FLORIDA DIGEST - June 17, 2008

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-WILTON MANORS: Gay-pride fest aims to appeal to all
The annual Stonewall Street Festival in Wilton Manors looks to celebrate gaypride with more than 20,000 people of all backgrounds expected to attendthis weekend. With brightly colored, illuminated floats and a milelongavenue of vendors, one South Florida group wants to make Wilton Drive''Sizzling With Pride'' this weekend.
http://www.miamiherald.com/548/story/572692.html


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

-Another teacher fired over alleged sex scandal
Just months after an alleged teacher sex scandal rocked Santaluces High inSeptember, another sexual affair involving a teacher and student from thesame school near Lantana took place off-campus.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-0616santalucesteacher,0,6836895.story

-Palm Beach County may cut back on free bus rides for the poor
Budget crunch may force county to cut back Palm Tran services
Boca Raton's Rether Mitchell has no car, family members busy with work andone lifeline for getting to the doctor's office: Palm Tran and its free,door-to-door van service for the poor and disabled.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpbus0617pnjun17,0,5419074.story


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June 20 to 23, 2008
3 NIGHT SPECIAL * $250 (all inclusive)
LIBERTY SUITES FAMILY SPECIAL ONLY

Pride Event Schedule - Wilton Manors
Friday, June 20th
6:30PM Alpine Jaguar Partners in Pride Dinner at Hagen Park
(this event is by invitation only)
...Saturday, June 21st
3PM "Sizzling T-Dance" at Rosie's Bar & Grill
7PM DJ Joe Bermudez Spins from the Bacardi Limon - Safari VIP Lounge on theMain Stage sponsored by Genre Magazine
8:30PM The First Stonewall Street Festival Night Parade Spectacular
9:30PM Singing Sensation Tammy Wright Performs with Visual EFX Productionsin front of the VIP Lounge & Main Stage to kick off the Joe Bermudez DanceParty Extravaganza brought to you by Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale.
11:30PM "Sizzling in the Night" Grand Finale Performance brought to you byBuzz MultiMedia & Lips
12PM Party continues at Bills, Georgie's Alibi, Rosie's Bar & Grill and
Sidelines Sports Bar ... the Drive is Alive till 3AM
Georgie's Alibi and Bill's of Wilton Manors will host the Opening party and
Closing party for this Year's Stonewall Street Festival.

...Sunday, June 22th
10AM Stonewall Street Festival HOTspots! Main Stage opens with Rhythm &
Blues Artists and Mimosas & Bloody Marys served at our street bars
11 AM Dueling Pianos by Howl at the Moon
NOON DJ Tracy Young Spins from the Main Stage Rosie's Bar & Grill "Sunday T"Begins
Sidelines Sports Bar "Party at the Goal Line" hosted by DJ Ryan Morales
2:30PM Celebrity Signing Sensation Crystal Waters performs Live on the MainStage
3PM Choral Performance by Church of the Holy Song on the Main Stage ...
Raise your hands in PRIDE!
Sidelines Sports Bar presents the "Daisy D Show"
Rosie's Bar & Grill & FYE brings Live to the stage Brazilian Sensation
William Umana from Brazil
3:30PM Brazilian Singer Martha Luizza heats up the Main Stage
4PM The "Some Like IT HOT!" cabaret show sponsored by Buzz Multimedia andLips
Tracy Young spins again at Rosie's Bar & Grill DJ Pedro Arias rocks out
Sidelines Sports Bar
5PM Stonewall Street Festival Closes
DJ Joe Bermudez Spins until 7PM at Rosie's Bar & Grill


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Forwarded by Clarence Brooks
clarencejr1960@bellsouth.net
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Wasserman-Schultz to chair House Equality Caucus
Great news!!!
Please call and thank FL Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for takingpart in the fight for equal rights for the LGBT community. Please contacther at the Washington D.C. Office:
118 Cannon H.O.B
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-7931
Fax: 202-226-2052

-Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who says her district includes one of thelargest LGBT constituencies of any congressional district in the country,has been tapped as vice-chair of the House's first lesbian, gay, bi-sexualtransgender equality caucus aimed at battling discrimination. The caucus -formed last week by the only two openly gay members of Congress, Reps. TammyBaldwin, D-WI, and Barney Frank, D-MA, - has as its mission "the extensionof equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination ofhate-motivated violence and the improved health and well being for all,regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.""Equality for our gay, lesbian and transgender friends is not negotiable,"Wasserman Schultz said in a press release, noting that she represents FortLauderdale, "one of the country's most popular LGBT travel destinations.""Our constitution demands equal justice under the law, nothing more, nothingless," she said. The group has 52 members, including Boca Raton Dem Rep.Robert Wexler, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, one of just twoRepublican members. (The other is Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn.)


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

-Obama campaign signs a winning Florida strategist
The Barack Obama campaign is scouting offices in Tampa to headquarter itsFlorida campaign and on Monday tapped one of the newest stars of the stateDemocratic Party to lead the statewide effort.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article628631.ece

-Crist vetoes transportation bill, blasts Rubio's turnpike clause
Gov. Charlie Crist has vetoed a sweeping transportation bill because itcontained language that would have made it easier for an ally of HouseSpeaker Marco Rubio to bid on projects.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article628459.ece

-Crist Pushes for Civil Rights Restoration
Gov. Charlie Crist uses his bully pulpit again today to push for therestoration of civil rights for ex-felons. He'll do so at a restoration ofrights summit at the Capitol at 11:40 a.m. Florida is one of only a fewstates that require convicted felons to go through a complicated process torestore their civil rights after they have paid their debt to society.
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=5a7ac6f4ef954e89af555631b0a3fc79&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a5a7ac6f4ef954e89af555631b0a3fc79Post%3a24b20042-8592-42c6-9a5a-a00008ed760e&sid=sitelife.tallahassee.com

-ENERGY CRISIS: McCain: Allow oil drilling off coast
With gas topping $4 a gallon, John McCain calls for opening U.S. coastalwaters to oil and gas exploration. Obama calls the plan ``misguided.'' Sen.John McCain plans to call Tuesday for lifting the ban on offshore oil andgas drilling along much of the U.S. coastline -- but would give states likeFlorida veto power over opening up their shores.
http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/572679.html

-Rights restoration still needs work
More than 325 community leaders, advocates, law-enforcement officials andother experts from around the state will converge on the Capitol today andWednesday for Florida's first Restoration of Rights Summit. FloridaDepartment of Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil invited participants tofocus on a range of ex-offender re-entry issues, including barriers toemployment, transitional housing needs, mental-health problems, delinquentchild-support payments and substance abuse.
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/OPINION05/806170306/1006/OPINION


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From BUZZ Magazine - Fort Lauderdale
www.thebuzzmultimedia.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Michael Emanuel Rajner Joins Buzz
As Publisher of Buzz Multimedia it brings me great pleasure to announce wehave joined forces with Michael Emanuel Rajner as our new " CommunityAffairs Director". Michael will join Buzz Multimedia in the pursuit ofaddressing LGBT community issues that need legislative change andorganizations that need financial support. Michael brings to the Buzzorganization many years of working hard to make change for the better forourLGBT family. Please join us this Wednesday, June 18 at 7:00 PM for a meet& greet at Wilton Station (invitation attached). To view the column
on-line, visit: http://www.thebuzzmag.com/sfissue_images/viewer.php


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Palm Beach - The Stonewall Ball
Saturday, June 21, 2008 - For Tickets
http://www.compassglcc.com/events/stonewall.html


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Mark LaFontaine for Florida State House District #92
WE NEED YOUR HELP AT STONEWALL!
Mark LaFontaine will have a large presence to show the depth of GLBT supportfor his campaign -- will you help? Here's what we need:
-- Saturday Parade 7:00 PM to 10 PM. We could use you for 2 or 3 hours.
-- Sunday Street Festival (Booth J01 North Of The Stage) 10 AM to 5 PM. Wecould use you for 2 or 3 hours.
Please Call Ron Mills 954-394-4980
Please help the campaign with a donation.
http://www.marklafontaine.com/donate.html
Remember: This is OUR chance to get a GLBT Representative in Tallahassee!
It's OUR TIME!!!

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