Saturday, November 03, 2007

GLBT DIGEST November 3, 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.


=

Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-fvenglandnbnov03,0,46553,print.story

In England, an evangelical awakening
By Thomas Wagner

The Associated Press
November 3, 2007

CAMBRIDGE, England

It's Sunday in England, and across the country many traditional stonechurches are struggling to fill their pews.

But not C3, the Cambridge Community Church, one of the country's manyevangelical groups. Its mostly white, middle-class congregants crowd arented school auditorium with their arms raised and their hands ferventlyclapping to sermons.

"I don't need an old church with stained-glass windows where a few peopleshow up out of obligation, not inspiration," said Ruth Chandler, a formermember of the Church of England.

In England's last census, 72 percent of people identified themselves asChristian. Many are Anglicans, but the Church of England has said that lessthan 10 percent of its members are regular churchgoers.

By contrast, evangelicals make up about 40 percent of all the nation'sregular churchgoers, according to Peter Brierely, head of ChristianResearch, a London-based think tank.

more . . . . .



=

Forwarded from EuroQueer

Shock demand by member of Dutch government party

AMSTERDAM 2 November 2007 -- The fast-fading reputation of the Netherlandsas a bastion of tolerance and open-mindedness took another heavy blow thisweek when a leading member of the ChristenUnie (Christian Union) party,which is the third group in the Dutch ruling coalition, demanded thatpractising homosexuals should be expelled from administrative positions inthe party and should not be proposed for government functions.

Yvette Lont, a self-confessed born-again whore and heroin addict who is aChristenUnie councillor for Amsterdam South-East, announced that she wouldbe proposing a motion for the exclusion of practising homsexuals from seniorparty and government posts at the forthcoming party congress.

Ms Lont's proposal has led to a heated discussion in the party, which iscommitted to 'Christian' social and political principles. The ChristenUnieentered into coalition with the right-of-centre CDA and the left-of-centrePvdA after the result of elections held last year.

Yvette Lont, herself from the former Dutch colony of Suriname, representsAmsterdam South-East, also known as the Bijlmer, an area notorious inNetherlands' society for its rampant crime rate, serious drugs problem andrecurrent violence. It is a predominently ethnic area almost entirelypopulated by Surinamers and Nigerians, many of whom are active Christianevangelicals traditionally opposed to any deviation from heterosexual'family values'.

ChristenUnie party leader André Rouvoet, who is a vice-premier in the rulingcoalition, issued a statement declaring that his party had no intention ofremoving practising homosexuals from prominent positions in the government;but he refused to say whether he believed a practising homosexual should orshould not be a government minister.

Under pressure from ChristenUnie party bosses Ms Lont has agreed, for themoment, to shelve her motion while the party engages in a discussion of theissue. Meanwhile, Jan Peter Balkenende, the Dutch premier, refused to bedrawn on the matter, saying it was for the ChristenUnie to resolve at theircongress.

Ms Lont's proposed motion can only further damage the Netherland's alreadybattered image as a welcoming haven for gays and their lifestyle. It comesafter a series of violent attacks on homosexuals, including tourists, in thecentre of Amsterdam. In one widely-publicised incident last year the editorof a leading US gay paper was brutally attacked and scarred in the downtownarea of the city, which is now being seen as an increasingly unsafe andinhospitable destination for homosexual visitors.-- ANP & Sources.



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/03episcopal.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1194091504-IbqVYGMdyUI6YbF8LXj9oA

Pittsburgh Episcopal Diocese Votes to Leave the Church

By SEAN D. HAMILL
November 3, 2007

JOHNSTOWN, Pa., Nov. 2 - By more than a two-to-one vote, members of theEpiscopal Diocese of Pittsburgh voted Friday in favor of separating from thenational church because of a theological rift that began with theconsecration of an openly gay bishop in 2003.

The vote sets the stage for what could become a protracted legal battlebetween the diocese and the Episcopal Church U.S.A., which had warnedPittsburgh's bishop not to go forward with the vote.

After passionate appeals from both sides of the debate, clergy members andlay people voted 227 to 82 to "realign" the conservative diocese.

If Friday's vote is approved again in a year, the diocese will begin stepsto remove itself from the American church and join with another province inthe worldwide Anglican Communion.

After the vote, Bishop Robert W. Duncan of Pittsburgh, who is also moderatorof the Anglican Communion Network, an alliance of conservative dioceses andparishes, defended the decision.

more . . . . .



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110200976.html

Gay Republicans come out of the closet

By Ed Stoddard
Reuters
Friday, November 2, 2007; 9:48 AM

DALLAS (Reuters) - Doug Warner seems like a stereotypical Republican: Southern, white, male, he served in the military, drives an SUV and likeshunting and fishing.

He is also openly gay.

Warner's sexual orientation makes for an awkward fit in a party with apowerful evangelical Christian wing that regards homosexuality as a sin andsame-sex marriage as a threat to the traditional family.

"I believe that the approach of the social extremists eliminates our party'sability to grow in the future," he told Reuters by phone from his home inCharleston, South Carolina.

For years, bashing the "homosexual agenda" worked well for Republicans. In2004, the party placed anti-gay marriage referendums on 11 state ballots.All passed by large majorities and the tactic boosted turnout amongreligious conservatives, helping President George W. Bush win re-election.

more . . . . .



=

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

Supreme Court Considers Provision of PROTECT Act

WASHINGTON - This week the United States Supreme Court considered whether achild pornography law could be limited so that it would not apply tolegitimate creative expression or innocent emails with headings that couldbe interpreted as provocative.

Under review was a provision of the PROTECT act that sets a five-yearmandatory prison term for all forms of advertising, promotion, presentation,distribution and solicitation that reflects beliefs or cause beliefs aboutchild pornography. Opponents have said the law is ambiguously worded withthe result that it could apply to creative works that depict adolescent sex- which would encompass a wide range of works from the book Lolita to theblockbuster movie Titanic.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the provision inquestion, saying it makes a crime out of merely talking about illegal imagesor possessing innocent materials that someone else might believe ispornography.

In the appeals court's view, the law as written could apply to an e-mailsent by a grandparent and entitled "Good pics of kids in bed," showinggrandchildren dressed in pajamas.

The case stems from the arrest of Michael Williams in an undercoveroperation aimed at fighting child exploitation on the Internet. A SecretService agent engaged Williams in an Internet chat room, where they swappednon-pornographic photographs. Williams advertised himself as "Dad of toddlerhas 'good' pics of her an me for swap of your toddler pics, or live cam." Itwas his conviction for advertising child porn that is being contested here.The government contends that whether or not a person is offering actualchild pornography is irrelevant.

more.....



=

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

Boy Scouts, time up!
Mark My Words

By Mark Segal
C 2007 Philadelphia Gay News

Resolving the Boy Scouts quagmire

Last week, City Councilman Jack Kelly introduced a resolution to allow theBoy Scouts Cradle of Liberty Council to stay in their city-owned building onthe Parkway, sans rent, until they find a suitable new space - indefinitely.The resolution also called on the city to compensate the Scouts forimprovements they've made to the building. In a phone conversation with thecouncilman late last Thursday, I expressed that his attempts at solving theissue might very well be considered divisive to both sides and make asolution less possible. Councilman Kelly did the correct thing on Monday andwithdrew the resolution.

Kelly was given misinformation, which led to the resolution. The local BoyScouts still discriminate, and Philadelphians do not want to directly orindirectly support discrimination, nor the $260,352 yearly compensation(including some benefits) that Bill Dwyer, head of the local Scouts, pullsdown, according to tax records.

Let's end the cat-and-mouse game. Mr. Dwyer, state clearly and state it nowthat the local chapter of the Boy Scouts will not tolerate discrimination.If not, start packing your bags or pay market value. We progressives andfair-minded taxpayers in Philadelphia will no longer allow you to freely useour land for discrimination.

So you have a choice.

Now, if by chance you decide to stay on city property and pay the $200,000suggested market-value rent, the city has a choice to make: Where to put thetainted dollars of an organization that teaches bigotry by its verydiscrimination policies?

Here are some suggestions. Give a portion of the funds to Boys and GirlsClubs of America, the Police Athletic League or the Girl Scouts, none ofwhich discriminate. How about some funds to educate people onnondiscrimination through the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission? Andfinally, for those who get tossed out of the Scouts or want to join and arenot welcomed, what about Philadelphia Scouts at The Attic Youth Center?

For almost 80 years, the Boy Scouts have had a free ride on city land. I'm aformer Boy Scout and believe there is value to the Boy Scouts program, butnot if they continue to teach intolerance by their discriminatory policies.The game is over, and Thanksgiving is on its way. Unfortunately, the BoyScouts Cradle of Liberty Council is a turkey. And that turkey does not get apardon.

Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at mark@epgn.com.



=

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

Dept of Defense Ignores Law Pushes Porn Sales

American Family Association
Donald E. Wildmon
Founder & Chairman

Department of Defense Ignores Law, Pushes Porn Sales
Urge your congressman to require the Department of Defense to obey the law

The U.S. Department of Defense is ignoring a law which forbids the sale ofpornography on military bases. In military exchanges throughout the world,our Department of Defense does a brisk business in the sale of pornography,both magazines and videos. In 1996, Congress passed the Military Honor andDecency Act which forbids the sale of pornography on military bases.

But the Department of Defense is defying the law and ignoring Congress.Congress banned pornography after sexual harassment of women in the militarybecame a major problem and military families complained that children wereexposed to pornography in the military stores. Now, 11 years later, theDepartment of Defense is still selling pornography. Porn is even sold in ournation's military academies.

When contacted about their ignoring the law, Department of Defense respondedby saying they planned to continue selling pornography. Incredibly, theDepartment of Defense does not consider such publications as Penthouse,Playboy, Playboy's Nude Playmates, and Playmates in Bed magazines to besexually explicit! That would come as a surprise to Hugh Hefner and thethousands of American soldiers who buy these magazines.

more....



=

To Form a More Perfect Union: Marriage Equality News

http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:

--
Washington: Perhaps the biggest deal regarding the city of Everett'sdecision to offer health coverage to its employees' domestic partners anddependents is this: It wasn't a very big deal. The city's sensible movewasn't groundbreaking among major employers -- Snohomish County already hassuch a policy, as do other cities and a host of large private companies.Still, the absence of public controversy over the decision is a sign thatwe've turned a significant corner toward inclusion, a welcome developmentindeed. Everett's policy, developed by the mayor's office and City Counciland approved by the council Wednesday with just one dissenting vote, appliesto same-sex and opposite-sex couples equally. To qualify for coverage,couples must be in an "exclusive and emotionally committed" relationship,live together and not be married to someone else. It's a recognition of thereality that traditional marriage isn't available to same-sex couples, andisn't the preferred option for many heterosexual couples.

--
The Irish government has announced plans to legally recognize same-sexrelationships but it refuses to be pinned down on what form the law willtake. Following a meeting Wednesday of Prime Minister Bertie Ahern's cabinetthe government said it would introduce legislation by the end of March 2008and expects the bill to pass within a year of that.Justice Minister BrianLenihan described it as one of the most important pieces of sociallegislation in the history of the country.Lenihan said that the bill woulddeal with pension rights, maintenance and powers of attorney.Under the bill,he said, same-sex couples would be allowed to register their relationships.But he sidestepped questions about what the relationships would be called,only that it would not be marriage.



=

National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/

Go to the website above for the following articles:

--
Gay tourism is becoming fiercely competitive in the hospitality industry dueto the amount of money gay travelers spend, but also because of theirloyalty and reputation as trend-setters. Elsevier Limited, with the supportof the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), is proudto announce a first-of-its-kind book in tourism marketing called, Gay andLesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide for Marketing, written by Philadelphianative Jeff Guaracino. Gay and Lesbian Tourism: The Essential Guide forMarketing offers marketing professionals the benefit of knowledge gainedover decades by the many leaders in gay and lesbian tourism marketing. Thebook will be released in November 2007.

--
On Thanksgiving weekend of 1983, Casey Lopata and his wife, Mary Ellen,began a spiritual journey that ultimately strengthened their family andlifelong commitment to Catholicism. They discovered they had to navigate anemotional minefield: Their eldest son, Jim, a college sophomore home for theholiday, told Mary Ellen, "Mom, I'm lonely. I'm lonely for another man." Thenext 10 minutes were an agonizing blur of fear and grief for Mary Ellen, whocried as she told Jim she loved him and assured him being gay didn't changethat.

