GLBT DIGEST September 22, 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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FLORIDA RED AND BLUE!!!!

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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NationalGayNews.com

http://rawstory.com//printstory.php?story=7618

Largest gay news magazine asks Clinton if she's a lesbian

09/21/2007 @ 9:11 am
Filed by John Byrne

According to the NY Daily News, in an interview with the magazine's news andfeatures editor Sean Kennedy to be published next week, the editor asks,"How do you respond to the occasional rumor that you're a lesbian?"

"People say a lot of things about me, so I really don't pay any attention toit," Clinton remarked. "It's not true, but it is something that I have nocontrol over. People will say what they want to say."

Clinton has been chased by tabloid rumors of her sexuality for years, nonewith credible evidence, some fostered by conservatives, including themuch-maligned The Truth About Hillary.

The New York Times' company's About.com even includes an entry, "Is HillaryClinton a Lesbian?"

Gaydar-saavy Kennedy told the Daily News he's convinced she's not.



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/09/21/gay_gop/

The gay voter's guide to the GOP

How should a right-wing homosexual vote in the upcoming primaries andcaucuses? Salon rates the Republican candidates for gay friendliness.By Michael Scherer and Ben Van Heuvelen

Sep. 21, 2007 | Imagine this: You are a gay man or a lesbian woman who justcan't stand Democrats. Maybe you are rich and you don't want anyone to raiseyour taxes. Perhaps you are just determined to stay the course in Iraq,privatize Social Security, and drop oil wells into the Alaskan wilderness.Jack Abramoff might even be an old drinking buddy.

It doesn't really matter. Whatever the cause, you are in a quandary. Youronly viable choice in the coming presidential election is to vote for aRepublican, and that means voting for a party that has spent much of thelast decade casting you and your way of life as an assault on the wholesomegoodness of the American family. "Homosexuality is incompatible withmilitary service," declared the 2004 GOP platform. "Attempts to redefinemarriage in a single state or city could have serious consequencesthroughout the country."

What is a right-leaning homosexual to do in this presidential election?Start by taking a closer look at the candidates in the Republican field.There is substantial variation, and not just in their positions on aconstitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Call it the Giuliani-KeyesSpectrum of Gay Friendliness. On one end, there is Rudy Giuliani, a formerNew York mayor who has lived with gay friends, favors gay domesticpartnerships, and sometimes dresses in drag. At the other end, there is AlanKeyes, who calls lesbians "selfish hedonists," even though his only daughteris a lesbian. There exists, shall we say, a veritable rainbow of variationin between.

In service to the one in four gay voters who chose George Bush over JohnKerry in 2004, and anyone else who might want to know, Salon now presentsits first ever Gay Guide to the Republican Candidates.

more . . . . .



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Advocate.com

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid49093.asp

09/22/07-09/24/07

Giuliani Builds Political Base in Texas

Republican Rudy Giuliani -- thrice-married, liberal on social issues, and aconsummate New Yorker -- seems an unlikely White House contender to beembraced by a Texas GOP establishment rooted in the energy industry anddominated by religious conservatives.

But the former New York mayor has built a formidable political base in Texaswith the help of well-connected Republican money men. He owes his advantagein part to his role as a name partner with a powerhouse, Houston-based lawfirm known for its impressive roster of energy-giant clients, Bracewell &Giuliani.

His partnership in the law firm has also brought Giuliani unwelcomecriticism in connection with some of the firm's more controversial clients,including a Spanish contractor involved in planning part of a Texassuperhighway toll road known as the Trans-Texas Corridor.

Texas farmers and other landowners are worried their property rights will betrampled to make way for the highway. Conspiracy theorists see Giuliani,because of his highway connections, as allied with a cabal of internationalmonied interests plotting to supplant the United States with a NorthAmerican Union that includes Mexico and Canada.

more . . . . .



