GLBT DIGEST - July 03, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.

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

-Obama Opposes Gay Marriage Ban
Barack Obama does not support a proposed California constitutional amendmentto ban same-sex marriage in the state, he announced in a letter sent to theAlice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club of San Francisco this week. "I opposethe divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the CaliforniaConstitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those ofother states," the Democratic presidential candidate wrote.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/02/AR2008070203286.html


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

-Sexuality is not a lifestyle choice
In your June 24 article, "Most Floridians believe in God, pray study says,"you refer to the "gay lifestyle." It is offensive whenever my sexuality isdescribed as a "lifestyle," as if my sexuality is something I choose as amatter of style or preference, such as wearing a plaid shirt instead ofstriped. Sexuality is at the core of a person's identity. To describeanyone's sexuality as a "lifestyle" is demeaning.
Peter Zimmer
Fort Lauderdale
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-brmail987sbjul03,0,4161186.story


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

-Amid petrol bomb attacks, 400 police committed to gay beauty pageant inBudapest
While gay activists in Budapest are complaining that the police are notprotecting gay businesses in the city, the organisers of Mr Gay Europe haveannounced they will have "400 policemen and women to protect them during thefinal."
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/


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

-Teens Arraigned In Taped Assault On Lesbian Classmate
Two female Michigan high school students who were videotaped attacking aclassmate have been formally arraigned on charges of aggravated assault.

-Gay Foe Limbaugh Gets 38M A Year
Rush Limbaugh will make about $38 million a year to continue his radio showover the next eight years.

-Middle Hard To Reach For Obama, McCain
They're the most fickle voters, and potentially the most powerful. Thus,with party nominations secure, John McCain and Barack Obama now are pushingtoward the center to win them over.

-Photographer Appeals Fine For Refusing To Take Gay Couple Pictures
An appeal was filed Wednesday by an Albuquerque photographer who was finedover $6,000 for refusing to take pictures of a lesbian couple's commitmentceremony.

-Bid To Repeal Oregon Partner Law Returns To Court
A three judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oralarguments next week in a lawsuit brought by conservative groups seeking torevive last year's failed referendum on Oregon's domestic partnership law.

-Musgrave Renews Call For Federal Anti-Gay Amendment
The architect of two failed attempts to amend the US Constitution to barsame-sex marriage is throwing her support behind a new bid to advance themeasure.


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

-Murder of Md. lesbian shrouded in mystery
Charred body found in Bowie house destroyed by fire
Investigators with the Prince George's County police and fire departmentshad yet to uncover a motive this week in the June 24 shooting death of a46-year-old lesbian whose charred body was found in a fire that destroyedher house in a quiet, upscale subdivision in Bowie, Md. Police said anautopsy revealed that Vilma Artis Butler, who lived in a two-story,single-family house on Jenkins Ridge Road, was murdered in an upper floorbedroom shortly before neighbors called 911 about 4:45 a.m. last Tuesday toreport that her house was on fire. Neighbors also reported hearing loudpopping noises that sounded like gunfire about an hour before they noticedthe fire.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19474

-Sergeant sues LAPD for religious discrimination
Officer made anti-gay remarks during off-duty hours as pastor
A sergeant disciplined for anti-gay remarks during off-duty hours as apastor has sued the Los Angeles Police Department alleging religiousdiscrimination. Sgt. Eric Holyfield, dressed in black clergy attire, toldmourners during a 2006 eulogy for a fellow officer that homosexual acts were"sinful" and an "abomination" and would lead to condemnation in hell. LAPDDeputy Chief Charlie Beck, who was among the mourners, filed a formalcomplaint against Holyfield after the funeral. The Superior Court suitfiled June 19 says LAPD brass then passed him up for promotions and payraises in retaliation. The suit against the city alleges discrimination forhis religion and violation of his 1st Amendment rights. Cmdr. StuartMaislin, head of the department's risk-management office, says lawenforcement must be done impartially, "treating everyone with respect."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19465

