GLBT DIGEST January 19, 2008

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WashingtonPost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/18/AR2008011803177_pf.html

Author's Brand Of Christianity Strikes a Chord With Young Adults

By Kelli Kennedy
Associated Press
Saturday, January 19, 2008; B08

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Donald Miller still loves God and Jesus. Don'tmisunderstand him.

His problem is with Christianity, at least how it's often practiced.

"It's a dangerous term, so I try to avoid it," said Miller, who consideredgiving up his career as a Christian writer and leaving the church in 2003because he couldn't attend services without getting angry.

For him, the word conjured up conservative politics, suburban consumerismand an "insensitivity to people who aren't like us."

To quell his rage, he banged out a memoir of his experiences with God,stripped of the trappings of religion.

"Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality" sold justenough to pay a few months' rent. Then

more . . . . .



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washingtonpost.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011603127_pf.html

Date Lab
Your Date Chatting Up A Gaggle Of Girls? Not A Good Sign.

Sunday, January 20, 2008; W06

7:30 p.m., Rice, Logan Circle

Bob: I drove to the restaurant, and a server took me over to a table whereMichael was already sitting. In the gay world, everybody knows everybody. Helooked familiar. I've seen him around. He's attractive, but [he has] thiswhole aura [of] your basic white guy. I go for a more ethnic or foreignlook.

Michael: He was a nice-looking guy, a little bit bigger than me, which iswhat I tend to like. He's not drop-dead gorgeous, but most people aren't --and that's a good thing in my book. We started talking about Date Lab andhow it just seemed worth a shot. Bob: He did most of the talking. I let himgo. He had lots of different stories about his dating life. Sometimes morethan I wanted to know -- a little bit too much information.

Michael: My stories were about relationships, just complicatedrelationships. What led us down that path was that we know somebody incommon; that person was actually involved with somebody that I was involvedwith. It was like, "You know John? Yeah, I know John, too, but this is why."I'm generally not very shy about things.

Bob: We didn't laugh much. [We didn't have] much in common. He works inIT -- it's not anything that I connect with at all. He was giving off vibesof being uncomfortable with his appearance, saying that he wasn'tcomfortable with his haircut, that he felt he was overweight.

Michael: He cleaned his plate, and I didn't, and he made some comment. Ijust said I haven't hit the gym as much lately, and so I'm watching what I'meating. On a physical level, I got the impression that I was not for him. Hewas talking about someone he dated in the past who was bigger and more builtthan I am, and he really seemed to like that. I was like, Hmm, that doesn'tsound like me.

more . . . . .



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Sun-Sentinel.com

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-fv19weboffersbjan19,0,528,print.story

Religious Web site: mychurch.org

January 19, 2008

mychurch.org

MyChurch follows the community-gathering model of MySpace and Facebook butwith a specific audience - Christian congregations. More than 13,000churches have joined. Each church's page may contain basic contact andservice information, which isn't much different than what you'd find on achurch's Web site. What makes MyChurch unique is the ability for ministrystaff and congregation members to blog and post among themselves and withother Christians in the MyChurch network. Recent discussions includedconcerns over increasing Hinduism influence in the United States, how totreat gay family members with Christlike compassion, and the differentcultural renderings of the image of Jesus. Not all of the discussions aretheological; you'll also find recipes, benign chatter about family andfriends, and reviews of books, movies and music.

