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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/17lutheran.html?pagewanted=print
August 17, 2007
Advocates Hail Lutheran Act on Gay Clergy Members
By NEELA BANERJEE
The country's largest Lutheran denomination officially bars openly gaypeople from the ministry. But in a move that advocates for gay men andlesbians are hailing as a step toward changing that policy, the denominationis urging its bishops to refrain from disciplining gay members of the clergywho are in committed same-sex relationships.
A resolution to that effect was passed last weekend in Chicago by delegatesto the biennial meeting of the Churchwide Assembly of the EvangelicalLutheran Church of America.
Church officials said it did not signal a change in policy. But they saidthat a denomination task force was completing "a social statement," ortheological document, on human sexuality, to be discussed in 2009, and thatthe resolution allowed bishops to hold off, in the interim, on taking actionagainst gay and lesbian ministers in their jurisdictions.
Robert Tuttle, counsel to the bishop of the synod of metropolitanWashington, D.C., said, "What it changes is that it gives bishops some coverwho want to exercise discretion to not bring charges."
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Homosexuals Trying to Turn Penis into Drill
Two screws cannot join, two nails cannot enter one another, masturbation isa strikeout, says Supetar parish priest Andro Ursic.
Published: August 17, 2007 11:26h
Javno
http://www.javno.com/en/croatia/clanak.php?id=71983
Supetar's parish priest don Andro Ursic issued a text on homosexuality thatshocked the public in the parish's official gazette, Mozaik. The text isplentiful of interesting and vivid descriptions of homosexual relationships,Vecernji list writes.
-Two homosexuals join unnaturally and aggressively. Two screws cannot join,two nails cannot enter one another - Ursic wrote.
He added that such behaviour was conditioned by physical and psychologicaldefects.
-True, there are several holes in a man that are intended for something elseby nature and God's plan. But a disoriented homosexual is trying to turn hispenis into a drill and widen the hole of his partner where faeces come out -don Ursic says.
Ursic dubs masturbation as a flop and a strikeout because, he says, mutualmasturbation has no final purpose or goal but erotic satisfaction.
-Homosexuals find justification in the spiritual rifts of geniuses. Addicts,alcoholics, those who commit suicide and the like will also find suchjustification - don Ursic believes.
A renowned theologist don Ivan Grubisic told Vecernji list that he condemnedthe parish priest's statements, adding that the Church deemed homosexualisman unnatural relationship, but never stooped to the level that don Ursishad.
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Forwarded from David Bokoff
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-drake16.1aug16,1,2077539.story
Los Angeles Times
Buena Park pastor asks followers to pray for the death of his critics
His response comes after a call to the IRS about a political endorsement heissued on church letterhead.
By Dave McKibben
August 16, 2007
Wiley S. Drake, a Buena Park pastor and a former national leader of theSouthern Baptist Convention, called on his followers to pray for the deathsof two leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The request was in response to the liberal group's urging the IRS on Tuesdayto investigate Drake's church's nonprofit status because Drake endorsedformer Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for president on church letterhead andduring a church-affiliated Internet radio show.
Drake said Wednesday he was "simply doing what God told me to do" bytargeting Americans United officials Joe Conn and Jeremy Leaming, whom hecalls the "enemies of God."
"God says to pray imprecatory prayer against people who attack God'schurch," he said. "The Bible says that if anybody attacks God's people,David said this is what will happen to them. . . . Children will becomeorphans and wives will become widows."
Imprecatory prayers are alternately defined as praying for someone'smisfortune, or an appeal to God for justice.
"Let his days be few; and let another take his office," the prayer reads."Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow."
Conn said he was "startled" at Drake's reaction to the complaint againstDrake's First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park.
"We expected him to try to defend his actions," Conn said. "Instead he goeson spiritual blitzkrieg against us, praying for our destruction. Hecompletely glossed over the fact that his actions are clearly a violation offederal tax law."
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From Paul Hyman
Executive Director
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
email: phyman@glccsf.org
This email is our first, but by no means our last, communication with youconcerning the new building and our relationship with Tarragon.
The Board of Directors is very committed to ensuring the future of the GLCC,which includes overseeing the new building project. With that, please beaware that Tarragon Corporation, our current real estate developmentpartner, has reported on its poor financial performance and future outlook.
Several months ago the GLCC retained additional legal counsel andproactively engaged Tarragon in negotiations for the GLCC to complete thebuilding project independent of them. While the GLCC is somewhat protectedfrom Tarragon's current vulnerability, the situation is not risk-free. Weare weighing options carefully and are extremely optimistic about ourstrategy to further protect our interests.
Please know that we have a team of carefully selected leaders from thecommunity and highly experienced legal counsel working diligently on ourbehalf. We will keep you updated in as much detail as possible, given thesensitivity of our negotiations.
As always, we are grateful for your continued support.
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Pew Research Center
http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=350
38% - Say Premarital Sex is Wrong
Fewer than four-in-ten American adults (38%) now say that sexualrelations between a man and woman before marriage is always or almost alwayswrong compared with nearly six in ten (59%) who say that it is onlysometimes or never wrong. Not surprisingly, premarital sex is even moreaccepted as morally OK by adults who have themselves engaged in it. A recentPew survey found that about a third of all adults (and more than four-in-tenadults under age 50) have, at some point in their lives, been in acohabiting relationship with a person to whom they were not married. Amongthis group only 21% believe that premarital sex is always or usually wrong.Demographically, cohabiters are more likely than the rest of the adultpopulation to be younger, black, and secular rather than religious. Readmore
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UK
http://www.secularism.org.uk/84391.html
Friday, August 10, 2007
Homophobic Muslim GP suspended
The president of the Islamic Medical Association has been suspendedafter making a ferocious attack on gay people in Pulse, the magazine forGPs.
In the letter, Dr Muhammad Siddiq says that gays need "the stick ofthe law to put them on the right path" and that they deserve neither helpnor pity.
