GLBT DIGEST April 17, 2008

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Tori Spelling Relishes Role as Gay Icon
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Even in Hollywood where celebrity bashing is astandard practice, Tori Spelling has endured more than her share of mockery.
But among one set of fans, the former "Beverly Hills 90210" star is adored.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-spelling.html?scp=7&sq=GAY&st=nyt

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Mexico's 'emos' demand respect after attacks
Followers of subculture take to streets
MEXICO CITY - Maybe it's the tight black jeans and dark makeup. Or the moodyposes, one eye peering out from under a shock of fuschia or jet-black hair.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flhmexemos0417sbapr17,0,5810046.story

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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Blade columnist: Gay man's killer should be the last homophobe to get awaywith murderSean's last wish - Gay man's killer should be the last homophobe to get away with murder.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/04/blade-columnist.html


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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Pope waves to gay Catholic group
Dignity members claim 'we got our message across' during Benedict's historicvisit
Pope Benedict XVI waved to members of the gay Catholic group Dignity
Washington on Wednesday as his motorcade drove along Rock Creek Parkway nearDupont Circle shortly after he attended a ceremony in his honor at the WhiteHouse.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17744

-200 trans rights advocates lobby Congress
Visitors from 29 states ask lawmakers to oppose gay-only ENDA
Nearly 200 transgender rights activists and their supporters descended onWashington from 29 states this week to urge Congress to support legislationaimed at ending discrimination and violence.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17733

-House rejects benefits for partners of gay teachers
Supporters say change wouldn't have cost taxpayers anything
The Illinois House has rejected a measure aimed at helping gay teachers inChicago.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17722

-Scientologist Feared a Gay Friend Caused My Car Crash
. . .In the story, Beghe warns Will Smith away from Scientology, explainshow Tom Cruise was separated from the Church, and relates how aScientologist implied that Beghe's car crash was caused by his friendshipwith a homosexual.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2008/04/jason_beghe_sci.php

-New transgender laws considered
Transsexual people in the Isle of Man will have their new gender recognisedin law under draft legislation.
The Gender Recognition Bill 2008 is based on similar legislation introducedin the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/isle_of_man/7350143.stm


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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Manila: Doctors Investigated After Video Surfaces Of Treatment Of Gay Man In
Operating Room
A video posted on YouTube showing Philippine doctors laughing whileremoving an object from a patient may lead to charges against the surgeonsand cost them their medical licenses, according to officials.

-Democrat Runs For President From Prison
(Boise, Idaho) A federal prison inmate got himself listed on the ballot forIdaho's May 27 primary as a Democratic presidential candidate, the state'stop election official said.

-British PM Meets Presidential Candidates
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says that it's feasible toreduce the number of allied troops in Iraq, a view he's expected to sharewhen he sees the three presidential candidates today, at least two of whomare inclined to agree.

-The Boss Says Vote Obama
Rock star Bruce Springsteen is endorsing Democratic Sen. BarackObama for president, saying "he speaks to the America I've envisioned in mymusic for the past 35 years."

-Clinton Declares Obama Can Win White House
Pennsylvania: Hillary Rodham Clinton said emphatically
Wednesday night that Barack Obama can win the White House this fall,undercutting her efforts to deny him the nomination by suggesting he wouldlead the party to defeat.

-Anti-Gay Remarks Could Cost Oklahoma Major Corporation
(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) A major corporation is reportedly havingreservations about relocating to Oklahoma City in light of comments by stateRep. Sally Kern that gays are a worse threat than terrorists.

-Gay Seniors Homes Proposed In Vancouver
(Vancouver, British Columbia) Plans have been unveiled for a condominium forVancouver's LGBT seniors to be built by an American company that already hascompleted a similar project in New Mexico.

-Out Actress Battles Breast Cancer
(New York City) Cynthia Nixon has joined forces with the breast cancerorganization Susan G. Komen for the Cure and is going public with her ownbattle with breast cancer.

-LGBT Groups: Try Teen In Lawrence King Murder As Juvenile
(Oxnard, California) A coalition of 27 LGBT rights groups is calling onprosecutors to try 14-year-old Brandon McInerney in juvenile court, not asan adult.

-Bush Gushes Over Pope At White House
(Washington) President Bush has welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the WhiteHouse with assurances that the United States is a nation of prayer and thatits people are open to his message of hope.


