GLBT DIGEST - June 20, 2008

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

-Maine: Group Abandons Gay Law Campaign
A group has abandoned a campaign to overturn a state law protecting gay menand lesbians from discrimination. The group, the Christian Civic League ofMaine, said it had failed to gain the support needed to continue. Theproposal would have repealed protections in employment, housing, publicaccommodation, credit and education. It would also have affirmed a state lawrestricting marriages to one man and one woman, ensured that only oneunmarried person or one married couple jointly could adopt a person,prohibited clerks from issuing marriage licenses to persons of the same sex,and prohibited municipalities from licensing civil unions. California andMassachusetts are the only states to legalize same-sex marriage; a handfulof others allow civil unions or domestic partnerships among same-sexcouples.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/us/20brfs-GROUPABANDON_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=12&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin

-New transgender policy at New York juvenile jails
Transgender youth in New York's juvenile detention centers are now allowedto wear whatever uniform they choose, be called by whatever name they wantand ask for special housing under a new anti-discrimination policy drawingpraise from advocacy groups.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Transgender-Policy.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=nyt

-Rival Conferences for Anglican Church
Once a decade, hundreds of bishops of the international Anglican Communionmeet in Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference. This summer, inthe most tangible demonstration yet of the church's division overhomosexuality, hundreds of bishops are boycotting the Lambeth Conference andattending a rival meeting for conservative Anglicans in Jerusalem.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/world/20anglicancnd.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=nyt

-Conservative Anglicans Plan Rival Conference as Split Over HomosexualityGrows
Once a decade, hundreds of bishops of the international Anglican Communionmeet in Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference. This summer, inthe most tangible demonstration yet of the church's divide overhomosexuality, more than a quarter of the invited bishops are expected toboycott the conference and attend a rival meeting for conservative Anglicansin Jerusalem, called the Global Anglican Future Conference.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/world/20anglican.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=nyt


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

-New transgender policy at New York juvenile jails
Transgender youth in New York's juvenile detention centers are now allowedto wear whatever uniform they choose, be called by whatever name they wantand ask for special housing under a new anti-discrimination policy drawingpraise from advocacy groups.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/20/AR2008062000441.html


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

-Supreme Court Asked To Ban Jerusalem Gay Pride
Israel's Supreme Court was asked Thursday to issue an injunction barringgays from holding a pride march in Jerusalem later this month.

-Senate Deadlocked On World AIDS Bill
At the White House on Thursday, President Bush awarded the PresidentialMedal of Freedom to two people behind a triumph of his administration, aprogram to fight the global AIDS pandemic. Down the street on Capitol Hill,a few Republican senators continued to block what would be a major expansionof that program.

-Bid To Wipe Out All Maine Gay Rights Laws Fails
A conservative Christian group has given up its attempt to mount areferendum drive to wipe out all protections for LGBT citizens in Maine.

-Emirates Sheik On Trial For Attacking American Man Who Spurned Him
Geneva's chief prosecutor argued Thursday that a brother of the United ArabEmirates' ruler should receive the maximum penalty on a charge of assaultingan American man with his belt in a luxury hotel bar.

-Az Bill Would Allow Anti-Gay Slurs In Schools
The Arizona Senate has given preliminary approval to legislation barringschools from discriminating against religious beliefs, a move opponents saywill encourage students to bully gay students.

-German Lutherans Divided Over Gay Bishop Candidate
The German Lutheran Church could become the first mainstream denomination inEurope to have an openly gay bishop and conservatives already are warningsuch a move could split the church.

-How the GOP Is Blowing It by Wayne Besen
One has to look no further than Jeffersonville, Ind. to figure out howRepublicans blew their recent hegemony in American politics. This Louisvillesuburb is where the former chairman of both the Clark County RepublicanParty and Young Republican National Federation pleaded guilty last week tocriminal deviant conduct for performing oral sex on a man while he slept,following a house party. This incident is the latest to underscore the rankhypocrisy within republican ranks. The party of Rev. Ted Haggard, Sen. LarryCraig, Rep. Mark Foley, and former Spokane mayor Jim West simply lost itsmoral authority as guardian of the good.


