GLBT DIGEST April 9, 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.


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

-If Perez Hilton Plays Nice, He Could Name His Price
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Perez Hilton is getting fit.
That's evident enough if you're one of the millions of mostlytwentysomething females who make his salacious salon for celebrity gossip adaily destination. Slowly but surely, a slicker, trimmer Perez is replacingthe bloated, scruffy version that first rose to fame as Hollywood's favoriteonline gadfly.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-perezhilton.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt


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

-Late-Night Call Revealed Secret World
Sect Had Moved to Compound After Fleeing Utah, Colorado
SAN ANGELO, Tex., April 8 -- The cry for help came late at night -- at 11:32p.m. -- and it came in a whisper.
Speaking in a low voice to avoid being overheard, the 16-year-old girl --mother of an 8-month-old baby and pregnant with a second child -- sketchedout chilling tales. She spoke of teenage girls, some as young as 13, beingforced to have sex with older men for the purpose of bearing their children.
She said she was the seventh "spiritual" wife of a 49-year-old man. Shedescribed beatings by him as so vicious that one time several of her ribshad been broken.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803441.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-'Other Woman' Shadows Chelsea Clinton
INDIANAPOLIS -- Chelsea Clinton is spending long days on the campaign trailtelling college crowds about her mother's positions on everything fromhealth care and student-loan costs to the Darfur crisis and gay rights.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/09/AR2008040900461.html


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

-Obama gaining on Clinton in Pennsylvania: poll
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clintonleads Barack Obama by 6 points among likely Pennsylvania Democratic primaryvoters but he is chipping away at her lead, according to a QuinnipiacUniversity poll released on Tuesday.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/04/09/obama_gaining_on_clinton_in_pennsylvania_poll/


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From HRC
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual andtransgender civil rights organization, announced today that it is launchinga national program to help elect fair-minded candidates and defeatdiscriminatory ballot measures. The program - called Camp Equality - willtrain nearly 1,500 people in 14 cities to work on political campaigns. Thefirst Camp Equality will take place in Orlando , Florida on May 2-4. Ft.Lauderdale training is 5/9-11 Those interested in participating in CampEquality are encouraged to apply online before the April 25 deadline:
www.hrc.org/campequality


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

-Student sees problem with H.S. text
Claims book has slanted opinion on Lawrence vs. Texas
Talk about a civics lesson: A high-school senior has raised questions aboutpolitical bias in a popular textbook on U.S. government, and legal scholarsand top scientists say the teen's criticism is well-founded.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17592

-Teacher under fire for telling students she's gay
Matter will be reviewed by superintendent
Some parents of middle school students in Eau Claire, Wis. are complainingabout a teacher's decision to talk about her sexual orientation duringhealth classes. School district officials confirm South Middle Schoolteacher Stephanie Rowe told her five health classes last week that she is gay.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17585

-Anti-gay Va. senator eyes attorney general seat
'Traditional family guy' supported constitutional amendment
A conservative Republican vying to become Virginia's next attorney generalsaid he does not expect his interpretation of the anti-gay Marshall-NewmanAmendment to be more expansive than that of the current attorney general.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17583

-Justice Dept. probes case of lesbian who was fired
Dismissal may violate Clinton's executive order
The Inspector General's Office at the U.S. Department of Justice isinvestigating whether a career attorney and former prosecutor at thedepartment was dismissed from her job in 2006 because of rumors that she'slesbian, according to a news media report.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=17579

-Lehmberg wins Travis DA race with ease
She'll be the first female top prosecutor in county history.
Riding the endorsement of retiring Ronnie Earle, Rosemary Lehmberg onTuesday soundly defeated her better-financed opponent to win the Democraticprimary runoff for Travis County district attorney.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/09/0409travisda.html

-Obama not snubbing The Advocate
Sen. Barack Obama, who's been criticized of late for not talking to the gaypress, reportedly did an interview with The Advocate on Monday.
Michelle Garcia, an editorial assistant for The Advocate, told Dallas Voiceon Tuesday that the interview will be posted on the magazine's Web siteThursday. It marks Obama's first interview with a gay publication sinceOctober, when he spoke to The Advocate in response to the controversysurrounding Donnie McClurkin.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2008/04/08/obama-does-an-interview-with-the-advocate/

