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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03wwln-Q4-t.html
Questions for Mike Jones
The Whistle-Blower
Interview By DEBORAH SOLOMON
Published: June 3, 2007
Q: As the male escort who outed Ted Haggard, the celebrity preacher andformer head of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, it was probablyinevitable that you would write a memoir about your affair with him. Are youconcerned that your new book, "I Had to Say Something," exploits his sorrowsfor financial gain?
No. I received a very small advance for the book. Andwhen I decided to come out with the story last year, I lost everything. Ilost all my massage clients; I lost all my personal-training clients. I gotfired from my modeling job at the art school.
Skip to next paragraph
Jason Madara
You modeled for a life drawing class?
At the Art Institute of Colorado. Ilove that people draw me. I have a nice bod. I work so hard at it, why notshow it off? Every morning I'm in the gym at 5 lifting weights.
Haggard, in the meantime, has apologized to the church and reportedly movedwith his wife and the youngest of his five children to Phoenix, where heplans to pursue a psychology degree online.
I think he is taking psychologyto self-examine himself. I don't think he wants to treat other people.
What led you to out him after what you say was your three-year relationshipwith him? I
've been with some pretty famous people, and I would never outthem. This was a unique situation. Here is Ted preaching about beingshameful - You won't see the kingdom of God if you're gay, and blah, blah,blah - and then he sneaks around with me.
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/03colwe.html?pagewanted=print
June 3, 2007
A High School Drama Over Artistic Freedom
By KATE STONE LOMBARDI
Pleasantville
EARLIER this spring, just about the time when John Jay High School in CrossRiver was making headlines for banning the use of the word "vagina" in areading of "The Vagina Monologues," a group of students at Sleepy HollowHigh School approached the administration about putting on "The LaramieProject."
"The Laramie Project" is a play that explores the killing of MatthewShepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, who was beaten, tied toa fence and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie. After Mr. Shepard'sdeath, members of the Tectonic Theater Project, a group based in New York,traveled to Laramie and interviewed more than 200 people. The editedinterviews, as well as the trial testimony of the two men convicted of Mr.Shepard's murder, were distilled into the script.
Students from Sleepy Hollow High School's Gay-Straight Alliance consideredthe play's message powerful and wanted to stage a production. But highschools are not independent theaters, and the students soon found themselvesnegotiating with the principal about the use of profanity in the play.
To the students, it was a question of censorship. "It was agony," said EmiliFeigelson, 17, co-president of the alliance. "The play is taken frominterviews, and we were very worried about maintaining the play's artisticintegrity."
To the administration, it was simply school policy. The play was reviewedusing the same standards applied to any other school event.
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/nyregion/thecity/03indi.html?pagewanted=print
June 3, 2007
Urban Studies | Reveling
Bollywood Fabulous
By ALEXANDRA STARR
IN the early morning hours, the D.J. blared remixed Indian folk tunes thatdrew revelers onto the dance floor of the SoHo night club, gyrating theirhips and clasping their arms behind their necks.
As smoke was piped into the space, the Bollywood movie clips projected on alarge overhead screen seemed to merge with the real-life version ofBollywood on the dance floor, populated by drag queens dressed inankle-length skirts and sweaty young men in jeans.
This is the world of Desilicious, a monthly dance party held at Club Shelteron Varick Street, near the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, that has become amainstay among many gay Indians and Pakistanis. (The name of the event isderived from the word "desi," a colloquial term, meaning "from my country"in Urdu and Hindi, that is often used to refer to people from thesubcontinent.)
For these South Asians, who trace their heritage to countries wherehomosexuality remains taboo, the parties offer a rare chance to expresstheir sexuality in an environment that embraces their culture.
"The first time I came here, four years ago, I didn't arrive until 2 a.m., Iwas so nervous," said Kevin Dhaniram, a slender 29-year-old actor with spikydark hair. "I was still struggling with coming out then. Seeing people froma similar cultural background made me feel more comfortable."
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/us/03visit.html?pagewanted=print
June 3, 2007
Gay Inmates to Get Conjugal Visits in California
By JESSE McKINLEY
SAN FRANCISCO, June 1 - Gay and lesbian prisoners in California will beallowed overnight visits with their partners under a new prison policy,believed to be the first time a state has allowed same-sex conjugal stays.