--
It's been nearly a year and a half since Santa Fe's first gay retirementcommunity began welcoming residents.
From the outside, the $35 million RainbowVision Properties is undeniablybeautiful: 146 units spread out over 13 acres. With condos ranging from$250,000 to $310,000, the site offers panoramic views of the Sangre deCristo, Sandia, Jemez and Ortiz mountains, and is adjacent to up-scaleresidential neighborhoods, shopping centers, and major medical facilities.



=

ExpressGayNews.com

http://expressgaynews.com/print.cfm?content_id=4163

Locker-room banter in the courtroom?
Judge's joke in gay sex case brings attention to state's sensitivitytraining

By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
Nov. 01, 2007

According to a 2006 Florida Supreme Court administrative order, all stateand county judges must attend diversity sensitivity training by the end ofthe 2007. Each circuit in the state is charged with conducting ongoingsessions that address race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, genderidentity and expression, and the entire spectrum of influences that makepeople who they are.

Part of the training drills judges on which words not to use in thecourtroom. In hearing cases that touch on LGBT issues, for example, thejudges know to refrain from the obvious disparaging remarks. Diversitytrainer Wilhelmina Tribble, contracted to conduct sessions in severalFlorida circuits, said words like "dyke," "lezzie," "faggot" and "queer" areamong the no-brainers.

But when Broward Circuit Judge Jeffrey Levenson engaged in a brief courtroombanter last week with public defender Brian Reidy regarding a 41-year-oldFort Lauderdale man accused of having consensual sex with a 16-year-old highschool football player, the use of the terms "tight end" and "wide receiver"became exactly what the diversity training is intended to prevent.

When Levenson asked what position the student played, defense attorneys toldhim that the 16-year-old played linebacker.

According to the court transcript, public defender Brian Reidy then jumpedin with a quip. "Tight end," he said.

more . . . . .



=

ExpressGayNews.com

http://expressgaynews.com/print.cfm?content_id=4156

Villiage voices
Village People bring '70s anthems to South Florida

By ZACK HUDSON
Nov. 01, 2007

"I know that every time I run out on that stage, I carry a bit of historywith me," says Felipe Rose, better known to just about anybody, anywhere asthe Native American chief from the Village People.

Rose became the very first person to inhabit the village after Europeandisco king Jacques Morali discovered him dancing and wearing an Indian chiefcostume in 1975 at The Anvil, a famed New York City bathhouse.

The rest really is history - more than 30 years worth. The Village Peoplecame out of the gate with an eponymous debut of club tracks like "FireIsland" and "San Francisco (You've Got Me)" that set a precedent foroh-so-tongue-in-cheek, thinly veiled gay innuendo blockbusters to come.

A couple of albums and years of riding the disco wave later came "YMCA" offthe "Cruising" LP.

The ode to cheap cruising spots hit number one in just about every countryon Earth, save the United States, where Rod Stewart's "D'Ya Think I'm Sexy"held it at bay in January 1979.

more . . . . .



=

365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110207meds.htm

How Safe Are Your Meds?

by The Associated Press
Posted: November 2, 2007 - 3:00 pm ET

(Washington) Two-thirds of the foreign drug manufacturers subject toinspection by the Food and Drug Administration may never have been visitedby agency inspectors, a government watchdog has reported to Congress.

The FDA this year listed 3,249 foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers subjectto its inspection - yet the agency cannot determine whether it has everinspected 2,133 of them, according to a Government Accountability Officereport released during a House subcommittee hearing.

While some of the more than 3,000 firms may never have exported prescriptiondrugs or drug ingredients to the United States, others likely have.

Who are those firms and what are they shipping? asked Rep. Bart Stupak,D-Mich., during Thursday's hearing of the House Energy and Commercesubcommittee on oversight and investigations.

"We don't know and we are not certain the FDA knows," Marcia Crosse,director of health care at the GAO, replied.

more . . . .



=

365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110207newsom.htm

Gay Marriage Mayor Gavin Newsom Poised For Second Term

by The Associated Press
Posted: November 2, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(San Francisco, California) Eight months after admitting he had a drinkingproblem and an affair with a close aide's wife, Mayor Gavin Newsom standspoised to win his second term without breaking a sweat.

In any other city, Newsom's personal problems could easily have ended hispolitical career. But in San Francisco, they weren't enough even to attracta serious challenger.

When hundreds of the city's left-wing power brokers met in June to nominatea candidate, no one could be persuaded to run against Newsom, who isbest-known for opening City Hall to same-sex weddings six weeks into hisfirst term.

"The things that Newsom has done wrong haven't really affected the greatercity," said political analyst David Latterman, noting that the mayor'sapproval ratings have consistently hovered around 70 percent. "The fact is,he is popular. He is not going to lose."

It's not that Newsom doesn't have competition on the ballot. In fact, thereare 11 challengers. But none is considered a credible rival

more . . . . .



=

365gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110207lapd.htm

LAPD Settlement Will Improve Lot Gay Officers

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: November 2, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Los Angeles, California) With less than two weeks before a trial isscheduled to begin, the Los Angeles City Council has voted unanimously toapprove settlement of the non-damages portion of a lawsuit brought by theLos Angeles Police Department's first openly gay officer.

Throughout his career on the LAPD Sgt. Mitchell Grobeson found himselfbattling discrimination on the force.

In 1988 Grobeson filed a civil rights suit against the force. It wassettled in 1993 with a court settlement that the city provide gay andlesbian officers a discrimination-free workplace.

Grobeson returned to the force, but found little was done to implement theagreement.

Two years later, in 1995, he was accused of discrediting the force bywearing his uniform and attempting to encourage gays in West Hollywood tojoin the force.

more . . . . .



=


[Send your comments about articles to rays.list@comcast.net]
#####

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST November 3, 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.


=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/03religion.html

On Religion
An Unlikely Megachurch Lesson

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
November 3, 2007

One Sunday morning in 1995, Ron Wolfson and Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman braked toa halt in an oddly enlightening traffic jam. The line of cars was creepingtoward Saddleback Church in Southern California, whose services were drawingthousands of worshipers. As two Jews, Mr. Wolfson and Rabbi Hoffman hadcrossed the sectarian divide to try to figure out how and why.

As they inched down the road, they spotted a sign marked "For First-TimeVisitors." It directed them to pull into a separate lane and put onemergency blinkers. Bypassing the backup, they soon reached a lot withspaces reserved for newcomers. When Mr. Wolfson and Rabbi Hoffman emergedfrom their car, an official Saddleback greeter led them into the church.

Those first moments on the perimeter of the church set into motion a dozenyears of increasing interaction between a Jewish organization devoted toreinvigorating synagogues and one of the most successful evangelicalmegachurches in the nation, the Rev. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in LakeForest, Calif.

This has not been a studiously balanced bit of ecumenicism. Synagogue 3000,the group led by Mr. Wolfson, an education professor, and Rabbi Hoffman, ascholar of liturgy, went to the church to figure out what evangelicalChristians were doing right that Jews were doing wrong or not at all.

"To put it bluntly," Mr. Wolfson said, "if there are thousands of peoplewaiting to get in, I want to know what's going on. I want to know what they're
doing that's tapping those souls."

more . . . . .



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/washington/03mukasey.html?hp

Justice Nominee Gets 2 Key Votes From Democrats

By PHILIP SHENON and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
November 3, 2007

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 - The confirmation of Michael B. Mukasey as attorneygeneral appeared to be all but certain on Friday after two key Democrats onthe Senate Judiciary Committee announced they would support the nominationdespite complaints over Mr. Mukasey's refusal to clarify his views on whatamounts to torture.

The announcements by the senators, Dianne Feinstein of California andCharles E. Schumer of New York, came after Mr. Schumer met with the nomineeon Friday afternoon and said he had obtained Mr. Mukasey's promise toenforce laws that banned any of the harsh interrogation methods known tohave been used on Qaeda terrorists after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Mr. Schumer said Mr. Mukasey, a retired federal judge from New York, had"pledged to enforce such a law and repeated his willingness to leave officerather than participate in a violation of the law."

Initially welcomed by Democrats and Republicans alike when it was announcedin September, Mr. Mukasey's nomination appeared close to being derailed thisweek over his repeated refusal to declare to senators that the interrogationtechnique known as waterboarding was torture. Waterboarding simulatesdrowning and is reported to have been used by the C.I.A. against a few topleaders of Al Qaeda.

Five Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, including its chairman, SenatorPatrick J. Leahy of Vermont, have announced their intention to oppose thenomination when it comes to a vote before the panel. The vote is nowscheduled for Tuesday.

more . . . . .



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/opinion/03herbert.html?ref=opinion

Worsening the Odds

By BOB HERBERT
Op-Ed Columnist
November 3, 2007

Lonnie Lynam, a self-employed carpenter in Pipe Creek, Tex., specialized inspiral staircases. Friends thought of him as a maestro in a toolbelt, a whizwith a hammer and nails.

"His customers were always so pleased," his mother told me. "There was thisone family, kind of higher class, and he built them one of those glassholders that you would see in a bar or a lounge, with the glasses hangingupside down in different sizes. It was awesome."

Lonnie had a following, a reputation. He was said to have a magic touch.

What he didn't have was health insurance.

So when the headaches came, he tried to ignore them. "We've had migraines inour family," said his mother, Betty Lynam, who is 67 and lives in Creston,Iowa. "So he thought that was what it was."

more . . . . .



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/opinion/03sat4.html?ref=opinion

Farm Belt Follies

November 3, 2007
Editorial

The Senate has one last chance to rid the country of an irrational, outdatedand unfair 70-year-old program of federal farm supports that enriches thefew at the expense of the many, distorts international trade and damages theenvironment. It has one last chance, in other words, to produce a farmprogram of which the country can be proud.

Floor debate on the farm bill begins next week, possibly as early as Monday.The choice facing the Senate lies between an old-fashioned bill produced bythe Senate Agriculture Committee and an entirely different bill that isexpected to be offered as an amendment by Richard Lugar, the IndianaRepublican, and Frank Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey.

The old-fashioned bill, which is only marginally better than a similarlyretrograde measure approved earlier this year by the House, would perpetuatea system that directs more than half of all farm payments to less thanone-tenth of the farms, most of them concentrated in eight states and mostof them producers of big row crops like corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat andrice.

To make matters worse, these lucky few get their billions regardless ofmarket conditions - and conditions now happen to be particularly good, giventhe strong demand for corn-based ethanol as well as for American farmproducts abroad. So whenever you hear its proponents describe thiswelfare-for-the-rich program as a safety net, remember this: for the mostpart, it provides an extra bounce for those who don't need a safety netwhile failing to catch those who do.

The Lugar-Lautenberg bill aims to correct this. It would replace existingsubsidies with genuine crop insurance that would cover all farms, whetherthey produce rice or rutabaga. It would save $20 billion over five years.And it would funnel the savings to valuable soil, open space and wetlandspreservation programs, as well as the food stamps program - all of whichcould use the extra help.

The most visible enemies of such a sensible approach are all the farm statelegislators from both parties who love things just the way they are. But anequally powerful enemy is plain old Congressional inertia. That makes theLugar-Lautenberg amendment a long shot, but we hope they give it their bestshot.



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/us/politics/03ballot.html

New Life for California Initiative to Apportion Electoral Vote

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
November 3, 2007

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 - Republican donors are pumping new life into a proposedballot initiative, considered all but dead by Democrats a month ago, thatwould alter the way electoral votes are apportioned in California to thebenefit of Republican presidential candidates.

Though the financing remains uncertain, the measure's leaders said Fridaythat they were confident they would get the signatures required by the Nov.29 deadline to qualify the initiative for a statewide vote next June. Theeffort, begun in the summer by a prominent Republican lawyer, lay in perilin October after its top proponents quit over questions about its financing.

Last week, a new organization began raising the roughly $2 million thoughtto be needed to get the initiative on the ballot. The new effort is beingspearheaded by David Gilliard, a Republican consultant in Sacramento, aidedby Anne Dunsmore, a prolific fund-raiser who recently resigned from thepresidential campaign of Rudolph W. Giuliani.

"You can't just fold up every time somebody says they killed you," Ms.Dunsmore, in a telephone interview, said of the effort to resuscitate theinitiative.