-Boycott start of Olympics, Desmond Tutu urges leaders
In San Francisco, the Nobel laureate backs protests surrounding the torch.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu said Tuesday hesupported international protests surrounding the Olympic torch and urgedworld leaders to boycott the games' opening ceremony in Beijing over China'shuman rights record.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tutu9apr09,1,481710.story

-Craig offers support to Vitter
Embattled Louisiana Sen. David Vitter (R) is getting support from fellowRepublicans who say he should not resign over a public sex scandal -including from someone who can speak from experience.
Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho was among several GOP senators who say Vitter'stestimony in the "D.C. Madam" prostitution case should not compel hisresignation.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/craig-offers-support-to-vitter-2008-04-08.html

-Don't be such a lesbian
Gay conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan appeared on Tim Russert on MSNBC onApril 5. In a debate with Christopher Hitchens, Sullivan lost his train ofthought and said, "And now you've made me forget my second point," to whichHitchens responded, "Don't be such a lesbian. Get on with it."
Now, it's obviously wrong and disgusting to use "lesbian" as an insult. Butwhat did he even mean by it? Is there some lesbian stereotype I was unawareof? Are they known to be forgetful?
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=4/8/08&end=4/10/08#17551

-Mr. Benedict goes to Washington
POPE BENEDICT XVI - aka "God's rottweiler" - will make his first visit tothe United States as pope next week.
There will be carefully orchestrated celebrations, lots of pomp and incenseand scarlet robes and adoring crowds. But in all the excitement generated bysuch a visit - the first papal visit to D.C. since 1979 - it's important toremember that Pope Benedict is an ambassador of homophobia and public enemyNo. 1 for gays and lesbians around the world.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=4/8/08&end=4/10/08#17556

-Ben Hur, RuPaul and Me
When I was seven I had a huge crush on Charlton Heston, who died this weekat 83. The chiseled jaw. The booming basso-profundo voice. The wiryphysique. Just My type.
Of course, at seven I had no idea he was going to turn out to be such aright-wing gun-toting homophobic nightmare, but I probably wouldn't havecared anyway. The seven-year-old gay libido has a tendency to overlook minorimperfections.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabriel-rotello/ben-hur-rupaul-and-me_b_95752.html

-New York Governor David Paterson's Video Message To The Task Force
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-york-governor-david-patersons-video.html

-Opponent of gay Florida political candidate sends out anti-gay e-mailThe opponent of gay Hillsborough County Commission candidate Kevin Becknerhas sent out a call to his supporters to oppose a Day of Silence scheduledfor April 25. In an e-mail, Commissioner Brian Blair told his supportersthat the day, which is being held in the memory of 15-year-old hate crimevictim Lawrence King, is inappropriate since the school system doesn't allowa daily minute of silence for prayer.
http://www.gaypolitics.com/?p=404


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

-Center Examines LGBT Military Deaths
(Santa Barbara, California) A University of California think-tank estimatesthat since the war in Iraq began 64 of the servicemembers who died were gay.

-Petraeus Faces Next President
(Washington) The top commander in Iraq found himself in the middle ofpresidential politics Tuesday - literally - as he was questioned by WhiteHouse candidates politically and physically on either side during acongressional hearing.

-Clintons Split On Free Trade Deal
(Washington) The presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton saidTuesday that her husband, the former president, supports a free tradeagreement with Colombia that she strenuously opposes.

-Obama Delegate Resigns After Remark
(Carpentersville, Illinois) An Illinois delegate for Democratic Sen. BarackObama resigned after using the word "monkeys" to describe black childrenplaying in a tree, the Obama campaign said.

-Israeli Court Hears Lesbian In Vitro Case
(Tel Aviv, Israel) One woman supplied the egg, an anonymous donorcontributed the sperm, and the woman's same-sex partner bore the baby afterbeing implanted with the fertilized egg.

