the California Supreme Court upheld a voter approved ban on gay marriage.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/photo-gallery-gay-rights-protesters-demonstrate-at-democratic-party-fundraiser-attended-by-obama.html

ABC News: 'Idol' Judge Kara DioGuardi Says Adam Lambert Was Always 'Out'
On 'The View,' Kara DioGuardi Talks About Adam Lambert's Sexuality
By SHEILA MARIKAR
Adam Lambert may want the world to "keep speculating" about his sexuality but, according to "American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi, there's no way he's not gay. In a taped interview scheduled to air on ABC's "The View" Friday, DioGuardi said she has no doubts that Lambert's "out." Lambert lost the "Idol" title to Kris Allen last week.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/abc-news-idol-judge-kara-dioguardi-says-adam-lambert-was-always-out.html

SAVE Dade: Prop 8 affects our work in Florida
News release from SAVE Dade:
As the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community continues to cope with the heartbreaking decision of the California Supreme Court to uphold Prop 8 and write discrimination in its laws, SAVE Dade is calling on Floridians to focus now more than ever in fighting injustices in our home state.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/save-dade-prop-8-affects-our-work-in-florida.html

ACLU of Florida: Prop 8 won't rain on our parade
Mailing from the ACLU of Florida:
June is Pride month, and we will be celebrating our successes in Florida at Pride events all across the state. Even in the face of a crushing defeat on prop 8 in California this week, LGBT equality is marching forward here in the Sunshine State largely because of the support of our donors and the staff of our recently expanded project, as well as the groundswell of grassroots support. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for e-mails about your local festivals and parades.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/aclu-of-florida-prop-8-wont-rain-on-our-parade.html

CoralGAYbles.com June social Wednesday at Brasserie Les Halles on Ponce de Leon Boulevard
From CoralGAYbles.com:
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/coralgayblescom-june-social-at-brasserie-les-halles-on-ponce-de-leon-boulevard.html

21st Lambda Literary Awards announced
Here are the winners:
21st LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD WINNERS, BOOKS PUBLISHED IN 2008
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/21st-lambda-literary-awards-announced.html

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gay circus takes flight in SoFla
Troupe gives teens a unique social outlet
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
If flying though the air with the greatest of ease, clowning around, or sewing costumes has always been a dream but you are not sure where to start, one local school is making it possible for GLBT youth and adults to run away to the circus.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-28/news/localnews/5886.cfm

Festival struggles amid confusion
Conflicts arise between staff, board members
By JASON MICHAELS
Tempers flared at the Wednesday, May 27 meeting of the Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale, as the board of directors continued to make plans for the upcoming Stonewall Street Festival and Parade scheduled for the weekend of June 20 and 21. With just three and a half weeks prior to the festival, board members at the meeting argued over a variety of issues, most notably who was in charge: the Board of Directors of the festival, or the newly appointed executive director, Lance Horton.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-28/news/localnews/5885.cfm

Wilton Manors Vice-Mayor Flippen takes new job with CVB
Position aimed at bringing in travelers from across the US
By DAN RENZI
Justin Flippen, former Executive Assistant for Broward County Mayor Stacey Ritter and current Wilton Manors Vice Mayor, recently started his new position as the Tourism Project Coordinator for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. Flippen is charged with working with travel agents all over the United States to sell Broward County as a vacation destination and increase hotel room bookings. He will also focus on the Gay and Lesbian Travel industry, including promoting the region in anticipation of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Associations annual convention in 2010.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-28/news/localnews/5888.cfm

Cuba to reinstate sex changes
Return of procedures announced on state television
HAVANA (AP)
Cuba will reinstate sex-change operations previously banned on the island, President Raul Castro's daughter Mariela said Wednesday.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=25571

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Maya Angelou Calls for Marriage Equality
By Julie Bolcer
Acclaimed autobiographer and poet Maya Angelou is among the celebrities lobbying New York state senators to vote for marriage equality legislation, reports The New York Times .
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid87051.asp

Designing Women Made You Gay
The shoulder-pad sisterhood of ladies from Atlanta that paved the way for Sex and the City is now on DVD -- and Dave White is all over it.
By Dave White
Back when I lived in Texas, in the early 1990s, I dated a guy named Les who was really into country music. He used to take me to this bar in Dallas called The Round Up where gays in cowboy hats and boots would two-step. I couldn't dance -- even though Les tried to teach me -- so in order not to cramp his style, I'd watch from the sidelines as he spun other men around on the dance floor.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid86849.asp

ExxonMobil Says Yes to Gay Bias
For the past decade a proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to ExxonMobil's official equal employment opportunity policy has been voted down by the oil company's shareholders. At the most recent vote more shareholders than ever voiced support for the protections -- but the proposal still failed.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid86885.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Man sues NYC cops for $220M over alleged sodomy attack
By The Associated Press
A man filed a $220 million lawsuit on Thursday claiming that New York Police Department officers robbed him of his civil rights by sodomizing him with a baton in a subway station.
http://www.365gay.com/news/man-sues-nyc-cops-for-220m-over-alleged-sodomy-attack/

Gay teen elected prom queen
By The Associated Press
An openly gay teen was voted prom queen at Los Angeles’ Fairfax High School in a campaign that began as a stunt but ended up spurring discussion on the campus about gender roles and teen popularity. Sergio Garcia, 18, was crowned queen Saturday night at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-teen-elected-prom-queen/

Gay foe arrested near Air Force One
By The Associated Press
A writer for a small Georgia newspaper who wanted to give President Barack Obama a letter was forcibly removed from a press area near Air Force One on Thursday shortly before he arrived at the airport. Airport security officers carried the woman away by the feet and arms as she protested her removal. She was then allowed to leave. She said the letter she had written was opposing gay marriage.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-foe-arrested-near-air-force-one/

Aviator hopes gay ban will end in time for him
By The Associated Press
Barack Obama’s campaign promise to scrap the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy gave Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach hope. Now the aviator is wondering if the president will deliver in time to save his 18-year Air Force career.
http://www.365gay.com/news/aviator-hopes-gay-ban-will-end-in-time-for-him/

RachelWatch: Geek Chic
By Ali Davis, Contributing writer
The Obaminee
Rachel noted earlier in the week that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is very likely to be confirmed and most people in Washington know it, so the vehement attacks against her are kind of like what gets shouted from the bleachers at Cubs games when it’s already all too clear that this year isn’t the one either.
http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-geek-chic/

Ask the Expert: “My partner gave me an ultimatim: marry, or end it”
By Joe Kort, relationship expert
My partner and I met through conversing online, and within six months, we did the lesbian U-Haul moving-in-together thing. We’ve now been together for four years, in a committed relationship for the last three years. Despite some ups and downs, our connection has still remained strong. But just a month ago, my partner flirted with another woman, and the two developed feelings for each other. The other woman’s now out of the picture. To my knowledge, there’s been no contact. But needless to say, that was a shock, and I told her I wasn’t ready for an open relationship.
http://www.365gay.com/expert/ask-the-expert-my-partner-gave-me-an-ultimatim-marry-or-end-it/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

EastEnders to feature gay Muslim storyline but Muslim group calls for a "normal character"
EastEnders is to screen a storyline involving a Muslim character who has a gay affair. New character Syed Masood, a Muslim property developer who has a girlfriend, is to fall for openly gay Christian Clarke. But the Muslim Public Affairs Committee say that the BBC should have a "normal friendly Muslim character."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12638.html

Lesbian sports presenter Clare Balding suffering from thyroid cancer
Clare Balding, the openly lesbian BBC sports presenter, has revealed she is battling thyroid cancer. She underwent a throat operation in April to remove a cyst but a second operation was necessary to remove her thyroid gland, which was found to be cancerous.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12652.html

Radical Iraq cleric orders 'depraved' homosexuality to be eradicated
Moqtada Sadr, a radical Shiite cleric in Iraq, has ordered that the "depravity" of homosexuality must be eradicated, yet urged an end to violence against gays and lesbians.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12655.html

The Lancet attacks UK's 'extraordinary failure' on tackling HIV
Respected medical journal The Lancet has criticised the UK's policy on HIV over the estimated numbers of individuals unaware they carrying the virus.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12663.html

Video: Fraiser star David Hyde Pierce reveals he's married
Frasier actor David Hyde Pierce has revealed that he married TV producer Brian Hargrove, his partner of 25 years, last autumn.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12661.html

Civil servant escapes jail over gay male prostitute service
An Irish civil servant who was exposed by journalists for running a gay escort service has avoided jail. Eugene Leech, 48, given a six-month suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to controlling or directing the activities of prostitutes for gain on dates between May and July in 2005
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12630.html

California parole board appointee rejected over homophobic comments
An appointee selected by California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the state's parole board has been rejected over homophobic comments he had made in 1993, despite apologising for his words.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12636.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

In South Africa, Lesbians Fear ‘Corrective’ Rape
DANA HUGHES | ABC News
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29, 2009
South Africa is considered the most progressive country in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country boasts a developed economy, and has a post-apartheid constitution that stresses equal rights for everyone. It’s one of the few countries in the world with a specific provision in its constitution prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians. It’s also the only country in Sub-Saharan Africa where there are openly gay bars. But behind the gay-friendly exterior of South Africa, lies the reality: a society that remains, for the most part, virulently homophobic. Like much of the rest of the continent, attitudes towards homosexuality range from being viewed as unnatural or “un-African” to people calling it “a condition” that comes from and is encouraged by the West. Nowhere is this more evident than in the practice of “corrective” rape: men raping women who have come out as lesbians in an effort to “turn them straight.” Many of these woman end up being murdered. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7535/

Bill Seeks to Bolster State Hate Crimes Prosecutions
Emily Kimball, Special to Stateline.org | Stateline
A bill that cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate action seeks to bolster prosecution of so-called “hate crimes.” It would provide special funding to state and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute such crimes, and expand protection for the first time to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals and the mentally and physically disabled. Currently, such protections are extended only on the basis of race, religion, and national origin. The bill’s critics are raising concerns about its expansion of federal jurisdiction. It would repeal a provision of an earlier law, a 1969 restriction that limits federal hate crimes prosecutions to cases in which victims are engaged in six categories of protected activity — including activities such as going to school, serving on a jury and eating in a lunchroom. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7532/

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 28, 2009

2009-05-28T16:01:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Would You Slap Your Father? If So, You’re a Liberal
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
If you want to tell whether someone is conservative or liberal, what are a couple of completely nonpolitical questions that will give a good clue? How’s this: Would you be willing to slap your father in the face, with his permission, as part of a comedy skit?http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/opinion/28kristof.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Bush v. Gore Foes Join to Fight Gay Marriage Ban
By JESSE McKINLEY
The David and Ted show is back in business. Eight and a half years after their epic partisan battle over the fate of the 2000 presidential election, the lawyers David Boies and Theodore B. Olson appeared on the same team on Wednesday as co-counsel in a federal lawsuit that has nothing to do with hanging chads, butterfly ballots or Electoral College votes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/us/28marriage.html?hp

Government & Politics
The National Organization for Marriage has bought advertising time on New York City and Albany stations in an attempt to stop the approval of a gay-marriage bill. [NYT] The city agreed on a $2 milllion settlement for the family of Esmin Elizabeth Green, who collapsed and died at Kings County Hospital Center’s psychiatric emergency room last June. [NYT] (Also see City Room and The New York Post.)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/underlying-conditions-may-enhance-flu-worries/?scp=9&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Obama touts economy, Sotomayor, at fundraiser
By CHARLES BABINGTON
President Barack Obama defended his Supreme Court pick and painted an upbeat vision of the economy Wednesday as he addressed major donors to the Democratic Party in Beverly Hills. "It's safe to say we have stepped back from the brink, that there is some calm that didn't exist before," Obama told donors and celebrities at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He said the stimulus bill that Congress passed three months ago is starting to improve the economy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/28/AR2009052800414.html

Episcopal Church ousts 61 clergy in bishop dispute
By GARANCE BURKE
National leaders of the Episcopal Church have ousted 61 clergy who aligned with a former bishop in California when he broke with the national church in a dispute over the Bible and homosexuality.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/28/AR2009052800474.html

Battle Lines Are Drawn On Sotomayor Nomination
Ideology, Abortion and Remarks on Ethnicity Come to Fore
By Robert Barnes
On the day after Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court, both sides in the fight over her confirmation moved quickly to try to define the woman who may become the court's first Hispanic justice. The White House enlisted lawyers and constitutional experts to say that in Sotomayor's 17 years on the federal bench, she has been a cautious jurist who respects precedent. But conservative legal groups countered that her remarks in speeches and symposiums bolster their claims that she is a liberal activist waiting to flower on the high court. One prominent conservative accused her of "reverse" racism, and another called her a "wild-eyed judicial activist."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052703713.html

