GLBT DIGEST - July 28, 2008

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

-Aging and Gay, and Facing Prejudice in Twilight
Even now, at 81 and with her memory beginning to fade, Gloria Donadellorecalls her painful brush with bigotry at an assisted-living center in SantaFe, N.M. Sitting with those she considered friends, "people were laughingand making certain kinds of comments, and I told them, 'Please don't dothat, because I'm gay.'"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/09aged.html


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

-Man charged in Tenn. church shooting that killed 2
Authorities were investigating why an apparent stranger entered a church andopened fire during a children's performance of "Annie," killing two,including a man witnesses called a hero for shielding others from gunfire.Seven others were wounded Sunday at the Unitarian church and attendeestackled the gunman.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072800273.html

-Sen. John McCain endorsed an end to affirmative action, saying yesterdaythat he supports a referendum in Arizona that would end race- andgender-based preferences. "I do not believe in quotas," the senator fromArizona said on ABC's "This Week." "But I have not seen the details of someof these proposals. But I've always opposed quotas."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701832.html

-Trans Formed: To Be Homeless & Transgender
The night my church opened its 10-bed homeless shelter for18-to-24-year-olds, I volunteered to supervise them. A novice to any kind ofshelter experience, I was nervous as I dragged my red cart with pillow andblanket to the church, and grateful that Mina, an elegant, 70-somethingsocial worker, also would be there.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701583.html

-Nike pulls ads on anti-gay concerns: report
The world's largest sportswear and shoe company Nike Inc has pulled someadvertisements that appeared to send out anti-gay messages, according to theonline edition of The Oregonian newspaper. The newspaper said controversyarose last week over some advertisements for Nike's new Hyperdunk basketballshoes. The ads were dubbed homophobic by bloggers and critics, the papersaid.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/28/AR2008072800531.html


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

-Hate Crimes Against Gays Rise in L.A.
Hate crimes in Los Angeles County soared last year to their highest mark infive years even as overall crime dropped across the region, according to areport released Thursday. The annual report by the county's human relationscommission shows 763 hate crimes were reported in 2007, a 28 percentincrease from 2006.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072508-hate-crimes-gays/

-Lesbian B-Ball Coaches Claim Wrongful Firing
The National Center for Lesbian Rights filed a lawsuit on behalf of twoformer women's college basketball coaches who claim they were fired afterspeaking out about unequal treatment of female athletes and coaches.
http://www.365gay.com/news/lesbian-b-ball-coaches-claim-wrongful-firing/

-Lawsuit Over Police Shooting Of Gay Man
The family of a man who died after being shot by police during a gaypride-related cruise in San Diego Harbor is planning to file state andfederal civil rights lawsuits.
http://www.365gay.com/news/072508-san-diego-lawsuit/


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

-Several People Shot at Gay Affirming Church in Knoxville
Church services were disrupted today at a gay-affirming church in Knoxvillewhen a lone gunman opened fire killing at least one person, and woundingseveral more. Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 KingstonPike, Knoxville, was the site of the vicious attack. It occurred while agroup of children were singing for the congregation when the gunman openedfire. The children were starring in a production of "Annie" that was takingplace as part of the normal Sunday service at the time of the shooting.

-The Importance of "Coming Out" and the Difference it Makes
The whole process known as "coming out" otherwise known as "coming out ofthe closet" is a phrase that plagues many young gay, lesbian, transgender,and transsexuals. The risk of coming out to your loved ones almost outweighsthe benefits and many wait until they are out of their parents house or overthe age of eighteen. Unfortunately the world has failed to realize thatbeing gay is not an alternate lifestyle choice but instead the way that weare made. Typically all young gay people play the straight role throughouttheir high school years especially depending on their religion, theirrelationship with their parents, the location that they live in, and justthe general overall reaction they believe will occur after revealingthemselves.

-Rent Boy Blackmailed Priest For Two Years
A RENT boy tormented a gay Catholic priest for more than two years bythreatening to expose his sexuality, a court heard yesterday. John Gallagherforced the 61-year-old to pay £3,000 for his silence and regularly visitedthe chapel house in Glasgow to demand cash. The pair met in KelvingrovePark in the city's West End, where the cleric often went to use the servicesof male prostitutes.


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

-UK: "Catholic adoption agency's new policy will allow homosexuals to adopt"
Link: Catholic News Agency
The largest Catholic adoption agency in England and Wales has decided toimplement an adoption policy that does not rule out same-sex couples in theface of new laws that forbid such screening. The change in its adoptionpolicy was made with the full support of the bishops who oversee the agency.The decision, made by the Catholic Children's Society of Arundel andBrighton, Portsmouth and Southwark (A&BSP) means the society will not turnaway any homosexual couples who present themselves as potential adopters.Terry Connor, chief executive of the society, explained to The Universe thatany changes would not start until January and were a direct result of therecent Sexual Orientation Regulations which enforced "rights" for same sexcouples who wish to adopt.