-Lesbian Senator Says MP Apology Not Enough
(Ottawa) If the Conservatives had hoped to put the Tom Lukiwski issue behindthem, they won't be able to because of pressure from within their owncaucus.

-Restaurant Patterned After Gay Movie Becomes Hit In Havana
(Havana) Diners trek up a curving staircase of white cracked marble, past adecapitated statue of a robed woman, and along a broad landing crisscrossedwith lines of drying laundry to reach the weathered wooden door opening intoone of the most memorable dining experiences in communist Cuba.

-Gay Civil Rights Bill Advances In Florida
(Tallahassee, Florida) Legislation that would prohibit discriminationagainst gays and lesbians in employment, housing and public accommodationsthroughout Florida passed a key Senate committee on Tuesday.


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

-Gay Couples Face Extra Financial Challenges
It may pay to get married, but not everyone has that option. The HumanRights Campaign, a civil rights organization for people who are gay,lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, launched a campaign this week to bringattention to the financial challenges that same-sex couples are forced todeal with. The group points out that gay and lesbian couples lack theprotection and benefits conferred by over 1,000 different federalprovisions.

-Gay Catholics to Demonstrate Before Pope's Speech at U.N.
DignityUSA will hold a press conference and demonstration near the UnitedNations on Saturday, April 12, in advance of Pope Benedict XVI's April 18speech to the United Nations General Assembly. DignityUSA will call on PopeBenedict to denounce violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgenderpeople and to end his own language that undermines gay people worldwide.


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

-Liberals and Their Invisible Homophobia
It's not just homophobia from conservatives we have to worry about. Liberalscan be just as baldly antigay -- often without reproach.
Before the Don Imus show was canceled last year, New Mexico governor andthen Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson used the wordmaricón, Spanish slang for "faggot," after the shock jock goaded Richardsonby questioning his Hispanic heritage. "Would you agree that Bernard is amaricón?" Imus asked Richardson, referring to his cohost, Bernard McGuirk.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid52812.asp

-Gay Businessman Has Shot at Winning N.C. Senate Primary
The top two North Carolina Democratic challengers vying for incumbent U.S.senator Elizabeth Dole's seat are in a dead heat in polls among likelyvoters. State senator Kay Hagan and gay businessman Jim Neal are virtuallytied, according to a SurveyUSA poll of likely voters. Neal is the preferenceof 20% of respondents, while Hagan is favored by 21%. Fifteen percent ofvoters prefer other candidates, and the remaining 45% are undecided.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53262.asp

-Task Force Names Acting Director
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has named Rea Carey as its actingexecutive director while the organization continues the search for afull-time director, The Washington Blade reported Tuesday.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53258.asp

-Danish Cemetery Sets Aside Section for Gays
A cemetery in Copenhagen, Denmark, has designated an area specifically forgays who wish to be buried among other gays. The Regnbuen (Rainbow)association rented space at the Assistens cemetery that can hold up to 45urns, according to the Agence France-Press. Each space will cost 2,500kroner ($526).
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53257.asp


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

-NSW [New South Wales] Attorney General John Hatzistergos has blocked accessto a Law Reform Commission report on relationship recognition and same-sexparenting rights that has sat in limbo for two years, on the grounds he willtable it in parliament sometime in the future. But he revealed that same-sexde facto couples could have access to the federal courts to settle parentingand property disputes under plans with the Rudd Government. A freedom ofinformation request by the Sydney Star Observer was denied this week underthe "deferral of access" section of the Act, for documents which have beenprepared but are yet to be presented to Parliament. The Attorney-General'soffice would not indicate when the report would be released.

-Australia: Victoria's Upper House, the Legislative Council, last nightvoted 29-10 in favour of the Relationships Bill 2007, which will allowsame-sex and de facto couples to formally register their relationships. TheBill has already passed through the Legislative Assembly last month, whereLabor and Greens members voted overwhelmingly to support it. Amendments tothe Bill will be discussed by committee today (Wednesday April 9), afterwhich it will be sent to the Governor, who is expected to receive it nolater than Thursday.

