GLBT DIGEST APRIL 2, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


=
From GLAAD

-For the third consecutive year, the GLAAD Media Awards honoring LGBT imagesin Spanish-language media will be held in South Florida on Saturday, April12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Gaysofla.com is pleased to be a table sponsor for this event and would liketo extend an invitation for you to sit with us during the televised awardsprogram.. Singer/Songwriter Deborah Cox will be performing live and ourfriend, Actor Wilson Cruz, will receive the GLAAD Visibilidad Award.
Tickets for the event can be purchased by following the link within thisemail. For complete information about this year's GLAAD Media award,instructions on purchasing your ticket and to read the Geo Bustamante'sexclusive interview with Actor Wilson Cruz, PLEASE CLICK HERE or copy thefollowing link and paste it into your browser.
http://www.gaysofla.com/content/view/279/65/


=
From NARAL Pro-Choice America

-As the saying goes, you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
But.what about some of the people some of the time? McCain - and the media -are doing their best.
When it comes to issues of reproductive choice, John McCain's anti-choicerecord speaks for itself - and it shouldn't fool anyone.
But somehow there's still serious confusion about where McCain stands onchoice. It's up to you and me to spread the word that McCain is anti-choice.
Help make sure pro-choice voters aren't being fooled by McCain's portrayalas a so-called "moderate."
Click here to join me and send your friends and family an April Fool's eCardintroducing them to the REAL McCain.
http://action.prochoiceamerica.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id=1341&autologin=true


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

-Kennedy Targets Job Bias Against Gays
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is jumping into the middle of anuproar within the gay community whose causes he has long championed.
The Massachusetts Democrat is leading a push in the Senate for a federal banon job bias against gays, lesbians and bisexuals -- but not transsexuals,cross-dressers and others whose outward appearance doesn't match theirgender at birth.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Kennedy-Gays.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin


=
Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Gay Partner Initially Barred by Pentagon
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon at first blocked Rep. Tammy Baldwin's domesticpartner from traveling on a military plane with a congressional delegationon a trip to Europe but gave in after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intervened.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040101703.html

-Court Rules on Gay Marriage Rights
LUXEMBOURG -- EU nations that recognize same-sex unions as legal marriagesmust grant surviving partners the same pension rights as given to those intraditional marriages, the EU Court of Justice ruled Tuesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/01/AR2008040101767.html


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

-Leno apologizes after asking for Phillippe's "gayest look"Jay Leno is under fire from critics who say the 'Tonight Show' host madehomophobic comments during Ryan Phillippe's recent appearance on his show.
After mentioning Phillippe's first major role as a gay teen on 'One Life toLive,' Leno asked the actor, "Can you give me your 'gayest look'?" "Say thatcamera is Billy Bob," Leno continued. "Billy Bob has just ridden inshirtless from Wyoming." "Wow," Phillippe replied. "That is so something Idon't want to do." "I agree it was a dumb thing to say, and I apologize,"Leno said in a statement Tuesday, after critics from across the world hitthe Web to voice their complaints about Leno's comments -- among themBroadway playwright Jeff Whitty and blogger Melissa McEwan who quicklyco-founded MyGayestLook.com. The site lambasts Len's remarks and encouragesvisitors to submit their "gayest look." Of the nearly 300 participants, mostflash the middle finger in their photos. "It's a fun way to get across aserious message," McEwan told us Tuesday. The site, she says, "raisesawareness about the fact that gay jokes really just aren't funny." Whittyreferred us to the site for his thoughts on Leno's remarks, but added, "Ihave no doubt that in the big picture, Jay Leno's a decent guy. ... There'sjust this one dated thing that bothers me about his comedy."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/am-leno0402,0,1594732.story also
www.MyGayestLook.com


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

-Gay student allowed to return to school
A Wichita student charged with harassment has not been expelled and plans toreturn to school Wednesday.
Jimmy Iniguez, 17, a junior at Metro-Midtown Alternative High School, facedexpulsion last week for allegedly harassing a fellow student in a schoolbathroom Feb. 28.Iniguez, who had been suspended since the incident, said he was innocent andwas unfairly accused because he is gay.
http://www.kansas.com/news/updates/story/358977.html