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Advocate.com

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid49100.asp

09/22/07-09/24/07

Anglican Head Says 'Compromise' on Gay Issue Is Key

The archbishop of Canterbury indicated Friday that the Episcopal Churchisn't on the brink of losing its place in the world Anglican fellowship,despite the uproar over Episcopal support for gay clergy.

Anglican leaders, called primates, had set a September 30 deadline for theAmericans to pledge unequivocally not to consecrate another gay bishop orapprove an official prayer service for gay couples. Episcopal bishops havededicated their meeting here to crafting a response.

But after two days of private talks with Episcopal leaders, Archbishop ofCanterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, said ''there is noultimatum involved.'' The goal, he said, is ''compromise.''

''It's been presented sadly as a set of demands,'' Williams said in a newsconference before he left. ''I don't think that what was in the primates'minds. In fact, I'm sure it isn't.''

The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the United States and has amore liberal view of Scripture than most Anglicans overseas. Tensions overBible interpretation erupted in 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated thefirst openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

more . . . . .



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Advocate.com

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid49106.asp

09/22/07-09/24/07

Newark Execution Murders May Have Been Gay Hate Crime

New Jersey gay rights activists are urging the mayor of Newark toinvestigate an execution-style murder that occurred in August as a possiblegay hate crime.

The Washington Blade reports that at least one of the victims was gay.Officials have denied that the attack was a hate crime but rather a robbery.

The Newark Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer &Two-Spirited Concerns Group wrote to Mayor Cory Booker, questioning why themurdered young adults' sexual orientation was not taken into account orreleased to the media.

"This happened despite the fact that several sources, including friends,boyfriends/lovers of at least one of the victims, and perhaps one of theparents knew that one or more of the murdered students were gay," wroteJames Credle, a local activist, on behalf of the group.

Garden State Equality, New Jersey's statewide gay rights advocacy group, hasendorsed the letter.



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365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/09/092107murder.htm

Gay Man's Killer Seeks Reduced Sentence

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: September 21, 2007 - 11:00 am ET

(Denver, Colorado) A Colorado man sentenced to 22-years in prison for themurder of a Montrose gay man is asking the Colorado Court of Appeals toreduce his sentence or order a new sentencing hearing.

In a brief filed by his attorneys, Jason Fiske claims that the trial courtviolated his Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, resulting in anexcessive sentence.

The appeal does not take issue with the plea bargain Fiske agreed to in the2005 strangling death of Kevin Hale in Montrose, Colorado.

Fiske pleaded guilty last December to charges of manslaughter and robbery.He originally was charged with murder

Fiske's partner in the killing, Adam Hernandez, 21, was sentenced last yearto eight years in prison on reduced manslaughter and theft charges. He toowas originally charged with murder.

more . . . . .



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365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/09/092107club.htm

Gay Students In Illinois Town Win GSA Right

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: September 21, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Rockton, Illinois) Despite objections from a handful of parents theHononegah High School's Board of Education has voted to allow LGBT studentsto form a Gay-Straight Alliance on campus amid warnings a negative votewould prompt a lawsuit.

"The students are aware of their legal rights, and are willing to stand upfor those rights," student Brian Carrell warned the board at a publicmeeting before the vote.

The GSA was proposed last May by English teacher Cathy Aubrecht.

She said the organization would serve as a "safe zone" where LGBT studentscould discuss the issues they face and educate students about gay andlesbian issues.

When opposition began to mount students approached the American CivilLiberties Union which told the board that under the Equal Access Act itwould be illegal to block the club.

more . . . . .



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365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/09/092107chambers.htm

Nebraska Senator Supports Gay Rights, Sues God

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff with files from The Associated Press
Posted: September 21, 2007 - 7:00 pm ET

(Lincoln, Nebraska) A legislator who filed a lawsuit against God has gottensomething he might not have expected: a response.

One of two court filings from "God" came this week under otherworldlycircumstances, according to John Friend, clerk of the Douglas CountyDistrict Court in Omaha.

