Saturday, March 03, 2007

GLBT DIGEST - March 03, 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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Advocate.com

http://advocate.com/print_article_ektid42507.asp

Coulter uses 'f' word to mock Dems, gays

Finishing up a presentation on Friday at the Conservative Political Action
Convention, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter referred to Democratic Party
presidential nominee John Edwards as a “faggot.”


Finishing up a presentation on Friday at the Conservative Political ActionConvention, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter referred to Democratic Partypresidential nominee John Edwards as a “faggot.”

“I was going to have a few comments about the other Democratic nominee, JohnEdwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word‘faggot,’” she said to a crowd, eliciting uncomfortable groans, then cheersand applause. “So I’m kind of at an impasse. Can’t really talk aboutEdwards, so I’ll just conclude here and take your questions. Thank you.”

In the past Coulter has made similar such crude remarks about otherliberals, referring to Al Gore as a “total fag.”

Coulter’s statement caused an uproar within the Democratic Party and gayrights groups. Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said in astatement Friday that her words were inappropriate and “bigoted.”



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365gay

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/03/030207cin.htm

Pair Indicted For Fraudulent Signatures In Anti-Gay Ballot Measure
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 3, 2007 - 12:01 am ET

(Cincinnati, Ohio) Two women have been charged with election fraud inconnection with the collection last year of signatures on a referendum torepeal Cincinnati's LGBT rights ordinance.

Following a seven-month investigation indictments were handed down againstLois Mingo, 47 and Precilla Ward, 32. Both women had been hired by EqualRights Not Special Rights, an organization formed to repeal the ordinance.

But the grand jury did not return indictments against two other people thatlocal LGBT civil rights groups also accused to irregularities, including -Rep. Tom Brinkman (R).

Citizens To Restore Fairness, a group formed to fight the referendum, andEquality Cincinnati, said they believed the alleged fraud was widespread. Ina statement to the media Equality Cincinnati said investigators "ignored thereal extent of the changes made while the petitions were in stateRep. Tom Brinkman's control."

Equal Rights Not Special Rights had collected thousands of names onpetitions to have a repeal measure put to voters last November. But when itemerged that many of the signatures were fake the group voluntarily withdrewthe measure. (story)



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365gay

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/03/030207quebec.htm

Quebec Premier Condemns Homophobic Attack On Opponent
by The Canadian Press
Posted: March 2, 2007 - 9:00 pm ET

(Montreal, Quebec) Liberal Premier Jean Charest is asking Quebecers to focuson issues in the provincial election campaign and not on candidates'personal lives.

Charest says it's unacceptable to comment on the private life of PartiQuebecois Leader Andre Boisclair, who is gay.

``It's not the Liberal leader who is speaking here,'' Charest said Friday.``I'm speaking as the premier of Quebec.

``We want a campaign of ideas and depth and not on questions raised aboutpeople's private lives,'' the premier said.

A controversial radio host has dragged homosexuality into the open in thecampaign after declaring Boisclair's PQ looks like a ``club of fags.''(story)



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365gay

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/03/030207band.htm

Hit Mexican Band Singer Comes Out
by The Associated Press
Posted: March 2, 2007 - 7:00 pm ET

(Mexico City) Christian Chavez, a singer for the Mexican pop group RBD, hasannounced that he is gay after photographs showing him marrying' another manshowed up on the Internet.

''I don't want to keep on lying and lie to myself because of fear,'' Chavezsaid in a statement posted on the group's official Web site Thursday. ''Ifeel bad for not having shared this with all my fans before, as they are theones that worry and it is because of them that I decided to be honest.''

A series of photos that appeared on the Web site www.latingossip.com, alsoThursday, showed the 23-year-old star, known for his ever-changing haircolors, with another man with short black hair. The photos, taken in Canadain 2005 according to a message on the site, show the two signing documents,exchanging rings and giving each other a kiss. Canada became the fourthcountry in the world to legalize gay marriage in July 2005.

The photos ''show a part of me, a part that I was not prepared to speak ofin fear of rejection, of criticism, but especially for my family and itsconsequences,'' said Chavez, whose statement appeared in both Spanish andEnglish.

''Although I'm scared and filled with uncertainty I know that I can rely onthe support of my fans,'' he added. ''Their love is bigger than all of this.I ask them from the bottom of my heart, not to judge me for being honest andto feel proud of who they are and never make the same mistake I did.Tolerance to diversity!''

RBD, which spun off of Mexico's wildly popular two-year-long soap opera,Rebelde, achieved massive success throughout Latin America and among Spanishspeakers in the United States.

In February of last year, three people were crushed to death when thousandsof fans surged through security barriers at an autograph session in SaoPaulo, Brazil. Weeks earlier, police in New Jersey and Texas also struggledto contain unexpectedly large turnouts of fans for the RBD band.



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365gay

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/03/030207maryland.htm

Anti-Gay Amendment Resurfaces In Maryland
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: March 2, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Annapolis, Maryland) A proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution thatwould bar same-sex couples from marrying has been filed in the statelegislature.

Maryland already has a law restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples.The law has been challenged on constitutional grounds and the Court ofAppeals - the highest court in Maryland - is expected to make a rulingsometime this year.

Republican lawmakers in the Senate say that if the court allows gay partnersto marry the only way to stop it would be through an amendment to theconstitution.

The proposed amendment states: "Only a marriage between a man and a woman isa valid marriage in this state."

In a committee hearing Thursday one GOP co-sponsor of the amendment, Sen.Janet Greenip claimed research shows that children are more likely to have arange of problems if they don't have a mother or a father.



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=11717

Uzbek authorities accuse U.S.-based aid group of supporting gays
Homosexuality is punishable by up to 3 years in ex-Soviet republic
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) | Mar 2, 10:01 AM

Uzbek authorities accused a U.S.-based health care aid group on Wednesday oflegal violations and supporting the "interests of homosexuals" in thetightly controlled ex-Soviet republic, where homosexuality is outlawed.

The medical nonprofit Population Services International, or PSI, failed tosubmit required legal paperwork from its headquarters in Washington and didnot register its office rental contract, theJustice Ministry said in a statement posted on the internet.

"PSI is especially famous for its projects universally asserting interestsof persons with unorthodox sexual orientation," the statement said, addingthat homosexuality is punishable by up to three years in prison inUzbekistan.

The statement also alleges that PSI, founded in 1970, was created by U.S.entrepreneur Philip Harvey to promote the use of contraceptives produced byhis sex products company, Adam & Eve.

The PSI director in Uzbekistan, Robert Grey, said the organization would notcomment.



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=11732

S.F. mayor called to taskover gay porn proclamation
O'Reilly: 'city looked upon as modern day Sodom and Gomorrah'
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) | Mar 2, 12:49 AM

Conservative pundits clucked their tongues after San Francisco Mayor GavinNewsom and two other elected officials issued official proclamationscommemorating the 40th anniversary of a studio that produces pornography forgay men.

"San Francisco has proven yet again why they remain the mocked city of thecountry," said Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman of the Anaheim-basedTraditional Values Coalition. "No other major city in the nation has gone sofar as to blatantly glorify a homosexual porn producer and company."

Newsom, who has publicly opposed a local Internet porn company's plans tomove into a former National Guard armory, declared last Friday "Colt StudioDay" to honor the studio that celebrated the milestone anniversary with agala at the city's War Memorial Building.

The event came the night before the GAYVN Awards, the gay porn industry'sanswer to the Oscars.

California Assemblyman Mark Leno and San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisnerosalso issued proclamations honoring Colt Studio.



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=11709

Romney criticizes McCain and Giuliani on gay rights

Presidential hopeful attempts to explain his past gay support
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) | Mar 1, 4:59 PM

Republican Mitt Romney assailed his two leading presidential rivalsThursday, criticizing John McCain and Rudy Giuliani on their positions ongay rights.

In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, the formerMassachusetts governor criticized Giuliani for his moderate stands onabortion, gays and gun control — even though Romney expressed similar viewsin previous campaigns.

In the interview posted on the CBN website, Romney said of Giuliani: "He ispro-choice, he is pro-gay marriage and anti-gun. That's a tough combinationin a Republican primary."

He also criticize McCain for opposing a constitutional amendment to bansame-sex marriage.

In Utah, McCain responded, saying: "I believe in the sanctity of marriagebetween a man and a woman, but I believe the states should decide."



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Pepperdine University - Graphic

http://graphic.pepperdine.edu/news/2007/2007-03-01-gay.htm

Pep snubs gay student group, club left to form Malibu chapter

CARA VAN METER
Staff Writer

Much like members of any other student organization, Pepperdine students whoare involved in the Malibu Gays, Lesbians and Everyone Else (GLEE) clubgather regularly. Like members of any other club, they sponsor studentevents and spend time getting to know each other better.

There’s a difference, though, between the Malibu GLEE club and other clubs.The GLEE Club does not have official status as a student organization. WhenGLEE club members come together, they do so in their own homes or atoff-campus locations. When they sponsor events, each member must pay out ofpocket to help cover the costs. When they spend time talking with oneanother, they’re often talking about the frustration they feel as part of aquiet (until recently) minority at Pepperdine.

“While the university respects the right of any individual to hold differentviews from the University, we are under no obligation to support the formalorganization of groups with opposing purposes,” Dean of Student Affairs MarkDavis wrote in an e-mail. Davis stressed the importance of distinguishingbetween the individual rights of students and the university’s recognitionof a student organization.

The club, organized in 2006 by current senior Jamaal Crowley, has more than50 members at Pepperdine. According to Crowley, a telecommunicationsproductions major, the club's purpose is to serve as a support system forgay students and their friends, regardless of orientation.

“It’s a lot harder doing it off campus — money issues, finding a place tohold an event, all that stuff makes a big difference,” Crowley said. “Wejust want to be recognized officially as a group that wants to do nothingbut good. We want the same rules and restrictions as any other group.”



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/3-2/news/localnews/3479.cfm

Jamaican attacks raise concerns
MCC officials contact governments, plan tourism boycott

By PHIL LAPADULA
Friday, March 02, 2007

“Come to Jamaica and feel all right,” says the Jamaican tourism ad thatappears often on South Florida TV screens, especially at this time of theyear.