-Piercings "painful" for Rep. Jane Cunningham
State Rep. Jane Cunningham of Chesterfield is coming under fire for heralleged shabby treatment of gay and lesbian students who were in the Capitollast week to lobby for an anti-bullying bill. According to the students,16-year-old Desiree Bain and 19-year-old Austyn Langston, they were kickedout of Cunningham's office because of their appearance. Both Bain, alesbian, and Langston, a bisexual, have multiple piercings. Langston alsohas purple hair.
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/political-fix/2008/04/piercings-painful-for-rep-jane-cunningham/

-Council likely to endorse 'mutual-commitment' registry
"It doesn't matter to me what you call it as long as it works."
That sentiment from Salt Lake City Councilman Van Turner seems to sizeup that of the council, which tonight 4/1 is expected to endorse Mayor RalphBecker's substitute name for the domestic-partnership registry.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_8768720?source=rss


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

-Oregon Republicans Switch Parties
(Portland, Oregon) Matthew Buckingham, a stay-at-home father in Portland'ssuburbs and lifelong Republican, is fired up about voting for Sen. JohnMcCain in November.

-Obama Casts Race Between Him, McCain
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) Sen. Barack Obama is talking about the elephantin the room - Republican rival John McCain - and all but ignoring theDemocratic donkey who stands between him and his party's presidentialnomination.

-Clinton Likens Herself To Rocky
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Perhaps the analogy was inevitable: HillaryRodham Clinton as Rocky Balboa, the scrappy underdog boxer from Philadelphiamemorably depicted in the 1976 Oscar-winning film.

-Group Claims Near Required Signatures To Put Gay Marriage Ban On Calif.
Ballot

(San Francisco, California) The organization collecting signatures for aproposed amendment banning same-sex marriage in California says it is closeto meeting the requirement.

-Inmate Sex Change Case Gets New Look
(Boston) The new commissioner of the state's prison system said Tuesday heplans to re-examine the case of a convicted killer suing the Department ofCorrection to try to get a sex-change operation.

-Serial Killer Originally Thought To Be Transwoman Sentenced
(Mexico City) A female former wrestler who terrorized Mexico City as the"Little Old Lady Killer" has been sentenced to 759 years in jail on forkilling 16 elderly women.

-Treat Same-Sex Partner Of Congress Member Like Spouse Pelosi Tells Gates
(Washington) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) reportedly had to step in whenthe military refused to allow the same-sex partner of Rep. Tammy Baldwin(D-Wisc) on a military flight taking members of Congress and their spouseson a fact-finding trip to Europe.

-Blamed Gays In Part For Mortgage Crisis HUD Head Now Steps Down AmidCriminal Probe
(Washington) HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, his tenure tarnished byallegations of political favoritism and a criminal investigation, announcedhis resignation amid the wreckage of the national housing crisis.


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

-Diversity Festival Offers a Rare Social Event For Homosexuals
Jan Ridenour was driving through Northwest Arkansas after visiting arelative when she stumbled onto Eureka Springs. She liked it so much, shebought a log house on 40 acres just outside the city and went home toBoulder, Colo., intent on persuading her longtime domestic partner to movewith her.


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

-Homophobic Pastor Was Obama Spiritual Adviser
Another Chicago-based preacher known for homophobic and racist speech hasbeen linked to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The ReverendJames Meeks, who is also an Illinois state senator, has been named as apledged Obama delegate to the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53103.asp

-City Slicker
Jeff Whitty's Broadway-bound Tales of the City musical: Just how gay will itbe?
Though only officially announced March 13, and not even anticipated to hitBroadway until the 2009-2010 season, Tales of the City has already beentouted by Entertainment Weekly as "the gayest musical of the decade." Sure,the stage adaptation of Armistead Maupin's queer San Francisco-based 1978serialized novel reunites Avenue Q's out Tony-winning playwright Jeff Whittywith out director Jason Moore-and a composing team that includes way-outScissor Sisters front man Jake Shears-but Whitty, for one, doesn'tnecessarily agree that Tales is as gay as all that. He is, however, thankfulfor his largely gay team, and admits to favoring gay actors for gay roles.
We'd better let the self-described gay "chauvinist" tell this tale himself.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid53039.asp