"This one miraculously appeared on the counter. It just all of a sudden washere - poof!" Friend said.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha sued God last week, seeking a permanentinjunction against the Almighty for making terroristic threats, inspiringfear and causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorization ofmillions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers, a self-proclaimed agnostic who often criticizes Christians, saidhis filing was triggered by a federal lawsuit he considers frivolous. Hesaid he's trying to makes the point that anybody can sue anybody.

more . . . . .



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365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/09/092107hiv.htm

Merck's Experimental AIDS Drug Fails

by The Associated Press
Posted: September 21, 2007 -5:00 pm ET

(Trenton, New Jersey) A promising experimental vaccine to prevent the AIDSvirus has failed in a crucial experiment, with volunteers becoming infectedwith HIV anyway, leading the drug developer to halt the study.

Merck & Co. said Friday that it is ending enrollment and vaccination ofvolunteers in the large international study, which is partly funded by theNational Institutes of Health.

It was a significant setback in the daunting quest to develop a vaccine toprevent AIDS. Merck's vaccine was the farthest along and was closely watchedby experts in the field.

Officials at the New Jersey-based company told The Associated Press that 24of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of the experiment laterbecame infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a comparison groupof volunteers who got dummy shots, 21 of 762 participants also becameinfected.

"It's very disappointing news," said Keith Gottesdiener, head of Merck'sclinical infectious disease and vaccine research group. "A major effort todevelop a vaccine for HIV really did not deliver on the promise."

more . . . . .



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.washblade.com/2007/9-21/news/legal/11260.cfm

Legal analysis
Experts call ruling 'troubling'

By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Sep. 21, 2007

Some legal experts called "troubling" and "narrow" a ruling this week thataffirmed Maryland's ban on same-sex marriage, while others praised it as theright decision.

Jana Singer, a University of Maryland law professor who filed paperssupporting the 19 gay and lesbian plaintiffs who challenged the ban, saidthe decision represented "a step backward" for the court.

"It seems in many ways to have taken a step backward in its interpretationof the Maryland Declaration of Rights," she said, "and the protections ithad affirmed for individuals under the Maryland Constitution."

Singer said the decision has "troubling implications that go beyond thecontext of marriage" and "throw into question" a long line of decisionsprotecting Marylanders against discrimination.

Barbara Babb, director of the Center for Families, Children & the Courts at
the University of Baltimore, also noted the ruling had a surprisingly "crueltone."



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.washblade.com/2007/9-21/news/localnews/11265.cfm

Three juveniles charged in Chinatown gay-bashing spree

By LOU CHIBBARO JR
Sep. 21, 2007

D.C. police have arrested three juvenile males and were looking for at leastone more in connection with three separate incidents in which the youthsallegedly assaulted a transgender woman and a gay man and smashed the carwindows of another gay man.

All three incidents took place on separate nights in the Chinatown-GalleryPlace area between Sept. 9 and Sept. 13, according to Lt. Alberto Jova,commander of the police Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, which is investigatingthe crimes.

Commander Diane Grooms of the First Police District, whose officers made thearrests, said the juveniles appeared to belong to an informal group or gangthat targeted gay people in the area of Chinatown or Gallery Place. She saidthe youths live in Southeast D.C.

"What we're finding is we have a group of juveniles that either knows somepeople or they are targeting certain individuals due to their sexualorientation," Grooms said.

She said police consider the incidents hate crimes but she could notdetermine whether the D.C. Attorney General's Office, which prosecutesjuvenile cases, formally charged the youths with a bias-related crime underthe city's criminal code.

more . . . . .



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/19/AR2007091902002.html

Judge: Ten Commandments Display Can Stay

By SAMIRA JAFARI
The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 19, 2007; 7:44 PM

PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- A courthouse display featuring the Ten Commandments canstay, a federal judge ruled, rejecting arguments that it endorses religionin violation of the constitution.

