GLBT DIGEST September 05, 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/sfl-djkennedydead0905,0,4390768.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

Powerful pastor D. James Kennedy dead at 76
Led Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church to national prominence
By James D. Davis

Sun-Sentinel.com

10:04 AM EDT, September 5, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE --

Conservative leader the Rev. D. James Kennedy died Wednesday morning, sources at his Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church reported today.

The 76-year-old pastor died "peacefully, in his sleep, at home" around 3 a.m., according to the Rev. Ronald Siegenthaler, executive minister at the 10,000-member church. By his side was Anne, his wife of five decades.

Kennedy, who also founded a broadcast ministry, a seminary and an annual series of conservative conferences, suffered multiple complications ever since Dec. 28, when he suffered arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. He never fully recovered, despite a rigorous regimen of physical therapy in Florida and Michigan.

His retirement was announced Aug. 26 by his daughter, Jennifer, who spoke at a joint gathering of all three Sunday services. The church also announced plans for a tribute to Kennedy's life and career, set for 11 a.m. on Sept. 23.

Funeral arrangements are pending.




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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-People-Jerry-Lewis.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

September 4, 2007
Lewis Drops an Anti - Gay Slur on Telethon
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 5:01 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jerry Lewis dropped an anti-gay slur -- the same one thatgot Isaiah Washington of ''Grey's Anatomy'' in trouble -- during the 18thhour of his annual Labor Day telethon.

He apologized Tuesday for a ''bad choice of words.''

The 81-year-old showman -- prowling about the stage during the live telecastMonday in Las Vegas -- was goofing around and dodging his cameraman, thenwent into a ramble about imaginary family members.

''Oh, your family has come to see you,'' he said, speaking to the camera andgesturing toward thin air.

''You remember Bart, your older son,'' he said, and motioning toward anotherunseen character, ''Jesse, the illiterate f-----.

''No,'' Lewis said, quickly stopping himself before continuing.

Monday's monologue prompted a critical statement Tuesday from the Gay &Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Neil Giuliano, GLAAD president, called Lewis' use of the term ''simplyunacceptable.''

''It also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes toputting our community in harm's way,'' Giuliano said.

In a statement Tuesday, Lewis said he was making ''a joking comment to amember of my production team.''

''I apologize to anyone who was offended,'' he went on. ''Everyone who knowsme understands that I hold no prejudices in this regard. In the familyatmosphere of the telethon, I forget that not everyone knows me that well.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Craig-Children.html?pagewanted=print

September 4, 2007
Craig Children Asked Him About Incident
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 7:05 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two of Sen. Larry Craig's children said Tuesday theyquestioned him explicitly about ''what exactly happened in that bathroom''where he was arrested in a sex sting and believe his assertions that heisn't gay.

Michael Craig said they asked their father about the June 11 incident at theMinneapolis-St. Paul airport, which led to the Idaho Republican'sresignation last week after it became public, because ''we were shocked'' atmedia accounts of the incident, he said.

Craig, 62, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conductfollowing his arrest. The arresting officer said in his report that therestroom where he encountered Craig is a known location for homosexualactivity.

In an interview with ABC's ''Good Morning America,'' Michael Craig said hisfather was simply ''a victim of circumstance'' and ''in the wrong place atthe wrong time.''

''We've known him our whole life. He has been so trustworthy to us, sohonest to us, that we believe him,'' said Michael Craig, 38.

Larry Craig adopted Michael and his two siblings after marrying theirmother, the former Suzanne Scott, in 1983. Craig has worked in the Senate topromote adoption.

Among the questions he and his sister Shae Howell, 36, said they asked theirfather was ''what exactly happened in that bathroom,'' and they tried to''break down definitions of what words mean,'' including semanticdefinitions of sex, Michael Craig said.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/nyregion/05craigslist.html?hp

September 5, 2007
Law Enforcement Targets Prostitution on Craigslist
By BRUCE LAMBERT

GARDEN CITY, N.Y., Sept. 4 - The eight women visited Long Island this summeralong with vacationing families and other business travelers, staying inhotels and motels in commercial strips in middle-class suburbs like EastGarden City, Hicksville and Woodbury. Their ages ranged from 20 to 32.