The Dallas Morning News



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365Gay.Com

http://www.365gay.com/

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:
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Gay Marriage Supporter Kucinich Denied Spot On Texas Ballot
(Washington) The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Texas to print presidentialprimary ballots without Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich's name.
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Bloomberg Meets With Ballot Expert
(Austin Texas) New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg met Friday with the ballotaccess expert and campaign manager for H. Ross Perot's third-partypresidential bid, a sign of the multibillionaire's seriousness about apossible independent run.
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Elderly Gay Man First Miami Murder Of 2008
(Miami, Florida) Miami-Dade police are searching for a 20-year old man inconnection with the murder of an elderly gay man who had taken him into hishome.
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Swedish Police Investigate Serial Attacks On Gays
(Stockholm) A Stockholm man is under arrest for the murder of one gay man,the attempted murder of another and could be implicated on other recentattacks on gays.
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Domestic Partner Bill Revived In New Mexico
(Santa Fe, New Mexico) A domestic partner bill that died in the New Mexicolegislature this spring has been revived at the prodding of Gov. BillRichardson (D).
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Illinois County Accused Of Thwarting TS Name Change
(Springfield, Illinois) The Illinois Supreme Court has been asked to compela county court to follow state law and allow a low-income transgender womanwith the means of changing her name.
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Iowa Court Affirms Gay Co-Adoptions
(Des Moines, Iowa) The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that a lesbian'sadoption of her partner's children was legal.
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AIDS Experts Ponder Shifting Money To Other Health Issues
(London) In the two decades since AIDS began sweeping the globe, it hasoften been labeled as the biggest threat to international health.



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Advocate.com

http://www.advocate.com/

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:
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Rapist Who Preyed on Men Gets 99 Years
A man convicted this week of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy atgunpoint was sentenced to 99 years in prison Thursday after he apologizedfor that attack and the rapes of four other young men.
for president ''is that her husband messed around.''
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Cleveland Diocese Discourages Anonymous Sex Abuse Reports
The Roman Catholic diocese of Cleveland is discouraging its employees andvolunteers from making anonymous reports of sexual abuse of minors, a policychange that appears to be unique among U.S. dioceses and has outraged churchwatchdogs. However, it has the support of the local prosecutor's office.
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Bloomberg Tax Cut Could Help Any '08 Run
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg keeps saying he's not a presidentialcandidate, but analysts are calling his new plan to extend a $1 billionproperty tax cut a shrewd political move if he does make a bid for the OvalOffice.



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RESEARCHER ON LGBT RIGHTS

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program
(New York Office)

Deadline for applications: February 25, 2008

Description: HRW's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender ("LGBT") RightsProgram is seeking a Researcher. The Researcher will focus on human rightsabuses related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expressionworldwide. The Researcher will work under the supervision of the Director ofthe LGBT Rights Program, who will provide guidance on the choice of researchand advocacy projects. The Researcher will also coordinate research andadvocacy plans with the HRW thematic and regional divisions. S/he will beresponsible for ongoing research and advocacy efforts, play an importantrole in developing strategies for dealing with human rights issues relatedto sexuality and sexual rights, and contribute to policy development in thisarea. A particular though not exclusive focus of the position may beresearching gender-based abuses, including against lesbian and bisexualwomen and abuses related to gender identity, and experience in this realm ishighly desirable. S/he will carry out fact-finding missions to targetcountries; write and publicize reports on findings; develop advocacystrategies; present human rights concerns to governments, intergovernmentaland nongovernmental organizations, and the media; and write news releases,articles, op-eds, and position papers. S/he will help create and maintainpartnerships with NGOs working on sexual rights and will follow media andother reports on human rights abuses based on sexual orientation or genderidentity or expression. S/he may also be responsible for editing, speaking,and representing the LGBT Program in conferences and other meetings, alongwith related tasks. The Researcher will be based preferably in HRW's NewYork headquarters, although other locations may be considered.

Qualifications: An advanced degree in law, public health, internationalrelations, women's or gender studies, or a related field, and two to threeyears of experience in human rights, with a preferred emphasis in LGBTrights, women's rights, gender and sexual rights, or a closely related area,are required. Candidates must have research experience and advocacy skillsand should have good interviewing skills; field experience in public healthor human rights is strongly desirable, as is demonstrated experience workingwith sexual minorities and LGBT communities. Experience working with issuesof gender identity and expression is highly desired. Excellent oral andwritten communications skills in English are required, and oral and writtenproficiency in another language is highly desirable. Candidates should behighly motivated and well-organized; able to work quickly and well underpressure, both independently and as a member of a team; juggle multipletasks and meet tight deadlines; and demonstrate a commitment tointernational human rights.