The "Foundations of American Law and Government" exhibit at the little-usedRowan County Fiscal Court in the rural, eastern Kentucky town of Moreheadcame under fire in 2001, when the American Civil Liberties Union's statechapter sued.

The display also includes the Mayflower compact, the Declaration ofIndependence, the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. The ACLU argued thedisplay amounted to state-sponsored religion.

In his ruling released Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Karl Forester said thedisplay "does not have the effect of endorsing religion." He cited avirtually identical display in Mercer County that was upheld by the 6th U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the Morehead case, the ACLU sued Rowan County in 2001, more than twoyears after the Ten Commandments were posted with the other documents in theFiscal Court.


more . . . . .



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2007/09/more-than-12000-pflag-allies-ask.html

September 20, 2007

More Than 12,000 PFLAG Allies Ask Congress to Protect Gay Workers

On Monday, September 24, the National Staff of Parents, Families and Friendsof Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National will hand-deliver more than 12,000pro-equality postcards from constituents across the country to both the U.S.House of Representatives and the Senate. The individually written cards werecollected from 40 states across the country as part of PFLAG's campaign,"People Don't Get Fired for Being Straight" to support the passage of theEmployment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

"Constituents are sending a clear, strong message, urging their members ofCongress to support workplace fairness by passing ENDA," said Jody M.Huckaby, PFLAG's executive director. "More than 170 Representatives and 70Senators will be receiving PFLAG postcards from their constituents."

PFLAG National's ENDA campaign has brought a chorus of voices from statesthat are not the usual suspects when it comes to supporting gay, lesbian,bisexual and transgender (GLBT) equality. Georgia, Ohio, and Indianagenerated over 1,000 postcards each, exceeding expectations and leading thecampaign turnout. PFLAG members wrote personal messages to their members ofCongress including their names and addresses, and returned them to the PFLAGNational office in Washington, D.C. for delivery on Capitol Hill.

"Lawmakers can not ignore the thousands of constituent demands for workplaceequality," said John Cepek, PFLAG President. "From Georgia to Ohio andIndiana, from New York to California, the time has come to pass this billand protect all American workers."

ENDA, if passed, would extend federal employment discrimination protectionsthat are currently provided on race, religion, gender, national origin, age,and disability to also cover sexual orientation and gender identity.

more . . . . .



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_6944122

LDS forums to discuss gay issues

By Peggy Fletcher Stack
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:09/20/2007 02:16:04 AM MDT

Just days after this week's Evergreen International conference ends, the LDSChurch will publish another look at same-sex attraction.

Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, in the October issue of Ensign, the church'sofficial magazine, will discuss the church's perspective on several topicsto be explored Friday and Saturday at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building bymembers of Evergreen, an outreach organization for Mormons dealing withhomosexuality.

In the article, a copy of which the LDS Church gave The Tribune, Hollandreiterates the church's position that same-sex attraction is not a sin; onlyacting on it is immoral. He does not try to explain the causes of theseattractions, but acknowledges they are real.

"Through the exercise of faith, individual efforts and reliance on thepower of [Christ's] Atonement, some may resolve same gender attraction inmortality and marry," he writes. "Others, however, may never be free ofsame-gender attraction in this life."

Further, Holland writes, marrying a person of the opposite sex "is not anall-purpose solution. Same-gender attractions run deep, and trying to forcea heterosexual relationship is not likely to change them. We are thrilledwhen some who struggle with these feelings are able to marry, raise childrenand achieve family happiness. But other attempts have resulted in brokenhearts and broken homes."

more . . . . .



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://lgbtyouthnews.blogspot.com/2007/09/rockton-illinois-school-board-caves.html

Rockton, Illinois School Board Caves, Allows Gay-Straight Alliance Club

ROCKTON, IL - After months of controversy and warnings from the AmericanCivil Liberties Union that blocking a gay-straight alliance club fromforming would violate federal law, a school board in Rockton, Illinois votedlate Wednesday night to allow the club to meet on campus. The board's 5-2vote reversed an earlier decision by a board committee that had recommendedthe board ban the club.