The initiative would ask voters to replace California's winner-take-allsystem of allocating its 55 electoral college votes with one that parses thevotes by Congressional district. It has attracted strong opposition fromDemocrats because it would transform California from a reliably Democraticstate in presidential elections by handing the Republican nominee roughly 20votes from safe Republican districts.

more . . . . .



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/washington/03tax.html

Senate Democrats Facing a 'Pay as You Go' Problem

By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
November 3, 2007

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 - Senate Democrats face an agonizing choice in the daysahead: find a way to raise at least $50 billion in new taxes, or underminetheir most important rule for enforcing budget discipline.

With the end of the year fast approaching, Congress has to pass anotherone-year fix to prevent the alternative minimum tax - a tax originallycreated to make sure millionaires paid income taxes - from engulfing about23 million households with incomes as low as $50,000.

Democrats and Republicans alike want to prevent that increase, just as theyhave in the past, but the one-year cost has ballooned and Democratic "pay asyou go" rules now require Congress to make up for the lost revenue.

On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a $76 billion billthat would freeze the alternative minimum tax, extend several other taxbreaks and pay for that mainly by eliminating a major tax break for peoplewho run private equity funds and scores of other investment partnerships.

But Senate Democrats are less than enthusiastic about that tax increase, andthey worry that they cannot muster the 60-vote majority they will need topass any measure that would comply with the pay-as-you-go rule.

more . . . . .



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/washington/03water.html

Bush Vetoes Water Bill, Citing Cost of $23 Billion

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
November 3, 2007

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 - President Bush on Friday vetoed a bill authorizing $23billion in water resource projects, calling it overly expensive, andCongressional Democrats responded angrily, accusing him of insensitivity tothe hurricane-damaged Gulf Coast, a big beneficiary of the legislation. Theypledged to override him.

The bill, the Water Resources Development Act, would authorize $3.5 billionin work for hurricane-ravaged Louisiana, nearly $2 billion for efforts tosave the Everglades and additional sums for a host of other projects favoredby lawmakers. Critics said the bill not only was costly but also failed toprovide vital changes to the often criticized Army Corps of Engineers, whichwould do most of the work.

Mr. Bush has now cast five vetoes as president, four since Democrats tookcontrol of Congress in January. None have been overridden, although thislegislation passed both houses with more than the two-thirds majoritiesneeded to override.

In his veto message, the president noted that when the bill emerged from aHouse-Senate conference committee, its cost had risen more than 50 percentabove the cost of legislation originally passed by the two houses. He alsosaid a backlog of projects for the Corps of Engineers meant that manyprojects in the bill would never be financed or completed.

"This bill lacks fiscal discipline," he said. "This authorization bill makespromises to local communities that the Congress does not have a track recordof keeping."

more . . . . .



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201754.html

Diplomatic Infighting

By Tammy S. Schultz
Friday, November 2, 2007; 6:54 PM

This week's outburst by U.S. Foreign Service officers over the potential forforced deployments to Iraq, to make up for a shortage of volunteers,undoubtedly will be met with disdain from members of the Armed Services andsome other civilian agencies of our government. The emotive response fromthe nation's diplomats, and the military's frustration over feeling veryalone in this Long War, are symptoms, not causes, of a much deeper problem.

To recap: At a State Department town hall Wednesday, hundreds of diplomatscried foul over a new policy that could cost them their jobs if they turndown assignments in Baghdad or outlying provinces. "It's one thing ifsomeone believes in what's going on over there and volunteers, but it'sanother thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment," declaredone Foreign Service veteran. "I'm sorry, but basically that's a potentialdeath sentence and you know it. Who will raise our children if we are deador seriously wounded?"

Who, indeed? Undoubtedly, the same question was asked silently by theparents among the approximately 4,000 military personnel who lost theirlives and the nearly 30,000 wounded since the Iraq war began.

I conducted interviews with hundreds of soldiers returning from Iraq as partof my previous job as director of policy and research at the U.S. ArmyPeacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute. The most common complaint:Where are our civilian counterparts? Forced deployments or not, thisfundamental question will reverberate long after Iraq -- and answering it isnot easy.

It's understandable that some diplomats who objected to the Iraq invasionare reluctant to partake in Iraq's reconstruction. But some uniformedmilitary also disagreed with the invasion. If they got to pick the missionsto which they deployed, we would have a civil-military crisis on our hands.We cannot afford a civil-civil crisis either. That's why Foreign Servicesofficers swear an oath to go where they're sent.

more . . . . .



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201725.html

At War But Not War-Ready

By Hans Binnendijk
Saturday, November 3, 2007; A19

The revolt this week by Foreign Service officers faced with involuntarydeployment to Baghdad may be an understandable response to shifting groundrules, but it highlights a deeper problem: America's civilian agencies areunprepared to contribute adequately to 21st-century global securitychallenges. Defense Department resources, missions and institutions havemultiplied as counterpart civilian agencies stagnate or disappear.

While Washington has focused on Rumsfeld vs. Powell or Gates vs. Rice, thisunderlying imbalance has grown. It is not born of a Defense Department powergrab but of an inability by civilian agencies to adjust to new missions. TheDefense Department is at war while the State Department still suffers fromthe post-Cold War notion of a peace dividend. One is on steroids, the otheron life support.

Consider the record: The annual Defense Department budget has grown nearly$350 billion in the past decade while Congress cuts the president'sinternational affairs budget request each year. The defense authorizationbill is enacted annually while the congressional foreign affairs committeescannot get their authorization bills considered on the floor. Legislationsuch as the Lugar-Biden bill, designed to strengthen civilian capacity instabilization operations, has been blocked. The military's authorities andmissions have expanded while much-needed new civilian authorities are deniedby neglect.

Civilian agencies are disappearing. The U.S. Information Agency and the ArmsControl and Disarmament Agency have folded, while the U.S. Agency forInternational Development operates with less than a third of the staff ithad during the Cold War. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's initiative totransform diplomacy lacks fiscal and personnel resources.

The State Department's initial answer to the problem of civilianunreadiness, a coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization, isunderfunded and relies heavily on contract workers and personnel detailedfrom other agencies. The entire Foreign Service comprises about the samenumber of people needed to operate one aircraft carrier battle group.State's operational culture focuses more on policy development thanimplementation. USAID's overseas personnel have become contract managers,and efforts to create a civilian reserve corps are also stalled in Congress.

more . . . . .



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201850.html

Just Say No
The Consumer Product Safety Commission shouldn't accept free travel fromthose it regulates.

Saturday, November 3, 2007; A18

AFTER A DAMNING story yesterday by Post writer Elizabeth Williamson abouthow the current and former chairmen of the Consumer Product SafetyCommission accepted "gift travel" from companies and associations inindustries they were supposed to regulate, acting Chairman Nancy Nordreleased a terse two-paragraph statement. Trips by all employees arereviewed by the agency's general counsel. This "painstaking review" has beenin place "for 14 years." But Ms. Nord is "asking the Office of GovernmentEthics to conduct a complete review of the agency's travel acceptanceprocedures." There can be only one suitable conclusion: Pay your own way.

Ms. Nord and her predecessor, Hal Stratton, logged nearly 30 trips since2002 to a number of locations, including China, Spain and Hilton Head, S.C.The total cost was almost $60,000. The rationale that this is a way to be incontact with manufacturers and to hear their concerns -- "Everybody wants tosee the chairman," Mr. Stratton told the Post's Ms. Williamson -- doesn'tcut it. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Food and DrugAdministration and the Federal Communications Commission all ban what theConsumer Product Safety Commission allows.

That commission leaders could not see the appearance problem is just thelatest in a string of troubles for the agency. Critics have been dismayed byits limp response to what seems to be weekly recalls of lead-laden toys (20million toys so far). The commission is half the size it was when it wascreated in 1973. It has just one toy inspector. But when the Senate CommerceCommittee moved last month to increase the agency's budget, authority andstaff, Ms. Nord told committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii),paraphrasing here, no thanks.

Despite her protests, the Senate Commerce Committee approved a 58 percentbudget increase. The House will consider a similar bill. Once the commissiongets its influx of cash, maybe it can afford to pay for its own travel andbegin to restore its credibility.



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201862.html

Unbowed in Burma
The resistance continues, but it needs help.

Saturday, November 3, 2007; A18

BURMA'S RULING generals yesterday ordered the expulsion of a senior UnitedNations official, again demonstrating their contempt for internationalopinion. The official had expressed mild criticism of the regime, which wastoo much for the paranoid leaders of the Southeast Asian nation. That doesnot mean, however, that they are impervious to influence.

A few weeks ago, hundreds of thousands of Burmese, led by Buddhist monks,were peacefully demonstrating in favor of democracy. The junta lashed out inresponse: shutting down Internet access, raiding monasteries, rounding upthousands in nighttime raids. No one outside the regime knows how manyprotesters it murdered.

Amazingly, internal resistance has not ended. A few hundred monks resumedthe protest Tuesday. Others have taken to the jungle to regroup. But theresponse from outside Burma has been less heartening. The special envoy ofthe U.N. secretary general has shuttled among Asian capitals in time-wastingbusywork. The envoy, who is scheduled to reenter Burma today, needs to pushhard the U.N. Security Council's call to the regime to free politicalprisoners and enter into dialogue with them. Meanwhile, China and India, the nations with the most influence in Burma, outdo each other inappeasing the regime. Does China not worry about hosting the Olympics as theprotector of one of the world's most odious regimes? Does India care nothingfor its reputation as the world's largest democracy? So far, apparently not.

The Security Council should tighten sanctions, particularly by enforcing anarms embargo. But the sanctions likeliest to persuade the regime tonegotiate with democratic forces are banking restrictions imposed on topofficials, their relatives and the corrupt businessmen close to them. TheBush administration led the way with such sanctions; Australia stoutlyfollowed. The question -- and it could be dispositive -- is whether Europehas the spine to join in.



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110202165.html?hpid=topnews

Blackwater's Owner Has Spies for Hire
Ex-U.S. Operatives Dot Firm's Roster

By Dana Hedgpeth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 3, 2007; A01

First it became a brand name in security for its work in Iraq andAfghanistan. Now it's taking on intelligence.

The Prince Group, the holding company that owns Blackwater Worldwide, hasbeen building an operation that will sniff out intelligence about naturaldisasters, business-friendly governments, overseas regulations and globalpolitical developments for clients in industry and government.

The operation, Total Intelligence Solutions, has assembled a roster offormer spooks -- high-ranking figures from agencies such as the CIA anddefense intelligence -- that mirrors the slate of former military officialswho run Blackwater. Its chairman is Cofer Black, the former head ofcounterterrorism at CIA known for his leading role in many of the agency'smore controversial programs, including the rendition and interrogation ofal-Qaeda suspects and the detention of some of them in secret prisonsoverseas.

Its chief executive is Robert Richer, a former CIA associate deputy directorof operations who was heavily involved in running the agency's role in theIraq war.

Total Intelligence Solutions is one of a growing number of companies thatoffer intelligence services such as risk analysis to companies andgovernments. Because of its roster and its ties to owner Erik Prince, themultimillionaire former Navy SEAL, the company's thrust into this worldhighlights the blurring of lines between government, industry and activitiesformerly reserved for agents operating in the shadows.

more . . . . .


=

The Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/294256.html

When Big Father/Big Mother spy on the children

By ELLEN GOODMAN
Posted on Sat, Nov. 03, 2007

Pretty soon, we're going have to amend the favorite mom and dad moniker ofthe moment. Those much vaunted helicopter parents are turning intoblack-helicopter parents. The image of parents hovering over their kids ismorphing into the darker image of parents spying on their kids.

Here is the latest bit of high-tech surveillance equipment being marketed toparents. A company inauspiciously named Bladerunner has begun selling ajacket with a GPS device sewn into the lining. For a mere $500 plus $20 amonth, a parent can track a child, or at least his jacket, all day long.

This is a just small addition to the family-friendly arsenal. We alreadyhave a full range of cellphones equipped with GPS. Indeed, the most commoncellphone greeting is not ''how are you?'' but ''where are you?'' Parentsare being sold the idea that they can trust but Wherify -- the name of oneamong the many manufacturers offering services that beam your kids'whereabouts to your cellphone.