-'Austin 12' divided over McCain
Former gay Bush supporters unhappy with GOP, some turning to ObamaMembers ofthe "Austin 12," the group of prominent gay Republicans who famously metwith George W. Bush in 2000, are not exactly rallying around John McCain.Several members of the group told the Blade this week that they areconsidering voting for Barack Obama in November, while others announcedtepid support for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. In all, threesaid they either would vote for Obama or are seriously considering it; threeare undecided between McCain and Obama; three are backing McCain and threeothers declined to comment. The "Austin 12" gained notoriety after meetingwith Bush in Austin in April 2000, when Bush was still governor of Texas anda candidate for president. During the meeting, the "Austin 12" urged Bushto appoint open gays to federal offices, include an openly gay speaker atthe 2000 Republican National Convention and maintain President Clinton'sexecutive order banning discrimination against gays in the federalworkforce. Bush complied with each of those requests during his presidency.But Bush's record, most notably his endorsement of the Federal MarriageAmendment, has soured some members of the "Austin 12" so much that theyrefuse to support the Republican Party's presidential choice, even thoughMcCain voted against the FMA in the U.S. Senate. David Greer, who wasappointed to Bush's AIDS advisory board in 2003, left the Republican Partythat same year and has been a registered Democrat since then. He said gayRepublicans would never be a strong enough voice to influence the GOP andthat the party is more interested in exploiting gay Republicans forpolitical gain. "As long as there's a far right in the party, gayRepublicans are way too small in numbers . to have any effect on the party,"he said. "We actually end up doing greater and lasting harm to the wholeGLBT community."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=19448

-Body-builder sues gay newspaper, bar for leather-clad ad
An amateur body-builder is suing the Chicago Free Press and a North Side gaybar after the paper ran an ad featuring him clad in leather and chains,allegedly without his consent. Joel Rabb, who works as a personal trainerand a "national level amateur body-builder" claims his photo was used in anadvertisement for Bobby Love's bar, 3729 N. Halsted St., in the paperwithout his consent, according to a suit filed in Cook County Circuit CourtWednesday. The ad, which pictures a muscular man wearing chains and leatherchaps, reads, "Bobby Loves, tallest cock tail on Halsted" scrolled acrossthe man's face.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1037425,rabbsuit070208.article

-Marriage's Financial Pros and Cons
The California Supreme Court's recent decision legalizing gay marriage givesmore couples the chance to ask themselves: Should we vow to spend the restof our lives together? But before getting swept away with visions ofmatching tuxes or bridal bouquets, it may pay to ponder the monetaryimplications of 'til death do us part. Because while marriage-both gay andheterosexual-offers many financial benefits, it comes with potentialdisadvantages, too. (Only the state-regulated effects, however, apply tomarried gay couples, because the federal government does not recognize gaymarriage.)
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/your-money/2008/07/02/marriages-financial-pros-and-cons.html


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

-Kmart Exec Takes a Break to Fight for Marriage
The former chief marketing officer for Kmart, Bill Stewart, officiallyjoined the Equality for All campaign to help defeat a proposed Californiaconstitutional amendment on the ballot this November that intends to bansame-sex marriage.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid56971.asp

-Wisconsin Gay Couples Could Face Jail for Marrying in California
Same-sex couples from Wisconsin who go to California to marry could facecriminal charges when they return home. A Wisconsin law makes it a criminaloffense to enter into a marriage outside the state if that marriage wereillegal in Wisconsin.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid56983.asp

-Venezuela's Pro-Chavez Priests Also More Accepting of Gays and Divorce
A fledgling church that openly backs President Hugo Chavez is raising theire of Venezuela's Roman Catholic hierarchy, preaching the Gospel alongsidesocialism. Founders of the newly created Reformist Catholic Church ofVenezuela, based in the western city of Ciudad Ojeda, say that supportingChavez's socialist ideals goes hand in hand with Christian aims of helpingthe poor. ''We don't side with any political banner, but we cannot fail torecognize and support the socialist achievements of this government,''Enrique Albornoz, a former Lutheran minister who helped start the church,said in a telephone interview on Monday. ''We back the social programs ofthis revolutionary government.''
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid56964.asp