"We're very pleased that the board has decided to follow the mandate of thefederal Equal Access Act and treat all student clubs at Hononegah HighSchool equally and fairly," said John Knight, director of the Lesbian GayBisexual Transgender Project at the ACLU of Illinois. "And we're so proud ofthe students from the GSA for standing up for their rights and demanding theequal treatment that the law requires."

The club was first proposed by students in May. In spite of warnings fromthe school board's own attorney that legal precedents overwhelmingly favorthe formation of such clubs, the board's co-curricular committee voted torecommend to the board that the club be denied. Wednesday's vote by theboard overruled the committee and will allow the club to begin meeting asearly as next week.

"The law clearly supports the right of students to form any kind of clubthey want, rather than allowing schools to arbitrarily pick and choose whichkind of student organizations they'll allow," said the ACLU of Illinois'Youth at Risk Project attorney Sarah Schriber, who along with Knight sent aletter to the board in late July explaining the requirements of the federalEqual Access Act. "Schools everywhere need to know they simply can't getaway with trampling students' rights and violating federal law."

Gay-straight alliances are student-formed groups that address issues ofdiscrimination, tolerance, and school safety in hundreds of schools acrossthe United States. According to the federal Equal Access Act, students mustbe allowed to form gay-straight alliances if the school permits othernon-curricular clubs. Federal courts have upheld the right of students toform GSA clubs in several states - including Utah, Georgia, Kentucky,Minnesota, Texas, California, and Florida.



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.washblade.com/2007/9-21/news/national/11272.cfm

Critics claim 'ex-gay' study flawed, biased
Gay Activist says researchers 'don't want the truth'

KATHERINE VOLIN
Friday, September 21, 2007

A new study of "ex-gays" conducted by two evangelical Christians is raisingcharges of bias and flawed methodology by critics.

"Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in SexualOrientation," published by a Christian firm and researched by evangelicalChristian psychologists Mark Yarhouse and Stanton Jones, addressed twoissues: whether it's possible to change sexual orientation and whethertrying to do so is harmful.

"I'm hopeful that our study will actually help to provide a scientific andfactual context for the discussion," Jones told the Blade.

The study, which ran for four years, started with 98 subjects and ended with73. Losing subjects over the course of a long study is de rigueur, Jonessaid. Results of the study showed 15 percent of the 73 remaining subjectshad achieved what the researchers dubbed "Success: Conversion," meaning thatthe subject self-reported their same-sex attractions were significantlyreduced and considered themselves satisfactorily converted to heterosexualattraction.

Jones and Yarhouse also considered another 23 percent of the cases assuccessful. This chunk of the sample they dubbed "Success: Chastity" and itincluded those in the study who still experienced some same-sex attractionbut were not currently engaging in "overt sexual activity."

more . . . . .



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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

http://www.washblade.com/2007/9-21/news/national/11273.cfm

Craig scandal brings issue of sexual identity to light Gay

Gay, straight, bi, MSM all valid terms, researchers say
ELIZABETH PERRY
Friday, September 21, 2007

Sen. Larry Craig's (R-Idaho) arrest last June for allegedly soliciting sexfrom another man in an airport restroom and his insistence that he isstraight has reawakened the debate over sexual behavior, identity andorientation.

"I am not gay. I have never been gay," Craig said at an oft-quoted Aug. 28news conference. "I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis Airport."

Craig made a surprise visit to Capitol Hill Tuesday, where he apologized tohis colleagues for "any embarrassment" at a Republican Senate luncheon,according to media reports. He said it is still uncertain whether or not hewill return to political office. Another hearing is set for Wednesday oncharges filed against him in the bathroom sting charges. He pleaded guiltyon Aug. 8 to a disorderly conduct charge and said he planned to resign fromthe Senate Sept. 30. He filed papers Sept. 10 to withdraw his guilty plea.

