GLBT DIGEST - June 23, 2008

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

-Brain Study Shows Differences Between Gays, Straights
Is there such a thing as a "gay brain"? And, if so, are some people bornwith brains that make them more likely to be homosexual? Or do the brains ofgay people develop differently in response to experiences? Those are someof the thorny questions that have been raised by a provocative new studythat found striking differences between the brains of homosexuals andheterosexuals in both men and women.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062201994.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-Pastor: Haggard has left 'restoration program'
The evangelist forced out of his job after being caught up in a sex scandalinvolving a male prostitute has left a "spiritual restoration program" andno longer has any ties to the megachurch he founded, the congregation's newpastor said Sunday. Under a severance deal that Ted Haggard reached with thechurch in 2006, he agreed to leave Colorado Springs and not talk about thescandal publicly. The deal expired at the end of 2007. New pastor Brady Boydsaid Haggard was now free to live where he wanted and has returned toColorado Springs.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062201868.html?hpid=sec-religion

-Young evangelicals aim to broaden agenda
Matt Dunbar is not your typical evangelical Christian. With his tousledhair, sideburns and a scruffy "soul patch" beard, the 26-year-old New Yorkerbelongs to a growing minority of young evangelicals who want to broadentheir political agenda beyond the traditional opposition to abortion and gaymarriage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/22/AR2008062200728.html?hpid=sec-religion


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

-Rain fails to dampen sprits at Wilton Manors gay pride celebration
Rain fails to hurt turnout at Manors gay pride celebration
Huddled under a tent with her partner, Donna Fearon was determined not tolet rain spoil her fun at the Stonewall Street Festival on Sunday. She cameout to celebrate gay and lesbian pride. In the 30 years she has lived in theregion, there has been a lot of progress, she said.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbgay0623sbjun23,0,7388641.story

-Washington, D.C.: 'Don't ask, don't tell' is harder on women
The Army and Air Force discharged a disproportionate number of women in 2007under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prohibits openly gay peoplefrom serving in the military, according to Pentagon statistics gathered byan advocacy group.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flanatdig06231sbjun23,0,1853672.story

-Fears fade as viewpoints changing By William Butte
Consider this: At the very moment you're reading these words, thousands ofsame-sex couples are traveling across America to California to do whathundreds of same-sex couples throughout the Golden State are doing rightthis second: They're getting married. Meanwhile, San Francisco hasn'tcrumbled in an earthquake. Locusts haven't devoured all the state's crops.California didn't slide into the ocean. And your day will continue on asusual. Imagine that.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum22buttesbjun22,0,4540778.story=National


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

-Lesbians Wed More Often Than Gay Men
The conventional view that women embrace commitment more eagerly than menisplaying out in the unconventional new world of same-sex matrimony,judgingfrom the growing stack of marriage licenses in Sacramento County,Calif. Based on a tally of the licenses Thursday -- using first names as aguide --60% of the same-sex newlyweds this week are lesbians and 40% are gaymen.-Presbyterians in San Jose Tackle Tough Issues Against a backdrop of thefirst week of legal gay marriages in California,the nation's largestPresbyterian denomination opened its biennial meetingin San Jose on Saturdayamid deep divisions over whether gays and lesbiansshould be ordained andsame-sex marriages recognized. The constitution ofthe Presbyterian Church(U.S.A.), which has 2.3 million members, definesmarriage as a union of a manand a woman. The liberal-leaning denomination has been moving towardaccepting same-sex marriages with various church court rulings. Butsupporters want the marriages fully recognized.-Gay Service members Urged toRemain Silent As the military considers its options in the latest round ofcourt action surrounding its "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays,some service members are considering theirs. In her uniform, on an Army base far from home, "Stacy" searched the headlines in late May and wondered if the results of a U.S. appeals court ruling in Washington state meant she could come out as a lesbian.