Salary and Benefits: Human Rights Watch seeks exceptional applicants andoffers competitive compensation and generous employer-paid benefits. HRWwill pay reasonable relocation expenses and will assist employees inobtaining necessary U.S. work authorization, if required; non-US citizensare encouraged to apply.

PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY (no calls or email inquiries, please) by emailingtogether a letter of interest, resume, names or letters of reference, and abrief writing sample (unedited by others) no later than February 25, 2008to lgbt@hrw.org. Please use "LGBT Researcher Application" as the subject ofyour email. Only complete applications will be reviewed. It is preferredthat all materials be submitted via email. If emailing is not possible,send materials (please do not split a submission between email and regularpost) to:

Human Rights Watch
Attn: Search Committee (LGBT Researcher)
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10118-3299 USA

Scott Long
Director
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program
Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY USA 10118
Tel. +01 (212) 216-1297
Fax +01 (212) 216-1876
E-mail: longs@hrw.org



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The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2243272,00.html

Face to faith

The Church of England's gay crisis makes clear that that liberal Anglicanismis finished, says Theo Hobson

Theo Hobson
Saturday January 19, 2008

This year Anglicanism will define itself with new clarity - theonce-a-decade Lambeth conference will confirm the anti-liberal mood of thelast five years. The humiliation of liberal Anglicanism will be complete.Its demand for equality for homosexuals has been thrown out in the mostdecisive possible way.

I think it's time to admit that the tradition of liberal Anglicanism isfinished. Those Anglicans who carry on calling for an "inclusive church"are relics of a previous era. They should face the fact that the religiouslandscape has changed utterly. Liberal Anglicanism has become oxymoronic.For the first time this church has defined itself in opposition toliberalism, taking a decisively reactionary stance on a crucial moral issue.

An institution that discriminates against homosexuals is without moralcredibility - and moral credibility is rather important in religion.Furthermore, it contravenes the spirit of Jesus's teaching. His commandment"Judge not" could almost have been invented for the problem ofhomosexuality, which most straight people find challenging on some level,but must learn not to condemn. Tolerance seems the only moral response, anda rule against gay priests obviously falls short of tolerance. Itinstitutionalises prejudice.

But surely, says the liberal Anglican, this can change. Surely thechurch can change its mind, reject its homophobic tendency, and regain itsmoral authority? I don't think so. The problem goes far deeper than thecampaigners for an "inclusive church" seem to understand. In fact the gayissue highlights the authoritarianism intrinsic to the very concept of thechurch.

According to the liberal lobby, the church must return to its naturalliberalism, derailed by the rise of homophobic theology in the 1990s. Butthis is naïve. What actually happened in the 1990s is that the church'sofficial teaching (no sex outside marriage) was tightened. So what theliberals actually want is a break with the entire tradition of the church inrespect of its teaching on sexual morality. This amounts to a revolution,for churches have always issued moral rules about sex. To say the churchshould withdraw from sexual moralism is to jeopardise its entire claim toauthority. However, the liberal Anglicans cannot admit that this is what isgoing on.

The liberal Anglican priest (let's call him Father Giles) is bitterlycritical of the church's collusion in homophobia. But he fully believes inthe authority of the church, and his own authority. He affirms the right ofthe church to define orthodoxy: the doctrine of the Trinity, for example, isdecided by the corporate mind of the church. Likewise a true sacrament issomething authorised by the institution. He claims to have authority byvirtue of having been ordained into the church. Christianity is not asubjective free-for-all, he insists: it is a communal, traditional thing,with rules.