Rigorous Questioning Hasn't Fazed Nominee
By Alec MacGillis
Senate Republicans have yet to decide how tough they will be in grilling Judge Sonia Sotomayor in her confirmation hearings, but this is clear: The Supreme Court nominee already has shown an ability to withstand rigorous questioning. Partisan tensions were high when Sotomayor arrived in Washington in 1997 for her confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. A rumor was making Republican rounds that President Bill Clinton wanted to elevate her from the federal trial bench because he planned to "fast-track" her to the Supreme Court if Justice John Paul Stevens decided to retire during Clinton's second term. Senate Republican leader Trent Lott (Miss.) delayed her confirmation by the full Senate, which occurred nearly a year after her hearing. And the rumor of Stevens's retirement turned out to be false.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052703707.html

CALIFORNIA: Federal Lawsuit Challenges Prop. 8
Spurned by the California Supreme Court, gay couples wanting to marry appealed to the federal courts Wednesday to strike down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. The lawsuit -- brought by two unlikely allies, former Bush administration solicitor general Theodore B. Olson and his Bush v. Gore opponent David Boies -- was met with skepticism about the conservative Olson's motives. The challenge brought in U.S. District Court in San Francisco also worried gay rights advocates, who have avoided taking the issue to federal court because of the predominance of conservative judges on the federal bench.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052703655.html

Group Aims to Block D.C. Marriage Bill
Same-Sex Union Foes Seek Referendum
By Tim Craig
A coalition of ministers and same-sex marriage opponents formally requested a citywide referendum yesterday to block the District from recognizing gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions, setting the stage for a heated legal and political battle over the issue this summer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052703433.html

Bush v. Gore lawyers take on gay marriage ban
By Steve Gorman
Two lawyers who squared off in the legal battle over the 2000 U.S. presidential election teamed up on Wednesday to challenge California's gay marriage ban in a move that, if successful, would allow same-sex couples to wed anywhere in the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/28/AR2009052800686.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:

Battle Over Sotomayor Heats Up
As White House Gathers Backers, Conservatives Heighten Attacks on Judge's Record
By JONATHAN WEISMAN and NAFTALI BENDAVID
Both parties braced for a summertime confirmation battle over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, with the White House gathering a team to push her through, and conservative critics sharpening attacks on her past speeches and writings.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124343590838058789.html

Federal Suit Divides Gay-Marriage Backers
By JIM CARLTON
Theodore Olson and David Boies, the two lawyers who faced off in the case that decided the U.S. presidential race in 2000, have teamed up to file a challenge in federal courts to California's gay-marriage ban. But some top gay-rights groups call the action potentially ill-timed. They would like to get more public opinion in favor of gay marriage around the country before seeking to take the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124343841198058745.html

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gay Moroccan writer takes on homophobia
By JENNY BARCHFIELD, Associated Press
PARIS -- A soft-spoken slip of a young man, Abdellah Taia hardly looks the part of an iconoclast. But as Morocco's first high-profile, openly gay man, Taia has made it his mission to win acceptance for homosexuals throughout the Muslim world. Taia has defied Moroccan society's don't-ask, don't-tell attitude toward homosexuality - and prison sentences that are still on the books in the North African kingdom - to write five autobiographical novels about growing up poor and gay in the northern coastal city of Sale.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/gay-moroccan-writer-takes-on-homophobia.html

Video | Tearful Drew Barrymore fights for gay rights
From AP:
Drew Barrymore, Kathy Griffin, Perez Hilton and other celebrities join thousands of protestors on Santa Monica Boulevard to protest the California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Proposition 8.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/tearful-drew-barrymore-fights-for-gay-rights.html

Podcast | Wilton Manors hosts gay rights festival, despite economic woes
From WLRN Miami Herald News:
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the riots that began what is now considered the modern gay rights movement. Wilton Manors, which has one of America's highest gay populations, hosts a weekend festival to commemorate the riots, as do many cities nationwide. But the economy has put such a strain on fundraising that this year's event was in danger of not happening at all. WLRN Miami Herald reporter Joshua Johnson has details.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/podcast-wilton-manors-hosts-gay-rights-festival-despite-economic-woes.html

Attorney, civic activist Javier Soto to head Dade Community Foundation
BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Attorney Javier Alberto Soto -- civic activist, fund raiser and one-time chief of staff to Miami-Dade's mayor -- has been named president of the philanthropic Dade Community Foundation.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/attorney-civic-activist-javier-soto-to-head-dade-community-foundation.html

Video | St. Petersburg city council candidate responds at debate to rumor that he’s gay: ‘Yes,’ he says. Gets standing ovation.
On YouTube:
Asked whether he is gay or not, [St. Petersburg City Council candidate] Steve Kornell responds with the honesty and transparency we all deserve from our elected officials. This question was asked at the first debate of the campaign on Saturday, May 23, 2009.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/video-st-petersburg-city-council-candidate-responds-at-debate-to-rumor-that-hes-gay-yes.html

Jill Biden to give speech on Monday at GLSEN Respect Awards in New York City
A note I got this morning from the office of Vice President Joe Biden:
On Monday, June 1st in the evening, Dr. Jill Biden will attend and give remarks at the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Respect Awards in New York City. GLSEN is a national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. The program portion of the event is open to the press. About the GLSEN Respect Awards (from the GLSEN website): GLSEN's Respect Awards recognize individual and corporate leaders who have helped propel GLSEN's efforts to ensure safe schools for all of America's students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/jill-biden-to-give-speech-on-monday-at-glsen-respect-awards-in-new-york-city.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Sit-in, Citations at S.D. County Clerk's Office
More than 60 people who staged a sit-in at the San Diego County clerk’s office Wednesday were escorted out of the building with citations. Though arrests were threatened, in the end none were made, and the paddy wagon was on the scene just as a precaution. People were escorted from the building by to cheers and applause.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid86647.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Cuba to resume transgender surgery
By The Associated Press
(Havana) Cuba will reinstate sex-change operations previously banned on the island, President Raul Castro’s daughter Mariela said Wednesday.
http://www.365gay.com/news/cuba-to-resume-transgender-surgery/

Poll: Majority of RI voters favor gay marriage law
A survey released Wednesday shows that more than half of Rhode Island voters favor a law allowing gay marriage, leading advocates to point out to state leadership that it’s what residents want.
http://www.365gay.com/news/poll-majority-of-ri-voters-favor-gay-marriage-law/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gay minister faces new challenge in 'disrepute' allegation
Openly gay minister Scott Rennie, whose appointment threatened to split the Church of Scotland, is facing a new challenge after it was claimed his congregation had not known he was gay.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12602.html

Stars out in force to oppose Prop 8 ruling
Celebrities such as Kelly Osbourne, Perez Hilton, Pete Wentz, and Emmy Rossum joined the vocal protesters who marched on Los Angeles yesterday to demonstrate their opposition to the California Supreme Court's decision not to overturn the ban on gay marriage.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12603.html

New Zealand survey finds gay teenagers at risk
A survey of more than 9,000 students has found that gay teenagers are more likely than their straight peers to be affected by depression, suicide and self-harm.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12609.html

Desmond Tutu supports gay clergy
Archbishop Desmond Tutu received a standing ovation when he spoke out in support of gay clergy at the Church of Scotland General Assembly yesterday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12612.html

Civil servant escapes jail over gay male prostitute service
An Irish civil servant who was exposed by journalists for running a gay escort service has avoided jail. Eugene Leech, 48, given a six-month suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to controlling or directing the activities of prostitutes for gain on dates between May and July in 2005
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12630.html

Gay couples 'are better at communicating'
Recent studies indicate that same-sex couples have greater levels of satisfaction in their relationships than their heterosexual counterparts due to better communication.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12615.html

Nick Griffin pulls out of Queen's garden party
BNP leader Nick Griffin has said he will not attend a garden party hosted by Buckingham Palace. The politician was invited by fellow BNP member Richard Barnbrook, but said today he has “no wish to embarrass the Queen”.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12613.html

Video: Britney Spears films spoof gay perfume ad
Britney Spears has been reinforcing her status as a gay icon by filming a spoof perfume advertisement for gays. The perfume, named 'Mo', has the tagline "One spray and the gays will run your way!”
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12624.html

India's only gay magazine back on newsstands
Bombay Dost, India's first and only gay magazine, has been relaunched and is now back on sale. The English-language magazine was forced out of print in 2002 when it ran out of money.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12633.html

Gay Apprentice candidate Howard fired by Sir Alan
Howard Ebison, The Apprentice's openly gay contestant, was fired at the climax of last night's show, having volunteered as project manager in the shopping channel task.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12622.html

David Cameron voted worst politician of the year
Tory leader David Cameron has been voted the worst politician of the year. Cameron, who reportedly plans to prioritise outreach to gay groups, topped the poll of bad politicians in the Gay Times Readers' Awards.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12632.html

Trans group boycotts London Pride march
TransLondon, the largest group in the capital for all trans-identified people, has announced it is boycotting London Pride. The decision comes after trans women were denied access to female toilets at last year's Pride and one was allegedly sexually assaulted.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12617.html

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Tortured and Killed in Iraq for Being Gay
MAZIN FAIQ | ABC News
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 28, 2009
Two gay men were killed in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum, and police confirmed they found the bodies of four more men, all killed during a 10-day period after an unknown Shiite militia group urged a crackdown on homosexuals in the country. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs believes as many as 30 people have been killed during the last three months because they were — or were perceived to be — gay. In a letter to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the human rights group Amnesty International called for “urgent and concerted action” to end the violence against the gay community, the group reported on its Web site. Homosexuality is prohibited almost everywhere in the Middle East, but conditions have become especially dangerous in recent years for gays and lesbians, as religious militias have become more powerful since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. But an Iraqi military source claimed the recent killings were linked to tribal violence, not militias, and his characterization of the killings hints at how deep homophobia runs in Iraqi society. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7483/

California Was the Cutting Edge for Gay Rights–Not Any More
Sandip Roy, New America Media | AlterNet
When I first moved to San Francisco from India, my aunt said, “Be careful, it’s full of homosexuals. And it has earthquakes.” I didn’t tell her that I wanted to feel the earth move. I had watched The Times of Harvey Milk on video and knew that this was where you came to be gay, from places where you didn’t dare to say its name. California drew not just the lonely teenagers from Idaho and Missouri on Greyhound buses. It also drew immigrants like me from all over the world seeking to put an ocean or two between them and their parents and clans trying to arrange their marriages. This was where software companies gave us domestic partner rights and the mayor marched in Pride Parades and Hollywood sold the world its glamour. This was where the world looked to see if change had come to America. And where we came for sanctuary. But now the center of gravity is shifting. In the wake of the court decision on the legality of Proposition 8 (as opposed to its righteousness) there will protests and candlelight marches and angry rhetoric. Already I am getting the faxes and emails. But perhaps it could also be a time for those of us who have been used to the world looking at us, to look out at the world instead. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7474/

OH: Gay Local Air Force Officer Plans to Fight Discharge from Service
Margo Rutledge Kissell | Daytona Daily News
Staff Writer Updated 9:00 AM Thursday, May 28, 2009
Air Force Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a decorated military weapons systems officer who grew up in the Dayton area, is being recommended for discharge after 18 years of service for homosexual conduct, an Air Force spokesperson said. The move has made Fehrenbach, who was born at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and graduated from Wayne High School in Huber Heights, a face on the controversial Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for gay military personnel because of his high rank and distinguished career. “Victor is a great human face that shows the problem that is ‘Don’t ask, Don’t Tell.’ This is happening every day,” said Kevin Nix, spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a national non-profit organization that is providing Fehrenbach with free legal counsel. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7473/

=

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 27, 2009

2009-05-27T12:19:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Sotomayor’s Rulings Are Exhaustive but Often Narrow
By ADAM LIPTAK
Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s judicial opinions are marked by diligence, depth and unflashy competence. If they are not always a pleasure to read, they are usually models of modern judicial craftsmanship, which prizes careful attention to the facts in the record and a methodical application of layers of legal principles.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/us/politics/27judge.html?scp=12&sq=gay&st=cse

California High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
The California Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, ratifying a decision made by voters last year. The ruling comes at a time when several state governments have moved in the opposite direction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/us/27marriage.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=cse

Every Justice Creates a New Court
By LINDA GREENHOUSE
Washington: EVERY time a new justice comes to the Supreme Court, “it’s a different court,” Justice Byron R. White liked to say — and he was in a position to know, having witnessed the arrival of 13 new justices during his own 31-year tenure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/opinion/27greenhouse.html?scp=9&sq=gay&st=cse

A Setback for Equality
The California Supreme Court got it terribly wrong Tuesday. It upheld Proposition 8, a state constitutional change on last fall’s ballot intended to prohibit marriage by couples of the same sex. In addition to denying basic fairness to gay people, the court’s 6-to-1 ruling sets an unfortunate legal precedent that could allow the existing rights of any targeted minority to be diminished using the Election Day initiative process.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/opinion/27wed2.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse

Proposition’s Opponents Say Fight Will Continue
By JESSE McKINLEY
Supporters of same-sex marriage in California wasted little time on Tuesday turning away from their courtroom defeat on Proposition 8, and toward a potential campaign to overturn the measure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/us/politics/27react.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse

Levi’s Adopts a Tie-In With a Gay Marriage Symbol
By ARI KARPEL
LEVI’S is getting in the spirit of the season by dressing its storefront mannequins in white. In Levi’s-owned stores in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, that means more than just marking the passing of Memorial Day, the traditional date to begin wearing white: in 20 stores, the mannequins’ white Levi’s jeans and shirts are adorned with White Knots, a symbol of solidarity with the same-sex marriage movement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/media/27adco.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse

Interest Groups Prepare to Battle on Sotomayor
By David D. Kirkpatrick
A Supreme Court nomination, and the interest-group battle begins. The left was quiet Tuesday. Aside from commending the president’s pick of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, most liberal groups kept their comments to a minimum so that she could hold the spotlight. But privately several acknowledged that they begin this debate with far fewer resources than they could marshal during the Bush administration. Democratic dominance of the White House and Congress had sucked the urgency out their fundraising appeals and put liberal donors at ease.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/interest-groups-prepare-to-battle-on-sotomayor/?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Secretly Selling Sotomayor
By Howard Kurtz
Less than an hour after President Obama announced his Supreme Court nominee yesterday, two "senior administration officials" began holding forth for reporters on the virtues of Sonia Sotomayor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052700962_pf.html

Historic nomination: Hispanic Sotomayor as justice
By BEN FELLER
Reaching for history, President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court, championing her as a compassionate, seasoned jurist whose against-the-odds life journey affirms the American dream. Republicans who will decide whether to make a fight of her confirmation said they want thorough hearings.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052600881_pf.html

CAROLYN HAX
Carolyn:
I'm a gay male, mid-20s, good job, etc. There is a guy who lives in my building who is maddeningly attractive. I say maddeningly because, well, I'm not. Not even close. I work out, have a decent haircut, etc., but I was born with a face "only a mother could love." Oh, and this guy, he's very nice and polite. I'd feel better if he were a jerk. So what does one do when the gods sprinkled all of the fairy dust onto others and ran out when they got to you?
Kansas City, Mo.
One remembers that's just your opinion of you. Be wry, realistic, fatalistic, whatever helps -- but don't speak for anyone else.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052603040_2.html

Riskiest Choice on Obama's List Embodies His Criteria
President and Judge Cite Her Life Experience
By Robert Barnes and Michael A. Fletcher
President Obama chose the most controversial of his potential nominees to the Supreme Court, and he presented Judge Sonia Sotomayor yesterday as the embodiment of the qualities he seeks in a judge: a rigorous intellect, an appreciation of the limited role of the judiciary and "an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052600889.html

Proposition 8 Stands
California's highest court rules that the voters have the right to be wrong. THE JUDGES of the California Supreme Court ruled yesterday that they can be overruled by the people of their state. That's the import of their 6 to 1 decision upholding Proposition 8, which bars same-sex marriage. They're probably right on the law, but the outcome is wrong as a matter of fairness, and our guess is that the people of California will reconsider before too long.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052602800.html

Gay Moroccan writer takes on homophobia
By JENNY BARCHFIELD
PARIS -- A soft-spoken slip of a young man, Abdellah Taia hardly looks the part of an iconoclast. But as Morocco's first high-profile, openly gay man, Taia has made it his mission to win acceptance for homosexuals throughout the Muslim world.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052700846.html

Gay marriage battle to return to Calif. ballot
By LISA LEFF
Gay leaders say they are moving into campaign mode with an eye toward trying to repeal Proposition 8 at the ballot box as early as next year after the state Supreme Court upheld the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052700405.html

Calif. Ruling Shows Hurdles Remain for Gay Marriage
By Keith B. Richburg
The ruling Tuesday by California's Supreme Court upholding a ban on same-sex marriages shows that, despite a year of successes for gay activists, the road toward full marriage rights remains difficult -- particularly when voters are given a direct say.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052600363.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:

Questions for Sotomayor
The confirmation process shouldn't be a rubber stamp.
By NEOMI RAO
Yesterday President Barack Obama announced his nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. She is federal circuit court judge Sonia Sotomayor. What sorts of questions should senators and the American people ask a nominee to the Supreme Court?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124338359957256605.html

A Victory for Democracy
California judges leave gay marriage to voters.
"It bears emphasis . . . that our role is limited to interpreting and applying the principles and rules embodied in the California Constitution, setting aside our own personal beliefs and values." That sigh of judicial restraint was actually issued by the California Supreme Court, which yesterday upheld Proposition 8, last year's ballot initiative prohibiting same-sex marriage in the state.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124338483808656759.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

What's next for Judge Sonia Sotomayor? Questions and answers about the process ahead
JESSE J. HOLLAND
The process for Sonia Sotomayor, a judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City, to be the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice is just beginning. Some questions and answers:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-supreme-court-whats-next-qa,0,2637652.story

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

George Takei, Ellen DeGeneres, other stars react to California court's Prop. 8 decision
George Takei and his longtime love, Brad Altman, are still legally wed. So are Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi. Both couples tied the knot during the five-month window when same-sex marriage was legal in California.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/george-takei-ellen-degeneres-other-stars-react-to-california-courts-prop-8-decision.html

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Gay marriage supporters prepare for next fight
By Susan Ferriss
No sooner had the California Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that voters have the final say on same-sex marriage than gay rights activists vowed to fight Proposition 8 at the ballot box as soon as next year.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1067508.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Did AT&T Sway American Idol Outcome?
Evidence continues to mount that AT&T, one of the largest corporate sponsors of the American Idol program on Fox, might have improperly influenced last week’s outcome, according to The New York Times.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid86398.asp

Harrah's Exec to Gay Tourists: "Don't Walk Away"
After Nevada's Republican governor vetoed on Monday a domestic partnership bill that would have benefited the state's LGBT couples, a casino executive urged gay travelers to not count out Las Vegas and Reno as vacation destinations.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid86076.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Prop 8 ruling moves to federal court
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
Hours after California’s top court upheld Proposition 8, the voter approved ban on same-sex marriage, a federal lawsuit was filed arguing that Prop 8 violates the U.S. constitutional guarantee of equal protection and due process.
http://www.365gay.com/news/prop-8-ruling-moves-to-federal-court/

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Statement from Robin Tyler, plaintiff in CA Supreme Court Prop 8 case
No civil rights movement has ever lost. Never. We will win. It’s not an “if” its a when. Only we are going to have to fight like hell. Shame on the California Supreme Court. 6 of them, except Justice Moreno, issued a cowardly decision based on one word..not amendment, not revision, but reelection. I pledge that my wife Diane Olson and I, and the 18,000 other couples who were married in the California prior to Nov. 5, 2009, will be part of a grassroots army of love warriors, and will never stop fighting until all of our rights are won, here in California, and on a Federal level for all of us in every State. Let us take our anger, and our passion to the streets, and never, ever get off. And if the National Democratic party does not, after 35 years of promises to our community, make sure we have full equal rights in this country, the gay divorce you are going to see is the gay communities divorce from the Democratic party. We are a civil rights movement. It’s time we acted like one. Robin Tyler, Petitioner in CA Supreme Court Case to overturn Prop 8 (Tyler et al v State of California)
www.dayofdecision.com
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7422/

Moving Past Prop 8
Wayne Besen | Truth Wins Out
Having watched the court proceedings on television, I was pretty certain that the California Supreme Court was going to uphold Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to overturn an earlier court ruling allowing gay couples the freedom to marry. Still, knowing that a punch to the gut is coming does not make it hurt any less. The 6-1 ruling was degrading, humiliating and a shameful day that will live in infamy. The decision upheld tyranny of the majority and promoted the idiotic idea of mob rule.
What next?
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7421/

We Lost….For Now
Sara Whitman | Bilerico Project
I have never been a graceful loser. I have, however, learned a few things about patience and strategy in my life that has made losing a little easier to take. The California court ruled to keep some marriages, take away the right of any others to get married in a decision that leaves us once again facing another costly ballot fight. To be honest, we would have had one anyway. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7417/

=

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 26, 2009

2009-05-26T10:27:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

RAY'S LIST ARTICLES CONTINUE BELOW:
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Favorites of Left Don’t Make Obama’s Court List
By PETER BAKER
Pamela S. Karlan is a champion of gay rights, criminal defendants’ rights and voting rights. She is considered brilliant, outspoken and, in her own words, “sort of snarky.” To liberal supporters, she is an Antonin Scalia for the left.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/us/politics/26court.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

California Couples Await Gay Marriage Ruling
By JESSE McKINLEY
After more than 30 years together, Brent Lok and Wade French have accumulated more than a few possessions, including a hilltop home, an impressive collection of Asian art and, alongside their diplomas, vacation photos and family portraits, a framed marriage license, dated June 17, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/us/26gay.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

California court to rule Tuesday on gay marriage
California's Supreme Court decides on Tuesday whether gay marriage is legal in the most populous U.S. state, a key battleground in American culture wars. Passage of a gay marriage ban in a November California vote bucked the state's reputation as a liberal trendsetter and sparked national protests by gay advocates and congratulations among social conservatives.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052600228.html

There's a Hot Race in Va., but Will Voters Show?
By Marc Fisher
A t the past three campaign events I've gone to, I've heard the same opposing views from Virginians contemplating the June 9 Democratic primary: "It's only governor, so I don't think I need to vote" runs slam into "I'm tired of politics after last year, but this is for governor, so I guess I better get out there and vote."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/25/AR2009052502265.html

California awaits court's gay marriage decision
By LISA LEFF
The nation's most populous state stood poised to recapture the spotlight in the debate over gay marriage as California's highest court prepared to rule on the legality of a voter-approved ban on same-sex unions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052600363.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

Gay-Marriage Fight to Persist in California
By JIM CARLTON and GEOFFREY A. FOWLER
California's Supreme Court on Tuesday will issue its ruling on whether the state's gay-marriage ban will stand, but the decision likely won't mark the end of the highly divisive matter.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124329389315852597.html

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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

Peru to ban gay police who cause scandal?
A bid to clean up police says Interior Minister“
The British Ambassador to Peru has confirmed that the left-of-centre Lima government plans to ban gay police officers whose sexual behaviour causes scandal and damages the reputation of the police. Existing gay and bisexual officers could face the sack,” said gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. “Critics say the new law is probably unconstitutional. To its credit, the British government is consulting with Peruvian human rights groups and the European Union to consider what action to take in protest at this discriminatory legislation,” he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8049368.stm

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 25, 2009

2009-05-25T12:01:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Dance Judge’s Apology
Compiled by FELICIA R. LEE
He’s sorry, says Nigel Lythgoe, a judge and executive producer on the popular reality competition show “So You Think You Can Dance” according to a statement by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The organization had mounted a “call to action” against Mr. Lythgoe after he made what the group considered homophobic remarks about the male dance duo Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel last week. “I think you probably alienate a lot of our audience,” Mr. Lythgoe said on the show last Thursday after the couple performed a samba. “I mean, we’ve always had the guys dance together on the show, but they’ve never really done it each other’s arms before,” Mr. Lythgoe said. “Do you know what? I’d like to see you both dancing with a girl.” In an apology included in the official statement released by the alliance, Mr. Lythgoe said, in part: “I sincerely regret the fact that I have upset people with the poor word choices and comments I made.” Producers of the show apologized too, “if any viewers were offended” by the remarks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/arts/television/25arts-DANCEJUDGESA_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

Powell Jousts With Cheney on Path of Republican Party
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Colin L. Powell challenged Dick Cheney on the legacy of the Bush administration and the future of the Republican Party on Sunday, declaring that Republicans should not bow to “diktats that come from the right wing.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/us/25talkshows.html?_r=1&hp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

RachelWatch: Ticket To Deride
By Ali Davis, Contributing writer
Cheney-Gingrich 2012
Rachel led off with not so much new news as finally-sinking-in news that Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich are becoming the voices of the Republican Party.
http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-ticket-to-deride/

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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

MA: Provincetown Woman Beaten in Anti-Gay Hate Crime
The Gaytheist Agenda
Provincetown is a lovely town at the tip of Cape Cod, MA. Overall it is a safe, friendly and welcoming place for LGBT people. However there are still a number of individuals who think their “deeply held religious beliefs” and related chosen bigotries give them the right to treat others hatefully, even violently. In front of an angry crowd, a man was arrested early yesterday morning and charged with a hate crime after he allegedly beat a woman on Commercial Street, police said. More . . .
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7349/

