GLBT DIGEST April 28, 2008

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

-Clinton Or Obama, Electoral Map Favors A Democrat
(Washington) The electoral road to the White House favors Democrats thisfall - either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton - and has RepublicanJohn McCain playing defense to thwart a presidential power shift.

-Obama Rejects Debate
(Washington) Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is brushingaside a challenge from Hillary Rodham Clinton to debate before the May 6primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.

-McCain: Obama Insensitive To Poor
(Coral Gables, Florida) Republican presidential candidate John McCain saysDemocratic rival Barack Obama is insensitive to poor people and out of touchon economic issues.

-Pastor Wright: Descriptive Not Divisive
(Detroit, Michigan) The former pastor of Barack Obama whose words haverallied many but offended others told an audience of 10,000 that his criticsget it wrong when they call him divisive and polarizing.


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

-Is Main Street USA Ready for Gay PDA?
Two years ago, ABC News hired two actors, a man and a woman, to publiclydisplay their affection for each other by kissing in public at a restaurant.
Reactions from other restaurant-goers varied; some onlookers enjoyed thesight of young love, while others lost their appetite. This year, we onceagain decided to explore how the public responds to public displays ofaffection -- but this time, our couples were gay.


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

-While CBS had already released some of the best parts of tonight's "60Minutes" Lesley Stahl interview with Justice Scalia (see this prior post),they saved some good nuggets. [...] When Stahl asked Scalia whether hewould acknowledge that values change and society adapts, he replied: "That'sfine. And so do laws change. Because values change, legislatures abolish thedeath penalty, permit same-sex marriage if they want, abolish laws againsthomosexual conduct. That's how the change in a society occurs. Society doesn'tchange through a Constitution."

-Hoping to make a statement about the legitimacy of same-sex marriage, twoEast Hills men plan to walk into the Oyster Bay town clerk's office at 3:30p.m. Monday with $40 and two forms of identification and apply for amarriage license. Dan Pinello, 58, and Lee Nissensohn, 50, expect they willbe denied and they will remain there until police remove them. "We aremiddle-aged people; we prefer not to do this," said Pinello, a governmentprofessor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "But we don't have achoice." Town spokesman Jim Moriarty said only that, "If and when thisoccurs, the request will be reviewed consistent with applicable state law."

-Actor WILLIAM BALDWIN has launched a stinging attack on his younger brotherSTEPHEN's opposition to equal rights for same-sex couples. Usual Suspectsstar Stephen, 41, is the only Republican member of the famous family, andhis siblings despair of his conservative views. [...] "I asked him, 'Doyou think a gay couple should be married? And if not, do you think theydeserve access to the same rights on a federal level and state level thatyou do?' "(He responds) 'Because God said and the Bible says that marriageis an institution that exists solely between a man and a woman, blah, blah,blah', and he falls behind that crap. "And I said, 'Well if you had achoice - if you and your wife were to die and your kids were still young,and you had a choice between your children being in foster care andpotentially being physically and emotionally and sexually abused, as opposedto being adopted by a loving, healthy, caring lesbian or gay couple, whatwould you rather have?' "He couldn't really answer, and I said, 'Thank GodDad isn't here on this earth right now, because he would be so devastatedand so horrified.'"

-Along with 11 other Rochester-area couples, [Patricia] Martinez and [Lisa]Golden stood before pastors at First Unitarian Church, restating commitmentsfor the first time since New York validated their marriages and unions. Toorgan music and flashing cameras, the dozen pairs of partners came down theaisle hand-in-hand, in gowns and suits, carrying red roses, and a fewchildren in tow.

-When the phone caller told me [my brother] Calvin was sick, I immediatelymade plans to go see him. There, I met the "roommate" who I then knew wasCalvin's partner - the man who made sure he received the best home hospicecare available. Only months later, Calvin died. I was glad he had someonewho loved him with him during the ordeal. No one should be alone knowingdeath is so near.

-Australia: A GAY rights lobby group is bringing big business on board in arenewed push for the legalisation of same-sex marriages. The AustralianMarriage Equality website is naming businesses that recognise same-sexmarriages of their employees and customers. Big names that have come onboard include job website SEEK Limited and the Commonwealth Bank. "Whatwe're really hoping is that the Government can see this as a really goodsign of [the] extent of the acceptance out there," said Alex Greenwich, from AME. Mr Greenwich said other businesses on the list included Air Canada, Qantas and IBM.


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

-Police storm international meeting for gay rights in Kyrgyzstan
Human rights groups have highlighted the plight of the LGBT community inKyrgyzstan after a police raid on a leading gay rights association.

