FLORIDA DIGEST September 21, 2007

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FLORIDA RED AND BLUE!!!! A week from today!

Do your part to fight the right-wing state-wide anti-gay initiativeto amend the Florida constitution.

Friday, September 28, at the GLCC, Ft. Lauderdale - 11:45am to 1:30pm.

Michael and I promised to get a minimum of 10 people to attend thislow dollar boxed lunch - only $25 - to learn about Florida Red And Blue andthe multiple efforts to overcome this hateful amendment. Florida Red andBlue has already raised over $1 million, but our work is only beginning.

Will you support us with this? Every GLBT person in Florida needs to be apart of this effort.

Boxed Lunch Series
$25
Friday, September 28
Noon - 1:30pm
Networking 11:45am
GLCC - Ft. Lauderdale

Send us an e-mail and let us know if you'll join us on the 28th.

And...... If you can't attend, we'll be glad to accept your check made out to "Florida Red and Blue."

Ray and Michael
rays.list@comcast.net




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There's Still Time to Support the Dolphin Democrat's Annual Fundraiser

You don't want to miss the Dolphin Democrats Twenty-Fifth Anniversary AwardsBanquet on October 6.

But we need your RSVP so that we can make the final arrangements with theHyatt Pier 66 and begin to work on seating arrangements. We have extendedthe RSVP deadline to September 29, but all RSVP's must either be received atour post office box or submitted on line by the end of that day.

Please take a moment to complete your ticket purchase and return your RSVPor make your reservations online at www.dolphindems.org.

We hope you will support our effort.

It's going to be a fabulous event and the funds raised are used to supportthe Dolphin's campaign effort in 2008, including the best Get Out The VoteCenter in all of Florida and demonstrating once again the political forcethe GLBT community is in Broward County.



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Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/9-20/locallife/pulse/4043.cfm

Phoenix rising stars

S. Fla. teams prepare for Gay World Series in Arizona
Thursday, September 20, 2007

SOUTH FLORIDA BOYS LIKE THEIR softball, and each week during the season,hundreds of local players face off at local diamonds. While softball islargely a recreational sport, many of the teams in the South Florida AmateurAthletic Association (SFAAA), the local gay league, take the competitionseriously. Several SFAAA teams are anxiously preparing for the trip toPhoenix, Ariz., Oct. 1 to 6 for the North American Gay Amateur AthleticAssociation (NAGAAA) Softball World Series.

Among the teams planning to compete in gay softball's premier tournament areMack Lane, Demons, Alibi Shock, Steam, Scandals Maulers, Cubby Hole Cubs,Sidelines Cyclones and Paladin Knights.

"Last year, Fort Lauderdale hosted the World Series and hundreds of teamsfrom across the U.S. and Canada converged on South Florida for thetournament and dozens of special parties," said SFAA Open DivisionCommissioner Abe Hasburn. "While the tournament and parties have moved toPhoenix this year, local fans will be pulling for our teams again."

Bowling, swimming and tupperware

more....



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Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/9-20/news/localnews/4038.cfm

Fledgling activist group faces crossroads
United Fort Lauderdale's decision to branch out draws some criticism

By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Thursday, September 20, 2007

In the early days of summer 2007, life appeared to be all quiet on the gayfront in Fort Lauderdale. Lesbians and gay men traveled to the city topartake in the bustling gay scene, while others continued to buy propertyand become a part of the community. In nightclubs and restaurants, gaydollars kept the local economy humming.

In surrounding suburbs, police were firing on young black kids, and formerSheriff Ken Jenne was fending off federal fraud charges. With the exceptionof the random homophobe yelling slurs as they drove by gay businesses onWilton Drive, in the gay enclaves of Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors andOakland Park, life seemed sedate, untroubled.

But all that changed when Naugle began making explosive public statements onJuly 4. As the summer temperatures climbed, Naugle sparked a firestorm whenhe suggested that the city install automated toilets to prevent gay men fromhaving sex in public bathrooms. He went on to say that he didn't use theword "gay" when referring to gay men because, in his view, gay men were nothappy people. He followed up that verbal attack by publicly opposingStonewall Library's move to a cityowned building, claiming that the library's collection included hard-core pornography, an allegation that libraryofficials denied.

more....



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Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/9-20/news/localnews/4040.cfm

Two sides face off in ACLU gay marriage debate
Separation of church and state, biblical arguments dominate

By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Thursday, September 20, 2007

As most political observers may have expected, by the end of Tuesday night'sACLU-sponsored debate about a state ballot initiative to ban gay marriage,it was clear that there would be no common ground, much less understanding,between proponents of same-sex marriage and their opposition.

"We've gotten to the core of what will be on the ballot," surmised panelistNadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida. "We've seen what kindof appeal to prejudice will be heard."

On one side of the room, supporters of same-sex marriage expressedfrustration. After more than two hours, their arguments about the separationof church and state were met only by religious rhetoric and biblical quotes.

On the other side, members of the Apostolic Revival Center stood around withwhat appeared to be self-righteous smirks on their faces. The church membersseemed to make no attempt to consider a perspective that was not prefacedwith the term "God's word."



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Forwarded by Joe Van Eron
Gay Dania Beach.Com

Broward Times

http://www.browardtimes.com/

Lauderdale NAACP, local pastors at odds over gay rights

BY ELGIN JONES

Fort Lauderdale NAACP President Marsha Ellison and a group of blackpastors took opposing sides at Fort Lauderdale City Hall this week on theissue of gay rights.

The dueling press conferences are the latest fallout from Mayor JimNaugle's recent criticism of gay sex in parks, public bathrooms and otherpublic places in the city.

"All races are affected by AIDS - the young, the old, and a trueleader seeks real problems and real solutions," Ellison said on Wednesday,flanked by gay activists.

"The NAACP says this is not about AIDS, it is about his hate for thegay community and that's why we're here today," said Ellison, who stoodunder a silk umbrella emblazoned in the rainbow colors of the gay communitywhile the speakers she introduced made their cases.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, a predominantly black coalition of pastorsmet with Naugle at city hall, and held their own press conference todenounce gay sex.

"Broward County is on a collision course with Satan," said MathesGuice, an elder at Koinonia Worship Center, a black church based in PembrokePark. "Christian men and women are going to have a revival here in BrowardCounty because we cannot let sin prevail. We wholeheartedly support themayor."

The black pastors supported Naugle's position during a closed-doorsession with the mayor and the press conference that followed. They vowed todo whatever it takes to fend off the campaign waged by gay activists againstNaugle.



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Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-brmail976xnbsep21,0,4519948.story

D. James Kennedy's life fostered polarized opinions
September 21, 2007

In Saturday's letter, "Coverage unfair," the writer suggests the SouthFlorida Sun-Sentinel presented a biased, unfavorable view of the Rev. Dr. D.James Kennedy. Since when did it become moral for religiousultra-conservatives to lie, falsely claiming the media is always againstthem?

This paper has run several glowing front-page articles on Kennedysince his death. If anything, the Sun-Sentinel's coverage has been biased inthe opposite direction. The six negative comments from members of thecommunity were buried in a single sidebar article.

Yes, Kennedy helped build a large congregation and following. But hespent too much time using gays as scapegoats. If he spent more time fightingpoverty and violence in our community rather than promoting hatred towardgays, the responses to his life and death would not be so divisive andcontroversial.

Allan Barsky
Fort Lauderdale


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