But gay activists in Jamaica and their allies in Fort Lauderdale arenot feeling all right after an anti-gay attack on three men in a pharmacyFeb. 14. The attack was apparently sparked by a woman in the MonarchPharmacy in the Kingston suburb of St. Andrews Parish. The womanallegedly objected to the men’s effeminate mannerisms and appearance,according to Jamaican media reports and the police.

The woman left the pharmacy and made a phone call that resulted in anangry mob of about 2,000 people gathering outside, according to Jamaicannews reports and a press statement issued by the MCC Sunshine Cathedral inFort Lauderdale. The mob demanded that the men be turned over to them andthreatened to kill them, according to media reports.

Police eventually arrived and escorted the men out of the pharmacy. Asthey were led away, one of the men was hit in the head by a stone thatsomeone in the crowd threw. Another man was rifle-butted by a policeofficer, according to the MCC press statement. Police questioned the men andreleased them.

Since the Feb. 14 attack, there have been other anti-gay attacks on theisland, including a beating of a gay man in Montego Bay Feb. 16 and anotherbeating in Kingston on the same day, according to MCC officials.



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/3-2/news/localnews/3482.cfm

Spring break takes gay turn in Key West

From ‘Sex or Next’ contest to snorkeling trips, new events cater tocollege crowd
By ZACH ROSEN
Mar. 02, 2007

Crystal-clear waters. Perfect weather. Palm trees. And 10,000 gay collegestudents looking to party? Spring break, long the bastion of the straightand the fratty, is getting a queer makeover in Key West.

Between late February and early April, the gay-friendly island will behosting more than 150 events aimed at bringing college students — and anyoneelse looking to celebrate — down to Florida for a good time.

Though Key West has always been a popular gay travel destination, members ofthe Key West Business Guild, the local equivalent of a gay chamber ofcommerce, decided that the time was right to host an event that wouldintroduce a whole new gay generation to the pleasures of the island.

“We wanted an event that was geared toward younger gay people,” says Ian J.Whitney, a spring break organizer and the chair of new events for theBusiness Guild. “We put it during a time when young people traditionallytake their vacations. It’s good for us as a destination because we canintroduce Key West to the next generation of travelers. We found that peopletend to fall in love with it and come back year to year.”

And it’s easy to see why. Key West affords ample opportunities to enjoy theoutdoors. Many of the featured events over gay spring break take advantageof the pristine surroundings, with gay snorkeling trips, parasailing, jetskiing and sunset cruises available to the adventurous.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/us/politics/03cpac.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Romney and Giuliani Make Pitch to Conservatives

By ADAM NAGOURNEY

WASHINGTON, March 2 — Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Rudolph W. Giulianiof New York are both Republican presidential candidates who have been votedinto office by largely Democratic electorates. They both have a history oftaking liberal positions on social issues. And both are viewed warily byconservative Republicans who are integral to the party’s presidentialnominating process.

Mr. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, and Mr. Giuliani, theformer mayor of New York, sought to address those challenges on Friday withspeeches to conservative advocates gathered for an annual conference inWashington.

To a certain extent, they approached the task in similar ways: by presentingthemselves as devotees of Ronald Reagan who had tamed Democratic excesses intheir communities. Mr. Giuliani talked about cutting crime, welfare andtaxes; Mr. Romney talked of cutting taxes and the size of government.

Yet they parted company on how they dealt with the more difficult questionof their positions on social issues. Mr. Romney made no mention of his pastsupport of abortion rights and gay rights, instead focusing on his currentopposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. He portrayed himself assomeone who stood at the barricades as his state sought to permit same-sexmarriage and to remove restrictions from abortion and stem cell research.

“I stood at the center of the battlefield on every major social issue,” Mr.Romney said in a speech to the gathering, the Conservative Political ActionConference. “I fought to preserve our traditional values, and to protect thesanctity of human life. I vetoed bills. I filed new bills. I enforced a lawthat banned out-of-state same-sex couples from coming to Massachusetts toget married.”



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/us/03evangelical.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Evangelical’s Focus on Climate Draws Fire of Christian Right
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN

Leaders of several conservative Christian groups have sent a letter urging the National Association of Evangelicals to force its policy director in Washington to stop speakingout on global warming.

The conservative leaders say they are not convinced that global warming ishuman-induced or that human intervention can prevent it. And they accuse thedirector, the Rev. Richard Cizik, the association’s vice president forgovernment affairs, of diverting the evangelical movement from what theydeem more important issues, like abortion and homosexuality.

The letter underlines a struggle between established conservative Christianleaders, whose priority has long been sexual morality, and challengers whoare pushing to expand the evangelical movement’s agenda to include issueslike climate change and human rights.

“We have observed,” the letter says, “that Cizik and others are using theglobal warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moralissues of our time.”

Those issues, the signers say, are a need to campaign against abortion andsame-sex marriage and to promote “the teaching of sexual abstinence andmorality to our children.”



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Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

Billingsgazette.com

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/02/23/news/wyoming/40-unions.prt

Panel kills bill against gay unions
By The Associated Press

CHEYENNE - House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, cast the tie-breaking vote incommittee to kill a bill that would have barred Wyoming from recognizing gaymarriages from other states.

Wyoming already has a law in place that says marriages conducted within thestate must be between a man and a woman. Massachusetts is the only statethat grants marriage licenses to same-sex couples; others permit civilunions but the proposed law pertained only to gay marriages.

Cohee said afterward that he mulled over the impassioned comments fromresidents and legislators on both sides of the issue before deciding tooppose the bill.

"Is it a responsible thing of government to say that, OK, as a government,we'll provide certain benefits, and entitlements and rights to the people ofthis country and of this state, unless you are this or that?" Cohee said.

"Is that our responsibility to do that? I don't think it is."



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Daily Queer News
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www.sovo.com

http://www.sovo.com/print.cfm?content_id=6562

When we grow old
Atlanta’s gay seniors discuss hopes, fears of twilight years

By ZACK HUDSON
Mar. 02, 2007

Their voices would have to be heard. Some, though, had an easier time thanothers saying exactly what was on their minds.

“I don’t want to grow old next to a farmer from Gay, Ga. I want to grow oldnext to a drag queen,” popped a woman’s voice from the crowd.

The speaker was one of about 120 people who filled the Decatur PublicLibrary auditorium to capacity Feb. 25 for a Sunday afternoon rap session toanswer an old question, and, hopefully, start a new conversation.

Where do gay men and lesbians go when they reach retirement age?

It’s a question gerontologists and sociologists have been pondering for sometime. But for those who attended the LGBT Elder Town Hall meeting, sponsoredby a consortium of community organizations, the answer is plain: They’restaying right here.



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Daily Queer News
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Gaycitynews.com

http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2729&dept_id=569342&newsid=18025548

03/01/2007
Two LGBTs Vie For State Assembly
By: PAUL SCHINDLER

Matthew Titone, a 45-year-old gay attorney who unsuccessfully contested anopen state Senate race in Staten Island last fall, will be the Democraticcandidate in a special election on the borough's North Shore on March 27.

The election is being held to fill a vacancy created by the death ofDemocrat John Lavelle in January.

Titone will face off against Republican Rose Margarella, a school teacherwho ran unsuccessfully last fall against Lavelle, and Kelvin Alexander, whohad sought the Democratic nod in the race, and will run on the IndependenceParty line.

Alexander, a retired police officer who has worked as an organizer forReverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network, has emphasized theimportance of people of color representation on Staten Island. If elected,Titone would be the borough's first openly gay elected official.

In last year's state Senate race, Titone was significantly outspent by theRepublican victor, Andrew Lanza, a city councilman who represented theisland's South Shore for five years. Lanza enjoyed roughly $350,000 from theRepublican Senate Campaign Committee as well as Albany GOP leaders includingMajority Leader Joe Bruno.



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Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

News.com.au

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21310074-421,00.html#

PM to review same-sex couples' rights
By Patricia Karvelas
March 02, 2007 01:00am

JOHN Howard is considering legal changes to give same-sex couples the samerights as heterosexuals in areas such as welfare, superannuation and tax.

The Prime Minister's office is preparing a Cabinet submission on the issueafter a concerted campaign from Liberal MPs.

But news of the plan is expected to trigger a backlash among conservativemembers of the Coalition.

The departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Treasury are costingproposals to end discrimination under welfare, tax and superannuation laws.

But there is concern about creating precedents that could unintentionallycost taxpayers millions of dollars.

The proposed changes come despite the Howard Government's decision to twicereject attempts by the ACT Government to make gay marriage legal in the
territory.



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Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com

Starbulletin.com

http://starbulletin.com/print/2005.php?fr=/2007/03/02/editorial/editorial02.html

Civil unions' quiet death an affront to gay couples

THE ISSUE
A proposal to allow civil unions was left dormant in the House JudiciaryCommittee.

MEMBERS of the state House Judiciary Committee heard five hours ofimpassioned testimony this week on a proposal to expand the rights ofhomosexual couples. At the end, the bill appears to have died without even avote in the committee, displaying a deplorable absence of accountability.

Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey allow civil unions, recognizing rightssuch as tax breaks, adoption and health benefits for gay couples. Theproposal would grant similar rights in Hawaii, without recognizing gayunions as marriages, which are honored in Massachusetts.

More than 400 people submitted written or oral testimony on the bill anddeserved the courtesy of a committee vote on the issue. Committee ChairmanTommy Waters' later said he chose not to call for a vote because mostcommittee members opposed the bill, and he wanted to leave open thepossibility of a compromise. That seems highly unlikely, given the stridentpolarization on the issue.

Hawaii was in the forefront of gay rights 14 years ago when the stateSupreme Court required the state to explain why homosexual marriages shouldbe forbidden. Hawaii voters proceeded to approve a state constitutionalamendment that essentially ratified a ban on such marriages that had beenapproved by the Legislature.

