Tuesday, January 16, 2007

GLBT DIGEST January 16, 2007

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

=

365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/01/011507saf.htm


Gay AIDS Worker Charged With Genocide
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 16, 2007 - 12:01 am ET



(Cape Town, South Africa) Zackie Achmat, South Africa's most outspoken AIDScare advocate and the head of the Treatment Action Campaign, has beencharged with genocide at the International Criminal Court in The Hague forpromoting the use of antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV.

Achmat has been a vocal critic of the South African government's refusal toprovide antiretrovirals to the majority of its citizens with HIV/AIDS.

South Africa is home to about 5.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS. InNovember 2003 the government committed to providing 53,000 patients withfree antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS by March 2004. Even by March2005, only about half that number were receiving treatment, according to theTAC.

Former South African health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang insisted in2005 that good nutrition was just as important as anti-retroviral medicinesand said her government would not be pressured into meeting U.N. treatmenttargets. (story)



=

365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/01/011507arnold.htm


Log Cabin Pressuring Schwarzenegger On Gay Marriage
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 15, 2007 - 8:00 pm ET



(San Francisco, California) California gay Republicans have begun a majoreffort to convince Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill legalizingsame-sex marriage if it passes the legislature.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act was introduced inthe Assembly last month by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). The billis identical to a one passed last year in both the Assembly and Senate butvetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The legislation has the backing of the full LGBT caucus at the legislature -all Democrats and is again expected to narrowly pass both houses. But thisis the first time the governor is being pressed by gays in his own party.

Log Cabin Republicans have mounted a full scale lobbying effort San Jose'sKNTV reported Monday.




=

365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/01/011507georgia.htm


8 Charged In Anti-Gay School Protest
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 15, 2007 - 8:00 pm ET



(Cleveland, Georgia) Eight protesters have been were charged with holding ademonstration without a permit following a noisy demonstration against thesettlement of lawsuit over a gay-straight student group at White County HighSchool.

The demonstrators, from a local evangelical church, marched along the sideof a busy highway yelling their objections to homosexuality and thesettlement. At least one of the protestors was using a bullhorn.

When the protestors reached the intersection of U.S. 129 and Georgia 75 theywere stopped by Cleveland police and White County sheriff's officers.

The group was told they had to stop the demonstration until they obtained apermit from the city.

When they refused the eight were given citations for unlawful assembly andusing a public address system in violation of a city sound ordinance. Theyare expected to appear in court on Tuesday.



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/15/AR2007011501298_pf.html


Wide Berth Allowed on Teaching About Homosexuality

By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 16, 2007; B01


Montgomery County's overhaul of its sex education curriculum, which hasinspired a lawsuit, petition drives, national news coverage and theformation of fiercely polarized community groups, was itself inspired by twowords buried deep within the regulatory code of Maryland, which advisesschool systems to teach "sexual variations."

The county school system invoked those regulations in defense of disputednew lessons that introduce students to sexual orientation and transgenderismin grades eight and 10.

Neither Maryland nor Virginia requires school systems to teach about sexualorientation, state officials said. Maryland's stipulation that schools teachsexual variations as one of several "areas of emphasis" in health classes isopen to broad interpretation.

Montgomery's new curriculum, approved last week for field tests this spring,goes deeper into sexual and gender identity than most other Washington areaschool systems have dared, judging by an informal survey. Some NorthernVirginia systems don't teach about sexual orientation, and Maryland systemsgenerally broach the topic in less detail or at the request of a curiousstudent. Information from D.C. schools was not available.



=

Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/16453088.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Sat, Jan. 13, 2007

Attack on vocal group sparks a big squawk

By Mary Anne Ostrom
MEDIANEWSS STAFF


It began as a New Year's Eve assault on a Yale University choral group,allegedly at the hands of rich young San Franciscans with ties to aprominent city prep school.

Now, as police sort out the details, the incident has exploded into a causecelebre, complete with allegations of anti-patriotism, gay-bashing andpolice screw-ups.

Outraged that the assault occurred after the group sang "The Star-SpangledBanner," conservative pundits are skewering the city as unpatriotic, and apopular Fox News host is offering a $10,000 reward for information leadingto arrests.

And some gay-rights activists, responding to reports that anti-gay slurswere uttered at the singers, are blogging about the city's perceivedintolerance.




=

Press Release from Transgender Europe – Network and Council
15th January 2006

European Transgender Groups Unite

A new coalition of European Transgender and Transsexual Groups, TransGender Europe, has received organizational recognition by the Austrian authorities this week. The initiative brings together 66 transgender organizations from 21 countries, after they agreed to join together when meeting in Vienna last year, for the first-ever European TransGender Council.

High on the list of priorities for the new organization are the promotion of the human rights of transgender people - especially with regards to the legal recognition of the gender of trans people in the gender they live in, as well as non-discrimination in all aspects of life, equal access to Healthcare, and social acceptance.

'This is a major milestone towards the recognition of the rights of transgender people', says Justus Eisfeld, chairperson of the new organization. 'Now TransGender Europe can apply for funding and make our voices heard on an international level', says Eisfeld.

In most European countries there are strict limitations to changing one's legal gender. In most European countries it includes obligatory sterilization, while other countries such as Ireland don't allow a legal gender change at all. The UK is the only country in Europe where the law does not require extensive physical treatments before recognising the gender role a person is living in. Transgender people in Europe frequently face prejudice and discrimination at home, in the streets and at work.



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

#####

No comments: