Friday, August 24, 2007

GLBT DIGEST August 24, 2007

**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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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-sh24clublpbaug24,0,4712175,print.story

Clubland: Fun blooms at Rosie's Bar & Grill in Wilton Manors
By Heather C. McCalla
August 24, 2007

Celebrating its first birthday, Rosie's Bar & Grill is pulling out all thestops with a circus.

Well, not exactly, but the big tent is going up in celebration of the WiltonManors bar's four-day anniversary party Labor Day weekend. Featuring severalthemes Friday through Monday, including Movie Martini Madness and a DragFashion Show, the dramatics will be in full effect.

Since its transformation from Hamburger Mary's, subtle improvements (soundsystem and plasma TVs) were added, but the same casual decor and fun spiritremain. From hosting an Oscars party to Monday night drag queen shows to thesimple lure of cold beer specials on hot Sunday afternoons, it's rarely aslow night (or day) at Rosie's.

Living directly behind the bar, Shane Gunderson, of Wilton Manors, walks toRosie's every Sunday, often for lunch and sometimes just for thefive-for-$10 Michelob Ultra and the five-for-$6 Miller Lite bucket deals.Grabbing a frosty bottle from a sweating bucket, Gunderson quietly stands atthe inside bar and takes in the bustling scene with his boyfriend.

"I like that it's always high energy here. The wait staff is campy, even theshirts are campy," Gunderson says, pointing to a passing server whose shirtreads, "I'm a server, not a shrink."



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-uganda-gays.html?pagewanted=print

August 24, 2007
Ugandan Government Accused Of "State Homophobia"
By REUTERS
Filed at 7:11 a.m. ET

NAIROBI (Reuters) - An international human rights group has accusedPresident Yoweri Museveni's government of promoting "state homophobia" inUganda and urged the repeal of a colonial-era law against sodomy.

Human Rights Watch's attack added to a fierce social debate in the eastAfrican nation, where gays and lesbians have been increasingly vocal indemanding rights while Christian groups have taken to the streets todenounce them.

Homosexuality is proscribed in many African countries, with gays andlesbians often living secret lives to avoid prejudice.

New York-based HRW sent a letter to Museveni calling for legislative reformand an end to his "long record of harassing" lesbian, gay, bisexual andtrans-gender people.



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The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082301832.html

No More Pedophile Tourists
By Michael Gerson
Friday, August 24, 2007; A15

One sexual predator, when interviewed by the FBI, described his experiencewith foreign child prostitutes this way: "It's like being a star. They wantto try my food. They want to see what clothes I wear. They want to watch mytelevision." Such "stars" are the global consumers of innocence, exercisinga particularly brutal form of power over the poorest, most vulnerablechildren on Earth.

About 25 percent of sex tourists targeting children are from the UnitedStates, traveling to Latin America, Asia and Africa in search of abominationon the modified American plan.

Another predator told the FBI that he shouldn't be prosecuted because thegirls he used were professionals. In his case, they ranged from 13 to 15years old. Other transactions involve boys younger than 10. These"professionals" are often recruited by kidnapping or deception. With two orthree "customers" a night, they suffer lasting physical damage and becomeparticularly susceptible to venereal disease. They often end their lives associal outcasts, addicted to drugs and alcohol.

The language of commerce -- "professionals" serving "customers" -- ismisapplied to violent child abuse.



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Forwarded by David Bockoff

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-oe-stone23aug23,0,4801727.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials

Los Angeles Times
The Gospel and hate crimes
By Geoffrey R. Stone
August 23 2007

On May 3, the House voted to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate CrimesPrevention Act of 2007. The Senate will take up a companion bill, known asthe Matthew Shepard Act, when it returns from its summer recess. If enacted,this law would authorize the Justice Department, in certain narrowly definedcircumstances, to criminally prosecute an individual who "willfully" causesbodily injury to another person or "through the use of fire, a firearm or anexplosive . . . attempts to cause bodily injury" to another person becauseof that person's race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexualorientation, gender identity or disability.

