GLBT DIGEST February 12, 2008

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
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Ariz. Leaders Mull Gay Marriage Ban Anew
PHOENIX (AP) -- Republican lawmakers on Monday proposed asking voters inNovember to amend the Arizona Constitution to ban same-sex marriage in thestate, which was the first to turn down such a measure.The proposal wasbacked by 16 of 30 state senators, and an identical proposal was introducedin the House. Both chambers would have to approve the measure in a vote forit to be included on the ballot.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Gay-Marriage-Arizona.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
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Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
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Evangelical Leader Bauer Endorses McCain
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Republican John McCain challenged the notion he isstruggling to rally conservative critics as he picked up the endorsementMonday of evangelical leader Gary Bauer. "We're doing fine. We're doingfine," McCain told reporters in Annapolis, dismissing the notion that lossesin two states on Saturday had hurt his campaign. McCain lost in Kansas andLouisiana on Saturday to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, although he wonnarrowly in Washington state. The Arizona senator is all but assured hisparty nod after rolling up huge numbers of delegates, 719, to the nationalconvention. Huckabee has 234.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/11/AR2008021100883.html
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Polls show some U.S. evangelicals vote Democrat
DALLAS (Reuters) - Exit polls during the U.S. presidential primaries inMissouri and Tennessee last week show the Democratic Party has some supportfrom white evangelicals, a group strongly associated with the RepublicanParty. Commissioned by Faith in Public Life, a non-partisan resourcecenter, and conducted by Zogby International during the primaries onFebruary 5, the surveys were the first to ask Democratic voters if they wereevangelical or born-again Christians. The findings reinforce other surveysshowing that Republicans still command most of the support of this votingbloc but by no means have a monopoly on its affections.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/11/AR2008021101488.html
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
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Gender identity rights on Broward agenda
Broward County will decide Tuesday whether to join a growing number ofcounties that ban discrimination against transgender residents. Stares fromstrangers. Remarks about how ''weird'' she looks. Even getting kicked out ofbars and restaurants. Nikki Hatch, who had surgery to become a woman lastOctober, has endured it all. But she worries about being accepted in a placecloser to home: her future condominium association.
http://www.miamiherald.com/548/story/415625.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/

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An interview with Hillary Clinton
Reiterates support for gay issues, knocks Obama over McClurkin flap
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Gay D.C. Council member endorses Clinton
Former Republican makes announcement at D.C. event
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Calif. Rep. Tom Lantos dies
Was a champion of human rights, Holocaust survivor
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Whitman-Walker layoffs draw employee complaints
Staffers say 'restructuring' caused disruption of client services
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
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McCain Rejects Public Primary Funds
(Washington) Sen. John McCain, a passionate advocate of limits on campaignfinances, is turning down government matching funds for the primary to freehim to spend more money as he prepares for a general election contest.
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(Detroit) With attendees that included homeless youth, LGBT and straightelders, civil rights leader Julian Bond and New Hampshire Episcopal BishopGene Robinson, the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Changecelebrated its 20th anniversary last weekend.
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Clinton Leads Superdelegates
(Washington) Hillary Rodham Clinton retains her lead among suddenly criticalDemocratic Party insiders even as Barack Obama builds up his delegate marginwith primary and caucus victories across the country, according to a surveyby The Associated Press.
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Detroit News - by Deb Price
Log Cabin Republicans win in Romney's defeat
"No, no, no," Mitt Romney supporters cried out at the Conservative PoliticalAction Conference as he announced he was ending his campaign for the GOPpresidential nomination. A short distance away, a different reaction couldbe heard at the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the gay Log CabinRepublicans: "We did it!" Romney had run a hard-right campaign. It was alosing strategy. Despite Romney's attacks on Sen. John McCain, primaryvoters picked the Goldilocks of the GOP presidential field:
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/OPINION03/802110309/1031
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
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Gay Adverts to be Displayed Across Britain
For the next two weeks people across the country will be confronted with apositive message about gay people from 600 billboards.The advertising spacein England, Scotland and Wales has been donated to gay equality organisationStonewall by Titan Outdoor Advertising Ltd.
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Data Shows Specialized Drug Addiction Treatment for the Gay Community is theWay
After years in the business, Lakeview Health Systems recognized a need forspecialized drug rehab and addiction treatment in the gay community andafter several months in operation, gone through much updating. By using themost innovative techniques in drug addiction treatment and alcoholism detoxand pairing them break-out sessions to help those dealing with internalissues and potential societal pressures of living an alternative lifestyle,the gay-rehab.com program is making new strides in drug addiction treatment.
