GLBT DIGEST May 17, 2008

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

-Same - sex marriage ruling also victory for SF mayor
Hours before the California Supreme Court issued its decision on gaymarriage, Mayor Gavin Newsom heard rumblings that the justices would upholdthe state's ban.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Gay-Marriage-Mayor.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin


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

-The Words 'Evangelical' And 'Republican' Are Not Synonymous
Below is an excerpt from "On Faith," an Internet feature sponsored by TheWashington Post and Newsweek. Each week, more than 50 figures from the worldof faith engage in a conversation about an aspect of religion. This week'squestion: Some Christian leaders issued an Evangelical Manifesto last weekto depoliticize the term 'evangelical.' "We evangelicals are definedtheologically, and not politically, socially or culturally," they said. Inyour mind, what is the definition of an evangelical?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603400.html?sub=AR

-Episcopal Seminaries Struggle With Costs
Long-Held Training Model Faces an Uncertain Future
In the cloistered world of Episcopal seminaries, time sometimes seems tostand still as clergy-in-training gather in stone chapels to pray in waysfamiliar to their forebears centuries earlier.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603428.html

-Reuters Entertainment Summary
Ellen DeGeneres to wed after gay marriage ruling
Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres plans to marry her long-timepartner, actress Portia de Rossi, after a California court ruling allowinggay marriage. "I am announcing I am getting married," DeGeneres, 50, toldthe audience during the taping of her "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" onThursday. The show was due to be broadcast on Friday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/17/AR2008051700743.html

-CASEY DEMOCRATS: Not the Party Faithful Anymore
Irmo Antonacci used to vote for Democratic presidential candidates. A son ofItalian immigrants, the 80-year-old retiree lives in Jeannette, Pa., adown-at-the-heels smokestack city southeast of Pittsburgh. After droppingout of college in 1950, he got a job installing telephones with Bell Pennand joined a union. He registered as a Democrat and became a John F. Kennedyfan. A decade ago, he was the Democratic committeeman from the town's 5thward.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051603459.html


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

-California ruling will test public opinion on gay marriage
The California Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage will not be thelast word.
California voters will almost certainly hold a referendum on aconstitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in November. Theamendment needs a simple majority to pass, and if the voters reject gaymarriage, their decision will supersede the high court's. There are signsthe contest's outcome will be close.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flagay0517sbmay17,0,7350700.story

-Ellen DeGeneres and longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi are jumping at thechance to get married.
During a Thursday taping for Friday's Ellen DeGeneres Show, the host talkedto the studio audience in Los Angeles about the news that the CaliforniaSupreme Court had struck down state laws against gay marriage.
"So I would like to say now, for the first time, I am announcing: I am getting married," DeGeneres, 50, said. The studio audience stood and gave a long ovation. De Rossi, 35, who has appeared in Ally McBealand Nip/Tuck,was sitting in the audience, beaming and clapping. Then DeGeneres joked: "Thank you. I'll tell you who the lucky guy is soon."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flapeople0517sbmay17,0,4186561.story


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

-Drag Queen Sentenced To 40 Years In Trucker Murder
A 28-year old gay Florida man has been sentenced to 40-years in prison forthe slaying of a 45-year old trucker he met in a West Palm Beach gay club in2003.

-Health Warning Over HIV Drug Linked To Serious Liver Side Effects
Health Canada and pharmaceutical company Janssen-Ortho are warning peopletaking the HIV drug Prezista that the drug can cause serious liverside-effects.

-Minnesota Passes Gay Partner Benefits Bill
The Minnesota House has passed legislation that would allow localgovernments to to offer health and other benefits to the same-sex partnersof their workers.

-Gay Pride Organizers Appeal To Russian President
Organizers of a gay pride march appealed Friday to Russian President DmitryMedvedev to overturn a decision by Mayor Yuri Lushkov to prohibit the event.