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

-New rules for transgender kids in NY juvenile jails
Advocacy groups say policy is one of nation's most progressive
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19125

-Maine group drops anti-gay rights push
Effort failed to draw support needed
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19121

-George Michael sounds off on gay marriage
'25 Live' tour kicked off Tuesday
George Michael is a most happy fellow these days: He's kicking off his firstNorth American tour in 17 years and same-sex marriage has just beenlegalized in California.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19119

-New fears of Anglican schism over homosexuality
Once a decade, hundreds of bishops of the international Anglican Communionmeet in Canterbury, England, for the Lambeth Conference. This summer, inthe most tangible demonstration yet of the church's divide overhomosexuality, hundreds of bishops are boycotting the Lambeth Conference andattending a rival meeting for conservative Anglicans in Jerusalem.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/19/news/church.php

-LET GOD LOVE GENE ROBINSON
Five years ago, Gene Robinson was elected the first openly gay Christianbishop, causing the greatest crisis the modern Protestant community has everfaced. Will his love for another man rip the church in two? We're about tofind out.
http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_6948

-Gay icon details journey down the 'Pink Carpet'
TV star Leslie Jordan writes about Hollywood, addiction and gay culture
When Leslie Jordan first came to Hollywood in 1982, it was still taboo to bea gay star. In his new book, the actor - best known for his Emmy-winningrole as Karen's pretentious rival Beverley Leslie on the hit series "Will &Grace" - writes about the struggles and successes he encountered along hisjourney. An excerpt.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25193792/

-Breaking: Incompetent Buffoon Honors Inept Boob
George W. Bush awarded retired General and former Joint Chiefs of StaffChairman Peter Pace with the distinguished Medal of Freedom today. As youmay remember, Pace once called gays and lesbians "immoral" in an interviewwith the Chicago Tribune.(ThinkProgress has the audio in case you wanted torelive it). Giving this award to a certified homophobe and one of the chiefarchitects of the Iraq debacle is a slap in the face to the estimated 65,000gay and lesbians soldiers serving in today's military. No wait, we take thatback, it's a slap in the face to anyone, anywhere who has ever served inanything remotely military-ish, ever, including our high school color guard.
http://signorile2003.blogspot.com/2008/06/breaking-incompetent-buffoon-honors.html

-The Log Cabin Republicans' 'education' of the LGBT community on McCainbegins
I almost lost my lunch reading this spin. You might recall from a recentpost that the Log Cabin Republicans organization said it "will do its partto educate gay and lesbian voters about Sen. McCain in the weeks ahead." Areyou ready for the "education"?
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=BB0662EEFB116BF7B4E4C23ABE36750E?diaryId=5830

-Gay pride hits Fort Lauderdale...again?
Despite the gripes, living the life in South Florida is a gay ol' timePolitics, politics, politics, it's all about the politics in this week'sissue of The Express. Big news is coming out of Fort Lauderdale: DeanTrantalis, a former city commissioner, is hitting the campaign trail tobecome the city's first openly-gay mayor, and he's counting on all the angryGLBTs to vote for him. Not that we should vote for him because of that initself. There's also a whole city out there to run. Sometimes the gaycommunity forgets about everything else out there.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-19/view/editorial/4785.cfm


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

-Gay wedding bells could ring up big money for N.J.
Link: Star-Ledger
New Jersey could boost its economy by more than half a billion dollars overthe next three years by promptly legalizing same-sex marriage, a Californialaw professor told a state commission yesterday. Brad Sears, executivedirector of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, said gay weddingsalone would pump $248 million into New Jersey's economy under a "veryconservative" economic analysis. He said additional spending on gifts,overnight hotel stays by visiting friends and other items could boost thetotal to "a half billion dollars plus" over the next three years.

-Facts show that same-sex couples are fine parents
Link: Sacramento Bee
We can tell, by analyzing the census data, whether children raised bysame-sex couples are any more likely to be held back in elementary schoolthan children from other families. If being raised by same-sex coupleparents were such a profound disadvantage as critics claim, we should expectchildren raised by same-sex couples to do poorly in elementary school. Thecensus data show that children raised by same-sex couples are just as likelyas children raised by heterosexual couples to make normal progress throughelementary school, given the same levels of parental education and income.

-Same-Sex Marriage & November Election
Link: KNBC
There a sense that the fight has been fought and that, in this electionyear, voters are not so much attuned to social values issues; the economy,the Iraq war, and health care dominate voter concerns.On the other hand, thekey swing state of Florida, along with normally Democratic California, willhave a same-sex marriage ban on the ballot, and that could help energize anunenthusiastic GOP base.On still another hand, young voters and the liberalDemocratic base, energized by the candidacy of Barack Obama, could turnoutin numbers large enough to doom these initiatives. In fact, a recent FieldPoll shows that, for the first time since it began sampling public opiniontoward gay marriage, a majority (51 percent) of the state's voters supportthe legalization of same-sex unions, and fully 68 percent of voters betweenthe ages of 18 and 29 approve.Nor does it help the GOP presumptive nominee,John McCain that his chief California supporter, Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger, has indicated that he supports the Supreme Court ruling andwill oppose the new initiative.