Yet when the church claims authority to rule on sexual morality his tunechanges. This aspect of its teaching is mistaken, he says, and amounts to abetrayal of the Gospel. The problem is that this tradition of sexualmoralism is part of the traditional authority of the church, which FatherGiles claims to affirm. In other words, he accepts the authority of thechurch when it suits him and rejects it when it does not.

In my opinion, the gay crisis shakes the foundations of ecclesiology.Organised religion has always been authoritarian, in calling certain moralrules God's will, in saying that moral and doctrinal orthodoxy must beupheld. As I see it, Christianity rejects this; it dispenses with the moral"law". It claims, scandalously, that God wills a new freedom - from "holymorality", from the bossy legalism inherent in religious institutionalism.Liberal Christians should be truly liberal, and see that the concept of anauthoritative church has had its day - that God calls us to something new.



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Gay & Lesbian Leadership
SmartBrier

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

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:
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Poll: Most Marylanders want gay unions recognized
More than half of likely voters in Maryland favor some form of legalizedunions for gay and lesbian couples, according to a Baltimore Sun poll. Thesurvey found 39% in support of civil unions and 19% who backed equalmarriage rights. Another 31% opposed any type of legal union, with only halfof those opponents backing a constitutional marriage ban. The Sun
(Baltimore) (free registration) (1/17)
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HRC not taking chances with Fla. marriage ban
The Human Rights Campaign has begun preparing volunteers in Florida for thefight against a proposed marriage ban, even though the measure's backersneed to collect 20,000 additional signatures by Feb. 1 to qualify for theNovember ballot. "The last thing we should do in this moment is change ourcampaign in any way," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. Orlando Sentinel
(Fla.) (1/16)
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Groups: Protesters using marriage as a "wedge issue"
Marriage-rights activists in Iowa say a "prayer walk" to lobby lawmakers fora marriage ban is a misguided effort to sway the state's Supreme Court,which is reviewing a marriage case, and to draw voters to the polls inNovember, according to this article. "It's a wedge issue," said out stateSen. Matt McCoy. "It's no different than abortion or the death penalty. Theyview this as an opening and if they can get their wedge in, they're going touse it." The Des Moines Register (Iowa) (1/16)
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Filing: D.C. lesbian activist accused of perjury as part of ex-staffer'slawsuit against DNC
Washington Blade (1/17)
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Learn to run a winning campaign!
The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute is bringing its renowned Candidate &Campaign Training to Charlotte, NC. Join us Feb. 21 to 24 to learn how tobuild a winning campaign. Whether you're running as openly LGBT or workingon a campaign, our training will provide you with the tools you need forsuccess. Click here to learn more and apply by Jan. 28.
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Editorial: LGBT workers deserve protection from bias on the job
The Salt Lake Tribune is applauding the effort of out state Rep. ChristineJohnson for proposing a measure to protect LGBT workers from jobdiscrimination, although the paper acknowledges the uphill battle in passingsuch a bill. "Utah law should not tolerate these people living in fear oflosing their livelihood if they are honest about who they are," the paperwrites. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) (1/15)
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Column: Marriage, unions should be legally the same
High courts in Connecticut and California, which are both reviewing marriagerights cases, should decide them in such a way to put marriages and civilunions on "equal legal footing" in their states, as well as others trying toaddress the issue, according to Hillel Y. Levin, a Stanford Law Fellow andinstructor at Stanford Law School. "These courts could set the course forfuture development of the law and simultaneously help thousands of committedcouples throughout the country begin to understand their legal status,"Levin writes. The Hartford Courant (Conn.) (1/15)
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Blogger: Top Democrats sidestep military ban in debate
When given the chance to educate voters on the connection between ending themilitary ban and the Solomon Amendment, which prohibits colleges anduniversities receiving federal funding from barring military recruiters,during a debate on Tuesday, all three of the top Democratic candidates optedto take the easy way out and back the amendment, according to blogger DanielKoffler. "By agreeing to enforce the Solomon Amendment, all three of themgave their assent to a policy whose only goal and only achievement is theperpetuation of discrimination against gay men and women," he writes. TheGuardian (London) (1/17)



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To Form a More Perfect Union: Marriage Equality News

Information, news, and discussion about the legal recognition of same-sex
couples and their families, including marriages, domestic partnerships,
civil unions, adoptions, foster children and similar issues.