Three had come all the way from the San Francisco Bay area, one from Miami.Two lived less than 60 miles away, in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J. and twoeven closer, in Brooklyn.

All eight were arrested on prostitution charges here, snared in a new stingoperation by the Nassau County police that focuses on Craigslist.org, theubiquitous Web site best known for its employment and for-saleadvertisements but which law enforcement officials say is increasingly alsoused to trade sex for money.

Nassau County has made more than 70 arrests since it began focusing onCraigslist last year, one of numerous crackdowns by vice squads from Hawaiito New Hampshire that have lately been monitoring the Web site closely,sometimes placing decoy ads to catch would-be customers.

"Craigslist has become the high-tech 42nd Street, where much of thesolicitation takes place now," said Richard McGuire, Nassau's assistantchief of detectives. "Technology has worked its way into every profession,including the oldest."

Augmenting traditional surveillance of street walkers, massage parlors,brothels and escort services, investigators are now hunching over computerscreens to scroll through provocative cyber-ads in search of solicitors.



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The Washington Post

2 Letters

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090401812_pf.html

Sen. Craig's Resignation
Wednesday, September 5, 2007; A20

Regarding the Sept. 2 news story "Sen. Craig Bids Voters of Idaho Farewell":

The arrest and resignation of Sen. Larry Craig offers a fine example of themedia missing the key point of a story: We still have a group of people whoare so fearful of the stigma of being labeled gay that they are relegated toengaging in sexual encounters in public restrooms. Shame on us for puttingthis group of normally law-abiding and productive members of society in sucha position. Readers should consider the last time they visited one of theseplaces, which hardly suffice for bathroom functions, much less romanticinterludes.

We seem still to have a group of people who are routinely discriminatedagainst, and it seems to be considered okay. That is the real travesty ofMr. Craig's situation.

ROBERT GELLER

Great Falls

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Should it turn out (and I make no predictions) that Sen. Larry Craig is acloseted married homosexual, then Mrs. Craig will be in the position that Iand untold numbers of an invisible minority have been in.

We are the "straight spouses," unknowingly married to gays and lesbians.When we discover that fact, often years into a marriage in which we knewsomething was "not right" but did not know what it was, we experience awhirlwind of emotions: intense isolation, anger, hurt, fear and grief.

We think we are alone, that this has never happened to anyone else. Nottrue. It has. And there is help out there.

CAROLYN SEGA LOWENGART
Chevy Chase

The writer is a member of the board of directors of the nonprofit StraightSpouse Network.



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The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090401416.html?hpid=topnews

Craig Considers Remaining In Senate During Legal Battle
By Paul Kane
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 5, 2007; A03

Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) is reconsidering his announced intention toresign, if he can clear his name of criminal and ethics charges before theend of the month, a spokesman said last night.

Other Craig aides, however, sent mixed signals yesterday about the strengthof the senator's desire to remain in the chamber as he pursues a long-shotlegal challenge to his guilty plea stemming from an undercover sex sting inan airport restroom, as well as an investigation by the Senate EthicsCommittee.

Republican leaders, who leaned hard on Craig last week to resign, had putthe matter behind them, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.)declaring yesterday, "The episode is over."

Informed last night of the apparent change of heart, McConnell's spokesmandeclined to comment.

Dan Whiting, Craig's Washington spokesman, told The Washington Post in ane-mailed statement last night: "As he stated on Saturday, Senator Craigintends to resign on September 30th. However, he is fighting these charges,and should he be cleared before then, he may, and I emphasize may, notresign."

But another Craig aide said clearance of the Minnesota guilty plea and bythe ethics committee would only "impact" his final decision.

"It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore, that the only thing he coulddo was resign," Sidney Smith, Craig's spokesman in Boise, told theAssociated Press. "We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resignSeptember 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethicsinvestigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in thefight -- and stay in the Senate."