"There is punishment and fine if you throw rubbish or filth in thestreets. The gays are worse than the ordinary careless citizen," wrote theGP, who is a contracted by Walsall Primary Care Trust in the West Midlands,"They are causing the spread of disease with their irresponsible behaviour.They are the root of many sexually transmitted diseases." The letter went onto say that a depressed transsexual awaiting gender reassignment was"twisted."
Dr Siddiq denies that he wrote the letter and claims his son wasplaying a "cynical spoof" on him by forcing him to sign the letter andsending it to Pulse, a magazine for GPs. When the magazine checked with DrSiddiq, he made no effort to deny that these were his views. Allegedly, hehas privately told his colleagues that he had actually written the letter.
Dr Michael Irwin, co-ordinator of the Secular Medical Forum commented:"If Dr. Muhammad Siddiq holds these views, he should not be allowed to workwithin the NHS. And, if he has a private practice, his patients should bemade aware of his opinion, so that only those with a similar bigoted outlookwould be likely to see him. Looking to the future, I believe the GMC shouldrequire him to attend a 'Fitness-to-Practice' hearing: then, if it isconfirmed that he has been correctly quoted, his medical registration shouldbe suspended."
The GP has now been suspended while Walsall PCT carry out aninvestigation into the comments attributed to Dr M Siddiq.
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Express Gay News
EDITORIAL | www.expressgaynews.com
Naugle campaign has had severe repercussions
Mayor's crusade could result in harassment of law-abiding gays inpublic parks
By PHIL LAPADULA
Aug. 16, 2007
If anyone doubted that Mayor Naugle's anti-gay campaign would havelong legs and affect the reputation of the Fort Lauderdale area throughoutthe country, those doubts should have been laid to rest last week when theBar Area Reporter, the gay newspaper for the San Francisco area, ran aneditorial telling tourists to "Forget Fort Lauderdale."
It is indeed disappointing - and puzzling - that a gay newspaper wouldadvocate a boycott that will almost certainly hurt only gay and gay-friendlybusinesses while delighting Mayor Naugle and the right-wing rubes whosupport him. Gay people who visit Fort Lauderdale tend to stay at one of themany gay guesthouses in the area or at large hotels. It should be noted thatmost of the big hotels have hosted gay events and have gay-friendlyreputations. The visitors go out to gay bars and eat at gay and gay-friendlyrestaurants that they see advertised in the local gay publications. So howdoes BAR figure that its proposed boycott will hurt anyone but the gaycommunity of Fort Lauderdale and its allies?
But the boycott talk is just one example of the fallout from Naugle'scontinued barrage of negative public comments about his own city. Is it justa coincidence that someone scrawls anti-gay graffiti all over the walls of atunnel leading to Haulover Beach the weekend following Naugle's infamousJuly 24 press conference?
The Express has even received hate mail for the first time in the fiveyears since I've been at the paper. The Express received a letter last weekthat was postmarked Aug. 7 from a group that calls itself ChristiansCombating Humanist Deception. The letter was addressed to "Express New Sodom& Gomorrah, Florida" (as long you get the zip code right, I guess you canput anything there). The group listed its return address as simply "NewSodom & Gomorrah, FL." The letter included a copy of the Aug. 2 cover of theExpress with several anti-gay messages scrawled on it.
"All you sodomites are welcome to leave Ft.L!" the sender wrote."Homosexuality is an abomination to God & to those of us who know him" and"Sodomy is not a family value" were other messages scrawled on the Expresscover along with Bible passages.
Meanwhile, Mayor Naugle continues his media campaign, which may havesucceeded in depicting all gay people as toilet trash in the minds of theuninformed. He was on CNN earlier this week, repeating his unsubstantiatedclaims that "homosexual" sex in public parks is a major problem in his city.He also blamed the bathhouses for spreading AIDS, and indicated that hewould like to shut them down.
The mayor cites a website that lists local parks as gay cruising areasas evidence to support his claim that sex in public parks is widespread inthe area. Yet he should know that anyone can create a website promotinganything, and it doesn't necessarily mean that there is a huge demand forthat particular viewpoint or activity. After all, Fred Phelps has his ownwebsite, GodHatesFags.com, even though there are only a handful of people inhis "congregation." Why doesn't Naugle cite Phelps website as an example ofthe widespread virulent hatred of homosexuals?
A possible fallout from the mayor's campaign could be harassment oflaw-abiding gay guys in public parks. You may recall the situation at JohnLloyd Park a few years ago. The park authorities decided they were going tocrack down after receiving reports of sexual activity in the park. So theystarted targeting everyone in the park who they perceived as gay. Many gaymen were cited for nonsexual offenses, such as being in an area that was offlimits because of environmental concerns even though there was no clearsignage. One man was arrested for "attempted lewd and lascivious behavior"in the park's restroom/changing room for looking at a naked man. (I read thepolice report. No one was even accused of touching anyone!) The charges inthat case and most of the others were dropped.
I live next door to Easterlin Park in Oakland Park, which is one ofthe parks that Mayor Naugle mentioned at his news conference as being on awebsite's cruising list. I ride my bike through the park all the time, and Ihave never once seen any guys cruising each other or engaging in sex. I seenothing but the family groups picnicking there.
During the John Lloyd Park situation, I stated at a public hearingthat people should respect the parks and others, including families withchildren, who visit them. It's worth repeating again, even though MayorNaugle hasn't offered a shred of evidence that this is a widespread orgrowing problem. There is no excuse for having sex in a public park. If youwant to have anonymous sex, get a room or go to one of the bathhouses. Youare causing those of us who want to use the park for lawful purposes, suchas exercising, to think twice about going there out of fear of being falselyaccused of cruising for sex by some overzealous undercover cop.
But maybe that is what Mayor Naugle and his cohorts want - to create afearful and inhospitable environment for gay people in Fort Lauderdale.