-The office of the Washington Secretary of State has sent letters to eachcouple registered as domestic partners to notify them of changes to domesticpartnership provisions that were enacted by the legislature.
The letter includes notice that couples wanting to terminate theirpartnership must do so before the effective date of the new law, June 12,2008, if they want to do so by simply filing notice with the Secretary ofState. As of June 12, couples must go through a court dissolutionproceeding.

-As married, heterosexual couples across America pull out their tax forms inthe last minute rush to file by April 14th at seconds before midnight,same-sex couples are slapped in the face one more time with theirsecond-class citizenship. No one enjoys tax time in this country. We have along, complicated and intricate tax code that requires a degree to fullyunderstand. What form do you use? Which box do you check? What are legaldeductions and can you count the gift to your mailman as a charitablecontribution? Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death andtaxes," Benjamin Franklin famously said. For same-sex couples, however,there is an additional layer not only of confusion but also of deniedrights. Are we married or aren't we? I live in Massachusetts. I'm marriedbut only in this state. I must file separately to the federal government. Onthe federal form, do we divide the dependents between us? Do I get two ofthe kids and my wife one? Or does it make sense for her to claim all three?
Who gets the mortgage interest deduction?

-The American Political Science Association has entered into a contract tohold its 2012 Annual Meetings in New Orleans. Several members of theAssociation believe that the Association should meet only in states that canguarantee the safety of all of the Association's members and that theSuper-DOMA language denying "the legal incidents" of marriage to members ofsame-sex couples places those members at substantial risk.

-In an act of international solidarity to defend the institution of marriage, over 100 pro-family leaders from around the world signed a petition thisweek to defend efforts in Romania to outlaw same-sex "marriage."
"We applaud the Romanian people for taking this courageous step in defenseof a divinely ordained institution which predates governments and on whosehealth the future of society depends. And we encourage Romania's Chamber ofDeputies and others in the government to fully codify the proposeddefinition of marriage and, eventually, to so define marriage in Romania'sConstitution," the petition reads. Earlier this year, efforts by thepro-family Alliance of Romanian Families to gather 650,000 signatures to bangay "marriage" and the Romanian Senate's vote to amend the country'sconstitution to define marriage as a "union between a man and a woman" cameunder attack by pro-gay groups who attempted to block the measures.

-HRC is celebrating tax season with their "7 Days to a Better Financial You"campaign, and kicks it off with the video of two lesbian moms talking aboutthe financial difficulties of raising children under the unfair burdensfaced by same-sex couples. HRC hits the high points here, but doesn'tdiscuss the fact that it can be harder for a same-sex couple to have onepartner stay at home to take care of their children. When one partnerleaves paid employment, the working partner must pay income tax on anymedical benefits her employer provides to her partner, if she is even luckyenough to work for a company that offers such benefits. A few companies"gross up" salaries to compensate for the extra tax burden, but they arerare. This problem isn't exclusive to parents, but has to factor in when acouple analyzes the impact of one parent staying home, especially if thatperson has had her own employer coverage.

-Weddings have been suspended at a 300-year-old church in north London inprotest at "unjust" religious marriage rights of same-sex couples. NewingtonGreen Unitarian Church will only conduct a ceremonial blessing for bothheterosexual and gay couples who have legally wed in a civil ceremony. Thechurch's minister, Andrew Pakula, said the church's committee votedunanimously in favour of the decision. The church in Islington suspendedfull wedding ceremonies from 30 March. The church describes itself as "aninclusive, liberal religious community welcoming people from all traditionsand perspectives". It said it would continue to bar full weddings until thelaw was amended.


