GLBT DIGEST February 8, 2008

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New York Times
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Main Reasons Conservatives Oppose McCain
While Republican John McCain is urging his conservative critics to rally around his presidential campaign, there is a lot of water under that bridge.
Here are the top 10 reasons some conservatives dislike the Arizona senator:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-McCain-Top-10.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=nyt


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Express Gay News
Go to the links for the following articles:

Judge: McGreevey boyfriend must turn over bank records
A judge has ordered the boyfriend of former Gov. Jim McGreevey to turn overrecords from three joint bank accounts the gay couple share as part of theongoing divorce proceedings between McGreevey and his estranged wife.
http://expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=16444

Obama, Clinton in close race, but she wins gay vote by wide margin in N.Y.,
Calif.
While expressing disappointment that gay issues took a backseat in thepublic debate surrounding the Super Tuesday presidential primaries thisweek, gay rights advocates and political experts said the outcome of themega-primary and caucus day appears to be a harbinger of good things to comefor gays in the November election.
http://expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=16442

Municipalities barred from joining lawsuit over gay rights
Have failed to show that interests are directly related to suit. TheWisconsin Supreme Court sidestepped the underlying issue of whether thestate should provide benefits to same-sex partners in a split-decision onanother issue related to the case.
http://expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=16440

Erotic Art Museum features Josephine Baker
The World Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach is observing Black History Monthwith a major exhibit dedicated to controversial jazz age icon JosephineBaker. The show, organized by museum owner-collector Naomi Wilzig, includesrare paintings, posters, photos, memorabilia and sound recordings, many ofwhich celebrate the performer's career in Paris.
http://expressgaynews.com/2008/2-7/locallife/pulse/4393.cfm

Bloody attack on gay Jamaicans prompts day of action
The leader of the Metropolitan Community Churches, a worldwide assembly ofgay and lesbian congregants, is calling for an International Day of ActionFeb. 14 in response to a bloody attack against three gay men in Jamaica.
http://expressgaynews.com/2008/2-7/news/localnews/4402.cfm

Howard Dean speaks at gay bar in Miami Beach
The day before voters in 22 states went to the polls on Super Tuesday,Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean stood in a Miami Beachgay bar and answered questions about whether or not the votes of 1.5 millionFlorida Democrats will count at the party's national convention.
http://expressgaynews.com/2008/2-7/news/national/4392.cfm



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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1
Go to the link, above, for the following articles:

Church Says Haggard's Restoration "Incomplete"
More than a year after former pastor Ted Haggard resigned from his positionat the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Haggard has severed his officialrelationship with the New Life Church Restoration Team.

Condom Paperweights - Perfect Gift as Valentine's Day
Not sure what to get your sweetheart when Valentine's Day coincides withNational Condom Week? Now you can clear the clutter from your desk whileunleashing your inner Cupid with the new Condom PaperweightT fromCondomPaperweights.com. Available now for Valentine's Day and NationalCondom Week (February 10-16), the Condom Paperweight is a crystal, designerpaperweight for home or office that contains a removable condom package.

Gay Couple Victims of Intimidation Campaign
In scenes reminiscent of Northern Ireland's sectarian past, a gay couple inthe city of Londonderry have spoken out after a gang threatened to burn themout of their home. The couple, one of whom is disabled, have been thevictims of an intimidation campaign by locals in the Creggan area of thecity.

Gay Asians 'Marrying to Conform'
Gay activists said these marriages were happening because some members oftheir community felt homosexuals brought shame on their people. They saidin some cases gay and lesbian people had been beaten and abused.

Guess Which Hot Boy Has Stripped Off For a Gay Magazine?
It's been at least two minutes since we last drooled over some nakedman-flesh, so we thought it was about time for an afternoon treat. Hot boxerAnthony was the real winner of Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack, just for beingso damned buff, and now he's taken all his clothes off for a saucy shoot forgay magazine, Attitude.

UK - Bishop Must Pay £47,000 Compensation to Gay Man
An employment tribunal has ruled that the Bishop of Hereford must pay£47,345 in compensation to John Reaney, the gay man who brought a claim ofdiscrimination claim against him. The case was supported and funded byStonewall.

Judge Orders McGreevey Boyfriend to Turn Over Bank Records
A judge has ordered the boyfriend of former Gov. Jim McGreevey to turn overrecords from three joint bank accounts the gay couple share as part of theongoing divorce proceedings between McGreevey and his estranged wife.However, Australian-born investment manager Mark O'Donnell won't be forcedto reveal his salary, stock portfolio or any financial dealings with NewJersey politicians, Union County Superior Court Judge Karen Cassidy ruledThursday.

Pre-Chewed Food Can Pass HIV to Babies
HIV-positive parents can pass the disease to babies by pre-chewing food,researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the UShave found. The New York Times is reporting that the study shows anotherway in which babies, in areas where dental care is substandard, can bepassed to babies.

Effects of Florida's Marriage Amendment
Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman ashusband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or thesubstantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized. - FloridaMarriage Protection Amendment Are you a heterosexual Floridian who is, assome might describe it, "living in sin"?