Hawaii legislators have been progressive since then in allowing gay partnersvarious rights such as family and bereavement leaves, probate rights andhospital visitation. Gay couples were hopeful that their partnerships wouldbe recognized as civil unions not only in Hawaii but in NewHampshire, Oregon and Rhode Island, where similar legislation is pending.



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Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com
HomeNewsTribune

http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20070302&Category=COLUMNISTS15&ArtNo=703020373&SectionCat=&Template=printart

Why shouldn't gays be allowed to wed?
Home News Tribune Online 03/2/07
JEN JABLOW
Be Counted

Abortion, euthanasia and cloning — all "hot button" social issues — aremorally and substantively complex, worthy of the deep divisions anddifferences they produce in the American public.

However, another hot button social issue — the right of gays and lesbians tomarry — is not. In every way, the case to allow such unions is compellingand opposition chiefly reflects either ignorance or bias.

On Feb. 19, a New Jersey law went into effect allowing same-sex couples tofile for civil unions. As a full supporter of the right for any consentingadult to marry any other consenting adult, I can appreciate this step ourstate has taken. However, like many others, I see the law as a partialvictory that leaves much to be desired. While civil unions grant gay couplesequal rights on some fronts — including adoption and medical decision-makingrights, among others — same-sex couples are limited by federal law.Washington provides more than 1,100 rights, benefits and protections tomarried couples not available to same-sex civil partners.

As a college student, I deeply value both sides of every story. Regardingcivil unions, I have already demonstrated the case for one side of thestory; gay couples simply aren't being treated equally under the law. Now,the question we should be asking ourselves is: Why not? Why not allowsame-sex couples all the rights, benefits and protections that we offerheterosexual couples?

I cannot for the life of me come up with an answer to this question.

Ever in search of "the other side of the story," I have been able to uncovertwo main criticisms to gay marriage. First, opponents question thewell-being of same-sex couples' children. According to a 2006 article inPediatrics, even in studies in which researchers have no particularinvestment in same-sex parenting research, children born and raised bylesbian partners were found to develop indistinguishably from those broughtup by male-female couples.

It's true that some parental characteristics predict difficult upbringings,but Pediatrics points to single-parent homes, not same-sex child rearing, asthe culprit. And, if critics' underlying worry is that gay parents willraise gay kids, they ought to be aware of data that indicates no significantdifference in later identification as gay or straight based on the sexualorientation of one's mother.



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Daily Queer News
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Sovo.com

http://sovo.com/print.cfm?content_id=6573

Hate crimes and self-hate

The American Family Association tells the truth about ‘homosexual activists,’and a Georgia lesbian puts all of our families at risk.
By LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN
Mar. 02, 2007

There’s an adage that even a broken clock is right twice per day.

So I guess I shouldn’t be too shocked that the American Family Associationactually told the truth near the end of a recent “legislative alert”denouncing the many evils of a pending federal hate crimes bill:

“Right now the homosexual activists are winning.”

Of course we are. Americans may remain divided over gay marriage, willing topass simplistic constitutional amendments to limit access to this vitalinstitution. But on most other issues, public opinion is already decided infavor of gay equality, especially among younger people who will be the nextleaders of the country.

Last March, a national poll of 1,405 adults by the Pew Research Center forthe People & the Press found 60 percent of respondents favor allowing gaysto serve openly in the military — and support rises to 72 percent amongrespondents younger than age 30.




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http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1661&dept_id=9543&newsid=18023637

03/01/2007
Homophobia is alive and active in the state of Connecticut - Editor's View
By: Bridget Albert, Editor

I recently had to have some tests done and see a surgeon. All arranged by myphysician. The subsequent visits were to offices that, while in twodifferent communities, are part of a Milford-based for-profit business.

First I had blood work done. The regular phlebotomist was on vacation, Ilearned, and the women filling in for her seemed competent. However, oncethe blood drawer saw the list of tests requested she decided to wait untilthe paperwork, including labels indicating how many tubes of blood were tobe drawn were put into the computer.

Interestingly, although I am a bit of a regular there, they had to input allthe basic information including whose policy the insurance was through.

They kept referring to my other half as a "he" although her name is a farstretch from being "he." And they couldn't understand why the computer keptrejecting the policy. It wasn't until I suggested they change the sex of thepolicyholder from "he" to "she" that the paperwork went through. At whichpoint I was stared at.

At the end of the week I was to see the surgeon. I arrived promptly, filledout the ream of paperwork, sat and waited while listening to the two womenat the desk talk about how they hoped they weren't perceived as being 'gay.'

It seems a male patient commented that the last time he had been in theyboth had the same color tops on and again that day they did as well.

While it might be an inside joke that lesbians will oftentimes be seen withsimilar articles of clothing on I don't understand why it was necessary todiscuss this topic openly and with such obvious malice. This led to aconversation about one of the women going mall shopping with her daughterand worrying about being considered gay since she would occasionally put herarm around her daughter.



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http://citizenchris.typepad.com/citizenchris/2007/02/hrc_vs_gay_blog.html

February 28, 2007
HRC vs. gay blogosphere

At what point does scaterred criticism in the blogosphere become somethingof a movement? I'm not sure but the point of critical mass may well havebeen reached with gay bloggers and the current leadership of the HumanRights Campaign.

In the last couple of weeks, a growing number of gay bloggers from acrossthe ideological spectrum have taken aim at the decision by HRC prez JoeSolmonese to position his organization in the same way labor unions have —as a special interest within the Democratic Party.

I first blogged about Solmonese and the "Dem-jacking" of HRC a couple oftimes back in January, and again in support of gay philathropist Tim Gill'salternative outside-the-beltway approach a couple of weeks ago. For otherbloggers, the issue has come up in the same and other contexts:

Andrew Sullivan picked up on the Tim Gill thread in a post he titled "TheAntidote to HRC":

"There is hope for the gay rights movement," he wrote, "just don't expect itfrom the failed Hillary cronies at the Human Rights Campaign." I'm unclearwhether Andrew was referring to those at HRC already pining for posts in aHillary Clinton White House or maybe Hillary Rosen, who's at the core of theso-called "Massachusetts Gay Mafia" that has long controlled theorganization. Either way…

The catty young queerlings at Queerty, ever in need of a catfight, cast theconflict as a "faggot feud" between Solmonese and me. I have absolutelynothing against Joe personally and have had only positive interactions withhim. But hopefully this puts the lie to some who grumbled that I was somehowmysoginist for critiquing Solmonese's two HRC predecessors, Cheryl Jacquesand Elizabeth Birch.



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Daily Queer News
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http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/2007-03-02-voa10.cfm?rss=united%20states

US, Nigerian Anglicans Seek New Solutions for Same Sex Unions and GayOrdination

By Howard Lesser
Washington, DC
02 March 2007

A pending bill in Nigeria that would introduce stiff criminal penalties forsame sex marriages and public displays of affection among homosexuals isdrawing strong criticism from human rights groups. Introduction of thelegislation comes on the heels of a meeting last month in Dar Es Salaam,Tanzania of the Anglican Communion, the world’s third largest Christiandenomination.

That church has been sharply split between traditional Church leadersrepresenting Africa and the developing world and some Anglican clergy fromthe United States over same sex unions and the consecration of gay bishops.The Reverend Canon Kendall Harmon is Chief Theologian for the EpiscopalDiocese of South Carolina. He explains how difficult it has been forAnglicans to find common ground on an issue that deals with protecting thecivil liberties of minorities, including the rights of homosexuals.

“The focus of the controversy is on non-celibate lesbian and gay bishops andthe blessing of non-celibate lesbian and gay couples. The (American)Episcopal Church (TEC) was asked in 2004 to apologize to the rest of theCommunion for what we did and how we did it in 2003. Namely, we approvedthe election of a bishop in a non-celibate, same-sex relationship, and wepassed a resolution that gave more dioceses the desire to encourage same-sexblessings and the encouragement to go ahead and allow for that at the locallevel,” he said.

Canon Harmon says that primates at the Tanzania meeting decided that theAmerican branch of the Church needs to demonstrate a greater commitment toend its acceptance of homosexual clergy. He says the Episcopal Church wasgiven a six-month ultimatum to make clear it will no longer bless same-sexrelationships “until and unless a new consensus in the Anglican Communionemerges and that we’re no longer going to approve the election of bishops innon-celibate, same-sex relationships.”

As for this week’s indications that Nigerian legislators plan to criminalizesame sex relationships and all promotion of a homosexual lifestyle, CanonHarmon says he hopes the Nigerian diocese and its leaders will strike abalance that respects the region’s cultural history and the personal rightsand freedoms of Nigerian citizens.



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

Prindesource.com

http://www.pridesource.com/print.shtml?article=23674

Trans firing may cause Lansing Community College to sever partnership withSpring Arbor
By Todd A. Heywood
Originally printed 03/01/2007

EDITOR'S NOTE: Todd A. Heywood is a former Trustee of Lansing CommunityCollege and is currently suing the college Board of Trustees in InghamCounty Circuit Court for allegedly violating the Open Meetings Act.

LANSING - A lucrative partnership between Lansing Community College and theembattled Spring Arbor University may be in jeopardy due to SAU's recentfiring of a transgender employee.

LCC officials confirm the state's third largest community college isconsidering ending a proposed partnership between the two organizationsbecause of SAU's recent firing of Julie Marie Nemecek, who is transgendered,and a series of repressive policies, including an antigay policy.

The proposed partnership would have allowed SAU to offer classes and degreesat a new multimillion dollar building at LCC's downtown campus. The newbuilding, dubbed the University Center, is paid for with state dollars andmatching funds from a recent millage passed by LCC district voters.

"It is fair to say the College is considering not going forth with the draftcontract," says LCC spokesperson Tess Brown.

SAU was one of eight universities selected through a formal proposal processto be partners with LCC in the University Center. Others include WesternMichigan, U of M Flint, and Central Michigan University.




=

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

RedandBlack.com

http://www.redandblack.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=2def7464-f767-471e-afff-b60735bbfbc9

Goalie comes out, reveals double life
Players accept goalie, give him positive reactions

PETER STEINBAUER
Posted: 3/2/07
Joey Fisher lived in two different worlds.