-Gay Aussies Flocking to U.S. for Surrogates
More than 100 gay Australian couples have paid $80,000 to create a babyusing surrogate mothers in the United States, according to one LosAngeles-based fertility clinic. "We've seen more than 125 gay couples fromAustralia who have gone home with a baby," the Fertility Institute's medicaldirector, Jeffrey Steinberg, told the Australian Associated Press. ? "We'reup to six to eight a month now, which is a four-fold increase over two yearsago. That makes Australia one of our biggest markets, neck-and-neck withBritain," he said. It is illegal for gay couples to have children throughsurrogacy in Australia. Clients of the Fertility Institute pick an eggdonor from a list of 400 university students. The eggs are then implanted ina different woman, who bears the child. Most of the gay Australians who usethe clinics services are affluent, professional men who "desperately want achild," Steinberg told AAP.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid56973.asp

-Staying Gay: Top Gay-friendly Hotel Companies
Some mainstream hotel companies trot eagerly out of their way to make LGBTtravelers welcome at their properties, from putting together gay-specificwebsites and Pride packages to offering discounts and local scene advice togay and lesbian travelers. These five homo-loving hotel companies deserveparticular recognition for their efforts in making our overnights away fromhome a real treat.
http://advocate.com/travel_detail_ektid56400.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:

-Pete Wentz's Gay Denial
Pete Wentz is tired of being the victim of a "gay witch hunt". The Fall OutBoy rocker, who is expecting his first child with new wife Ashlee Simpson,insists he is happily married and only interested in women. Wentz, who haspreviously referred to himself as "half gay", told Out magazine: "When I'mgoing down the street I get called a fag all the time. I'm still gettingcalled the same names as when I was 13.

-Brussels Overlooks Gay Marriage in New Rights Bill
New European Commission proposals to put an end to discrimination on thebasis of age, disability, sexual orientation or creed have been given alukewarm welcome by civil liberties groups, who say prejudice againstsame-sex couples who wish to get married is not adequately covered. Thecommission unveiled on Wednesday (2 July) a proposal for a directive aimingto ensure equal treatment in public services such as health care, socialsecurity and education, when buying products or making use of commercialservices. Similar protection already exists against discrimination in theworkplace.

-Christian Site's Ban on 'G' Word Sends Homosexual to Olympics
The American Family Association obviously didn't foresee the problems thatmight arise with its strict policy to always replace the word "gay" with"homosexual" on the Web site of its Christian news outlet, OneNewsNow. Thegroup's automated system for changing the forbidden word wound up publishinga story about a world-class sprinter named "Tyson Homosexual" who qualifiedthis week for the Beijing Olympics.


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

-Commentary: Catholic Charities--Let's Not Forget
Link: The Bilerico Project
by Dustin Kight
Excerpt: Many cases of carpal tunnel will be diagnosed before the bloggingabout Obama's faith-based programs announcement is over and done with. Letme contribute my two (wrist-destructive) cents: As someone who has seen thebest and the worst that organized religion has to offer, my reaction to theannouncement was cautious but open to begin with. Those who have commentedon the difficulties of putting nondiscrimination into practice are right onthe money, as are those who remind us that many faith-based groups do greatand necessary work, especially as anti-government forces have greatlydiminished purely civic and secular programs over the last 30+ years. Butone thing in the commentary thus far that needs to be addressed, forhistory's sake at least, is the example of Catholic Charities, lest weforget their adoption decision in 2006.