New Gene Therapy Treatment Shows Promise for Managing HIV
A new approach to combating HIV shows promise, reports the company thatdevised the new method. The private biotech company VIRxSYS announced todaythat its method of gene therapy, which relies on lentiviral viral delivery,has shown promising results in a Phase II trial.



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365gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to the link, above, for the following articles:

Gay Foe Dobson Endorses Huckabee
(Washington) James Dobson, one of the nation's most prominent evangelicalChristian leaders, backed Mike Huckabee's presidential bid Thursday night,giving the former Arkansas governor a long-sought endorsement as theRepublican field narrowed to a two-man race.

Clinton Obama Battle Becoming Intensely Personal
(New Orleans, Louisiana) Democrat Barack Obama is suggesting that HillaryRodham Clinton follow his lead and release her and her husband's income taxreturns so the public can see where the $5 million she loaned herpresidential campaign came from.

Senegal Releases 5 Men Arrested In Gay Sweep
(Dakar) Senegal police on Thursday released five of the men arrested thisweek on charges of homosexuality that stemmed from the publication ofpictures purportedly of a gay wedding.

Oz Civil Unions Hit Snag Over Ceremonies
(Canberra) Legislation that would allow same-sex couples in the AustralianCapital Territory to enter into civil unions has drawn the ire of thefederal government over plans to allow the couples to hold public ceremoniesmarking the events.

Spain Accuses Vatican Of Meddling In Election
(Madrid) The Spanish government is protesting a veiled statement from RomanCatholic bishops that voters should shun the ruling Socialists in electionsnext month, the Spanish foreign minister says.

Final Tie To Haggard New Life Ends
(Denver, Colorado) Rev. Ted Haggard who was outed by a former male
prostitute and subsequently fired from the Colorado Springs mega-church hefounded has terminated the "recovery program" that was part of his departurefrom New Life Church even though the church says it is premature for him toleave.

Lutherans Prepare Sexuality Statement
(Chicago) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will soon release adraft of its social statement on human sexuality, including proposedteaching on gay relationships.

Russia Backs Down, Allows HIV-Prisoner To Get Treatment
(Moscow) A gravely ill former executive of the dismantled oil giant Yukoswill be transferred from jail to a civilian clinic for treatment forAIDS-related cancer and tuberculosis, Russian prison officials saidThursday.



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PinkNews.co.uk
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to the link, above, for the following articles:

Bishop must pay £47,000 compensation to gay man
An employment tribunal has ruled that the Bishop of Hereford must pay£47,345 in compensation to John Reaney, the gay man who brought a claim ofdiscrimination claim against him.

Stonewall ready for Commons battle over gay parents
Gay equality organisation Stonewall has said that new legislation beforeParliament that will grant new rights to gay and lesbian parents will facefurther attempts to wreck it in the Commons. The Human Fertilisation andEmbryology Bill proposes new recognition of same-sex couples as legalparents of children conceived through the use of donated sperm, eggs orembryos.

Christian magistrate loses gay adoption appeal
A former magistrate who claimed unfair dismissal after he was told he couldnot pick and choose which adoption cases to rule on has had a second appealrejected. He announced yesterday that following the decision of the Courtof Appeal the issue "will not be debated further."

London Mayor candidate rejects Sharia law proposal
The Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London, Brian Paddick, hascriticised the head of the Anglican communion for arguing that aspects ofSharia law should be recognised in Britain.

Tatchell criticises ban on Islamic scholar
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has said that the Britishgovernment's decision to ban Muslim cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi fromentering Britain to receive medical treatment is "illiberal, unwarranted andunmerciful." The spiritual leader of Islamicist organisation the MuslimBrotherhood, Dr Qaradawi is known to have supported suicide bombings inIsrael, the oppression of women's rights and has argued in the past thathomosexuals should be put to death.

Politicians dismiss Archbishop's Islamic law comments
The Prime Minister's spokesman has distanced him from comments by theArchbishop of Canterbury concerning the introduction of aspects of Sharialaw in the UK. Dr Rowan Williams said earlier today that a "constructiveaccommodation" must be found over issues such as divorce and added thatpeople should not imagine "we know exactly what we mean by Sharia and justassociate it with Saudi Arabia."

Homophobic Islamic cleric to be extradited to US
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri is be extradited to the United States toface terrorist charges, the Home Secretary has announced. In 2006 he wasconvicted and jailed for seven years by a British court on charges ofinciting murder and race hate. His numerous lectures and sermons targetedhomosexual vicars, the tourist industry, the Royal Family and women inbikinis.

Police will target drugs at Sydney Mardi Gras
New South Wales police have warned gay revellers at Australia's biggestparty that they have a zero tolerance approach to drugs.


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Advocate.com
http://www.advocate.com
Go to the link, above, for the following articles:

Massachusetts Administrator Charged With Sexual Assault
A top official in Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick's administration isaccused of sexually assaulting a boy in the steam room of a Florida resortand has been placed on unpaid leave.

Lutherans to Release Draft of Sexuality Statement in March
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will soon release a draft of itssocial statement on human sexuality, including proposed teaching on gayrelationships.

Egypt Arrests and Puts on Trial HIV-Positive Men
Recent arrests and trials in Egypt of HIV-positive men endanger humanrights, an international watchdog group said Wednesday, calling onauthorities in the nation to release those in custody and stop criminalizingAIDS.


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