On a typical Tuesday afternoon, the junior from Athens would attend a LambdaAlliance meeting, a student organization aimed at strengthening the gay,lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Athens.

Fisher, a sociology major, would grab his goalie gear and then hop into hiscar to drive an hour or two to the Atlanta Ice Forum for hockey practicewith the Georgia Ice Dogs, a club team affiliated with the University.

For his freshman and sophomore seasons, Fisher's teammates knew nothing ofhis other world.

"I pass pretty well," he said of being gay. "Most people aren't able totell."



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Polish minister upholds controversial criticism of abortion, gays

Friday, March 02, 2007 at 15:21

http://www.eux.tv/article.aspx?articleId=3877

Warsaw (dpa) - Roman Giertych, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Ministerof Education, Friday in Warsaw upheld his controversial proposal to includea ban on abortion and rights for homosexuals in any possible future Europeanconstitution.

Giertych stirred controversy in Heidelberg, Germany, on Thursday during ameeting of EU education ministers when he openly criticized what he termed"homosexual propaganda" in a public speech.

"The propaganda of homosexuality is reaching ever younger children."Giertych said in the speech released to the Polish media Friday.

"In some countries it is even forbidden for children in hospital to talk orread about mommy and daddy, because this allegedly violates minority rights.Let's free ourselves of this unwise political correctness," he said.



=

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

http://www.nyblade.com/2007/3-2/news/localnews/fightright.cfm

The Fight on the Right
The True Foes of Same-sex Equality: New York's Conservative Party

By KERRY ELEVELD
Mar. 02, 2007

The White Evangelical Christian right, which accounted for about 24 percentof the vote in the '06 midterm elections, is well known as the biggest, mostorganized stumbling block to LGBT rights on the national level.

But what's the biggest hurdle here in New York? "The Conservative Party,"said David Verchere, president of the Log Cabin Republicans (LCR). "TheConservative Party is the Christian right in New York. They've justconveniently organized themselves into a separate party."

The Conservative Party was founded in 1962 by a band of people who disagreedwith the socially liberal stances of Republican Gov. Nelson Rockefeller.According to its website, it has grown to about 170,000 members. But moreimportantly, no statewide GOP candidate has been elected in New York Statewithout the Conservative Party's support since 1974-a fact Verchere said iscommonly recounted in Republican circles.

But the question now is whether the Conservative Party's fortunes havechanged with the stinging defeat of all statewide Republican candidates lastfall topped of by the loss of Republican Maureen O'Connell to Democrat CraigJohnson in the special election held last month for the 7th Senate Districtseat. Johnson's win marked the first time a Democrat had won the Long Islandseat in 100 years.

Since that loss, Verchere and Log Cabin have been meeting with Republicanlegislators to advance the cause of legalizing same-sex marriage. They had13 meetings on February 12 and have scheduled another round of meetings forMarch 19.

Verchere described the reception they get as "warm" and said that manylegislators agree that same-sex couples should have legal protections fortheir relationships. Their biggest hesitation about showing public supportfor marriage or civil unions is that they'll attract a challenge from theConservative Party.



=

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

Spain passes transsexuals' name and gender law

03/02/2007
http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_37351/life/OPPOSED-BY-POPULAR-PARTY-Spain-p
asses-transsexuals-name-and/

Spain's parliament on Thursday passed a law allowing transsexuals to changetheir name and gender on official documents without needing to undergosurgery first.

The law, which had progressed through the country's lower legislativechamber earlier in the week, was opposed by the conservative oppositionPopular Party.

The new legislation requires transsexuals to present an official medicaldiagnosis stating a clinically proven case of gender dysfunction and to haveundergone appropriate treatment for two years before changes in identitydocuments can be performed.

Up until now, transsexuals in Spain could only change name and genderofficially after a sex change operation and with the approval of law courts.

Pedro Zerolo, spokesman for social affairs in the ruling socialist party andCarla Antonelli, who represents gay and lesbian interests in the party, said"Spain has placed itself at the forefront of Europe, as a leader intranssexual rights." Zerolo said the law would bring Spain into line withcountries such as Britain, whose Gender Recognition Act also loosenedrestrictions on transsexuals in 2004.



=

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

www.law.com

Lawsuit Hinges On Whether 'That's So Gay' Is an Anti-Gay Putdown
Lisa Leff
The Associated Press
03-01-2007

When a few classmates razzed Rebekah Rice about her Mormon upbringing withquestions such as, "Do you have 10 moms?" she shot back: "That's so gay."

Those three words landed the high school freshman in the principal's officeand resulted in a lawsuit that raises this question: When do playgroundinsults used every day all over America cross the line into hate speech thatmust be stamped out?

After Rice got a warning and a notation in her file, her parents sued,claiming officials at Maria Carillo High in Santa Rosa, Calif., violatedtheir daughter's First Amendment rights when they disciplined her foruttering a phrase "which enjoys widespread currency in youth culture,"according to court documents.

Testifying last week about the 2002 incident, Rice, now 18, said that whenshe uttered those words, she was not referring to anyone's sexualorientation. She said the phrase meant: "That's so stupid, that's so silly,that's so dumb."



=

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

http://newyorklawschool.typepad.com/leonardlink/2007/03/virginia_appeal.html

Virginia Appeals Court Says Cohabiting Ex-Wife Forfeits Support Payments
by New York Law School Professor Arthur S. Leonard, March 01, 2007 in LegalIssues

Virginia voters amended their state constitution to provide that same-sexpartners are entitled to absolutely no legal recognition for theirrelationships under any circumstances under the laws of the state, and yetthe state's Court of Appeals ruled on February 27 that if an ex-wife isliving together with her same-sex partner, that will constitute"cohabitation with any person in a situation analogous to marriage" forpurposes of construing a property settlement agreement (PSA), thus deprivingher of support payments under the agreement. Stroud v. Stroud, 2007 WL581833 (Ct.App.Va., Feb. 27, 2007).

Reversing a decision by Fairfax County Circuit Judge M. Langhorne Keith, whohad concluded that the state constitution and laws meant that the courtcould not recognize the cohabitation of a same-sex couple as having anylegal significance, the appeals court ruled in an opinion by Judge James W.Haley, Jr., that these constitutional and statutory restrictions were notrelevant to the interpretation of a contract between divorcing spouses.

"In this case," wrote Judge Haley, "a foundational issue was whether theparties intended, by the use of the word 'person' in the context of the PSA,only individuals of different sexes, or individual of both sexes.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-sydney-mardigras.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras Paints the Town Green

By REUTERS
Filed at 5:48 a.m. ET
BY Jim Thornhill

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, one of thebiggest of its kind in the world, went green this year with a message toAustralians that they must take action to protect a threatened environment.

Centerpiece of the parade on Saturday night was a giant replica of planetEarth, split into two with one half barren and decaying, and the otherbright and colorful to symbolize hope. There was also all the usualrazzmatazz, with a 250-strong posse of Kylie Minogues, a band of gay Sydneylifesavers, and a six-story high trojan horse all helping to pave the city'sstreets with glitter.

``Kylie is such an inspiration,'' said Nicholas Hutchings, among a throng ofKylie devotees clad in pink hot pants and tinsel. ``We just thought she'sbeen through an awful lot and it's time to celebrate her.''

The Australian showgirl herself, recently split from French boyfriendOlivier Martinez, wasn't able to take pride of place on the float but sent amessage of support, said Hutchings, who is an account manager in his dayjob.

A record 7,500 people took part in this year's parade, with hundreds ofthousands of spectators lining the 1.6-km (mile-long) route.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Image-Awards.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Whitaker, Hudson Win NAACP Awards

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 4:45 a.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Oscar winners Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson kepttheir winning streaks alive Friday, while ''Grey's Anatomy'' star IsaiahWashington claimed a best actor prize at the 38th annual NAACP Image Awards.''Ugly Betty'' took top television honors.

Hudson, a former ''American Idol'' finalist, garnered a best supportingactress award for her role in the musical ''Dreamgirls,'' the same categoryshe won at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

''There is nothing like being recognized and honored by your own,'' saidHudson.

Whitaker, who won a best actor Oscar for ''The Last King of Scotland,''earned the same prize at Friday's ceremony, which honor projects andindividuals who promote diversity in the arts.

''Doing this role gave me so many blessings,'' said Whitaker, who plays aUgandan dictator in the film. ''One was being able to go back to Africa andtouch my roots.''



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salon.com

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/03/03/cpac/print.html

The Republican candidates -- and Ann Coulter -- try out their acts

At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Giuliani flops and Romneyshines as the GOP presidential contenders promise the right-wing faithfuleverything, including a cure for cancer.
By Michael Scherer

Mar. 03, 2007 | The Ann Coulter presidential primary ended on Friday, beforean oversold crowd of Republican college kids and conservative activists in abasement hotel conference room. She had just finished doing her incendiarystand-up act, joking that Al Gore was fat ("Did Al Gore actually swallowMichael Moore?"), that Bill Clinton was the first black president ("halfwhite, half trash") and that John Edwards was a "faggot."

Then a question came from the audience. What did she think of Mitt Romney,the former Massachusetts governor now running for president? "I think he isprobably our best candidate," she said, with a sudden lack of sarcasm,prompting a round of applause from the room. "I think we have to be seriousabout this."

No one at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference was takingthe upcoming presidential election lightly. For the first time since 1996,the Republican Party finds itself with no single front-runner and no clearconservative standard-bearer. "Ronald Reagan is not with us," explainedDavid Keene, the chairman of the American Conservative Union, sponsor of theevent, which drew every GOP presidential contender with the notableexception of John McCain. "None of them are perfect." Meanwhile, thenational mood has turned on the Republican Party. A recent New York Timestracking poll shows that the party has a favorability rating of just 38percent, compared to 48 percent for Democrats, the lowest score in the pollsince 1998. "This conference is called CPAC," joked Mike Huckabee, a formerArkansas governor who is running for president. "Maybe this weekend it mightbe named the 'Conservative Presidential Anxiety Contest.' " He paused a beatand then added, "Dude, where's my candidate?"

