GLBT DIGEST May 1, 2008

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

-Gay Dems working to re-elect San Diego's GOP mayor
Sanders won hearts of many after tearful embrace of gay marriage
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18025

-Robinson backs out of symposium on 'ex-gays'
Gay bishop denounces reparative therapy; APA disavows event
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18015

-Williams criticised by gay bishop
The first openly gay Anglican bishop has accused the Archbishop ofCanterbury of failing to confront critics of his appointment.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7374662.stm

-Pansies, get over it!
Are we really so thin-skinned and politically correct that we're offended byuse of the word "pansy?" North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley's use of the wordduring his speech endorsing Sen. Hillary Clinton predictably triggered lotsof blogger indignation this week. Easley said Clinton "makes Rocky Balboalook like a pansy."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=4/30/08&end=5/2/08#18019

-Hillary's serious gay problem (Updated)
In Hillary Clinton's disturbing attempt to rebrand herself as aBible-totin', gun-slinging Annie Oakley, complete with right-wing talkingpoints, I guess it's not surprising that gays would end up with the shortend of the stick in Camp Clinton these days. Hillary has given lip serviceto supporting GLBT rights, but her actions over the past few months - not tomention the past few decades - have shown that Hillary is not only trying todistance herself from the gay community and GLBT issues but has done herbest to use anti-gay sentiment to her advantage. There's a disturbingpattern at work here, folks, that should outrage any true Democrat who caresabout equality.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/30/61119/3963/264/506212


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

-Former DNC Leader Switches To Obama
(Washington) A leader of the Democratic Party under Bill Clinton hasswitched his allegiance to Barack Obama and is encouraging fellow Democratsto "heal the rift in our party" and unite behind the Illinois senator.

-McCain Vague On Paying For Billions In Promises
(Washington) Republican John McCain is making promises that would costbillions of taxpayer dollars, yet he is vague about how he would pay forthem.

-Call For Investigation Of Pro-Clinton Group
(Washington) Barack Obama's presidential campaign wants federal regulatorsto investigate fellow Democrats who are backing Hillary Rodham Clinton'scandidacy, taking intraparty discord to a new level of confrontation.

-Shareholders Reject Bid To Strip Gay Protections At Wells Fargo
(San Francisco, California) A motion by a Wells Fargo shareholder to removeprotections for LGBT workers from the company's non-discrimination policywas defeated this week at its annual meeting.

-Estate Of Murdered Gay Porn Producer Wins Civil Suit
(Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) The father of Bryan Kocis has won a civillawsuit against two men charged with murdering the gay porn producer lastyear.

-Emotional Hearing Over Proposed Pa. Gay Marriage Amendment
(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) Opponents and supporters of a proposedconstitutional amendment that would bar same-sex marriage and civil unionsin Pennsylvania filled a committee room at the Capitol in one of thesession's most emotional hearings.

-Soccer Star In Transgender Hooker Scandal
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Ronaldo went into hiding Tuesday after a run-inwith transsexual prostitutes that prompted police to investigate whether tocharge one with trying to extort money from the soccer star.


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

-Man Charged in Murder of Gay Activist
A man has been charged with murdering West Palm Beach, Fla., gay rightsactivist Scott Graham, who was found dead in his home on April 16, The PalmBeach Post reported Wednesday. Ricardo David Fuenes-Valle, 20, was arrestedon Tuesday near Tampa by Hillsborough County deputies and U.S. marshals. Heis being charged with first-degree murder.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53722.asp

-New Pastor to Head Obama's 8,000-member Chicago Church
When the Reverend Otis Moss III takes to the pulpit before a congregation
that includes Barack Obama, he's as likely to preach about Tupac Shakur orone of his favorite authors as he is the Apostle Paul.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid53725.asp

-The Reality of Love
Transsexual actress Calpernia Addams discusses her experience on the realitydating series Transamerican Love Story, and how she allowed herself to stepaway from being the spokeswoman for trans people and decided to just have alittle fun.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid53707.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:

-Washington D.C. to Host Largest LGBT Aquatics Competition
The District of Columbia Aquatics Club (DCAC) and the Washington WetskinsWater Polo Team are extending an invitation to the LGBT community to supportthe upcoming 2008 International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships(IGLA) by either competing in or attending the annual tournament. More than1,200 athletes are expected to convene in Washington, DC during the four-daycompetition to be held June 19-22.

-Equality Forum 2008 Includes Conversation with Judy Shepard and NationalPolitics Panel
Equality Forum 2008 will include A Conversation with Judy Shepard at theNational Constitution Center on Sunday, May 4. The conversation will befacilitated by Patrick Guerriero, Executive Director of Gill Action Fund.
October 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Judy and DennisShepard's 21-year-old son, Matthew. Determined to prevent others fromsuffering their son's fate, Judy and Dennis established a foundation tocarry on Matthew's legacy.