-Cross-border skirmishes
Link: Bay Windows
It is precisely because the fight for marriage equality is so important thatwe should wage it smartly and responsibly, which means working together. Aslast week's joint statement said, "We need to choose the courts andlegislatures where we have the best chance of winning." In the meantime, allof us should be telling our stories and making our case to help move publicopinion and lay the groundwork for future victories. Until we get a federalversion of the California ruling, married same-sex couples traveling fromstate to state will be in a legal no-man's-land. It is a profound injusticethat will take more than rash actions to defeat. Let's stop demandingshortcuts and cooperate in the slow and steady work of making real andlasting change. Right now we have an initiative to defeat in California, topreserve the victory there. You can contribute to the cause by visitingw ww.equalityforall.com.

-The Gay Marriage Home-Buying Discount
Link: US News & World Report
As the national housing market continues writhing in despair, one realestate agency is looking to take advantage of the state's controversiallegalization of gay marriage to jump-start home sales. With same-sexcouples from across the country headed to sunny California to wed, WellsfordRealty in San Diego is offering incentives for them to buy homes in thearea.


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

-Ukrainian gay groups form union
Three leading gay and lesbian organisations in the Ukraine have formed theUnion of Gay Organisations of Ukraine (UGOU).

-Business advice offered to LGBT entrepreneurs
The Gay Business Association is hosting an Ask The Experts event as part ofthe Pride London festival, open to all LGBT professionals from charities,businesses and other organisations.

-"Gay" circus premieres in Barcelona
Circus performance is the latest art form to be given a gay treatment withthe creation of a "new notion of circus based on male and female acrobaticsand oriented to a gay and lesbian friendly audience."

-Cumming hailed as inspiration to gay youth
Award-winning actor Alan Cumming is to be honoured by the US gay communityafter The Trevor Project called him an "inspiration" to youngsters.

-Gay discrimination law passes Lithuanian parliament
Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation has been included in anew Law on Equal Treatment passed by the Lithuanian parliament.

-Carly Simon comments on lesbian rumours
She's back with a brand new album-the highest debuting release of hercareer, thanks in part to a partnership with Starbucks-and now, 62-year-oldCarly Simon is finally putting to rest those lesbian rumours.

-Sweden warns Moldova over LGBT rights
Swedish Foreign Minster Carl Bildt has condemned the violence againsthomosexuals during the Moldova Pride Festival and demanded that Moldaviangovernment upholds the rights of its LGBT people.

-Cardiff will celebrate Pride in September
The Welsh capital will have a Pride event this year following thecancellation of Cardiff Mardi Gras. Cardiff Pride will take place onSaturday 6th September on Coopers Field.

-More than 100 people complain to police about "gay cure" MP
A meeting in Belfast organised by gay advocacy group the Coalition on SexualOrientation (CoSo) earlier this week was told than more than 100 complaintshave been lodged with police about Iris Robinson.

-Why Obama could be good for gays
When Hillary Clinton explicitly called for gay rights (twice) in herconcession speech it was noteworthy. Why?


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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the above link for the following articles:

-Arizona Group Strives to Boost Number of Gay Voters
A group of community leaders in Arizona have banded together to launch avoter drive ahead of the November election. The non-partisan project, calledOut the Vote, has focused on recruiting voters at bars, churches and otherLGBT gathering places. "The gay community is not just made up of gaypeople. There are business owners and family and friends," project organizerAnnie Loyd told The Arizona Republic. "We have the opportunity to educatemany people from many different walks of life - Democrats, Republicans,business owners, young people - about the importance of voting and gettingregistered to vote." The general election is particularly important in thefall this year, as every seat in the state legislature is up for grabs asare several Congressional seats.

-LCR Get McCain Endorsement Jitters?
Chris Crain | Citizen Crain
There appears to be some hope that the Log Cabin Republicans are havingsecond thoughts - or at least giving some thought - to whether they shouldendorse John McCain, who opposes absolutely any and every form of gay civilrights protection. Marc Ambinder reports: The Log Cabin Republicans aren'tsure whether they plan to endorse John McCain, or whether extending a presidential endorsement is even necessary. .When I last checked with the group and with the McCain, they were working tofind a mutually convenient time for McCain to meet with the LCR board. He also attached a copy of an email sent to LCR members asking for theirinput on the question:

-LGBT Catholics Strive to be More Visible
By John Lendman | Windy City Times
LGBT Catholics from various Chicagoland parishes gathered in prayer anddiscussion at Loyola University, 25 E. Pearson, June 14 to share testimoniesand network on how to become more visible in their faith-based communitiesand the Catholic Church. Michael Herman and Sister Jeannine Gramick spokeat the June 14 LGBT Catholic forum at Loyola University. "Here In Faith:
Creating a Welcoming Catholic Community Through Prayer andStory" - sponsored by Call to Action, a national Catholic social justiceorganization, with New Ways Ministry and Dignity Chicago-seeks to motivate LGBT Catholics and their allies to be more active in the eyes of the Church. "The church belongs to lesbian and gay people just as much as the churchbelongs to anyone," Sister Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministrysaid.