All of the Republican candidates except McCain, who was campaigning in Utah,were on hand to pander, dazzle and plead for conservative support.California Rep. Duncan Hunter, the former chairman of House Armed ServicesCommittee, promised to sink more money into the military-industrial complexto ward off threats from China. Huckabee bragged that he was the firstgovernor in America with a concealed carry permit: "So don't mess with me."Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback vowed to attempt "eliminating deaths by cancer in10 years." Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, the anti-immigration crusader, toldthe crowd that Miami was becoming a "third-world country" and that Americawas becoming a "linguistic and cultural tower of Babel."



[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]

#####

GLBT DIGEST - March 03, 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.



Forwarded from Ron Mills

precinct114r@yahoo.com

I wanted to tell you about something pretty outrageous.

Fox News convinced the Democratic Party to let Fox host anationally-televised Democratic presidential primary debate this summer inNevada!

But Fox isn't even a legitimate news channel!

It's a right-wing mouthpiece like Rush Limbaugh—dedicated to smearingDemocrats. (Recently, Fox falsely claimed Sen. Barack Obama attended aterrorist school!)

There's a growing backlash of people demanding that Democrats drop Fox. Canyou help out by signing this petition to the Democratic Party of Nevada?It's really easy—just click this link:

http://civic.moveon.org/foxdebate/?referring_id=-7252522-zBHn5N&taf=1

Thanks!
Ron Mills



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/science/03climate.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
U.S. Predicting Steady Increase for Emissions
By ANDREW C. REVKIN

The Bush administration estimates that emissions by the United States ofgases that contribute to global warming will grow nearly as fast through thenext decade as they did the previous decade, according to a long-delayedreport being completed for the United Nations.

The document, the United States Climate Action Report, emphasizes that theprojections show progress toward a goal Mr. Bush laid out in a 2002 speech:that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases grow at a slowerrate than the economy. Since that speech, he has repeated his commitment tolessening “greenhouse gas intensity” without imposing formal limits on thegases.

Kristen A. Hellmer, a spokeswoman for the White House on environmentalmatters, said on Friday, “The Climate Action Report will show that thepresident’s portfolio of actions addressing climate change and hisunparalleled financial commitments are working.”

But when shown the report, an assortment of experts on climate trends andpolicy described the projected emissions as unacceptable given the risingevidence of risks from unabated global warming.

“As governor of Texas and as a candidate, the president supported mandatorylimits on carbon dioxide emissions,” said David W. Conover, who directed theadministration’s Climate Change Technology Program until February 2006 andis now counsel to the National Commission on Energy Policy, a nonpartisanresearch group that supports limits on gases. “When he announced hisvoluntary greenhouse-gas intensity reduction goal in 2002, he said it wouldbe re-evaluated in light of scientific developments. The science now clearlycalls for a mandatory program that establishes a price for greenhouse-gasemissions.”



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03sat1.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Editorial
No More Denials, Please

It is time for the Justice Department to stop issuing rote denials that arebecoming increasingly hard to believe about the suspicious firing of eightUnited States attorneys. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should appoint animpartial investigator to get to the bottom of this unfolding scandal.

Just this week, David Iglesias, one of the eight fired United Statesattorneys, charged that he was dismissed for resisting pressure to begin apolitically charged prosecution before the 2006 election. His allegationcame shortly after performance evaluations came to light that throwconsiderable doubt on the Justice Department’s claim that the United Statesattorneys were fired for poor performance.

United States attorneys, the highest federal prosecutors at the state level,must be insulated from politics. Their decisions about whether to indict canruin lives, and change the outcome of elections. To ensure theirindependence, United States attorneys are almost never removed during theterm of the president who appointed them.

The Bush administration ignored this tradition, and trampled onprosecutorial independence, by firing eight United States attorneys in rapidsuccession, including one, Carol Lam of San Diego, who had put a powerfulRepublican congressman in jail. Mr. Iglesias, who was the U.S. attorney inNew Mexico, says two members of Congress called him last October and urgedhim to pursue corruption charges against a prominent Democrat before theNovember election. He did not. He was dismissed.

Most of the fired United States attorneys’ performance evaluations praisethem for the quality of their work, and for following the priorities set inWashington. These do not appear to be the evaluations of people who werefired for poor performance.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03sat2.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Editorial
Overkill

A famous hunter and outdoorsman recently voiced misgivings about people whouse assault rifles to kill prairie dogs.

Everyone knows what a prairie dog is: a chubby North American rodent thatlives in a communal burrow and grows to be about a foot long. “Assault rifle” is a much touchier term. It is generally understood to be the kindof gun that soldiers use in wars and terrorists use on the evening news. Butthe gun lobby despises “assault rifle,” considering it a false, scary labeltacked onto perfectly legitimate weapons by people who want to take awayothers’ rights.

That is a debate for another day. The question for now is whether thehunter, Jim Zumbo, deserved what he got after he wrote on his blog thathunters should shun what he called assault rifles — semiautomatics like theAR-15, a cousin of the M-16, and civilian knockoffs of the AK-47. “Excuseme, maybe I’m a traditionalist,” he wrote, “but I see no place for theseweapons among our hunting fraternity.” He added: “To most of the public, anassault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let’s divorce ourselves from them. Isay game departments should ban them from the prairies and woods.”

Until he wrote that, Mr. Zumbo was one of the most admired hunters inAmerica, a widely read magazine writer with his own cable TV program andlots of lecture appearances and corporate sponsorships. He of all peopleshould have known that “ban” is the mother of all fighting words to gunzealots. His 250-word posting caused a huge eruption on gun blogs, and Mr.Zumbo instantly became their second-most-hated man, after the gun-controladvocate James Brady. Even though Mr. Zumbo quickly disavowed his words andapologized, he lost his blog, was dumped by Outdoor Life magazine and wasdisowned by the National Rifle Association, after 40 years of membership.His corporate sponsors, including the gunmaker Remington, ditched him. Hiscable show was canceled. The N.R.A. issued a chilling statement warningCongress to take heed of Mr. Zumbo’s fate. By the time Blaine Harden toldhis story in The Washington Post, Mr. Zumbo was professionally dead.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03sat3.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Editorial
Locking Up the Ghost of Congress Past

Congress’s quid-pro-quo corruption scandal continues to haunt the Capitol asBob Ney, the once-unbeatable lawmaker, slips off to his prison sentence oftwo and a half years for peddling influence to Jack Abramoff, thebribe-dishing lobbyist already doing six years in a Florida case.

As the House’s special task force considers whether Congress needs anoutside monitoring panel to help enforce stronger integrity standards, wesuggest that it start with an in-depth briefing on the Abramoff-Neydownfall — complete with cash-flow charts and poll data on how the scandalhas tainted the public’s view of lawmakers.

It shouldn’t take more than that to persuade the task force of what isneeded.

The House ethics committee sat mute and petrified for a year while the newsmedia and prosecutors peeled back the Abramoff scandal. An independentintegrity office to investigate allegations of ethics violations is exactlythe restorative needed by the ethics committee. Unfortunately, no one knowswhat is on the task force’s agenda because the bipartisan group has decidedto start its work with private meetings. Public hearings may or may not comelater as the lawmakers face a May 1 deadline for making recommendations.There may be some virtue in eliciting candor in private, but sooner or laterthe House very much needs to hear from a galvanized public that sent a cleardemand for ethical reform when it voted the Republicans out of power lastyear.

The Democratic Senate has already run away from a proposed integrity office.The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, deserves credit for ordering considerationof the sensitive subject of an outside watchdog. But the study group mustnot be shrouded in secrecy nor its work be allowed to drag on beyond May 1.For all the tenderness of the task, lawmakers should focus on where and howMr. Ney went wrong and try to ensure that it does not happen again.



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The New York Times

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03dowd.html

March 3, 2007
Op-Ed Columnist
Where’s His Right Hook?

By MAUREEN DOWD
WASHINGTON

As I sit across from Barack Obama in his Senate office, I feel like IngridBergman in “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” when she plays a nun who teaches aschoolboy who’s being bullied how to box.

I’m just not certain, having watched the fresh-faced senator shy away fromfighting with the feral Hillary over her Hollywood turf, that he understandsthat a campaign is inherently a conflict.

The Democrats lost the last two excruciatingly close elections because AlGore and John Kerry did not fight fiercely and cleverly enough.

After David Geffen made critical comments about Hillary, she seized thechance to play Godzilla stomping on Obambi.

As a woman, she clearly feels she must be aggressive in showing she can“deck” opponents, as she put it — whether it’s Saddam with her warresolution vote or Senator Obama when he encroaches on areas that she andBill had presumed were wrapped up, like Hollywood and now the black vote.



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The New York Times

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03althouse.html

March 3, 2007
Guest Columnist

A Word Too Far
By ANN ALTHOUSE

Recently, the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski had to grovel after one ofits recruiters used a racist epithet in an interview exercise at DukeUniversity Law School.

The recruiter was quoting a Waco, Tex., prosecutor in a 1920s murder case inwhich Leon Jaworski, one of the firm’s founding partners, represented ablack defendant.

But never mind. One student heard an upsetting word and lodged a complaint.

Without explaining the context of the partner’s use of that horrible word,the law school’s dean, Katharine Bartlett, sent e-mail to students, saying:“I appreciate the strong feelings this incident has raised.” And beforelong, Steven Pfeiffer, the chairman of the firm’s executive committee, wastraveling to Durham, N.C., to apologize.

As reported in the Texas Lawyer, Pfeiffer said, “There is no excuse for whathappened on this campus. There is no context for which that is permissibleconduct.”

Closer to home, a perplexing event took place at the University of WisconsinLaw School, where I teach.



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/business/worldbusiness/03ethanol.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
U.S. and Brazil Seek to Promote Ethanol in West
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and LARRY ROHTER

WASHINGTON, March 2 — President Bush, hoping to reduce demand for oil in theWestern Hemisphere, is preparing to finish an agreement with Brazil nextweek to promote the production and use of ethanol throughout Latin Americaand the Caribbean, according to administration officials.