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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Gay Senate Candidate Wins Endorsements
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jim Neal was endorsed Tuesday for theMay 6 primary against his chief rival, North Carolina state senator KayHagan. Neal picked up the first media endorsement of the primary from Yes!Weekly in Greensboro, N.C., as well as the Guilford County chapter of theProgressive Democrats of America, according to a press release by thecampaign.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53484.asp

-Trans Candidate, Among Others, Ousted In Italian Election
The Roman princess didn't make it; the transgender lawmaker is out; theself-professed Fascist is in.
There are some fresh faces in the new Italian parliament and somespectacular exclusions. Communists and Socialists are out for the first timesince World War II, as the number of parties represented between the twohouses has gone from scores to about half a dozen.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53480.asp


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

-A Journey of Personal Change
Judy Shepard has a frog in her throat.
She hasn't been home to Wyoming in two weeks, and the back-to-back speechesare taking their toll. Allergy season in Texas isn't helping, either. Andnow, dozens of whooping and hollering teenagers are clamoring to have a wordwith her.

-New South Wales: Gay Lobby Pressures State School
NSW schools are under pressure to provide gay-friendly environments, aSydney newspaper reports. eachers are being urged to stop using terms suchas husband and wife and the words boyfriend, girlfriend and spouse are to bereplaced by "partner", The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday.

-New Film Las Dos Caras de Jano
Las Dos Caras de Jano (The Two Faces of Janus) is the story of IsabeloAndújar (Lacén), a private detective on a mission to catch serial killer"The Angel of Bachelors" who preys on Puerto Rico's closeted homosexual malesocialites. The second in a series of books written by author, WilfredoMattos-Cintron brought to the big screen, the film bodly address the issueof closeted homosexuality within communities that force gays to hide theirtrue identites. Filled with murder, mystery and intrigue, Las Dos Caras deJanos captivatingly ventures into the gay issues.

-Gay Councilman Doesn't Include Gay Community in City Legislation
Openly gay Metro Councilman Keith Durbin, who represents Metro District 18,tells the Nashville City Paper that he didn't include Nashville's GLBTcommunity in legislation that establishes a procurement nondiscriminationprogram because he was not approached to do so. The bill was signed into lawon Monday as an effort to ensure women- and minority-owned businesses havean equal shot at Metro contracts and subcontracts The City Paper reportsthat the bill sets up the Office of Minority and Women BusinessesAssistance, which will be under the Metro Finance Department serving as awatchdog group.

-Clinton's Gay Fixer: Mark Walsh Rallies LGBT Community for Clinton inPhilly
When Mark Walsh knocked on the door of a blue-collar residence in northeastPhiladelphia on April 12, there was very little chance of his encounteringanother gay person. This was not downtown Philly's gayborhood, but arough-around-the-edges treeless development where the chief difference amongall the look-a-like duplexes was how badly they were in need of paint.


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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Yesterday, Ryan J. Davis posted some musings about the same-sex marriagesituation in California on the HuffingtonPost.com blog. The key paragraphsays: "Sources wishing to remain anonymous in the California Court Systemindicate that the court, which has until June 2, 2008 to issue its marriageruling, is considering issuing it on Friday, May 23, 2008, with the decisionbeing written by Chief Justice Ronald George. The Court is readying itselffor a backlash that may follow the rumored and bold decision. There is talkthat the Court will not simply strike down Proposition 22, but will move theState of California toward full marriage, if not even granting full marriagerights for gays and lesbians outright."

-Jim Wallis wants you to know he's not a liberal. Yes, he's been a chiefcritic of the Religious Right since its inception, gave the Democraticweekly radio address after the 2006 midterm elections, and has been anoften-controversial voice for social justice since his early-'70s days atTrinity Evangelical Divinity School. But, he says, his chief critics thesedays are liberals, not conservatives. "There is a Religious Left in thiscountry, and I'm not a part of it," Wallis said when he stopped byChristianity Today's offices during his February tour for his latest book,The Great Awakening. Meanwhile, he says, theologically conservativeevangelicals (especially young ones) are flocking to his message and are"deserting the Religious Right in droves" because it attempted to "restrictthe language of 'moral values' to just two issues-abortion and gaymarriage."

-Gay and lesbian couples who have filed as domestic partners in Oregon willhave the option a year from now of filing jointly on their state income taxreturns. To do so, they will be advised to fill out a second federal taxform as if they were a married couple.


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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Royal took drugs, court told in "gay sex blackmail trial"
The Old Bailey was told yesterday that the Royal at the centre of a gay sexblackmail plot took drugs. The court also heard a comparision to a Royalaide and the BBC Are You Being Served character Mr Humphries.
The Royal can't be named due to a court order.

-Vengeful transvestite trashes lingerie boutique
A man dressed in woman's clothing repeatedly crashed his car into a Detroitarea lingerie store on Saturday in a bizarre act of revenge.