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GLAAD Appoints Six New Members to National Board of Directors
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) today announced theappointment of six new members to its 35-member board of directors at itswinter board meeting: Gary Bitner of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Carlos Carrerasof Los Angeles, Calif.; Leslie Donovan of Princeton, N.J.; Collin Sam ofPasadena, Calif.; Mike Schaefer of Seattle, Wash.; and Bill Stewart ofChicago, Ill. GLAAD is a national media advocacy organization dedicated topromoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representations ofpeople and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia anddiscrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
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Out4Immigration Supports National Freedom to Marry Week
The 11th annual Freedom to Marry Week (February 10-16) is here, and whilesome gay and lesbian Americans see this as a cause to celebrate how far theissue of gay marriage in the US has advanced, one sector of the communityhas good cause to say that domestic partnerships, civil unions and statemarriage laws are not enough.
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Weatherman in Trouble Over Homophobic Outburst
A popular television personality in Denmark is facing calls for hisresignation after he expressed disgust at the idea of two men being inlove.Peter Tanev, who presents weather reports on the national channel TV2,made his comments during the evening news.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
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After four months of public hearings, the The Vermont Commission on Family
Recognition and Protection is ready to prepare a report for state lawmakers.The commission held its final public hearing in Williston on Monday night.From Johnson to Williston and eight stops in between the message was almostalways the same. A vast majority of the Vermonters who attended the publichearings say civil unions fall far short of the full protections ofmarriage, and create a system that is separate but not quite equal.
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The gay marriage war is raging once again on Utah's Capitol Hill. This timethe battle is being waged over Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker's newDomestic Partnership Registry. Sen. Chris Buttars doesn't like the registrybecause it recognizes domestic partnerships other than marriage. His SenateBill 267 would prohibit city and county officials from creating suchregistries.
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To keep up with the times, Arizona should support equal rights among all ofits residents by extending marriage benefits to same-sex couples, a statesenator said Monday. This is not stepping on anybody," said Sen. PaulaAboud, D-Tucson. "This is a civil rights issue."
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Israel: The attorney general did well in not passing along the hot potato ofsame-sex couple adoption to the High Court of Justice again. Had he chosenthis familiar and safe method, he would have spared himself a great deal ofcriticism from religious circles. But then the issue would have been on holdfor years at the expense of homosexual and lesbian couples as well aschildren who are candidates for adoption.
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Gay-rights activists rallied in Annapolis Monday and met with dozens oflawmakers to lobby for same-sex marriage, predicting they are close tohaving the necessary votes in the legislature only five months afterMaryland's highest court upheld the state's ban on such unions.Severalhundred people in Lawyers Mall held signs that read "Protect our families"and "Love does not discriminate."
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A lesbian couple who were charged last year when they staged a sit-inprotest after being denied a marriage license have filed a motion asking thecourt to throw out Colorado's constitutional ban on gay marriage.Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder of Englewood contend the ban violates theirfederal and Colorado constitutional rights.
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Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker's first diplomatic test hit a brick wallMonday: A legislative committee voted unanimously to pass to the Senatefloor a bill that would kill the capital city's domestic-partnershipregistry. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 4-0. Sen.Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City was in another committee and unable to vote tomove SB267 to the full Senate.
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It's Freedom to Marry Week, and I thought I'd mark the occasion by talkingabout why marriage matters to me.
Legal protections are part of the story, but only part. Civil unions anddomestic partnerships can cover some (but not all) of the same rights andresponsibilities. The greater reason for marriage, in my mind, is so that Ican tell my son, "Yes, we're married," without any hesitancy or the thoughtthat when he is older, I will have to explain why there's an asterisk onthat statement: "Void where prohibited."
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The former Chief Justice of Vermont's Supreme Court authored numerousopinions during his seven years of service, but Jeffrey Amestoy will alwaysbe best remembered for one:Baker vs. the State of Vermont, the landmarkdecision that made Vermont the first state in the nation to legalize samesex civil unions.
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Sober reconsideration time... In my exuberance about the recent decision bythe N.Y. Appellate Division, 4th Department, in the Martinez case, holdingthat a same-sex marriage validly performed elsewhere would be recognized inNew York, I incautiously jumped to the conclusion that this meant nowsame-sex couples from N.Y. could be married in Massachusetts, then come backand have their marriages recognized in N.Y. It turns out that is likelynot the case.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
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Unions demand gay question on 2011 census
The General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress Brendan Barber has joinedwith gay equality organisation Stonewall's chief executive Ben Summerskillto ask for questions on sexual orientation to form part of the census.Thenext national survey will take place in 2011. It is conducted every 10 yearsby the Office of National Statistics (ONS), who announced last year thatthey did not think a question about sexual orientation would not besuitable.