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

-Canada's lesbian senator to tackle homophobic MP
The Prime Minister of Canada has declined to discipline one of his MPs overcomments he made in 1991 calling gay people "homosexual faggots with dirt ontheir fingernails that transmit disease." Conservative Stephen Harper toldthe House of Commons on Monday that he considers the matter closed after TomLukiwski apologised. However, the only openly gay member of the PM'sparliamentary party has decided to challenge Lukiwski about his remarks,which only came to light last week.
click here for the full article

-Euro court will not re-open trans case
The European Court of Human Rights will not re-examine the case of aLithuanian transsexual who won his case there last September. The sevenjudges ruled that Lithuania must implement new legislation on genderreassignment or pay damages. The 28-year-old, known as Mr L, has beenundergoing gender reassignment since 1998 including hormone treatment andbreast removal, but was blocked from more treatment because of the laws inLithuania.
click here for the full article

-Tatchell pledges his second preference vote to Ken
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has said that the election of BorisJohnson as Mayor of London would be a "big mistake." In the comments sectionof The Guardian website he said that he would be voting for Green candidateSian Berry, but his second preference vote will go to incumbent Mayor andLabour candidate Ken Livingstone. Mr Tatchell is the Green party candidatefor the parliamentary constituency of Oxford East.
click here for the full article

-You can be gay behind closed doors says BNP
The British National Party candidate for Mayor of London has given awide-ranging interview to the BBC. Richard Barnbrook is a Barking andDagenham councillor, along with eleven BNP colleagues. He told the BBC: "Youcan be gay behind closed doors, you can be heterosexual behind closed doors,but you don't bring it onto the streets, demanding more rights for it."
click here for the full article

-THT launches "rough sex" website
A leading sexual health charity has created a new information website aimedat gay men interested in rough sex, S&M and other "hard core sexualpractices." Terrence Higgins Trust said research had found that men hadquestions about specific sex scenes but didn't know where to get reliableinformation. Called Hardcell, the site combines facts about sexual healthand recreational drug use with information about sex acts and rough sex.
click here for the full article

-Elton's fundraising concert for Hillary Clinton
British pop legend Sir Elton John has stepped into the political limelightfor the second time this year by agreeing to raise funds for Senator HillaryClinton's campaign for President of the United States. Sir Elton will play aHillary fundraising concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City thisevening. The multi-millionaire singer-songwriter said in a statement: "I'mnot a politician but I believe in the work that Hillary Clinton does."
click here for the full article

-Perez Hilton signs up to ITV
One of America's best-known gossip columnists is to write a weekly blog foritv.com. Perez Hilton, who is gay, is regarded as a powerful Hollywoodplayer due to the popularity of his blog perezhilton.com. He has causedcontroversy by attempting to out celebrities and his crude and oftenunnecessarily abusive style has made him many enemies. He was recentlydescribed by The Times as "the most powerful, widely read, cruel and viciouswriter in Hollywood."
click here for the full article

-Cardiff may get Pride this year
A meeting will be held this week to discuss Cardiff's first ever CardiffPride event. It is hoped the new event will replace the Cardiff Gay andLesbian Mardi Gras, which has been cancelled this year. A lack of communityand financial support is being blamed for the cancellation of Wales' largestPride event. "High demands placed on committee members have made itdifficult to retain volunteers and attract new ones," the committee said ina statement.
click here for the full article

-"Only gays in the village" abusers found guilty
A mother and daughter are awaiting sentencing after being found guilty ofharassing their gay neighbours. Karen Reeves, 44, and Christie Myles, 22,had both denied using homophobic and offensive abuse towards Michael Harrisand Shires Crichton of Marley Lane, in Kingston, near Canterbury. The couplehave been dubbed by locals as, 'The only gays in the village', a referenceto a sketch in BBC comedy show Little Britain.
click here for the full article

-Lesbian mums fight for legal rights in Israel
A Israeli lesbian couple have filed a suit in a Tel Aviv district court forthe right to both be named the biological parents of their newborn baby boy.
The case is exceptional as it is the first time that both partners in ahomosexual relationship have had an active and biological role in the birthof the child. After the woman who bore the child experienced fertilityproblems the couple decided that the other partner would conceive.
click here for the full article


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

-Statement of Moscow Pride organizer concerning the documentary "East-West:Sex & Politics"
Last week "London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival" twice showed as part of itsofficial program the documentary film of German film director Jochen Hick"East-West: Sex & Politics". This was done despite a numerous protests fromthe protagonists of this film and the breaches of copyrights and privacy andpeople. This film which was premiered in the "Berlin International FilmFestival" in February aimed to feature the story of LGBT people in Moscowaround the Moscow Pride events. As the chief organizer of all Moscow PridesI appear as one of the main heros presented in this film. The final versionof this film was realized without any input of the Russian LGBT activists.
As a result, it features totally incorrect facts. Some information iscompletely misleading and does not show the reality. One of the mainprotagonists shown in the film has been sent off from all LGBT organisationsfor improper activities and undermining of LGBT community. His story that isfeatured in the film is totally false. Two weeks before the screening of hefilm "London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival" was informed about it.