-Andrew Sullivan: Marriage And Discrimination
Pete Wehner is offended that his view that his relationship should be worthmore than mine under the law because he's heterosexual can be described as"discriminatory." How can it not be discriminatory? You may want to describeyour view as merely wanting "to preserve the traditional meaning ofmarriage," but when that preservation is entirely limited to keeping gaysout, and you want the law to enforce such a distinction, then it is simply afact that discrimination is your policy. You think it's good discrimination,but it's still discrimination unrelated to any civil marital responsibilitya gay couple is prepared to fulfill. This remains true however such a policyis maintained or arrived at - by courts or legislatures or, as is usuallythe case in the US, some combination thereof. What neither Wehner nor Obamahave fully grappled with is that there are really only two coherentpositions: civil equality or civil discrimination. Obama wants to enddiscrimination but not embrace equality; Wehner wants discrimination but notthe moral taint of being a bigot. These straddling positions are not unusualin the midst of social change. But we have reached a point at which theuseful fictions on which they rest are crumbling.

-MA: 'The bliss-off; Peabody Essex panel addresses gay marriage and art'
Link: Bay Windows
While enjoying the beautiful Wedded Bliss exhibit at The Peabody EssexMuseum, it is hard not to notice that something is missing. A survey ofweddings as artistic inspiration, the exhibit gathers together both artinspired by marriage and objects associated with marriage (such as Americanwedding dresses and Japanese furoshiki). As the Museum's Education Director,Peggy Fogelman, explained at a panel discussion last week, the exhibitionexplores courtship and weddings "across cultures, across centuries, andacross lifestyles." Yet same-sex relationships and marriage equality areall but ignored. Sharp-eyed viewers will spot a few gay couples in a videomontage of wedding imagery, and a copy of Courting Equality, a chronicle ofthe journey to the country's first same-sex marriages, on a table with otherbooks about marriage.

-Arkansas: Supporters to submit signatures for anti-adoption measure; lackof interest noted
Link: AP via KUAR
Excerpt: Supporters of a ballot measure targeting illegal immigrants andanother aimed at banning homosexuals from adopting or fostering childrensaid Wednesday they're ready to submit petitions to place their measures onthe November ballot. The director of the Arkansas Family Council ActionCommittee said the group has more than 62,000 signatures in support of ameasure banning unmarried couples living together from fostering or adoptingchildren. The group needs 61,974 certified signatures to get on the ballot.

-NM: Photographer Appeals Fine For Refusing To Take Gay Couple Pictures
Link: 365Gay.com
Excerpt: An appeal was filed Wednesday by an Albuquerque photographer whowas fined over $6,000 for refusing to take pictures of a lesbian couple'scommitment ceremony. In April the state Human Rights Commission ruled thatElaine Huguenin, owner of Elane Photography, violated the Human Rights Actby discriminating against Vanessa Willock and her partner on the basis ofsexual orientation. Willock filed the complaint after Huguenin said shewould only photograph traditional marriages. Following an investigation andhearing the commission issued a one-page ruling, finding that Huguenin hadviolated the state Human Rights Act and ordered her to pay $6,637 forWillock's attorney's fees and costs.


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

-Budapest gay sauna attacked with petrol bombs
A gay establishment in the Hungarian capital has been targeted, the secondattack in a week. Four petrol bombs were thrown into sauna called Magnum inthe early hours of yesterday morning

-Amid petrol bomb attacks, 400 police committed to gay beauty pageant
While gay activists in Budapest are complaining that the police are notprotecting gay businesses in the city, the organisers of Mr Gay Europe haveannounced they will have "400 policemen and women to protect them during thefinal."

-Young men among groups most at risk from HIV infection
A new report has identified the groups of gay men that are at highest riskof HIV transmission in the UK and are targets for HIV prevention work.