The policy comes more than two years after a 2003 California law providedequal rights for registered domestic partners in California, including thoseof the same sex and non-married heterosexuals. Gay and civil rights groupshad threatened to sue to permit the conjugal visits in prisons, which theysay have been slow to enact changes promised by the law.
"It's a little troubling that a state agency had to be threatened with legalaction to obey state law," said Geoff Kors, the executive director ofEquality California, a gay rights organization. "There was no justifiableexcuse for not complying."
Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections andRehabilitation, said the slow pace of change was due, in part, toconsiderations of whether allowing the visits would expose gay inmates todanger inside the prison, where they are sometimes singled out for attack."We had to thoroughly evaluate all the security concerns," Ms. Thorntonsaid.
The policy change was spurred by a letter warning of legal action from theAmerican Civil Liberties Union on behalf of Vernon Foeller, 40, a gay manwho had been serving a 20-month sentence for attempted burglary at the stateprison in Vacaville, Calif. Alex Cleghorn, an AC.L.U. lawyer, said that Mr.Foeller was eligible for a conjugal visit except that the prison system"didn't recognize his partner as a family member."
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The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060201255_pf.html
Clinton, Giuliani Maintain Leads, But GOP Shows Signs of Shifting
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 3, 2007; A04
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York holds a solid lead over her rivalsfor the Democratic presidential nomination, while the contest for theRepublican nomination appears even more unsettled than it did when it beganfive months ago, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Clinton's lead remains steady over her two principal challengers, Sen.Barack Obama of Illinois and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina,and the poll contains troubling news for both. Obama's support has softenednoticeably, highlighting the challenge he faces in turning high interest inhis candidacy into votes. Edwards, meanwhile, has lost ground nationallyover the past few months.
Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani remains the leader in the GOPrace, but the poll suggests that the surge in support he received afterdeclaring his candidacy has stalled and that his backing of abortion rightsand gay rights has caused more Republicans to turn away from him.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona runs second in the GOP race, but the pollresults raise questions about his candidacy. Former Massachusetts governorMitt Romney, who has spent millions on television ads already this year, hasin some ways become an attractive alternative over the past few months, andformer senator Fred D.Thompson of Tennessee shows the potential to quickly make the GOP contest afour-way battle.
The poll provides a revealing snapshot of the 2008 presidential race as thecandidates gather this week for a pair of debates in New Hampshire, whichwill hold the first primary next year. Tonight, eight Democrats will debatein Manchester, and 10 Republicans are scheduled to face off on Tuesdaynight. Thompson is not participating.
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The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060201035_pf.html
Home Rule and Democratic Activist Richard Rausch
By Matt Schudel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 3, 2007; C08
Richard Rausch, 71, a longtime D.C. Democratic activist who was the formerexecutive director of the national Young Democrats organization, died May 29at Virginia Hospital Center of complications from pneumonia and infectionsafter surgery. He had broken his hip last fall and previously had livercancer.
Mr. Rausch had attended every Democratic National Convention for the past 50years and helped rally support for the D.C. home rule effort in the early1970s. In 1976, he was a founding member of the Gertrude Stein DemocraticClub, the District's oldest gay and lesbian political organization.
Mr. Rausch never held elective office and spent most of his career workingbehind the scenes, but he was widely known to local and national politicalleaders. For nearly 30 years until his retirement in 1995, he worked as aCapitol Hill legislative assistant for Democratic lawmakers, including IowaRep. Neal Smith and Calif. Rep. Phillip Burton, who was a close friend.
In 2006, Mr. Rausch campaigned for the election of Adrian M. Fenty (D) asD.C. mayor and for D.C. Council members Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) and PhilMendelson (D-At Large). Mr. Rausch also traveled to his native Iowa to workfor Chet Culver, who was elected governor in 2006. From his hospital bed,Mr. Rausch worked the phones for presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama(D-Ill.) until the day before Mr. Rausch's death.
Mr. Rausch began his political activism in his home town of Carroll, Iowa,where he campaigned for Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic presidentialcandidate in 1952 and 1956. He joined the national group Teen Democrats inhigh school and remained politically active as an undergraduate at theUniversity of Iowa.