-A press conference was supposed to be held today at 11 AM at UnitedNations Plaza by Tibetans living in the US, to demand China end itsoccupation of their country. I went to it expecting 2 or 3 dozenTibetans and their supporters would be standing behind a microphonetree, explaining what they hope to accomplish as the Olympic torchpasses through town. What I found when I got there was a full-fledgedrally, held in front of a large elevated stage near the north end of theplaza, and perhaps five-hundred protesters waving flags, chanting slogans and handing outflyers. I hooked up with five other gay men who were there to call for therelease of Chinese AIDS advocate Hu Jia, sentenced to three years injail last week for pro-democracy advocacy, and to add our voices tothe "Free Tibet" chorus.


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

-Statement of Moscow Pride organizer concerning the documentary "East-West:Sex & Politics"
Last week "London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival" twice showed as part of itsofficial program the documentary film of German film director Jochen Hick"East-West: Sex & Politics". This was done despite a numerous protests fromthe protagonists of this film and the breaches of copyrights and privacy andpeople. This film which was premiered in the "Berlin International FilmFestival" in February aimed to feature the story of LGBT people in Moscowaround the Moscow Pride events. As the chief organizer of all Moscow PridesI appear as one of the main heros presented in this film. The final versionof this film was realized without any input of the Russian LGBT activists.
As a result, it features totally incorrect facts. Some information iscompletely misleading and does not show the reality. One of the mainprotagonists shown in the film has been sent off from all LGBT organisationsfor improper activities and undermining of LGBT community. His story that isfeatured in the film is totally false. Two weeks before the screening of thefilm "London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival" was informed about it.

-A press conference was supposed to be held today at 11 AM at UnitedNations Plaza by Tibetans living in the US, to demand China end itsoccupation of their country. I went to it expecting 2 or 3 dozenTibetans and their supporters would be standing behind a microphonetree, explaining what they hope to accomplish as the Olympic torchpasses through town. What I found when I got there was a full-fledged rally,held in front of a large elevated stage near the north end of the plaza, and perhapsfive-hundred protesters waving flags, chanting slogans and handing outflyers. I hooked up with five other gay men who were there to call for therelease of Chinese AIDS advocate Hu Jia, sentenced to three years injail last week for pro-democracy advocacy, and to add our voices tothe "Free Tibet" chorus.

-About half of gays in Belarus are have STI
In 2007 within the limits of the "Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS inthe Republic of Belarus" inspection has passed 414 people, at 190 MSMinfectious diseases have been revealed, have received corresponding freetreatment of 154 patients with STI. Besides inspection on STI, theopportunity to pass inspection on a HIV-infection with before and after testconsultation, at all 365 MSM, last inspection within a year was given torepresentatives, absence of a HIV-infection is confirmed. During about1987-2008 in Belarus 33 carriers of a HIV among gays have been revealed,such statistics gives the republican center of hygiene, epidemiologic andpublic health of Belarus. But, as employees speak it not last figure as manypeople passing inspection not always speak a true way of infection in caseof detection at them a HIV. Since December, 1st, 2004 in Belarus theproject of the UNDP "Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Republic ofBelarus" which is one of the most large-scale international projects in thefield of public health services of Belarus operates.