Want to monitor what your kids eat at school? MyNutriKids gives you thescoop from the lunchroom. Want an automatic alert if he got a B on the popquiz? Go to GradeSpeed. Want to monitor her instant messages? There'sIMSafer. And want to know if your 17-year-old is speeding? Alltrack not onlytells you but lets you remotely flash the lights and honk the horn till sheslows down.

There is also a ''safety checks'' service courtesy of Sprint to let you knowif your kids showed up at soccer practice. And a ''geofencing'' service fromVerizon that alerts parents if a child leaves the area circumscribed by herparents.

more . . . . .


=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110201384.html?hpid=entnews

SC Dems Say No to Stephen Colbert

By JIM DAVENPORT
The Associated Press
Friday, November 2, 2007; 1:07 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina Democrats squashed Stephen Colbert'sfanciful White House bid on Thursday.

Colbert, who poses as a conservative talk-show host on the Comedy Centralcable network, filed to get on the ballot as a Democratic candidate in hisnative South Carolina. His campaign paid a $2,500 filing fee just before thenoon deadline, said state Democratic Party Chairwoman Carol Fowler.

However, after about 40 minutes of discussion by top party officials, theexecutive council voted 13-3 to keep the host of "The Colbert Report" offthe ballot.

"He's really trying to use South Carolina Democrats as suckers so he canfurther a comedy routine," said Waring Howe, a member of the executivecouncil. And Colbert "serves to detract from the serious candidates on theballot."

But state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter told the committee Colbert could showcasethe state "in a way that none of the other candidates on the ballot havebeen able to do."

more . . . . .



=

NewsMax

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/bahrain_iran_nuclear/2007/11/01/46068.html?s=al&promo_code=3C5C-1

Bahrain: Iran Racing to Build Bomb

Thursday, November 1, 2007 10:32 PM

In an interview with The Times of London newspaper, Bahrain's Crown PrinceSalman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa became the first Arab leader to directlyaccuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons.

"While they don't have the bomb yet, they are developing it, or thecapability for it," he said.

He also said "the whole region" would be caught up in any military conflictand called on India and Russia to help find a diplomatic solution. "Thereneeds to be far more done on the diplomatic front," he said. "There's stilltime to talk."

Also Thursday, Saudi Arabia and a consortium of Arab Gulf states invitedIran to produce enriched uranium jointly, where the plant could be properlymonitored by international observers.

"We have proposed a solution, which is to create a consortium for all usersof enriched uranium to do it in a collective manner that would distribute(nuclear fuel) according to need," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saudal-Faisal said. "We hope the Iranians will accept this proposal."

more . . . . .


=


[Send your comments about articles to rays.list@comcast.net]
#####

FLORIDA DIGEST November 3, 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.


=

Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpbord1103pnnov03,0,4963773.story

Dignity Palm Beach, religious and social club for lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender Roman Catholics, 5:30 p.m., St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 100N. Palmway, Lake Worth. Free. Call 561-309-0088.



=

MiamiHerald.com

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/v-print/story/293081.html

Gay philanthropist hailed

BY STEVE ROTHAUS
Posted on Sat, Nov. 03, 2007

It comes as no surprise that attorney and philanthropist Jerry Chasen willbe honored Saturday at the 11th annual Miami Recognition Dinner, whichraises thousands of dollars for gay nonprofits in South Florida.Without Chasen, there might not be a recognition dinner.

In 2004, the Gay & Lesbian Foundation of South Florida went out of business.Its only assets: the dinner and the annual Winter Party, which combinedraised about $1 million for the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival,Pridelines Youth Services and other groups.

Chasen, a major foundation donor, helped save the dinner and Winter Party byworking out a deal with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and DadeCommunity Foundation. The Task Force bought the two fundraisers and agreedto donate two-thirds of the net profits to South Florida organizations; DadeCommunity Foundation would administer the local grants.

''Jerry was the prime mover in saving those events for our community,'' saidDade Community Foundation development director David da Silva Cornell, whoalso is a Task Force national board member.

more . . . . .



=

MiamiHerald.com

http://www.miamiherald.com/548/v-print/story/294185.html

Ex-Broward sheriff to pay IRS $46,000

BY WANDA J. DeMARZO AND JAY WEAVER
Posted on Sat, Nov. 03, 2007

Former Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne has reached an agreement to pay ''in theneighborhood of $46,000'' in back taxes, interest and penalties to theInternal Revenue Service stemming from his conviction on tax evasion andfraud charges, according to federal court records.

Jenne disclosed his IRS obligations for 1998-2006 in a court filing thatchallenges some of the language in a probation office's report that outlineshis offenses for sentencing on Nov. 16.

Jenne owes much of those back taxes because his former Fort Lauderdale lawfirm, Conrad, Scherer & Jenne, agreed to buy him a used 1994 Mercedes E320convertible for $61,297 in October 1997. The firm agreed to finance thepurchase and pay the insurance.

The following January, Jenne was appointed Broward County sheriff bythen-Gov. Lawton Chiles. Jenne's old law firm, headed by William Scherer,continued to make loan and insurance payments totaling about $110,000.

Jenne never reported the law firm's car payments on his income tax returnsor state ethics disclosure forms.

more . . . . .



=

ExpressGayNews.com

http://expressgaynews.com/print.cfm?content_id=4169

Local gay photographer has exhibit at Starbucks
Florida native Parker specializes in nature scenes, gay erotica

By JW ARNOLD
Nov. 01, 2007

Local photographer Lewis Parker opened a new exhibit last week at Starbucksin Wilton Manors. Parker, a Florida native, developed an interest inphotography in the early 1980s and has since honed both traditional anddigital skills. In 2004, his works were exhibited at the Broward Art Guildin Fort Lauderdale and the following year several of his photographs werefeatured in Nashville's "Freedom Press."

Parker, who has traveled extensively, cites his passion for faraway placesas an inspiration for his art. His latest exhibit features a number ofunique images captured during recent travels to the western and northeasternUnited States.

"I discovered the beauty of numerous national parks and historical sites inColorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona," Parker explained. "I also recentlycompleted a trip through the northeastern U.S., where I was able to capturesome of the beauty of fall foliage season in Maine, Massachusetts, NewHampshire and Rhode Island."

All photographs in the exhibit are available at Parker's website,lewisparkerphotography.com. Parker will donate $5 from each print purchaseto the local charity Kids in Distress. In addition to the wildlife andlandscape photos on display, Parker also has a wide variety of adult eroticaavailable only on the website. The framed prints on display at Starbuck'smay also be purchased by calling 954-675-7510.

more . . . . .



=

ExpressGayNews.com

http://expressgaynews.com/print.cfm?content_id=4155

Fla. prison officials move against 'threat' of lesbian weddings
Guards punished for compassion in allowing morale-boosting nuptials

By LESLIE ROBINSON
Nov. 01, 2007

The Florida Department of Corrections knows a threat to prison security whenit sees one. It works diligently to prevent escapes, riots - and weddings.

The department has disciplined eight correctional officers for allowing agay wedding ceremony to take place at Lowell Correctional Institution,Florida's largest prison for women.

How comforting that the Florida Department of Corrections stands firmagainst clear prison perils like drugs, gangs and lesbian nuptials.

According to The Gainesville Sun, the department's official report on theincident at the Marion County prison states that, "Security staff allowedinmates to perform, decorate and participate in a wedding ceremony."

The date the correctional officers shirked their duty so extravagantly wasMarch 17, St. Patrick's Day. Perhaps gay leprechauns bewitched them.

more . . . . .



=

From: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Sent: Friday, November 02, 2007 3:49 PM

Subject: President's Veto of Everglades Funding is Irresponsible
November 02, 2007
Contact: Jonathan Beeton 202-225-1750

President's Veto of Everglades Restoration Funds is Irresponsible

(Washington, DC) - Today, President Bush vetoed the Water ResourcesDevelopment Act (H.R. 1495), bipartisan legislation which was approved bythe House of Representatives and the Senate by an overwhelming majority. Thelegislation authorizes approximately $23 billion for more than 800 projectsin communities throughout the country, including Everglades restoration,repairing hurricane damage, restoring wetlands and flood prevention.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz, who voted in favor of the legislation, criticizedthe President's veto as irresponsible in the following statement:

"The President's veto of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) sends aclear message to Floridian's that the President does not care aboutrestoring the Everglades. For the first time since the EvergladesRestoration Act was signed in 2000, Congress stepped forward to honor thefederal government's commitment to restoring the Everglades. WRDA includedan authorization for nearly $2 billion in projects for Evergladesrestoration. The President's veto flies in the face of the federalgovernment's commitment to restore the Everglades and its commitment to bean equal partner with Florida in restoring the Everglades. I will fightalongside my colleagues in Congress to override this irresponsible veto ofwater resources programs by President Bush."



=

Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpcoast1103pnnov03,0,99186.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

Where's the beach? Severe erosion imperils Palm Beach County shores

By Sally Apgar
November 3, 2007

Time was tight. Tropical Storm Noel was swirling closer and Chris Strandneeded an emergency engineering fix.

Just before midnight Sunday, heavy surf leveled a 10-foot-high retainingwall protecting a South Palm Beach condo, leaving the building foundationdefenseless against the grinding waves.

Quickly rounding up emergency permits, work crews, a crane and two cementmixers, Strand built a three-tiered bulwark in time for high tide Wednesdaynight and the meanest surf of the week. "It's holding," smiled Strand, whoworks for the engineering firm Chalair and Associates of Palm Beach Gardens,as he stood triumphantly atop the structure Thursday morning.

The engineering heroics to save the Imperial House condos were an extremeexample of the efforts that will be needed to fight the chronic erosion thatgnaws at 31 of the 45 miles of Palm Beach County's most valuable resource -its beaches.

As more condos and hotels perch along the shoreline, government-regulated"beach management" has become increasingly critical and high-tech. Beyondpumping sand onto barren beaches or rebuilding 10-foot dunes, efforts thatcost millions and can be swallowed in a single tropical storm, countyofficials are pushing hard for longer-lasting solutions.

more . . . . .



=

Sun-Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flaveto1103pnnov03,0,5636459.story?coll=sofla_tab01_layout

Congress may override veto to let money flow to Everglades restoration

By William E. Gibson
Washington Bureau chief
November 3, 2007

WASHINGTON

Determined to unleash federal funding for Everglades restoration, Floridaleaders and environmental advocates predicted that Congress next week willoverride President Bush's veto of a bill that would authorize spending onhundreds of popular water projects around the country.

If so, it would be the first veto override of Bush's presidency. And itwould clear the way for federal funding of the first construction projectsto restore the River of Grass.

Preliminary work already is under way to revive the ecosystem, restore anatural water flow and secure water supplies for South Florida's growingpopulation. The state and local communities have poured millions of dollarsinto the vast replumbing job, but so far the federal government has notkicked in its share of the cost.

"What the state is doing is a start, it's a help, but the federal governmenthas got to step up to the plate," said Mark Perry, chairman of theEverglades Coalition, made up of national and state environmental groups andbased in Stuart.

"As we wait longer and longer, the ecosystem continues to degrade. We get alot of discharges from Lake Okeechobee bringing silt and sediment into theestuaries, causing devastation to habitat. Fresh water is pouring out intothe ocean at 1.7 million gallons a day - water that should be working itsway down into the Everglades."

more . . . . .



=

The Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/294235.html

Glades count may shed light on manatees' future

BY CURTIS MORGAN
Posted on Sat, Nov. 03, 2007

It took three escapes, four hours, a couple hundred dizzying circles fromthe spotter plane and too many turns to count by the capture boat.Finally, the elusive creature splashed in the net: a Florida manatee.

The lumbering sea cows inhabiting the Everglades aren't really any speedieror wilier than manatees elsewhere. But mazes of mangrove islands and waterthe color of cafe Cubano have long made their movements and numbers here amystery to scientists.

''The Everglades region is the black hole. This is really the area where wedon't understand manatees,'' said James Reid, a United States GeologicalSurvey biologist. Reid led the team that corralled seven sea cows inEverglades National Park in October to assess their health and fit them withelectronic tracking gear.

The captures and rapid releases wrapped up a seven-year survey designed toassess the effects of Everglades restoration on manatees, including thequestion of whether changing future water flows could harm them. Theresearch also could shape decisions about slow-speed zones for park boatersand about the manatee's controversial status as an endangered species.

more . . . . .