A coalition of conservative African American pastors has aggressivelylobbied against this legislation on the premise that it would make itunlawful for them to preach that homosexuality is a sin. Bishop Harry R.Jackson Jr., pastor of the Hope Christian Church in College Park, Md., forexample, has asserted that the act would "keep the church from preaching theGospel."

This objection to the legislation is fanciful. To begin with, there is nodoubt of the act's constitutionality. In 1993, the Supreme Court unanimouslyupheld a virtually identical state law in Wisconsin vs. Mitchell. The courtmade clear that "a physical assault is not by any stretch of the imaginationexpressive conduct protected by the 1st Amendment." Moreover, the courtemphasized that the government has a perfectly legitimate interest inpunishing "bias-motivated crimes" because such crimes are especially likelyto inflict emotional harm on their victims, incite community unrest andprovoke retaliatory violence.

more....


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WayneBesen.com

www.waynebesen.com

Anything But Straight
Putting Lies To The Test
by Wayne Besen

Last week, I wrote about Warren "Dr. Blog" Throckmorton an unlicensedpsychologist from a small Christian school in Pennsylvania. He has writtenno books, produced no noteworthy studies and his main claim to fame is hisonline diary, where he kvetches about real researchers who have actuallystepped foot in the lab.

On August 17, at the American Psychological Association's annual meeting inSan Francisco, Dr. Blog unveiled his new creation, "Sexual IdentityTherapy." In this bizarre paradigm, sexual attractions no longer matter.According to SIT, a man could lust after shirtless dudes in hot pants andhave no attraction to women, but could still identify as "straight." We usedto call this denial, but a few acquisitive quacks have figured out there ismoney to be made off conflicted clients by reassuring them that denial ishealthy, if it keeps them holy.

The theory behind SIT is that sexuality is a "construct" that can be alteredand aligned with religious beliefs. Of course, there is no evidence tosupport this view, while there are countless examples that such repressioncan be harmful. In Throckmorton's presentation he called this surrealprocess "synthesized sexual identity." Yeah, this sounds about as natural asplastic or polyester, doesn't it?

As irrational and incoherent as Throckmorton's theories are, he has joined acoalition of right wing activist organizations to try to force the APA intoendorsing such quackery. It is doubtful that they will get their way, butthe real goal is to bash the APA, hoping to diminish the group's authority.

more....


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Forwarded from Joe VanEron
Gay Dania Beach

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbgay0824nbaug24,0,2670032.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Broward tourism promoters tell Mayor Naugle to stop criticizing gays
By Scott Wyman and Tom Stieghorst
August 24, 2007

The leadership of Broward County's multibillion-dollar tourism industrydemanded Thursday that Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle stop his attacks onhomosexuality even as he pressed them to change a marketing campaign meantto attract gay tourists.

They said Naugle's comments over the past two months have damaged thereputation they carefully created in the two decades since the area's roleas college Spring Break capital ended. They not only cited internationalnews coverage and the deluge of calls and e-mails from concerned tourists,but said one gay-oriented convention has been put on hold.

"The rhetoric needs to stop," Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater FortLauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, told Naugle at Thursday's meetingof the Tourism Development Council. "The anger and the mischaracterizationand the hurtful, mean-spirited and wrong-hearted rhetoric has to stop."

Although Naugle vowed not to back down, the controversy could cost him hisseat on the tourism board. County commissioners are drafting legislation tooust him.

more....



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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org

Science Daily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823110231.htm

Are Homosexual Civil Unions A 600-year-old Tradition?

Science Daily - A compelling new study from the September issue of theJournal of Modern History reviews historical evidence, including documentsand gravesites, suggesting that homosexual civil unions may have existed sixcenturies ago in France. The article is the latest from the ongoing"Contemporary Issues in Historical Perspective" series, which explores theintersection between historical knowledge and current affairs.