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

-Kansas-based Garmin, makers of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology,today announced the availability of its "Gay Positioning System." The newhandheld units not only tell users how to find their way on the road, butalso point out the status of their relationships as they cross city andstate lines. "A couple could be married in Massachusetts, civil unioned inConnecticut, domestic partnered in DC, or now, mutually committed in SaltLake City," said Dr. Min Kao, Chairman and CEO. "Who better than Garmin togive them up-to-the-minute information that helps them find their way bothgeographically and legally?" As the company says on its Web site, "We don'tjust design and sell products, we embrace the lifestyles."

-Gay and lesbian activists today welcomed a ruling by the European Court ofJustice (ECJ) in Luxembourg on the rights of same-sex partners to 'survivorpensions.' The court ruled that a German gay man is entitled to a paymentfrom the pension of his dead partner.


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

-Irish civil partnerships to exclude parental rights
Gay rights groups in Ireland have expressed disappointment that thegovernment may not extend parental rights to same-sex couples as part of newlegislation to legally recognise lesbian and gay relationships. On MondayMarriagEquality, a group formed to campaign for full civil marriage,released the details of a poll it commissioned which shows the number ofIrish people who support partnerships only has fallen from 33% to 26%.
MarriagEquality's Grainne Healy said that reports about the new civilpartnerships indicate they do not give gay couples the same rights asmarried heterosexuals.
click here for the full article

-Dutch MP questions deportation of gay teenager to UK
A social-liberal MP in Holland has secured a debate in the country'sparliament about Mehdi Kazemi, a gay Iranian teenager who is due fordeportation back to the UK. Boris van der Ham of the D66 party is unhappy atthe lack of assurances from the British government that Mr Kazemi will beallowed to remain in the UK. If he is returned to Iran he claims he facesexecution.
click here for the full article

-Gay MEP worried about EU discrimination directive
A British Member of the European Parliament has spoken of his concerns thatthere is a lack of commitment to gay rights from the European CommissionPresident Jose Manuel Borroso. Michael Cashman, who represents the WestMidlands, has voiced his concern over reports that the Commission isbacktracking on its commitment to tackle discrimination. "Barroso gave theParliament assurances that it would bring forward a Directive to combatdiscrimination on the remaining grounds of Article 13," said Mr Cashman.
click here for the full article

-More gays need to put themselves forward says Tory
Margot James, the Conservative candidate for the constituency ofStourbridge, has responded to a survey from Stonewall about perceivedprejudice in the party against gay, lesbian and bisexuals who want to runfor Parliament. Ms James said that in her experience as a lesbian, she hasexperienced no prejudice from party members, but quite a lot from the press.
"Gay people have to move on a bit," she told PinkNews.co.uk.
click here for the full article

-Start your engines for the gay rally across Europe
A two thousand mile motor rally celebrating gay diversity will kick off inlate June, the first race of its kind. The inaugural Rainbow Rampage takesplace from June 28th to July 4th, is a twist on a traditional motor rallyand more akin to a giant gay road trip. The rally downplays the racingaspect and is designed more to celebrate the cities that stretch along therace's route, some 2300 miles across Europe.
click here for the full article

-Obama's £1,000 a head gay fundraiser
US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama raised funds for his campaign at anLGBT event last week, where the price of admission was $2,300 (£1,160). Thefundraiser was held at the New York apartment of gay activist Kevin Jenningsand his partner and 125 people attended, The Advocate reports. More than$170,000 was raised and the candidate spoke for around half an hour and thenanswered questions.
click here for the full article

-Gay hate church gets taste of own medicine
More than 400 people converged on the small town of Topeka, Kansas on Sundayto protest outside the Westboro Baptist Church. Straight, gay and transprotesters drew support from locals as they staged The Million Fag Marchoutside the church, which is notorious for picketing the funerals of USsoldiers killed in action. "It's about time we did something like thisagain," local woman Hope Prescott told The Topeka Capital-Journal. "We feelsomewhat responsible for the Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church."
click here for the full article