-US Christian celebrity comes out
Hath hell frozen over? Azariah Southworth, Nashville resident and host ofthe famed Christian youth show The Remix, has publicly announced he is gay.

-Ken emphasises his gay rights credentials
The Mayor of London will be taking to the streets of Soho this evening totry to drum up votes among the city's lesbian and gay community. In astatement earlier today Ken Livingstone, who is standing as the Labourcandidate in pursuit of a third term in office, said he has been "at theforefront" of promoting LGBT rights.
"If re-elected in May I will work to ensure that London retains itsreputation as a welcoming and safe place for lesbian and gay Londoners andvisitors."

-Commissioner's horror at extent of homophobia in Europe
The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights has called for moreprotections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people.

-Australia may delay gay equality proposals
The government of Australia is considering whether or not to bring forwardmeasures in next month's Budget that will give gay citizens equal rights ina range of areas. Last year the country's Human Rights and Equal OpportunityCommission (HREOC) report was presented to the federal parliament listingthe 58 laws that need to be changed. Kevin Rudd's Labour party promisedreform during last year's elections.

-Male eggs and female sperm "science fiction" says report
An international panel of scientists has said that while technology thatwill allow human egg and sperm cells to be grown from stem cells could behere in five years, the prospects of gay and lesbian couples having childrenthat are genetically theirs are slim. The report from the Hinxton group ofstem cell researchers said that because women have two copies of the Xchromosome but men have one X and one Y, there are no circumstances they canforsee an entirely same-sex baby.

-Brazil takes movie inspiration for condom campaigner
"Do whatever you want, but do it with a condom," is the message to young gayBrazilians from a new campaign against HIV and AIDS. Government officialshave defended targeting gay men, citing statistics that found there are 1.5million gay men who have sex with men (MSM) aged between 15 and 49 out of atotal population of 184 million. The director of the National Programme ofHIV and AIDS, Mariangela Simao, said: "These groups are more susceptible toHIV infection."


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Forwarded from Steve Kranta

-Battle for gay marriage rights gains Jewish support
For years, Robin Tyler has been trying to wed her partner, Diane Olson.
Every Valentine's Day they show up at the courthouse with a wedding cake andtheir attorney, Gloria Allred, only to be denied a marriage license. Lastmonth, Tyler sat in the plaintiff's chair in a case before the CaliforniaSupreme Court, challenging the legality of the state's definition ofmarriage as between a man and a woman.
http://jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=19192


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USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com

-Divorce hard to get for some gay couples
PROVIDENCE (AP) - Gay couples had to struggle mightily to win the right tomarry or form civil unions. Now, some are finding that breaking up is hardto do, too.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-04-15-gay-divorces_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip&POE=click-refer


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

-Turkey: End Harassment of Gay Rights Groups
(Istanbul, April 16, 2008) - A police raid on a Turkish human rightsorganization is the latest incident in an escalating pattern of harassmentof gay rights groups, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter to TurkishMinister of Interior Besir Atalay, Human Rights Watch called on thegovernment to cease official harassment of groups working on sexualorientation and gender identity issues, and to ensure training of allcriminal-justice officials in human rights principles. On April 7, 2008,approximately 12 police in plainclothes entered the headquarters of theLambda Istanbul Cultural Center, which defends the rights of lesbian, gay,bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Their warrant cited suspicion thatLambda "facilitates prostitution, acts as a go-between [and] provides aplace for [prostitution]," criminalized under Article 227 of Turkey's PenalCode. The raid took place 10 days before an April 17 court hearing in a caseagainst Lambda Istanbul brought by the Istanbul Governor's Office, accusingthe group of violating Turkish "moral values and its family structure."

-Irish Times: Sperm donor to lesbian couple fails in rights bid
A gay friend of a lesbian couple who donated his sperm to one of them,resulting in the birth of a boy now aged almost two, has lost his landmarkHigh Court bid for guardianship of the child and has also been refusedaccess. In rejecting the man's case yesterday, Mr Justice John Hedigan saidthe welfare of the child was best served by remaining with the lesbiancouple and by the man having no guardianship or access. There was nothingin Irish law to suggest a family of two women and a child "has any lesserright to be recognised as a de facto family than a family composed of a manand woman unmarried to each other and a child", he stressed.
Mr Justice Hedigan said the rights of a man who acted as a sperm donor wereat least no greater than those of an unmarried father. The man had a mereright to apply to be appointed as a guardian but had no right to beappointed a guardian. In considering his application, the child's welfarewas the paramount consideration.


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