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

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:
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The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the right of a Polk County woman to seekcustody of the children from the relationship she had with another woman.
The two women, Jamie Lee Schott and Heather Joye Schott, began theirrelationship in the summer of 2000. At that time Jamie and her son Calebmoved in with Heather and in November of 2001, Heather adopted Caleb. Thedistrict court ruled that Heather's adoptions of the children were contraryto Iowa's adoption statute and invalid. The court did not recognize thecouple's marriage and said that Jamie's parental rights would have to beterminated before Heather could adopt the children. The Iowa Supreme Courtruled that Heather and Jamie where the children's legal parents and thedistrict court was wrong to declare the adoptions invalid. The High Courtsays since the adoptions were valid, the district court has jurisdiction todecide the custody and support issues, and sent the case back to thedistrict court.
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Utah has the biggest percent increase of declared same-sex couples of anystate, according to a study from the University of California in LosAngeles. So, is the gay population growing? Are more gays moving to Utah?
Or are now more gay couples openly declaring their lifestyles, rather thanhiding it behind closed doors? The study shows that the states with big increases in declared same-sex couples, are states that had constitutional amendments or initiativesbanning gay marriage.
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Utah politics.. In 2004 the Utah State legislature passed an amendment thatbanned gay marriage in the state. This amendment didn't bring morehomosexuals to the state, it just made the ones who were already living heremore politically active.
***
Tyler and Mark have been a same-sex couple for a long time. They are alsopartners in Rainbow Mountain Realty. In addition to their businessactivities, they are also politically active.



