**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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The Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/v-print/story/187633.html
Posted on Tue, Jul. 31, 2007
Some say outspoken Lauderdale mayor has gone too far
By AMY SHERMAN
What began as a routine discussion about the need for public restrooms onthe beach ballooned into a fiery debate about gay sex in public places, andit now threatens to limit the effectiveness of the plain-spoken mayor ofFort Lauderdale in his last two years of office.
Mayor Jim Naugle's two-decade tenure of blunt speech has riled manyresidents over the years. Now, some observers say his recent statementsabout gays have created a swirl of negative feelings that erode Naugle'sability to press his anti-tax, slow-growth agenda until term limits forcehim out in March 2009.
Jim Kane, a pollster and political newsletter editor who has worked onNaugle campaigns, said that while Naugle previously had teetered at the edgeof acceptability on social issues, he has gone over the top this time.
`POLITICAL WAR'
''I'm surprised he has taken it to this level,'' said Kane, who edits thenonpartisan Florida Vote. ``Jim Naugle will taunt you a little bit, poke youa little bit but generally speaking he won't go to war. This appears to be .. . a signal that he is willing to go to political war.''
In recent weeks, Naugle has taken on the gay community in a series ofstatements, beginning with his support of a single-occupancy $250,000 toileton the beach that he said would reduce gay sex in public restrooms. Thetirade continued with his opposition to the move of the Stonewall Library, acollection of gay materials, into a city building.
Other elected officials in Broward were forced to take notice last week whengays and their supporters staged an anti-Naugle rally at City Hall thatincluded Matt Foreman, executive director of The National Gay and LesbianTask Force.
Three county commissioners spoke at the protest, which also featured bannerplanes with dueling messages overhead.
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Education Week
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2007/08/01/44levine.h26.html?print=1
A Lost Issue in 2008?
Educating the Presidential Candidates
By Arthur Levine
In their first seven debates, Democratic and Republican presidentialcandidates have presented America with a cornucopia of plans for solving aplethora of urgent issues-health care, national security, energy, theeconomy. But the candidates in both parties have had relatively little tosay to most viewers about one of the most prominent issues of the pastseveral elections: education.
Education is falling off the nation's priority list. Indeed, during the 2000 presidential election, Americans ranked education either first or secondamong the nation's priorities. In 2004, it fell to fifth.
And now, as the 2008 election season gathers steam, the presidentialcandidates are demonstrating just how precipitous the decline has been. Inthe first 12 hours of debates, they gave education less than 33 minutes ofair time-19 of them in the June 28 Democratic debate at Howard University,aired by PBS and, most pundits agreed, little watched. Until that debate,only three of 17 candidates said anything of substance about how they wouldimprove our schools. Even one of the candidates, Gov. Bill Richardson of NewMexico, observed that the late-June debate marked the first occasion onwhich education had been discussed. Three of the candidates still don'tinclude education in the platforms that appear on their Web sites. Many ofthe rest rank education low among their concerns-putting it seventh, eighth,or even 10th on their top-10 lists.
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/
Police: Cross-Dresser's Advances Led to Fatal Shooting
DAYTONA BEACH -- A man wearing a miniskirt and high heels was shot earlySunday morning outside the Pasta Amore restaurant on North Nova Road anddied later that day, authorities said. Oscar Mosqueda, 34, was shot in thehead around 2:20 a.m. following an argument with Cesar Israel Villazano, 18,of DeLand, the police report stated. Mosqueda was transported to HalifaxMedical Center, where he died about noon Sunday, police said.
Read More...
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Queerty.com
http://www.queerty.com/television/tv-justice-goes-gay-20070731/
Gay just got another euphemism: "colorful".
That's how Sony Pictures describes their latest judicial personality.
Young will take boobs and their tubes by storm this fall as television'sfirst gay judge. The good judge, who lives in Miami with his equallylaw-abiding boyfriend, Judge Scott Bernstein, gets the press release workout over at the show's website:
Quick-witted, provocative and compassionate, Judge David Young arrives todaytime television straight from his native Miami, where he achieved localcelebrity for his creative courtroom approach and his tough, but fairsentencing.
Known for his fierce intelligence and occasional bursts into show tunes,Judge David Young brings a refreshing perspective to the daytime audience.
The best part of the show? The not-nearly clever, yet still amusing tagline,of course: "Justice with a snap".
A judge "straight" from Miami with a penchant for show tunes? GLAAD willeither cream themselves or scream themselves to death. We're betting on theformer.
So, what kind of "creative courtroom approach" will Young be taking?
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/
Gays Voted as a Block in Philadelphia Mayoral Election
A study by Equality Forum, an international gay, lesbian, bisexual andtransgender (GLBT) civil rights organization, suggests that gay and lesbianvoters voted as a block in the recent mayoral primary election inPhiladelphia and that gay and lesbian voters were markedly more likely tosupport their candidate than their neighbors. The study found that gaysvoted by about two to every one vote for Michael Nutter, the winningcandidate, in the citywide vote.
Read More...
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http://www.waynebesen.com/
Anything But Straight
July 31, 2007
New Study: Purge or Be Purged
A weighty new study released last week suggested that if you can't make yourpodgy friends purge, you might have to purge your podgy friends. HarvardMedical School's Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis reported in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine that having a portly pal increased a person's chances ofbecoming obese by a whopping 57-percent. That's right, the weight of yourfriend Jim matters more than how much weight you lift in the gym.
The most amazing part of the research revealed that having a best friend whobecame obese increased your risk 171 percent, even if your chum liveshundreds of miles away. Who would have guessed that Twinkies weretelepathic?
As you can imagine, the effects of this study reverberated as tons of peoplewere kicked off "buddies lists" on My Space if they took up too much space.Some people even went further, having a "maximum friend weight capacity,"like an elevator. Even Ronald MacDonald reportedly told Grimace he had toswitch from shakes to salads.
The consequences rapidly filtered their way into the political arena givingan edge to the campaigns of Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat BarakObama. Huckabee, who lost more than 100 pounds while Governor of Arkansas,unveiled his new campaign slogan: "Cutting Taxes and Tushes." Meanwhile,Obama's campaign revealed its motto: "Obama - More than Just a Thin Resume."
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From Mark LaFontaine
Candidate for Florida State House - District 92
Dear Friends and Supporters:
I am excited to announce the latest endorsement of my campaign for the StateLegislature: State Representative Karla Drenner, a groundbreaking legislatorfrom Georgia. Now in her fourth term representing the 86th District (DeKalbCounty), Karla is the first and only openly-gay state representative to beelected in Georgia, and the first openly-gay legislator to be elected in theSoutheastern United States.