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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

-A new film called Tearoom that screened recently at the Whitney Biennialreflects on the Larry Craigs of the 1960's...
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/04/larry-craig-wil.html

-NEW YORK, April 8 - New York Gov. David Paterson addressed astanding-room-only audience at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's NewYork Leadership Awards last night, in which he was honored for hislongstanding work on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)ights. "Held hostage" to the Albany budget process, Paterson sent anextraordinary
message via video to the assembled crowd. Remembering that this yearcommemorates the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr., and remembering King's legacy of "his ability to go beyond theissues of his neighborhood," Paterson urged "New York's civil rights leadersto recognize that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communitiesdeserve equal rights as well."
https://www.kintera.org/site/lookup.asp?c=nlI2IeN1JyE&b=3449865

-Dear Student:
You are invited to participate in a short survey investigating campusclimate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students.
To participate, please access the following URL:
http://survey.lilt.ilstu.edu/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=72MK997


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

-Out's "Power 50" lists most influential gays, lesbians
Out U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., New York City Council Speaker ChristineQuinn and California state Sen. Sheila Kuehl are among those to make thisyear's edition of the Out "Power 50" list. Out (4/7)

-Group: Egyptian doctors wrong to reveal identities of HIV patients
Egyptian doctors are wrong to violate patient confidentiality by turningover the names of people with HIV and AIDS to be arrested by the police forallegedly having gay sex, according to a coalition of 117 human-rightsgroups. The statement was released on the eve of an April 9 trial of 12 men,including five with HIV or AIDS, who are all accused of the "habitualpractice of debauchery." Advocate.com (4/8)

-Ariz. lawmaker launches drive for job-bias ballot question
Arizona state Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Phoenix, who is bisexual, is organizinga drive to place a question on the November ballot asking voters to approvea ban on job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Sinemasaid she will drop her campaign if marriage opponents agree not to try toplace a marriage initiative on the ballot. East Valley Tribune (Mesa,Ariz.)/Capitol Media Services (4/6)

-Canadian PM: Official shouldn't resign for anti-gay comments in '91
Conservative Canadian Parliament Secretary Tom Lukiwski's "unqualifiedapology" for anti-gay remarks he made some two decades ago should suffice tothose opponents who are calling for his resignation, according to PrimeMinister Stephen Harper. Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said Harper had "nochoice but to demonstrate to Canadians that his government rejects thosedisgraceful comments." Canada.com (CanWest News Service) (4/7)

-Christine Quinn in dustup over NYC finances
Christine Quinn, president of the New York City Council and widelyconsidered to be a candidate for mayor, admitted this week that the councilhad ppropriated funds for nonexistent groups with made-up names as part ofa decades oldaccounting practice just recently brought to light. Quinnreportedly ordered an end o the practice, but it was continued by staffersagainst her wishes. The Washington ost/Associated Press (4/8)

-Do you want to work for the next President of the United States?
The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute is leading a community-wide effort toidentify strong candidates to serve the next president of the United States.
GLLI's Presidential Appointments Project serves as the talent bank foropenly LGBT professionals seeking appointed positions in the nextpresidential administration. If you've ever considered working for thefederal government, now is the time to start thinking about whether you havewhat it takes to work for the president and help to bring about positivechange in our country. GLLI's partners in the project include the HumanRights Campaign, The Task Force, National Black Justice Coalition and theNational Stonewall Democrats. For more information and to submit yourresume, go to www.glli.org/presidential.


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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
Lazarus Austin, the author of the Mississippi State University Reflectorpiece, "Schools overplay gay tolerance", has apparently posted an onlineresponse to comments and letters about his column. "Laz" now says that"pretty, busty, and skimpily dressed women" invite rape, and that Lawrence'skiller "had a reason" to kill him. Austin's repeated declarations that crimevictims "invite" attacks against themselves may be in violation ofMississippi State University's Harassment Policy and its Code of StudentConduct, which prohibit "repeated and unwanted behavior" that "a reasonableperson would find hostile or abusive and...that the victim does in factperceive to be so." Letters can be sent to the Reflector atopinion@reflector. msstate.edu and to Dean of Students Mike White atMike@Saffairs. Msstate.Edu.
http://www.reflecto r-online. com/home/ index.cfm? event=displayArt
icleComments& ustory_id= c60c7c25- d054-431c- 9c8b-82675097b11 9&startRow=
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