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National Gay News

http://nationalgaynews.com/

Go to the website, above, for the following articles:
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A New 'Gay Disease'?
The headlines this week about a new "gay" infection were dramatic.
FLESH-EATING BUG SPREADS AMONG GAYS, said one Australian newspaper,referring to a study about an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infectionaffecting homosexual men in San Francisco and other American cities.
EPIDEMIC FEARED--GAYS MAY SPREAD DEADLY STAPH INFECTION TO GENERALPOPULATION, shouted a press release from the Concerned Women for America, aconservative public-policy group.
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Transgender Play's Strictly Personal
Performance artist Scott Turner Schofield came out twice, first at 16 as alesbian when he was named Katie. ''I thought I was a girl and I liked girls,so I must be a lesbian,'' Schofield recalled.Three years later, Schofieldcame across a man whooping it up in a lesbian bar.
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Rufus Wainwright: Live at Carnegie Hall
She was addicted to pills, married many times, sang her wrung heart out,died tragically and even, arguably, bequeathed us, via her most famous filmrole as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, the rainbow flag. It is no surprisethen that Wainwright, one of music's best known gay men, might want tolionise Judy Garland, the ultimate gay icon. One initially wondered if hewould tip this exercise - a recreation of Garland's legendary 1961 concertat Carnegie Hall - into camp joke territory and play it, and her, forlaughs. But no. This is a beautiful, respectful performance, supported by a36-piece orchestra. Wainwright and the musical director and conductorStephen Oremus reimagine Garland's standards with vivid originality. ComeRain or Come Shine is sung at a gallop, Wainwright's voice insistently arch.Went the Strings of My Heart is faster still, with couplets tripping tipsilyon to one another.
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Rapist Who Preyed on Men Gets 99 Years
A man convicted this week of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy atgunpoint was sentenced to 99 years in prison Thursday after he apologizedfor that attack and the rapes of four other young men. In a writtenstatement read in court, Keith Hill also said he decided to assault menrather than women because ''it would be less hard on them.'' Hill, 20, wasconvicted Tuesday of assaulting one of five young men he had confessed toraping during an eight-month spree in 2006 in Baytown, Texas.
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Women and HIV
In much of the world, HIV/AIDS has for a long time been seen as a problemthat affects men, specifically gay men, and as a result of thispreconception, the harm that it does to women around the world has beenlargely overlooked. Yet today nearly half of all adults living with HIVaround the world are women. Around 76 per cent of women living with HIV arein sub-Saharan Africa. Among young people living with HIV in this region,three in every four are female.
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Nudity, Scandal, Men in Kilts and Gay Clubs
It comes with the conjugal territory that you sometimes find yourself signedup to a joint enterprise that you would never in your life have agreed to asan independent person of sound mind. This week, my other half and Itravelled from our home in St Andrews to Farmers' and Fletchers' Hall in theCity of London to deliver, respectively, the toast to the Lassies and theresponse to the toast to the Lassies at a Burns Supper.
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1919 Newport Sting Targeted Gay Sailors, Ended in Scandal
The first national gay sex scandal was instigated in Newport in early 1919,by a sailor with an ear for gossip and a hatred for homosexuals.Before itended, the scandal had blazed in headlines across America, embarrassedfuture President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and led to FDR suing TheProvidence Journal.
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Gay Teen is the Hero of 'Bible'
Comedy about Dairy Queen worker staged with indelible joy and affectionJohnny Roy Hobson is back. Thank the Lone Star for that. We first met Johnnylast year in Arizona Onstage's production of "Talk of the Town." PaulBonin-Rodriguez wrote a series of plays about Johnny's adventures; there arefive in the cycle, and Arizona Onstage says it hopes to produce them all. In"The Bible Belt . . . and Other Accessories,"Johnny continues his storyabout being a gay teenager working at a Dairy Queen in a small Texas town.
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Adamo Ruggero, Who Plays Marco Del Rossi on Degrassi: The Next Generation,
Comes Out on Cover of Fab Magazine
On the cover of the Wed. Jan. 23 issue of fab magazine, Toronto's gay scenebiweekly, Adamo Ruggiero, who plays Marco Del Rossi on Degrassi: The NextGeneration, comes out as gay.
In a feature-length interview, the 21-year-old actor tells writer NelsonBranco about playing a gay character while he was still struggling with hisown sexuality.
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Gay Families Seek Liftingof Adoption Restrictions
When Merrilee Bowser came out as a lesbian eight years ago, she worriedabout how people would react.
But she found acceptance - "only nice people" - and today is comfortablebeing open about her "two-moms family." "Yeah, we get looked at but we lookat people, too," said Bowser, 27, who has been with partner Summer Bowserfor six years. "It is becoming more open for people and people are morecomfortable."
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Let's Unite Behind Hillary
The race is on. With a Barack Obama win in Iowa and a Hillary Clinton win inNew Hampshire, it is clear that both candidates have a base of support andthe money to go on through the Feb. 5 primaries.
But after New Hampshire I am more convinced than ever that Clinton cannotonly win the presidency, but that she will go down in history as one of ourgreatest presidents.
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Free Speech in Popular Music to be Discussed at Forum
An emerging media entity on the Caribbean/New York landscape, ZYNC-TV, willexamine the boundaries of free speech in today's popular music culture, at aspecially arranged forum at the Grand Army Plaza branch of the BrooklynPublic Library (Eastern Parkway/Flatbush Avenue), in central Brooklyn, onFebruary 7, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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Creating Change Offers Powerhouse of Speakers
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force announced a powerhouse lineup ofkeynote speakers appearing at its National Conference on LGBT Equality:Creating Change, Feb. 6-10 in Detroit. Two thousand lesbian, gay, bisexualand transgender (LGBT) rights advocates will converge on the Motor City justone day after Super Tuesday, to strategize and organize for the criticalyear head.


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