Karla will be the guest of honor at a women's fundraiser for my campaign atthe New Moon Bar at 2440 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors this Friday, August3, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. New Moon owner Carol Moran is proud to host thisevent for me.
In endorsing Karla for reelection last year, the AtlantaJournal-Constitution claimed that her "expertise on issues critical toGeorgia makes her too valuable to lose." Among her legislativeachievements, Karla wrote a law protecting Georgia's environment bypromoting water conservation; secured $600,000 in Department ofTransportation funds for the City of Clarkston to upgrade its portion of thebike path to Stone Mountain; and worked through both sides of the GeneralAssembly in support of a law repealing marriage without parental consentwhen the woman is pregnant. Karla has been honored by the Victory Fund withthe Representative Karla L. Drenner scholarship.
The suggested contribution for this event is $20, but contributions of up to$500 are acceptable under state law. Checks can be made to Mark LaFontaineCampaign.
For more information check my website at www.MarkLaFontaine.com, or call our headquarters at 954/651-3147.
I hope you will be able to join us for this special event.
Regards,
Mark LaFontaine
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Oakland Park
Oakland Park City Commissioner Suzanne Boisvenue has introduced a proposedordinance (agenda item no. 18) to include "gender identity" and "genderexpression" as part of the city's non-discrimination policy. The item mustfirst come before the Oakland Park City Commission as a discussion item thenagain, in approximately one month, as an actual motion.
Please support equality and fairness by attending Oakland Park's CityCommission meeting
When: Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 6:30
Where: City of Oakland Park
City Hall Commissioner Chambers
3650 NE 12 Avenue
Oakland Park, FL 33334
Nicole Martin
Operations Manager - GLCC
email: nicole@glccsf.org
phone: 954-463-9005
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ChicagoTribune.com
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-evangelicals_fangjul23,1,5258289.story
Evangelicals, Muslims start rare dialogue
By Bay Fang
Washington Bureau
July 23, 2007
WASHINGTON
They sat facing each other, 14 evangelical preachers on one side, 12U.S-based Arab diplomats on the other. Nabil Fahmy, the Egyptian ambassadorto the U.S., listened as introductions began, and he found himself amazed.
"Robertson, Falwell, Youssef. ... I had heard these names before," Fahmylater recounted, "and I have to admit I was surprised they were here."
The initiative launched at that July 2 meeting came as a surprise to many.The evangelical community is known for its support of Israel, and many ofits most outspoken leaders, such as Pat Robertson and the late JerryFalwell, have made incendiary comments about the Muslim world. But in recentmonths, an unusual rapprochement has begun between these two powerfulcommunities, and the sons of some of those same pastors are participating.
Both sides have a lot to gain from a thaw. At a time when the evangelicalleadership is seeking new outlets for influence, both domestically andabroad, it provides the possibility of an entree into the Arab world. Forthe representatives of the Arab-Muslim world, it offers the potential forimproving relations with a previously hostile community as well as withAmericans in general.
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Local10.com
http://www.local10.com/money/13789439/detail.html?treets=mia&tml=mia_natlbreak&ts=T&tmi=mia_natlbreak_1_12210507312007
Fox News Owner Near Wall Street Journal Deal
Deal Could Be Final Today
POSTED: 12:35 pm EDT July 31, 2007
UPDATED: 1:15 pm EDT July 31, 2007
NEW YORK -- Media titan Rupert Murdoch succeeded Tuesday in getting enoughvotes to buy Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones.
The Journal's Web site reported that Bancroft family members who own aboutone-third of Dow Jones' overall votes have agreed to support the bid.
At issue was whether the deal had won over the company's controllingshareholders, the Bancroft family.
Expectations were high that a resolution of the months-long process was athand, and the boards of both Dow Jones and Murdoch's News Corp., the globalmedia conglomerate that Murdoch controls, had meetings scheduled for laterin the day.
Members of the Bancroft family, which has controlled Dow Jones for acentury, had a deadline Monday to tell the family's lead trustee how theywould vote on Murdoch's $5 billion offer to buy the company.
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Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sp-gay28jul28,1,7710596.story?track=rss&ctrack=2&cset=true
Young and out on the field
An emerging generation of gay athletes in high school and college ischanging the rules.
By David Wharton
Times Staff Writer
July 28, 2007
Seattle - THE guys in his boat took to calling him "Badger" because of thegrimace he wore during races. Part of a junior rowing club that ranked amongthe fastest in the nation, Lucas Goodman was relentless on the water.
It was a different story on land.
The teenager with the powerful build and close-set eyes had to be careful.He hung back ever so slightly when teammates shot the breeze, talking aboutgirls.
"You get tired of constantly watching what you say, constantly watching howyou act," he said. "You're almost paranoid."
Goodman felt so uneasy that he finally told the Green Lake Crew his secret:He is gay.
The 18-year-old belongs to an emerging generation of openly gay and lesbianathletes on high school and college campuses across the country. These youngmen and women are quietly venturing where no pro football or baseball starhas gone, challenging the conformist, if not downright homophobic, traditionof the playing fields.
Their numbers are difficult to gauge because many confide only in peers.Experts chart the trend anecdotally through athletes who join gay rightsclubs at school, e-mail gay rights advocates for advice or announce theirsexual orientation on websites such as Facebook and MySpace.
"This is an issue that's in transition even as we speak," said Jay Coakley,a noted scholar and author on sports culture. "We're looking at how theworld is changing."
Not all the stories have happy endings - a high school football player inNorthern California tells of being ostracized. But others, such as aDelaware runner and a Georgia hockey player, say they were welcomed by theirteams.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, (July 31, 2007 )
Contact:
Brian Winfield, Communications Director, (727) 488-7799
LGBT Community Outraged by Daytona Murder
Represents the Latest Victim of Brutal Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes in Florida
(DAYTONA) Equality Florida today expressed deep sorrow and outrage at theSunday morning murder apparently motivated by anti-gay and anti-transgenderbigotry.
Troubling also are early reports that the accused killer is using the"homo-panic" defense, claiming an unwanted sexual advance led to theshooting.
According to police reports, Oscar Mosqueda, 34, was shot in the head around2:20 a.m. following an argument with Cesar Israel Villazano, 18, of DeLand,the police report stated. Mosqueda was transported to Halifax MedicalCenter, and died about noon Sunday, police said.