The agreement could lead to substantial growth in the ethanol industry inBrazil as technology and manufacturing equipment developed there is exportedto other countries in the region.

Much of the ethanol produced there is made from sugar cane and is farcheaper to produce than the corn-based ethanol that has been nurtured byprotective tariffs and government mandates in the United States.

But the agreement has already begun to prompt complaints from politiciansfrom corn-producing regions of the United States. They fear that the planwould lead to an increase in imports of cheap foreign ethanol and undercutAmerican producers.

By increasing ethanol production and consumption, particularly in countriesthat produce sugar, officials of the Bush administration hope to reduce theregion’s overall dependence on foreign oil and to take some of the pressureoff oil prices.



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washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/02/AR2007030201534_pf.html

S. Korea Refuses North's Request for Restored Aid

Associated Press
Saturday, March 3, 2007; A12

SEOUL, March 2 -- South Korea on Friday added pressure on North Korea tocomply with an international disarmament agreement, refusing theimpoverished nation's demand to restore full aid shipments until after itsmain nuclear reactor is shut down.

At the first high-level talks between the two Koreas since the North'sunderground nuclear test in October, the communist nation "agreed to makejoint efforts for a smooth implementation" of its pledge last month to takeinitial steps toward dismantling its atomic program, according to a finalstatement.

The North and South also agreed to resume family reunions of relatives splitby their border and planned test runs of railway lines between thecountries.

North Korea and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed on March13 as the starting date for a two-day visit by the agency's chief, MohamedElBaradei, U.N. officials said Friday. The officials asked for anonymitybecause they were not authorized to reveal specifics of the trip, which isexpected to help alleviate some misgivings that the unpredictable regimemight renege on its agreement to shut down its nuclear facilities.

This week's meetings in Pyongyang were part of the historic reconciliationlaunched between the Koreas since their leaders met in their first and onlysummit in 2000. The countries remain technically at war because thecease-fire that ended the 1950-53 Korean War has never been replaced by apeace treaty.



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MiamiHerald.com

http://www.miamiherald.com/851/v-print/story/30034.html

Posted on Sat, Mar. 03, 2007
The face of slavery among us
BY EUGENE ROBINSON

If you think about it, there should be nothing particularly surprising aboutthe discovery that one of Strom Thurmond's relatives once owned the Rev. AlSharpton's great-grandfather. That's how slavery worked -- human beingsowning other human beings, buying them and selling them, often passing themdown to the next generation like sentient family heirlooms. Haven't wealready hashed and rehashed that whole sad story?

Actually, no.

What makes the story that broke over the weekend so compelling is that weknow the charismatic activist Sharpton, and we knew the one-timesegregationist Thurmond. The ancestors of such public figures can't bedismissed as mere historical abstractions. They were real, flesh-and-bloodmen and women who played their roles, voluntarily or not, in the horrificinstitution that so indelibly stained this nation.

Great-grandfather a slave

Because we know so little about slavery at the individual level, we reallydon't know slavery at all.

''I almost fell off the chair,'' Sharpton told me by phone Monday,describing the moment when a team of expert genealogists, working with theNew York Daily News for a Black History Month project, met him at the studiowhere he does his radio talk show and told him of his link with Thurmond.




[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]

#####

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST March 03, 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.



Forwarded from Ron Mills

precinct114r@yahoo.com

I wanted to tell you about something pretty outrageous.

Fox News convinced the Democratic Party to let Fox host anationally-televised Democratic presidential primary debate this summer inNevada!

But Fox isn't even a legitimate news channel!

It's a right-wing mouthpiece like Rush Limbaugh—dedicated to smearingDemocrats. (Recently, Fox falsely claimed Sen. Barack Obama attended aterrorist school!)

There's a growing backlash of people demanding that Democrats drop Fox. Canyou help out by signing this petition to the Democratic Party of Nevada?It's really easy—just click this link:

http://civic.moveon.org/foxdebate/?referring_id=-7252522-zBHn5N&taf=1

Thanks!
Ron Mills



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/science/03climate.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
U.S. Predicting Steady Increase for Emissions
By ANDREW C. REVKIN

The Bush administration estimates that emissions by the United States ofgases that contribute to global warming will grow nearly as fast through thenext decade as they did the previous decade, according to a long-delayedreport being completed for the United Nations.

The document, the United States Climate Action Report, emphasizes that theprojections show progress toward a goal Mr. Bush laid out in a 2002 speech:that emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases grow at a slowerrate than the economy. Since that speech, he has repeated his commitment tolessening “greenhouse gas intensity” without imposing formal limits on thegases.

Kristen A. Hellmer, a spokeswoman for the White House on environmentalmatters, said on Friday, “The Climate Action Report will show that thepresident’s portfolio of actions addressing climate change and hisunparalleled financial commitments are working.”

But when shown the report, an assortment of experts on climate trends andpolicy described the projected emissions as unacceptable given the risingevidence of risks from unabated global warming.

“As governor of Texas and as a candidate, the president supported mandatorylimits on carbon dioxide emissions,” said David W. Conover, who directed theadministration’s Climate Change Technology Program until February 2006 andis now counsel to the National Commission on Energy Policy, a nonpartisanresearch group that supports limits on gases. “When he announced hisvoluntary greenhouse-gas intensity reduction goal in 2002, he said it wouldbe re-evaluated in light of scientific developments. The science now clearlycalls for a mandatory program that establishes a price for greenhouse-gasemissions.”



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03sat1.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Editorial
No More Denials, Please

It is time for the Justice Department to stop issuing rote denials that arebecoming increasingly hard to believe about the suspicious firing of eightUnited States attorneys. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales should appoint animpartial investigator to get to the bottom of this unfolding scandal.

Just this week, David Iglesias, one of the eight fired United Statesattorneys, charged that he was dismissed for resisting pressure to begin apolitically charged prosecution before the 2006 election. His allegationcame shortly after performance evaluations came to light that throwconsiderable doubt on the Justice Department’s claim that the United Statesattorneys were fired for poor performance.

United States attorneys, the highest federal prosecutors at the state level,must be insulated from politics. Their decisions about whether to indict canruin lives, and change the outcome of elections. To ensure theirindependence, United States attorneys are almost never removed during theterm of the president who appointed them.

The Bush administration ignored this tradition, and trampled onprosecutorial independence, by firing eight United States attorneys in rapidsuccession, including one, Carol Lam of San Diego, who had put a powerfulRepublican congressman in jail. Mr. Iglesias, who was the U.S. attorney inNew Mexico, says two members of Congress called him last October and urgedhim to pursue corruption charges against a prominent Democrat before theNovember election. He did not. He was dismissed.

Most of the fired United States attorneys’ performance evaluations praisethem for the quality of their work, and for following the priorities set inWashington. These do not appear to be the evaluations of people who werefired for poor performance.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03sat2.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Editorial
Overkill

A famous hunter and outdoorsman recently voiced misgivings about people whouse assault rifles to kill prairie dogs.

Everyone knows what a prairie dog is: a chubby North American rodent thatlives in a communal burrow and grows to be about a foot long. “Assault rifle” is a much touchier term. It is generally understood to be the kindof gun that soldiers use in wars and terrorists use on the evening news. Butthe gun lobby despises “assault rifle,” considering it a false, scary labeltacked onto perfectly legitimate weapons by people who want to take awayothers’ rights.

That is a debate for another day. The question for now is whether thehunter, Jim Zumbo, deserved what he got after he wrote on his blog thathunters should shun what he called assault rifles — semiautomatics like theAR-15, a cousin of the M-16, and civilian knockoffs of the AK-47. “Excuseme, maybe I’m a traditionalist,” he wrote, “but I see no place for theseweapons among our hunting fraternity.” He added: “To most of the public, anassault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let’s divorce ourselves from them. Isay game departments should ban them from the prairies and woods.”

Until he wrote that, Mr. Zumbo was one of the most admired hunters inAmerica, a widely read magazine writer with his own cable TV program andlots of lecture appearances and corporate sponsorships. He of all peopleshould have known that “ban” is the mother of all fighting words to gunzealots. His 250-word posting caused a huge eruption on gun blogs, and Mr.Zumbo instantly became their second-most-hated man, after the gun-controladvocate James Brady. Even though Mr. Zumbo quickly disavowed his words andapologized, he lost his blog, was dumped by Outdoor Life magazine and wasdisowned by the National Rifle Association, after 40 years of membership.His corporate sponsors, including the gunmaker Remington, ditched him. Hiscable show was canceled. The N.R.A. issued a chilling statement warningCongress to take heed of Mr. Zumbo’s fate. By the time Blaine Harden toldhis story in The Washington Post, Mr. Zumbo was professionally dead.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03sat3.html?pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
Editorial
Locking Up the Ghost of Congress Past

Congress’s quid-pro-quo corruption scandal continues to haunt the Capitol asBob Ney, the once-unbeatable lawmaker, slips off to his prison sentence oftwo and a half years for peddling influence to Jack Abramoff, thebribe-dishing lobbyist already doing six years in a Florida case.

As the House’s special task force considers whether Congress needs anoutside monitoring panel to help enforce stronger integrity standards, wesuggest that it start with an in-depth briefing on the Abramoff-Neydownfall — complete with cash-flow charts and poll data on how the scandalhas tainted the public’s view of lawmakers.

It shouldn’t take more than that to persuade the task force of what isneeded.

The House ethics committee sat mute and petrified for a year while the newsmedia and prosecutors peeled back the Abramoff scandal. An independentintegrity office to investigate allegations of ethics violations is exactlythe restorative needed by the ethics committee. Unfortunately, no one knowswhat is on the task force’s agenda because the bipartisan group has decidedto start its work with private meetings. Public hearings may or may not comelater as the lawmakers face a May 1 deadline for making recommendations.There may be some virtue in eliciting candor in private, but sooner or laterthe House very much needs to hear from a galvanized public that sent a cleardemand for ethical reform when it voted the Republicans out of power lastyear.