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The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090402039.html?hpid=sec-education

MONTGOMERY SCHOOLS
Court Order Against Sex-Ed Lessons Sought
Wednesday, September 5, 2007; Page B06

Three groups seeking to halt the new sex education curriculum in MontgomeryCounty schools filed papers yesterday seeking a court order to prevent theschool system from teaching the lessons this fall.

The groups requested a stay in Montgomery Circuit Court so that the lessons,the school system's first foray into sexual orientation as a classroomtopic, will not be taught countywide. Absent court intervention, eighth- and10th-grade health teachers will embark on the new lessons starting inOctober, said Michelle Turner, a spokeswoman for lead opposition groupCitizens for a Responsible Curriculum.



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The Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/225924.html

Posted on Wed, Sep. 05, 2007
Easier to hate than to be
By LEONARD PITTS JR.

Not even the Hulk has a stance wide enough to make that story plausible.If you don't know what I'm talking about, congratulations on waking up fromthat coma. The rest of us have been grappling since last week with the taleof Sen. Larry Craig, a conservative Republican from Idaho, who was arrestedin June for allegedly propositioning an undercover cop in an airportrestroom. According to police, Craig tapped his foot against the foot of theman in the next stall, peered inside and ran his hand beneath the divider.These, we are told, are signals used by men seeking sex in public restrooms.

After the officer identified himself, Craig allegedly produced his Senatebusiness card and said, ``What do you think about that?''

What the officer thought may be inferred from the fact that Craig foundhimself under arrest. Eventually, without telling his wife, much less hisconstituents, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct.He just wanted, he said, to make it all go away.

He blames the media

Which only goes to show that even on the shady side of 60, hope springseternal. The secret came out, of course. Craig declined to follow.

Instead, he claimed in a news conference that his foot accidentally touchedthe officer's because he has a ''wide stance'' in the toilet. He also saidhe pleaded guilty because the mean old media have been harassing him sobadly he couldn't think clearly. Meaning The Idaho Statesman, which had beeninvestigating -- and I'm sure this is just a coincidence -- rumors of Craighaving sex in a men's room.

more....



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National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/1588/173/

Tuesday, 04 September 2007 10:52
Ex-football Star Pledges $1 Million to Gay Students

David Kopay remembers the feelings of isolation, paranoia and loneliness incollege, when he stayed deep in the closet. A star on the football team inthe early 1960s, he was not about to come out. Now nearing retirement, Kopayis giving back so that future gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgenderedstudents will have resources to have an easier time on their own coming outjourneys.

Read More...



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National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/1586/173/

Gays Discuss Immigration, U.S. HIV Ban
Sunday, 02 September 2007 10:48

As immigration continues to emerge as a hot button issue in the 2008presidential campaign, it also remains a principal concern of the country'sLGBT community.

During a local forum about same-sex immigration rights, the UnitedState's ban on HIV-positive immigrants garnered much discussion. And Rep.Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced his continuing support of the UnitingAmerican Families Act (UAFA). The bill allows gay Americans to sponsor theirforeign-national partners for green cards

Read More...



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National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/1585/173/

Traveling in Our Fabulous World -
At This Montana Ranch, You Help Round'em Up
Sunday, 02 September 2007 10:39

Hey, cowboys and cowgirls! Whether you're a beginner or an old pro,why not head over to the most wonderful dude ranch we've found in America -the Lazy E-L Ranch, southwest of Billings, Mont. David Heinzen and AaronKampfe, owners of OutWest Global Adventures, organize outdoor adventures atthe ranch and elsewhere, including hiking, rafting and horseback riding, fora predominantly gay clientele.

Read More...



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Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=14149

Gay studies programs thriving on U.S. college campuses
Issues put in academic context
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) | Sep 4, 2:37 PM

Before he transferred to San Francisco State University from itssister school in rural central California, Emo Loredo knew only a few otheropenly gay students.

So it came as a pleasant surprise when he discovered his new collegeoffered not only classes such as Homophobia and Coming Out, Gay Love inLiterature and Queer Art History, but a full-fledged undergraduate minor inlesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies.