IA: Group Aims to Draw Gay Weddings
Chris Rhatigan | Iowa City Press-Citizen
After the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision last month to legalize same-sex marriage, it appears that the Iowa City area could become a hotspot for gay and lesbian weddings. A group of wedding service providers, tourism officials, hoteliers and members of the gay and lesbian communities have created an informal committee to generate ideas of how to market the Iowa City area for same-sex weddings. http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7350/

Anti-Gay March Draws Some Scores of People in Bucharest, before Pro-Homosexual One
Some scores of people, mostly young members of the Noua Dreapta (The New Right) organization, got together today at a march against homosexuality in Bucharest, displaying placards and chanting for “normality in Romania”, few hours before the annual gay parade. The participants met around 11 a.m. nearby the Romanian Athenaeum, next to several older persons who themselves are against homosexuality. “Romanians, wake up! Sexual perversions are contagious mental diseases” or “Romanians, stop the homosexual epidemic! It is more dangerous than the flue” are just some of the messages written on the placards. The participants also chorus “Romania is not Sodom.” We have nothing against homosexuals, but it bothers us so see that they make public their options and attitudes that should remain private, one of the participants at the march told NewsIn. The organizers of the normality march said they will not try to sabotage the march of sexual minorities that will take place this afternoon at 5 p.m, and added they are just trying to express their points of view through this action, said Alexandru Nastase, the leader of Noua Dreapta Bucharest. This is the fourth year in a row when such a march is organized. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7351/

Illinois Poised to Approve Civil Unions
CHRIS JOHNSON | Washington Blade
The Illinois General Assembly is expected to approve a measure next week that would legalize civil unions, according to an LGBT activist. Rick Garcia, political director for Equality Illinois, said Thursday he’s “absolutely” expecting the full state House and the Senate to pass a civil union measure either Tuesday or Wednesday. The bill has support from Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D). The House Youth and Family Committee, chaired by Rep. Greg Harris, who’s gay, intends to attach an amendment legalizing civil unions to a “shell bill” that’s already been approved by the Senate, Garcia said. If the full House votes in favor of the legislation, the bill would be sent to the full Senate within hours for a vote of concurrence. Garcia said Illinois lawmakers often use “shell bills” to pass legislation expediently. He said it’s necessary to legalize civil unions through this method because the legislative session ends May 30 and the approach limits the time that opponents of civil unions can lobby lawmakers. “We get it out of the House and then senators only have a few hours of being beat up by our opponents rather than three days or a long weekend,” he said. “Since there is a perfectly legitimate way of doing it in one day, that’s what we’re going to do.” Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7353/

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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

Bishops fight for right to criticise gay lifestyle
Cross-party peers cite free speech defence to block changes to bill
Church of England bishops are on a collision course with the government over its plans to amend the incitement to hatred laws, claiming they will stifle what they believe is legitimate criticism of homosexual lifestyles. In what is being portrayed in some parliamentary quarters as a battle for free speech, a coalition of Anglican bishops, Conservative peers, Labour malcontents and leading crossbenchers have united to block the proposals. "No reasonable person supports the stirring up of hatred of any kind," said Andrea Williams, director of Christian Concern For Our Nation, which is helping co-ordinate opposition to the plan. "However, in 21st-century Britain we must find a way of being able to live peaceably alongside one another allowing for free and robust debate around every aspect of life, including reasonable criticism and discussion of all forms of sexual behaviour."
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/24/church-of-england-incitement-hatred

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Gay American Heros
http://www.gayamericanheroes.info/

Please Honor our Heroes.. and not let there Deaths be in Vain
All People who live honestly about their sexual orientation are heroic, as it takes great strength and courage to face the daily struggles for personal freedom in the face of enormous opposition; to ultimately give their life for said freedom makes them HEROES. We Need YOUR Help TODAY! Please Adopt -A- Hero for just 25.00 and help build our Rainbow Memorial - link to see one min 3-D video of Rainbow Memorial
http://www.vimeo.com/2334727

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 24, 2009

2009-05-24T12:05:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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RAY'S LIST ARTICLES CONTINUE BELOW:

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

La Cage aux Democrats
By FRANK RICH
THE most potent word in our new president’s lexicon — change — has been heard much less since his inspiring campaign gave way to the hard realities of governing. But on Tuesday night, the irresistible Obama brand made an unexpected and pointed cameo appearance on America’s most popular television show, “American Idol.” In the talent competition’s climactic faceoff, the song picked for one of the two finalists, Adam Lambert, was Sam Cooke’s soul classic, “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/opinion/24rich.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

University Bans Club for Democrats
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Liberty University has banned its fledgling College Democrats club, saying the group stands against the conservative Christian institution’s principles. The president of the club, Brian Diaz, said he was notified by an e-mail message that the group was being banned by Liberty, a private university in Lynchburg, Va., that was founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/us/politics/24liberty.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse

Nuance Is a Fine Word Until It’s Pronounced Flip-Flop
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
“Now, some have suggested that this represents a reversal on my part,” President Obama declared last week in the soaring rotunda of the National Archives, a snippet of self-defense tucked into a far-reaching philosophical address on terrorism and the rule of law. “They should look at the record.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/weekinreview/24stolberg.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse

Queer Developments
By MATT BAI
The first elected official who ever made the case to me for legalizing gay marriage — and maybe the last, come to think of it — was Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota, with whom I spent a fair amount of time in the late 1990s. A political independent, Ventura swept into office on the simple premise that if the state government, flush with revenue, didn’t actually need all the tax money it collected, maybe it should give some back. His libertarian philosophy extended to social issues, on which Ventura, who counted gay men among his closest aides and friends, said government had no business intruding. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24wwln-lede-t.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

When the Stage Has No Closet Space
By Aaron Hicklin
How did a somewhat goofy, family-style talent show on Fox become a bellwether of America's changing attitudes toward sexuality?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052202027.html

Gay Diplomats to Get Equal Benefits: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that gay U.S. diplomats will be given benefits similar to those that their heterosexual counterparts enjoy, U.S. officials said Saturday. In a notice expected to be sent this week to State Department employees, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press, Clinton says regulations that deny same-sex couples and their families the same rights and privileges that straight diplomats enjoy are "unfair and must end," as they harm U.S. diplomacy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/23/AR2009052301874.html

Church of Scotland votes to appoint gay minister
The Associated Press
LONDON -- The Church of Scotland has voted in favor of appointing an openly gay minister _ the latest case involving sexuality to create a division in the Anglican Communion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/24/AR2009052400463.html

Out's 50 Most Powerful Gays and Lesbians [2009]
http://www.amiannoying.com/(S(hea15tygxwdjql55cpvk2lqk))/collection.aspx?collection=11298

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Welcome to Florida: 'Fantasy' spot for Indian journalist
By Jaideep Hardikar
"Are you gay?" The question, posed by my driving instructor, rather jolted me. "No," I said. And in fact, I'm not, and am happily married to a woman back in my native India. I am in South Florida for five months as part of a journalism fellowship program.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-jhcol-india-m0524sbmay24,0,3455297.story

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Daily Queer News
http://www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Gay Couple Have Twins by Indian Surrogate
Ieila Magazine
Two Melbourne men have become the first Australian gay couple to have a baby via a surrogate mother. Trevor Elwell and Peter West paid $40,000 for a woman in India to give birth to their twin girls Gaia and Evelyn, the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes will report tonight. The girls, born last week, were conceived with the couple’s sperm in a test tube with eggs bought over the internet. Adoption and commercial surrogacy is illegal for homosexuals in Australia, but there is no law against providing the service in India. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7297/

CA: However High Court Rules on Prop 8, Culture War Heating Up Again
WIRE SERVICES | LA Wave Newspaper
The California Supreme Court won’t reveal its ruling on legal challenges to Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriages in the state, until Tuesday, but advocates on both sides of the issue are already gearing up for action. Both supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage have said they expect a split decision — that the high court will find that Proposition 8 legally amended the state Constitution to outlaw gay marriage, but will sanction the marriages of 18,000 same-sex couples who tied the knot after the court struck down Proposition 22, which also outlawed gay marriage. Monday, a group calling itself the American Civil Responsibilities Union will hold a news conference at the California Supreme Court Building to announce plans to initiate a statewide effort to recall any state Supreme Court justices who vote to overturn Proposition 8. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7296/

Scottish Kirk Appoints First Openly Gay Minister
Jenny Booth | Times Online
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has upheld the appointment of an openly gay minister after an intense debate ended with nearly one third of members abstaining. Last night the Kirk’s ruling body voted by 326 to 267 in support of the Rev Scott Rennie after more than four hours of discussion, as demonstrators on both sides of the debate protested outside. Around 900 elders and ministers took part in the session in Edinburgh, but not everyone cast their electronic vote. Mr Rennie, 37, had the support of the majority of his congregation and Presbytery at Queen’s Cross Church in Aberdeen - but the move to appoint him sparked strong protest from traditionalist members, and has led to fears of a split in the Church. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7295/

How Obama Set the Tone for a Quiet Revolution in Gay Rights
Joanna Walters in New York | The Observer | Guardian | Sunday 24 May 2009
Even 40 years on, police officer Seymour Pine is still amazed. “We knew something had happened that had never happened before. We’d never had any trouble, but it just came out of nowhere,” he said. “It” was the Stonewall riot in the early hours of 28 June, 1969, in New York’s Greenwich Village, when, sick of being harassed, the gay community fought back en masse for the first time and the grassroots gay and lesbian equality movement was born. Deputy Inspector Pine led the raid on the Stonewall Inn that night, when his handful of club-wielding officers suddenly came under siege from an angry mob of gay men and women. “It was never the same again,” the 89-year-old retired policeman said from New Jersey last week, admitting that the police were anti-gay, but just “doing our jobs” when the raid turned into a riot. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7290/

MA: Gay Couples Say Being Married Really Matters
Stephen Smith | Globe Staff | Boston Globe | May 24, 2009
Five years after the first same-sex weddings in Massachusetts, gay and lesbian couples express deeply traditional reasons for deciding to wed and cite equally conventional benefits flowing from marriage, according to a study being released this week. A significant majority of the 558 gay men and women surveyed said that since marrying, they feel more committed to their spouses, more accepted in their community, and more likely to be open about their sexual orientation at work. The survey indicates that there is something universal about the legal protections and social advantages afforded by the institution of marriage, said the study’s authors from the University of California, Los Angeles as well as independent researchers. And it suggests, they said, that a ritual once scorned even by many same-sex couples has the power to ease discrimination. “This really helps us confirm and makes us understand why same-sex couples demand marriage - if it’s just about the legal rights, why wouldn’t they be happy with civil partnerships?” said Stephanie Coontz author of “Marriage, A History.” Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7289/

Seeking Purpose in Life and Death in ‘The Intelligent Homosexual’
GRAYDON ROYCE, Star Tribune
“The only real death is to live a meaningless life,” says Gus Marcantonio, a tough-minded bird who once hoisted crates with his hands and walked picket lines on the dock. “You’re only human if you have work to do.” Now retired and bored to the point of translating Latin during his empty days, Gus reasons suicide is a mere formality. His three children demur, and in that conflict Tony Kushner searches for his play, “The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures,” which had its world premiere Friday at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7286/

Bigot-Branding Aids Gay Marriage Forces
Sun Sentinel
Here’s the thing about homosexual marriage in the United States: It is going to be legal in about half the states. There is no stopping the gay nuptials now, even though most Americans say they are opposed to extending marital law to same-sex couples. Right now, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa and Maine allow gays to marry. New Hampshire will soon do so. Once the legislatures of New York and New Jersey get finished taxing the life out of their citizens, they, too, will most likely pass gay marriage. A new CNN/Opinion Research poll says 54 percent of Americans oppose gay marriage, while 45 percent support it. But if you oppose gay marriage, your opinion makes you a bigot. Did you know that? That’s what the Miss California controversy was all about. Your humble correspondent doesn’t really care much about gay marriage because I believe it is no danger to the Republic and the deity can sort all this stuff out after we’re dead. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7280/

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 23, 2009

2009-05-23T13:24:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Same-Sex Marriage Ruling Set for Tuesday in California
By JESSE McKINLEY
Published: May 22, 2009
The California Supreme Court announced Friday that it would reveal on Tuesday its ruling on the state’s same-sex marriage ban.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/23/us/23calif.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse

Same-Sex Marriage Laws Pose Protection Quandary
By PETER STEINFELS
The movement toward legalizing same-sex marriage in New Hampshire has hit a bump. Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, said last week that he would sign a same-sex marriage bill only if it included new language expanding protection for religious institutions that might object to same-sex marriage. On Wednesday, the state’s House of Representatives rejected that amendment. So for the moment, the matter is stalled in New Hampshire.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/23/us/23beliefs.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Liberty U. Drops Democratic Club
Party's Views Conflict With Those of College, Administrators Say
By Anita Kumar
Liberty University will no longer recognize its campus Democratic club because, officials say, the national party's platform goes against the conservative Christian school's moral principles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052200793.html

