Thursday, October 26, 2006

GLBT DIGEST - October 26, 2006

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The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501645_pf.html


Prominent S. African Denied Entry Into U.S.

By Craig Timberg
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, October 26, 2006; A20



JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 25 -- A prominent South African political analyst saidWednesday that U.S. border agents had denied him entry into the UnitedStates and questioned him about his views on terrorism.

Adam Habib, executive director of the Democracy and Governance ResearchProgram for South Africa's Human Sciences Research Council, was taken to aholding room at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday after hisarrival for meetings in New York and Washington, he said in an interview.

Seven hours later, his visa had been canceled and he was escorted by anarmed guard to a return flight to Johannesburg.



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http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=81690


Tell a Friend

Journal of Homosexuality

Volume 51, Issue 2
Editor(s): John P. De Cecco, PhD

This issue is now available online and will soon be mailed to subscribers inapproximately 4-6 weeks.

NOTE: If the URLs in this email are not active hyperlinks, copy and paste
the URL into the address/location box in your browser.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

"Fag Church": Men who Integrate Gay and Christian Identities
Gerald Walton


Stereotype or Success? Prime-Time Television's Portrayals of Gay Male,
Lesbian, and Bisexual Characters
Amber B. Raley, Jennifer L. Lucas
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=81691

Explaining Comfort with Homosexuality in Rural America
Vicki Lea Eldridge, Lisa Mack, Eric Swank
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=81692

Public Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians Trends and Predictors
Gary R. Hicks, Tien-tsung Lee
http://www.haworthpress.com/store/ArticleAbstract.asp?ID=81695


more....


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
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http://365gay.com/Newscon06/10/102306condoms.htm

GAO Pokes Holes In Bush Condom Advice
by The Associated Press

October 23, 2006 - 9:00 pm ET

(Washington) Government auditors reminded the Bush administration Thursdaythat literature distributed by federally funded abstinence programs mustcontain medically accurate information about condoms' effectiveness inpreventing sexually transmitted diseases.

The Government Accountability Office did not make any judgment about theaccuracy of the literature. But the government watchdog did say theDepartment of Health and Human Services is required by law to ensure thatmaterials addressing sexually transmitted diseases "shall contain medicallyaccurate information on condom effectiveness."

The Bush administration has contended that materials prepared by theprograms, which received about $170 million in 2006, did not fall within thescope of the statute.

"We have no disagreement that abstinence education curricula should bemedically accurate," said Wade Horn, a top HHS official. "In fact, we insiston it."



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365Gay.com, October 23, 2006

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/10/102306safmarr.htm

Opposition Grows To South Africa Gay Unions Bill

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Cape Town, South Africa) South African legislation that would give same-sexcouples all of the privileges and responsibilities of marriage is drawingincreasing opposition from both gay rights groups and religiousconservatives.

The Civil Unions bill is the government's response to the ConstitutionalCourt's ruling last December that it is unconstitutional to deny gay andlesbian couples the right to marry.

Rather than rewriting the existing marriage law to make it gender neutralthe government opted to leave the law alone, maintaining its definition ofthe institution as a union between a man and a woman, and creating a new lawto permit same-sex civil marriage.



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http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/15832609.htm?source=rss&chann
el=inquirer_nation

U.S., Web publishers tangle over child-shield law

By Maryclaire Dale
Associated Press

After years of legal wrangling, Web-site publishers argued in federal courtyesterday in Philadelphia that a law Congress passed to protect childrenfrom online pornography was fatally flawed.

Salon.com, Nerve.com and other plaintiffs said the 1998 Child OnlineProtection Act would most likely criminalize legitimate material theypublish, from sexual-health information to erotic literature to newsphotographs of naked Iraqi prisoners tortured at Abu Ghraib.

The Justice Department argued that it was easier to stop online porn at thesource than to keep children from viewing it, inadvertently or otherwise.