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The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060200985_pf.html
Both Sides Gird for Forthcoming Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
By Annapolis Notebook
Sunday, June 3, 2007; C04
Advocates for same-sex marriage are preparing for a decision by the MarylandCourt of Appeals that could come any day, with big consequences.
The court is expected to rule on whether the state law banning suchmarriages, challenged by 19 same-sex couples, is constitutional. The judgescould uphold the law, declare it dead and impose a remedy, or kick the issueback to the General Assembly to legislate protections for gay couples.
Equality Maryland is preparing for any outcome with a new campaign,Marylanders for Marriage. The advocacy group is enlisting grass-rootssupport in certain neighborhoods and preparing to lobby state lawmakers thissummer. Yard signs and bumper stickers are being printed with the slogan"Civil Marriage Is a Civil Right." Fundraising is in full gear.
Opponents of gay marriage began to gather forces during the legislativesession that ended in April, forming a loose coalition called the MarriageCaucus. Right now, the fledgling group of lawmakers is looking atlegislation to "strengthen families," Del. Gail H. Bates (R-Howard) said. Asfor the court decision, "We're just kind of waiting to see what they have tosay," Bates said. "Personally, that's a single issue for the other side.It's not for us."
-- Lisa Rein
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Sun-Sentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcgaymilitaryjun03,0,4675487,print.story
Gay veterans renew push to repeal `don't ask, don't tell'
By Elizabeth Baier
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
June 3, 2007
The question stood out, prominently, from among hundreds of others on themilitary recruitment form: Are you a homosexual? Yes or No.
Adriane Reesey hesitated. Four words. An impossible question.
"If I answer this correctly, I'll never have a shot to leave this town,"said Reesey, recalling how she felt almost 31 years ago at a militaryrecruitment station in her hometown of Johnstown, Pa.
Robert Guida also remembers the question. He completed the questionnaire in1964, during his last year at the Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursingfor Men.
"I'm just going to put `no' because I know I can get through this. I knowit," he recalled.
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid45596.asp
June 02, 2007
Murder conviction of woman in dog-mauling case could be reinstated
The California supreme court announced in a unanimous decision that a SanFrancisco superior court must reconsider whether Marjorie Knoller, whoserved time for the fatal dog mauling of lesbian Diane Whipple, should havebeen sentenced under a more severe murder conviction and thereby be returnedto prison, the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday.
The court ruled that while the judge who dismissed the jury's second-degreemurder conviction interpreted the statute too narrowly, the standard used bythe appeals court to reinstate the conviction was too broad.
"The court of appeal set the bar too low.... But the trial court set the bartoo high," Justice Joyce L. Kennard wrote in the court's decision.
Knoller, who already served 33 months in prison for involuntarymanslaughter, may face a 15-year-to-life sentence.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/06/060207dads.htm
Ruling May Have Broad Implications For Prospective Gay Dads
by The Associated Press
Posted: June 2, 2007 - 9:00 am ET
(Annapolis, Maryland) A surrogate mother who has no genetic connection tothe baby she is carrying does not have to be listed as the mother on a birthcertificate, Maryland's highest court ruled recently.
The case arose from twins born in the Washington suburbs in 2001. The womanwho carried the twins for a father used an egg donor and had no geneticrelationship to them. Both she and the father did not want her listed as themother.
In a 4-3 decision, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that the babies arenot required to have a mother listed on birth papers.
"Maryland's breaking ground here," said Dorrance Dickens, a Washingtonlawyer who argued the case for the father and the surrogate mother.
Though judges routinely allow blank spaces for mothers on birth certificatesin surrogate cases, Dickens said Maryland's court is the first to use astate Equal Rights Amendment to make the decision.
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/06/060207g8.htm
AIDS Activists Among G8 Protestors
by The Associated Press
Posted: June 2, 2007 - 1:00 pm ET
(Rostock, Germany) Masked demonstrators showered police withgrapefruit-sized rocks and beer bottles, then were driven back with watercannon and tear gas during a protest march Saturday against the upcomingGroup of Eight summit in Germany.
The clashes left smoke from burning cars and the sting of tear gas driftingthrough the harborfront area in the north German port of Rostock. Some 146police were hurt, 18 of them seriously.
Radicals "are smashing everything in their way to pieces," said KarstenWolff, a police spokesman. There were no immediate numbers for arrests.