GOD IN GOVERNMENT : The Best From This Week's Blog
Shifting Strategies to Fight Gay Marriage
Opponents of gay rights legislation -- same-sex marriage bills in the states and hate crimes legislation on Capitol Hill -- have shifted strategies, a sure sign that things aren't going well for them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052203307.html

When the Stage Has No Closet Space
By Aaron Hicklin
How did a somewhat goofy, family-style talent show on Fox become a bellwether of America's changing attitudes toward sexuality? Adam Lambert, a gutsy eye-liner-wearing Californian with a big voice, did not triumph in the eighth season of American Idol. Would he have won if he were unequivocally straight? That is a question we'll be debating for a while. But in many ways, Lambert was the unofficial winner long before he took the stage last Wednesday to recap his plaintive version of "Mad World," the Tears for Fears ballad that cemented his reputation as the darling of alternative, androgynous goth-ish tweens. His clean-cut, evangelical Christian rival, Kris Allen, on the other hand, was more "High School Musical" than "Twilight."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052202027.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Tough Times in Tennessee
Amid recession in the manufacturing town of Shelbyville, life has come to this: Americans and immigrants are fighting for what have long been among the least-desired jobs in the U.S.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124301768776347959.html

Michael Kinsley writing in the Washington Post:
In Hollywood, especially, they ought to know better than to try to destroy the career of a professional beauty contestant because she spoke out -- ever so politely and tentatively, and only when asked -- against gay marriage. . . .
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124303202687548559.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Bigot-branding aids gay marriage forces
Here's the thing about homosexual marriage in the United States: It is going to be legal in about half the states. There is no stopping the gay nuptials now, even though most Americans say they are opposed to extending marital law to same-sex couples.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-borcol-what-m0523sbmay23,0,3347155.story

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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

‘The Observer’s Eye’ photo exhibit to run June 1-30 at George Hester Gallery at Stonewall Library & Archives
From Stonewall Library & Archives:
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/the-observers-eye-photo-exhibit-to-run-june-1-30-at-george-hester-gallery-at-stonewall-library-archives.html

AfterElton.com: Fox issues ‘non-apology apology’ for comments to male samba team on TV dance show
Michael Jensen of AfterElton.com, reports that Fox has issued a “non-apology apology” for perceived homophobic remarks made to a male samba team by judge Nigel Lythgoe on the show So You Think You Can Dance: The judges of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE critique auditioners and contestants on their overall performance, stage presence, technique and a wide range of characteristics. All dancers are aware when they audition they will be subject to the judges' opinions. We apologize if any viewers were offended by their remarks.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/aftereltoncom-fox-issues-non-apology-apology-for-comments-to-male-samba-team-on-tv-dance-show.html

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Stonewall Street Fest faces cancellation amid budget woes
‘We’re asking for your help,’ says Stonewall’s director to Broward County community
By JASON MICHAELS
On Saturday, May 16, the Board of Directors of Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale held an “emergency community meeting” at Georgie’s Alibi to discuss the possible cancellation of the Stonewall Street Festival and Parade, scheduled to take place on June 20 and 21 of this year. Approximately 50 members of the community, representing businesses and individual interests attended the meeting.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-21/news/localnews/5863.cfm

Moscow police break up Pride rally
American activist Andy Thayer among detained
MOSCOW (AP) — Riot police broke up several gay rights demonstrations in Moscow on Saturday, hauling away scores of protesters hours before the capital hosted a major international pop music competition. Activists had targeted Moscow, which was holding the finals of the Eurovision song contest, hoping to use the event’s global popularity to draw attention to their claims that Russia officially sanctions homophobia.
http://www.washblade.com/2009/5-22/news/worldnews/14570.cfm

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

The New Adventures of Old Coward
Best known for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, out filmmaker Stephan Elliott returns with a revamp of Noël Coward’s Easy Virtue.
It’s been almost 15 years since writer-director Stephan Elliott's The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert crashed into theaters to become an international phenomenon and instant camp classic. After a long, life-changing absence, the gay Australian came out of early retirement to direct and cowrite Easy Virtue, a period comedy-drama based on the 1924 play of the same name by legendary wit Noël Coward. The film, which opens May 22 in limited release, stars Jessica Biel as a liberal American divorcée who marries a wealthy Englishman and locks horns with her manipulative new mother-in-law, played by Kristin Scott Thomas. Elliott lets the behind-the-scenes cattiness out of the bag for Advocate.com and explains what brought him back aboard Priscilla’s big lavender bus.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid84980.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Gays turn to DIY projects in economic downturn
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
In the economic downturn that has seen a drop in home sales, gay and lesbian homeowners are increasingly turning to home improvement projects rather than moving.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gays-turn-to-diy-projects-in-economic-downturn/

Clinton’s sax, Pattinson’s lips auctioned for AIDS research
By The Associated Press
(Cap D’Antibes, France) Bill Clinton’s saxophone and Robert Pattinson’s lips have helped a star-studded charity event raise money to fight AIDS. An alto sax signed and donated by the former U.S. president was one of the star lots at the Cinema Against AIDS benefit on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival, selling for euro130,000 ($180,000). There was also keen bidding on two kisses from “Twilight” star Pattinson, which raised euro20,000 ($28,000) each.
http://www.365gay.com/news/clintons-sax-pattinsons-lips-auctioned-for-aids-research/

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Daily Queer News
http://www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

NH: Republicans to Lynch: Veto Gay Marriage Bill, Focus on Budget
GARRY RAYNO | New Hampshire Union Leader Staff | Union Leader
House and Senate Republican leaders say it’s time to put the gay marriage issue aside and focus on the state’s two-year budget. At a news conference yesterday, the Republicans called on Gov. John Lynch to veto the same-sex marriage bill being considered and provide leadership on the financial problems facing the state. Lynch’s spokesman, Colin Manning, said a variety of important issues are moving through the Legislature. “The governor has focused on the budget for many months now and will continue to focus on it and other important issues before the Legislature,” he said. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7257/

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Gay.Com

Third-Grader Organizes Gay Equality Rally
Activists are getting younger and younger these days. Have you heard about Ethan? The Colorado third-grader recently organized a rally to promote marriage equality for gays and lesbians as well as equal protection under the law. Yes, this little boy—with some help from his mom and a teacher—put together a rally for gay equality, getting the necessary permits, finding speakers and making the community aware of the event, which was held this past Saturday in Denver on the steps of Colorado's Capitol. Two hundred people attended. Not a bad turnout!
http://hottopics.gay.com/2009/05/thirdgrader-organizes-gay-equality-rally.html

The Invisible Generation
My friend Louis dragged me to a party of one of his friends, who just turned 21. At the party, Louis had a group of young guys hanging on his every word. He turned and pointed out a man in his 40s and said, "Who invited their dad?" All the boys giggled with delight at his remark as I stood stone-faced and not amused. The generation that blew open the closet door and put out the welcome mat for all of us happens to be the same generation we throw back in the closet to hide them from the world. They are invisible to us. Here are five reasons they should no longer be ignored:
http://lifestyle.gay.com/2009/05/the-invisible-generation.html

Lambert Loses, But He's Still a Winner
Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner! After weeks of nail biting, Kris Allen was just officially crowned the new "American Idol." Gay fans have been cheering on LA based singer/actor Adam Lambert for months now, but Allen pulled off a major upset by overtaking glam rocker Lambert in the final weeks of competition. Now's your chance to talk to Adam. Post a message to him on the message boards below, and we'll send all of the comments in their entirety to FOX next week. Let him know how you feel!
http://tv.gay.com/2009/05/lambert-loses-but-hes-still-a-winner.html

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Stonewall Democrats
Our win in Iowa - and the courageous response of the Democratic leadership in Iowa to the ruling of the state supreme court in Varnum vs. Brien - opens the floodgates for marriage equality. CLICK HERE to watch a special video just for you from Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal who accepted a Capitol Champions Award from National Stonewall Democrats last week for pro-equality Democratic leadership. http://stonewalldemocrats.org/node/767

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

In 'Dallas Principles,' Gay Group Calls Obama to Action
By Jose Antonio Vargas
Barack Obama leveraged the Internet to capture the White House -- and now outside groups are doing to same to pressure his presidency. A gay rights movement that began in the streets has increasingly moved online. And last weekend, a diverse group of gay activists, bloggers, Democratic Party organizers and fundraisers from across the country came together in Dallas to discuss how to more aggressively advance their agenda. They believe the Obama White House and the Democratic-controlled Congress are not moving fast enough to address gay rights issues, such as setting a timetable to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and passing a federal hate crimes bill that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. After the outpouring of spontaneous grassroots support for same-sex marriage in the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 in California, "the timing is right," blogger and activist Lane Hudson said, "to push for full civil rights for LGBT people."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/05/21/in_dallas_principles_gay_group.html

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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

Thank you Mayor Luzhkov
Moscow’s mayor tried to crush the city’s gay pride parade. In so
doing, he did the cause of gay rights in Russia a huge service. By Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/19/russia-gay-pride-luzhkov

From Slavic Gay Pride:
We wanted to thank the 50 people who made a protest in Berlin at the Russian Embassy today. Also, to the activists of Tapages who in Strasbourg organized a die-in at the Russian Consulate in the afternoon. We also want to thank German MP Volker beck who managed from Germany to ask his Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make a diplomatic action in Moscow early sunday morning with the names of the organizers still detained. We are extremely disspointed that the EU Embassies (UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland) which had been invited by the organizers to monitor the events on the spot, concluded that despite witnessing the action, they did not find any ground to make a diplomatic actions. It shows that it is easier to act for the EU Embassies in smaller countries such as Latvia where several EU Embassies brought support but when it turns to be in Russia, things are different.

My good friend and political artist Clinton Fein has made a terrific video of the May 17 solidarity rally and fundraiser for gay Iraqis at Harvey Milk Plaza, in Nancy Pelosi's congressional district.
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/05/sf-gays-to-pelosi-condemn-torture-of.htmlIraq

Refugee Support highlights the plight of lesbian asylum seekers in the UK
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-research-by-refugee-support.html

Greens urge EU-wide same-sex marriage
In the run-up to the 4 June European elections, Britain’s two current Green MEPs - Caroline Lucas (South-East England) and Jean Lambert (London) - are backing calls for an end to the ban on same-sex marriage in the UK and in other EU member states. They want EU-wide same-sex marriage laws.
www.petertatchell.net

GIBRALTAR GOVT COULD SPARK INTERNATIONAL STAND-OFF
Referring to the presentation of a Bill to equalise the age of consent in the Gibraltar Parliament last Monday, Felix Alvarez, Chairman of Equality Rights Group GGR has welcomed the fact that “after 9 years of GGR raising the public debate on sexual minorities in Gibraltar, we are pleased to see that Parliament has finally considered the question of age of consent inequality currently in force.
http://equalityrightsggr.blogspot.com/

Behind the Scenes Story Of 2009 Gay Pride in Moscow by Andy Thayer
http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/behind-the-scenes-story-of-2009-gay-pride-in-moscow/

No black-and-white in gay rights
The west should not lecture the rest of the world on gay rights – we can all learn from the variety of global gay cultures
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/may/13/gay-rights?commentpage=2

J-FLAG marks International Day Against Homophobia, calls for country to embrace value of tolerance
Kingston - The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians All-sexuals and Gays joins other human rights organisations across the world in marking the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17, 2009. The theme for the day this year is “Homosexuality knows no borders”. In Jamaica, both the day and its theme are particularly relevant, given the popular local sentiment that homosexuality is unJamaican. It is this feeling, promoted by religious leaders, justified by some in media and exploited by politicians that generally feeds antigay attacks and makes it difficult for gays and lesbians in Jamaica to lead lives where their civil and human rights are respected and protected.
www.jflag.org

DC Blade: Gays need liaison at State Department
WHEN SECRETARY OF State Hillary Rodham Clinton was on her European tour this spring in her new role as our country’s top diplomat, she held a town hall and asked the audience of average citizens for questions. A young gay Moldovan wanted to know what changes she would implement to aid LGBT persons beyond America’s borders suffering human rights violations. Clinton’s answer was succinct. Mincing no words, she said, “Human rights is and will always be one of the pillars of our foreign policy, and in particular the persecution and discrimination against gays and lesbians is something that we take very seriously. It is terribly u nfortunate, as you just recited, that right now in unfortunately many places in the world, violence against gays and lesbians — certainly discrimination and prejudice — are not just occurring, but condoned and protected. We would hope that over the next few years, we could have some influence in trying to change those attitudes.”
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/05/blade-gays-need-liaison-at-state.html

Chicago Protest Backs Iraqi Gays
Some 20 protesters gathered at Chicago's LGBT Center on Halsted to show solidarity with Iraqi gays and others targeted around the world for their LGBTQ identity. IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia, began in Europe several years ago as an effort to internationalize attention to and action against antigay violence. Photos are available at the following URL:
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/86639/index.php