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

-OR: Ex-Teacher's Lawsuit Tied to Debate Over Play
BEAVERTON - A former teacher who proposed bringing a controversial play toSouthridge High School in 2005 is now suing the Beaverton School Districtfor $125,000 because he claims the district created an unfit workingenvironment that forced him to resign. In Wade Willis' wrongful dischargelawsuit, filed Monday in Multnomah County Circuit Court, the Portland manclaims he was "harassed, intimidated and humiliated" for attempting toproduce "The Laramie Project." The play is about the 1998 murder of gaycollege student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo. Willis says in the lawsuitthat Principal Amy Gordon disciplined him for failing to follow the school'sreview procedures in producing the play. Willis said he did follow policy.

-Outlaw All Hate Crimes Against Transgender People
In an effort to counter violence on our city's streets, the GreaterRochester Community of Churches, Faith Community Alliance and the BaptistMinisters Alliance have proposed the these 10 community standards to help usrealize "the Beloved Community" envisioned by the Rev. Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. We use language that respects everyone. Every child is our own. Wemove out of our pews and into the streets. Our county is a community ofshared power.

-Gary Bauer Weighs in Gay Marriage, Barack Obama and California
Our colleague Dan Morain chatted up American Values' Gary Bauer Tuesdayabout gay marriage and Barack Obama's letter stating his opposition to aCalifornia ballot initiative (John McCain supports it). Morain points outthat two other states will have similar measures on their fall ballot -Arizona and Florida. While polls show California pretty safe for Obama andArizona similarly so for McCain, a gay-marriage fight in Florida could havescale-tipping consequences. Bauer, founder of the conservative Campaign forWorking Families political action committee, said he hasn't decided whetherto donate to California's "incredibly important" measure. "If thepro-same-sex marriage forces cannot win in California and Florida, it meansthat the people of this country still are resistant to radical socialchange," Bauer said.

-CO: In Springs Visit, Obama Calls for Service
COLORADO SPRINGS - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama vowedthat, if elected president, he would add 92,000 ground forces to the country's military and more than triple the number of AmeriCorps workers, expandingtheir role to "meet national goals" of providing health care and education,as well as restoring the country's standing in the world. Obama, whoventured into this Republican, evangelical stronghold to give his speech,encouraged Americans to serve their country by working in neighborhoods, themilitary, schools and overseas. "We need your service right now, at this moment - our moment - in history," said Obama to about 200 invited guests in the aptly-named Lions Den Gym on the University of Colorado.

-Gay Soldiers to be Paid Expenses for Attending Pride Marches
Gay troops have been told they can submit claims for their car mileage ortrain tickets to marches in London on Saturday and in Brighton next month.Heterosexual soldiers have criticised the move saying they are not allowedto claim money for trips to important functions, including the Queen'sGarden Party. It will also be the first time Army and RAF troops will beallowed to march in uniform, Royal Navy soldiers are already allowed.

-How a Gay Spanish Mayor Brought Back to His Village
As you push aside the foliage and descend the stone steps to FranciscoMaroto's house, a small rainbow-striped sticker by the door signals therevolution achieved in this tiny village north-east of Madrid.From theSpanish capital, you drive 78 miles across parched meseta and reach averdant valley overshadowed by the Ocejon mountain, where slate-roofedhouses dot the hillsides around Campillo de Ranas. Some are new, othersrestored, but they exude a prosperity rare among villages hereabouts, mostof which are dying. Mr Maroto, 44, Campillo's Socialist mayor, has buckedthe trend of rural depopulation by promoting his village as a venue forweddings, particularly gay weddings.

-Church of England Crisis: Mass Defections Loom as Rebel Faction Appeals toEnglish Clergy
Hundreds of English clergy appear poised to defect from the Church ofEngland to join a new conservative movement after a conference led by rebelarchbishops was swamped with delegates in London yesterday. The 750delegates attending the meeting in central London were asked to pledge theirallegiance to a 14-point manifesto issued last weekend in Jerusalem by theGlobal Anglican Future Conference (Gafcon), a coalition of traditionalistclergy who have challenged the authority of the archbishop of Canterbury.According to the conservative website, Anglican Mainstream, clergy andchurchwardens are asked to "stand in solidarity" with Gafcon by registeringtheir support online.