The officially permitted march preceded a three-day summit beginningWednesday in the seaside resort of Heiligendamm, where German ChancellorAngela Merkel hosts the leaders of the other G-8 nations - Britain, France,Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the United States.
The leaders are expected to discuss measures against global warming, thefight against AIDS and poverty in Africa, and the world economy. As inprevious years, the summit drew protesters of various stripes opposed toglobalization, capitalism and the G-8 itself.
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/06/060207anglican.htm
Canadian Anglicans To Vote On Blessing Gay Unions
by The Canadian Press
Posted: June 2, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Winnipeg, Manitoba) Just weeks before Anglican leaders decide whether theirchurch should bless gay and lesbian unions, one of the few things thatappears to be unifying them is a feeling of uncertainty.
The church, which represents some two million Canadians and is the country'sthird largest religious denomination, has spent almost 30 years trying tofigure out how same-sex relationships fit into the Christian faith. As theyapproach a vote on the issue later this month at the church's General Synodin Winnipeg, many members are wary of the outcome.
``We simply don't know,'' says Archdeacon Paul Feheley, principal secretaryto the church's national leader, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison.
Even the head of a group that opposes same-sex blessings is taking nothingfor granted despite a May bishops' statement that essentially rejectedsame-sex blessings.
``We don't know what's going to happen,'' says Rev. Canon Charlie Masters,national director of Anglican Essentials. ``The Anglican Church of Canada isat a crossroads.''
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Indiana University School of Social Work
&
NOMAS: The National Organization for Men Against Sexism
PRESENT
Social Justice: Gender and Community Resiliency
32nd Conference on Men and Masculinity (M&M32)
19th Annual Men's Studies Association Meeting
Indiana University Purdue University
July 5-8, 2007
Join NOMAS at IUPUI for a day of institutes (Friday 7/6/07), and two fulldays of, workshops, keynotes, cultural events and general discussion(Saturday and Sunday, 7/7 & 7/8/07) on the issues surrounding men andmasculinity, social justice, gender, and community resilience in the 21stcentury. Nationally noted speakers, presenters, and panelists will conductsessions on aspects of community violence and resiliency, current advancesin the field of men's studies, and examining diverse ways in which the livesof men and women might be enhanced through gender identity, gender roles,masculinity, and the experiences of men's lives. Topics includingfathering, feminism, anti-violence, men and spirituality, health andworkplace issues, racism, homophobia and more. The conference will offerCEUs (continuing education units) for social work through the Indiana Schoolof Social Work.
Click here for a
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
June 1, 2007
Contact: Damien LaVera - 202-863-8148
Proclamation on PRIDE Month
by DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Rep. Barney Frank, and Rep. Tammy Baldwin
Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean todayjoined Massachusetts Democratic Representative Barney Frank and WisconsinDemocratic Representative Tammy Baldwin in issuing the followingProclamation marking the start of PRIDE Month:
"Today, we join Democrats across America in celebrating PRIDE month andhonoring the contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenderAmericans have made to our society.
"Our Party's commitment to protecting the fundamental right of everyAmerican to live in dignity with equal rights and protections under the lawhas never been stronger. Since the American people entrusted Democrats tolead our nation last November, we have stood up and shown that ours is theParty that truly values all families. This year, instead of fighting backdivisive, discriminatory and politically-motivated attacks in the RepublicanCongress and Republican state houses across the country, together we aremaking tremendous progress toward building a more fair and just America. Ournew Democratic majority in Congress is leading the way toward enactingimportant hate crimes protections and passing ENDA, while new Democraticstate legislatures are passing important family protections.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
20070601194658.73BDB7331B@hibiscus.onlinepolicy.net>
GAY NUPS IS GAINING N.Y. FAVOR
NY Post
By FREDRIC U. DICKER
May 30, 2007 -- ALBANY - A majority of New York voters under the age of 55back Gov. Spitzer's plan to legalize gay marriage, strongly suggesting timeis on the side of those favoring the radical move, a new poll showedyesterday.
The Siena College survey of 620 registered voters found a plurality of NewYorkers - 47-43 percent - still oppose legalizing gay marriage but onlybecause a relatively large number of voters 55 and older says they opposethe plan.