Details remain sketchy. News accounts describe Mosqueda as "a man in amini-skirt and heels" increasing the likelihood that this is yet another ina long line of transgender murders.
The Daytona Police Department told Equality Florida that the murder has notbeen classified as a hate crime.
We will continue to gathering information from the community and work toensure this case is properly investigated and that appropriate charges arebrought,? said Brian Winfield, Equality Florida spokesperson. We will notallow yet another brutal murder apparently spurred by bigotry to goignored."
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ArtsUnited Features Painter Julio Green in Solo Exhibit
ArtsUnited will feature the paintings of local artist Julio Green in a solo exhibit at the Stonewall Library and Archives from August 6 through 31, 2007. The gallery is located at 1717 North Andrews Avenue in FortLauderdale, FL. The exhibit opens with a reception to meet the artists from 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Monday, August 6th.
Born in Honduras, Julio Green has been painting since he was 18 years old.
He creates abstract art pieces that express his responses to music and nature. After years of self-teaching, Julio came to the United States and began taking art classes to learn new techniques. His work reflects a combination of this new knowledge and his years of experience in the studio.
Mr. Green mixes his colors by hand and is delighted at the discovery of new colors along the way. His process of self-discovery and his art go hand-in-hand, as is evident in the varying revelations and disguises he crafts on
canvas.
This exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at the reception. Funding for this monthly art series is provided by Comcast.
For more information about ArtsUnited, go online to www.artsunitedonline.org.
Chuck Williams
President
ArtsUnited, Inc.
954-530-2723
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/health/01seizure.html?hp=&pagewanted=print
August 1, 2007
Roberts Facing Medical Option on 2nd Seizure
By DENISE GRADY and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Despite his quick recovery from the seizure he suffered on Monday, ChiefJustice John G. Roberts Jr. faces a complex diagnosis and a difficultdecision.
Because the seizure was his second - he had a similar one in 1993 - he meetsthe criteria for epilepsy, and he and his doctors will have to decidewhether he should take medication to prevent further seizures, saidneurologists not involved in his care. (Neither the chief justice nor hisdoctors would comment yesterday.)
The decision will involve weighing the risk of more seizures against therisk of side effects from the drugs. Major seizures can be a frightening andtraumatic experience for patients and family members. Patients are advisedto avoid heights and not to swim alone, and many states bar them fromdriving until they can provide evidence that the disease is under control.
But the drugs can have troubling side effects, including drowsiness orinsomnia, weight loss or weight gain, rashes, irritability, mental slowingand forgetfulness. Many patients can be treated with minimal side effects,doctors say, but it may take trial and error to find the right drug.
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/washington/01aids.html
August 1, 2007
H.I.V. Patients Anxious as Support Programs Cut Back
By ERIK ECKHOLM
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - In the golden hills of Marin County, it is hard toimagine that free food or emergency cab fares could matter much to anyone.
But for hundreds of people who were thrown into poverty by AIDS, like WadeFlores, 45, a former distributor for a chocolate company who lives alone andis getting sicker and weaker, recent cutbacks seem like a matter of life anddeath.
"These nonmedical services are what keep people like me alive," Mr. Floressaid.
Here and in many other cities, AIDS advocates say, changes in thedistribution of federal assistance for indigent H.I.V. and AIDS patients arecausing hardship and deep anxiety.
Congress rewrote the Ryan White Care Act in December in ways that expandedthe regions eligible for money and allowed less assistance for supportprograms like meals and legal aid. Five new cities have joined the list ofrecipients, but without any increase in overall financing.
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/nyregion/01civil.html?pagewanted=print
August 1, 2007
News Analysis
In Civil Unions, New Challenges Over Benefits
By KAREEM FAHIM
NEWARK, July 31 - United Parcel Service now grants full health benefits tosame-sex partners of its employees, provided they have registered for acivil union in New Jersey (as opposed to, say, in Vermont). But FedEx doesnot provide benefits to the partners of its New Jersey workers - unless theyhappen to work at Kinko's, a FedEx subsidiary.
New Jersey's civil union law was supposed to fulfill the State Supreme Court's mandate that gay and heterosexual couples be granted the same rights andbenefits. But more than five months after its adoption, gay-rights groupsand those who have obtained civil unions said the reality of the law'sapplication remained a hodgepodge, and that hundreds of people werestruggling to persuade their bosses to treat their partners like spouses.
United Parcel, for example, changed course this week only after Gov. Jon S.Corzine intervened, sending a letter to the company to clarify itsresponsibilities under the state law and appealing to its executives' senseof decency and fair play.
The Corzine administration has heralded U.P.S. as an example to press othercompanies to provide benefits, and is relying on couples to come forward andcomplain if they feel they are being denied benefits. Gay-rights groups,meanwhile, have thus far shied away from going to court to overturn thecivil union law, and instead hope to highlight such disparities to persuadethe State Legislature to approve same-sex marriage by 2008.
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The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/31/AR2007073101926_2.html
Dear Amy:
I find it interesting that people are trying to change the meaning of theword "single." The word used to mean that you weren't married. Now, based onthe usage in your column and elsewhere, it merely means "not dating" or "notin a serious relationship." The only "serious relationship" that I know ismarriage.
Please advise your readers that unless they are married, they're single,regardless of their sexual activity or professed love of a non-bindingnature.
Mary in Fla.
--
Our language is always changing and evolving. Back in the day, "gay" meant"delighted."
And speaking of "gay," there are many committed and monogamous couples whowould probably love to call themselves "married" but aren't legally able todo so. People who have lived together in "serious relationships" should beable to think of themselves as part of a couple; calling them "single" isn'tdescribing their experience accurately.
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbtrans0801nbaug01,0,7558751.story
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Timing of transgender protection effort divides gay leaders in Broward
By Anthony Man
Political Writer
August 1, 2007
Gays and lesbians in Broward County united last month over Fort LauderdaleMayor Jim Naugle's anti-gay comments, but they are not nearly so united inhow to protect the rights of transgender people.
An array of gay and lesbian leaders want the County Commission to addtransgender protection to the Broward ordinance that prohibitsdiscrimination based on sexual orientation, even if that runs the risk ofenergizing opponents.
Others say that's not smart politics. They're attempting to slow action ontransgender rights to avoid what they fear could be a backlash against theentire antidiscrimination law.
"Discrimination is always wrong," said County Commissioner Ken Keechl, whosupports moving ahead with the measure now.