-IL: Gay Former Priest Talks about the Catholic Church
By John Lendman | Windy City Times
Former priest Michael Herman was among the attendees at "Here In Faith:Creating a Welcoming Catholic Community through Prayer and Story," whichtook place Sat., June 14, at the Water Tower campus of Loyola UniversityChicago, 25 E. Pearson, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Herman talked with Windy City Timesabout the Catholic Church; his own past; and religion and politics. WindyCity Times: Is it Father Michael Herman?

-Supreme Court Asked to Ban Jerusalem Gay Pride
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
(Jerusalem) Israel's Supreme Court was asked Thursday to issue an injunctionbarring gays from holding a pride march in Jerusalem later this month. Theultra-right National Jewish Front and the city of Jerusalem filedseparate briefs with the high court asking to have the parade cancelled. The National Jewish Front in its brief called the parade a "a provocation". The brief filed by the city said it feared civil unrest. The parade isscheduled for June 26th. The high court will hear arguments. The court hasnot indicated when it will hear arguments.


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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:

-INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
The World is an Unkind Place for Gay Refugees
Commemorating June 20, World Refugee Day
Just two years ago, Arash and Javad (not their real names), two youngIranian men were building their future together. Arash was pursuing asuccessful career in Iran's financial sector and Javad was a universitystudent in Tehran. Now the men live in abject poverty in a remote area ofTurkey. They have no income and are frequently forced to scavenge for foodin their neighbors' trashcans. Javad, a diabetic, needs regular monitoringand medication, which he cannot afford. His health has deteriorated to thepoint where he regularly suffers diabetic comas. How did two young,upwardly mobile Iranians end up in such dire circumstances? The answer tothis question is simple. Arash and Javad are gay men forced to flee theircountry as refugees. According to the Iranian penal code, homosexual conductis a crime that is punishable by death.

-The South African government should recognize that political repression andeconomic deprivation have forced Zimbabweans to flee their country andimmediately stop deporting them, Human Rights Watch said in a reportreleased today. Human Rights Watch called on the government to grantZimbabweans in South Africa temporary status and work rights. Read more at:
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/06/19/safric19152.htm


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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

-3 GAY ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN UGANDA'S CRACKDOWN AT AIDS CONFERENCE
In the latest chapter of Uganda's history of homosexual repression, threegay activists were arrested at a U.S.-funded AIDS conference when theydemanded that Uganda include gays in its HIV prevention campaign from whichthey have been excluded because, as Uganda's President Yoweri Musevaniclaims, "We don't have homosexuals in Uganda."
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2008/06/ugandas-crackdo.html

-Turkish singer tried over dissent
Bulent Ersoy could face a long jail term for her anti-military remarks Oneof Turkey's best known singers, Bulent Ersoy, has gone on trial charged withattempting to turn the public against military service. The charges werebrought after she suggested it was not worth sacrificing soldiers' lives inTurkey's conflict with the Kurdish separatist PKK group. The transsexualsinger made her comments on television last February.


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Michigan: Triangle Foundation
www.tri.org
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Triangle Responds to Anti-Gay Discrimination at Spectrum Hospital
Grand Rapids - Instead of compassionate medical treatment, Ashleigh Habermanand Erica Schaub received a "lifestyle" lecture from a Spectrum Hospitalphysician. The couple went to Spectrum Health South Pavilion Urgent CareCenter in Grand Rapids for treatment of Schaub's lingering cold. Accordingto a WOOD TV 8 report, the physician responded in an inappropriate mannerasking who Haberman was to Schaub. Ashleigh Haberman and Erica Schaub havemadeda life-long commitment to each other and were married in Canada. WhenSchaub explained Haberman was her life partner, the lecture began. Thephysician asked for the couple's opinion on the recent California SupremeCourt marriage decision and "he proceeded to give his opinion on how he feltthat marriage, gay marriage, shouldn't be called a marriage because it's areligious-based word, and he's a Christian, and there's no way that marriagecould be considered legal in the gay sense," said Haberman.

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