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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/24/health/24lepr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
October 24, 2006
Worrisome New Link: AIDS Drugs and Leprosy
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
With affordable AIDS drugs arriving in many poor countries, experts say astartling and worrisome side effect has emerged: in some patients, thetreatment uncovers a hidden leprosy infection.
No one knows how widespread the problem is. Only about a dozen cases havebeen described in medical literature since the first one was found, inLondon in 2003. But AIDS specialists in Brazil, India, Africa, the Caribbeanand elsewhere are reporting that some patients on life-saving antiretroviraldrugs are developing painful facial ulcers or losing feeling in theirfingers and toes.
And in the third world, where 300,000 new cases of leprosy were discoveredlast year and where 38 million are infected with the AIDS virus, the problemwill inevitably get worse, experts say.
"This is just the peak of the iceberg," said Dr. William Levis, who treatsleprosy patients at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. "It's early in thegame. Most physicians don't even think about leprosy, so there's probablymuch more around than we know."
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Ambassadors Open European Gays, Lesbians Forum in Bulgaria's Capital
On EU Doorstep: 24 October 2006, Tuesday.
Sofia News Agency
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=71612
Foreign ambassadors in Bulgaria will inaugurate the 28th Annual Conferenceof International Association of Gays and Lesbians for Europe, which will beheld from 26 to 29 October 2006 in Sofia, organizers announced.
This year's conference will welcome about 300 delegates from all overEurope, including representatives of leading human rights organizations,OSCE, the European Council, MPs from European Parliament, the Council ofEurope.
The delegates will debate topics under the motto "We are Family - Ourfamilies in Europe and the European family".
Sofia mayor Boyko Borrissov, who has turned into the epitome of manliness inBulgaria's political life, has also been invited to the forum, but appearsunwilling to face the challenge.
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Bavarian Conservatives Inch Towards Acceptance of Gays
23.10.2006
Deutsche Welle
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2212860,00.html
The majority party of Bavaria, the Christian Social Union, has for the firsttime recognized that some gay relationships have value, although equatingthem with traditional marriage remains out of the question.
The recognition, which is seen by some as a long-overdue wake-up to realityand by others as a danger to the traditional family, comes in the form of adraft policy statement released by the Christian Social Union (CSU) onMonday.
In the eight-page section on family policy, the party in power for decadesin largely Catholic, widely conservative Bavaria rejects the idea of givingsame-sex partnerships the same legal foundation as a marriage between a manand a women, or allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. But itdoes say the party "acknowledges (same-sex relationships), when people inthese partnerships can rely on each other to take responsibility and carefor one another."
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-1023foleygay,0,3254131.story
Roles of gay staffers raise suspicions in Foley scandal
By BILL ADAIR & WES ALLISON
St. Petersburg Times
October 23, 2006, 12:28 PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- One of the inescapable facts of the scandal involving formerRep. Mark Foley is that three key people who had some of the earliest cluesabout the congressman's advances toward teenage boys are, like Foley, gay.
Jim Kolbe, a Republican congressman from Arizona, received a complaint froma former page in 2001 or 2002 that Foley had sent the boy e-mails that madehim uncomfortable. Jeff Trandahl, the House clerk in charge of the pageprogram, was so concerned about Foley's behavior several years ago that hereported it to Kirk Fordham, Foley's chief of staff.
Kolbe, Trandahl and Fordham are openly gay.
The question of who knew what, and when, has roiled the uneasy peace betweenthe Republican Party and its cadre of gay staffers, who don't welcome thespotlight. It also has raised the question: Were Kolbe, Fordham and Trandahltrying to downplay the Foley issue to protect a fellow gay Republican?
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15828450.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
The Miami Herald
Posted on Mon, Oct. 23, 2006
5 companies to receive Human Rights awards
The Kansas City Steering Committee for the Human Rights Campaign ishonoring five companies for their support of lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender employees.
Applebee's International, Hallmark Cards, JP Morgan, Mutual of OmahaInsurance and Sprint Nextel will be recognized Thursday at a "Celebration ofEquality."
All five companies earned high marks on the campaign's CorporateEquality Index, a rating scale that measures nondiscriminatory policies,diversity practices, employee benefits, and philanthropy, among othercriteria.
A reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at theBlackwell Sanders Peper Martin law firm, 4801 Main.
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http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20061023&Category=NEWS09&ArtNo=610230388&SectionCat=&Template=printart
Gay rights emerging as issue in area races
Domestic-partner benefits seen as catalyst
By JOSHUA BOAK
Candidates for Lucas County commissioner and Toledo City Council said lastnight that extending domestic-partner benefits to homosexual couples wouldenhance the region's economic development.
"It is an issue that should be brought forth by the unions," said endorsedDemocrat Lourdes Santiago, openly lesbian and the appointed incumbentrunning for the at-large council seat.
About 30 people at the candidate forum sponsored by Gays and Lesbians UnitedInc., a nonpartisan organization in Toledo, listened as Ms. Santiagodiscussed her difficulties in starting a family.