"If not now, when?," he said. "The people of Broward County, as demonstratedby the Naugle fiasco, have demonstrated that they're a fair group of peoplethat believe in equality for everyone."
The local gay community recently staged public protests and garneredpolitical support to rebuke Naugle when the mayor characterized gays aspromiscuous and innately unhappy people.
Michael Rajner, co-administrator of the Transgender Equality RightsInitiative, a local group with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender andstraight members, said it's a matter of doing what's right.
"Right now, it's legal to fire them, it's legal to deny them housing, and awhole laundry list of things," he said. "It sickens me that we find itacceptable to discriminate."
The Broward proposal would provide protection in housing and employment totransgender people, and cover the private sector. The Oakland Park CityCommission is considering banning discrimination against transgendermunicipal employees.
More than 100 governments offer some form of protection to transgenderpeople, including 13 states and the cities of Lake Worth, Miami Beach andWest Palm Beach.
Statistics aren't kept about the number of transgender people, said KarenDoering, senior counsel with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, but shesaid the protections could benefit many people. "It really can impactanybody who does not fit society's gender stereotypes," she said.
Others are alarmed at what they regard as the proponents' naivete. They fearthe transgender addition could create a backlash, jeopardizing hard-wonprotections for Broward's gays and lesbians. In 1995, the County Commissionbanned discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing, publicaccommodations and employment. Efforts to repeal the law in 1996 and 2001failed.
Robin Bodiford, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer, was instrumental in helping topass the existing anti-discrimination ordinance and combat the repealattempts. She's also been active in the gay political group DolphinDemocrats.
Bodiford predicted anti-gay activists would seize on the inclusion oftransgender protections to start a referendum campaign to overturn allprotections for gays and lesbians, not just to block the new provision.
Barbara Collier, chairwoman of the Christian Coalition in Broward, saidBodiford's concern is correct.
Collier said she would argue against the County Commission addingtransgender protection and would support an effort to launch anall-encompassing repeal effort.
"That's just the craziest thing," she said. "I just don't think there shouldbe all these little laws protecting everybody."
Bodiford said the best political tactic would be for Keechl to postponeaction until the middle of next year. Delay would mean that any petitiondrive to repeal the ordinance couldn't go before Broward voters until 2010.That would give transgender supporters time to organize and raise money andallow anti-transgender sentiment to calm.
If an ordinance passed soon, a repeal referendum could get on the ballotnext year. That would force transgender supporters to scramble in the midstof a presidential campaign, and as they are preparing to fight a proposedstatewide ballot measure banning same-sex marriage and domesticpartnerships, Bodiford said.
"It is clearly the right thing to do. Our concern is the timing," she said.
Andy Eddy, director for community relations and outreach for the Log CabinRepublicans of Broward, a gay political group, said he's also concernedabout the prospect of having to fight on multiple fronts next year, when thestate constitutional amendment effort will require lots of time and money.
Keechl, who is Broward's highest-ranking openly gay official, said fear of abacklash shouldn't intimidate supporters, and a delay would be wrong. Hiscolleagues have already agreed to have the County Attorney's Office draftlanguage to add to the ordinance, and Keechl said it would likely come upfor consideration sometime this fall.
"It's not on a fast track, but it will be moving forward," he said.
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbtransmeetings0801nbaug01,0,6471192.story
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Broward transgender protection meetings tonight, Friday
August 1, 2007
If you go
Community meeting sponsored by people concerned about adding transgenderprotection to Broward's Human Rights Ordinance. Tonight, 7 p.m., Gay andLesbian Community Center of South Florida, 1717 N. Andrews Ave., FortLauderdale.
Gathering to show support for adding transgender protection for Oakland Parkcity employees. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., City Hall Commission Chambers, 3650 NE12th Ave., Oakland Park.
Town hall meeting to hear Susan Stanton, the former city manager of Largo,who lost her job after changing genders, and for discussion of experiencesof South Florida transgender community. Friday, 7 p.m., Gay and LesbianCommunity Center of South Florida, 1717 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.
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The Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/188817.html
Politically inept in Fort Lauderdale
Posted on Wed, Aug. 01, 2007
BY MICHAEL PUTNEY
mputney@local10.com
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle, whose off-the-cuff and sometimesout-to-lunch comments have gotten him in trouble before, says that hislatest woes are the result of being politically incorrect. In fact, he's inhot water because of being politically inept. For having a tin ear when itcomes to a large segment of his constituents, the gay and lesbian community.
Naugle started this furor a few weeks ago by telling a Sun-Sentinel reporterthat he refuses to use the word ''gay'' because most homosexuals ``aren'thappy.''
Naugle is entitled to believe that, of course. Undeniably it's true thatsome gays and lesbians have been tormented by their sexual orientation andthe stigma that comes with it, or used to. But that was true back in the'50s, which is where the good mayor and most of his social views seem to bestuck.
Fort Lauderdale has grown up; the mayor hasn't.
Naugle told me he made the gays-aren't-happy comment in passing and didn'tthink the reporter would print it. Naive for a guy who has been the mayor ofa big city for 16 years. Unless Naugle didn't care if his comment offended alarge part of his constituency. And why wouldn't it? What would the reactionbe if Mayor Susan Gottlieb of Aventura went around making disparagingcomments about Jews? Or if Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina singled out Cubansfor complaint? Or if Opa-locka's Joseph Kelley pointed an accusing finger atblacks? Pandemonium. Revolution. Calls for their resignation.
Which is exactly what happened in normally staid and placid Fort Lauderdale.Any other politician would have backed off and said some soothing words. NotNaugle. Not only did he not apologize; he stuck his thumb in the collectiveeye of the gay community by:
. Recommending that a single-stall robotic toilet be purchased for FortLauderdale beach because, he said, it would prevent gay couples fromengaging in sex acts. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department doesn't thinkthat's much of a problem; the mayor disagrees.
. Calling a news conference to ''apologize'' for not having brought thegay-sex-in-public bathrooms crisis to public notice sooner. To back up hiscase he handed out copies from gay Web sites that list two Fort Lauderdaleparks as good places to cruise for sex.
. Criticizing the Broward Visitor and Convention Bureau for spending about$300,000 a year for ads directed toward gay and lesbian tourists, who areestimated to number one million a year and have a $1 billion economicimpact. Naugle later told me that part of the marketing campaign lists abath-house that the county Health Department wants to shut down.
. Citing statistics from the Broward Health Department, Naugle said thatBroward ''leads the nation in new AIDS cases'' and also leads ``in theincidence of new AIDS cases caused within men who have sex with men (MSM).''