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Canada: Critics shelve bid to overturn same-sex law

Globe and Mail, Canada, October 25, 2006
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061025.SAMESEX25/TPStory/
National

Critics shelve bid to overturn same-sex law GLORIA GALLOWAY

OTTAWA -- Facing likely defeat in a coming parliamentary vote on whether toreopen the divisive issue of same-sex marriage, groups that oppose theunions say they are no longer pressing for an immediate return to thetraditional definition of one man and one woman.

Instead, they arrived at the House of Commons yesterday to say they would behappy if politicians would merely study the impact that expanding theinstitution to gay and lesbian couples has had on Canadian society -- a movethey hope will keep the debate in the public domain.

"We wish that they would study it, we wish that they would have properhearings," Dr. Charles McVety, a senior director of Defend Marriage Canada,said at a news conference.



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Senator hits back on judges

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 By Ed Golder

The Grand Rapids Press

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-32/1161787837314440.x
ml&coll=6


GRAND RAPIDS -- All or nothing.

That's U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow's position on three federal judgenominations made in a compromise with President George W. Bush.

One of three nominations, that of Michigan Court of Appeals Judge JanetNeff of East Grand Rapids, is on hold. U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas,halted her nomination after he learned Neff spoke four years ago at thecommitment ceremony of a lesbian couple.

Bush nominated Neff along with attorney Robert Jonker of East Grand Rapidsand Paul Maloney of Berrien County to serve in the U.S. District Court inWest Michigan.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2006

Contact: Dannie Tillman, Director of Communications and Coalitions
PHONE: (323) 217-8875 EMAIL: <mailto:media@eqca.org> media@eqca.org

EQUALITY CALIFORNIA RELEASES SCORECARD FOR THE 2005-2006 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

More Than Half of the Legislative Body Earns High Marks Supporting Equality

Sacramento - Equality California (EQCA) released its 2005-2006 LegislativeScorecard today, ranking 120 legislators and Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggeron their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.Lawmakers passed a record-breaking 15 pieces of EQCA-sponsored legislationduring the session, including 14 bills and one resolution.

A total of 66 members of the California Senate and Assembly voted in supportof EQCA-sponsored legislation 90 percent of the time, or more. Thoselawmakers represent more than half of the state's entire legislative body.In addition, 51 legislators stood up for every EQCA-sponsored measure thatcame up for a vote.




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WI: University Committee statement on the Wisconsin marriage amendment

University of Wisconsin-Madison University Communications, WI, October 25,
2006

http://www.news.wisc.edu/13068.html

Note: This statement was written and endorsed by the executive committee ofthe UW-Madison Faculty Senate: Robert Mathieu, astronomy, chair; LindaGraham, botany; Ann Hoyt, consumer science; Jane Hutchison, art history;Bruce Klein, pediatrics; and William Tracy, agronomy.


"The proposed constitutional amendment to restrict the legal status ofpeople in relationships other than traditional marriages will harm theintellectual capacity of both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and thestate of Wisconsin.

The UW-Madison Faculty Senate is on record in saying that the amendmentrepresents a dangerous erosion of protections against harassment anddiscrimination. This legislation would institutionalize intolerance in ourstate. On these grounds, we state again our strong opposition to thisamendment.



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http://365gay.com/Newscon06/10/102406walmart.htm

AFA: Avoid Gay Friendly Wal-Mart
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

October 25, 2006 - 12:01 am ET


(New York City) The American Family Association is telling its members toavoid shopping at Wal-Mart over what the conservative Christian group callsan alignment by the retailer with "a pro-homosexual lobby group."

Wal-Mart earlier this year expanded its LGBT diversity program in a dealwith the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. (story) In an emailalert to its members this week the AFA says that the company is retailinghundreds of products with "pro-homosexual leanings".

Randy Sharp, AFA's director of special projects said he did an online searchof Walmart.com using such terms as "gay," "lesbian," "transgender,""bisexual," and "gay marriage".