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Sun-Sentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum16buttenbaug16,0,4851274,print.story
Some want transgender protection now
August 16, 2007
By William Butte
"I just don't think there should be all these little laws protectingeverybody."
In words practically dripping with condescension, Barbara Collier,chairwoman of Broward's Christian Coalition, recently expressed herdisapproval at the idea of the Broward County Commission extending "littlelaws" through the county's Human Rights Ordinance to protect transgenderfolks from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
With the focus of a religious zealot, Collier said she'd not only try toblock the new provision but would support using it to launch anall-compassing repeal effort in yet another attempt to overturn theordinance's similar protections for the gay community.
The threat of such action has gay leaders in the county divided.
Some want county commissioners to include transgender protections as soon aspossible - even if three county-wide elections next year would giveopponents like Collier three opportunities to get a repeal referendum on theballot, at the same time the gay community faces a proposed statewide ballotmeasure next November that would ban same-sex marriage and domesticpartnerships.
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Sun-Sentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/sfl-brmail769nbaug16,0,6226367,print.story
Maybe segregated public restrooms are needed?
August 16, 2007
Perhaps, as when public facilities were labeled "black" and "white," theyshould now be labeled "gay" and "straight." It might solve all thisunnecessary nonsense fomented by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle.
Cyn Delafield
Fort Lauderdale
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Sun-Sentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-huckabee-new-hampshire,0,4508456,print.story
Huckabee Might Be Out of Element in NH
By PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press Writer
7:10 PM EDT, August 16, 2007
CONCORD, N.H.
The traits that helped Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee race to
a second-place finish in last week's Iowa straw poll might be more of a dragwith voters in New Hampshire.
Huckabee returns to the state Friday with an uptick in fundraising and freshcriticism aimed at his chief rivals. The former Arkansas governor's tripalso carries a bevy of questions: Can he convince New Hampshire the strawpoll results matter? Can the few religious voters in the state mobilize onhis behalf? Can he scramble a state organization late in an already freneticcampaign cycle?
The straw poll is viewed by some as an early sign of organizationalstrength, with participants paying to cast ballots. While Huckabee andothers pushed hard for votes, three top Republicans -- Rudy Giuliani, JohnMcCain and the all-but-declared Fred Thompson -- skipped the event and, tomany, diminished its impact.
"I think that voters correctly see the straw poll as a scam," said CharlieArlinghaus, a former Republican Party executive director who is nowpresident of the Concord-based Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy."The only bump he'll get from it is the fact that he was scammed for lessmoney than the rest of them."
Huckabee, a former Baptist pastor and broadcast executive, has struggled tofind support in New Hampshire, a state where economic issues overshadowsocial ones.
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Sun-Sentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbdig08178nbaug17,0,4210736,print.story
Oakland Park: Theater company gets its own space
August 17, 2007
Rising Action Theater Inc. recently took over about 4,000 square feet inthe Primavera Shopping Mall, 840 E. Oakland Park Blvd.
David Goldyn, creator of the theater group, installed an air conditioner,built a stage and bought 96 seats from the New Theatre in Coral Gables.Goldyn's group used to set up shop wherever it could.
"I believe if you're going to be taken seriously as a theater, you need yourown space," he said.
Goldyn's venue will open in time for the company's newest production,Terrence McNally's Some Men, which begins Sept. 21. It is a retrospective ofthe lives of gay men over 80 years.
Goldyn said the group does not want to be pigeon-holed as a gay theater. Hewants to produce plays about social tolerance, accepting differences andequality.
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The Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/519/v-print/story/206090.html
Posted on Fri, Aug. 17, 2007
Judge kicks up a storm over gay players
By TALES AZZONI
The director of a prominent soccer team insinuates on national televisionthat a player on a rival team is gay. The player sues for slander and goeson TV to deny it. A judge causes an uproar by saying gays don't belong inBrazilian soccer.
With a narrative like a Latin American soap opera, the flap over the sexualorientation of Sao Paulo midfielder Richarlyson has shaken the hallowed andmacho institution of Brazilian soccer.
The commotion started in June when Palmeiras club director José CyrilloJunior was asked on TV whether it was true that a soccer player from histeam was negotiating for an exclusive television interview to announce hewas gay.
Cyrillo denied the report, but added 'Richarlyson `almost' played forPalmeiras,'' suggesting the 24-year-old player was gay.
Cyrillo later apologized, but Richarlyson filed a criminal complaint forslander.
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NationalGayNews.com
http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2007/08/new-poll-six-months-into-new-jersey.html
New Poll: Six Months Into New Jersey Civil Unions, Voters Say Change the Lawto Real Marriage Equality
MONTCLAIR, N.J., -- As New Jersey marks the six-month anniversary of thecivil unions law this Sunday, a new statewide Zogby Poll shows majorities ofvoters favoring changing the law to full marriage equality for same-sexcouples. The poll of 803 New Jersey voters was taken from August 8th through10, 2007, with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%. Though Garden State Equalitycommissioned the poll, Zogby collected the data independently.
As of today, 1,514 couples have gotten civil-unioned in New Jersey. GardenState Equality alone has heard from 242 civil-unioned couples reporting thattheir employers are not recognizing their civil unions. The poll asked:
"If public officials in New Jersey come to the conclusion that civil unionsfor gay couples have not worked to provide equality under the law, and thatthe way to fix the law is to give gay couples the same right to marry asheterosexual couples, would you be fine with that or would you be upset bythat?" 63% responded "fine with that," while only 31% responded "upset bythat."
The poll also provides key political information to legislators for whenthey consider changing civil unions to marriage equality. The poll asked:
"Which of the following do you think is most likely to happen to legislatorsif they were to allow gay couples to marry? Those legislators would not bereelected, or nothing because people care about other issues more." 72% saidnothing would happen to legislators, while only 21% said legislators wouldnot be reelected.