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

-Discreet gays should be safe in Iran claims Home Secretary
The Home Office does not think that Iranian asylum seekers who identify asgay or lesbian should automatically be assumed to be at risk if they arereturned, according to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

-Catholic Church accused of delaying discrimination bill in Croatia
A leadinggay advocacy group has written to government officials and MPs inCroatia expressing concern at delays in introducing a new law banningdiscrimination.

-Greens propose same sex marriage in Tasmania
The Green party in Tasmania has announced it intends to to re-introducesame-sex marriage legislation originally tabled in 2005, despite continuedopposition from both major political parties.


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

-Mormons Being Given Political Advice From the Pulpit
By Jim Burroway | Box Turtle Bulletin
The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints(LDS)sent a letter on Friday to all Mormon churches in California withinstructions to read the leader during Sunday services on June 29.This letter (PDF: 1085KB/2 pages) offers the church's full support to amendthe constitution to forcibly divorce more than 2,ooo married Californiacouples,and asks its members to "do all you can to support the proposedconstitutional amendment by donating of your means and time." Meanwhile,Focus On the Family reportedly has already donated $250,000 to try tobreakup these families in November.

-Stop Trying to "Fix" Trans People
The Bilerico Project
Editors' note: Matt Kailey is the author of Just Add Hormones: An Insider'sGuide
the Transsexual Experience, the editor of Focus on the Fabulous: ColoradoGLBT Voices, and the managing editor of Out Front Colorado, Colorado'soldest and largest GLBT publication. Trans people aren't broken. We aren'tlooking to be "fixed," and we have no need of a repairman. We have spentdecades trying to convince the Western world of this, and forgive us if somein our ranks were starting to feel a little optimistic about our progress -until, maybe, now. Just when we thought that an end to the tinkering aroundwith our brains might be insight - at least for those who are very farsighted - along comes a repairman in the form of Dr. Kenneth Zucker, anon-transman who, like somany before him, thinks he knows what's better forus than we do. Dr. Zuckerthinks he can "fix" us - whether we want him to ornot.

-Gay Marriage Issue Goes from Legal to Spiritual
By SHADI RAHIMI | THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
It's dim inside, with light streaming through antique Gothic
stained-glass windows. A picturesque setting, ideal for any parishioners ofthe Incarnation Episcopal Church in Santa Rosa who want to wed in theirplace of worship. But not if they're a same-sex couple. The local churchhas gay and lesbian members. Some are in leadership roles. And a few arehoping to marry, now that it's legal to do so in California. But if the Rev.Matthew Lawrence agrees to officiate the weddings, he must conduct themoutside of the church - literally and figuratively. "I personally, as apriest, support gay marriage. But I am unable to conduct gay marriages in mychurch building at present because of my bishop's policy about that," hesaid.

-McCain Closes the Cash Gap with Obama
By Jeanne Cummings | Politico | Truthout
For the first time in the campaign, Republican John McCain in May raisedabout the same amount of money, $22 million, as Democrat Barack Obama.McCain also closed the gap in the amount of cash the two parties' presumptive presidential nominees have in the bank at their respective disposals as theyenter the first phase of the general election. McCainreported having about$32 million in cash for primary-related expenses at the end of May. Obamareported having $43 million in hand at the start of June - but about $10million of that is dedicated to the general election.


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Forwarded from Bill
Sterlingwhsterling1@yahoo.com-Los

-Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa to officiate at gay marriage of "AmericanBeauty"
producer Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will officiate at his first gay marriage ceremonytoday at Los Angeles City Hall, his office announced.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-marry23-2008jun23,0,5925744.story


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Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/

-Stripping His Way to a PhD.
In the 90s, a typical night for Craig Seymour included G-strings, elbowgrease, and dollar bills in his socks. Between sets at Washington, D.C.'sgay strip clubs - unique institutions while they lasted, where hands-onexperiences were encouraged - he graded papers, "red pen in hand."
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/23/stripper

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