-Gay Iranian spared deportation from Greece
Gay rights activists in Greece are celebrating after their government hasdecided not to deport a 40-year-old man back to Iran. The Greek HomosexualCommunity (GHC-EOK), which led a campaign on his behalf, said today: "We arehappy to announce that the gay Iranian refugee, known as 'Alex,' was finallygranted asylum following the reconsideration of his case.
click here for the full article

-Online gay museum to be launched this month
A series of public events on Monday 14th April will mark the launch of anonline, interactive museum of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans history. TheNatural History Museum's Earth Gallery and Flett Theatre will host anunveiling of Proud Heritage, followed by a "no-holds barred and intimateinterview" with gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, followed by questionsfrom the audience.At the public event Proud Heritage will set out its futureplans and unveil its first public phase.click here for the full article


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

-GAY EQUALITY groups have given a mixed welcome to new civil partnershiplegislation that will extend many of the benefits and legal obligations ofmarriage to same-sex couples. The Irish Times reported yesterday that theheads of a new Bill are being finalised under which same-sex partners willbe able to avail of marriage-like benefits in a range of areas such asproperty, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax.
However, it will not provide any right for same-sex couples to be consideredas joint adoptive parents, despite a strong campaign by gay equality groups.
The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen) said the Bill, as reported, hadthe potential to transform radically the lives of thousands of lesbian andgay couples

-Gay Man Should Get Partner's Pension, EU Court Says (Update1)
April 1 (Bloomberg) -- A gay man can claim a share of his dead partner'spension if the circumstances of their relationship are comparable tomarriage, the European Union's highest court ruled in a case that could helpdefine the rights of same-sex couples in parts of Europe. Tadao Maruko, a65-year-old German who has waged a three- year fight for his partner's lifesavings, argued he was discriminated against by a pension fund that refusedto recognize the couple's partnership on par with marriage. The EuropeanCourt of Justice today stopped short of setting a precedent for same-sexcouples across the 27-nation EU, leaving the final say in each case tonational courts. ``The refusal to grant the survivor's pension to lifepartners constitutes direct discrimination on grounds of sexual orientationif surviving spouses and surviving life partners are in a comparablesituation as regards that pension,'' ruled the Luxembourg-based EU court.
The ruling means national courts in Europe must check whether the conditionsidentified by the court have been met.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aZIHAYO279to&refer=germany

-Archbishop Tutu to Give Historic Address to LGBTI Community in SanFrancisco
On April 8, 2008, Archbishop Desmond Tutu will give an historic 30-minuteaddress to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI)community at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco-the first time that he hasdirectly addressed such a large LGBTI gathering in the United States. Hewill address a crowd of approximately 400 people at A Celebration ofCourage, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's(IGLHRC's) annual gala awards ceremony, where he will also be honored forhis leadership on human rights. "Archbishop Tutu is a true human rightsactivist, someone who acknowledges that all human beings are inherentlyvaluable and deserve to be treated with respect," said Paula Ettelbrick,IGLHRC's executive director. "He has consistently stood up for justice andinclusion and for all those subject to human rights abuses-including membersof the LGBTI community. His work has paved the way for a better world."
http://www.iglhrc.org


=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

If the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, became interested in what theHuman Rights Watch had to say in their Iran section of their latest annualWorld Report about homosexuals in his country, and the abuse of human rightsfor gays there, shockingly, he'd find nothing in that section.HRW, forunknown reasons, omits gays not just from their 2007 country roundup, butactually from the 2006, 2005, and 2004 versions. Two of my colleagues whocare deeply about gay Iranians and the humanrights violations they suffer,including executions, also went overthe four more recent HRW World Reports,and in the chapters for Iran,the words gay, homosexual, lesbian,transsexual, ransgender, orientation, didn't appear once before our eyes.
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2008/04/iranian-gays-omitted-from-human-rights.html

-Warsaw: The last day of Fay and Moulton in Poland - A Whirlwind ofMeetingsBrendan and Tom appeared in Poland's most popular morning TV show -Dzien Dobry TVN (Good Morning TVN). A brief video was presented of momentsof rendan and Tom's stay in Poland. The Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH),Poland's national gay and lesbian organization, held a press conference atnoon. Participatnts with the couple ncluded Tomasz Szypula, secretarygeneral of KPH, Marta Abramowicz, the vice president of KPH, SergiuszKowalski, PhD, a representative of Open Poland Society, nd Yga Kostrzewa,spokesperson from Lambda Warsaw. During this conference Mr. owalskipresented Brendan and Tom a letter of support and solidarity signed by 654ersons, many of them well known in Poland. Kostrzewa expressed hope thatthe couple's visit would inspire a national dialogue for legal recognitionfor same sex couples in Poland.