In fact, both alarming statistics were true in 2004, according Pat CallahanTaylor, the Health Department's HIV/AIDS surveillance manager. Now Broward'sHIV/AIDS rate remains high but is second in the state behind Miami-Dade.HIV/AIDS is stable in most segments of Broward, the health department says,except men 40 to 49, where the disease has nearly doubled. And while AIDS ismost prevalent in the black community -- 84 percent of all reported cases in2005 -- it is growing fastest among whites (more than 79 percent) andHispanics (more than 60 percent).
These alarming figures are what this conversation should be about, but thusfar isn't. I asked Waymon Hudson, the organizer of the UNITE Fort Lauderdalerally, if he'd be willing to talk to Naugle and others about the alarmingrise of HIV/AIDS among gay men in South Florida and the equally alarmingpercentage of them (almost 50 percent of whites; 75 percent of blacks) whoadmit to having sex without a condom. Hudson said he was but didn't believeNaugle wanted that conversation. Naugle tells me he's willing to speak to''legitimate'' representatives of the gay community.
Naugle's scatter-shot and insensitive comments about gays may have made himunsuitable for that conversation, but it's one that needs to happen. From1999 to 2005, according to the Broward Health Department, new cases of HIVinfection among white adult males increased by 120 percent. And some of thathappened, I'd be willing to guess, as a result of sex in public bathrooms.It's time to lower our voices and do something about it.
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Radionetherlands.nl
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/ned070727
Increasing violence against Amsterdam's gay Arabs
by Nicolien den Boer*
27-07-2007
Violence against homosexuals in Amsterdam seems to beon the increase. There are no hard figures but thenumber of reports is certainly rising. Theperpetrators are mainly youths with a Moroccanbackground. But Arab homosexuals are also increasinglylikely to be victims, says author, expert on gayissues and authority on the Amsterdam Arab gay scene,Rauf Moussad.
Moussad is a regular at the Habibi Ana in Amsterdam, apopular café with many Arab homosexuals. He is hearingmore and more stories of violent assaults. Seriousconcerns were also expressed at a recent meeting forhomosexuals held in the Amsterdam venue Paradiso.
"I'm also more careful than I used to be when I leaveHabibi Ana at night. The situation has really becomemore dangerous."
Media attention
The matter is receiving increasing attention in theDutch media.
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Baltic Times
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/18389/
Tallinn Pride route approved
Jul 31, 2007
By TBT staff and wire reports
TALLINN - The Estonian North Police Prefecture has approved the route forthis year's the Tallinn Pride event, due to take place August 11.
Tuuli Harson, spokeswoman of the Tallinn North Police Prefecture said theorganizers of the event had submitted a slightly revised route for theprocession and the police approved it July 31.
"After the Tallinn municipal authorities registered the public meeting. theorganizers still face a [consultation] with representatives of the policeand security companies in order to discuss public order during theprocession," Harson told the Baltic News Service.
Lisette Kampus, the main organizer of Tallinn Pride, told The Baltic Times:"We are pleased and relieved. Obviously the safety of participants andeverybody else in Tallinn is issue number one for us. We are trying to doeverything we possibly can.
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Donald E. Wildmon
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
http://www.afa.net/aatemplate/images/bottom.jpg>
July 31, 2007
Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people aspossible by forwarding it to your entire email list of family and friends.
NEA begins massive drive to promote homosexuality in public schools
Is it time for a school voucher program?
Without allowing members to vote on the matter, the executive committee ofthe National Education Association (NEA) decided to advance aggressively thehomosexual agenda. The decision was made at the association's annual meetingin Philadelphia.
* First, the committee voted to put the weight of the NEA behind aneffort to pass federal hate crimes legislation, a measure that would greatlyexpand federal power and lead to the silencing of moral opposition.
* Second, the executive committee voted to boost the NEA's Web site to"include all resources" devoted to homosexual causes.
* The third resolution urged NEA members to push to make sexualorientation training a requirement for earning a license to teach.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0730/p09s02-coop.html
Headline: A truce in the sex ed wars?
Byline: Jonathan Zimmerman
Date: 07/30/2007
New York - Hey, check it out: Abstinence education doesn't work!
It's fun to be right, that's for sure. So my fellow liberals have beengloating since last April, when an exhaustive five-year study showed what wealways suspected: Kids receiving "abstinence education" are no more likelyto delay sexual intercourse than their peers.
Politicians are starting to notice, too. Although the federal governmentcontinues to finance abstinence education, 11 state health departmentsrejected it this year. Even more, three states are considering laws thatwould ban any sex education program that isn't supported by "science" or"research."
But here's what most liberals won't admit: We don't have solid evidence forour own favored forms of sex education, either. So if the law requiresscience-based sex ed, we might have to change our entire approach.
Sex education started about a century ago, when fears of venereal diseaseseized the American middle class. Newspapers carried lurid stories ofwell-to-do men who acquired VD from prostitutes, then infected their wives.So physicians and educators created curricula to warn children about thesedangers and discourage any sex outside marriage.
That remained the central theme until the 1960s and 1970s, when liberaleducators developed a new curriculum based on student choices rather thanteacher directives. nown today as "comprehensive" sex education, thisapproach echoes the messages I ive to my own daughters about the subject.Sex may be pleasurable but can be angerous; so if you decide to have sex,minimize the dangers. That is, use rotection.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Democrats 2008: Déjà vu, all over again?
By Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The Democratic candidates for president, as a group and individually,express more upport for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)issues and legislative and olicy initiatives to improve our lives than anyprior set of presidential candidates n the history of American politics.These new standards of support for LGBT people re worthy of our applause,our appreciation and our accolades.
Still, no major Democratic candidate has made the kind of sweeping statementof inclusion as did Gov. Bill Clinton in 1992, when he declared to a hugecrowd of LGBT people in Los Angeles, "I have a vision for America and youare part of it." His words brought tears to the eyes of the audience andrang out across the United States. Even the most skeptical of us in the LGBTcommunity knew that we heard something previously unspoken by any majorpolitical figure.
We also know and painfully remember that Clinton's vision of America did nottranslate into much of anything positive for us at the federal level. We canrecount our bitter disappointments during Clinton's time in the White House:the crash and burn of the effort to rescind the Department of Defense policyof discharging gay and lesbian service members, the secret late-nightsigning of the Defense of Marriage Act, and an ushering in ofabstinence-only sexuality education in the public schools. Clinton couldn'tor wouldn't deliver on the specifics, but at least he held us in his largervision of a healthy society.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2007/07/30/Opinion/Explaining.Sexual.Orientation.More.Complex.Than.Just.Preference-2927890.shtml
Explaining sexual orientation more complex than just preference
By: Pat Treault / University Health Center's Sexuality Education Coordinatorand Interim Assistant Dire
Posted: 7/30/07
Nature vs. nurture is an unanswerable question.