-Brian Paddick still gay choice, but Boris Johnson increases his appeal
In the final PinkNews.co.uk poll tracking the popularity of the mayoralcandidates, Brian Paddick remains the clear choice of the gay community,although Boris Johnson has increased his popularity considerably.

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

-Moscow Gay Human Rights Marches Ban Appealed to Court
Organisers again ready to take the cases to the European Court of HumanRights
http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/08/Apr/2801.htm


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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:

-Lost 400 children may have been trafficked into sex or drugs trade
Christine Beddoe campaigns for greater protection for trafficked childrenMore than 400 foreign children, many suspected of being trafficked into thesex or drug trade in Britain, have gone missing from local authority care.
Children from Africa, Asia and eastern Europe have disappeared from safehouses and foster homes around the country's biggest ports and airports,
figures released to the guardian under the Freedom of Information Act haverevealed. The missing children include at least 87 Chinese who disappearedfrom care around Heathrow and Gatwick and 68 from countries includingAfghanistan, Albania and India who went missing from the care of Kent countycouncil, which is responsible for protecting children trafficked throughDover and Folkestone.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/message/723;_ylc=X3oDMTJxM2Y2cDM1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzIxNTEwODQ4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTY2NzAwMARtc2dJZAM3MjMEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIwOTM3OTcwNQ

-Saudi Activist Blogger Freed After 4 Months in Jail Without Charge
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 26 -- Saudi Arabia's most popular blogger wasreleased Saturday after serving four months in prison without charge. Fouadal-Farhan, 33, was detained Dec. 10 after authorities warned him about hisonline support of an activist group. At the time of his arrest, the InteriorMinistry said only that his violations were not related to state security.
Farhan had used his blog to criticize corruption and call for politicalreform in Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy. In a telephone interviewSaturday, Farhan said he was happy to be free and described his time behindbars as "a unique experience." He said he had been "fairly treated" butwould not comment on the specifics of his case.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/message/725

-The second round of parliamentary elections in Iran has delivered a
comfortable victory for the conservatives, with President MahmoudAhmadinejad's party winning close to 70 percent of the available seats.
Reform candidates won 16 percent of the seats; independents won 14 percent.
Although it was already apparent that the conservatives were on course tolarge majority during the first round of elections, held in March,yesterday's second round was needed to divide the seats undecided in thefirst round.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/message/726;_ylc=X3oDMTJxcmg2Nmx0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzIxNTEwODQ4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTY2NzAwMARtc2dJZAM3MjYEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIwOTM3OTcwNQ


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

-Today In History: Eisenhower Signs Executive Order 10450
Fifty-five years ago today, on April 27, 1953, President Dwight D.Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450, which mandated the firing of allfederal employees who were determined to be guilty of "sexual perversion."
Over the next two decades, thousands of gays and lesbians would loose theirjobs solely because of their sexual orientation.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/04/27/1886

-Carrier: Jeff Dupre Talks About Life Aboard the USS Nimitz
Carrier is a character-driven total immersion in the high-stakes world of anuclear air craft carrier. A team of 17 filmmakers spent 6 months on the USSNimitz on a full deployment to the Persian Gulf.
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/04/carrier-intervi.html

-Petition Before UMC to Censure James HolsingerWhen last we heard from Dr.James Holsinger, President George Bush's Surgeon General Nominee, it lookedlike his nomination was stuck in limbo. This came after Box Turtle Bulletinexamined Holsinger's 1991 white paper for the United Methodist Church'sCommittee to Study Homosexuality, a paper which significantly misrepresentedthe bibliographic sources that he cited.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/04/27/1895

-Today in History: A Notorious Nazi Doctor
Dr. Carl Peter Værnet was born on this date on April 28, 1893 in Denmark.
During World War II, he became a Nazi SS major, serving as a doctor atBuchenwald concentration camp. There, he performed medical experiments oninmates who were convicted under Germany's notorious Paragraph 175 - thestatute against male homosexuality.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/04/28/1792

-Homosexuality laws of the world
The countries of the world have a wide variety of laws relating to sexualrelations between people of the same sex - everything from full same-sexmarriage to the death penalty as punishment for homosexual conduct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_laws_of_the_world

-Gay rights bill dies in Florida Senate
Deutch bill could re-emerge in 2009 legislative session
http://www.ours.bz/2008/04/gay-rights-bill-dies-in-florida-senate.html

-Electoral map favors a Democrat, has McCain playing defense
The electoral road to the White House favors Democrats this fall - eitherBarack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton - and has Republican John McCainplaying defense to thwart a presidential power shift.
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=national&sc2=news&sc3=&id=73646