“No toilet paper but unity!” Burma does social networking
http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/2009/05/20/no-toilet-paper-but-unity-burma-does-social-networking/#more-5366

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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org

Call on Fox Entertainment and So You Think You Can Dance Judge to Apologize for Homophobic Remarks
On the May 21 season premiere of Fox's popular reality competition show So You Think You Can Dance, aspiring competitors Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel performed a samba for the judges at the program's Denver auditions. Though the judges did offer some praise to the men, judge Nigel Lythgoe -- in his on-air and online criticisms of their performance -- made snide, and ultimately homophobic, comments about the routine that have led to calls for an apology to both the dancers and to the LGBT community.
http://www.glaadbackup.com/2009/eblasts/calltoaction/calltoactionbanner.png

THOUSANDS WILL MARCH THROUGH NEW YORK STREETS ON TUESDAY, MAY 26 IN RESPONSE TO CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT'S SAME-SEX MARRIAGE RULING - ADVOCATES FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY WILL REAFFIRM SUPPORT FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN NEW YORK STATE AS GOVERNOR- AND ASSEMBLY-SUPPORTED BILL NOW FACES SENATE
www.dayofdecision.org

Rachel Maddow Interviews Judy Shepard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCPR2Uyak80

Moscow Pride Organizers Claim PR Win
http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20319074&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6

Nevada: Poll finds half oppose law allowing civil unions
CARSON CITY -- Democrats and independents back efforts in the Legislature to allow same- and opposite-sex domestic partnerships. But because of the overwhelming Republican opposition, Nevadans overall reject such civil unions by a 12 percentage point margin, according to a poll conducted for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/45388017.html

Join One Iowa for PRIDE RIDE 2009!
Proceeds for annual ride benefit One Iowa and the LGBT Community Center of Central Iowa.
This year's event is all the more special considering gay and lesbian couples may now ride together as legally recognized partners by the state of Iowa. Bring your family and friends out for a nice ride with other supporters of equality. Together, we'll pedal for continued progress and equality for LGBT Iowans.
http://img.getactivehub.com/an2/custom_images/oneiowa/biking.jpg>

Sex abuse 'endemic' in Catholic institutions
More than 800 priests, nuns, monks and teachers created an "endemic" culture of child sex abuse in Catholic schools and residential homes over almost 80 years, an inquiry has found.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5356720/Sex-abuse-endemic-in-Catholic-institutions.html

Irish State 'colluded with religious authorities to hide child abuse', report says David Sharrock, Ireland Correspondent
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6328015.ece

Ireland: The Full report on Sex Abuse
http://www.childabusecommission.ie/

Video: New York Gov. Paterson talks Pride
http://www.inthelifetv.org/html/exclusive/patpride_webex.html

National LGBTQ Youth Awareness Week starts May 25!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=HRfV1G1pBb6qmJrGbNMzeRy9jKStsvrP

Online Sex Connections Linked to False Sense of Security
The Bethesda resident and former University of Maryland student who calls herself Amy says she would never consider walking the street as a prostitute. But to her, performing erotic acts for men she meets on Craigslist seems relatively safe, anonymous and lucrative.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/20/AR2009052003762.html

Another servicemenber and $25Million down thedrain....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aubrey-sarvis/air-force-boots-their-25_b_205553.html

100 arrested in hate crime raids across London
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12524.html

It's dawning on gays that Obama has no interest in their issues
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/lgbtlaw/2009/05/its-dawning-on-gays-that-obama-has-no-interest-in-their-issues.html

The Fierce Urgency Of Whenever - Wayne Besen
I lived through eight years of the Clintons and then eight years of Bush. Through it all, gay people were treated at the federal level like embarrassments or impediments. With Clinton, we were the means to raise money. With Bush, we were the means to leverage votes by exploiting bigotry. Obama seemed in the campaign to promise something else. I listened to him in the early days and found him sincere about ending discrimination by the government; and I came to respect, while vehemently disagreeing with, his position on federal civil unions. He seemed genuinely distressed that gay servicemembers should be treated with contempt and persecution by their commander-in-chief, that gay couples should have to fight for basic human treatment - like entry to hospital rooms, or being able to stay in the same apartment as their late spouse, or forced into cruel separation by immigration laws that treat gay couples as threats, rather than assets, or if you had the temerity to survive HIV, being treated at the US border the way Jesse Helms always wanted people with HIV to be treated - like perverts and pariahs and threats.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/the-fierce-urgency-of-whenever.html

When a kiss is just a kiss?
When is a matter a ''scandal?'' What if it involves two adults doing nothing unlawful or offensive? Jim and Mary kissed on a beach, for example. Or Jim and Jim. What if Jim is an ordinary parish priest? His kissing on a beach is an indiscretion, and a violation of church law. But is it a ``scandal''? You know where I am headed: What if Jim is a famous priest, is, in fact, Father Alberto Cutié? ''A Celebrity Priest's Scandal in the Sand'' read the front-page headline the first day of the story. The story stayed on Page One for the next five days, and the word ''scandal'' appeared throughout.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/issues_ideas/story/1050849.html

Milwaukee: Years After Resigning in Disgrace, Archbishop Speaks Out
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/g/laurie_goodstein/index.html?inline=nyt-per

HOMO SEX IN COLONIAL AMERICA
by Larry Kramer on Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-kramer/homo-sex-in-colonial-amer_b_205399.html

The new romantics: Should we get the doctor out of the bedroom?
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/05/17/the_new_romantics/

She was a man who struggled with that identity, now she's at home in her body and in Lake Worth, as the new city manager
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/local_news/epaper/2009/05/16/a1a_stanton_profile_0517.html

Rodger McFarlane, Who Led AIDS-Related Groups, Dies at 54
Mr. McFarlane was the first executive director of the Gay Men's Health Crisis, a group that was an early advocate for public and private research to deal with the disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/nyregion/19mcfarlane.html?emc=eta1

A new, edgier campaign aims to make safer-sex tools easily available -- and sexy as well
Washingtonians share their District with a virus that refuses to leave. HIV is still here. It can still be fatal. And it's spreading at a rapid pace.
http://www.metroweekly.com/archive/?ad=05/14/2009

Washington: Gregoire expands same-sex partnerships
Gov. Chris Gregoire has approved a measure that gives same-sex domestic partners all the rights and benefits that Washington state offers married couples.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009233610_webdomestic18.html

84,000 DEMAND OBAMA SUSPEND GAY BAN AS FIRINGS CONTINUE
Pressure on White House Mounts;
Scholars Question Administration's Inaction
http://connect.palmcenter.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=79&qid=3579

On The Hill, Gays Now Find Acceptance ... Mostly
All Things Considered - Listen now:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104196355

Paying With Our Sins
THE Obama administration's drug czar made news last week by saying he wanted
to end all loose talk about a "war on drugs." "We're not at war with people
in this country," said the czar, Gil Kerlikowske, who favors forcing people
into treatment programs rather than jail cells.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/opinion/17gillespie.html?_r=2&th&emc=th

Moscow: Police Violence Clouds 'Best Ever' Eurovision
Russia won high praise from organizers and participants alike for its hosting of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest final on Saturday, complete with hovering swimming pools, Dima Bilan "flying" over the audience and a live speech from an astronaut in the international space station. But international reaction was clouded by the violent suppression of a gay rights protest earlier in the day that threatened to tarnish a national image that Russia had spend millions of dollars trying to buff.
www.moscowtimes.ru/article/600/42/377169.htm

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Anything but Straight
http://www.waynebesen.com/

Obama's Honeymoon Is Over
There are days when I am infatuated with Obama's very existence. These moments usually coincide with vivid reminders of our previous president. For example, GQ magazine revealed last week that Donald Rumsfeld's presidential defense briefings began with warrior Bible verses. Here is a sample: "Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand." -- Ephesians 6:13.Other times, the mere fact that Obama isn't Bush is not enough. At some point, he has to stand on his own record. The big question for gay and lesbian leaders is, "when can we expect 'some point' to happen and what is a reasonable timeline?"
http://www.waynebesen.com/

Video: Olberman Destroys the RNC's Michael Steele
http://www.waynebesen.com/

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From Kate Kendell, NCLR

Decision Tuesday in Prop 8 Case!
On Tuesday, the California Supreme Court will issue its ruling in our Prop 8 legal challenge. We brought this case on behalf of Equality California and six couples who urgently wish to retain the freedom to marry in California, but the Court’s decision will mean so much more to so many—to same-sex couples in California and in states across the country, to those who advocate for minority rights, and to all those who care about equality. The Court’s decision will determine whether or not Prop 8 is valid, and whether or not the more than 18,000 marriages that took place between June 16 and November 4, 2008 will continue to be legally valid and recognized by the State of California. Any ruling that upholds Prop 8 will be a terrible blow to the thousands of LGBT Californians who have the same hopes and dreams for their families as others. Last May, I stood on the steps of the courthouse and read Chief Justice Ronald George’s historic decision that not only brought marriage equality to California, but that also recognized the full humanity of LGBT people. It was an extraordinary moment, and I will always remember reading these words: “Affording same-sex couples access only to the separate institution of domestic partnership, and denying such couples access to the established institution of marriage, properly must be viewed as impinging upon the right of those couples to have their family relationship accorded respect and dignity equal to that accorded the family relationship of opposite-sex couples.”
http://www.nclrights.org/feed/rss2_0/stories.rss

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Girls In Wonderland Makes Fairytales Come True!
*More than 7,000 Women expected to attend annual Girls in Wonderland / Gay Day at Disney Women's weekend in Orlando, June 4-7
*Miami, Fla.–Move over Snow White. Back off Sleeping Beauty. South Florida's top women's party producers Pandora Events bring a different brand of leading lady to the Wonderful World of Disney. Expect more than 7,000 women to turn out for their annual Girls in Wonderland extravaganza, one of the largest lesbian event in the state, June 4-7 in Orlando.
www.girlsinwonderland.com

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Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief

Illinois could be next state to add civil unions
Civil unions reportedly are on track to be approved by the Illinois General Assembly, as the result of legislative maneuvering. A committee chaired by out state Rep. Greg Harris is expected to attach the unions amendment to a "shell bill" -- legislation already approved by the state Senate. If the bill including the civil-unions amendment passes the Illinois House, then it would be returned to the Senate for a relatively quick debate and vote.

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HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

Heartstrong: We are still busy working in Texas. Over the past week we have done
forums and outreach in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, Waco and College Station. Things are going very well. On our trip to Waco, we were able to do a campus visit to Baylor University. This is one of the easiest schools to do a campus visit. Each time we are there, we are able to make our way around the campus and leave our materials pretty much everywhere. Many students have come to us from Baylor over the 13 years of our work. So far we have raised $2150.00 of the $5000.00 needed for this trip. So we still have more than half of the money to raise. [...] Looking forward to hearing from all of you!
Marc Adams
Executive Director
http://www.heartstrong.org

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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

A west Omaha couple says their 8-year-old son has asked for years to wear dresses and change his name, so they're enrolling him in a new school where he can live openly as a girl. The parents say their middle child is transgender, and he's asked to be called girl since age 4. "One night she said, 'Every night when I go to bed, I pray my inside will match my outside. But it never happens,"' the mother said, recalling a conversation with her child.

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Triangle Foundation - Michigan

Hate Crimes Legislation Passes Michigan House!
Triangle Foundation is pleased to report that this afternoon the Michigan House of Representatives passed the Michigan Anti-Bias Crime Statute (MI-ABCs), an important piece of hate crimes legislation that improves upon current Michigan law. MI-ABCs expands current Michigan hate crimes legislation to include protection against crimes motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, among other classifications. The legislation enables law enforcement and the judicial system to appropriately charge and prosecute offenders when their actions are aimed at creating a climate of fear and intolerance. The FBI ranks Michigan third in the nation for the highest number of hate crimes. With Triangle Foundation reporting a 133% increase in anti-LGBT incidents in 2007, the need for this legislation is imperative to send the message that hate is not a Michigan value.
http://www.tri.org/

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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/

A Clash of Rights? Gay Marriage and the Free Exercise of Religion
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1228/gay-marriage-free-exercise-religion

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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net ]
#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - May 23, 2009

2009-05-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

You are invited! ArtsUnited Birthday Party
Friday - May 29 - 6 - 8 pm
Hagen Park - 2020 Wilton Drive - Wilton ManorsTickets at 954-568-1555 or online
www.artsuniytedonline.org

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Stonewall Library & Archives
An Exhibition - "The Observer's Eye"
Photography from the Charles L. Ross Collection
June 1 - 30 - 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard
Fort Lauderdale
Meet the Collector - Monday, June 6 - 8pm
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org

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The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus will be meeting in conjunction with the Florida Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson event at 9am on May 30. This special meeting will be held Saturday morning, May 30 at 9am in room Splash 5 at the Fountainebleu Hotel, Miami Beach. This meeting is open to any member or registered Democrat and we'd like to especially invite those in Miami-Dade and Broward to come down and join use for a very informative meeting. To help us plan for the meeting, please RSVP with your name(s) to treasurer@floridaglbtdemocrats.org

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Stonewall Street Fest faces cancellation amid budget woes
'We're asking for your help,' says Stonewall's director to Broward County community.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-21/news/localnews/5863.cfm

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Tickets on sale now for Kinsey Sicks concert July 19 at Colony Theater in South Beach
"America's favorite dragapella quartet" The Kinsey Sicks will be performing their fabulous show "Wake the F@#K Up America" at the Colony Theater for one show only on Sunday, July 19th at 7pm. Ticket Pre-Sale starts Monday at 2pm! (One week ticket pre-sale Now - Monday 5.25.09) $5 off each ticket with the password: KINSEY
Colony Theater - 1040 Lincoln Road - 305.674.1040
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0D0042AED1EC5230?artistid=1326057&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=53

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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 22, 2009

2009-05-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net
and we'll be happy to send the full article.