-Calif. Ruling Pushes Conservatives To Push Two States On Gay Union Bans
Conservative lawmakers in Arizona and North Carolina are using Thursday'sCalifornia Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage to press foramendments to their state constitutions to prevent similar rulings.

-Year Of Waiting For Conn. Gay Marriage Ruling
One year ago this week the Connecticut Supreme Court heard arguments in acase involving 8 same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.

-Presidential Candidates On Same-Sex Marriage
When it comes to same-sex marriage there are few differences in thepositions of John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

-Pope Blasts Gay Marriage
Pope Benedict is again weighing in on the issue of same-sex marriage.

-Group Returns To Court, Seeks Delay In Gay Marriages
Even as same-sex couples across California begin making plans to tie theknot, opponents are redoubling their efforts to make sure wedding bellsnever ring for gay couples in the nation's most populous state.


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

-Majority justices in Calif. ruling have strong GOP ties
Landmark decision expected to influence battles in other statesThe California Supreme Court's historic decision Thursday legalizingsame-sex marriage in the state greatly strengthened the principle that stateconstitutions open the way for marriage rights for gays, attorneys said.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18280

-Maine: Gay rights repeal effort moves forward
Petition drive to start next week
Election officials say they expect to give the Christian Civic League ofMaine the go-ahead next week to start a petition drive aimed at sending theproposal to the Legislature -- and then probably to voters -- no sooner thanNovember 2009.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18347

-Quiet campaign helps two pro-gay bills pass Ala. House
GOP defector helps add sexual orientation to hate crimes law
In what some activists consider a bellwether moment for gay rights in theU.S., the Alabama House of Representative passed a pair of gay-inclusivebills in the same day earlier this month. Legislators voted 46-44 to amendthe state's hate crimes law to include sexual orientation, and unanimouslypassed a measure aimed at reducing bullying in schools.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18339

-Canadian church faces censure over gay pastor
A Canadian Lutheran church was proceeding on Friday with plans to ordain agay pastor who is married to another man, despite warnings it would beviolating church teachings and would be disciplined.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080516/wl_canada_nm/canada_gay_col_1

-Los Angeles County gearing up for same-sex marriage licenses
Supervisor Yaroslavsky wants the county to be ready as soon as possible tocomply with the Supreme Court ruling. It will be at least 30 days beforelicenses are issued, officials say.
Marriage license officials across Southern California scrambled Friday toprepare for an anticipated crush of same-sex couples rushing to the altarnow that the Supreme Court has lifted the state's gay marriage ban.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lagay17-2008may17,0,2531646.story

-After disappointments, couple hopes for dignity and a ceremony
For Jim Smith and Frank Reifsnyder, the ban on gay marriage was anotherexample of gays and lesbians being treated 'as less than human.'
The slights are mostly small, but cumulative. Maybe it's the blank, slightlyconfused expression on someone's face when Jim Smith introduces his"domestic partner." Or the extra fee that rental car agencies charge if theyboth want to drive the car, because they are not married. Or the tax formsthey cannot file jointly.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-couple16-2008may16,0,5249714.story?track=rss

-Citizen-penned marriage equality bill introduced in Minnesota legislature
Can one citizen make a difference at the legislature? Doug Benson might bethe guy. He's spent the past two years protesting at the Minnesota Capitolwith large banners reminding legislators that a group of Minnesotans doesn'thave equality under the law. And Benson hasn't just protested; he's draftedhis first piece of legislation, which was finally introduced on Friday.
http://www.minnesotamonitor.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4008

-Turning Their Backs on Schlafly
After years of turning her back to women, LGBT Americans and plain ol'common sense, Phyllis Schafly got a taste of her own medicine today ashundreds of students and faculty members at Washington University turnedtheir backs as the school honored the controversial founder of The EagleForum with an honorary doctorate.
http://www.pflag.org/blog/?p=340