Commonly used rationales in support of gay marriage and gay civil unionsavoid historical arguments. However, as Allan A. Tulchin (ShippensburgUniversity) reveals in his forthcoming article, a strong historicalprecedent exists for homosexual civil unions.

Opponents of gay marriage in the United States today have tended to assumethat nuclear families have always been the standard household form. However,as Tulchin writes, "Western family structures have been much more variedthan many people today seem to realize, and Western legal systems have inthe past made provisions for a variety of household structures."



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"Murder Music" Reggae Demo's Aims Broaden (GCN)

http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18740562&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6

REGGAE DEMO'S AIMS BROADEN
by Paul Schindler

Gay City News (New York City), August 23, 2006 As a coalition of LGBTactivists plan for an August 25 demonstration protesting the appearance oftwo Jamaican dancehall artists whose songs preach the murder of gay men,leaders of the group have arrived at two critical decisions - they are notasking the city to intervene in the reggae event being held on ParksDepartment property and they intend to broaden their message to take aim atviolent homophobic and misogynistic messages across the music industry.

"We will do a protest, one about all anti-gay violence, worldwide, and aboutall areas of music, not focused solely on these artists or on reggae music,"said Mark Milano, an activist affiliated with the Queer Justice League.Milano was the first activist to focus attention on Saturday's ReggaeCariFest planned for Randall's Island after he came across a subway flyerindicating the artist line-up includes Buju Banton and Bounty Killa.

more...



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[euro-queer] Uganda: State Homophobia Threatens Health and Human Rights

Government Persecution Contributing to HIV Pandemic

(New York, August 23, 2007) - In a country where homosexual conduct can bepunished with life imprisonment, the Ugandan government's latest call forarrests based on sexual orientation is a grave threat to basic freedoms,Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Yoweri Museveni. Theletter urged the government to repeal its colonial-era sodomy law and end along record of harassing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)people.

On August 21, Uganda's Radio One announced that Deputy Attorney General FredRuhindi had called for the criminal law to be used against lesbians and gaysin Uganda. "I call upon the relevant agencies to take appropriate actionbecause homosexuality is an offense under the laws of Uganda," he reportedlysaid. "The penal code in no uncertain terms punishes homosexuality and otherunnatural offenses."

Homosexual acts are criminalized in Uganda under a sodomy law inherited fromBritish colonial times, although punishments were substantially strengthenedin 1990. Section 140 of the criminal code punishes "carnal knowledge againstthe order of nature" -interpreted to include consensual same sexrelationships - with a maximum of life imprisonment.


more....



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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org

GLAAD Calls on Clear Channel to Withdraw Support of Reggae Carifest;Media to Scrutinize Appearance of Bounty Killer and Buju Banton

August 22, 2007 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)today urged Clear Channel to withdraw the sponsorship of its Power 105.1station from the upcoming Reggae Carifest, featuring anti-gay performersBuju Banton and Bounty Killer. The event is slated for August 25 atRandall¹s Island in New York.

GLAAD is also encouraging the media to spotlight these performers' violent,disturbing lyrics and to question Clear Channel's support of messages thatpromote violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendercommunity.

"Buju Banton and Bounty Killer continue to perform songs with virulentlyhomophobic lyrics that in some cases support the murder of gay people," saidGLAAD Senior Director of Media Programs Rashad Robinson. "It is unacceptablefor Clear Channel, the concert promoters, and the other sponsors to providethese performers with a platform to promote messages that put lesbian, gay,bisexual, and transgender people in harm's way."

Both Buju Banton and Bounty Killer notoriously celebrate brutal acts ofanti-gay violence in their music. For example, lyrics from Buju Banton'ssong "Boom Bye Bye" refer to a gay person as a "batty-boy," which is a slangterm equivalent to the f-word.