=

The Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/294187.html

Jeb, Hillary have same idea on immigrants

By BETH REINHARD
Posted on Sat, Nov. 03, 2007

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton's support this week foroffering driver's licenses to illegal immigrants unleashed a firestorm frompredictable conservative quarters.

But three years ago, none other than conservative icon Jeb Bush supported abill that would have done just that.

Under the bill sponsored by Hialeah Republican Sen. Rudy Garcia, applicantswould have had to clear background checks in Florida and their homecountries. Many illegal immigrants drive anyway, supporters said, solicensing them would make the roads safer while alerting federal officialsto criminal suspects.

''We shouldn't allow them to come into our country to begin with,'' Bushsaid in 2004. ``But once they're here, what do you do? Do you say thatthey're lepers to society? That they don't exist? It seems that a policythat ignores them is a policy of denial.''

Even with the popular governor's backing, the proposal bombed in theGOP-controlled Legislature. Lawmakers said issuing government licensesamounted to condoning illegal conduct. The Florida Sheriff's Associationargued that other countries did not have reliable criminal databases.

more . . . . .



=

Florida Today

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/CD/20071103/CAPITOLNEWS/711030351/-1/capitolnews

State economists say recovery is farther away than expected

By Bill Cotterell
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU POLITICAL EDITOR
November 3, 2007

The housing-driven economic slump that made Florida legislators cut $1.1billion from the state budget last month isn't getting worse, but it willlast ''a lot longer'' than expected, state economists said Friday.

No hard dollar amounts came out of the two-hour roundtable by top fiscalforecasters from the Legislature and governor's office.

But planners made some downward revisions of their July forecasts amidgloomy forecasts that consumer spending, wages, auto sales, tourism, fuelcosts and other leading economic indicators will languish longer in thetrough dug by the slowed housing and construction markets.

Amy Baker, coordinator of the Economic and Demographic Research Office, saidat least a few factors were forecast in July to begin recovery next year.But she and Frank Williams, an economist in her office, said it will be late2009 before the economy really revives.

At least, they said, the slump is not much worse - just longer - thanpreviously predicted.

more . . . . .



=

St. Petersburg Times

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/03/State/If_polls_governed__th.shtml

If polls governed, there'd be no taxes

By STEVE BOUSQUET, Tallahassee Bureau Chief
Published November 3, 2007

Say something brilliant," Gov. Charlie Crist said as he invited SenateMajority Leader Daniel Webster to the microphones.

The Senate property tax plan, largely Webster's work, had just passed theHouse Monday.

Webster, the quiet sage of the Legislature, delivered a fitting epitaph fora huge expansion of Save Our Homes, the assessment cap that has splitFlorida into tax break haves and have-nots, living on the same street.

"Well, if you can't beat 'em, you join 'em, so we gave the cap toeverybody," said Webster,.

"As our polling showed, people were just not willing, even with a choice, togive up Save Our Homes," he said.

more . . . . .



=

St. Petersburg Times

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/03/State/Report__Crime_rose_in.shtml

Report: Crime rose in state during first half of 2007
Growth was not accounted for, so the crime rate might not be up.

Associated Press
Published November 3, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - The number of crimes committed in Florida edged up slightly inthe first half of 2007, bucking a years-long trend of declining crime in thestate, according to a report released Friday.

Violent crime, which had already shifted upward in recent years, continuedthat troubling trend, increasing in Florida by 2 percent in the first halfof the year over the first half of 2006, said statistics from the FloridaDepartment of Law Enforcement.

The number of murders - particularly those committed with guns - had one ofthe largest increases this year. Through the end of June, there were 589murders in Florida, a 13.7 percent increase over the 518 reported in thestate in the first half of 2006.

The number of murders committed with a gun jumped from 340 in the first halfof 2006 to 407 in the first half of 2007, a 19.7 percent increase, thefigures showed.

Overall, the number of crimes tracked by the Federal Bureau of Investigationand state law enforcement officials went up 3.9 percent in the first half ofthe year, the FDLE said. The list of crimes that are tracked ranges widely,from murder and rape to less serious crimes like stealing bicycles or changeout of vending machines.

more . . . . .


=


[Send your comments about articles to rays.list@comcast.net]
#####

Friday, November 02, 2007

GLBT DIGEST November 2, 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.


=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Episcopal-Bishop.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Episcopal Church Suspends Pa. Bishop

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 2, 2007
Filed at 12:59 a.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania has
been ordered to cease his duties until a church trial about accusations thathe concealed a relative's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl in the 1970s, anewspaper reported Thursday.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori told Bishop Charles E. BennisonJr. on Wednesday that he was to ''cease all episcopal, ministerial andcanonical acts'' as of Saturday night, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.The deadline will allow Bennison to lead Saturday's annual diocesanconvention.

The presentment, or church indictment, alleges that Bennison reacted''passively and self-protectively'' and ''failed to take obvious, essentialsteps to investigate (the relative's) actions, protect the girl from furtherabuse, and find out whether other children were in danger.''

A special church court is to hear the charges against Bennison sometime nextyear and decide whether he may resume his duties. Until that court acts, thediocesan standing committee is to assume Bennison's duties.

Bennison, 63, was rector of a parish in the Diocese of Los Angeles at thetime. He has been bishop for 11 years in the Pennsylvania diocese, which has80,000 members in Philadelphia and four suburban counties.

Bennison did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday night.

Last year, Bennison apologized to the diocese for ''lack of action on mypart.'' He told The Inquirer that he had told the relative ''to leave theparish's employ'' but did not report the matter to civil or churchauthorities because the girl's parents had not chosen to do so.

Diocesan conservatives have long criticized Bennison's liberal stances ongay marriage and gay ordination. The diocesan standing committee has soughthis removal for two years, accusing him of misusing diocesan assets.



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/world/middleeast/01dubai.html

In Rape Case, a French Youth Takes On Dubai

By THANASSIS CAMBANIS
November 1, 2007

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 31 - Alexandre Robert, a French15-year-old, was having a fine summer in this tourist paradise on thePersian Gulf. It was Bastille Day and he and a classmate had escaped theJuly heat at the beach for an air-conditioned arcade.

Just after sunset, Alex says he was rushing to meet his father for dinnerwhen he bumped into an acquaintance, a 17-year-old native-born student atthe American school, who said he and his cousin could drop Alex off at home.

There were, in fact, three Emirati men in the car, including a pair offormer convicts ages 35 and 18, according to Alex. He says they drove himpast his house and into a dark patch of desert, between a row of new villasand a power plant, took away his cellphone, threatened him with a knife anda club, and told him they would kill his family if he ever reported them.

Then they stripped off his pants and one by one sodomized him in the backseat of the car. They dumped Alex across from one of Dubai's luxury hoteltowers.

Alex and his family were about to learn that despite Dubai's status as theArab world's paragon of modernity and wealth, and its well-earned reputationfor protecting foreign investors, its criminal legal system remains aperilous gantlet when it comes to homosexuality and protection offoreigners.

more . . . . .



=

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/02/opinion/02fri2.html?ref=opinion

Starting Over in Texas

November 2, 2007
Editorial

Texas is reeling from the allegations of brutality, neglect and sexual abusethat have rocked its juvenile justice system. Heads have rolled and reformssigned into law this summer by Gov. Rick Perry have eased the crisis, forthe moment. The only real way to remedy the situation is to raze Texas'sdeeply flawed system and build a new one from the ground up.

The juvenile justice system's Blue Ribbon Task Force has laid out a sensibleand far-sighted plan for doing that. Unfortunately, it has gotten far toolittle support.

The panel rightly calls on Texas to replace its far-flung and understaffedarchipelago of youth prisons with small, local facilities that wouldconcentrate on rehabilitation and education. The proposed system would inmany ways emulate Missouri's juvenile justice system, which is the nationalmodel for how to deal successfully with troubled children.

The panel blames some of Texas's high juvenile detention rate on poorly runschools. In far too many communities, children with learning, achievement orbehavior problems that should be handled at school are probably beingsuspended or expelled, which makes them more likely to commit crimes. About40 percent of the children sent off to detention centers appear to havelearning disabilities that the schools have either failed to recognize ortreat - a disproportionately high number of those are black and Hispanic.

These detention centers also have little capacity for addressing thesechildren's problems. The tiny communities where the prisons and detentioncenters are located - sometimes more than a day's drive away from thechildren's families - must surely have trouble attracting teachers,psychologists and well-trained corrections workers. Not surprisingly, abouthalf of these young people end up back inside after being released.

more . . . . .



=

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/01/AR2007110102383.html?hpid=sec-nation

HIV-Positive Soldier Guilty Of Assault

Associated Press
Friday, November 2, 2007; A13

FORT BRAGG, N.C., Nov. 1 -- An HIV-positive paratrooper pleaded guilty toassault Thursday for knowingly having unprotected sex with a teenager he metonline.

Pfc. Johnny Lamar Dalton, who is a member of the 82nd Airborne Division,entered his plea during a court-martial at Fort Bragg.

A military judge sentenced Dalton, 25, to 40 months in prison. The sentenceincluded a reduction in rank and a dishonorable discharge.

Dalton was ordered last November not to have unprotected sex after he wasfound to have HIV. State law also prohibits a person infected with HIV fromhaving sex unless condoms are used and sexual partners are notified.

Doctors discovered the 17-year-old had HIV during a routine blood test, andhis mother notified the military.

more . . . . .



=

Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=15040

Anti-baggy pants song offends gay community
Fashion style could be equated to gay sex

DALLAS (AP) | Nov 1, 10:13 AM

The latest effort in a Dallas official's effort to ban sagging pants is ahip-hop song that's drawn criticism for equating the fashion style to gaysex.

The song "Pull Your Pants Up" is by Dwayne Brown, who performs as Dooney da'Priest. It targets the style of wearing pants so low that underwear isexposed. Brown wrote the song to support a crusade against the style byDallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway.

The lyric generating controversy mocks the style. It says:

"You walk the street with your pants way down low

"I dunno; looks to me you on the down low."

The phrase "on the down low" can mean a secretive gay encounter.

Cordey Lash is a Dallas-based board member of the Gay and Lesbian AllianceAgainst Defamation. He says he never considered the style to be linked tohomosexual behavior.

Brown says he's sorry for offending anyone and didn't mean for the song tobe anti-gay. Caraway said the campaign has made a difference in Dallas andbeyond.



=

Student Press Law Center

http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=1640&year

Student in N.Y. sent home for wearing pro-gay T-shirt

© 2007 Student Press Law Center
November 1, 2007

NEW YORK - A New York Civil Liberties Union representative attended a schoolboard meeting Oct. 23 to try and reach an agreement with the district on howto address the principal's "mistake" in sending home a student wearing ashirt with the message "gay? fine by me."

Spencer-Van Etten High School Principal Ann Sincock sent the student,16-year-old Heathyre Farnham, home on Sept. 21 because she thought it wouldinvite other students to wear anti-gay T-shirts and cause a disruption, saidJim Young, the school board's attorney.

The incident dates back to Sept. 21 when Farnham wore the T-shirt to school.She said it was the third time she wore the shirt.

"The principal came up to me at lunch and said it was inappropriate anddisruptive... No one was screaming or yelling about it; I wouldn't call itdisruptive," Farnham said. "Everyone was still learning."

The school board's attorney agrees that the shirt was not disruptive. Theprincipal did not interpret the laws regarding student expression correctly,Young said.

more . . . . .



=

Time

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989411,00.html?imw=Y

To Be Young And Gay In Wyoming

By Steve Lopez/Laramie
Monday, Oct. 26, 1998

Winter is coming fast to Wyoming, and it will be as it always is--beautifuland wicked. You could feel it in the air last week as ships of clouds sailedthe blue sky above Laramie, snow-capped mountains rose in the distance, anda small herd of deer roamed the rocky ridge where Matthew Shepard, a gaystudent who loved Wyoming, was lynched.

They hold vigils and teach-ins in Laramie, a town searching its soul, butsome people climb the hill as if there is something to confront up there.They go to where a small basket of dry flowers hangs from the fence whereShepard, 21, was tied with rope, pistol-whipped and left in the cold. Thevisitors arrive in silence and leave in prayer, and the vigils go on--inLaramie, in Denver, in San Francisco, in Washington.