While 51 percent of those over 55 were against gay marriage, 51 percent ofthose between the ages of 35-54 were in favor.
And by a sizable 63-29 percent, voters between 18 and 34 years of age saidthey approved gay nuptials as well. It was the first time the Siena Collegesurvey had asked a gay marriage question, so there were no past results forcomparison.
A Quinnipiac University poll in 2004 found 55 percent of New Yorkers opposedgay marriage while 37 percent were in favor.
Support for gay marriage was strongest in heavily Democrat New York City,where the measure was backed, 49-42 percent, the survey showed.
Suburban voters opposed the measure, 50-42 percent, while upstaters wereagainst it, 49-38 percent.
fredric.dicker@nypost.com
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Mark My Words / Mark Segal
Philadelphia welcomes Bucky Badger
Meet Bucky Badger from Madison, Wis. I never thought that I'dlove Wisconsin. Heck, I'm not sure where Wisconsin is ... it's out westsomewhere. [Ed. note: Wisconsin is between Michigan and Minnesota.] It's thedairy state and don't be surprised if, this weekend, you see a red and whitebus from the University of Wisconsin with a large badger on it's sideroaming the historic sites of Philadelphia and spending some time at theWilliam Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. Buckythe Badger is the school mascot. And for you city kids, a badger is in thesame family as weasels, ferrets and otters.
The bus and its passengers are about to become a footnote in theevolution of GLBT history. (Yes, they believe in evolution in Wisconsin.)Evolution and education seem not only to be alive, but on the vanguard ofteaching when it comes to gay history at the University of Wisconsin.
The university is offering a new course for its summer semesteron the early gay-rights movement (1950-70). And not only do they read aboutit in the classroom, they're bringing the students to the places where ithappened and to meeting some of the people that made it happen.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
ACTION ALERT: PAKISTAN: TRANSGENDER HUSBAND AND HIS WIFE SEPARATED AND
IMPRISONED
SUMMARY
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has beenclosely monitoring the case of a female to male transgender man and hisfemale born wife who were hiding from family violence, turned to the courtfor help, and ended up in prison. Thirty-one year old Shumail Raj who hasbeen a transgender man for 16 years and 26-year old Shahzina Tariq weremarried according to Muslim law in September 2006. In May 2007, Shahzina'sfather testified in court that Shumail was not a man. The judge ordered amedical examination, which showed that Shumail had undergone genderreassignment surgery to remove his uterus and breasts. On May 22, the LahoreHigh Court found the couple guilty of perjury and fined each of them 10,000rupees and sentenced them to 3 years in prison. The court's reasoning wasthat Shumail was a woman who lied about being a man, and the couple liedabout the legality of their marriage since two women in Pakistan cannotmarry. Shumail and Shahzina are now serving their sentence in two separatewomen's prisons in two different cities.
They have threatened suicide.
ACTIONS
IGLHRC is working with allies in Pakistan to provide support to Ms. Tariqand Mr. Raj. IGLHRC is also in contact with other human rights groups on howto bolster the efforts of the two attorneys in Pakistan who are planning tofile an appeal before the Pakistan Supreme Court with hopes for anacquittal.
1. Please send your letters of support to Ms. Tariq and Mr. Raj so they feelless isolated and more uplifted by international support. Please send youremails in care of Nighat Saeed Khan, executive director of ASR ResourceCenter in Lahore, who is in close contact with the couple while they are inprison. Her email address is: nskhan46@yahoo.com. Please indicate that youare writing to Shumail and Shahzina.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
National Stonewall Democrats
May 31, 2007
Stonewall Democrats Comment on Enactment of NH Civil Unions Law
Democratic Take-Over Results in Security for Granite State Families
Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats praised theenactment of civil union legislation in New Hampshire which was signed intolaw this morning by Democratic Governor John Lynch. The legislation wasrecently passed by the New Hampshire General Court, where Democrats formednew majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate following the2006 general elections.
"New Hampshire has not only provided family protections in the form of civilunions, but the Granite State has just given us an example of why it isimportant to elect Democrats to public office," said Jo Wyrick, NSDExecutive Director. "This important step towards equal access andresponsibility in marriage was only taken after voters elected Democraticmajorities this past year to both the New Hampshire Senate and House ofRepresentatives."