"One of the things I've learned is that homosexuality was around wayback in ancient times," said Loredo, 24, who enrolled last week in asociology class called Queer Cultures and Society. "Before, I thoughthomosexuality was started in the early 1970s."


San Francisco State was one of the first U.S. universities to plumbthe scholarly potential of gay lives, starting with a single English coursein 1972. But with issues such as same-sex marriage, gays in the military andthe peccadilloes of politicians continuing to divide public opinion, otherschools also are choosing to put them in an academic context.


After years of offering a smattering of gay-related classes, at least30 public and private colleges now offer multidiscipline minors in LGBTstudies, the majority of them established within the last three years. Theyrange from DePaul University in Chicago, one of the nation's largest RomanCatholic universities, to five of the 10 campuses in the University ofCalifornia system.



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Ohio

http://www.centralohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/BF/20070903/NEWS01/709030301/1002

Granville church copes with newest round of protests
Group condemns First Baptist's acceptance of homosexuals
By BRIAN MILLER
Advocate Reporter

GRANVILLE -- First Baptist Church has seen protests about theiracceptance of gays, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people off and onsince they adopted the "welcoming and affirming stance" in the mid-1990s.

But some church members consider the most recent protests by afundamentalist group --which go beyond picketing to disrupting the churchservice -- to be more upsetting.

A group, which has ranged in number from two to a half-dozen, has beenprotesting most Sundays at the church since it had an exhibition in mid-Julyshowing how gay and lesbian families can be loving families.

Initially the group -- whose members wore T-shirts with the words"homosexuality is a sin" -- remained on the sidewalk in front of the church,said Pastor Kathy Hurt. But on two occasions, their members attended theservice, she said. On one of those occasions in late July, one of theirmembers, who identified himself as a pastor, made remarks condemninghomosexuality as anti-Christian during the "joys and concerns" part of theservice.



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The Daily Dish
by Andrew Sullivan

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/09/the-larry-craig.html

The Larry Craig Affair

My guest-bloggers said a lot. I have not much more to add, except tosay that while it is possible to note (and rightly so) the hypocrisy ofCraig, and while it is sensible to believe that a sitting Senator should notbe putting himself in such compromising positions, the large implications ofan almost laughably petty misdemeanor are revealing of problems deeper thanone man's personal tragedy. One problem is the cruelty of public discourse.Yes, Craig is a public figure, but he is also a human being, and a gay humanbeing, and I feel for him, for the lies he has told himself and others, forthe psychic pain that led him to this place, and for the obvious lack ofself-control that his profoundly split identity entailed. I don't think heeven knows he's gay. Yes, he deserves criticism for poor judgment, fortrying to use his position to get out of a sticky situation, for opposinggay equality and dignity, while being gay himself. But this was a victimlessincident, in which no one tried to harm anyone else; and he also needs
support and help and compassion. The glee at his exposure came from bothsides. It was ugly wherever it came from.

The incident should also tell the GOP something they still don't wantto face, but need to urgently.



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Wayne Besen

www.waynebesen.com

by Wayne Besen
Anything But Straight
A Hero Gets His Due

About three years ago, I was lounging in a Montreal hotel room when I got acall from activist Mike Rogers. I was unaware of who he was, but thisintense stranger began interrogating me for information about - well, Idon't even remember what the topic was anymore. But, I do recall that he wasabout the toughest advocate I had encountered in quite some time. As I hungup the phone I thought, "thank God this guy is on our side."

In an era of softer advocacy, Rogers is decidedly in your face. Yet, he hasintegrated new media with old school activism to create a stunninglyeffective hybrid that has brought Capitol Hill to its knees. Well, thehypocritical, anti-gay Congressmen were already on their knees - but untilRogers came along with his "outing" website BlogActive, they were gettingaway with it. Rogers does not tiptoe (or is it tap foot) around thecontentions issue of outing and has a string of successes, including thedownfall of closeted former Virginia GOP Congressman Ed Schrock.