-Jeffrey Rosen on the Gay Marriage Ruling
Many are celebrating yesterday's decision by the California Supreme Court tolegalize gay marriage in the state; others are bracing for a referendumbattle; and some, cooped up in campaign offices, are trying to figure outhow best to play it. So, in an effort to see the ruling from as manyperspectives as possible, we've enlisted a few friends of the magazine tooffer their thoughts. First, we have Jeffrey Rosen, who is TNR's legalaffairs correspondent.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/05/16/jeffrey-rosen-on-the-gay-marriage-ruling.aspx

-Obama's Cowardice On Marriage
Jonathan Martin makes a point:
Because Obama is not where the far left wants him to be (marriage) andMcCain not where the far right wants him to be (a federal ban), this is notsomething either will probably make front and center.
I see his point but I still bristle at the notion of marriage rights being a"far left" position. No straight person would ever regard his or hermarriage as something of which only the "far left" would approve. And manyvery conservative gay couples who have gotten married because they want toaffirm family life, responsibility and commitment would be surprised tolearn that these values are now part of the "far left." It's equally truethat a federal ban is not meaningfully "far right." There is absolutelynothing conservative about amending the federal constitution to deal with amatter of social policy that is best left to the states. I wish these tiredand misleading labels could be put to one side.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/05/gay-marriage-an.html


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

-Whither Domestic Partnerships?
Now that marriage equality has been mandated for the Golden State, whathappens to gay and lesbian Californians registered as domestic partners?Lambda Legal's Jennifer C. Pizer explains it all.
Nearly 50,000 couples have registered as domestic partners in Californiasince its DP registry opened on January 1, 2000. So now that there'smarriage equality in the state, thanks to the California supreme court'sruling Thursday, what do domestic partners and curious observers need toknow? We asked Jennifer C. Pizer, senior counsel for Lambda Legal.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid54506.asp

-The Community Reacts to California Marriages - Quotes from Celebrities
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid54415.asp

-After Ruling, Party Scene in West Hollywood
A celebratory crowd in West Hollywood spilled out of the city's bars andcoffeeshops and into the street on Thursday to celebrate the end ofCalifornia's same-sex marriage ban. Friends and families, couples andsingles both gay and straight, flocked to a rally planned by theorganizations behind the legal win. Standing under an arrangement of flowersand flanked by wedding cakes, the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center's CEO,Lorri L. Jean, cheered the victory. "Today, the California supreme courtsaid, 'Let them eat cake,'" she crowed.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid54489.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:

-Two Down, Three to Go: With CA Ruling, NY, CT, NJ May Be Next in Line
The May 15 ruling by California Supreme Court that it is unconstitutional inthat state to deny gay and lesbian families marriage is already having aripple effect in states across the union. A month from the date of theruling, barring an injunction, the state is required to begin allowing gayand lesbian families to wed. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who had twicevetoed legislation approved by state lawmakers to extend marriage equality,said that he would abide by the ruling, and also said he would not supportany effort to write anti-gay-family bias into the state's constitution.

-Formerly Gay Porn Star Ready For One More Closeup
Usually I scream bloody murder when a gay man marries a woman, but when JackWrangler hooked up with Margaret Whiting all those years ago, I thought,"Well, maybe." She was 55, he was 33. She was a classic, old-style singer,he was a once-raunchy porn star. She was a woman, he was a gay. But theyboth liked showtunes! And when Wrangler told her he was gay, Whiting'sresponse was "only around the edges, dear."

-Is My Dog Gay?
I was not prepared for what I would find when typing the words "Can my dogbe gay?" into Google's search engine. I was bombarded by strange questionsposted on websites and blogs about strange things owner's make their dogs do(No, I will not repeat them!) and yes even videos created by people with waytoo much time on their hands.

-Gay Officers Out of Closet Thanks to Him
When Larry McKeon died this week, shortly after a violent stroke, he wasmemorialized as Illinois' first openly gay legislator. I remember him forsomething else. The night I met McKeon is hard to imagine now. It was aWednesday in 1992. Men and women, black and white, middle-aged and young,filed into an upstairs banquet room of an Ann Sather restaurant on BelmontAvenue. Twenty were expected. Eighty turned out.