=
Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrier
http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Gay giving seen as way to help next generation
The gay movement is benefiting from the increasing generosity of individualLGBT benefactors, who view their contributions as key to advancing LGBTrights. "People feel more security that we are here to stay and we arefulfilling a purpose, so more are thinking of LGBT foundations as places toleave their bequests," said Katherine Acey, executive director of theAstraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. "I see the beginning of a trend."
San Francisco Chronicle (3/31)

-Is out candidate's job at risk because he's openly gay?
Justin Nichols, who coordinates a teen court program in Texas, believes hecould lose his job after an article in the Dallas Voice on his candidacy fora seat on the Plano City Council identified him as being gay. Nichols' jobstatus will be the subject of an April 15 hearing before the countyCommissioners Court, but officials would not supply any other details. TheDallas Morning News (4/1)

-Grab your tickets now for Victory Fund's 8th Annual Champagne Brunch!
Sunday, April 6th, at the Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Just a few days remain to purchase tickets to the fun, fabulous Victory FundChampagne Brunch, honoring Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and featuring IowaState Sen. Matt McCoy. All proceeds benefit the mission of the Gay & LesbianVictory Fund-to grow the number of openly LGBT elected officials across theU.S. The Champagne Brunch is also an opportunity to bid on some fantasticsilent auction items, including: Join us April 6th at the Mayflower Hotel tohonor Congresswoman Baldwin, one of just two openly LGBT Members of Congressand a true hero in the fight for equality for all. Tickets are going fast,so buy yours online right now!
http://www.victoryfund.org/about_us/events/id:23

-Price: Baldwin believes now is time for LGBT rights
Out U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who is marking her 10th year in
Congress, is optimistic that key LGBT rights laws will become reality once agay-friendly president takes office in January, according to columnist DebPrice. "Being in the majority opens new possibilities to improve the lot ofgay Americans," Price writes. The Detroit News (3/31)

-AIDS vaccine effort deserves more time
Although the effort to develop an AIDS vaccine has yet to pan out, The NewYork Times, in an editorial, writes that it's not yet time to give up on thepossibility of such a preventative tool. "There is little doubt that avaccine would be the most effective and cheapest way to shrink the AIDSepidemic," the Times writes. The New York Times (3/30)


=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
dailyqueernews@yahoo.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Most parents stunned upon hearing their child is gay
Some parents suspect it, others haven't a clue.
Either way, when teenage sons and daughters summon the nerve to tell theirparents they're gay - come out to their parents - the usual first reactionsinclude anger, denial and a profound sense of loss.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_8748611

-Hot button ballot issues back in election
DALLAS (Reuters) - When Americans cast ballots on November 4 to elect apresident, some states also will ask voters hot-button questions likewhether or not to ban gay marriage.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080329/pl_nm/usa_ballotinitiatives_dc;_ylt=AssAmPb6VtQzRKSFtnT6Vkp34T0D

-Philanthropists ensure gay community's future
On a recent Thursday morning, Joseph Rosenthal, 77, drove from his barn-red,four-story house on Buena Vista Terrace to a lawyer's office in the Castro,where he quietly transferred a substantial part of his estate to theendowment fund of the Horizon Foundation, a grant-giving organization forthe gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/31/MN3NVQ7JQ.DTL

-Clinton and Obama Should Target McCain, Not Each Other
The never-ending fight for the Democratic nomination has me feeling likeCourtney, the bitchy blonde cheerleader from the movie Bring It On. In amoment of complete frustration at the inability of the cheerleaders tochoose someone to replace an injured squad member Courtney shouts "Let's cutthe crap and pick somebody now!"
Now, I know that kind of plea is not going to work with the Democratsparticularly since Hillary Clinton announced that she is staying in the raceuntil the Democratic National Convention in August. That means five moremonths of attacks and counterattacks between Clinton and Barack Obama, thefrontrunner for the nomination
http://bloggernista.com/2008/03/31/clinton-and-obama-should-target-mccain-not-each-other/