Since our initial conversation we have become friends. At his Washingtonapartment, he is a whirlwind of activity, fighting for a just cause withlittle reward. While our "mainstream" organizations have reaped a windfallof resources, Rogers, arguably our most effective voice, has had to scrapetooth and nail.

Unfortunately, the veneer of "respectability" often trumps results when itcomes to supporting GLBT causes. With little more than willpower, Rogers hasbecome a major powerbroker in our nation's capitol. This week, he wasfeatured in a Washington Post article under the headline, "The Most FearedMan On The Hill?"

The downfall of Sen. Larry "Wide Stance" Craig has put Rogers in thespotlight, where he is finally getting his due. Months before "potty-gate,"Rogers outed Craig for allegedly having sex at Washington's Union Station.Now that he has been vindicated (not the first time), he has gone from apariah, in some circles, to downright prophetic.

In addition to the Washington Post feature, Rogers has made the rounds onCNN, NBC's Today Show and National Public Radio. He has earned his celebrityand his efforts deserve our full-fledged praise and support.



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Huffington Post
by Ariana Huffington

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/in-the-age-of-terror-isn_b_62928.html

In the Age of Terror, Isn't Busting Toe-Tappers an Insane Use of Our LawEnforcement Resources?
Posted September 3, 2007 | 05:18 PM (EST)

In the consensus judgment of America's 16 intelligence agencies, theterrorist threat to our homeland is "persistent and evolving," placing ourcountry in "a heightened threat environment."

Given that chilling assessment, isn't it the height of madness to useAmerica's finite law enforcement resources to seek out and arrest people fortapping the foot of a cute undercover officer in a restroom?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wild about walking into a public restroom andseeing a couple using the a stall for something other than, as Sgt. DaveKarsnia, the arresting officer in the Craig case put it, "its intended use."

But that is not what Larry Craig did. If he had, someone in the restroomcould have done what most people do when they see a law being broken: go geta cop.

And as it happens, since Craig was arrested in an airport, presumably therewere plenty of law enforcement officers nearby looking for, you know, realthreats -- like explosives or folks on a Watch List. Assuming, that is, theyweren't all hunkered down in other bathrooms across the airport, protectingthe public against people who might be thinking about having sex.

Let me be clear: I'm no fan of Larry Craig. Indeed, I disagree with almosteverything he stands for. And I'd much rather he not be in the United StatesSenate. But I'd also rather have had his exit be the result of hisconstituents voting on his ideas and policies, instead of a ridiculous stingoperation in an airport bathroom.

At least it's nice to see that, while the cable networks have been givingthe incident their usual nuanced treatment, bloggers across the politicalspectrum have taken a step back to look at the real issues here.



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MSNBC.COM

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427661/site/newsweek/page/0/

The Love That Will Finally Speak Its Name
It took the death of my dear life partner for me to find the courage to comeout of the closet.
By Loraine Barr
Newsweek

Sept. 3, 2007 issue - I was born at a time when to have romantic feelingsfor another woman was known as "the love that dare not speak its name." Ifirst read Radclyffe Hall's "The Well of Loneliness" around 1938, in myimpressionable teens. The book was a heartfelt cry for understanding andacceptance of the "invert." Now we say "gay" and "lesbian," and nobodyfaints, although we still lack the same rights as other citizens. In howmany ways have attitudes changed? And how have they not?

When I went to college in the 1940s, the sex books were kept under lock andkey in the UCLA library. I was too embarrassed to ask for permission toborrow those books.

Seeking enlightenment, I looked at young women walking around the campusengrossed in one another, and I thought, "Well, at least they have eachother."

I did not realize that even I was judging them, while perhaps envying them.I was dating men regularly and enjoyed being thought popular. Nevertheless,when I came home after each date, said "Goodnight" and closed the door, Iusually breathed a sigh of relief.



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Expatica.com

http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=25&story_id=43527

FRANCE: Paris mayor and rising star Delanoe to stand again

PARIS, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - Paris' Socialist Mayor Bertrand Delanoe isseeking a second seven-year term, promising to make the French capitalgreener, ultra-modern and affordable for poorer families.