-Public Forum: Man upset over use of the word "queer"
I could see Troy Williams' comparisons between gays seeking acceptance fromThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a battered wifereturning to her abusive husband ("Abuse and restitution," Forum, April 17),but his reference to the "queer" community disturbed me.
http://www.lgbt.bz/2008/04/public-forum-man-upset-over-use-of-word.html

-Are they 'just words'?
Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual. Transgender.
Is the ability to say these words in public before non-LGBT audiences amarker of true support for and comfort with the community? Blender PhilAttey noted that Hillary Clinton seems to have a problem saying any of theabove words, whereas Barack Obama not only uses them, but places referencesto gays in speeches along with other traditionally oppressed groups. Perhapseven more challenging, he has chosen to discuss homophobia beforepotentially hostile audiences in the pews of the black church.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5188

-The evolution of gay-exclusive spaces: are gay bars on the demise?
I found this article at American Public Media ... actually, the teaser endedup in my inbox. The premise seems to be an exploration of a recent claim byForbes Magazine that gay bars are among the top ten businesses facingextinction, along with crop dusting and record stores. Ouch.
http://www.pghlesbian.com/blog/_archives/2008/4/26/3660962.html

-LifeSite Continues to Cite Paul Cameron
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/04/26/1867

-Dallas, Sex-us: Examining one pastor's imperious views
In a lengthy article in which he tries to rationalize the modern church'shard-line stance of 'mosexuality, Rev. Dallas Henry has outlined some keypoints of his side's crusade. No fans of having our lives and lovestrivialized in simplistic, dogmatic ways, we will now address two of theideas that Mr. Henry raises:
#1 A "gay gene" has never been found. Homosexuality is a CHOICE. They
have more of an inclination to turn to a gay lifestyle. BUT - it's their CHOICE.
Children of alcoholics and child/wife abusers are more likely to becomealcoholics and child/wife abusers themselves. BUT, it's their choice. Youaren't born that way. Environment, society, culture and values play a bigpart in a person turning to a homosexual lifestyle. BUT, it doesn't MAKEthem a homosexual. It's their choice.
#2 When people evaluate the lifestyle of the homosexual, they are notJUDGING anyone - God has already done that. All they can do is repeat whatGod has already said in His judgment of homosexuality. We do not HAVE tojudge anyone - we leave that up to God, and He has made it clear in His Wordwhat He thinks. A retired preacher once said that when you come to a trafficlight and state what color it is; red, green, or yellow you aren't judgingit when you say what it is.
http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2008/04/dallas-sex-us-e.html

-Black clergy in USA say gays face same rights struggle as black people
Two senior lack clergy in the United Methodist in the USA, who are alsolongtime civil-rights advocates, say there are striking parallels betweenthe struggles of blacks in the 1960s and those of gays and lesbians workingfor full inclusion in the churches today.
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/7062

-Different perspectives on whether homosexuality is biology or choice
It's a question asked in various forms for countless years. Doeshomosexuality come from a person's biological makeup, or is it a choice.
http://www.lgbt.bz/2008/04/different-perspectives-on-whether.html

-Christian Youth Group Participates in Day of Silence
Warren Throckmorton has a letter from a student at Appalachian StateUniversity in Boone, NC. She, and the Campus Crusade, participated in theDay of Silence and found it to be rewarding and illuminating.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/04/27/1896

-LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying guide finally makes it to schools
After being caught in political limbo for about five years a Department ofPublic Health (DPH) anti-bullying guide will finally see the light of day onApril 30.
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=73523

-Cyber center links youth, seniors
Volunteers assist older gays and lesbians in learning computer skills
http://www.insidebayarea.com/portal/timesstar/localnews/ci_9073974

-Ohio: Battle lines drawn over 'teaching gay'
Groups against gay education are trying to send a louder message than thosein support of it.
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2008/04/28/front/740860.txt


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

-Moscow Gay Human Rights Marches Ban Appealed to Court
Organisers again ready to take the cases to the European Court of HumanRights
http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/08/Apr/2801.htm


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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:

-Lost 400 children may have been trafficked into sex or drugs trade
Christine Beddoe campaigns for greater protection for trafficked childrenMore than 400 foreign children, many suspected of being trafficked into thesex or drug trade in Britain, have gone missing from local authority care.
Children from Africa, Asia and eastern Europe have disappeared from safehouses and foster homes around the country's biggest ports and airports,figures released to the guardian under the Freedom of Information Act haverevealed. The missing children include at least 87 Chinese who disappearedfrom care around Heathrow and Gatwick and 68 from countries includingAfghanistan, Albania and India who went missing from the care of Kent countycouncil, which is responsible for protecting children trafficked throughDover and Folkestone.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/message/723;_ylc=X3oDMTJxM2Y2cDM1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzIxNTEwODQ4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTY2NzAwMARtc2dJZAM3MjMEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIwOTM3OTcwNQ