Craig's arrest has sparked debate about what it means to be straight, gay,lesbian or bisexual, or more specifically, how a self-identified straightman can have feelings of attraction for another man. One of the first peopleto scientifically study sexual orientation and identity was sex researcherAlfred Kinsey.

In his 1948 book, "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," Kinsey introduced hisHeterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale, which ranged from zero, meaning aperson was exclusively heterosexual, to six, meaning a person wasexclusively homosexual.

more . . . . .



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

Salon

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/09/21/gay_gop/print.html

The gay voter's guide to the GOP

How should a right-wing homosexual vote in the upcoming primaries andcaucuses?

Salon rates the Republican candidates for gay friendliness.
By Michael Scherer and Ben Van Heuvelen

Sep. 21, 2007 Imagine this: You are a gay man or a lesbian woman who justcan't stand Democrats. Maybe you are rich and you don't want anyone to raiseyour taxes. Perhaps you are just determined to stay the course in Iraq,privatize Social Security, and drop oil wells into the Alaskan wilderness.Jack Abramoff might even be an old drinking buddy.

It doesn't really matter. Whatever the cause, you are in a quandary. Youronly viable choice in the coming presidential election is to vote for aRepublican, and that means voting for a party that has spent much of thelast decade casting you and your way of life as an assault on the wholesomegoodness of the American family. "Homosexuality is incompatible withmilitary service," declared the 2004 GOP platform. "Attempts to redefinemarriage in a single state or city could have serious consequencesthroughout the country."

What is a right-leaning homosexual to do in this presidential election?Start by taking a closer look at the candidates in the Republican field.There is substantial variation, and not just in their positions on aconstitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Call it the Giuliani-KeyesSpectrum of Gay Friendliness. On one end, there is Rudy Giuliani, a formerNew York mayor who has lived with gay friends, favors gay domesticpartnerships, and sometimes dresses in drag. At the other end, there is AlanKeyes, who calls lesbians "selfish hedonists," even though his only daughteris a lesbian. There exists, shall we say, a veritable rainbow of variationin between.

more....



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

The LGBT Cancer Project

Liz Margolies, LCSW
Executive Director
thelgbtcancerproject@earthlink.net

I am proud to announce the official launch of The LGBT Cancer Project,the country's first program for LGBT cancer survivors and those atrisk.

While the United States has many of the world's best cancer researchand treatment facilities, cancer has a disproportionate impact onlesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people. I am sure youhave heard many of the same painful stories I have: lesbians whotragically postponed their mammograms; gay men who couldn't talk totheir oncologists about their sex lives; or cancer survivors whosepartners were denied access to the emergency room.

The research shows that these are not isolated stories. LGBT peoplehave a dense cluster of cancer risk factors, many of which are linkedto the stress of minority status and discrimination, like smoking anddrinking. Unfortunately, this increased risk is coupled withdecreased screening behaviors, resulting in cancer being picked up ata later stage when it is more difficult to treat. Once diagnosed, thecancer experience for LGBT people can affect our sexuality and"families" in some unique ways that are not adequately addressed bygeneral healthcare providers.

That's why the LGBT Cancer Project was founded. Until now, there wasno organization addressing the cancer health disparities of the LGBTcommunity as a whole. The LGBT Cancer Project was created to fillthis gap. Our work focuses on educating health care providers,participating in national cancer organizations, advocating for LGBTinclusion in cancer research and developing a multi-lingual website,offering information and resources for both professionals and LGBTpeople with cancer.

more....



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Forwarded by Joe Van Eron
GayDania Beach.com

Website Highlighting Diversity

In an effort to heighten awareness of the diversity among Broward County's1.8 million residents, Broward County's Office of Public Communications haslaunched a new website on the Broward County's home page.

The new site looks at diversity in the workplace, in business and thecommunity. It recognizes individuals who have received honors and awards fortheir leadership and efforts to create a more inclusive community.