Delanoe confirmed in a newspaper interview Tuesday that he would run inmunicipal elections scheduled for March, at a time when his name is beingfloated as a potential Socialist candidate for the 2012 presidential vote.

"My programme is aimed at placing Paris ahead of the curve," Delanoe said inthe interview to Le Parisien daily.

"Ahead of the curve means that the city will not be subjected to changesthat the future may hold but rather is enacting these changes."

The mayor, who spent his childhood in Tunisia, took over at city hall in2001, replacing rightwinger Jean Tiberi who had succeeded Jacques Chirac inthe post when he was elected to the presidency in 1995.

Delanoe's election marked the first time the Socialists held sway in thecapital since the post of Paris mayor was restored by Chirac in 1977.

Delanoe said he wants more pollution-fighting schemes such as the freebicycle rental programme "Velib" that he launched this summer, more socialhousing and greater access to wi-fi wireless networks.

He singled out low-income housing as one of his achievements, noting thatmore than 30,000 homes were now available for poor families in Pariscompared to 9,000 under his predecessor.

The openly gay politician has been at the helm of an uneasy alliance at cityhall between the Socialists and the Greens that has nevertheless beencredited with a string of innovative programmes.



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Inside Higher Education

http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/04/texas

Court Upholds Autonomy for Seminaries - Will Decision Help Diploma MillsToo?

The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state could not requireseminaries to meet certain standards as a condition of calling themselvesseminaries and awarding certain degrees. The court ruled that the stateregulation amounted to a violation of the religious freedom of threeseminaries that challenged the regulations.

"A secular educator's meat may be a religious educator's poison, and viceversa. Standards that improve the quality of secular education whileimpairing sectarian education discriminate against religion," said thedecision.

While the decision was praised by the seminaries, others worry that it willgive diploma mills a new way to evade state authority. The regulations inquestion in Texas - which apply to secular private education as well, andwhich were not challenged in that regard by the suit or the court - werepart of a broad strategy to make it difficult for diploma mills to operate.

The decision means that "any person who creates any church can issue anydegree in what sounds like a religious subject," said Alan Contreras,administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, and a leadingexpert on state regulation of colleges. "Any employer must now assume thatunaccredited seminary degrees issued in Texas are diploma-mill degreesunless the school can prove otherwise, and accept the potential liability ofhiring such a person."



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Vancouver Sun: Legalizing Polygamy Shapes up as Societal Nightmare (Canada)

Bureaucratic horror story in government briefing paper
Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=2828b08a-c06b-4590-a2f4-65df5dca8fed&p=1

Published: Friday, August 31, 2007

British Columbia's de facto legalization of polygamy could force a massiveoverhaul of family law and result in demands that would overwhelm thetaxpayer-financed social safety net.

That's what Ida Chong, B.C.'s minister responsible for women's issues, hasbeen told by her officials in briefing notes prepared in 2006 prior to herministry's budget estimates being debated.

Family law, social programs and even public and private insurance benefitsschemes were established on the basis of average-sized, monogamous families.No one contemplated fundamentalist Mormon families composed of several wivesand 30, 40, 50 or 100-plus children.

As a result, plural wives and their children have no legal protection orrecognition under current laws and social programs. If their religious orspiritual marriage is dissolved, there are no laws covering child custody,support or division of "marital" property in polygamous relationships. Inthe event of the husband's death, only the first wife and her family areentitled to his property.



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DallasNews.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/083107dnmetcrossdresser.84caf8bb.html

Cross-dressing student allowed to attend Dallas school
10:46 AM CDT on Thursday, August 30, 2007 From WFAA-TV Staff

WFAA-TV Luis Valderamma says he has already purchased a femalewardrobe for the school year.

DALLAS -- A student at Sunset High School arrived for a second timeWednesday morning trying to register for class.

But it's what 17-year-old Luis Valderamma wears that has created issueswith administrators.

He's a cross dresser, attired Wednesday in capri pants and heels.