With his beating Oct. 7 and death Oct. 12, one day after National Coming OutDay, Shepard has ignited a national town meeting on the enduring hatred thatshames this country, a hatred so intense that even death didn't save himfrom it. While he lay dying at a hospital in nearby Colorado and thousandswired their support, college students there mocked Shepard with a scarecrowatop a parade float. While his family prepared for his burial and spoke ofShepard's gentleness and tolerant ways, a Kansas minister with a websitecalled godhatesfags.com made plans to do a grave dance at the funeral.

With Laramie at the eye of the storm, there is something to tell aboutWyoming. The cowboy state has its rednecks and yahoos, for sure, but thereare no more bigots per capita in Wyoming than in New York, Florida orCalifornia. The difference is that in Wyoming there are fewer places toblend in if you're anything other than prairie stock. It is toughbusiness--as Matt Shepard knew, and as his friends all know--to be gay incowboy country.

He had spent a few years in a bit of a fog, living abroad with his parents(his father now works in Saudi Arabia), attending a boarding school inSwitzerland. Somehow, he chose to return to where he grew up, to enroll inhis father's alma mater, the University of Wyoming, thinking of becoming adiplomat. Short and slight, he knew he fit a gay stereotype. And while open,he was cautious. But just days before he died, he told a friend that hefinally felt safe.

more . . . . .



=

Good as You

http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2007/11/westboro-ruling.html

Westboro ruling: Both "YAY!" and nay
November 01, 2007

So as you might have already heard, Westboro Baptist Church was orderedyesterday to pay millions of dollars to a family of a slain soldier whosefuneral the Phelps clan has protested. And of course the immediate reactionthat comes to mind for all of those gays who are sick of Westboro blamingeverything from volcanoes to hangnails on homosexuality is:

And rightfully so. There is no group whose schadenfreudistic retribution ismore deserved or overdue. The natural reaction is to celebrate when acomeuppance is delivered their way.

However, our personal revelry is somewhat muted in this instance. When wetake our personal views and our prior knowledge of the family's actions outof the equation, we'd be lying if we said we didn't have major problems andconcerns with yesterday's verdict. In fact, we think it could ultimatelybackfire BIGTIME! Worse yet -- we fear it probably SHOULD backfire. Let usexplain.

Here at G-A-Y, we chat with some of the Westboro members on a semi-regularbasis. And if there is one thing we have learned about them, it's that theyhold the law into high regard. They are always meticulous in jumping throughall of the necessary hoops that are required of them before they embark onone of their disgusting protests. Many of the family members are trained inthe law, and they take it quite seriously. They know the statutes that havebeen passed to try and curb their pickets, and they are typically mindful oftheir limitations. They also understand what is and is not libel, and theyphrase themselves accordingly. Their hate is horrendous, but their actionsare rarely unlawful.

So looking at yesterday's court case: They were charged with "violating theSnyder family's expectation of privacy at the funeral and for intentionallyinflicting emotional distress." And yes, we agree that this and manyfamilies were forced to endure an unbelievably inhumane form of expressionas they attempt to lay their children to rest. And surely their words arecapable of causing a heightened degree of emotional distress. Trust us -- weget it! While much of America has only caught on to the family's actions inthe two or three years that their protests have been affecting them, thoseof us in the gay community have been dealing with the Phelps' pickets (ofAIDS victims, Pride parades, Matthew Shepard, etc) for almost two decades!So we are in no way insensitive to the plight of anyone who has had toendure one of their demonstrations. If anything, we are upset that it tookour country so long to start speaking out and countering their messages!

more . . . . .



=

The Bilerico Project

http://www.bilerico.com/2007/10/free_speech_vs_hate_speech.php

Free Speech vs. Hate Speech

Filed by: Steve Ralls
October 31, 2007 7:11 PM

How much of a free speech purist are you?

You may be put to the test when answering that question as you consider aruling today in Maryland against the notoriously anti-gay Westboro BaptistChurch and its leaders, including Rev. Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps. Phelps'protest outside of one soldier's funeral has cost him $11 million.

For my money, there's no question that Phelps and his followers are amongstthe most uneloquent hate speech spewers in the United States. But is theirright to say what they say - in this case, during a funeral on publicproperty - also protected by the First Amendment? It's a delicate questionfor some, especially as today's ruling, if not overturned, could havefar-reaching consequences on public protests, including anti-Westboroprotests organized by the LGBT community.

Albert Snyder of York, Pa., sued Phelps and his "church" after Westboro'ersprotested outside of the funeral for his son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder,who was killed in Iraq. The protest was not the first; the Phelps clan hasbeen staging numerous protests at military funerals since the war began,insinuating that service member deaths are God's retribution for an Americathat welcomes LGBT people.

Several states, and the United States Congress, have passed laws limitingsuch protests at funerals. And reasonable people can probably agree thatthose protests are in poor taste . . . disrespectful to mourning families .. . and beyond the pale.

more . . . . .



=

Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/11-1/locallife/sports/4165.cfm

Gay swim coach makes international waves
After directing local team to victory, Grzeszczak picked to coach U.S.team

Nov. 01, 2007

About an hour into their Monday night practice, the members of theHammerheads Swim Club are starting to groan. During rests between sets of100-meter intervals, they are panting and holding onto the sides of thepool, all the while looking at the large screen digital timer for their cueto take off again.

As the seconds tick off the last moments of their rest, a far more dominantforce oversees the practice - the club's coach, John Grzeszczak.

"There's no reason why anybody should not be making your times," Grzeszczakbarks. "You have to go after it. Come on, get into it."

With the coach's goading, the swimmers pull their goggles in place, endtheir groans and attack the pool at Sunrise Middle School in Fort Lauderdalewith a flutter of strokes and kicks.

Grzeszczak towers over his team with equal parts love and discipline. Theclub has grown after more than seven years into a group of about 150swimmers - both gay and straight and from different backgrounds - whoconsider each other more than just teammates.

more . . . . .



=

Express Gay News

http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/11-1/locallife/sports/4166.cfm

Fort Lauderdale hosts Florida Cup gay tennis tournament
South Florida Tennis Club offers a variety of events throughout the year

By PHIL LAPADULA
Nov. 01, 2007

Which city in Florida has the best gay tennis players? That question will beaddressed this weekend when Fort Lauderdale hosts the Florida Cup gay tennistournament.

Four Florida cities - Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa and Orlando - will eachsend 16 players and three alternates to compete in the tournament. Thematches will be played Saturday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 4, at VeltriCentral Park in Plantation. The singles matches will be played Saturdaystarting at 10:30 a.m., and the doubles matches will be played Sundaystarting at 9:30 a.m.

The South Florida Tennis Club, a Fort Lauderdale-based gay tennis group, ishosting this year's Florida Cup.

"We try to get the best 16 players from each city to compete," said PhilSokolov, regional tournament director for SFTC.

Throughout the year, the SFTC hosts other tournaments, including the SpringFling Round Robin tournament in May. The SFTC's biggest tournament of theyear is the Clay Court Classic, which takes place over Presidents DayWeekend in February. The event attracts players from all over the world andincludes a banquet.

more . . . . .



=

365Gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen/besen.htm

The Democrats Get Feisty

by Wayne Besen

With a wealth of good candidates - particularly on gay issues - manyDemocratic voters are still undecided going into the primaries. The onlything they are sure of is that they loathe President George W. Bush and noneof the Republican contenders present themselves as viable options. One-timeGOP moderates - like Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani - arereinventing themselves as right wing conservatives who can't wait to appoint"strict constructionist judges." Even if one likes their policies on defense(I don't) the notion that they might stack the court with more Scalia-typesis too frightening to countenance.

Hillary Clinton is the current frontrunner, but it is clear that her lead istenuous and could evaporate with any serious missteps. At this week'sDemocratic debate, moderated by NBC's Tim Russert and Brian Williams, thechallengers vigorously worked to dethrone her. Some made headway, but no onedelivered a memorable blow to change the calculus of the race. Here is asnapshot on how the candidates performed in this crucial Democratic contest:

Hillary Clinton: She was targeted by nearly everyone on stage and portrayedas an untrustworthy, status quo candidate. However, she helped her case bycoming across as the Timex candidate: She took a licking and kept on
ticking.

However, at times Clinton did seem too packaged and at some point she needsto answer questions more directly. She also mentioned Bush way too manytimes, and that strategy grated on my nerves after the first hour. But, shedid help herself in the general election - if she gets there - by talkingtough on defense. This debate generally bolstered Clinton's campaign becauseshe looked like a brawler - exactly what is needed against Republicans.

Barack Obama: While he began the debate comparing himself to Rocky, it isincreasingly clear that this man has no clue how to throw a punch. First, heacted surprised by the hype surrounding the debate - even though he is theone who hyped it in the New York Times, signaling that he would aggressivelychallenge the frontrunner. However, he looked unsure of himself, terriblyuncomfortable with political combat and withered under Clinton's piercingglare. He got better as the debate went on - but delivered no decisiveblows. The only thing rocky was his tepid performance in a crucial debate.

more . . . . .



=

365Gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110107work.htm

Study: Closeted Workers Harm Selves, Employers

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: November 1, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(San Francisco, California) A survey of gay and lesbian employees across theU.S. has found that "fears about disclosing a gay identity at work had anoverwhelmingly negative relationship with their career and workplaceexperiences and with their psychological well-being."

The study, 'Making the Invisible Visible: Fear and Disclosure of SexualOrientation at Work' was based on a questionnaire of 500 LGB workers and theresults appear in The Journal of Applied Psychology.

"These findings were both striking and disturbing; those who reported morefear of the negative consequences of full disclosure had less positive joband career attitudes, received fewer promotions, and reported more physicalstress-related symptoms than those who reported less fear," wroteresearchers, Belle Rose Ragins and Romila Singh of the University ofWisconsin, Milwaukee and John M. Cornwell of Rice University.

For those working in what they perceived as a non-supportive environment,the costs of non-disclosure were significant, the study concluded.

Workers who feared more negative consequences to disclosure reported lessjob satisfaction, organizational commitment and lower satisfaction withopportunities for promotion and career commitment.

more . . . . .



=

365Gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110107saf.htm

Gay Man Kills Parents 'To Spare Them Grief'

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: November 1, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Cape Town, South Africa) A young gay man, despondent after his relationshipwith another man soured, shot his parents to death to spare them grief whenhe committed suicide - but he didn't die and now he's on trial for murder.

After killing Glenn and Deborah Harris he shot himself but recovered inhospital.

Following his arrest Grant Harris was sent to a psychiatric facility for anassessment.

Doctors concluded that although Harris deeply depressed he was fit to standtrial.

"He is able to appreciate the wrongfulness of the alleged offences and toact accordingly," the report said.

more . . . . .



=

365Gay.com

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/11/110107alabama.htm

Alabama Agrees To Ease Conditions Of HIV Prisoners

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: November 1, 2007 - 1:00 pm ET

(Montgomery, Alabama) The Alabama Department of Corrections has agreed toallow prisoners with HIV greater access to prison facilities but is refusingto end segregated housing.

Following years of advocacy by the American Civil Liberties Union, AIDSAlabama and state legislators, the Alabama Department of Corrections onThursday said it would give HIV-positive prisoners greater access tovisitation, educational programs, substance abuse treatment programs, andreligious services.

Until now, HIV-positive prisoners have been denied these programs andservices offered to the general population of inmates.

Alabama is the only state in the union to segregate HIV-positive prisonersin housing and exclude them from some prison programs.

At Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama, female HIV-positiveprisoners continue to be housed in total segregation from the generalpopulation.

more . . . . .



=

The Advocate

http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid50147.asp

Religious Rallies Ensue in Support of Iowa's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

November 02, 2007

From prayer rallies to political advocacy, Iowa churches are at theforefront of an escalating fight over a county judge's ruling thatoverturned the state's same-sex marriage ban.

About 1,200 people from local churches joined hands and sang the civilrights anthem ''We Shall Overcome'' at a recent rally in Des Moines urgingthe Iowa supreme court to reverse the judge's decision.

''This is more than a political battle,'' said the Reverend Keith A. RatliffSr. of the Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church. ''This is a spiritualbattle.''

Polk County district judge Robert Hanson ruled on August 31 that a state lawdefining marriage as only between a man and woman was unconstitutional andordered the Polk County recorder to allow same-sex couples to marry.

The next day, Hanson stayed his ruling while the case is appealed to thestate supreme court, which could take two years. Only one couple was able tomarry -- the ceremony was performed in a Unitarian pastor's front yard --before Hanson suspended his ruling.

more . . . . .