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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/special_packages/5min/15849849.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


NEW JERSEY
N.J. opens door to gay marriage

New Jersey's high court declared gay couples are entitled to the same
rights as heterosexual ones and left details to lawmakers.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey's highest court opened the door Wednesdayto making the state the second in the nation to allow gay marriage, rulingthat lawmakers must offer same-sex couples either marriage or something likeit, such as civil unions.

In a ruling that fell short of what either side wanted or feared, thestate Supreme Court declared 4-3 that gay couples are entitled to the samerights as heterosexual ones. The justices gave lawmakers 180 days to rewritethe laws.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/us/politics/26foley.html?pagewanted=print


Rights Group Fires Publisher of Foley E-Mail
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 - A liberal gay rights group said Wednesday that one ofits employees, acting anonymously, had created the Web site that firstpublished copies of unusually solicitous e-mail messages to teenagers fromformer Representative Mark Foley, which led to his resignation.

A spokesman for the group, the Human Rights Campaign, said it first learnedof its employee's role this week and immediately fired him for misusing thegroup's resources. The scandal surrounding Mr. Foley, a Florida Republican,has been a burdensome distraction for members of his party in the monthbefore the midterm elections, and some Republicans have speculated that thee-mail messages were planted by a Democrat.

The rights campaign's spokesman, David Smith, said the employee, whose namehe declined to disclose, was a junior staff member hired last month to helpmobilize the organization's members in Michigan. "The minute we learnedabout it we took decisive action," Mr. Smith said.

The Miami Herald and other news organizations have acknowledged obtainingcopies of the same e-mail messages months ago but declining to publish thembecause of their potentially ambiguous contents.




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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/pbccentral/content/local_news/epaper/2006/10/26/m1a_FOLEY_MAIN_1026.html

Foley's rehab center in Arizona known for catering to the stars
By Andrew Marra

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Since resigning from Congress last month, former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley hasbeen a patient at a sprawling rehab center to the stars: a 160-acre campusin the Sonoran Desert north of Tucson, Ariz., where a month of therapy costsmore than $40,000.

Foley's lawyers confirmed Wednesday that he checked into a 30-day alcoholtreatment program at Sierra Tucson on Oct. 1, two days after he left officeamid reports that he exchanged sexually explicit Internet messages withformer congressional pages.

His stint in the program puts a congressman known to hobnob with Hollywoodbig shots in a place where many of the biggest names in television, musicand the sports world have gone during their darkest hours.

Sierra Tucson has addressed substance abuse, eating disorders and griefmanagement for the likes of Whitney Houston, Michael Douglas, Nicole Richie,Ringo Starr, Rob Lowe, Julie Andrews and Kim Delaney.



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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15848327.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Foley investigators near end of witnesses

ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - After nearly three weeks of hearing testimony about MarkFoley's inappropriate behavior toward former pages, House investigatorsappear to be reaching the end of their witness list.

A four-member ethics panel worked into the night Wednesdayinterviewing a senior aide for House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Ted Van DerMeid, who oversaw the page program for the speaker, testified for more thansix hours.

Van Der Meid was part of a small group of staff aides and lawmakerswho knew of Foley's too-friendly e-mails sent to a Louisiana teen last fall.The matter was handled quietly as then-Clerk of the House Jeff Trandahl andRep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., confronted Foley, R-Fla., about his actions andinstructed him to stop.




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The New York Times



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/nyregion/26mcgreevey.html?pagewanted=print


An 'I Do' From McGreevey? He Would.
By DAVID W. CHEN
TRENTON, Oct. 25 - Yes, he would.

That was the reaction of former Gov. James E. McGreevey when asked on
Wednesday whether he would marry his partner if the New Jersey Legislature - in the aftermath of the State Supreme Court decision that same-sex couplesare entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals - decides that gay marriagewill be honored.

After gathering his thoughts, Mr. McGreevey said that while he had no plansto marry his partner immediately, he did feel that a ceremony would be inhis future.