Ms. Santiago's partner chose to stay at home with their child, but could notqualify for the health-care benefits given to Ms. Santiago, then a cityemployee.
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http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/15816239.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
N.J. schools adjust to transgender teacher
WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press
TUCKERTON, N.J. - For nine years, he was Mr. McBeth, asubstitute teacher who kept things moving along in the classroom and filledin ably when the regular teacher was out sick.
And then one September, he was Miss McBeth.
The sex-change operation William McBeth underwent in 2005 roiledthis rural, conservative area when she applied to be rehired as a substitutein Eagleswood Township. Parents packed a school board meeting last winter,guinea pigs; others supported her right to be who she is and work at whatshe does best.
But then a strange thing happened a few months later: WhenMcBeth was up for a job at a different school in the area, no one protested.In fact, no one voiced an opinion at all when she was hired.
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http://www.sovo.com/print.cfm?content_id=6054
'Direct threat' to spread HIV?
City policy under fire for banning HIV-positive massage therapists
By RYAN LEE
Oct. 20, 2006
Michael Seabolt spent thousands of dollars turning his hands intoinstruments that brought relaxation to others, only to face the possibilityof jail time because the city of Atlanta considers Seabolt's hands dangerousweapons.
Shortly after being certified as a massage therapist in 1999, Seabolt soughta permit to practice from the License & Permits Unit of the Atlanta PoliceDepartment, but said he recognized immediately that he was ineligible.
"The wording on the [application] was such that a person with HIV would notbe able to be certified," said Seabolt, 50, who has been living with HIVsince 1989.
Individuals seeking a massage permit in Atlanta must complete a series ofapplications, pay $250 in fees and consent to a criminal background check.They must also submit proof of certification, reference letters, twophotographs and a health certificate to the License & Permits Unit.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-0610160097oct16,1,4753022.story?coll=chi-newslocalchicago-hed
Guide grades colleges on gay-friendly factor
By Jo Napolitano
Tribune staff reporter
October 16, 2006
Forget the traditional grade-point average. The creators of a college guidegeared toward gay students have a new ranking system for universities: thegay-point average.
It's based on 20 factors, including whether or not the school has acoming-out week or if it extends domestic partner benefits to same-sexcouples.
The book, "The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students," evaluates 100colleges and universities across the country for their inclusiveness. Thoughit does not rank colleges against one another, each is given a G.P.A. of 1to 20. The schools were recommended for inclusion by their gay students.
Locally, Columbia College rated a 10, while Northwestern and the Universityof Illinois at Chicago scored a 17. Northern Illinois University and U. ofI. at Urbana-Champaign scored a 16, and DePaul got a 12.
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http://www.sovo.com/print.cfm?content_id=6055
Lesbians at risk
Studies show higher rates of breast cancer, but more research needed
By DYANA BAGBY
Oct. 20, 2006
When Annie Lewis, a lesbian, visited her doctor several years ago whileliving a closeted life in rural Virginia, the doctor berated her for 45minutes for not using birth control.
"It was just not safe to identify as a lesbian, especially as a lesbian withyour doctor, in this rural town," she said. "And I wasn't about to tell himwhy I didn't need birth control."
Shaw, who is now director of the Lesbian Services Program at theWhitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., said it was that experience thatkept her from visiting her doctor regularly for Pap smears and breast exams.But it also inspired her to make lesbian health a priority in her life.
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http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/28343.php
If Army's Desperate for Recruits, Why Reject Gays?
Tucson Citizen
www.tucsoncitizen.com
Oct 17, 2006
The Army's recent announcement that it is facing catastrophic difficulty inrecruitment clearly deserves immediate attention.
Despite Donald Rumsfeld's reservations, Americans may reluctantly agree tothe costs of calling 60,000 more troops to active duty, shortening thelength of time between deployments and making greater use of the NationalGuard.
After all, the military already has lowered its IQ requirements and begun toaccept felons. There seem to be no remaining alternatives.
But if the Army is so desperate, why does it continue to reject so manybright, enthusiastic and able-bodied candidates?
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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061023/OPINION03/610230311/1272
The Detroit News
Gay gains remain most promising in the states
By Deb Price
October 23, 2006
Trumpeting his wonderful intentions, Eliot Spitzer -- poised to become NewYork's next governor -- recently made this promise in his keynote address tothe gay Empire State Pride Agenda:
"We will not ask whether legalizing same-sex marriage is popular orunpopular. We will not ask if it's hard or easy. We will simply ask if it'sright or wrong. And we will make it the law in the state of New York."
That forceful vow from the Democratic state attorney general, dubbed "thesheriff of Wall Street" because of his crackdown on the securities industry,heralds a promising new day for the gay rights movement: If Spitzer's biglead holds, he'll become the first U.S. governor to make opening marriage tohis state's gay couples a priority. (Watch Spitzer's speech on youtube.com by typing "Pride Agenda" in the search field.)
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