=

The Advocate

http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid50158.asp

HIV Infection Rate Drops in Zimbabwe

November 02, 2007

Zimbabwe has registered a 2.5% decline in its HIV infection rate, and thenumber of AIDS deaths also is dropping, the government said Thursday,crediting its ''tireless efforts'' to fight the pandemic.

Quoting figures it said were verified by the United Nations, the Ministry ofHealth said the HIV rate dropped from 18.1% in people aged 15 to 49 yearslast year to 15.6% this year.

AIDS deaths also have decreased, down to 2,214 a week from around 2,500 aweek, according to the new statistics.

A researcher at London's Imperial College who helped work on the figuressaid the trends presented were as accurate as possible given the availabledata, according to college spokeswoman Laura Gallagher. The UNAIDS agencywas not immediately available for comment. (AP)



=

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

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/parvaz/337025_parvaz27.html

Religion doesn't confer right to discriminate

Saturday, October 27, 2007
Last updated October 31, 2007 6:26 p.m. PT

By D. PARVAZ
P-I COLUMNIST

(Editor's Note: This column has been altered. The original version of thiscolumn misstated the name of the group Concerned Women for America in theopening paragraph.)

Two bills -- HR 3685 and 3686, which should be one bill -- seek to givegays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered protection fromdiscrimination in the workplace. Naturally, President Bush indicated thathe'll veto the bills (assuming they go that far), a move groups such asConcerned Women for America applaud. A statement from the administration (on3685) indicates that his main issue with the bill is that it "isinconsistent with the right to the free exercise of religion as codified byCongress in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act." So, being a Christianmeans you get to deny people jobs based on what goes on in their pants whenthey're not at work?

"We would oppose any bill that would grant preferred suspect minority statusbased upon social sexual behaviors," says Matt Barber, a spokesperson forthe CWA. He adds that there's "no history of systematic discrimination"against the LGBT community, which he also calls a powerful political lobby.Oh, right. The Rainbow Mafia. A group so mighty that you can beat the tarout of one of them without getting charged with a hate crime. Now that'spower.

Although both bills provide exemptions for religious organizations (schools,churches, etc.), Barber feels that homosexual behavior is immoral, and thatit ought not be protected at the expense of freedom of religion. He doesn'tsay how working with a homosexual would violate his right to be a Christian,but he's certain that having to "associate" with one somehow would. I'dunderstand (though disagree) with his objection to gay marriage, but gayemployment?

Things are changing, though, says Walter Walsh, a University of Washingtonprof specializing in constitutional law. "The switch has been flipped here.The federal government ... wants to be protective of gays and lesbians," asopposed to just leaving it up to local governments. "And now the claims arecoming from the other direction." But first, it must be determined if a lawoutlawing sexual orientation discrimination in employment is capable ofviolating someone's freedom of religion. Walsh runs down a list of cases topoint out pockets of success for gay rights groups (at least in terms ofadvancing the dialogue) -- Bowers v. Hardwick, Lawrence v. Texas, Boy Scoutsof America v. Dale and Gay Rights Coalition v. Georgetown University. He'sworking on a book about the Georgetown case, where it was determined thatthe government had a compelling reason to eradicate discrimination based onsexual orientation, and that not doing so would rob (gay) students oftangible benefits. That, says Walsh, is the key: Does the burden imposed onChristians outweigh the tangible benefits of a gay or transgendered personbeing employed? What's the least restrictive way of balancing both?

more . . . . .



=

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

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_lawmaker_extortion.html

Prostitution charge possible for lawmaker gay sex in Spokane

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last updated November 1, 2007 7:31 a.m. PT

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Spokane city attorney says he would review a possiblesex solicitation charge against Richard Curtis if the county prosecutorrefers the case to the city.

The county prosecutor is looking at a possible extortion charge involving aman who said he had sex last week with the state lawmaker.

Curtis resigned yesterday from the Legislature and apologized for hisactions last week when he was in Spokane for a Republican party meeting.

He told police a man tried to extort $1,000 from him. The man, CodyCastagna, says Curtis owed him the money for sex and there was no extortion.

(with information from KXLY-TV)



=

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

http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/1030netransgender1031ON.html

Nightclub dispute with transgender at impasse

Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 30, 2007 04:46 PM

A potty political dispute in Scottsdale isn't going away.

The yearlong beef involving transgender nightclub patrons and their use of awomen's bathroom at Anderson's Fifth Estate is continuing despite efforts bya gay-rights group to negotiate a settlement.

Equality Arizona was unable to get Michele delaFreniere and nightclub ownerTom Anderson to resolve their differences over delaFreniere's allegationsthat Anderson discriminated against her and other transgender patrons inbarring them from his downtown Scottsdale bar.

Anderson, who denies delaFreniere's discrimination claim, has agreed todesignate a gender-neutral bathroom, said Sam Holdren, Equality Arizonafield organizer.

DelaFraniere, a transgender woman, still has concerns.

"It still doesn't address the issue of the original discrimination," shesaid in explaining why she declined to settle the dispute.

more . . . . .



=

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

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/4424864.html

SAME-SEX PARENTS
Ruling spurs moms to seek legal protection

By SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer
10/31/2007

MOUNT VERNON -- Eli Eleftheriou Hopkins calls one of his parents "mommy" andthe other "mama."

One minute, he's eating a chocolate chip cookie. The next, he's playing witha plastic firefighter hat. He asks for attention from either parent -- andgets it from both.

For Eli, 2, the biggest challenge seems to be finding someone to play with.

For his parents, the biggest concern is making sure he is legally protectedin case anything happens to either one of them.

Last week, his biological mother and legal guardian, Carla Hopkins, and herdomestic partner of eight years, Victoria Eleftheriou, filed a petition inKennebec County Probate Court seeking to make them equal parents in the eyesof the law.

more . . . . .



=

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

http://newyorklawschool.typepad.com/leonardlink/2007/10/expanded-discus.html

Expanded discussion of NJ case on loss of consortium claim

Here's the expanded story that I submitted to Gay City News today on the NJloss of consortium case that I discussed briefly yesterday:

A federal judge in New Jersey ruled on October 23 that the same-sex partnerof a woman who was injured on a theme park ride at Walt Disney World inOrlando, Florida, may not recover damages for "loss of consortium," which isdefined by New Jersey courts as the "right of a husband or wife to receivecompensation for loss of affection, comfort, companionship, society,assistance and sexual relations as a result of the other's personalinjuries." Brigando v. Walt Disney World Co., 2007 WL 3124702.

A claim for loss of consortium is based on the recognition that when aspouse is injured, that injury may also harm the other spouse throughdeprivation of their normal relationship as a result of hospitalization orthe restrictions imposed on the injured spouse's functioning due to theirphysical or mental injuries. The New Jersey Civil Union Act, which went intoeffect in February 2007, provides that civil union partners may sue for lossof consortium, but this case involves an incident that took place on June17, 2004, at which time the couple did not have any legal relationship toeach other.

According to the opinion by Judge Stanley R. Chesler, Marianne Brigandosuffered injuries while riding the Splash Mountain attraction at DisneyWorld. In April 2005, about ten months later, she filed suit against Disneyin New Jersey Superior Court, claiming negligence and seeking compensatoryand punitive damages. In addition, the complaint sought damages for loss ofconsortium on behalf of her partner, Pamela Joy Binder, with whom she hadfiled a domestic partnership registration several weeks before filing thelawsuit.

more . . . . .



=

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

http://www.irqo.net/IRQO/English/pages/101.htm

Abolish Capital Punishment in Iran - Stop execution of Makwan Moloudzadeh

(Toronto - October 30, 2007) Makwan Moloudzadeh, a 21 year old Iranian nowfaces the threat of execution. His crime is his sexuality, which is illegalunder the Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Many have been executed forsexual crimes such as extramarital and homosexual sex acts. Due to thelegal processes and procedures of the Judicial system of the IslamicRepublic of Iran and its complete lack of transparency, it is extremelydifficult to access the documents, witnesses, testimonies, and other factspertinent to the files of those accused, as a result of which it is almostimpossible to verify the confessions, complaints, evidence, and verdicts.

In recent years numerous individuals have been executed because of theirsexual and private relations in Mashhad, Gorgan, Arak, Kermanshah, andTehran, many of whom were under the legal age. Despite the currentcircumstances under which the Iranian Queer Organization, due toinaccessibility of evidence and testimonies regarding these cases, cannotprove homosexuality of those executed beyond a doubt, we believe that thetrue crime in these executions was sexual relationship (which is notconfirmed by the Iranian government). The Government of the IslamicRepublic of Iran punishes those with different sexual orientation and sexualrelations by death.

According to the Penal Code of the Islamic Republic, four witnesses arerequired in order to prove the perpetration of lavat (sodomy) which ispunishable by death. Western states reject asylum claims of lesbian, gay,bisexual, and transgender Iranians due to their assumption that it is almostimpossible to have four witnesses. The truth is that when private spaces ofLGBT Iranians are raided by the police, there are four clerics and videocameras already present. Moreover, a judge can use his own knowledge torule on a case regarding lavat; the alleged perpetrators may confess tolavat under torture; and medical examinations can prove whether anindividual has had anal penetration.

In Makwan Moloudzadeh case, the judge has ruled based on his own knowledgethat Makwan Moloudzadeh had committed lavat in accordance with article 120of the Iranian Penal Code. This is despite the fact that even internalrulings of Iranian authorities, including the fatwa of Ayatollah Sane'i andother clerics who are source of emulation state that a judge's knowledgecannot be used as a basis to prove crimes punishable by hadd usually capitalpunishment. Through carrying out such executions, the Government of theIslamic Republic of Iran not only violates the most basic internationalhuman rights standards, it also undermines the rulings and fatwas of Islamicclerics and sources of emulation who are recognized by the Islamic Republicof Iran.

The Iranian Queer Organization demands the Government of the IslamicRepublic of Iran to abolish death penalty and punish the accused andperpetrators according to minimum international human rights standards.



=

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

Pam's House Blend

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3471

The closet door of Washington State Rep. Richard 'Kink' Curtis blasted openin scandal

by: pam
Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 07:00:00 AM EDT

People, is there any end to the depravity of the hypocrites in the moralistGOP? They want to deny LGBTs basic civil rights while behind closed doorsthey engage in the kinds of behavior that the professional Values Voter setpublicly wrings their hands over.

GOP State Rep. Richard Curtis, a lawmaker who voted against domesticpartnerships for gay and lesbian couples and opposed an anti-discriminationlaw to cover sexual orientation, goes for the gold in this department. WhenI posted last night, Dan Savage over at Slog kept sending me kinkier andkinkier news on this Curtis, who "engaged in mutual sexual activities" withmale escort/porn actor Cody Castagna.

The legislator initially said that he was "helping out" Castagna with gasmoney (to avoid declaring that he was paying for sex). I found anotherupdate from Dan this AM, and Curtis got more than a "thank you" for the$100.

The police report shows that Curtis spilled the beans, as it were, and thegory details burst this homophobic pol's closet w-i-d-e open.

more . . . . .



=

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

Queerty.com

http://www.queerty.com/news/irene-monroe-blows-up-baracks-spot-20071031/

Irene Monroe Blows Up Barack's Spot
Did Obama Play On White Gay Myth?

No doubt Barack Obama wants the world to forget about his anti-gay gospelgaffe. Superstar Reverend Irene Monroe, however, keeps the scandal pipinghot with a scathing criticism of the presidential candidate:

Although the Obama campaign says it "decided to go with someone local," thereal deal is that Obama hid his fear of addressing the black LGBTQ communityby selecting a white minister to speak to a predominately black anti-gayaudience. That's because it is easier to maintain the myth many of theseblack evangelical voters hold - that queerness is a "white" thing - than toaddress the reality that his "big tent" message cannot presently accommodateanti-gay black ministers, gospels singers, and the black LGBTQ community.

Wait, there are black gay people? Who knew?!



=

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

http://www.salon.com/mwt/mind_reader/2007/10/31/prejudice/print.html

We're prejudiced, now what?
Scientists now tell us bias toward others may be innate. But that doesn'tmean we have to behave like Bill O'Reilly.