-What's the Harm in Gays Marrying?
Two recent court decisions will give high-powered ammunition to both sidesof the gay marriage debate in Florida. Proponents of an amendment banninggay marriage point to yesterday's pro-gay marriage ruling by a Californiacourt and say, "See, these activist judges are exactly why we need to vote aban into the Florida constitution." And gay-rights activists look to arecent Michigan court ruling which threatens domestic partnership benefitsbecause of a state constitutional ban on gay marriage and say, "See, this iswhy the ballot proposal is so dangerous - these bans don't just stop gaymarriages but also strip benefits and rights that have already beenestablished."

-Gay Cop Busted For Sexually Abusing Boy
An NYPD sergeant who once headed the city's gay-cops coalition sexuallypreyed upon a relative's adopted son, forcing the boy to have sex on aweekly basis, authorities charged yesterday. Jaime Katz, a 10-year veteranassigned to the Police Academy, "developed a relationship with the orphan,and over time groomed him for sex and sex-related acts," Assistant DA JohnTemple said at the cop's arraignment last night.


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

-The magisterial conviction of Thursday's opinion would be extraordinary nomatter what court had delivered it. But its issuance from the high court ofCalifornia is nothing short of revolutionary. Recent polls show that theCalifornia Supreme Court is the most respected state high court in thecountry. This suggests that other courts may borrow its strict scrutinystandard, under which most bans on same-sex marriage would fall. Even if noother court adopts today's reasoning, the mere fact that millions can marryin the Golden State will have its own effects. California is the mostpopulous state in the nation and one of the top 10 economies in the world(alongside nations like Canada and Italy). Because of its cultural,political, and economic influence, what happens in California does not stayin California. So much depends, then, on the inevitable legislative responseto this opinion. The refusal of the opinion to temporize or compromise willmake it a political lightning rod. An initiative to pass a stateconstitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage has already been proposedfor California's November 2008 ballot. Unlike the anti-gay marriageinitiative that failed in Arizona in April, the upcoming one in Californiatakes narrow aim at marriage itself, leaving domestic partnerships alone.
-Gay rights advocates predicted yesterday's California court rulinglegalizing same-sex marriage will encourage the New Jersey Legislature tofollow suit, but a gay lawmaker is not so optimistic.
"What happens in California does not stay in California, and that is a greatthing for equality," said Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden StateEquality, which is pushing to legalize gay marriage by the end of this year.
Goldstein said the ruling by the California Supreme Court "will make it wayeasier for legislators in New Jersey to follow their heart and do the rightthing."

-I knew as soon as the California Supreme Court marriage ruling was posted,that I would read the whole thing. I started reading it at my desk, after itwas posted, but stopped once got to the "bottom line" of the ruling - and,truly, because as I realized what I was reading, and what the CaliforniaSupreme Court had said, the emotion was too much.

-Thinking about taking a trip to California to get married? According toDallas gay rights attorney Ken Upton, you may want to think again.
Thursday's decision by the California Supreme Court means that for the first time, gaycouples who reside in Texas are eligible to be civilly married on U.S. soil.
Unlike Massachusetts, where gay marriage has been legal since 2004,California has no residency requirement for marriage.
However, because Texas doesn't recognize same-sex marriages from otherstates, there's no legal benefit to be gained, Upton said. And if you'relooking to make a symbolic gesture, many churches in Texas already performsame-sex weddings. Upton warned that there may be legal complications forsame-sex couples from other states who tie the knot in California. This"dual status," he said, can create headaches when it comes to things likeincome taxes and health benefits, especially since the federal governmentdoesn't recognize same-sex marriages.

-D.C. Council on May 6 approved the addition of 39 new provisions to thecity's domestic partners law, bringing the law to a point where same-sexcouples who register as domestic partners will receive most, but not quiteall, of the rights and benefits of marriage under District law.

-Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr says that when it comes to gaymarriage, what happens in California is California's own business. He's astates' rights man.