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Rugby star Cohen backs gay players
England rugby union player Ben Cohen has spoken out about the absence of anyopenly gay players in the sport. Cohen, 29, who has a following in the gaycommunity and has appeared at events in gay venues, last year moved toFrench club Brive after 11 years at Northampton Saints. Speaking toOutSports.com the winger said that in his opinion it "would be fine" for arugby player to come out as gay.
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South African police to act against homophobic officers
South Africa's Police Inspectorate has promised "decisive action" againstofficers who ridicule gay people or ignore homophobic hate crimes. Last weekhuman rights groups and gay activists launched the 07-07-07 Campaign. Onthat day last year two lesbian women, 34 year old Sizakele Sigasa and 23year old Salome Masooa, were raped, tortured and killed in Meadowlands,Soweto.
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Gay rights leader attacked in Brazil
The President of Sao Paulo's Gay Pride Association was hospitalised after hewas attacked at their offices yesterday.Alexandre Peixe dos Santos wasgagged, hooded and beaten by an unknown number of attackers. The associationorganises one of the largest gay rights parades in the world. Last yearthree million revellers packed the streets of the Brazilian city in whatofficials have called the largest party in the world.
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Clinton tries to lock down gay voters
Presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton has given an interview to anAmerican gay newspaper in an attempt to portray herself as the obviouscandidate for LGBT votes. The former First Lady, who is facing a serious andsustained challenge for the Democratic party nomination from Barack Obama,spoke to the Washington Blade on Sunday about issues such as workplaceprotection and hate crimes legislation. Her comments came just two daysahead of today's primaries in the states of Maryland and Virginia andWashington DC.
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Irish mostly comfortable with gay family
A new survey published ahead of proposed legislation to legally recognisesame-sex relationships has found that more than half of Irish people wouldbe unconcerned if their child or sibling is gay.The SundayIndependent/Millward Brown IMS poll did find that significant proportion ofpeople would be "concerned." The high figures of acceptance, 53% unconcernedabout a gay child and 56% a gay sibling, highlight the growing acceptance ofLGB people in a society that only decriminalised homosexuality 15 years ago.
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New gay travel portal launched
A new online travel information and social networking portal launches thisweek with the aim of becoming the largest database of destinations, venuesand events specifically designed for the gay and lesbian community.
gaypedia.com provides top five destinations, venues and events; review,rating and blogging capabilities alongside member profiling and socialnetworking tools. It is a user-generated and editorially produced travelinformation website that allows gays and lesbians to search for venues.
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Huckabee challenges result in Washington
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is refusing to concede a loss toArizona Senator John McCain in the Washington Republican caucuses. TheHuckabee campaign is asking for a full recount of the caucus votes in orderto determine the true winner of the contest. McCain believes he won therace, but has conceded to Huckabee's right to ask for a recount.
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Romania moves to exclude same-sex marriage
A leading human rights group has condemned an attempt by Senators in theRomanian parliament to change the country's Family Code on marriage.Thefar-right Greater Romania Party's amendment, which defines marriage asbetween a man and a woman, was passed unanimously by the Senate JudicialCommittee. It will need full Senate approval before it moves to the Chamberof Deputies.
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Swedish lesbians have a legal right to puppies
An unusual case of discrimination in Sweden has led to a court ruling infavour of a women turned away from buying a puppy because she is a lesbian.
The Local reports that the court of appeal in Stockholm confirmed that akennel owner must pay 20,000 kronor (£1,580) for discrimination andharassment on the grounds of sexual orientation. During a phone call to thekennel owner enquiring about a puppy advertised for sale, the lesbian womanmentioned her partner. The owner then refused to sell the puppy to her.
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Archbishop unerpentant over Sharia comments
The Archbishop of Canterbury has told the General Synod of the Church ofEngland that he accepts responsibility for confusion about his comments onIslamic law in the UK. But he added that is was right of him to raise theconcerns of faith communities and some of his remarks had beenmisinterpreted.