By Robert Burton
Oct. 31, 2007 |

All good people agree,
And all good people say,
All nice people, like Us, are We
And every one else is They
-- Rudyard Kipling

I am stuck in rush-hour traffic. Maybe I can find a decent radio program todistract myself from the blasting horns, angry looks and cussing behindrolled-up windows. But the radio is worse than the traffic. On NPR, aWashington think tank guru is arguing that "my 30-plus years of studying theMiddle East has convinced me that democracy is more appropriate for somecultures than others." A second NPR station is airing a debate on themedical rights of "illegal aliens." On Fox, Bill O'Reilly is talking about arecent dinner in Harlem, N.Y., with Al Sharpton: "I couldn't get over thefact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any otherrestaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even thoughit's run by blacks."

Everywhere I turn, someone is honking at the other guy. Once upon a time,when psychology was king of the behavioral hill, I thought that prejudicecould be explained by upbringing, cultural influences, socioeconomicdisparities and plain old wrong thinking. Despite any hard evidence fromsoft sciences, I nursed the vaguely optimistic belief that education and theteaching of tolerance might make a dent in the bigotry and racism of"others." And yet sitting in stalled traffic, I cannot shake the irrationalfeeling that "those in the other cars" are different from "us in our car."If my mind seems intent upon making such ludicrous and meaninglessdistinctions, is there more here than meets the purely psychological I?

Psychologists have long talked about our tendency to form "in groups" basedupon skin color, accents (the Parisian vs. the "country French") andhairstyle (try to look at green spiked hair and a crew cut without drawinginferences of fundamental differences in personality). In his 1954 book,"The Nature of Prejudice," psychologist Gordon Allport observed that manywhite Americans live in a "state of conflict." On one hand, they may beideologically opposed to prejudice, but on the other, they possessunderlying tendencies to think and act in racially biased ways.

Neuroscience is now providing tantalizing hints as to how these tendenciesmight occur. In 2000, two fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)studies allowed the first visualizations of the underlying neuroanatomy ofprejudice. In one study, Allan Hart, an Amherst social psychologist, foundthat when white and black subjects were given brief subliminal glimpses offaces of the other race, both showed increased activity in the amygdala, asmall set of nuclei within the medial temporal lobes, believed to beresponsible for processing the emotional significance of a stimulus.

more . . . . .



=

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

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_transgender_pastor.html

Methodist transgender minister may stay

By MICHELLE LOCKE
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Last updated October 30, 2007 8:00 p.m. PT

BERKELEY, Calif. -- A council of the United Methodist Church has decided toallow a transgender minister to retain his job, but it stopped short ofaddressing whether a change of gender violates the denomination's rules.

At a session over the weekend in San Francisco, the United MethodistJudicial Council considered whether to remove the Rev. Drew Phoenix from hispost. The council allowed Phoenix to stay on the job, referring to a churchpolicy stating that a clergyperson in good standing can't be terminatedunless there has been administrative or judicial action, according to theruling, posted on the church's Web site.

"The adjective placed in front of the noun 'clergyperson' does not matter,"the council ruled. "What matters is that clergypersons, once ordained andadmitted to membership in full connection, cannot have that standing changedwithout being accorded fair process."

In a related ruling, the council said all name changes should be treated thesame regardless of the reason.

Phoenix, who learned of the ruling Tuesday, said he was "happily surprised."

more . . . . .



=

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

http://www.alternet.org/sex/66509/

The Evangelical Movement's Breakdown Ain't so Cute After All

By Susie Bright, SusieBright.com
Posted on October 31, 2007, Printed on November 2, 2007

Is the religious right ready to get their hands out of America's underwear?Is the shame margin not paying off the way it used to?

New York Times reporter David Kirkpatrick takes apart "The EvangelicalCrackup" in this past Sunday Magazine, in what is sure to be one of the mosttalked-about stories of the pre-election season.

He interviews a number of pastors and politicos from the conservativechurches -- the bedrock of the "Moral Majority" and the base that won theBush family their votes.

This is the movement that could be relied upon to do anything at the flickof an abortion-shaming or homo-hating switch. Get them on their high horse,with a sexy leather crop in their hands, and you had them sweating andfrothing their way to the finish line.

By Kirkpatrick's assessment, the coalition is now blown to smithereens, fora number of reasons. I was disappointed with his analysis, but the rawmaterial is fascinating to review:

more . . . . .



=

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

http://www.queerty.com/news/bay-area-gay-families-not-as-white-wealthy-as-you-think-20071031/

San Francisco's gay families defy stereotypes.

While many people imagine same-sex founded families as white and wealthy, a
study shows that the majority of the Bay Area's gays are of color and make
considerably less than their straight counterparts, particularly those wholive in San Francisco.

A study released Tuesday by a group of Bay Area organizations servinglesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families found that same-sex couplesraising children in California are more likely to be people of color andthat their median household income is 17 percent lower than the income ofmarried couples with children.
.
In Alameda and San Francisco counties, the report found, a large proportionof gay and lesbian couples raising children were nonwhite. In addition, 69percent of same-sex parents were women. Those two factors could help explainwhy same-sex families have lower incomes, Appel said, because women andpeople of color earn less on average.

The median household income for people in Alameda clocks in at $70,000. Therich kids in San Francisco, meanwhile, rake in an estimated $83,000. Lifecan be so unfair!

more . . . . .



=

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

http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=finearts&sc2=news&sc3=&id=22439

Gay Jesus Photos Spark Violence In Sweden

Gaywired.com
Sunday Aug 19, 2007

Violence broke out over a gay Jesus art show in Sweden Aug. 12. Thecontroversial images also appear in the new book "Art That Dares: Gay Jesus,Woman Christ, and More" by Rev. Kittredge Cherry.

The fight began when a group of young people tried to set fire to a posterat a cultural center that was showing photos of Jesus in contemporary queercontext. Staff intervened and as many as 30 people joined the fight,according to news reports. The conflict occurred in the Swedish city ofJonkoping, known as a center of evangelical Christianity.

Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin created her "Ecce Homo" seriesby putting Jesus into a contemporary lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender(LGBT) context.

An online gallery of selected gay Jesus images, including Ohlson Wallin'swork, was recently added to Cherry's website, JesusInLove.org.

"The violence in Sweden is the latest example of why the queer Christ isneeded," said lesbian Christian author Cherry. "People try to censor the gayJesus, but I compiled queer Christ images a book to show that Christ belongsto everybody, even the sexual outcasts. Jesus taught love, but now Christianrhetoric is being used to justify hate and discrimination against women andlesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people."

more . . . . .



=

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

http://www.kash1075.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104651&article=2862350

Big & Rich Star Retracts Offensive Gay Marriage Comments

John Rich caused controversy when he dismissed same-sex unions as "prettyunsavory."
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Big & Rich star John Rich has apologized for his recent controversialcomments on gay marriage, insisting his views were not properly clarified.

The country singer caused controversy earlier this month when he dismissedsame-sex unions as "pretty unsavory."

In an interview with The Tennessean, he said: "I think if you legalize that(gay marriage), you've got to legalize some other things that are prettyunsavory.

"You can call me a radical, but how can you tell an aunt that she can'tmarry her nephew if they are really in love and sharing the bills? How canyou tell them they can't get married, but something else that's unnaturalcan happen?"

But Rich has now retracted his offensive remarks in a newly-releasedstatement, in which he blames his Christian upbringing as the reason for hisearlier outburst.

more . . . . .



=

To Form a More Perfect Union: Marriage Equality News

http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:

--
I write to agree with Pastor Howe's proposal: "My proposal is this: removereligion entirely from 'legal marriage.' Let us follow France and otherEuropean countries and have marriages actually take place at the city hall.Religious celebrations and faith relationships would be entirely separate."His interpretations are his own opinions which I do not share, but hissolution is right. Clergy who agree with this can show support by refusingto act as an agent of the state of Vermont by requiring couples to first belegally married by a justice of the peace before solemnizing religiousmarriage vows.

--
Missouri:
Three advertisers are pulling their business from a Warrensburg, Mo.,newspaper and several readers are threatening to cancel their subscriptionsafter the publication of a same-sex engagement announcement. For John ScottJr., 29, and Elijah Davidson, 29, asking The Daily Star-Journal inWarrensburg to run a photo and announcement of their Nov. 13 commitmentceremony was all about equality. "I want people to know that he makes mehappy, and all we want is to be happy just like straight couples," Davidson,of Warrensburg, said during a telephone interview Wednesday fromWarrensburg, which is in Johnson County, southeast of Kansas City.

--
Rhode Island's General Assembly has overridden the veto of legislationproviding the domestic partners of public employees with the same pensionand retirement benefits as spouses. It was one of nearly three-dozen etoeslawmakers overturned in a one-day special session. When he rejected thedomestic partner bill Gov. Don Carcieri said the public did not want"unwarranted and unnecessary expansions of state employee benefits."

--
A priest in the diocese of Ontario has been disciplined and had his licenceto marry cancelled after officiating at the wedding of a same-sex couplelast August in a church in rural Ontario, where he is the incumbent. Rev.Michael Bury, rector of St. John the Evangelist church, in Stirling, Ont., asall village located about 190 km east of Toronto, confirmed in aninterview that his licence to perform marriages has been cancelled.



=

The Guardian - UK

www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2203791,00.html

Guardian wins Stonewall media award
John Carvel, Social affairs editor

The Guardian was last night named publication of the year at theStonewall awards, rewarding "those who've done good things for gaypeople in the last 12 months".

The judges, including comedian Matt Lucas, sports presenter ClareBalding and disc jockey Paul Gambaccini, said the paper hadconsistently "provided a wealth of positive coverage of lesbian andgay issues", and praised it as "one of Fleet Street's strongestadvocates for equality".

In a night of mixed awards, the Rt Rev Anthony Priddis, the 104thBishop of Hereford, was named bigot of the year by Stonewall. Anemployment tribunal in Cardiff in April heard how youth worker JohnReaney, 42, was left feeling humiliated after a two-hour interviewduring which the bishop grilled him about a previous gayrelationship. The tribunal decided Mr Reaney had been a victim ofunfair dismissal and awarded damages against the Church of England.

Alan Johnson and Angela Eagle were named politicians of the year. MrJohnson was recognised for fighting, while education secretary, toinclude adoption agencies in regulations banning discrimination ongrounds of sexual orientation. Ms Eagle, described by Stonewall asthe only openly lesbian MP, was honoured for keeping the government"on the right path" on gay issues.

Antony Grey, former secretary of the Homosexual Law Reform Society,was made "hero of the year" for spearheading the campaign that led tothe first partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. Otherawards went to writer Val McDermid, Hollyoaks, the Channel 4 series,singer Dan Gillespie Sells, and the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard.



=

Forwarded thanks to Bill Sterling

The Independent - UK

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/gay-marriages-soon-to-be-legal-1209134.html

Gay 'marriages' soon to be legal

By Fionnan Sheahan Political Correspondent
Thursday November 01 2007

Gay couples will be recognised for the first time in the history of theState, but it will probably come at a cost to the taxpayer.

Same sex couples will be allowed to legally register their partnershipsunder new laws currently being drawn up.

The move will have implication for a "myriad" of people in other co-habitingrelationships.

Gay couples in civil unions will be allowed to register their partnerships,which will then gain legal protection.

But the Government is holding back from giving gay couples the same rightsas married couples.

more . . . . .



=

Forwarded thanks to Bill Sterling

The Irish Times

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/1102/1193444383938.html

Lobby seeks equality for gay couples

Plans to grant legal recognition to same-sex couples should be based onprinciples of equality and introduced as soon as possible, according to theGay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen).



=

Forwarded thanks to Steve Krantz

http://straightforequality.org/

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) has justinitiated the Straight for Equality Program - it's objective is to havestraight allies stand up and support their LGBT family,friends andcoworkers.

Please go to http://straightforequality.org/ and take the pledge!!

Please forward widely.

Thanks, Steve.


=

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

http://www.nbjc.org/

H. Alexander Robinson
NBJC Executive Director & CEO

NBJC is still in talks with Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

We hope to meet face-to-face in order to heal the wounds torn open over Sen.Obama's use of the Rev. Donnie McClurkin and other openly homophobic gospelsingers who headlined the senator's Embrace The Courage Tour.

In addition, Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Director of Religious Affairs, has authored acommentary which studies gays in gospel music.

Further, I am happy to announce an addition to NBJC's staff. Earl Plantehas assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer primarily responsiblefundraising and donor development.

Finally, I invite you attend the upcoming Power of Us Events.


=


[Send your comments about articles to rays.list@comcast.net]
#####