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

-Moscow bans gays and lesbians from holding demonstration
A small group of gay men and women have been banned from holding a picket infront of the General Prosecution office in downtown Moscow on Saturday.

-"Unacknowledged policy" places disabled kids with gay carers
An adoption expert has criticised the treatment of lesbian and gay peoplewho want to foster children or become adoptive parents.

-New Mayor calls Pride a "sexual exhibition"
A former fascist elected to lead one of Europe's biggest cities has spokenout against the gay community. Gianni Alemanno defeated his opponents totake control of Rome on April 28th.

-Police pay damages after anti-gay Muslims documentary row
Channel 4 and independent film maker Hard Cash accepted damages and anapology at the High Court following a row over a documentary broadcast lastJanuary exposing homophobic preaching in UK mosques.


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

-MOSCOW: A leading Russian gay rights activist urged President DmitryMedvedev on Friday to sanction a gay pride parade in Moscow scheduled forlater this month. Nikolai Alexeyev's appeal came after repeated refusalsfrom Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has called homosexuality "satanic." Alexeyevsaid activists want to hold the parade on May 31 to symbolize resistance tointolerance and xenophobia. He said the Moscow park where the parade isplanned falls under federal rather than municipal jurisdiction, and vowedthat activists would rally even if the request is denied. Russiadecriminalized homosexuality in 1993, but opposition to gay rights remainsstrong and frequently turns violent.

-MEPs to raise Moldova Pride violence in Euro Parliament
Members of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Lesbian and Gay Rightshave spoken of their dismay at events in Moldova at the weekend. Lesbian andgay activists in the central European nation, which is not a member of theEuropean Union, had their attempt to hold a Pride event banned and thenblocked by police inaction and violence. In the capital Chisinau on Sunday abus with 60 Pride marchers was surrounded by hundreds of members ofco-ordinated groups, including extremist religious groups and members of theneo-fascist movement. Pride organisers said that the gay-hate crowds enteredthe bus and grabbed flags and banners, while their companions shouted "Beatthem to death" and "Don't let them escape."
There were reportedly nine attempts to call the police during this incident,with no response.

-The Iranian Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for 4 people from thecity of Mashhad who abducted and forcefully raped a young man.
Earlier last year, [ Iranian new year starts on March 21], in the GhasemAbad suburb of Mashah, 4 young men between the ages of 20 to 23, abductedtwo 16 year-old teenagers using motorcycles and took them to the desert onthe outskirt of the city. One of the victims, who sensed the true intentionof his abductors, managed to escape by hitchhiking , but the second teenagerfell victim to his abductors. The case of this forceful abduction, rape, andharassment was reviewed by the Fifth Branch of the Criminal Court of theKhorasan Razavi province. During the court sessions, attended by thedefendants and their lawyers, the defenders confessed to their crime. Afterconsidering the law sue filed by the plaintiffs, the confession of thedefendants, and the forensic report, the judge at the Fifth Branch of theCriminal Curt issued his verdict based on the Islamic penal code, sentencingall defendants indicated in this case to execution through hanging.
Following the defendants and their lawyers' appeal, the case was sent to the27th Branch of the Supreme Court. the Supreme Court judges reviewed thecontent of the case and upheld the decision of the lower court.

-Today! INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
IGLHRC Joins International Day Against Homophobia
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) joins ourmany colleagues around the world in using this day-May 17, the InternationalDay Against Homophobia (IDAHO)-to further raise the visibility of ourstruggles around the world to combat and eliminate the tragic consequencesof homophobia.
IDAHO has a special significance this year, as it is the 60th anniversary ofthe Universal Declaration of Human Rights-the first international documentto define a universally applicable and inalienable set of human rights thatare the entitlement of every person, regardless of sexual orientation,gender identity or expression. The entitlement of everyone-including sexualminorities-to equality, freedom of expression, and freedom from abuse isoutlined in this document and the international treaties that have beensigned by governments around the world.