-Emirates Ruler's Brother Guilty of Assaulting Man in Bar
A Swiss court has convicted a brother of the United Arab Emirates' ruler ofassaulting an American man with his belt in a luxury hotel bar in Geneva.Sheikh Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was found guilty of inflicting"bodily harm with the use of a dangerous object" and ordered to pay a fineof 10,000 Swiss francs (£5,000), according to the judgment. If he fails topay, it will be converted into a 100-day prison term. In addition, thesheikh faces a suspended penalty of 540,000 Swiss francs, payable in theevent of another infraction in Switzerland during the next three years, andcosts. The court found the sheikh hit Silvano Orsi, from New York,repeatedly with a steel-buckled belt after Orsi declined a bottle ofchampagne in August 2003. The sheikh, a brother of Sheikh Khalifa bin ZayedAl Nahyan, who was appointed president of the UAE in 2004 after the death oftheir father, maintains he is innocent.

-Rabbis Sit with Sheikhs to Deplore Gay Parade in Jerusalem
(IsraelNN.com) Fenton, of the National Religious Party faction, has alsogathered the signatures of 25 city council members on a petition opposingthe holding of the week-long World Gay Pride events in Jerusalem. Sixcouncilmen, members of the Shinui and Meretz parties, did not sign. The GayPride event includes a "Youth Day" at the Knesset to be held on Monday, Aug.7. The World Pride internet site bills it as "Bringing Order to the Knesset:National and International Summit Meeting for Youth." The Hebrew-languagepromotional literature for the Youth Day states, "Youth on the map! Afterthis day, it will be impossible to ignore us. Everyone will understand andremember for a long, long time that the proud [Hebrew gaieh] youth has whatto be proud of. Ages 15-25 - boys, girls, lesbians, homos, trans, bi, thosewho are hesitating, and friends, come to take part in this exciting youthday, a joint production of the Open House and the Israeli Gay YouthOrganization, which will be held in the Knesset. Two-way transportation fromall over the country. We will meet lots of pals from all over Israel and theworld, and we'll sit together to work out important subjects that are veryrelevant to our daily lives as students, soldiers. youth with ideals andvalues. After lunch, we will meet with elected representatives of allstripes, and we will present them with our 'I Believe' about the life ofgaieh youth in Israel. And at the end of the day: 'Good Jerusalem Children - the greatest youth party in Israel."


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

-Reform the homophobic asylum system
Labour is abusing gay asylum seekers
The government is being urged to "initiate urgent reforms to the asylumsystem to end the injustice whereby many genuine gay refugees being sentback to viciously homophobic countries like Iran, Uganda, Iraq, Nigeria,Pakistan, Jamaica, Belarus and Saudi Arabia." The call comes from gay humanrights campaigner Peter Tatchell of OutRage!. Speaking at a fringe meetingsupported by the GMB union at the TUC LGBT conference in London on 2 July,Mr Tatchell said: "We need urgent government action to implement five keypolicy changesto ensure a fair hearing for lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT) asylum applicants:

-First South Asia LGBTI Partnership Building Workshop
September 3-4 2008, Kathmandu, Nepal
We are very pleased to announce the first South Asia LGBTI PartnershipBuilding Workshop organized by LLH Norway and Blue Diamond Society,Kathmandu. The workshop will take place at Hotel Astoria in Lazimpat area ofKathmandu September 3 and 4, 2008. The aim of the workshop is to formpartnership amongst South Asian LGBTI groups and communities, shareexperiences, learn form each other and support LGBTI movements in South Asiato advance our rights and ensure justice. We also aim to strengthen ourknowledge in the field of South Asian social and cultural sexuality.
http://anewnepal.blogspot.com/