In previous years, the Republican-controlled legislative bodies in NewHampshire had made repeated attempts to enact anti-gay legislation,including attempted bans on adoption and marriage for same-sex couples.However, Democratic lawmakers moved quickly to use their new majoritiesformed earlier this year to enact pro-family legislation such as the civilunions law signed today by Governor Lynch.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
[euro-queer] "The Guardian" (London - unrivalled as the world's
greatest liberal newspaper): "Crucible of hate"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2092840,00.html
Crucible of hate
All across eastern Europe, gay people are demanding equality. But inRussia, Poland and Latvia, their growing confidence is being met withviolent resistance from nationalist and religious groups. What lies behindthis hysteria? Phoebe A Greenwood reports
Phoebe A Greenwood
Friday June 1, 2007
Guardian
It is Gay Pride season in Europe, with marches in Poland and Russia. InLatvia, the capital, Riga, is hosting four days of lectures, classicalconcerts, parties and film screenings, but the big draw will be the finalparade through the Vermane Garden on June 3. Organisers are hoping for aturnout of around 400, maybe more if the weather is as sunny as last year.It's hard to know. What they can expect with some certainty is thatneofascist and ultra-religious counterdemonstrators will outnumber theirmarchers by at least two to one. The police presence will be greater still.As one activist put it, "It'll be less of a Pride parade than a human rightsfight."
Whether the sun shines or not, the atmosphere will be stormy. The hopeis that Ivars Godmanis, Latvia's new minister of the interior, generallyconsidered a pragmatic man, will prevent a repeat of last year's event, ahuman rights and PR disaster. The march had been banned as a risk tosecurity. The Latvian prime minister, Aigars Kalvitis, said he could notcondone "a parade of sexual minorities", even though such a ban was aninfringement of the right to freedom of assembly to which Latvia had signed
up when it joined the EU on May 1 2004.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
http://news.findlaw.com/andrews/em/emp/20070514/20070514_samuels.html
Transgender Inmate on KP Can't Sue for Hostile Conditions
By LINDA COADY, ESQ., Andrews Publications Staff Writer
A transgender prisoner allegedly forced to strip naked in front of male inmates and staff while working in the prison kitchen is not an "employee" able to sue under federal sexual harassment laws, a judge in Sacramento, Calif., has ruled.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Moulds said in his order and recommendation that the relationship between prison and prisoner is "penological, not pecuniary," especially in light of the fact that the kitchen duty in this case was not part of a work release or training program.
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June 3, 2007
Schools out, but the grading has just begun!
As the school year wraps up for most families around the country, it's time for us to reflect on how welcoming our schools are for LGBTQ families. This week's 52 Ways tells us to give our schools a report card on inclusivity. Since first putting that idea to paper, we at Family Pride have come up with something a little more interactive and robust.
On Monday, June 18th, Family Pride will launch The Rainbow Report Card, a web-based resource for parents to assess their schools, receieve personalized action plans to make schools better, and share stories, tips and ideas with Family Pride staff and others.
As OUTSpoken Families, we're counting on you to jump in and push this project forward. Our kids spend 7+ hours a day in school environments. They must feel supported in their classrooms, at their lockers, and at the lunch table in order to thrive. In the next two weeks, as we finalize this project, prepare to participate by finding out the following information:
1.. Does your school have a non-discrimination policy including sexual orientaiton and gender identity/expression?
2.. Do all forms read "parent/guardian" rather than "mother/father"?
3.. Have teachers and other staff been trained in anti-bullying tactics pecifically related to LGBTQ and gender concerns?
4.. Are there books in the library representing all kinds of family structures?
The Rainbow Report Card will feature more questions, but these are a solid start. If you'd like to make suggestions as to what the final report card should include and how we can spread the word about it to other parents, send an e-mail to dustin.kight@familypride.org. Our work is only as strong as the insights you give us.
And stay tuned...The Rainbow Report Card is on its way!
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Family Pride is the national non-profit organization committed to securing family equality in our lifetime. Our work consists of strategically linked nitiatives-broad in scope, but simple in vision-love, justice, family, equality. We make change. We share information. We build community. We are visible.
Can you afford not to support family equality? An annual gift of $35 is just 10¢/day and major donor benefits began at $100/month. Contribute to the movement for family equality today.
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