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The Advocate
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid48088.asp
Feds target gay Iowan senator
A state senator from Iowa defends his innocence after a federal probe findshe may have had a hand in a case of extortion.
By Jim Ferguson
An Advocate.com exclusive posted August 15, 2007
Iowa's highest ranking openly gay elected official has been indicted by theU.S. Department of Justice for extortion, facing fines up to $250,000 and 20years in prison. State Senator Matt McCoy, 41, allegedly attempted to obtain$100 for each installation of a home security system from an ADT dealershipin Des Moines, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The motion-sensor system, called QuietCare, is placed in senior citizens'homes to keep track of their safety. According to the indictment, McCoycollected about $2,000 from the company between Dec. 29, 2005, and March 24,2006.
A clear target
McCoy, who was outed on the senate floor in 2003 by ultraconservativeRepublican Senator Ken Veenstra, has been reelected several times sincefirst winning his state House seat in 1992. Veenstra lost his bid forreelection in 2004 after outing his colleague, as did several other antigayIowa officials.
"Since coming out as an openly gay man," McCoy said, "I have been acontinuous target of groups targeting gays to advance their own agendas ofintolerance and hate. Clearly, there is significant speculation about whathas motivated federal officials to take this action against me."
The senator says that U.S. Attorney Matthew Whitaker, an admittedconservative, targeted him to show his conservative loyalty to the Bushadministration in the wake of the U.S. Attorney firings by the Department ofJustice. McCoy is an outspoken advocate for gay rights issues, including anefforts to defeat a proposed gay marriage ban as well as to confirm anopenly gay man to the state's Board of Education and also to ensure a$400,000 allocation to provide drugs for AIDS patients. McCoy hassuccessfully pushed an anti-bullying law in public schools andantidiscrimination laws for LGBT people in housing and the workplace.
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48194.asp
August 17, 2007
Edwards backs his wife's criticism of Clinton, Obama
Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards on the trail Wednesday in SouthCarolina stood by his wife's criticism of rivals Barack Obama and HillaryRodham Clinton, saying her comments are consistent with what he has said inpresidential debates.
In an interview published in the August issue of The Progressive magazine,Elizabeth Edwards criticized Obama as ''holier-than-thou'' on the Iraq warand said the Illinois senator and Clinton failed to show leadership oncutting funding for the war.
Obama, she said, ''gives a speech that's likely to be extraordinarilypopular in his home district, and then comes to the Senate and votes forfunding.... So you are going to get people behaving in a holier-than-thouway.''
In a phone interview Wednesday with the Associated Press, Edwards said hehad said as much himself.
''You can look back at what I said in the New Hampshire debate totallyindependent of Elizabeth about this subject. My belief is that the Congresshas a responsibility-they actually have a mandate-to force George Bush'shand on a different course in Iraq. I think that means using theirconstitutional authority to fund to ensure that any bill that goes to thepresident has a timetable for withdrawal. I've said that all along and Istand by it,'' said Edwards, the former North Carolina senator.
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48197.asp
August 17, 2007
Protesters to gather at RV park that turned away HIV-positive 2-year-old
Following national outrage when an HIV-positive 2-year-old boy was denieduse of a public pool, the Campaign to End AIDS is holding a "family reunion"to protest the RV park where the incident occurred. An expected 150attendees plan to use the pool and showers at Wales West RV Park in SilverHill, Ala., while wearing bathing suits that read "HIV Positive." OnSeptember 3, at least 100 people living with HIV/AIDS will arrive at thepark via caravans originating in Washington, D.C.; Nashville; Miami;Houston; Dallas; and Little Rock, Ark.
The owner of Wales West RV Park, Ken Zadnichek, said he welcomes theCampaign to End AIDS to the facilities. In July, he told Dick and SilviaGlover that their adopted son, Caleb, was not welcome to use the shower andpool while they were on vacation. Silvia earlier mentioned to an attendantthat her son was HIV-positive. "We weren't sure if somebody could get thevirus if the child upchucked on them or from blood or what," Zadnichek saidshortly following the incident to Good Morning America. "We didn't know whatthe risk was. That's why we asked for something from their doctor or thecounty health department." (The Advocate)
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48203.asp
August 17, 2007
O'Reilly statement about gay-friendly candidates debunked
Conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly said on his Fox News cable show TheO'Reilly Factor August 13 that a majority of Americans would not vote for apresidential candidate who is backed by a gay rights group. Media watchdogWeb site MediaMatters.org debunked his statement Wednesday after failing tolocate the poll O'Reilly cited.
In the exchange between the host and correspondent Kirsten Powers, O'Reillysaid that a recent poll, possibly by the Pew Research Center, showed thatcandidates would lose votes for being endorsed by a gay group. His statementwas related to a discussion about the Logo presidential candidate forum thatfeatured the Democratic candidates answering questions exclusively about gayissues.
"OK, but say a gay-the question posed, 'If a gay rights organizationendorses you, would that make you more or less likely to vote?' [sic] Andmost Americans said less likely," he said, according to MediaMatters.
Powers argued that most Americans are not knowledgeable about what groupsare endorsing which candidates.
Media Matters was unable to find such a Pew poll but instead found an August6-8 Quinnipiac poll that showed voters from Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohiowould be willing to vote for a candidate who was backed by a gay rightsgroup. In Florida, 60% said it would make no difference, as did 54% fromOhio and 59% from Pennsylvania. Ten percent of voters from Florida and Ohiosaid they would be more likely to vote for a gay-friendly candidate; 11%said the same in Pennsylvania. Nearly a third in each state said they wouldbe less likely to vote for the candidate. (The Advocate)
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48165.asp
August 17, 2007
Survey reveals detailed information about gay men and lesbians
A massive 25,000-person survey of gay men and lesbians conducted byCommunity Marketing Inc. is revealing new insights about the demographic andconsumer tends of the LGBT population.