The Democratic Senate has already run away from a proposed integrity office.The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, deserves credit for ordering considerationof the sensitive subject of an outside watchdog. But the study group mustnot be shrouded in secrecy nor its work be allowed to drag on beyond May 1.For all the tenderness of the task, lawmakers should focus on where and howMr. Ney went wrong and try to ensure that it does not happen again.



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The New York Times

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03dowd.html

March 3, 2007
Op-Ed Columnist
Where’s His Right Hook?

By MAUREEN DOWD
WASHINGTON

As I sit across from Barack Obama in his Senate office, I feel like IngridBergman in “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” when she plays a nun who teaches aschoolboy who’s being bullied how to box.

I’m just not certain, having watched the fresh-faced senator shy away fromfighting with the feral Hillary over her Hollywood turf, that he understandsthat a campaign is inherently a conflict.

The Democrats lost the last two excruciatingly close elections because AlGore and John Kerry did not fight fiercely and cleverly enough.

After David Geffen made critical comments about Hillary, she seized thechance to play Godzilla stomping on Obambi.

As a woman, she clearly feels she must be aggressive in showing she can“deck” opponents, as she put it — whether it’s Saddam with her warresolution vote or Senator Obama when he encroaches on areas that she andBill had presumed were wrapped up, like Hollywood and now the black vote.



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The New York Times

http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/opinion/03althouse.html

March 3, 2007
Guest Columnist

A Word Too Far
By ANN ALTHOUSE

Recently, the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski had to grovel after one ofits recruiters used a racist epithet in an interview exercise at DukeUniversity Law School.

The recruiter was quoting a Waco, Tex., prosecutor in a 1920s murder case inwhich Leon Jaworski, one of the firm’s founding partners, represented ablack defendant.

But never mind. One student heard an upsetting word and lodged a complaint.

Without explaining the context of the partner’s use of that horrible word,the law school’s dean, Katharine Bartlett, sent e-mail to students, saying:“I appreciate the strong feelings this incident has raised.” And beforelong, Steven Pfeiffer, the chairman of the firm’s executive committee, wastraveling to Durham, N.C., to apologize.

As reported in the Texas Lawyer, Pfeiffer said, “There is no excuse for whathappened on this campus. There is no context for which that is permissibleconduct.”

Closer to home, a perplexing event took place at the University of WisconsinLaw School, where I teach.



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The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/03/business/worldbusiness/03ethanol.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

March 3, 2007
U.S. and Brazil Seek to Promote Ethanol in West
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and LARRY ROHTER

WASHINGTON, March 2 — President Bush, hoping to reduce demand for oil in theWestern Hemisphere, is preparing to finish an agreement with Brazil nextweek to promote the production and use of ethanol throughout Latin Americaand the Caribbean, according to administration officials.

The agreement could lead to substantial growth in the ethanol industry inBrazil as technology and manufacturing equipment developed there is exportedto other countries in the region.

Much of the ethanol produced there is made from sugar cane and is farcheaper to produce than the corn-based ethanol that has been nurtured byprotective tariffs and government mandates in the United States.

But the agreement has already begun to prompt complaints from politiciansfrom corn-producing regions of the United States. They fear that the planwould lead to an increase in imports of cheap foreign ethanol and undercutAmerican producers.

By increasing ethanol production and consumption, particularly in countriesthat produce sugar, officials of the Bush administration hope to reduce theregion’s overall dependence on foreign oil and to take some of the pressureoff oil prices.



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washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/02/AR2007030201534_pf.html

S. Korea Refuses North's Request for Restored Aid

Associated Press
Saturday, March 3, 2007; A12

SEOUL, March 2 -- South Korea on Friday added pressure on North Korea tocomply with an international disarmament agreement, refusing theimpoverished nation's demand to restore full aid shipments until after itsmain nuclear reactor is shut down.

At the first high-level talks between the two Koreas since the North'sunderground nuclear test in October, the communist nation "agreed to makejoint efforts for a smooth implementation" of its pledge last month to takeinitial steps toward dismantling its atomic program, according to a finalstatement.

The North and South also agreed to resume family reunions of relatives splitby their border and planned test runs of railway lines between thecountries.

North Korea and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed on March13 as the starting date for a two-day visit by the agency's chief, MohamedElBaradei, U.N. officials said Friday. The officials asked for anonymitybecause they were not authorized to reveal specifics of the trip, which isexpected to help alleviate some misgivings that the unpredictable regimemight renege on its agreement to shut down its nuclear facilities.

This week's meetings in Pyongyang were part of the historic reconciliationlaunched between the Koreas since their leaders met in their first and onlysummit in 2000. The countries remain technically at war because thecease-fire that ended the 1950-53 Korean War has never been replaced by apeace treaty.



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MiamiHerald.com

http://www.miamiherald.com/851/v-print/story/30034.html

Posted on Sat, Mar. 03, 2007
The face of slavery among us
BY EUGENE ROBINSON

If you think about it, there should be nothing particularly surprising aboutthe discovery that one of Strom Thurmond's relatives once owned the Rev. AlSharpton's great-grandfather. That's how slavery worked -- human beingsowning other human beings, buying them and selling them, often passing themdown to the next generation like sentient family heirlooms. Haven't wealready hashed and rehashed that whole sad story?

Actually, no.

What makes the story that broke over the weekend so compelling is that weknow the charismatic activist Sharpton, and we knew the one-timesegregationist Thurmond. The ancestors of such public figures can't bedismissed as mere historical abstractions. They were real, flesh-and-bloodmen and women who played their roles, voluntarily or not, in the horrificinstitution that so indelibly stained this nation.

Great-grandfather a slave

Because we know so little about slavery at the individual level, we reallydon't know slavery at all.

''I almost fell off the chair,'' Sharpton told me by phone Monday,describing the moment when a team of expert genealogists, working with theNew York Daily News for a Black History Month project, met him at the studiowhere he does his radio talk show and told him of his link with Thurmond.


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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]

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FLORIDA DIGEST March 03, 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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E-BLAST LARGO CITY COMMISSION for discrimination against Steve Stanton, andcall their City Commissioners denouncing the arrest of Nadine Smith.

Smith of Equality Florida has been fighting for us for years. Now it is timeto fight for her. Pick of the phone and

Call: 727 587 6700 ( Monday thru Friday ) .

Or, send a prepared e-mail - Email Largo Commissioners - http://ga4.org/campaign/largomanagerfired



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The New Times

http://www.newtimesbpb.com/2007-03-01/news/express-train-wreck/

Express Train Wreck

An ousted editor warns that his newspaper is off the rails
By Ashley Harrell
Published: March 1, 2007

Three years after it was founded in 2000, Express Gay News and its glossysister, 411 Magazine, were swallowed up by the largest gay-lesbian weeklynewspaper chain in the country, Window Media.

Subject(s): Mubarak Dahir, Express

In Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, an area with one of the largestper-capita gay populations in the nation, this was not small news. WindowMedia owned the Washington Blade, the oldest and largest gay paper in thecountry. But under new management, would the Express turn into a bland ragwith nothing but recycled national content and entertainment blurbs, orwould it continue to report real, local news?

To the relief of its readers, the newspaper's purchase turned out to be agood thing. Writing improved. Typos showed up less frequently. And the papercontinued to cover local news, including exposés on closeted antigayactivists.

Credit Express Editor Mubarak Dahir, who had been brought in by Window Mediaafter the paper's purchase in 2003. Dahir had freelanced for Time for sevenyears and had written columns for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, thePhiladelphia Daily News, and the Advocate. He hired new writers and wrote acolumn that sometimes ran in all five Window Media newspapers. His salaryjumped from $42,500 to $60,000 in just three years.

But now, Dahir is out of a job. He approached New Times recently, clearlybitter about his termination but also concerned that changes at the Expresshave led to changes that could threaten the paper's credibility.



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/3-2/view/editorial/3485.cfm

S. Fla.’s cultural scene comes of age
Gay event leaders deserve much credit, but why is everything in March?
Friday, March 02, 2007

Years ago, when people thought of South Florida, they thought of the gayMarlin Beach Hotel and the wild Fort Lauderdale beach parties that radiatedfrom it. They thought of the spring break crowds with all the mostly heterocollege students getting sauced and throwing up on the sidewalk.For both gay and non-gay people alike, South Florida was all about sun, sandand sangria. It was Party Town USA. Of course, in many ways it still is, andthere’s nothing wrong with providing such a retreat. But in the ’00s, thereis much more to do in South Florida than drink and lie on the beach.

South Florida’s cultural scene has come of age, and the gay artscommunity has played a major role in that renaissance. This past Wednesday,Feb. 28, marked the beginning of Winter Party, a week of parties, culturalevents and sporting competitions produced by the National Gay & Lesbian TaskForce. Also starting March 3 and running through March 17, there isArtsUnited’s Art Explosion.

It was a bold move by ArtsUnited, a local gay artists organization, toexpand its annual multi-media gay art show from one night to two weeks thisyear. Besides showcasing local artists and performers, the event has broughtin national talents such as Tim Miller and Joe Kovac with his famous Madamepuppet.

Meanwhile, Winter Party’s organizers have also shown that they are notafraid to try new things. Once just a series of circuit parties, WinterParty now offers everything from a pool party to a swim meet. While WinterParty’s signature event is still the Beach Party on Sunday, March 4, onMiami Beach, this year’s party-goers can also take in a comedy show, atennis tournament and a wine-tasting party. There is even an event called“Seeking God’s Purpose in Our Sexual Lives.” Mix that one in with you sun,sand and sangria.

In recent years, Stonewall Library has emerged as an anchor of FortLauderdale’s growing gay cultural scene. Besides hosting ArtsUnited’smonthly art exhibits, the library hosts movie nights, author readings andseveral other regular events. And after enduring some shaky years, the Gay &Lesbian Community Center in Fort Lauderdale also appears to have found itsniche. It recently hosted a first-class show by gay impressionist AlfredLewis.



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

Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pmarines02mar02,0,1516957,print.story?coll=sfla-news-palm

Reserve troops in West Palm tapped for sixth time in four years
By Mike Clary
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

March 2, 2007

West Palm Beach · For the sixth time in less than four years, yet anothersmall band of young U.S. Marines left a reserve center across the streetfrom Palm Beach International Airport early Thursday to start a long journeyto the war in Iraq. All stood erect and proud, and most were dry-eyed.