Visit the new website at
http://www.broward.org/celebratingdiversity/welcome.htm



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Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
National Secretary - Campaign to End AIDS
Founding Member - Campaign to End AIDS-FLORIDA
merajner@gmail.com

Promising AIDS vaccine fails; testing halted
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-21-aids_N.htm

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A promising experimental vaccine to prevent the AIDSvirus has failed in a crucial experiment, with volunteers becoming infectedwith HIV anyway, leading the drug developer to halt the study.

Merck & Co. said Friday that it is ending enrollment and vaccination ofvolunteers participating in the international study, which is partly fundedby the National Institutes of Health.

Officials at Merck told The Associated Press that 24 of 741 volunteers whogot the vaccine in one segment of the trial later become infected with HIV,the virus that causes AIDS. In a comparison group of volunteers who gotdummy shots, 21 of 762 participants also became infected with HIV.

"It's very disappointing news," said Keith Gottesdiener, head of Merck'sclinical infectious disease and vaccine research group. "A major effort todevelop a vaccine for HIV really did not deliver on the promise."

The study volunteers were all free of HIV at the start of the experiment.But they were at high risk for getting HIV: most were homosexual men orfemale sex workers. They were all repeatedly counseled about how to reducetheir risk of HIV infections, including use of condoms, according to Merck.

more.....



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Gay & Lesbian Leadership
SmartBrief

http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp

Will beat go on for circuit party scene?

The circuit party is not quite over, but the staple of the gay party crowdhas much less appeal to younger men, who are more likely to socialize withstraight friends or take a gay cruise for same-sex bonding, according tothis article. Some circuit party aficionados hope the dance floor -- inwhatever incarnation -- will still be a key part of the gay subculture. Out(9/16) http://www.out.com/detail.asp?id=22864

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Gay welcome mat not out in New York Post newsroom
The absence of gay reporters and editors at the New York Post is due lessfrom its strident editorial voice than its newsroom culture, according tothis media blog posting by writer Jeff Bercovici. While the management'sintent may not be to rid the paper of gays, the effect -- giving The Postfree rein to antagonize gays -- makes them "guilty of something a whole lotmore sinister than journalistic malpractice," Bercovici writes.Portfolio.com (9/19)
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2007/09/19/how-the-post-keeps-gays-from-the-newsroom

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GayCityNews.com

http://gaycitynews.com:80/site/news.cfm?newsid=18838006&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=569346&rfi=6

Terror Campaign Escalates

By: DOUG IRELAND
Gay City News, 09/20/2007

The daily newspaper Red Pepper in the Ugandan capital of Kampala haspublished another installment of its hate-filled expose of allegedsame-sexers, this time describing in detail 14 supposed lesbians and eightmore gay men and attacking the U.S. Astraea Foundation.

Sunday's edition of Red Pepper on September 16, claiming it was "exposingpeople with errant behavior in society," fingered people including"Fatumah - she is brown, and beautiful, stays in Bunga, drives one of theposh VX Land Cruisers in town and owns shops on William Street," and"Baker - a medium sized brown man who stays in Bwaise and sells clothes inOwino Market."



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Forwarded from Nikki H

[Transgender-Equality] reflections

I wanted to share a recent experience because I think it makes animportant point. A few months back I "came out" as a Trans personto my former boss, the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital that Iworked for in Saudi. He is an American man who also happens to be aChild Psychiatrist and is gay. We immediately hit it off from dayone but never divulged anything about our sexuality or genderidentity due to the sensitive nature of that topic in Saudi Arabia.Without saying anything, I think we both intuitively thought eachother was gay.

We e-mail each other from time to time just to say hello. When Idecided to tell him that I was actually TG and not gay, that is whenhe told me he was gay and had been in a 20 year relationship with aguy who he claimed was his nephew while in Saudi. He began to ask mequestions about being TG and said he really didn't know much aboutit. I have since tried to inform him about my feelings as a childand my search to figure out who and what I was.