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
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UK - Homosexuality is a family matter
How would you feel if a close relative invited you to their same-sexwedding, asks Donal Lynch
Most polls that have asked about gay issues in Ireland in the last fiveyears reveal ever-growing levels of acceptance of gay people. It has beenvariously shown that people overwhelmingly don't have a problem withhomosexuality, are in favour of gay marriage and wouldn't care if a memberof their favourite boy band turned out to be homosexual. But this is all inthe abstract, involving other people. When you ask people what theirattitudes would be if someone in their own family turned out to be gay,people are far less positive. Over a third of people surveyed in the SundayIndependent's Millward Brown IMS poll said that they would be 'concerned' iftheir child or sibling turned out to be gay.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
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GLAAD ACTION PROMPTS NEW YORK DAILY NEWS TO CHANGE DEFAMATORY HEADLINE,PROBLEMATIC STORY ABOUT TRANSGENDER WOMAN'S MURDER
On Feb. 10, the New York Daily News published the headline "Fooled johnstabbed Bronx tranny," above a story about the brutal murder of a 25 yearold transgender woman named Sanesha Stewart. GLAAD immediately informed theDaily News that use of the dehumanizing term "tranny" as well as itsinsinuation that the victim had "fooled" her murderer was both defamatoryand irresponsible.
http://www.glaad.org/action/calls_detail.php?id=4228
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Today NCTE mourns the passing of Congressman Tom Lantos
(D-CA). On March 1, 2000, Rep. Lantos introduced a resolution, "expressingthe concern of Congress regarding human rights violations against lesbians,gay men, bisexuals, and trangendered [sic] individuals around the world."
This resolution is thought to be the first explicitly pro-transgender actionever proposed in the U.S. Congress. The resolution he introduced would havecondemned, "all violations of internationally recognized human rights norms based on the real or perceivedsexual orientation or gender identity of an individual."
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Evan Wolfson Executive Director, Freedom to Marry
New York, February 11, 2008 - Gay and non-gay organizations have scheduledover 100 events in 21 states across the nation in honor of the 11th AnnualFreedom to Marry Week (Feb. 10-16), seizing an opportunity to highlight howthe denial of marriage harms families, while helping no one. The renewedconversations come as major court decisions, legislative progress, andballot-measures all will be claiming space on the country's calendar thiselection-year.
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Berlin film fest brings fringe Muslims into focus
BERLIN (AFP) - People living on the margins of Muslim society, from a heavymetal band in Iraq to transsexual Iranians and a gay Kurdish man in Turkey,managed to get their voices heard at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
A clutch of documentaries examining subjects considered taboo in Muslimcountries have played to packed audiences at the annual event, together withfeature films offering different takes on contemporary life in Egypt, Iranand Pakistan. Setting the tone was Indian director Parvez Sharma's "A Jihadfor Love," about gays and lesbians who are also devout Muslims, which kickedoff the 10-day festival's Panorama Documentary section.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGE4JIl-J1atzGrfvMikiQMRBOEw
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Women across America will no doubt drop their vibrators in disappointmentwhen they learn that the "Erotic Adonis" gracing the September 2001 PlaygirlMagazine cover is, in fact, a proud gay man. On the aforementioned cover,Playgirl Magazine proclaims, "This Gorgeous God Will Make Your FantasiesCome True!" It turns out, however, that only the fantasies are true. Sorryladies, the object of your affection describes his sexual orientation as"male to male only." In fact, Playgirl's September discovery--AntonioPerdomo--lives in Las Vegas, has a boyfriend of three years, and is aprofessional dancer.
http://www.gaylinkcontent.com/storydetail.cfm?storyid=58
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An interview with Hillary Clinton By KEVIN NAFF
Reiterates support for gay issues, knocks Obama over McClurkin flapDemocratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.)reiterated her "strong" support for a range of gay rights initiatives in anexclusive interview with the Washington Blade on Sunday. She called forextending federal recognition to same-sex couples, repealing "Don't Ask,Don't Tell" and rejected claims that she doesn't speak forcefully enough ongay issues - something that supporters of rival Sen. Barack Obama haveasserted during the campaign. "I talk about gay issues frequently," shesaid. "I've been a longtime friendof the gay community - I've been talkingabout these issues since 1999 when I first ran for Senate and went on recordas the first major candidate to say we're going to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don'tTell.' I talk about ending discrimination all the time."
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From Human Rights Campaign
WASHINGTON - Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese released thefollowing statement today on the passing of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA). TheCongressman died this morning at Bethesda Naval Medical Center at the age of80. "Congressman Lantos will be remembered as a tremendous advocate for allpeople, including the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Asthe only survivor of the Holocaust to serve in Congress, he had a deepunderstanding of the consequences of hatred and discrimination. He was thefounder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which has played a vitalrole in addressing human rights concerns in the U.S. Congress and in makinghuman rights a more visible and important issue on Capitol Hill." "Over histenure in Congress, Rep. Lantos was a strong ally in our community's fightfor equality. He voted against a constitutional amendment defining marriagebetween one man and one woman, but also took the rare and courageous step byvoicing support for same-sex marriage. He believed GLBT people should beallowed to adopt, and supported worker employment protections and hate crimelegislation." "On behalf of the Human Rights Campaign we remember the workof Rep. Tom Lantos and say thank you."
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