- Kathy Griffin is GLAAD to Represent the Gay Community!
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is more than just a hilarious realityshow featuring the life of comedienne Kathy Griffin. According to the Gay &Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) the show is also doing somethingright when it comes to representing the gay community.

-John Hurt to Play 'Stately Homo' Naked Civil Servant Quentin Crisp - Again
John Hurt will reprise one of his most famous roles 33 years on when he donsQuentin Crisp's cravat once more in a sequel to The Naked Civil Servant. ITVis to produce An Englishman In New York, a new 90-minute drama, in whichHurt reprises his acclaimed role as the maverick gay icon.

- Polo, the Sport of Queens
Polo has been called "the sport of kings." It's now also the sport ofqueens. In Southern California, the Gay Polo League (GPL) is thriving. Itdoesn't matter if you can't tell a mallet's head from its shaft, or even ifyou've never mounted a horse. All comers are welcome.


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

-Graham, Tiffany C. , "Exploring the Impact of the Marriage Amendments: CanPublic Employers Offer Domestic Partner Benefits to Their Gay and LesbianEmployees?" (April 2008). Villanova Law/Public Policy Research Paper No.2008-14 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1126733 ,,,,The articlefocuses on an issue that is shaping up to be the new front in the same-sexmarriage wars: whether applying the terms of the more broadly-constructedamendments to public employers will bar them from offering domestic partnerbenefits to their gay and lesbian employees. The first part of the articleoffers an overview of domestic partner benefits plans and discusses themanner in which they are currently being threatened by the morebroadly-constructed marriage amendments. The second part takes a close lookat the litigation in National Pride at Work v. Michigan.

-Australia: The ACT [Australian Capital Territory] is on an imminentcollision course with the Federal Government over same-sex unions. The RuddGovernment is set to emulate the Howard government and override or disallowACT legislation, unless talks in the next 48 hours reach a compromise. TheFederal Government yesterday unveiled plans to fulfil election commitmentsto amend about 100 laws to ensure superannuation, taxation andsocial-security rights for same-sex partners.

-San Diego: It's not often you find gay Democrats working to re-elect astraight Republican politician, but then again, 2008 is turning out to be anexceptional year in politics. Stampp Corbin, a prominent Barack Obamasupporter, and San Diego City Commissioner Nicole Murray-Ramirez are gayDemocrats, but they're organizing gay support for the re-election campaignof San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. Corbin and Murray-Ramirez. Theorganization run by Corbin is called 2008 GLBT Vote San Diego.

-Back in the old days, there were those who supported gay rights and thosewho opposed them - vocally. There was also a third group whose oppositionwas so deep that they objected even to discussing the issue. For them, todebate gay rights would be to dignify depravity, and depravity merits chillysilence, not invitations to dialogue. In the last decade or so, a fourthgroup has appeared mirroring the third. This group's support for gay rightsruns so deep that they object even to discussing the issue. For them, todebate gay rights would be to dignify bigotry, and bigotry merits chillysilence, not invitations to dialogue. While the above sketch is somewhatsimplistic, I think it captures an important shift in the gay-rights debate.
Increasingly, one finds people on both sides who object not merely to theiropponents' position but even to engaging that position. Why debate theobvious, they ask. Surely anyone who holds THAT position must be toostubborn, brainwashed or dumb to reason with.

-Australia: Imagine risking your life for your country in the armedservices, only to discover that if you die your partner will receive nocompensation or pension? Imagine not being able to fully provide for yourpartner after your death because you are not permitted to name him or her asthe beneficiary of your superannuation?

-Australia: Same-sex couples will soon risk fraud charges if they keeptheir relationships secret from welfare authorities. Under new laws todeliver equal rights, they will face the same disclosure rules asheterosexuals when dealing with Centrelink. Same-sex couples who receiveany welfare benefit will have to notify the agency of their relationship,their partner's income, and any changes in their circumstances.


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

-Lesbos lawsuit "pathetic and scary" says activist
A publicity-seeking attempt by three residents of the island of Lesbos tosue a gay advocacy group has a serious side, says a lesbian rightscampaigner. The Greek island was home to the 6th Century BC poet Sappho.

-Age of consent in Northern Ireland to be lowered
The British government will bring the age at which people can consent to sexin Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK. Unionist politiciansin the province are expected to oppose the move.

-Costa Rica backs International Day Against Homophobia
Gay activists have welcomed the decision of the government of Costa Rica toofficially declare IDAHO Day on May 17. The International Day AgainstHomophobia (IDAHO) is marked in over 50 countries.