The survey found that there are approximately 1.3 million gay and lesbianhouseholds in the United States with children under the age of 18, gay andlesbian consumers are more likely to have used a Visa card than otherAmericans, and they are also more likely to buy products from companies thattreat their LGBT employees well and advertise in gay media.
Tom Roth, president of Community Marketing Inc., said the 2007 Gay ConsumerIndex and 2007 Lesbian Consumer Index, which is based on data collected frommore than 12,000 men and 10,000 women, could be used by marketers interestedin targeting gay consumers.
"Our community has risen to the forefront among corporate marketingexecutives in recent years, but most campaigns have relied on a 'shotgun'approach to reaching various segments. This is mainly because in-depth crosssections of gay and lesbian consumer data have not been available," Rothsaid. "These indices are a comprehensive and truly representativestatistical picture of gay and lesbian consumers. They tell us who the U.S.lesbian and gay consumer is, including an unprecedented profile of thedemographic and psychographic details of their motivations, issues andpreferences."
According to the survey, the top three most widely-read publications amonggay men are LGBT-specific titles such as The Advocate, Out and local LGBTpublications; The New York Times, Men's Health, and GQ were the three mostcommonly cited "mainstream" publications. For lesbians, the three mostwidely read publications were The Advocate, Curve, and local LGBT papers,with People, AARP The Magazine, and O The Oprah Magazine serving as theirmainstream favorites.
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid48207.asp
August 17, 2007
Richardson's forum statements reveal second possible blunder
New Mexico governor Bill Richardson has clearly been a friend to LGBTpeople, promoting a domestic-partner bill in his state and backing a numberof line items on the "gay agenda," including the repeal of "don't ask, don'ttell," a rollback of the Defense of Marriage Act, and an end to immigrationblocks against binational same-sex partners.
Yet his performance on the stump has been rife with controversy, from hisuse of a Spanish term for "faggot" last year to his comment on last week'sLogo debate that homosexuality is a "choice."
The "choice" remark drew immediate condemnation from activists and bloggers,obliging the candidate to offer an apology and an explanation (he was tired)the following day, when he went personally to The Advocate's Los Angelesoffice and spoke with news editor Kerry Eleveld.
Overlooked in the hoopla, however, was an inexplicable misstatement duringthe debate, one that arguably should have triggered a far greater outcrythan the comment about choice. When asked about his 1996 House vote in favorof the Defense of Marriage Act, Richardson told the panel:
"Well, I was the chief deputy whip of the Democrats at the time. PresidentClinton was president. And at the time the objective in passing DOMA was tofight a huge assault for a constitutional amendment in the Congress to banmarriage. It was sort of a cheap political way to decimate a badinitiative."
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid47352.asp
A brotherhood for us
Delta Lambda Phi, a social fraternity created by gay men for all men,celebrates its 20th year.
By Frank Mok
An Advocate.com exclusive posted August 14, 2007
In a world that values beer busts, hazing, and crass behavior, collegefraternities don't come off as the most gay-friendly of organizations. ButDelta Lambda Phi, a national fraternity for gay and bisexual men withheadquarters in Washington, D.C., is working hard to change that image, andit celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.
A frat for gays? It's true, explains Randy Hubach, the organization'snational vice president of outreach. "Delta Lambda Phi, like mostfraternities, serves as a second family and brotherhood, networkingorganization, and professional development organization for our members," hesays.
Delta Lambda Phi was the brainchild of Vernon Strickland III, who with threewealthy benefactors created in 1987 the Alpha chapter, the fraternity'sfirst. "The creation of a gay fraternity seemed a natural extension of themovement towards increased visibility," says Strickland, now a prominentattorney in the D.C. area. He explains that the LGBT movement informed thefraternity's mission from the beginning.
"In 1986 the national political scene was dominated by Jerry Falwell and hisfundamentalist Moral Majority organization," says Strickland. "The ReaganWhite House wanted gays to be invisible. Gay rights or marriage was not evendiscussed, and although AIDS was a known pandemic by that time, Reagan wouldnot speak the term 'AIDS' publicly [until 1985]. The national gay movementwas focused on the repeal of sodomy laws, and [Georgia's Bowers v.] Hardwickcase was being taken to the Supreme Court; but the court upheld the sodomylaw by one vote."
Then a 20-something Georgetown University law student, Strickland acted asthe informal legal counsel for a fellow student who had been denied amembership bid from a fraternity based on the presumption that he was gay.After hearing similar stories from other parts of the country, Stricklandbecame aware of the pervasiveness of behind-the-scenes fraternity proceduresthat kept "gay" men-supposed or actual-from receiving bids.
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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid47964.asp
This gay is not for Giuliani
After posting online his fake PSA "Gays for Giuliani," 25-year-old RyanDavis became an unlikely political mouthpiece.
By Steven Gaughan
An Advocate.com exclusive posted August 13, 2007
You may not be familiar with Ryan Davis or his organization "Gays forGiuliani"-probably because the former is a 25-year-old off-Broadwaydirector, and the latter is made up-but both are exerting a tangibleinfluence on the presidential primary race, at least among the Internetsavvy. With a home video camera and a few friends, Davis created the mockPSA "Gays for Giuliani," a mini movie expressing facetious support for theformer New York City mayor-and sometime drag queen-Rudy Giuliani. Accordingto the creator, the fake PSA was intended as a criticism of Giuliani'srecent flip-flopping on gay rights issues. But Davis's use of gaystereotypes have some calling the out-and-proud politico, rather than theGOP, homophobic.
What prompted you to create this "advertisement"?
I was pretty upset that Giuliani was turning his back on the gay community.When he was mayor of NYC, I always thought of him as a social progressive,and now he just panders to the Christian right.
Why online video as opposed to another medium?
It's a great way to get your message out there. Corporations and churcheshave lots of money and lobbyists. I don't have either one of those, but I dohave a video camera and access to YouTube.com.
Do you see the Internet-more specifically, blogs and YouTube-as majorinfluences in the upcoming election?
Absolutely. It's holding candidates constantly accountable. Look at formersenator George Allen from Virginia-he basically lost the election because avideo of him using a racial slur during a campaign speech surfaced onYouTube. I don't think you're going to hear anyone saying "macaca" this timearound.
How has your opinion of Giuliani changed, given his flip-flopping on gayrights and other controversial issues?
I've disagreed with Giuliani on some issues and agreed with him on others,but I've always respected him as a real leader. He seemed to stand forthings he actually believed in. Now, he's gone back and forth on so manyissues I can't keep track. It's hard to respect someone who is so constantlypandering.
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ExpressGayNews.com
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/NEWS01/70816006/1004/LIVING
Crowd wants same-sex ban lifted
By BILL BOWMAN
ASBURY PARK PRESS
OCEAN GROVE -- Words of support, exhortations to act and promises of plentyof opportunities to do so reverberated through the Manchester Inn onWednesday during a public meeting of a new grass-roots group formed toconvince the Camp Meeting Association to change its policy banning same-sexcivil unions from the boardwalk pavilion.
Local, county and federal politicians, gay-rights activists, clergy membersand Ocean Grove residents all took turns at the microphone to urge the morethan 50 people attending the meeting sponsored by Ocean Grove United to keepup the struggle.
:This is a blatant and plainly un-Christian display of bigotry," the Rev.David Parker, a Methodist minister, told the crowd. "We should be ready tospeak truth to power and be ready to say to them again and again, undo thisdiscrimination, do what is right, do a deed of justice."
The meeting came several days after the Camp Meeting Association, throughthe Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Alliance Defense Fund, filed a federal lawsuitagainst the state Division on Civil Rights for instituting an investigationinto the association's refusal to allow same-sex civil unions in thepavilion.
The state started the investigation after it received complaints from twolesbian couples who claimed the association's refusal to allow theirceremonies violated their civil rights.
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ExpressGayNews.com
http://www.salon.com/sports/col/kaufman/2007/08/14/tuesday/print.html
King Kaufman's Sports Daily
"We don't try to undermine gay stereotypes": Outsports co-founder CydZiegler Jr. talks about gay athletes, gay allies and the site's new book.
Aug. 14, 2007 | "The Outsports Revolution," the first book by the foundersand editors of Outsports, the leading gay sports Web site, has a littlesomething for a lot of people.
Gay and sports-phobic? There's advice about how to get over the horriblegym-class memories many gay men share and relate to jock friends andsignificant others, right down to co-founder Jim Buzinski's recipe for theperfect Super Bowl chili.
Buzinski and Cyd Ziegler Jr. also offer lists of the best gay-themed sportsbooks and movies, discussions of sports fashion -- Speedos good, baggybasketball duds bad, is how they see it -- and serious consideration of someof the issues gay athletes and sports fans face. Plus, at the behest of thepublisher, Ziegler says, great bunches of photos of buff dudes at sportingevents.
Those shots echo one of the most popular features of the Outsports site, thephoto galleries. "The Outsports Revolution" includes a fascinating e-mailexchange between Buzinski and "Timmy," who said he was a closetedprofessional athlete whose name wasn't anything like Timmy.
Timmy objected to the photo galleries on the site, arguing that they confirmthe mainstream's stereotype that "if we're gay, we'll want to 'sexualize'our sport."
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ExpressGayNews.com
http://expressgaynews.com/2007/8-16/arts/feature/3954.cfm
The courageous life of Noel Coward
Gay actor and playwright Mark Anders brings Coward's wit to Florida Stage
By SHERI ELFMAN
Aug. 16, 2007
The work of gay playwright, actor and composer Noel Coward has alwaysinspired Mark Anders. In fact, the theater actor has participated in threeshows based on Coward's life.
Anders' latest Coward production is "A Marvelous Party," which iscurrently playing at Florida Stage in Manalapan in the Palm Beach area.
"I love Noel Coward," says Anders, who is gay. "He is hilariously funnyand to the point."
Coward was gay, but chose not to discuss his private life. He wasfamously quoted as saying, "There is still a woman in Paddington Square whowants to marry me, and I don't want to disappoint her."
Through his life, which spanned from 1899 to 1973, he was a confidant tomany celebrities, including Marlene Dietrich, Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland,Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/081607nmpo.htm
NM Abandons Plans For State Medical Pot Farms
by The Associated Press
Posted: August 16, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Santa Fe, New Mexico) New Mexico will not grow medical marijuana forseriously ill patients for fear that the federal government could prosecutestate workers, but will continue to certify which patients are eligible topossess the drug.
The state health department said it will not comply with a portion of thenew medical marijuana law (story) that requires it to oversee production anddistribution of the drug. It will still certify patients as eligible topossess marijuana, protecting them from state prosecution.
"The Department of Health will not subject its employees to potentialfederal prosecution, and therefore will not distribute or produce medicalmarijuana," said Dr. Alfredo Vigil, who heads the agency.
The decision came after state Attorney General Gary King cautioned last weekthat the agency and its employees could face federal prosecution forimplementing the new law, and that his office can't defend state workers incriminal cases. Marijuana is illegal under federal law.
The attorney general's office, which acts as legal counsel for stateagencies, was pleased with the health department's decision, spokesman PhilSisneros said.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/081607brison.htm
Two Former Prime Ministers To Attend Canadian Gay Politician's Wedding
by The Canadian Press
Posted: August 16, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET
(Halifax, Nova Scotia) It may be known for its breathtaking views of theMinas Basin and the sheer cliffs of Blomidon, but a quiet corner of NovaScotia has become the setting for an historic political first that some saywill further affirm gay rights.
The tiny community of Cheverie on the province's western shoreline will hostthe wedding on Saturday of one of its most famous sons, Liberal MP ScottBrison, and his partner Maxime St. Pierre.
News of the nuptials has made headlines across the country as Brison becomesthe first federal politician to tie the knot since gay marriage waslegalized just over two years ago.
But many of the 200 or so residents of the blink-and-you-miss-it communityof Cheverie don't understand the fuss, saying it's merely the story of apopular local boy who's come home to marry his longtime love.
``Everybody knows Scott, so it's just another wedding, I guess,'' said Paul,an employee at Cheverie's autobody shop who would only give his first name.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/081707obama.htm
Obama: I'm The One To Clean Up Washington
by The Associated Press
Posted: August 17, 2007 - 8:30 am ET
(Des Moines, Iowa) Democrat Barack Obama, who accepts special interest moneyand played poker with lobbyist pals as an Illinois lawmaker, acknowledgesthat he swims in "the same muddy water" that corrupts Washington, but hepledged to reform the system if elected president.
Presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton "doesn't recognize the problem,"Obama told The Associated Press.
"I have a bunch of friends who were state lobbyists. The fact of the matteris ... I played poker with them, so I don't think that lobbyists are evil,"said the first-term Illinois senator. "I just think they've got an agendaand you got to be clear about that, and not pretend that they don't."
"Why else are they getting hired and making all this money unless they'reactually getting something done?"
The renewed criticism of Clinton and Obama's blunt assessment of his ownrole in the "original sin" of politics is the latest twist in a Democraticprimary fight over lobbyist donations. Fellow Democratic presidentialcandidate John Edwards has challenged both Clinton and Obama to join him inrefusing campaign donations from lobbyists.
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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/081707gop.htm
Following Hastert 2 More GOP Reps Won't Run Again
by The Associated Press
Posted: August 17, 2007 - 8:30 am ET
(Washington) Republicans are scrambling to find a candidate for one of thenation's most competitive congressional districts as Rep. Deborah Pryce,nearly a casualty of the 2006 Democratic surge, announced that she would notseek a ninth term.
Also announcing that he will not run for re-election in 2008 was Rep. ChipPickering, a six-term Republican from Mississippi.
Pryce, once the most powerful Republican woman in Congress, beat Mary JoKilroy last year by 1,062 votes out of 220,000 cast. Democrats are backingKilroy, a Franklin County commissioner, in 2008.
Republicans could have trouble finding a top-flight candidate for an openseat in the district. Former Attorney General Jim Petro, now a lawyer inprivate practice, said Thursday that House GOP leader John Boehner andothers had approached him about running for the nomination. He said he woulddecide whether to get back into politics within two weeks.
"I'm giving those thoughts a lot of consideration now," Petro said.
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The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/us/17lutheran.html?pagewanted=print
August 17, 2007
Advocates Hail Lutheran Act on Gay Clergy Members
By NEELA BANERJEE
The country's largest Lutheran denomination officially bars openly gay people from the ministry. But in a move that advocates for gay men and
lesbians are hailing as a step toward changing that policy, thedenomination
is urging its bishops to refrain from disciplining gay members of theclergy
who are in committed same-sex relationships.
A resolution to that effect was passed last weekend in Chicago bydelegates
to the biennial meeting of the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of America.
Church officials said it did not signal a change in policy. But theysaid
that a denomination task force was completing "a social statement," or
theological document, on human sexuality, to be discussed in 2009, andthat
the resolution allowed bishops to hold off, in the interim, on takingaction
against gay and lesbian ministers in their jurisdictions.
Robert Tuttle, counsel to the bishop of the synod of metropolitan Washington, D.C., said, "What it changes is that it gives bishops somecover who want to exercise discretion to not bring charges."
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ExpressGayNews.com
www.expressgaynews.com
Gay travel columnists urge tourists to visit Lauderdale
BAR editor defends editorial, says she didn't call for boycott
By PHIL LAPADULA
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Syndicated gay travel columnists Donald Pile and Ray Williams are urgingvacationers to visit Fort Lauderdale to show support for the local gaycommunity in the wake of Mayor Jim Naugle's recent anti-gay comments.
"We have been getting dozens of e-mails from all around the countryregarding the mayor of Fort Lauderdale and asking if they should boycottFort Lauderdale," Pile and Williams wrote in a press statement. "We have onesimple answer to that question: NO! A boycott is not the answer. In fact,just the opposite should happen. You should intentionally make a point ofvisiting Fort Lauderdale NOW!.... Fort Lauderdale has been the gay mecca ofthe East Coast of the country for years, and it is a fabulous place."
Pile and Williams' column, "Gay Travelers," appears in more than 20 gaynewspapers and on several websites. Their press release comes about a weekafter the Bay Area Reporter, a gay newspaper in San Francisco, ran aneditorial that urged tourists to vacation elsewhere because of Naugle'santi-gay remarks.
"LGBT travelers should seriously consider whether they should visit FortLauderdale," the BAR editorial said. "We would argue that they should send amessage with their wallets and vacation elsewhere. Cities such as FortLauderdale shouldn't be rewarded with our hard-earned dollars its leadingpublic official inflames public sentiment and makes defamatory and unfoundedcharges."
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Kaiser Network
kaisernetwork.org
Message from sender:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=46850
Abstinence-Only Sex Education Programs Not Effective at Preventing Spread ofHIV in High-Income Countries, Study Says
Abstinence-only sex education programs are not effective at reducing therisk of HIV transmission in developed countries, according to a studypublished in the Aug. 4 issue of the British Medical Journal, the
For the study, Kristen Underhill, a research officer at the University ofOxford
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1187168526120&pos=ataglance
Federal Judge: Students Can Never Consent to Sex With Their Teachers
Shannon P. Duffy
The Legal Intelligencer
08-16-2007
Finding that a high school student can never truly consent to having asexual relationship with a teacher whose class she is taking, a federaljudge has refused to dismiss a civil rights suit brought by a woman whoclaims she had a 10-month affair with her band teacher beginning in 2003.