-Is the Internet eroding America's Puritanism -- or making it worse?
Beneath the gawking, the online reaction to the Spitzer and Patersonrevelations shows that Americans are wary of passing judgment on privatesins.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/04/01/puritanism/

-Shameless Right Wing Conservative Hypocrisy
The Republican Party loves to wrap itself in a cloak of right wing ChristianRighteousness. They talk about God and the bible and the teachings of theirsupposed Master Jesus Christ. Yet under inspection it becomes clear thattheir wrapping of moral superiority is transparent and their very foundationa hypocritical deceit that is so obvious as to be the very thing their ownbook warns them against; the false prophets, the liars, the greedy and thehypocrites.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_creede_c_080329_shameless_right_wing.htm

-Let Them In
Since I wrote an earlier column about the persecution of gays in manyforeign countries, there have been several more news stories about theplight of gays abroad-in Eastern Europe, in Africa, in portions of LatinAmerica, but particularly in the Muslim theocracies of the Middle East-Iran,Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc.
Amazingly, these stories have been accompanied by stories about the refusalof several more civilized nations to grant asylum to gay refugees from thosecountries because officials refuse to acknowledge that gays are persecutedin other countries. In other words, on no justifiable grounds at all.
http://www.indegayforum.org/news/show/31486.html

-Sexual orientation should be known
Dear Annie:
After a recent visit from my 25-year-old unmarried son, "Josh," I foundundeniable evidence that he has been involved in several homosexualencounters. Although I can't say I am happy to learn of this, it doesn'tchange my feelings. I still love him very much.
The problem is, Josh has been dating a wonderful young woman for more thantwo years. They are planning to move in together in the near future. I am sofrightened and upset that he is putting not only his health at risk, buthers as well. I'm also worried about the emotional trauma she will suffer ifand when she finds out about his sexual behavior.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_8760859

-Hundreds Protest Phelps' Topeka Church
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Instead of picketing by members of Topeka's Westboro BaptistChurch, around 400 people targeted the church in a Sunday protest of theirown.
Organizers said the event drew marchers touting messages of compassion andtolerance for homosexuals. The church is known for its anti-gay message andpicketing of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.kmbc.com/news/15752740/detail.html?rss=kc1&taf=kc1

-Ugandan Media: Rick Warren Denounces Gay Rights
The Kampala Monitor reports:
Dr [Rick] Warren said that homosexuality is not a natural way of life andthus not a human right. "We shall not tolerate this aspect at all," DrWarren said.
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2008/3/30/54825/1882

-Gay retirement community lures potential buyers
Marigold Creek, a resort-style retirement community marketed toward gays andlesbians might face more trouble developing the property in Surprise becauseof the economic climate than from opposition because of the community'sclientele.
http://www.yourwestvalley.com/news/community_2215___article.html/creek_surprise.html

-Professor paves way for women in theology
Lisa Sowle Cahill, who has taught theology at Boston College since 1976, hasenjoyed the career of every aspiring theologian's dreams. She is a pastpresident of both the Catholic Theological Society of America and theSociety of Christian Ethics; she has served on the editorial board of ninerenowned scholarly journals; she was honored as the 1999 Alumna of the Yearby her graduate school, the University of Chicago; she holds nine honorarydegrees; and she has authored 12 books as well as over 150 essays in booksin journals.
http://media.www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2008/03/31/Features/Professor.Paves.Way.For.Women.In.Theology-3290902.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

-McCain Stumbles on H.I.V. Prevention
SOMEWHERE in NORTHERN IOWA - The unthinkable has happened. Senator JohnMcCain met a question, while sitting with reporters on his bus as it rumbledthrough Iowa today, that he couldn't - or perhaps wouldn't - answer.
Did he support the distribution of taxpayer-subsidized condoms in Africa tofight the transmission of H.I.V.?
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/16/mccain-stumbles-on-hiv-prevention/?scp=1-b&sq=coburn+mccain&st=nyt


=


[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####