-Conservatives launch web campaign to retain gay military ban
An advocacy group in the United States has launched a Congressional petitionagainst calls for the country's military to allow openly gay people toserve.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7530.html

-UK: Nurses speak up for gay teenagers
The Royal College of Nursing's annual Congress has overwhelmingly passed amotion in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans young people. Morethan 95% of delegates yesterday supported the call for the RCN Council to"develop and promote best practice."

-US star to divorce husband beset by gay rumours
It was the beginning of the end for Star Jones on hit US show The View. Awedding, complete with corporate sponsors and daily updates. America couldno longer relate to the talk show
regular.http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7528.html

-Trans playwright examines relationships with medical profession
"I've always been interested in the strange relationship that exists betweentransgendered people and the medical and therapist community," says theaward-winning trans playwright Tobias K. Davis.
He explores those issues in his latest play, Standards of Care.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7525.html


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

-Nepal gets its first gay representative in parliament
The wind of change that swept through Nepal in the form of a historicelection this month, dethroned its king, once revered as god, and insteadgave power to the former Maoist guerrillas, will also see a fresh socialrevolution with the first gay representative being nominated to the newconstituent assembly. Sunil Babu Pant, a 35-year-old crusader for gayrights who founded the first organisation to protect the rights of thesexual minorities and ushered in a social revolution, now becomes part ofNepal's political history as well after being chosen by a minor communistparty to represent it in the 601-member constituent assembly.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Nepal_ready_for_first_gay_representative/articleshow/2999871.cms


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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

-FBI Director: 'We're Losing' Battle Against Child Porn
The Internet is helping child pornography expand, FBI head says.
WASHINGTON - FBI Director Robert Mueller was blunt in his comments on April23 during a House Judiciary Committee hearing when asked about issues ofcomputer crime and child pornography on the Internet. "We're losing," hesaid. Mueller said almost every imaginable crime has gravitated to the Internet,which he said can expand certain crimes. "That's certainly true with childpornography," he said.
The FBI and the Justice Department have held meetings with major Internetservice providers to discuss expanding data retention to go after childpornographers and those who provide the images on the Internet.
"I do believe that records retention would be of assistance in terms ofaddressing these problems," Mueller said. According to the National Centerfor Missing and Exploited Children, child pornography is a $20billion-a-year black-market industry that has been proliferating on theInternet.


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

-False Bravado: The Red Line
For three years I had weekly sessions with Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, president ofthe National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality(NARTH). Dr. Nicolosi thought that homosexuality was a pathology, asublimated desire to reconnect with one's lost masculinity. The theory:under-attentive fathers and over-attentive mothers create gay children. Thepurpose of therapy was to put me in touch with my masculine identity andthereby change my sexual orientation.
http://cornellsun.com/section/opinion/content/2008/05/01/false-bravado

-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

-Black Principal Outs Black Gay Students at Memphis Jr. High School
In a story from five years ago, principal Daphne Beasley compared herstudents to diamonds.
http://www.jasmynecannick.com/blog/?p=1655

-The Rainbow Picket Fence
Both the New York Times and Details magazine have just published articlesthat look at the "settling down" of gay male culture. The Times, in a SundayMagazine cover story, explores the trend of even young gay men in their 20'sgetting married. Details looks at "The Gay Baby Boom."
http://www.mombian.com/2008/04/29/the-rainbow-picket-fence/

-United Methodist Church May Change Policy on Homosexuality
The United Methodist Church meets every four years in a General Conference.
Currently they are meeting in Fort Worth, TX
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/04/30/1907

-Methodists vote to stick with church's anti-gay policies
Delegates to the United Methodist Church's General Conference today turnedback attempts to liberalize its policy on homosexuality.
http://seaqwa.com/blogs/qnews/archive/2008/04/30/methodists-vote-to-stick-with-church-s-anti-gay-policies.aspx

-New study: New Jersey has enacted 200 LGBT civil rights laws at the state,county and local levels since Garden State Equality's founding in July 2004,a national record
http://seaqwa.com/blogs/qnews/archive/2008/04/30/methodists-vote-to-stick-with-church-s-anti-gay-policies.aspx

-SiriusOutQ presents The Michelangelo Signorile Show
Sirius Satellite Radio's Channel 109 presents the Michelangelo Signorile
Show each day from 2:00pm to 6:00pm ET. PageOneQ updates readers on theappearances of notable figures in the LGBT and allied communities (andsometimes those not so friendly to our community).
http://pageoneq.com/news/2008/signorileshow.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Texas agency investigates whether sect abused boys
Texas child welfare authorities are looking at the possibility that youngboys were sexually abused at a polygamist sect's ranch.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-polygamists_01may01,0,1818179.story


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