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Forwarded from Gay Asylum - UK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/messages?o=1
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Messages In This Digest (11 Messages)
Contact Ray's List for the full articles listed below:
1. Ethiopia: Government Prepares Assault on Civil Society From: omar kuddus
2. Morocco: Drop Criminal Charges Against Rights Defender, Journalist From:omar kuddus
3. Bangladesh: Repeal New Terror Law From: omar kuddus
4. Swedes changes rules for gay Iranian asylum seekers From: omar kuddus
5. Gay MEP welcomes "excellent" EU report on gay discrimination From: omar
kuddus
6. EU report highlights discrimination in Malta From: omar kuddus
7. Inequality for same-sex couples in different EU nations is "cause foFrom: omar kuddus
8. 2 Schoolboys Tortured, Killed : Muggers did the horrendous crime From:omar kuddus
9. Discreet gays should be safe in Iran claims Home Secretary From: omarkuddus
10 Human rights principally by definition, apply to all of us, simply bFrom: omar kuddus
11. NEW I PETITION From: omar kuddus


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

-"Intergroup demands Hungary to properly protect Pride participants."
On 5 July a Pride parade will take place in the streets of Budapest. TheEuropean Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights supports theevent and requests the government of Hungary to provide proper and fullprotection to all people taking part in Pride events. "Violence as seenlast year must not be repeated", said Michael Cashman, President of theIntergroup. "Police forces must be able to protect people exercising theirdemocratic rights to peaceful assembly." Sirpa Pietikäinen, Vice-Presidentof the Intergroup for the EPP-ED added, "Last year, because of negligenceand inactivity of police, people were attacked before, during and after theparade. This year we will closely watch the ability of Hungarian police toprotect every citizen against violence."
http://www.lgbt-ep.eu


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HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-We are two days away from beginning our midwest outreach/educational trip.
This trip takes us through Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. We are veryexcited to be doing some work in theses states. Please check our calendar at http://www.heartstrong.org to find out where the educational forums will beheld. If you live in the area or know someone who is, come and see us!
[...] We are about $1000 short for the funds needed for this first trip andabout $2500 short for the funds needed for the Colorado trip. Soeverythinghelps! Your gift is tax deductible and you can make it safely only byclicking right here right now
http://heartstrong.org/HeartStrong/125012100.html HS uses PayPal forprocessing our online donations. It's safe and secure and you don't have tohave a PayPal account to make your donation to HeartStrong. [...] Help usout! And remember to come and see us at one of our forums!
Marc Adams - Founder/Executive Director


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News from Michigan: Triangle Foundation
http://www.tri.org/index.html
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Triangle Events
..July 28, Ferndale: Sean's Farewell Roast! Join us as we poke fun and saygoodbye to one of Michigan's most prominent LGBT activists! 6-9pm. Via NovaRestaurant. Proceeds from the event will support the work of ourorganization. Contact Triangle Foundation 313.537.7000 for more information.
Third Friday of every month, the Detroit Eagle provides a fundraising nightfor the Triangle Foundation.
Out & About in Michigan
..July 13, Lenox Twp: Metra Picnic! 62000 Gratiot Ave - Lenox Twp locatedbetween 28/29 Mile Road. For more information visit www.metramagazine.com or248.543.3500
..July 25 - 27, Traverse City: 17th Annual Northern Michigan Bike Tour forLGBT people and their friends. A weekend of camping and outdoor fun.Proceeds will benefit Michigan Equality and the Perceptions Saginaw ValleyScholarship Fund. Visit www.CampOutMichigan.org for more information andregistration details. ..July 26, Brownstown: 1st Annual Red Ribbon GolfOuting to benefit Ruth Ellis Center organized by the Red Ribbon Bowlers.Shotgun start at 8am is $100 per golfer. Contact Jack VanHecke at313.252.1950 or jack.vanhecke@ruthelliscenter.com


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A Little Humor from Ken:
Gummi Lighthouses: When Candy Design Goes Terribly, Hilariously Wrong
http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/06/11/gummi-lighthouses-when-candy-design-goes-terribly-hilariously-wrong/

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