As a professional with a background in psychology, human sexuality anddiversity, the argument that there is no 'gay gene' is an interesting onebecause scientific study can rarely prove or disprove anything.
What we usually do with research is gather evidence and draw conclusions. Aswe gather more evidence, we determine whether we have more or less supportfor our hypotheses and conclusions.
Like intelligence and other human aspects that have genetic predispositions,the interaction between genetics and environment is a challenging one todistinguish, although we can provide evidence for both genetic andenvironmental influences, factors and interactions.
Same-sex attraction has been demonstrated to exist within other species,animal and insect, and Professor Abbott acknowledges that geneticpredispositions exist.
The consensus in many professions - psychology, psychiatry, medical - isthat orientation has biological and genetic influences and components. Theseprofessional associations contend that sexual orientation is an inherentpart of who a person is and attempts to change a person's orientation can beharmful.
At least one religious perspective, Roman Catholic, also believes thatsexual orientation is inherent to who we are as individual human beings.Although, the Church teaches that individuals should not act upon thisinherent aspect.
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NationalGayNews.com
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,149821.shtml
Gays Voted as a Block in Philadelphia Mayoral Election
Posted : Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:21:34 GMT
Author : Equality Forum
PHILADELPHIA, July 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A study by Equality Forum,an international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil ightsorganization, suggests that gay and lesbian voters voted as a block in therecent mayoral primary election in Philadelphia and that gay and lesbianvoters were markedly more likely to support their candidate than theirneighbors. The study found that gays voted by about two to every one votefor Michael Nutter, the winning candidate, in the citywide vote.
"The study is important both in its methodology and the result," saidMalcolm Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum. "It demonstrates thateven in a field of gay-friendly candidates, a candidate who can provide theright cues can be the beneficiary of a GLBT block vote. Block votingincreases a group's political importance and power."
The May 15, 2007 Democratic primary, which is tantamount to election inheavily-Democratic Philadelphia, featured five well-known politicians: twolongtime Members of Congress, a former City Councilman, a StateRepresentative who chairs the Appropriations Committee in the PennsylvaniaHouse of Representatives, and a wealthy former Deputy Mayor. The former CityCouncilman, Michael Nutter, spent most of the race lagging in fourth placebefore he surged to victory, garnering 36.6% of the citywide vote.
The Equality Forum study reviewed the votes cast in seven distinctPhiladelphia gay neighborhoods and found that Nutter garnered 74% of thevote in these neighborhoods. A review of the top 12 Philadelphia tractsidentified in the U.S. Census as having the most same-sex couples residingin the same household found that Nutter received 69% of the vote in thesecensus tracts.
The study compared the percentage of votes from the gay neighborhoods andcensus tracts to the percentage of votes each candidate received in therespective wards. The gay voting divisions averaged a 17% higher percentagevote for Nutter than the respective overall ward percentage.
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NationalGayNews.com
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD01073007.htm
July 30, 2007
Police: Cross-dresser's advances led to fatal shooting
By MARY KNOWLES
Staff writer
DAYTONA BEACH -- A man wearing a miniskirt and high heels was shot earlySunday morning outside the Pasta Amore restaurant on North Nova Road anddied later that day, authorities said.
Villazano Acosta
Oscar Mosqueda, 34, was shot in the head around 2:20 a.m. following anargument with Cesar Israel Villazano, 18, of DeLand, the police reportstated. Mosqueda was transported to Halifax Medical Center, where he diedabout noon Sunday, police said.
Witnesses told police Villazano had fled in a metallic blue car; hourslater, a Volusia County sheriff's deputy spotted a car matching thatdescription and stopped it. Daytona Beach police arrested Villazano earlySunday and charged him with second-degree murder.
A man with Villazano, Luis Acosta, 21, also of DeLand, was charged withpossession of cocaine. Both were taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail,where Villazano is being held without bail.
Villazano confessed to shooting Mosqueda, according to the police report.Police found the .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun and three spent.22-caliber rounds inside Acosta's car.
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The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid47810.asp
August 01, 2007
Gay vote pushes gay candidate into Philly mayoral runoff
LGBT Philadelphia voters appeared to vote as a bloc in the city's Democraticmayoral primary last May, helping out candidate Michael Nutter win over fouropponents, according to a recent study by the gay rights group EqualityForum.
"Collectively, gays voted 2 to 1 [for Nutter] over the citywide average of36.6%," Malcolm Lazin, executive director for Equality Forum, told TheAdvocate on Tuesday. "This is particularly groundbreaking in many ways."
Lazin said the information is valuable because it reflects the power of thegay vote in even broader elections. "If a candidate gives the right cues,they can deliver a bloc vote which enormously shows the voting power in thatvoting group. Michael Nutter gave those cues."
Equality Forum's study revealed that Nutter won an average of 74% of thevote among seven distinct gay neighborhoods.
"From the viewpoint of looking at gay voters, we tried-short of an exit pollbecause of the cost involved- to determine if there was a gay vote," Lazinsaid. "Obviously, the numbers speak for themselves. Those are objectivenumbers."
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The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid47798.asp
August 01, 2007
Judge orders Idaho to provide hormone therapy to self-castrated transgenderinmate
An inmate who castrated herself with a disposable razor blade after prisonofficials refused to treat her for gender identity disorder should havefemale hormone therapy paid for by the state, a federal judge said.
Jenniffer Spencer, who was born biologically male, sued the Idaho Departmentof Correction and its physicians, claiming that her constitutional rightswere violated and that she was subjected to cruel and unusual punishmentwhen the doctors failed to diagnose gender identity disorder and treat herwith female hormones. Instead, the department and its doctors repeatedlyoffered Spencer the male hormone testosterone.
A trial over the lawsuit has not been scheduled, but U.S. district judgeMikel Williams ruled Friday that the state must provide Spencer withpsychotherapy and estrogen pending trial. Williams also noted that Spenceris scheduled for release in two years, and that getting the lawsuit to trialcould take that long or longer.
The state's attorneys contend that prison doctors did not find conclusiveevidence that Spencer, 27, has gender identity disorder. It would beunethical for the doctors to prescribe a drug that wasn't needed and thatcould do harm, attorney John Burke said.