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The New York Times


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/nyregion/26justices.html?pagewanted=print


Party Lines Are No Guide to Opinions by Justices
By LAURA MANSNERUS


TRENTON, Oct. 25 - It is not always easy to identify partisan fault lines inNew Jersey. In the New Jersey Supreme Court, it is all but impossible, andnothing reflects that more clearly than Wednesday's 4-to-3 decision onsame-sex marriage.

Three justices appointed by a Republican governor would recognize the fullstatus of marriage for same-sex couples. And of the three justices appointedby a Democrat - a gay Democrat, at that - none would go that far, and theyjoined in the majority opinion.

To obscure any partisan alliances even more, each contingent includedRepublican and Democratic justices.

Their opinions in Lewis v. Harris, the case decided on Wednesday, showedonce again that, as one former associate justice, Peter J. Verniero, put it,"the political label dissipates very quickly when someone is appointed tothe Supreme Court."



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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-dpriest26oct26,0,2420620.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Priest named by Foley faces new allegation at North Miami church
By Madeline BarĂ³ Diaz

Miami Bureau

October 26, 2006


A South Florida man accused a priest on Wednesday of molesting him almost 30years ago -- the same priest former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley alleges sexuallyabused him.

In a suit filed against the Archdiocese of Miami in Miami-Dade CircuitCourt, the unidentified man said the Rev. Anthony Mercieca fondled andperformed oral sex on him when he was 12 or 13 years old. At the time, thealleged victim was an altar boy at St. James Church in North Miami, whereMercieca was assigned.

The man is seeking more than $10 million in damages.


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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Parkway-Attack.html?pagewanted=print


3 Charged With Hate Crimes in NYC Death
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 1:35 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Three men have been indicted on hate crimes charges in thedeath of a gay man who was attacked alongside a parkway then hit by a carwhile trying to escape, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Michael Sandy, 29, died five days after the Oct. 13 attack when he was takenoff life support.

Anthony Fortunato, 20, was indicted Wednesday after the indictments lastweek of John Fox, 19, and Ilya Shurov, 20. They were charged with numerouscounts including second-degree murder as a hate crime and first-degreeattempted robbery as a hate crime, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynessaid.

If convicted, they each could serve 25 years to life in prison.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Gay-Marriage.html


N.J. Court Opens Door to Gay Marriage

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 26, 2006
Skip to next paragraph
Filed at 4:13 a.m. ET

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The gay marriage issue in New Jersey is moving from alegal dispute to a political one.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that New Jersey must extend allthe rights of marriage to gay couples. But the justices left it to statelawmakers to decide whether to provide those rights in the form ofmarriages, civil unions or something else -- and gave the Legislature 180days to reach a decision.

Several Democratic lawmakers said they will push for full marriage rights.

But some Republicans, the minority party in both houses of the Legislature,said they will seek a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.Assemblyman Richard Merkt, R-Morris, vowed to have the justices impeached.

''Neither the framers of New Jersey's 1947 constitution, nor the voters whoratified it, ever remotely contemplated the possibility of same-sexmarriage,'' Merkt said.

State Senate President Richard J. Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph RobertsJr. pledged in a joint statement to block an anti-gay marriage amendment.They also complained that the court-imposed deadline allows too little timeto define the type of union that would be granted to gay couples.




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Irish Examiner, 26 October 2006

Bullied gay students can seek redress from equality body

By Ed Carty

YOUNGSTERS suffering homophobic abuse in school may be able to bring theiraggressors to book at the Equality Tribunal, it was revealed yesterday.

As a new initiative was launched encouraging schools to protect pupils frombullying, teenagers were told they can seek redress from the EqualityTribunal.

Under the Equal Status Acts, harassment is prohibited on a number ofgrounds, including sexual orientation, and schools are required to takereasonable steps to protect children in their care.

Niall Crowley, of the Equality Authority, said children suffering suchbullying might have a case.

"Schools need to ensure codes of behaviour and anti-bullying policies areexplicit in naming the issue of homophobic bullying and in identifying thepractices and procedures in place to prevent this," he said.

"Schools should ensure that their admission policies are welcoming to adiversity of students, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgenderstudents."


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