Friday, March 14, 2008

GLBT DIGEST March 14, 2008

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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Lutheran Group Addresses Marriage Issue ET
NEW YORK (AP) -- A task force drafting a statement on sexuality for thenation's largest Lutheran group said Thursday that the church shouldcontinue defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Lutherans-Gays.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=nyt
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Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
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It Wasn't Her Place
The Spotlight Spitzer Should Have Faced Alone
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031303172.html
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Catholic College Leaders Expect Pope to Deliver Stern Message
After years of Vatican frustration over what it views as the failure of manyU.S. Catholic colleges to adhere to church teachings, school leaders areintently watching for a rebuke from Pope Benedict XVI during his Washingtonvisit next month.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031304176.html
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Religion News in Brief
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The senior pastor of a Baptist church embroiled in adebate over putting photos of its gay members in a church directory will beallowed to keep his pulpit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/13/AR2008031302045.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/

Go to this link for the following articles:
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Senate panel approves repeal of HIV travel and immigration ban
Measure could go to full Senate after Easter recess
The influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee today voted 18 to 3 toapprove legislation calling for repeal of a controversial travel andimmigration ban on people who test positive for HIV.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17160
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Gay group aims to halt referendum on trans law
Equality Maryland questions validity of petition's signatures
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17158
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Va. governor signs medical rights bill
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) recently signed into law a bill that would setup a medical registry giving gay couples more authority in making decisionsfor partners in case of medical emergencies. Kaine signed the bill, HouseBill 805, on March 4. The law is expected to go into effect July 1.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17149
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How to Cope in the Closet By Dan Savage
I'm in my final year of high school and I decided to come out as a lesbian-avery foolish move as I live in a small town that's not exactly brimming withtolerant people. But I know there are other closeted people at my school andI figured if none of us ever take the first step, it won't ever get anybetter around here. But the response from my peers was worse than Iexpected.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
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I'm a 16-year-old gay boy. I grew up in an evangelical Christian home. Beingthe intelligent chap I am, I forgot to clear the history off the computerafter looking at pornography one day last October. I got yelled at until Icried that night, and again the next morning, and every day for two weeks. Iwasn't allowed to use the computer for a year, and I was forced to attendchurch nightly.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
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Four months ago, my mom walked in on me messing around with my boyfriend inour garage. I'm also a boy, age 15, and I hadn't gotten around to coming outto my parents yet. I felt bad that my mom had to find out by seeing what shesaw. I stayed in my room crying until my father came home. They called medown to the kitchen and told me they loved me and that they were very, verysorry if they had ever done or said anything that made me feel like Icouldn't be open with them about who I am.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove
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Sign Up for AIDSWatch2008 Today!
Washington, DC: April 28 - 30, 2008
Online Registration is open for AIDSWatch 2008. Come to Washington April28-30 and tell Congress to Do the Right Thing. We invite you to joinhundreds of AIDS advocates from across the country who will be traveling tothe nation's capital to speak to their elected officials with a strong voice, united in support of a solid federal commitment to AIDS programs. Be a part ofthe exciting advocacy training, rally and hill visits we are planning!
Go to http://napwa.org/aidswatch/ to learn more and register today!
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
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Greek Lesbian Couple To Test Marriage Law
(Athens) A lesbian couple will become the first same-sex couple in Greece tomarry when they exchange vows in a civil ceremony next week in an Athenssuburb.
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Bill To Repeal HIV Immigration Ban Wins Key Committee Approval
(Washington) The Senate Foreign Relations committee on Thursday approvedlegislation that would repeal a travel and immigration ban on people withHIV. The measure now moves to a full vote on the Senate floor.
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Gay Deaths At Hands Of Nazi's A Political Ploy Says Catholic Bishop
(Edinburgh) Claims by a Catholic bishop that gays use the Holocaust tofurther their political objectives have sparked outrage in the Scottishcapital.
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Lutheran Group Addresses Gay Marriage
New York City) A task force drafting a statement on sexuality for thenation's largest Lutheran group said Thursday that the church shouldcontinue defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
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Gay-Friendly Texas Pastor To Keep Job
Fort Worth, Texas) The senior pastor of a Baptist church embroiled in adebate over putting photos of its gay members in a church directory will beallowed to keep his pulpit.
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Hellfire Preacher Stirs Up Campuses
Tuscaloosa, Alabama) Bible in hand, Micah Armstrong strides into the middleof a small group of students at the University of Alabama and startspreaching.
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Wa. Gov. Signs Expanded Domestic Partner Law
Olympia, Washington) Gov. Christine Gregoire has signed legislationexpanding the state's domestic partnership law to provide for more than 170additional rights and responsibilities which married couples already have.