The judge disagreed.
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The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid47817.asp
August 01, 2007
Former trial lawyer Edwards still relying heavily on attorneys to fundcampaign
In his time off between presidential bids, Democrat John Edwards courtedWall Street financial gurus and Main Street labor leaders.
But when it comes to the money backing his second campaign, the wallets ofwealthy attorneys who propelled the former trial lawyer's first run for theWhite House still open more than most. More than half of the Edwards donorswho listed their occupations said they are attorneys, and they have givenseven times more than any other profession, according to an Associated Pressanalysis of campaign finance data.
By comparison, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. BarackObama - Edwards' top Democratic rivals, who both have histories in thecourtroom - have raised about 15 percent and 18 percent of their individualdonations from attorneys, among those who list their occupation on campaignfinance reports.
''If you aren't drawing new contributors, the chances are you're not drawingnew voters,'' said Democratic pollster Peter Hart. ''To the degree thatEdwards' base remains very refined and coming from one part of thecommunity, he'll probably find the election ahead very challenging.''
Edwards advisers have long played down the money chase. They haveconsistently noted the campaign is well on its way to raising the $35million they say is necessary to compete in the early primary states,including Iowa, where Edwards has consistently placed at the tops of thepolls.
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The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid47818.asp
August 01, 2007
Obama says he would send U.S. troops into Pakistan to hunt down terrorists
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday that he wouldsend U.S. troops into Pakistan to hunt down terrorists even without localpermission if warranted - an attempt to show strength when his chief rivalhas described his foreign policy skills as naive.
The Illinois senator warned Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf thathe must do more to shut down terrorist operations in his country and evictforeign fighters under an Obama presidency, or Pakistan will risk a U.S.troop invasion and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. militaryaid.
''Let me make this clear,'' Obama said in a speech prepared for delivery atthe Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. ''There are terroristsholed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plottingto strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had achance to take out an al-Qaida leadership meeting in 2005. If we haveactionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and PresidentMusharraf won't act, we will.''
The excerpts were provided by the Obama campaign in advance of the speech.
Obama's speech comes the week after his rivalry with New York Sen. HillaryRodham Clinton erupted into a public fight over their diplomatic intentions.
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/print_article_ektid47808.asp
August 01, 2007
Clinton campaign organizes "watch" parties for LGBT forum
Hillary Clinton is launching a national effort to encourage her LGBTsupporters to organize forum viewing parties nationwide on August 9, thedate of the LGBT-specific presidential forum that is being sponsored by gaycable channel Logo and the Human Rights Campaign. The Advocate will belive-blogging the entire Los Angeles event.
Clinton's campaign Web site states: "We are encouraging Hillary's LGBTsupporters from across the country, and their families and friends to hostan 'LGBT Americans for Hillary Forum Watch Party'. This is a great way foryou to get involved and to help us grow our LGBT Americans for Hillarynetwork."
The campaign expects the largest "watch" party to take place at the AbbeyFood & Bar in West Hollywood, which will provide a live telecast of theevent. After the forum, Senator Clinton is scheduled to stop by the Abbey toaddress the crowd.
"I look forward to sharing my views on issues important to LGBT Americans atthe Logo/HRC presidential forum," Clinton said in a press release. "I hopepeople take this opportunity to gather at forum watch parties and learn howwe can work together to move our nation closer to the promise of fairnessand equality that all Americans deserve." (The Advocate)
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ExpressGayNews.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6925521.stm
Festival to offer gay film prize
Films with a gay theme or character are to be recognised with a new award atthe Venice Film Festival.
The Queer Lion award, a take on the festival's main Golden Lion prize, willgo to the best full-length film featuring a gay theme or character.
Competition director Daniel Casagrande said it had taken four years ofnegotiations to introduce the award.
He has said he expects "around 10 or 12" films to be candidates for theinaugural prize.
He added: "We aren't looking for the next Brokeback Mountain. We are justlooking for films that accurately portray gay characters or themes."
Gay pride
Films entering the main competition are eligible for the award, as are otherfilms being shown at the festival, which runs from 29 August to 8 September.
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ExpressGayNews.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbtrans0801nbaug01,0,203899,print.story
Timing of transgender protection effort divides gay leaders in Broward
By Anthony Man
Political Writer
August 1, 2007
Gays and lesbians in Broward County united last month over Fort LauderdaleMayor Jim Naugle's anti-gay comments, but they are not nearly so united inhow to protect the rights of transgender people.
An array of gay and lesbian leaders want the County Commission to addtransgender protection to the Broward ordinance that prohibitsdiscrimination based on sexual orientation, even if that runs the risk ofenergizing opponents.
Others say that's not smart politics. They're attempting to slow action ontransgender rights to avoid what they fear could be a backlash against theentire antidiscrimination law.
"Discrimination is always wrong," said County Commissioner Ken Keechl, whosupports moving ahead with the measure now.
"If not now, when?," he said. "The people of Broward County, as demonstratedby the Naugle fiasco, have demonstrated that they're a fair group of peoplethat believe in equality for everyone."
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ExpressGayNews.com
http://www.nj.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-7/1185944279217440.xml&coll=1
Alimony fuels latest McGreevey divorce battle
Ex-first lady reportedly seeks $56,000 a month in support
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
BY JUDITH LUCAS
Star-Ledger Staff
The bitter divorce case between former Gov. James E. McGreevey and hisestranged wife took another angry turn yesterday, with lawyers for thewarring couple sparring over the amount of support Dina Matos McGreevey isseeking.
McGreevey's lawyer, Matthew Piermatti II, touched off the latest dispute,saying the former first lady wanted $56,000 a month in alimony and othersupport to "continue in the lifestyle" to which she had grown accustomed inthe governor's mansion.
"She is asking for too much," Piermatti said outside the Union CountyCourthouse in Elizabeth, where the McGreeveys attended a status hearing ontheir case.
Hours later, Matos McGreevey's lawyer, John Post, issued a statement callingthe support claim "entirely false" and blasting Piermatti as "grosslyirresponsible."
The exchange came shortly after the Superior Court judge presiding over thedivorce urged the McGreeveys to settle the case, citing the financial andemotional toll it might cause.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/07/073107fla.htm
Florida Vote Machines Still Not Tamperproof
by The Associated Press
Posted: July 31, 2007 - 3:00 pm ET
(Tallahassee, Florida) Florida's optical scan voting machines are stillflawed, despite efforts to fix them, and they could allow poll workers totamper with the election results, according to a government-ordered studyobtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.