"This is how I feel comfortable. This is me," Valderamma said.

The student was sent home on Monday, but on Wednesday, school officials didallow him to register and attend class.
Also Online Video: WFAA-TV reports

The DISD would not elaborate on any further agreements about his wardrobe.

"I'm not a distraction. There's nothing in the rules that says I can't weargirl clothes," he said. "I see girls up here with saggy jeans. They comedressed up like boys. That's going to be a distraction, too."

Valderamma says he's willing to compromise somewhat and wear capris insteadof skirts.

But he says his choices are limited, as he has already bought his entiregirl wardrobe for the school year.



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Interfax-Religion.com

[euro-queer] Russia: Court finds ban on gay parade in Moscow legal
Court finds ban on gay parade in Moscow legal

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=3583

Moscow, September 4, Interfax - Moscow's Tverskoy court has ruled it legalfor city authorities to refuse to grant a permit for a gay parade on May 27.

Event organizer Nikolai Alekseyev told Interfax on Tuesday that the courtrejected a protest lodged by organizers.

Alekseyev said improper actions by the judge led plaintiffs to challenge thejudge during the hearings but the challenge was rejected.

Alekseyev said that the Tverskoy court ruling would be protested with acassation instance and with the European Court of Human Rights.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/opinion/l05craig.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

To the Editor:

Re "Men's Room Chronicles," by Gail Collins (column, Aug. 30):

The great irony in Senator Larry E. Craig's recent bathroom foibles is thatit is social conservatives like him pushing antigay initiatives that drivecloseted gay men to seek anonymous sex in public restrooms.

There's no reason for an openly gay man to be sticking his hand under toiletstalls. It's the men hiding in shame from societally imposed homophobia whoare seeking sex in airport bathrooms; the rest of us can satisfy ourselvescomfortably at home. Jeffrey Sharlach

Miami Beach, Aug. 31, 2007



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/us/politics/05mccain.html

[From the article] Then another student, William Sleastor, 16, asked Mr.McCain what he planned to do about "L.G.B.T. rights." When Mr. McCain lookedpuzzled, the student explained that the initials stand for "lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender."

"I had not heard that phrase before," Mr. McCain said. Then, with a glanceat the student who asked about his age, he said, "That authenticates yourcomment."



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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6977086.stm

New data on Russia race attacks
By Steven Eke
BBC News

A respected Russian human rights group has published shocking new data onthe extent of racist violence in Russia.

Sova says 38 people have been murdered in racist killings so far this year,and well over 300 people have been injured, mainly in stabbings.

According to its figures, the most common victims of racist killings arefrom the Caucasus and Central Asia.

It also warns that Russia's skinheads have begun targeting other minorities,including homosexuals.

Sova says that Moscow, St Petersburg and Russia's fourth city - NizhniyNovgorod - are the leaders in racist attacks.

Ultra-right activists

It says 24 people have died in Moscow alone this year as a result ofracially motivated killings by what it terms "skinheads".

The word "skinhead" in Russia implies something much more than appearance.



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-djkennedydead0905,0,4003501,print.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

Powerful pastor D. James Kennedy dead at 76
Led Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church to national prominence
By James D. Davis
10:04 AM EDT, September 5, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE --

Conservative leader the Rev. D. James Kennedy died Wednesday morning,sources at his Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church reported today.

The 76-year-old pastor died "peacefully, in his sleep, at home" around 3a.m., according to the Rev. Ronald Siegenthaler, executive minister at the10,000-member church. By his side was Anne, his wife of five decades.

Kennedy, who also founded a broadcast ministry, a seminary and an annualseries of conservative conferences, suffered multiple complications eversince Dec. 28, when he suffered arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. He neverfully recovered, despite a rigorous regimen of physical therapy in Floridaand Michigan.

His retirement was announced Aug. 26 by his daughter, Jennifer, who spoke ata joint gathering of all three Sunday services. The church also announcedplans for a tribute to Kennedy's life and career, set for 11 a.m. on Sept.23.

Funeral arrangements are pending.


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