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
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Public Service Announcement in Honour of Lawrence King
In what seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back, the homophobicattack that lead to Lawrence King's death has sparked more action fromcelebrities in the US. The 15-year-old was shot in the head at the E.O.Green School in Oxnard, California on February 12 - reportedly for being ahomosexual.
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'American Idol' Axes First Finalist -- the Ex-Stripper
A juicy backstory wasn't enough to keep David Hernandez on "American Idol."
The 24-year-old ex-stripper from Glendale, Ariz., was dismissed Wednesday,leaving 11 aspiring singers to vie for the "Idol" title and a recordcontract. "Honestly, things happen for a reason," Hernandez said beforeleaving the stage. "I think we all have a plan. ... This isn't it for me."
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Pink Pistols: Can Guns Protect Gays?
Just over two years ago, Jacob Robida, a troubled 18-year-old who lived in aroom filled with weapons, Nazi flags, and anti-Semitic writings, walked intoPuzzles Lounge, a gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts. After presenting afake ID to the bartender and finishing off a drink, he asked if it was a gaybar. Upon learning that it was, he ordered a second drink. Then he went tothe back of the bar and started swinging a hatchet at bar patrons, strikingtwo. When others tried to wrestle him to the ground, he pulled out a gun andshot one person in the face, another in the head (twice), and a third personin the abdomen.
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Homophobic Politician Gets a Call From Lesbian Icon
Hi! It's Ellen DeGeneres. The gay one." The sitcom star turned chat showhost turned her satirical sights on Oklahoma state representative Sally Kernearlier this week, in response to comments that gay people are"infiltrating" the US government.
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Anti-Meth Campaign Aimed at Gay Men
California drug officials launched an $11-million barrage of billboards, buswraps, cable TV ads and a website Thursday aimed at discouraging gay menfrom using methamphetamine, an illegal stimulant linked to risky sexualbehavior and the spread of HIV.
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Bishop's Shameful Attack on Gay People Has No Place in Modern Scottish Life
Anyone concerned for social justice in Scotland should take Bishop JosephDevine's latest hate speech (your report, 13 March) as a spur to keepfighting for honesty, fairness and truth in the politics of this country.
There is nothing more dangerous than the injection of irrational,self-proclaimed morality into the "national conversation".
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
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State Investigates Kern's Threatening E-mails
The Oklahoma State Board of Investigation is examining the 7,000 e-mails andvoice-mail messages that Rep. Sally Kern received after a recording wasreleased of a speech she made that called homosexuality worse thanterrorism. The audio, by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, has had 827,000hits on YouTube as of Thursday afternoon. While it was initially reportedthat some correspondence she has received has contained death threats,investigators are finding that the actual messages have been embellished,according to the Tulsa World newspaper.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid52694.asp
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
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Pennsylvania: In proposing a constitutional ban on gay marriage, can wetake state Sen. Mike Brubaker at his word? On a recent radio program,Brubaker, a Republican from Warwick Township, said that although he issponsoring a bill to make sure gays can't marry, he has "no negativefeeling" regarding homosexuals. Certainly, none of Brubaker's comments wasovertly derogatory, which comes as no surprise.
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Saying they won't take up any gay marriage bills this year, Marylandsenators have begun debate on a measure to allow same-sex couples to makemedical decisions for each other. But the medical proposal has detractors onboth sides - conservatives who oppose conferring rights of marriage to gaycouples, and gay-rights activists who call measures like the decision-makingbill attempts to avoid allowing same-sex couples to marry.
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A lesbian couple will become the first same-sex couple in Greece to marrywhen they exchange vows in a civil ceremony next week in an Athens suburb.
The LGBT rights group OLKE said Thursday it had found a loophole in a 26year old update of the Greek civil marriage law that refers only toparticipating "persons," without specifying gender. OLKE said that by notnaming gender the law, albeit inadvertently, allows same-sex marriage. Theorganization did not name the lesbians
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Couples in domestic partnerships in Washington state will enjoy a bevy ofnew rights and responsibilities thanks to a bill signed into law by thestate's governor. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the domestic partnership billat a public ceremony on Wednesday. "This bill strengthens Washington bystrengthening families," Gregoire said at the ceremony. "It strengthensfamilies by providing domestic partners with rights and responsibilitiesthey need to maintain stable, loving relationships for them and theirchildren."