But they left a torrent of tears in their wake.

"We love you, Carter," cried one of many in a group of family and friendswho got up well before dawn to say farewell to Carter Allen, 22, a PalmBeach Gardens resident motivated to enlist after the 9-11 attacks. He isamong 27 Marines and two Navy medical corps members with the 4th Air/NavalGunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), a unit that has been tapped six timessince the war began in March 2003.

Some of those who left Thursday were making a third trip to the war zone.Allen was making his first.

"He's a little scared. We're all scared," said Allen's mother, Cheryl Baker,52, a manager with the Palm Beach County school system, as she struggled forcomposure. "But some things are out of our control. I have faith in God."



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ExpressGayNews.com

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/3-2/arts/feature/3481.cfm

Kinsey Sicks bring ‘dragapella’ to Broward Center

Wacky divas diss everyone from Britney to Mitt Romney
By JW ARNOLD
Friday, March 02, 2007

South Florida may have slept through a quiet hurricane season last fall, butthis weekend, the outrageous “dragapella beauty shop quartet” the KinseySicks will be taking Fort Lauderdale by storm. Blowing in from a winterengagement in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the wacky divas will be bringingtheir politically incorrect harmonies to the Broward Center March 8 to 10.

The Kinsey Sicks — Rachel, Winnie, Trixie and Trampolina — got their startin 1993 when they attended a Bette Midler concert dressed as the AndrewsSisters, assuming they wouldn’t be the only fans to show up in drag. Theywere wrong, but it proved to be a lucky break that would launch a whirlwindperforming career.

The girls have recorded five CDs and starred in their own criticallyacclaimed off-Broward production, “Dragapella! Starring the Kinsey Sicks” atNew York’s Studio 54. They have also been profiled on national televisionnewsmagazine “20/20.” Just last year, they performed an extended engagementat the Las Vegas Hilton. Their first feature film, “Kinsey Sicks: I Wanna Bea Republican,” debuted at the San Francisco International Gay & Lesbian FilmFestival.

Despite their hectic performance schedule, the Express caught up with theKinsey Sicks via satellite phone from the sandy beaches of Puerto Vallartato discuss the pivotal issues famous singing drag queens must overcome eachand every day.

Express: What artist or performer serves as your muse?

Trampolina: Paris Hilton. It’s hard to be taken seriously when you’re thestar of a sex tape, um, I’ve heard. Someone less talented wouldn’t have madeit, but her fine acting and singing skills took her straight to the top.



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TONIGHT!!!

Ft. Lauderdale - ART EXPLOSION - 6-9pm

See yesterday's (March 2) Florida Digest for the full schedule.

Or... contact us at rays.list@comcast.net

Be there!



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-praids03mar03,0,1869894,print.story?coll=sfla-news-palm

Police raid massage parlors

Eleven women arrested at two businesses in Boynton Beach
By Jerome Burdi
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 3, 2007

Boynton Beach · Police raided two alleged brothels posing as massage parlorsafter more than a month of surveillance, arresting 11 women employees Fridaywhile building cases against about 65 men who frequented the businesses,some for 10 years, authorities said.

"They're kind of Boynton's dirty little secret, the massage parlors," saidSgt. John Bonafair, who led the operation with the Community Action Team."They're not something neighbors complain about. They're not somethingvisible. [The raids] make a statement: The city isn't going to put up withthis."

Police raided Healing Massage Center Inc., 444 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., andBoynton Massage Therapy, 410 E. Boynton Beach Blvd. .

Carrying search warrants, police knocked on the doors, went in and made thearrests. At Healing Massage Center, three women sat on a couch. One wascrying as Officer Widy Jean read her rights in the parlor's lobby, burningincense filling the room. The rooms seemed decked out for professionalmassages with tables, towels and posters of the human body's muscular systemon the walls.

The state Department of Heath was also along for the raids to determine ifthe "massage therapists" arrested had licenses. The owners of both placesdid, officials said.

During the surveillance, police found mostly older men going to the parlors.Some were obsessive about it, Sgt. Frank Danysh said.



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-slaws03mar03,0,7557793,print.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

36 condo law changes pushed

Ombudsman cites state fines and privacy issues
By Joe Kollin
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 3, 2007

Dawn McCabe woke up one morning in her apartment near Boca Raton to find astranger working in her bathroom. So, she supports a state legislativeproposal to limit the power of condo associations to enter a resident'shome.

Chris Maxfield was told he'd have to provide his Social Security and bankaccount numbers if he wanted to move into his aunt's Davie condo. So, hesupports a proposal to limit the right of boards to seek such personalinformation.

Florida Condo Ombudsman Danille R. Carroll is recommending those changes and34 others to Gov. Charlie Crist and legislative leaders. The Legislaturebegins its annual 60-day session on Tuesday.

On the job since June, Carroll said she based her proposals on concernscondo residents have raised with her staff in Fort Lauderdale andTallahassee. They include requiring boards to tell owners when the state hasfined their association; requiring board members whose associations arefined to participate in a training program; require boards to respond tounit owner inquiries by certified mail; and to let the ombudsman, not aboard being recalled, to certify recall elections "to remove the conflictsof interest inherent in the current system."

State Rep. Julio Robaina, R-Hialeah, has agreed to include Carroll'sproposals in his list of condo reform measures.



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SpTimes.com

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/02/news_pf/State/Review_of_executions_.shtml

Review of executions on Crist's desk

Errors were made in the Dec. 13 lethal injection of Angel Diaz, a statecommission finds.
By CHRIS TISCH
Published March 2, 2007

A panel that studied Florida's lethal injection procedures for the lastmonth submitted its final report to Gov. Charlie Crist late Thursday.

Crist and Department of Corrections Secretary James McDonough both issuedstatements saying they would review the recommendations.

"We will review the report and adopt from it every recommendation thatenables us to achieve the professionalism we seek, insofar as thoserecommendations are in compliance with the authorities of the Governor, thelegislature and the judiciary," McDonough said.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush formed the commission after the Dec. 13 execution ofAngel Diaz took nearly twice as long as normal. Footlong chemical burns werefound on Diaz's arms during the autopsy, which revealed that the needlescarrying lethal chemicals tore through his veins and splashed the fluidsinto his flesh.

Some witnesses reported that Diaz appeared to be in pain during theexecution, which could have put Florida at risk of violating constitutionalprohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment. After eight meetings andhours of testimony, the commission decided it could not determine whetherDiaz felt pain.

But the commission found execution team members made a number of errors andthat state procedures were flawed.

The commission recommended a number of changes panelists hope will result inbetter leadership, oversight and accountability during executions.

Executions have been halted since the Diaz execution, and it was unclearThursday how long it would take for DOC officials to review and perhapsadopt the panel's recommendations.



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MiamiHerald.com

http://www.miamiherald.com/460/v-print/story/29980.html

Posted on Sat, Mar. 03, 2007
Teacher disciplinary history to go on Web

TALLAHASSEE - (AP) -- Information about disciplinary action taken against ateacher's state certificate will be made available to parents through anonline database next fall, education officials said Friday.

The website, www.MyFloridaTeacher.com -- will include only final actionstaken against a certificate, ranging from a reprimand to revocation.

It will not include allegations that have been dismissed or deemedunfounded, nor cases still under investigation. The site also will notinclude local district disciplinary action.

''One of the best ways to protect students is by making sure that accurateinformation is available to parents, principals and school districts,'' saidActing Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg.

She said school districts are the first line of defense. They already canobtain disciplinary information on existing teachers and job applicants fromthe Department of Education's internal data system, which is being upgradedto include additional detail.

The announcement caught the Florida Education Association by surprise as noone had discussed it with the statewide teachers union before Friday, saidFEA spokesman Mark Pudlow.

''It could be a good idea,'' Pudlow said. ``We just need to find out moreabout it. ``We're not even sure what the problem is they are trying toaddress with this.''

Details have not been worked out, but the intent is to design the databaseso it can be searched by name, school and district, said departmentspokeswoman Cathy Schroeder.

Teachers can be disciplined for a wide range of ethical violations insideand outside the classroom.

They include sexual misconduct, using excessive force to disciplinestudents, drunken driving, drug possession, coming to work intoxicated,cheating on tests and submitting fraudulent credentials.

The department does not keep statistics on the number of teachersdisciplined for various types of infractions.

It does, though, count the number of complaints filed and they have been onthe rise in recent years, increasing from 2,908 in the 2003-04 budget yearto 3,744 in 2005-06.



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MiamiHerald.com

http://www.miamiherald.com/277/v-print/story/28891.html

Posted on Sat, Mar. 03, 2007
Churches pick up fight
BY ALEXANDRA ALTER

Facing a growing AIDS epidemic in Florida's black community, local blackchurches have fortified their efforts to combat the disease by hostingprayer summits, distributing condoms, offering HIV testing at their churchesand launching counseling ministries and support groups for those living withAIDS.

More than 20 local black churches are participating in a national week ofprayer for the healing of AIDS, said Gloria Scott, the coordinator ofChurches United to Stop HIV, a faith-based organization in Broward. Sincethe organization was launched a decade ago, participation has grown fromjust four congregations to 60 churches in Broward, Miami-Dade and PalmBeach, Scott said.

While some Catholic and Episcopal churches launched AIDS ministries in thelate 1980s and early 1990s, black and evangelical congregations have beenslow to respond to the crisis, pastors say.

For decades many pastors dismissed AIDS as the consequence of promiscuity ordrug addiction, said Pansy Rose, administrative director of Care Inc., anAIDS ministry at Pentecostal Tabernacle in Miami Gardens.

But ministers in predominantly black neighborhoods have begun targeting AIDSas a crisis that affects entire communities, she said. PentecostalTabernacle, whose congregants are mostly black and Caribbean, sends churchvolunteers to Opa-locka twice a week to distribute condoms and AIDSprevention brochures, Rose said. The church also has a prayer support groupfor people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS.



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