What is so amazing to me is how uninformed the public, includingthe medical community, is about transexuality. I could not imaginethat a Child Psychiatrist had very little knowledge ofTransgenderism, let alone a gay one at that. He has been very open,supportive, and willing to be educated on the topic.

I thought about the remarks of the Oakland Park CouncilwomanMurphy that people fear the unknown. As we continue to educate thepublic about who we are, as we continue to develop friends andassociates who know that we are TG, then we break down that fear ofthe unknown. I truly believe that as the Oakland Park City Counciland Mayor came to recognize us over the past 3 meetings when ourissue was discussed, that they became our friends and learned tolike and respect us. That is what breaks down the fear andultimately the intolerance and discrimination.

I guess we never realize the impact that we can make on a personor a community by just being ourselves and politely and patientlyanswering their questions. That's how we breakdown fear and dispellthe stereotypes. Education and building relationships are the key toit all.

Nikki



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/22/opinion/22brown.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

September 22, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor

The Forgotten H.I.V. Test

By JEREMY BROWN
Washington

TWENTY-FIVE years after the outbreak of H.I.V. in the United States, thereare about 40,000 new cases of infection a year, and an estimatedquarter-million people who have H.I.V. but do not know they are infected.

That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommendedthat every emergency room patient ages 13 to 64 should be offered an H.I.V.test. It doesn't matter if the person is there for a sprained ankle, a cutfinger or appendicitis: the C.D.C. wants him to be offered a test for H.I.V.New tests requiring only a painless swab of the gums can reveal in 20minutes if a person is infected.

If the problem is so serious and the solution so simple, then why, one yearafter these recommendations were made, are there are still almost noemergency rooms that offer routine H.I.V. testing?

It all comes down to money. Although the C.D.C. recommendations were based
on impeccable science and more than two decades of experience in dealingwith the disease, they did not address the question of how this universaltesting campaign would be paid for.

Health insurers generally pay for an emergency room visit based on the finaldiagnosis. An H.M.O. will pay a fixed amount for a sprained ankle, forexample, whether the patient had an X-ray, an M.R.I. or no costly imagingtest at all. So if the patient with a sprained ankle receives aneasy-to-perform but unrelated H.I.V. screening, the hospital is unable torecover the additional fee. And in those states where H.I.V. tests are notdistributed free of charge - and this includes virtually all of them - orwhere no extra staff members are available, it is simply not possible tooffer an H.I.V. test as the C.D.C. recommends.

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The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/21/AR2007092101954.html

A Defeat for Gay Marriage
Maryland's legislature should take up the challenge in a Court of Appeals decision.
Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A16


IN 2004, NINE same-sex couples in Maryland challenged the state's ban on gay marriage; in 2006 they achieved a surprising victory before Baltimore trialJudge M. Brooke Murdock. Judge Murdock concluded that the state's law defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman violated a state law that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex. Yet in handing the couples this win, Judge Murdock also sowed the seeds for a predictable defeat this week before Maryland's highest court. By a 4 to 3 vote, the Maryland Court of Appeals rightly rejected Judge Murdock's reasoning, noting that the law preventing discrimination on the basis of sex was written in the 1970s to protect women; lawmakers never intended it to stop discrimination based on sexual orientation. Still, the analysis in the decision was disturbing. Before upholding the ban as constitutional, the court had to examine whether Maryland had a rational basis for limiting marriage and its benefits to heterosexual couples. The court explained its finding in support of the state this way: "The State has a legitimate interest in encouraging . . . a union that is uniquely capable of producing offspring within the marital unit."

This gem of illogic became the foundation for maintaining a status quo that ontinues to leave the nine couples and thousands of others with no legal avenues of appeal and without a panoply of benefits, including rights of inheritance and the right to make medical decisions for incapacitated partners.

Fortunately, the Court of Appeals all but invited gay rights advocates to take their case to the legislature: "[O]ur opinion should by no means be read to imply that the General Assembly may not grant and recognize for homosexual persons civil unions or the right to marry a person of the same sex."

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