RAY'S LIST ARTICLES CONTINUE BELOW:

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

The Holocaust’s European Helpers
Today’s idea: Was the Holocaust in some sense a “European project”? The collusion of non-Germans in Nazi atrocities has been largely unexplored, a German magazine says, and the Demjanjuk trial will shed light on the issue. Demjanjuk was extradited from the United States to Germany this month. His trial could begin in late summer. History | When the last big Nazi trial in Germany gets under way against the aging, Ukrainian-born alleged camp guard John Demjanjuk, it “will for the first time put the foreign perpetrators in the spotlight of world publicity,” says the German magazine Spiegel.
http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/the-holocausts-european-helpers/?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

U.S. House Members File Bill to Overturn Action by D.C. Council
By Hamil R. Harris
A group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the House of Representatives yesterday that would define marriage in the District as the union of one man and one woman.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052103146.html

For One Night, Baghdad Gets a Pink Zone
By Al Kamen
Change has certainly come to Baghdad. And it appears that includes the U.S. Embassy, where they are holding what the invitation says is the first-ever U.S. Embassy Gay Pride Theme Party next Friday at Baghdaddy's, which is the embassy employee association's pub.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052104048.html

A Crown of Thorns for Miss California?
By Michael Kinsley
I want the next Supreme Court justice to share my views on the Constitution. I don't care how she looks in a bathing suit, or halfway out of one. Miss California is a different story. Her qualifications, as a general rule, should be up to the people of California. Here in the state of Washington, we expect our beauty-contest winners to be able to split a log and appreciate good coffee. But Miss California's views on gay marriage have nothing to do with her qualifications for the job and shouldn't disqualify her for it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/21/AR2009052103681.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Texas Mayor Trades Job for Romance in Mexico
By STEPHANIE SIMON
J.W. Lown, the mayor of San Angelo in West Texas, recently narrated a video touting his town as a great place to live. Then he left to pursue another passion. Mr. Lown resigned this week -- less than a month after winning a fourth two-year term in a landslide -- saying he was leaving to carry on a relationship with a Mexican man who had been living illegally in the U.S.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124294991033245475.html

Springtime for Hitler in Germany
'The Producers' is not a musical about Nazism but about the boundaries of taste
By A.J. GOLDMANN
Berlin -- The Berlin transplant of Mel Brooks's ridiculously popular 2001 Broadway musical, "The Producers," based on his 1968 film about two Jewish con men who cook up a scheme to produce the world's worst musical and defraud the investors, was anxiously awaited in the German capital.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124293844545444631.html

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Maine diocese is violating tax law with gay marriage referendum efforts
By Associated Press
A gay rights advocacy group complained to the IRS that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine is violating tax rules by helping a referendum campaign that would repeal the state's new same-sex marriage law.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage,0,2375909.story

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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Miss California Shocker: Mom's Gay Affair!
From Star Magazine:
Beauty queen Carrie Prejean has become the poster girl for opponents of gay marriage. But in a shocking exclusive, Star has learned that the reigning Miss California USA's own mother, Francine Coppola, was entangled in a steamy lesbian love affair right up until the night Carrie placed second in the Miss USA contest! During the April 19 pageant, Carrie told the judges and a TV audience of millions, "You know what... in my country, in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there." That statement didn't sit so well with her mom's new girlfriend. Openly gay sales rep Valerie Vetrano tells Star exclusively, "Yes, Francine and I dated." To read the entire article, click here.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/star-magazine----miss-california-shocker-moms-gay-affair.html

White House says 'don't ask' policy under review
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
The White House insisted Thursday that officials are working to overturn a policy that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, pushing back against Pentagon assessments that such efforts were low priorities and Democratic activists' complaint of slow progress.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/white-house-says-dont-ask-policy-under-review.html

Gays find acceptance in Mexico City district
BY MAIRYS JOAQUIN, McClatchy News Service
MEXICO CITY -- Bright neon lights twinkle from bars and clubs on the otherwise dimly lit streets of the Mexican capital's trendy Zona Rosa district. Same-sex couples embrace lovingly in public or hold hands without drawing so much as a raised eyebrow. Only one word describes this place, 21-year old Antonio Flores said: freedom.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/gays-find-acceptance-in-mexico-city-district.html

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Obama fitting himself to a new role
BY DAVID BRODER
No new president finds that every aspect of the job suits him at once; some duties are inevitably more comfortable than others. What we have witnessed in the last few weeks is Barack Obama trying on and fitting himself to the role of commander in chief. The most controversial decisions of this period -- expanding the troop commitment and replacing the commander in Afghanistan, opposing the release of photos of abused detainees, keeping the system of military tribunals and delaying any change in the don't ask, don't tell policy on gays in the services -- are of a pattern.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/1060141.html

Brazil police disrupt neo-Nazi bomb plot
Associated Press
SAO PAULO -- Police disrupted an alleged neo-Nazi plot to bomb at least two synagogues in southern Brazil and are looking into whether the group has international ties, officials said Thursday. Police seized Nazi literature, knives and three homemade explosive devices earlier this week they said were to have been set off at least two synagogues in the city of Porto Alegre, according to police Inspector Paulo Cesar Jardim.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/AP/story/1060613.html

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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Switchboard of Miami pitches GLBT virtual community center
Organization attempting to reach web-savvy youth
By TONY ADAMS
On Saturday May 16th, Switchboard of Miami’s GLBTQ Helpline head Ed Straub presented a program called “Developing a GLBTQ Virtual Community Center.” The program, held at the Conrad Miami Hotel, led thirty-four South Florida community service providers through a proposal for the creation of a GLBT Virtual Community Center for South Florida.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-21/news/localnews/5867.cfm

Business on The Drive: new meat + cheap shoes = success
New shopping and dining options for Wilton Manors
By BOB KECSEMETY
Deli delights: The word on “The Drive” is that soon, not one but two New York-style delis will be opening on Wilton Drive. One deli will be on east end of The Drive (which people like to call the “north” end) and the other will be at the western end (which people like to call the “south” end). One will be brought to you by the people who bring you Matty’s On the Drive, and will be right next door. On the west (south) end will be a deli brought to you by the people from Urban Dwell Furnishings.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-21/news/localnews/5869.cfm

Justice with a Snap: Miami’s David Young comes to radio
Show will feature wide array of topics
By BOB KECSEMETY
The first openly gay judge on television is taking his law advice to the airways. Judge David Young, known for his two-season stint on his eponymous court TV show, is now hosting his own Sirius Satellite Radio show called “Justice With A Snap.’ It will air on Saturdays at noon ET exclusively on OutQ, the nation's only 24/7 radio channel for the LGBT community, on SIRIUS channel 109 and XM channel 98.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/5-21/news/localnews/5870.cfm

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Happy Birthday, Harvey Milk!
By Julie Bolcer
Today marks the birthday of Harvey Milk. The gay rights leader, who was assassinated in 1978, would have turned 79 on May 22. Born in New York, Milk rose to prominence in California, where in 1977, he became the first openly gay man elected to public office in the state as a San Francisco supervisor.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid85337.asp

Did Denny's Break the Law?
By Andrew Harmon
A transgender woman barred from using a Denny's restroom consistent with her gender identity was likely the victim of illegal discrimination under Maine law, an investigation by the state’s human rights commission concluded this week.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid85233.asp

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Lesbian student wins $25,000 payout over homophobic harassment
A lesbian student who claimed she was the victim of anti-gay harassment and discrimination at a California school has received $25,000 (£15,950) in a settlement.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12533.html

New Hampshire gay marriage bill stalls
New Hampshire has voted against an amended bill to allow gay marriage in the state. The Senate yesterday approved the bill 14-10 but the House of Representatives voted it down by 188 votes to 186.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12534.html

Prop 8 decision draws closer
The California Supreme Court's decision on whether to strike down Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state, could come as soon as Tuesday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12538.html

BBC star Jonathan Ross loses live radio show after gay 'joke'
Jonathan Ross's Radio 2 show is to be pre-recorded after his latest controversy over a 'homophobic' joke. Last week, PinkNews.co.uk revealed that complaints had been received after he said boys who ask for a Hannah Montana MP3 should be adopted before they brought their gay partner home.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12548.html

Clinton to give equal benefits to gay US diplomats
Gay partners of US diplomats stationed overseas are to receive equal benefits in plans unveiled by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12542.html

Evangelical groups call on Church of Scotland to back gay minister
Ten Evangelical groups have urged the Church of Scotland to back the ordination of openly gay Reverend Scott Rennie. Rennie, who lives openly with his partner, was appointed as minister of Queen's Cross Church in Aberdeen by his congregation.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12552.html

Texas mayor resigns for gay partner
The mayor of San Angelo, Texas, has resigned just ten days after a landslide re-election victory to pursue his relationship with his gay partner, an illegal immigrant.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12554.html

Stephen Fry: Public anger over MPs' expenses is 'revolting'
Openly gay broadcaster Stephen Fry has waded into the row over MPs' extravagant expenses claims, saying public anger over the scandal was "revolting".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12560.html

Comment: Is America ready for a gay Idol?
Following gay singer Adam Lambert's loss in the final of American Idol, Omar Hassan questions whether 'Glambert's' sexuality dissuaded voters.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12543.html

Churches to be banned from turning down gay staff
Religious groups are to be forced to accept gay youth workers, secretaries and other staff under new anti-discrimination laws.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12537.html

=
Daily Queer News
http://www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

CO: Comment: Governor Quietly OKs Gay Benefits
John Ingold | The Denver Post
Gov. Bill Ritter this week quietly signed into law a bill that will allow gay and lesbian state employees to share benefits with their partners in the way married couples already can. Ritter signed Senate Bill 88 on Monday, and, as he did with another gay- rights measure this year and one last year, he did so with scant public notice. Reached Wednesday, Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, one of the bill’s sponsors, said he hadn’t been told that Ritter signed the measure. Nonetheless, Ferrandino said he is pleased with the governor’s decision, which he said will help the state maintain a strong workforce. “It’s an important piece of legislation that will help make sure the state can attract and retain good employees and compete with the private sector,” Ferrandino said. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7215/

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - May 21, 2009

2009-05-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Adult Adoption a High-Stakes Means to an Inheritance
By DEBORAH L. JACOBS
ADULT adoptions, an established though infrequently used financial planning tool, have attracted increased attention as a way for gay and lesbian couples to secure an inheritance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/your-money/estate-planning/21ADOPT.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

Setback to Gay Marriage in New Hampshire
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
In an unexpected move that raised a new hurdle for same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, the state’s House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected changes that Gov. John Lynch had ordered for the same-sex marriage bill.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/us/21marriage.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Eye Opener: More Postal Woes
Happy Thursday! As if it wasn't bad enough for the U.S. Postal Service, rising gas prices could be its next big challenge. • Cabinet and Staff News: Tom Vilsack makes the case for USDA's relevancy. Hillary Clinton promises equal benefits to gay and lesbian partners of overseas diplomats. Janet Napolitano visits the U.S.-Canada border at Motor City next week. Timothy Geithner says the U.S. making headway in battling the financial crisis. Economic stimulus czar G. Edward DeSeve gives Obama a healthy progress report. A member of the Pawnee tribe who was Idaho’s attorney general is the new head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Interior deputy secretary nominee David Hayes confirmed.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/05/eye_opener_may_21_2009.html

American Idol Gets Crowned
The "American Idol" finale opens with the two remaining Idolettes, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert coming out on stage after having finished painting the dressing rooms. Or, maybe they're dental-hygenist Idols. Anyway, they look creepy in their all-white twinsie outfits.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/tvblog/2009/05/american_idol_gets_crowned.html