At the request of the secretary of state, Florida State University'sinformation technology laboratory went over a list of previously discoveredflaws to see if the machines were still vulnerable to attack.
"While the vendor has fixed many of these flaws, many importantvulnerabilities remain unaddressed," the report said.
The lab found, for example, that someone with only brief access to themachines could replace a memory card with one preprogramed to read onecandidate's votes as counting for another, essentially switching thecandidates and showing the loser winning.
"The attack can be carried out with a reasonably low probability ofdetection assuming that audits with paper ballots are infrequent," thereport said.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/07/073107canhiv.htm
High Rate Of HIV, Hep. C In Ontario Prisons
by The Canadian Press
Posted: July 31, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Toronto, Ontario) Offenders who are admitted to Ontario remand facilitiesare 11 times more likely to be infected with HIV and 22 times more likely tobe infected with hepatitis C than members of the general population -numbers that point to the need for better education and preventive measuresamong inmates, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, indicatesinjection drug use is by far the most important risk factor in thetransmission of HIV and hepatitis C among inmates of Ontario's remandfacilities.
``This shows the importance of education, because in some cases, there werepeople who knew they were infected and still were engaging in behaviors thatwould transmit the infection,'' said Liviana Calzavara, one of the authorsof the study.
Calzavara, who is deputy director of the HIV Social, Behavioral andEpidemiological Studies Unit at the University of Toronto's department ofpublic health sciences, added that one-third of the inmates who testedpositive for hepatitis C weren't aware they were infected.
``This study draws attention to issues around education for individuals interms of how to avoid it, how to avoid transmitting it to others andtreatment that is available that would limit the health effects,'' she said.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/07/073107momsuit.htm
Lesbian Mother Sued By Abused Son
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: July 31, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Akron, Ohio) The eldest of five boys denied food and locked in a closetfiled a lawsuit this week against his mother and her same-sex partner.
The abuse came to light in 2003 when three of the boys escaped theircaptivity.
The told police they were regularly beaten, denied food, and forced to eatfeces. The other two children were found when police went to the home.
Mary Rowles and Alice Jenkins pleaded guilty in October 2003 to a total of55 counts, including felonious assault, kidnapping and endangering children.
They were each sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime in January2004.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/07/073107jerusalem.htm
Militant Jewish Sect Battle Police Over Gay Pride Arrests
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: July 31, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Jerusalem) More than a month after a gay pride march in Jerusalem membersof the haredi, an extreme Orthodox sect that rioted for a week prior to theparade are still battling with police.
Testifying before a Knesset committee Tuesday a senior police officer saidthat sect members almost nightly are setting fires in garbage bins in thecity's Orthodox area and throwing stones at police officers.
They are protesting the detention of five sect members who attempted todisrupt the parade.
"Every night they protest the detention of five haredim who were arrested indemonstrations against last month's Gay Pride march," Assistant CommanderBruno Stein, told the Knesset's Internal Affairs and Environment Committee.
One of those still detained is a 32 year old man who was found carrying ahomemade bomb. He was arrested moments before the pride march was to begin.(story)
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/080107pastor.htm
'Family Values' Pastor Charged With Indecent Exposure
by The Associated Press
Posted: August 1, 2007 - 9:00 am ET
(Johnson City, Tennessee) The minister of a Baptist church has been chargedwith indecent exposure and driving under the influence, and police officerssay he propositioned them.
Tommy Tester, 58, of Bristol, Va., was wearing a skirt when he was arrestedlast week after allegedly urinating in front of children at a car wash,police said.
Police also said Tester offered to perform oral sex on officers who weresent to the scene.
Authorities identified Tester as the minister of Gospel Baptist Church inBristol and an employee of Christian radio station WZAP-AM in Bristol.
There was no immediate response Tuesday to calls to the church and Tester'shome.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/080107wisc.htm
Teen Claiming Homophobic Bullying Told Police Following Principal's Murder'He Freaked Out'
by The Associated Press
Posted: August 1, 2007 - 11:00 am ET
(Baraboo, Wisconsin) A boy on trial in the shooting death of his principaltold investigators that he "just freaked out" and pulled the trigger threetimes, but that he didn't mean to kill the man.
Jurors saw Eric Hainstock's videotaped statement to investigators onTuesday. Hainstock, 16, faces life in prison if he is convicted of murderingWeston Schools Principal John Klang.
The video, filmed just hours after the Sept. 29 shooting, shows Hainstockslouched in a Sauk County Sheriff's Department interview room with Klang'sblood on his clothes. He tells detectives that he complained to Klang forthree years about kids teasing him and calling him a "fag," but that Klangdid nothing to stop them. (story)
That morning after his parents left their home, he says in the video, he"was still ticked off" at various students and the principal.
According to the criminal complaint, Hainstock, then a 15-year-old freshman,went to school outside Cazenovia, about 65 miles northwest of Madison, witha shotgun and a revolver.
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ajn.com.au
http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3618
July 2, 2007
Gay march stirs religious passions
Two years ago, on June 30, 2005, a religious Jewish man stabbed three people during clashes between the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and the gay and lesbian community in Israel's capital, Jerusalem.
In 2006, due to a wave of extreme protest from Orthodox groups, Jerusalem's Gay Pride street parade was cancelled, and instead people celebrated inside a sports stadium where at least their safety could be somewhat guaranteed.
This year, with good reason, the security was tighter than ever in order to protect the marchers in what is arguably Jerusalem's most controversial annual demonstration.
As a former Sydney-sider, who has enjoyed many a Sydney Mardi Gras, this was a whole new experience for me.
As I left my Jerusalem office, I discovered to my dismay that all the main roads leading to the city centre had been closed off to traffic and in place of the normal end of day traffic jams, there were literally thousands of police, soldiers and medics.
Hundreds of street barricades had been set up from the night before, and forced the swelling crowd of regular (and somewhat frustrated) commuters just trying to get home, parade supporters, Orthodox Yeshiva students practicing their best heckling efforts and a healthy sprinkling of curious onlookers to squeeze into a small space along the side of the road.
At a cost to the Israeli taxpayer of some 13 million New Israeli Shekels (approximately $A3.6 million) some 8000 police safe-guarded the march this year, which only attracted about 2000 people, despite the hopeful parade organizers anticipation of 5000 marchers.
Included in the impenetrable security were 200 medics, 45 ambulances, 11 mobile intensive care units and a field command center with additional medics on standby.
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