"A high school student who is assigned to a teacher's class does not havethe capacity to welcome that teacher's physical sexual conduct," U.S.District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno wrote in his 41-page opinion in Chancellorv. Pottsgrove School District.
"Under these circumstances, the teacher's conduct is deemed unwelcomed.Unwelcome sexual conduct constitutes a sexually hostile educationalenvironment, a form of sexual harassment. And sexual harassment constitutesdiscrimination on the basis of sex," Robreno wrote.
As a result, Robreno said, "a teacher who has sex with a high school studentwho is assigned to his class discriminates against the student on the basisof sex in violation of Title IX."
Robreno also refused to allow the Pottsgrove, Pa., School District to amendits answer to the suit to add a statute-of-limitations defense on thegrounds that plaintiff Jeanette Chancellor filed the suit more than twoyears after her 18th birthday.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
ABC NEWS
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3483364&page=1
Should 14-Year-Olds Have to Register as Sex Offenders?
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Chicago Free Press
http://s22036.gridserver.com/node/223
Why not Kucinich?
Wed, 08/15/2007 - 16:20 - Admin
As touted, last week's first-ever nationally televised presidentialcandidate forum on GLBT issues was historic.
Those who watched saw firsthand how each of the six Democratic presidentialcandidates who participated stand on issues important to our community. It'sone thing to read accounts or statements about the candidates' positions. Onall but one gay community issue, to be honest, they all pretty much agree.To watch them interact with a GLBT panel and audience is something elsealtogether.
It is time in this presidential race to start making decisions. Believe itor not, in less than six months, Illinois voters cast ballots for the personwe want in the White House. Voters need to start focusing on who we wantthat to be; more importantly, those who want to take a more active role inthe race by providing financial support or volunteering need to do so now.
So what did we learn from this forum?
For starters, every Republican candidate for president turned down theopportunity to participate. That's too bad-some GLBT voters might beinclined to vote for a Republican. Apparently, they don't want our votesthis time. If they did, they'd gladly take advantage of a chance to reachout to millions of GLBT voters.
Two Democratic candidates-Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd-also chose tobypass the forum. Dodd later responded with written answers to some of thequestions. Sorry-that's not good enough, and neither is ignoring usaltogether. If you want our votes, you'll do us the courtesy of coming intoour living rooms and asking for them.
Of the candidates who did appear, it was clear that one-Rep. Dennis Kucinichof Ohio-really gets it.
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Wilton Manors - Labor Day Weekend Fund Raisers
Rosie's Bar and Grill has an announcement!
The community at large is always asking for something unique and fun to dooutside of the ordinary. Rosie's starts it's weekend long celebration ofit's 1 year anniversary on Labor Day Weekend by answering this call as wellas continuing it's commitment to supporting local and national non-profits.
The following events cover the map so that everyone will find something thatthey might like to try or do and all of it with no cover charge - Just lookfor the BIG TENT.
We start the party with a movie that made a mark in all of our hearts with alittle bit of "Summer Lovin" - GREASE! Come out and sing in your best andworst voices and if you dress up as one of your favorite characters you justmight win a prize too!
Friday Night Martini Movie Madness
Benefiting The Smart Ride
Starting time 8:00
Movie - Grease! The Sing Along
Theme - 50's
Prizes for best look - a - like
The weekend of events continues with an afternoon of B-I-N-G-O on August1st. It's the game that everyone loves and we will of course put our usualtwist on it! Benefiting the PALS Project (a program of the GLCC) BeachBlanket Bingo will make you laugh and hopefully yell that one thing we wouldall like to yell - BINGO!
Saturday Afternoon Beach Blanket Bingo
Benefiting The PALS Project - a program of the GLCC
1st session starting time 2:00
30 minute intermission
2nd session starting around 4:15
Theme - anything beach! - Beach balls, blankets, swimsuits,
Great prizes will be awarded for each bingo culminating of course to onegrand prize.
Remember the entire event is a fundraiser so bring your game on and do somegood too. Prizes will also be awarded for Best Beach Ensemble, Beast BeachBlanket Table Decoration, and Best Group Effort
The Day continues into night and with what else! Names Names Names
Darling - Couture! That's Right - Rosie's brings a night of Sex on theIsland City -
Drag, Divas and Designers!
The night will be filled with comedy, costumes, and clothing all answeringthe ever present questions What Should I Wear? With a large runway, plentyof room, and of course plenty of laughs - people will be talking about this"episode" for years to come.
Saturday Night
Sex on the Island City - Drag, Divas and Designers!
Starting time 8:00
Benefiting Poverello Clothing Store and Treats for Troops
Featuring fashion and models from Honey and Zoo14
Drag Show by Deserea, Misty Eyezs, and the entire Rosie Cast
Rosie's 1 year anniversary weekend doesn't end there - oh no no - Rosie'sFamous T-Dance is back and fearcer than ever with a Royal Spin Off betweenTwo DJ Legends, DJ Wendy Hunt and DJ Warren Gluck. Get your groove backwith more than enough time to recover before having to go back to work onTuesday and of course NO COVER CHARGE
Sunday Day - T-Dance
Starting time 11:00 with Rosie's own DJ James
Main Event 1:00 with DJ Wendy Hunt and DJ Warren Gluck
Feeling a little tired darling? whew a weekend of events need a recoveryday and we have just the thing for you. Mondays Recovery Lunch starting at11:00 gives you enough time to sleep in and just late enough to make itfashionable. Sit on our fantastic patio with a Bloody Mary and marvel atjust how fabulous you are - it will be a Labor Day that is truly a work oflove.
Contact information
Keith Willard
Event Manager
Rosie's Bar & Grill
2449 Wilton Drive
Wilton Manors,FL 33304
954-567-1320
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