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

-PARIS: The founder of International Day Against Homophobia was arrestedyesterday outside the Presidential Palace along with a small group ofsupporters as they demonstrated and staged a 'die in' in support ofpersecuted gay and lesbians worldwide. They were held in police cells for ashort time before being released. "Here, in France, the situation is verycomplex, the founder of IDAHO, Louis-Georges Tin, said by email overnight.
"The conservative government was totally opposed to our cause. "The battlewas, and still, is very hard.
http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/08/May/1702.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 or contact rays.list@comcast.net

-Messages In This Digest (13 Messages)
1. New report claims 86 countries criminalise same-sex acts From: omarkuddus
2. Italian police round up illegal immigrants/* Dutch immigration exam From:omar kuddus
3. NETHERLANDS: DISCRIMINATION IN THE NAME OF INTEGRATION From: omar kuddus
4. Asylum seeker takes his life in Belgium From: omar kuddus
5. Brown rejects cap on immigration From: omar kuddus
6. [1]http://www.irqo.net/IRQO/English/pages/138.htm From: omar kuddus
7. Government of Bahrain seeks to punish 'homosexual children' From: omarkuddus
8. UN: TELL US TO END ILLEGAL DETENTION PRACTICES IN IRAQ From: omar kuddus
9. Stonewall Housing releases booklet to help LGBT domestic violence vi
From: omar kuddus
10a.International News Bites From: omar kuddus
11. Kyrgyzstan: Do Not Return Asylum Seeker to Uzbekistan From: omar kuddus
12. Peter has contributed to making of two new videos. From: omar kuddus13. EARLY DAY MOTIONS From: omar kuddus


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Gay.com
National Masturbation Month
Let's call masturbation what it really is: the ultimate coup d'état. Themoment bush and dick showed up on the scene, they stole our power and havebeen calling the shots ever since. Just like aggressive politicos, they'realways demanding attention. At least the "handier" versions have given usgreat joy and good times -- and the only deficit we experienced afterwardswas a lack of energy.
May is National Masturbation Month and a time to celebrate the art of selfpleasure. Throughout the month we'll bring you everything you'll need tocelebrate fondling the fig, tickling the pickle, and hitchhiking under thebig top with the honor and respect it rightfully deserves.
So stand up, raise your one free hand and repeat after me: "My name is ____,
and I love to masturbate!"
Articles of interest
The finer points of assisted male orgasm
We need your straight friends!
Rate the weirdest J/O location
Talk to the hand: The language of masturbation
Gay sexpert: Beef stroke-it-off
You did it where?
http://www.gay.com/news/roundups/package.html?sernum=6556&navpath=/channels/health/sexuality/


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

-How Webb become Virginia's first out black elected official
This article takes an in-depth look at Lawrence Webb's historic win as thefirst out black person to gain elected office in Virginia. Webb on July 1 isscheduled to take his seat on the Falls Church City Council. WashingtonBlade (5/16)

-Obituary: Larry McKeon, 63, Illinois' first out lawmaker
Former Illinois state Rep. Larry McKeon, who in 1996 became the state'sfirst out elected official, died Tuesday in Chicago. He was 63. "He may havegone in there as the first openly gay state legislator but he is leaving asa very good legislator who happened to be gay," state Rep. John Fritchey,D-Chicago, said when McKeon announced his retirement in 2006. CBS2Chicago)/Associated Press (5/14)
Marketplace

-"Friendly" brands earn loyalty of gay, lesbian shoppers
More than two in three gay and lesbian consumers would rather do businesswith a marketer perceived to be gay-friendly, and 71% prefer brands withgay-themed ads, according to the Prime Access/PlanetOut Gay and LesbianConsumer Study. "The study reveals that gays and lesbians are fiercely loyalcustomers to brands they perceive as reaching out to them," said HowardBuford, president and CEO of Prime Access, New York. "A marketingcommunications program directed at the gay and lesbian audience can be asignificant opportunity for brands to build business." Brandweek (5/15)


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