Sealed With a Kris
In 'Idol' Upset, Allen's Newfound Stage Polish Beats Lambert's 'Guyliner'
By Lisa de Moraes
Once again, Simon Cowell got it wrong. This time, Kris Allen, the modest, 23-year-old married college student who has worked as a church worship leader, was named 2009's American Idol. He beat Adam Lambert, the 27-year-old, boldly creative, can-only-call-him-"flamboyant" musical theater actor who brought "guyliner" and black fingernail polish to the country's most watched television show and made the audience like it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/20/AR2009052000638.html

Obama in Command
By David S. Broder
Thursday, May 21, 2009
No new president finds that every aspect of the job suits him at once; some duties are inevitably more comfortable than others. What we have witnessed in the past few weeks is Barack Obama trying on and fitting himself to the role of commander in chief. The most controversial decisions of this period -- expanding the troop commitment and replacing the commander in Afghanistan, opposing the release of photos of abused detainees, keeping the system of military tribunals and delaying any change in the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays -- are of a pattern.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/20/AR2009052003029.html

Gay-Marriage Bill Falls Short in House
Reuters
New Hampshire lawmakers voted Wednesday to reject a bill that would have made the state the sixth in the United States to authorize same-sex marriage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/20/AR2009052003662.html

Gay Marriage Fuels Debate Among D.C. Democrats
By Nikita Stewart
The same-sex marriage debate continued to make its way across the city, landing in Ward 8 on Saturday when the Democratic committee there voted 21 to 11 to support a same-sex marriage resolution drafted by activists.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/20/AR2009052001396.html

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Gays Have Served Honorably in the War on Terror
It's time to end 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'
By BRIAN HUGHES
As a candidate, Barack Obama spoke out strongly against the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the Armed Forces. He promised a full repeal of the ban if he was elected. But President Obama seems to be backing down from this pledge. The White House now hedges on the issue, saying it supports changing the policy "in a sensible way."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124286225508241195.html

The Battle Over Benefits for Same-Sex Spouses
Lawsuit Seeks Same Rights Straight Couples Possess; Opponents Fear Campaign to Advance Gay Marriage Nationally
By PHILIP SHISHKIN
BOSTON -- In October 2006, Gerry Studds, the first openly gay U.S. congressman, took his dog out for a morning walk and collapsed with a blood clot in his lung. He died a few days later.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124285325940940677.html

The Latest Battle in the Same-Sex Marriage War
By Ashby Jones
To date, the more heated and visible battles over same-sex marriage have played out at the state level, either in courtrooms, at the ballot-box or in legislative halls. But an interesting battle is now brewing at the federal level. The question is this: does the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman, require the government to ignore same-sex marriage even if a state chooses to recognize them?
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/05/21/another-battle-in-the-same-sex-marriage-war/

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Disenchantment with GOP is growing
By Kathleen Parker at kparker@kparker.com.
It's not yet clear how the one-armed midget demographic is shaping up, but everybody else seems to be bailing on the GOP. Begging the forgiveness of one-armed midgets, I'm merely quoting Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. In a Washington Times interview shortly after being elected head of the GOP, Steele met Howard Dean's gays/guns/God challenge and raised him a jackpot of grief.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-21parkersbmay21,0,1972068.story

Mural memorializes victims of anti-gay crimes
FALLAN PATTERSON
In March 2007, Scott Hall watched as a news report flashed across his television screen about the murder of 25-year-old Polk County resident Ryan Skipper, who was targeted by two men for being homosexual.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flhrbheroes0521esbmay21,0,1030444.story

Condos are a great buy, but look before you leap
Bargain hunters such as Economou are driving condo sales as the median prices in Palm Beach and Broward counties have tumbled below $100,000, prices not seen since 2003. Still, condo mortgages are harder to get these days, the result of new lending policies that reduce the pool of qualified borrowers and limit them to buildings that have been left mostly unscathed by the housing bust.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/time-money/home/sfl-condo-sales-052009sbmay21,0,3488451.story

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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Reader outraged that American Idol voters chose ‘Sunday school kid’ Kris Allen, not ‘talented gay kid’ Adam Lambert
An e-mail commentary I received today from Laurie Allen, executive director of Florida Circus Art School in North Miami Beach:
Mr. Rothaus, I know that Howard Cohen writes the American Idol update for The Herald and Leonard Pitts Jr. pens the heart-wrenching stories about prejudice, but I wish you would write about the homophobia that resulted in the upset on American Idol.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/reader-outraged-that-american-idol-voters-chose-sunday-school-kid-not-a-talented-gay-kid.html

Drag it Out gay charities benefit May 24 at Cinema Paradiso in Fort Lauderdale
Dear Friend of SSSF, We at Safe Schools wish to reminder all of our friends and supporters of this upcoming benefit. This popular benefit raises needed funds for local non-profits including Safe Schools South Florida. Please pass this invitation along to other friends and supporters.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/drag-it-out-gay-charities-benefit-may-24-at-cinema-paradiso-in-fort-lauderdale.html

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund hails introduction of federal Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act
News release from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force: The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund hails the introduction of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act in the U.S. Congress. This legislation would provide domestic partner benefits for federal employees and their partners. The bill was introduced by U.S. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-ME).
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/national-gay-and-lesbian-task-force-action-fund-hails-introduction-of-federal-domestic-partnership-benefits-and-obligations-a.html

Howard Cohen: Real star Adam Lambert eclipsed in 'American Idol' upset
By HOWARD COHEN
America wasn't ready for Adam Lambert. With nearly 100 million votes coming in for the eighth season showdown of American Idol, clean cut Arkansas boy Kris Allen, 23, dubbed the ''dark horse'' weeks ago by new judge Kara DioGuardi, took the title from the most talked-about contestant in years. Howard Cohen: Real star Adam Lambert eclipsed in 'American Idol' upset With nearly 100 million votes coming in for the eighth season showdown of American Idol, clean cut Arkansas boy Kris Allen, 23, dubbed the ''dark horse'' weeks ago by new judge Kara DioGuardi, took the title from the most talked-about contestant in years. America wasn't ready for Adam Lambert. With nearly 100 million votes coming in for the eighth season showdown of American Idol, clean cut Arkansas boy Kris Allen, 23, dubbed the ''dark horse'' weeks ago by new judge Kara DioGuardi, took the title from the most talked-about contestant in years.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/howard-cohen-real-star-adam-lambert-eclipsed-in-american-idol-upset.html

ACLU: School censored student's Milk report
By LISA LEFF
The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday threatened to sue a San Diego County school that refused to let a student present a report on slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk until her classmates got their parents' permission to hear it.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/aclu-school-censored-students-milk-report.html

Gay marriage in DC moves debate to black community
By BRIAN WESTLEY and GILLIAN GAYNAIR
In the District of Columbia, where African-Americans are the majority and black congregations dominate, the recent vote to recognize same-sex marriages may signal the gay rights movement is making inroads among groups traditionally opposed to it.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/gay-marriage-in-dc-moves-debate-to-black-community.html

Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy, meets with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office
From HRC: According to the White House this photo is, “following a meeting the President had with Judy Shepard in the Oval Office today. The President thanked Ms. Shepard for her work on the hate crimes bill and reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the Senate finalize the bill and act swiftly.”
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/matthew-shepards-mother-judy-meets-with-president-barack-obama-in-the-oval-office.html

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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Amazing Luke
Reichen Lemhkuhl and then-partner Chip Arndt won season 4 of The Amazing Race, and now a second gay man has finished in the top three. But Luke Adams was known to viewers not for being gay ... but for being deaf. Amazing racers Luke Adams and his mom, Margie Reichen Lemhkuhl and then-partner Chip Arndt won season 4 of The Amazing Race, and now a second gay man has finished in the top three. But Luke Adams was known to viewers not for being gay ... but for being deaf.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid84747.asp

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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

ACLU: School censored student report on Harvey Milk
By The Associated Press
The American Civil Liberties Union is threatening to sue a San Diego County school that refused to let a student present a report on slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk until her classmates got their parents' permission to hear it. Read more...
http://www.365gay.com/news/aclu-school-censored-student-report-on-harvey-milk/

Bill would give benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
Legislation has been introduced in the the House and Senate to provide benefits for same-sex domestic partners of federal civilian employees on the same basis as spousal benefits.
http://www.365gay.com/news/bill-would-give-benefits-to-same-sex-partners-of-federal-workers/

RachelWatch: Lie of Newt
By Ali Davis
Rachel led off with the news that President Obama had an off-the-record meeting with leaders of human rights and civil liberties groups, who are none too pleased with the President’s sudden attacks of Dubyosity.
http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-lie-of-newt/

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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

Churches to be banned from turning down gay staff
Religious groups are to be forced to accept gay youth workers, secretaries and other staff under new anti-discrimination laws.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12537.html

Ruth Kelly claimed thousands of pounds for flood damage despite having home insurance
Former Equality Minister Ruth Kelly claimed thousands of pounds for water damage caused by a burst pipe, despite having home insurance at the time.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12535.html

BNP leader Nick Griffin to attend Queen's summer garden party
BNP member Richard Barnbrook and party leader Nick Griffin are among the guests at a summer garden party to be hosted by the Queen.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12539.html

Trevor Phillips acknowledges 'intense hurt' caused by Evangelical appointment
Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has acknowledged the anger felt by LGBT groups at the appointment of Evangelical leader and gay rights critic Joel Edwards to the organisation.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12540.html

Prop 8 decision draws closer
The California Supreme Court's decision on whether to strike down Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state, could come as soon as Tuesday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12538.html

New Hampshire gay marriage bill stalls
New Hampshire has voted against an amended bill to allow gay marriage in the state. The Senate yesterday approved the bill 14-10 but the House of Representatives voted it down by 188 votes to 186.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12534.html

Lesbian student wins $25,000 payout over homophobic harassment
A lesbian student who claimed she was the victim of anti-gay harassment and discrimination at a California school has received $25,000 (£15,950) in a settlement.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12533.html

Maine drafts ballot question for possible gay marriage referendum
Election officials in Maine have drafted the question which will appear on ballot papers if opponents gather enough signatures to call a referendum on the state's recent decision to legalise gay marriage.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12532.html

Pentagon: 'No plans to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
The Pentagon said yesterday there are no plans to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the directive that bans gays from serving openly in the military.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12531.html

Gay domestic violence campaign to be launched at Birmingham Pride
A new campaign is urging gay and lesbian victims of domestic violence to report it to the police. 'Unzip the Silence' is to be launched at Birmingham Pride this weekend.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12529.html

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Daily Queer News
http://www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

NE: Rainbow Celebrations Update
Upcoming Events Check it Out Today
April 24, 2009, A night of unconventional fun!
Connections, 1901 Leavenworth Street.
8PM April 25, 2009, Grand Marshal Announcement and Show
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7209/

Does Obama Have Enough Political Capital to Nominate a Lesbina for the Supreme Court?
Michael A. Jones | Change.org
Two of the ugliest words in politics (imho) are “political capital,” because they generally are used when a group is about to be thrown under the bus. We’ve heard it used in debates about overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” as well as when it comes to other LGBT rights issues, like repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. Now we’re seeing the phrase used once again, in commentary about who President Obama will pick to replace Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Souter announced his retirement last week, and now the vultures are circling, trying to decipher who Obama might pick. There’s Sotomayor, Kagan, Granholm, Wood, Wardlaw and a host of others that folks are talking about. But gay rights groups, including the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and EqualRep.com, are hailing another potential candidate who should shatter the glass ceiling when it comes to the “all-straight” club known as the U.S. Supreme Court. Her name is Kathleen Sullivan. Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7208/

A Marijuana Tax As the Next New Revenue Stream?
Michael B. Farrell | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
San Francisco - Are Americans really ready to consider legalizing marijuana? This week, California’s governor said it was time to debate the issue, and a new nationwide poll suggests a majority of voters favor decriminalizing the drug. While legalization advocates say they’ve never seen such widespread public support for reforming marijuana laws, they still don’t expect drug policy to change overnight. But, they say, the country appears to be at tipping point in how it views recreational use of marijuana, which is now legal in 13 states for medically-approved use. “We are actually talking about historic highs when it comes to public support of taxing and regulating marijuana for adult consumption,” says Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). But, he adds, “the most difficult task is how you convert public sentiment into public policy.” Read more
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7207/

Big Wolf Expeditions Launches Multisport Adventure Tour Company and Highlights the Green in the LGBT Rainbow Flag
For Immediate Release: Big Wolf Expeditions Launches Multisport Adventure Tour Company And Highlights The Green in the LGBT Rainbow Flag.
Big Wolf Expeditions proudly announces its first set of adventurous trip offerings to the LGBT community. The company’s goal is to provide active gay and lesbian travelers the opportunity to participate in a variety of adventure sports around the world, while helping planet Earth. The company will provide a mix of activities on each trip so that gay / lesbian outdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to not only enjoy nature and cultures, but also learn a new activity sport from dedicated professionals.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7204/

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