-Saudi Activist Blogger Freed After 4 Months in Jail Without Charge
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 26 -- Saudi Arabia's most popular blogger wasreleased Saturday after serving four months in prison without charge. Fouadal-Farhan, 33, was detained Dec. 10 after authorities warned him about hisonline support of an activist group. At the time of his arrest, the InteriorMinistry said only that his violations were not related to state security.
Farhan had used his blog to criticize corruption and call for politicalreform in Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy. In a telephone interviewSaturday, Farhan said he was happy to be free and described his time behindbars as "a unique experience." He said he had been "fairly treated" butwould not comment on the specifics of his case.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/message/725

-The second round of parliamentary elections in Iran has delivered acomfortable victory for the conservatives, with President MahmoudAhmadinejad's party winning close to 70 percent of the available seats.
Reform candidates won 16 percent of the seats; independents won 14 percent.
Although it was already apparent that the conservatives were on course tolarge majority during the first round of elections, held in March,yesterday's second round was needed to divide the seats undecided in thefirst round.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/message/726;_ylc=X3oDMTJxcmg2Nmx0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzIxNTEwODQ4BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTY2NzAwMARtc2dJZAM3MjYEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIwOTM3OTcwNQ

-ABC tests reactions to gay couples kissing in public
"Is mainstream USA ready to tolerate 'gay PDA'?"
On Friday, ABC's 20/20 tackled a palpable double-standard facing same-sexcouples who are affectionate in public.
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/abc_gaypda_042808.html

-Gay-Straight Alliance continues to promote awareness despite initialobjections
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan - In four short months, the Gay-Straight Alliance atRobert D. Edgren High School has made a name for itself - despite its name.
http://www.lgbt.bz/2008/04/gay-straight-alliance-continues-to.html

-Egypt film stars seek to shatter stigma of AIDS
CAIRO (AFP) - A lonely voice in a conservative society, rising Egyptian filmstar Amr Waked is speaking out against his country's unofficial policy ofjailing people suffering with AIDS.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080426/hl_afp/egyptaidsrightsentertainment_080426081303

-Prince Harry to tackle Aids in southern Africa
London, Apr 26 : Prince Harry is a soldier in the true sense of the word,for he certainly knows how to plan for a fight. However, this time the youngBritish royal will be tackling a different kind of battle - that of Aids insouthern Africa.
http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=53090

-Israeli Ex-Soldiers Expose Abuse of Palestinians
In a report this week, 39 soldiers give eyewitness accounts from their
patrols in and around the West Bank city of Hebron.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/27/8549/

-Colombia: Allowed back in school by court order, lesbian students areheckled by student body, school principal
In most Roman gladiator movies there is a scene in which slaves are led tothe coliseum to be slayed by Roman fighters or mauled by lions. Usually thecamera shows them entering the arena through a passageway as the sounds ofthe cheering crowd get progressively louder and then emerge into theblinding sunlight to a now-deafening cacophony and the sight of thebleachers filled with hundreds of blood-thirsty spectators.
http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2008/04/colombia-allowed-back-in-school-by.html

-Pope Benedict spoke out about gays
I am responding to the letter by Victoria Lavin of Beatrice. My heart goesout to her and to all others who suffer from same-sex attractions andaddictions. It sounds as if she has had a very difficult struggle with life.
She mentions being raised Catholic, and so I am surprised that she states,"The church taught that being gay was a sin and that I could not be in arelationship with God because I was a lesbian."
http://www.kearneyhub.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19489926&BRD=268&PAG=461&dept_id=577576&rfi=8

-Punches, Burns And Knives Drive Young Girl From School
A 13 year old girl in Sabadell, near Barcelona, has had to change to adifferent school after being consistently attacked by fellow studentsbecause she's a lesbian. According to police reports, the girl had beenburned with cigarettes, punched and threatened with knives.
http://www.samesame.com.au/news/international/2349/Punches_Burns_And_Knives_Drive_Young_Girl_From_School

-Lincoln's hate crimes increasing
A Lincoln man recently came home to his apartment only to be greeted by themessage, "FAG i DIE!" scratched into the finish of his front door. This wasnot the first incident the man had experienced since coming out of thecloset - someone scratched a swastika into the paint of his car and he foundfeces outside his door.
http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2008/04/28/News/Lincolns.Hate.Crimes.Increasing-3352079.shtml?reffeature=textemailedition

-Schools face off with cyberbullies
Malik Taylor won't let schoolmates snap his picture. Neither will ElazhiaGrey.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10320675

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