Contact Ray's List for full article



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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/80081.php

Lack Of Sex Education In U.S. Increases Vulnerability To Sexual Assault,STIs, Former Surgeon General Elders Says
21 Aug 2007

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders on Wednesday at a CommunityHealth Centers of Arkansas summit on health care said the lack of sexeducation in the nation is "deafening" and makes children vulnerable tosexual assault and sexually transmitted infections, AP/KUAR reports. Sheadded that the nation is "paying a very heavy price for not educating ouryoung people."

Elders said to more than 200 people at the summit in Little Rock, Ark., thatabstinence-only sex education programs are unrealistic (AP/KUAR, 8/16). "Thereason" for high HIV and STI rates in "Southern states is because [Southernstates] are less likely to have sex education and talk about it as part ofour schools and a part of our system," Elders said, adding thatabstinence-only programs that do not teach contraception will not solve theissue (Wiest, Arkansas News Bureau, 8/16).

In addition, Elders questioned criticism of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), who isrunning for the Democratic presidential nomination, for supporting programsteaching age-appropriate sex education to students beginning inkindergarten.



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Chicago Free Press

http://s22036.gridserver.com/node/261

Malaysian gay minister takes faith back to his country
Wed, 08/22/2007 - 17:00 - Admin
By Sean Yoong
A.P. writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia-Malaysia's first openly gay Christian pastor, who hasworked at a New York church, conducted a controversial worship service Aug.12, calling on mainstream churches not to discriminate against gays.

The Rev. Ouyang Wen Feng, an ethnic Chinese Malaysian who was ordained aminister in the United States in May, told a congregation of nearly 80people, mainly gay men and women, to "reclaim our faith and celebrate oursexuality."

"For some of us, especially our gay brothers and sisters, we haveexperienced firsthand that Christianity has been used to persecuteminorities," Ouyang said during the service in a Kuala Lumpur hotel.

Ouyang, 37, has sparked concerns among Malaysian Christian community leadersafter he recently declared that he hopes to set up a church in thispredominantly Muslim nation, which has large Christian, Buddhist and Hinduminorities.

A church that accepts gay relationships would face stiff opposition fromboth Muslim and Christian conservatives in Malaysia. Although homosexualityis not specifically a crime in this Southeast Asian country, it is coveredunder a law prohibiting sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years inprison and whipping.



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National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/1495/173/

Same-Sex Pension Benefits Won
Thursday, 23 August 2007 07:13
Same-Sex Pension Benefits Won

Marvin Burrows of Hayward simply wanted what he believed his latepartner of 51 years had left him, but by pursuing it, he apparently has wonnew rights for about 5,500 union members and retirees across NorthernCalifornia.

Burrows, 71, has fought for pension benefits left by his partner, BillSwenor, since Swenor's death in March 2005 at age 66. Last week,International Longshore and Warehouse Union locals 6 and 17 - based inOakland and West Sacramento, respectively - announced they had renegotiatedtheir contracts to grant pension benefits to domestic partners, and made thechange retroactive to include Burrows.

Read More...





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National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/1493/173/

Why We Still Need Gay Pride
Thursday, 23 August 2007 06:56

Some years ago, the term "post-gay" was coined to describe a worldwhere Gay Pride and Gay Villages no longer matter. Well, in North America,that day is upon us. It's not just organizations like Capital Pride here inOttawa that are struggling, it's major Pride parades and Gay Villages incities like Seattle and New Orleans that are redefining themselves and whatit means to be gay in urban centres. Just look at the evidence.

Read More...





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Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=13942

Transgender candidate reportedly applies for Tempe city manager jobSusan Stanton leaves Florida for Arizona
PHOENIX (AP) | Aug 23, 1:08 PM

The former city manager of Largo, Florida -- who was fired earlier this yearwhen his sex change plans were made public -- reportedly has applied for theTempe city manager's job.

Susan Stanton was known as Steve Stanton throughout her 14-year tenure asLargo's manager.

The Largo City Commission voted in February and again in March to fireStanton from the 140,000-a-year job.