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
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Gay community "right" to recall Nazi persecution
The chair of the Holocaust Educational Trust has defended the right of gaypeople to commemorate the Holocaust.Lord Janner's comments follow theremarks of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell, who said earlier thisweek that the "homosexual lobby" attend Holocaust memorial events to createfor themselves the image of a group of people under persecution."BishopJoseph Devine's extremist views have been widely criticised.Between 5,000and 15,000 gay men were held in concentration camps by the Nazis as membersof an "anti-social group."
click here for the full article
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Religious Russians target cartoon channel
Protestant groups in Moscow are urging for the closure of a cartoon channelthey claim promotes homosexuality and religious intolerance. Channel 2x2,which broadcasts Western cartoons such as South Park, has been accused ofpromoting "homosexual propaganda". It is the second time in a week that thenetwork, owned by Vladimir Potanin's Prof-Media Group, has come under firefor its contents.
click here for the full article
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Bigot bishop's comments raised in parliament
The Bishop of Motherwell's recent outburst about gay people and theHolocaust could be debated in the Scottish Parliament. Patrick Harvie, theGreen party MSP for Glasgow Region, was so incensed by the bishop's commentsthat he has tabled a motion condemning his comments. Bishop Joseph Devine,speaking at an event on Tuesday, accused the gay community of "aligningitself with minority groups. It is ever present at the service each year forthe Holocaust memorial, as if to create for themselves the image of a groupof people under persecution."
click here for the full article
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
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2nd EUROPEAN TRANSGENDER COUNCIL
May 2nd-4th 2008
Berlin, Germany
www.tgeu.org/council2008
After the inspiring first Transgender Council held in Vienna in 2005,Transgender Europe (TGEU), the Transgender Network Berlin (TGNB) andTransInterQueer Berlin (TrIQ) are very pleased to invite you to the2nd Transgender Council: Make Human Rights Work ....This year's Counciloffers a full program featuring representatives from Transgender Europe(TGEU), the Committee for Human Rights - Council of Europe, Human RightsWatch, Amnesty International and many other international activists andexperts who will share their first hand experience in the field of humanrights and Transgender related work.
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The Moroccan Association for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch ask foryour help. You can send a message to Moroccan authorities to respect allhuman rights for all, by signing the petition below. Sx men are imprisonedin Morocco under a law criminalizing sexual conduct between people of thesame sex. Their conviction violates the right to a fair trial, and the lawunder which they were tried violates the right to privacy.
Send an e-mail to petitionmaroc@hrw.org by letting us know you will sign on.
Give us your NAME, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, and any other identifying informationyou want included. Please also let us know if you are signing on as anindividual or an organization.
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To say that homosexuals are safe as long as they are discreet and live theirlives in private, is to say that Ann Franks was safe from the Nazis in WWIIas long as she hid in her attic. here is No difference, he Islamic humanrights lawyers and religious leaders in Iran expressed the true stance takenby the government. Hmosexuality is not accepted and the state kills andpunishes those guilty of being gay.
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Forwarded from Gay Asalyum - UK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/messages?o=1
Go to this link for the following articles:
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British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced a temporary stay onMadhi's deportation. "Following representations made on behalf of MahdiKazemi, and in the light of new circumstances since the original decisionwas made, I have decided that Mr Kazemi's case should be reconsidered on hisreturn to the UK from the Netherlands." The "new circumstances" is thecampaign for Madhi but he is not safe yet. Please continue to make yourfeelings known, British government policy which allows this has not changed.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
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D.C. Lobby Day: April 14-15, 2008
Sponsored by the National Center for Transgender Equality and theTransgender Law Center
One month from today we'll be gathering in Washington, DC for the NCTE andTLC Lobby Day 2008 -- and you don't want to miss it. We're happy toannounce a great deal on hotel rates that we've arranged to make it easierfor you to come. Click to register
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0010xpoBVLLulzBY1s5wX8zoEu1gsvVA38SQfyBYDCiXbwtgDrQmhTsQaz06BwZYoptVWpqSPbVjzmtqVm8hfu_n2Uzk3Tep5I25zofyvUNqlomnqFx2JESP-Lo-NXFXK2HIHSVM6KJkGlpZwlAVx9BCQ
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Washington, DC-New research by political scientists concludes that directmail campaigns which include a social pressure aspect are more effective atincreasing voter turnout and are cheaper than other forms of votermobilization, including door-to-door or telephone canvassing. Conducted bypolitical scientists Alan S. Gerber (Yale University), Donald P. Green (YaleUniversity), and Christopher W. Larimer (University ofNorthern Iowa), these findings are presented in an article entitled "SocialPressure and Voter Turnout: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Experiment."
The complete article appears in the February issue of the American PoliticalScience Review, a journal of the American Political Science Association(APSA), and is available online at
http://www.apsanet.org/imgtest/APSRFeb08Gerberetal.pdf
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With progressive challenger, Kerry's opposition to marriage equality softensIn the midst of a re-election challenge from the left in the DemocraticPrimary this September, Sen. John Kerry has softened his longstandingopposition to same-sex marriage. In a statement to Bay Windows Kerry saidthat civil marriage rights for same-sex couples are established law inMassachusetts and should remain so. He has also touted his work to swaystate legislators to vote against the anti-gay marriage constitutionalamendment at last June's constitutional convention, as proof of his support.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=71563
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