Commissioners said it was Stanton's judgment and not the sex changerevelation that prompted the votes.

Tempe officials wouldn't confirm that the 48-year-old Stanton is one of 23people applying for the city manager's job because they aren't disclosingany names except the finalists.

The City Council will start choosing the finalists on Monday.



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Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/8-23/locallife/feature/3968.cfm

Local-based nightlife, chamber anchor Miami community
Young residents lead revival of city's gay nightlife scene
By MICHAEL W. SASSER
Thursday, August 23, 2007

With the state of GLBT nightlife in Miami and its mainland environs, it'shard to imagine it was once the battlefield for the anti-gay AnitaBryant-led campaign.

"There are a lot of bars and clubs in Miami," said Edison Farrow,uber-promoter of GLBT nightlife events. "Although O-Zone closed, it wasn'tbecause of slow business. The land was sold. It was very busy its lastweekends."

Farrow also pointed out that Discotekka Miami, near downtown, opened five orsix months ago. And Sandals - formerly Zippers and Cupid's Cabaret - wasopen once again on 79th Street between Biscayne Boulevard and theIntracoastal.

Within blocks of Sandals, Magnum Lounge has been attracting a crowd fromMiami's Upper East-side for several years. At one of Miami's highest profileintersections, At the Boulevard re-opened as a gay club just in the past fewmonths near NE 79th Street and Biscayne Boulevard.



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365Gay.Com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/082407trans.htm

Gov't Witness: Transsexuality Not Medical
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: August 24, 2007 - 9:00 am ET

(Boston, Massachusetts) In a court case that could have far-reachingconsequences for transsexuals a government witness testified Thursday thattranssexuality has no medical basis.

Rhiannon O'Donnabhain is suing the IRS after it refused to allow her todeduct the $25,000 cost of her sex reassignment surgery. The IRS maintainsthe surgery is cosmetic and not medically necessary.

If she wins her case hundreds of transsexuals annually across the countrywould be able to use the cost of their surgery as a tax deduction.

On the witness stand Thursday, testifying for the government was forensicpsychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz.

According to Dietz to be classified as a disease all disorders, includingtranssexuality, must have "an underlying pathological process."

"There are variations in human nature, and these variations are notdiseases," Dietz said on the stand.



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365Gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/082307vemar.htm

Gay Marriage Hearings Begin In Vermont
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: August 23, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Montpelier, Vermont) A state commission examining whether Vermont shouldmake the move from civil unions to marriage held its first hearing Thursday.

The citizens commission was appointed last month by the leaders of Vermont'sHouse and Senate, headed by Democrats (story).

The commission is chaired by former state Rep. Tom Little (D). Little, whenhe was a member of the legislature was chairman of the House JudiciaryCommittee, when it passed the law legalizing civil unions in 2000.

The commission will travel throughout the state to hear deputations fromboth advocates and foes of same-sex marriage.

But how much opposition the commission will hear became questionable onThursday. A group opposed to same-sex marriage said it would boycott thehearings and called on other Vermonters to do the same.



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365Gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/08/082307roun.htm

Gay Bishop Announces Civil Union, Infuriates Church Conservatives
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: August 23, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(London) The only openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican Church hasunveiled plans for a civil union with his longtime partner, unleashing anattack by church conservatives who call it a publicity stunt.

New Hampshire's Episcopal Bishop, Gene Robinson, tells the BritishBroadcasting Corporation that he and his partner of 18 years, Mark Andrew,53, will have a civil union shortly after the state's civil union law goes
into effect next year.

"The decision to take advantage of the new law that will come into effect inNew Hampshire on January 1 is simply our taking advantage of the kinds ofrights which are now being made open to gay and lesbian people in NewHampshire," Robinson tells interviewer Michael Buerk in the program to bebroadcast August 28.

The timing would bring it just weeks before bishops from around the worldare to meet in London for their once-a-decade meeting called the LambethConference.


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