-Costa Rica: "Marchers Protested Same-Sex Couples Rights"
Link: Inside Costa Rica
Dressed in white t-shirts, some 20.000 people jammed Paseo Colón, in SanJosé, yesterday to express their views in opposition of a legislativeproposal to allow same-sex couples the rights of spouses. The march beganat 8am in front of the Hospital San Juan de Dios and ended shortly beforenoon at the La Sabana park. Organied by the Federación Alianza EvangélicaCostarricense, people from all over the country took part in the march. "Weare making a call to legislators against the proposal that is currentlybefore the Legislative Assembly, that would consent the union ofhomosexual", said Reynaldo Salazar.


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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
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-Report shows "significant progress" for gays in Ireland
A forum that advises the Irish government on equality and social inclusionhas said that there has been progress on gay rights in the past five years.

-Congress discussion on Bush impeachment is "anger management"
With his run for the White House behind him, Representative Dennis Kucinichgot an official airing in the House Judiciary Committee last week in hiscontinued quest to impeach President Bush.


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

-Spanish Pro-Family Group Files Charges Against Homosexual Groups for "HateSpeech"
A Spanish pro-family activist group, HazteOir, has filed charges against the organizers of the 2008 Madrid "Gay Pride" march for "hate speech," according to the group's website. HazteOir accuses the march organizers of making hateful statements against Catholics, pro-family organizations, and those politicians opposed to the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) . The PSOE, which currently occupies the position of Prime Minister and holds a majority in the Spanish Parliament, supports special "rights" for homosexuals. Amongst numerous other things, "Gay Pride" marchers in Madrid held a banner depicting Pope Benedict XVI on fire and calling him "chief of the inquisitors." "Yet again, the march has been marked by attacks against the Catholic Church, mockery of the bishops and slogans against Christians, " writes HazteOir. Article 525.1 of the Spanish Penal Code, which HazteOir is invoking to support their case, applies a heavy fine of 8 to 12 months of pay to those who seek to "hurt the feelings of the members of a religious confession" by "publicly, by word or through any type of document, make fun of their dogmas, beliefs, rites, or ceremonies, or publicly humiliate those who profess or practice them."
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/jul/08072504.html

-German pædophile with HIV jailed
A German man has been jailed after traveling to the far east for underagesex tourism and infecting people with HIV knowingly Kiel: A 49-year-oldHIV-positive musician who sexually molested boys in Cambodia was jailedFriday for six and a half years, with the German court ruling that he mustbe detained afterwards till he was no longer a risk to anyone else. JudgeStefan Becker said in Kiel the accused was perverted, incorrigible andunwilling to accept any behavioural therapy. "He can't alter the factthat he is paedophile, but if he had wanted, he could have changed the wayhe copes with his paedophilia," said the judge in the northern city of Kiel.The defendant has a long criminal record for similar offences. ACambodian boy, 8, who was flown to Germany with his mother, had crediblytestified about the sex acts with boys in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Thevictim was only 6 at the time. The public was barred from the German courtwhile the evidence was taken.
http://www.paul-moor.com/

-Playing it straight by living a double life
Cyprus may no longer be the narrow-minded conservative place it once was,but for the gay community little has changed
The old joke about homosexuality could have been thought up for Cyprus."What's the difference between being black and being gay?" "If you are blackyou don't ever need to sit down and tell your Mother." In many parts of theworld, it's generally accepted that sexual orientation is neither aconscious choice nor anything that can be changed voluntarily. This concepthas not yet been accepted in Cyprus, where homosexuality is rarely addressedand still 'never dares speak its name'. Here, the majority of gay men andwomen have to remain in a permanent state of public denial about their truesexuality. I wanted to find out what 'being gay in Cyprus' in 2008 meant toour young men and women and, if attitudes had indeed changed, away from theoutright condemnation and social persecution which existed when I spoke tosimilar groups of gay men and women in Paphos six years ago.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=40530&cat_id=9

-Gay sex is a sin, say four in five ProtestantsCanterbury
Most Christians believe gay sex is a sin and that practising gays should notbe ordained. A survey by ComRes of 517 Protestant Christians in Britainfound that only 3% of nonCatholic Christians believe homosexuality is not asin, while 81% say it is and 15% say "it is more complicated than this".Taking into account all Protestant denominations, 81% believe that gay sexis sinful. The survey also found that the Archbishop of Canterbury,Rowan Williams, lacks majority support. Only one in three Anglicans said DrWilliams represented their views. The Archbishop, preaching at St. Dunstan's, Canterbury, yesterday, had some criticism of his own for theChurch. He said: "Our Anglican family badly needs to find some ways ofresolving its internal tensions that will set it free to be more confidentlywhat God wants it to be." The survey was published as the Governmentgranted asylum to a leading Nigerian gay Christian activist, DavisMacIyalla.


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Forwarded by Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com

-California: Out-of-state money floods to Prop. 8
When Bruce Bastian of Utah stood up Saturday night at a San Francisco dinnerand wrote a $1 million check for the campaign against Proposition 8, he madeit clearer than ever that November's ballot fight over a ban on same-sexmarriage won't be a California-only affair. Supporters of the effort toban same-sex marriage already have taken in more than $1.2 million fromout-of-state contributors for the fall campaign. And even before Bastian, aco-founder of the WordPerfect software company, opened his checkbook, gayand lesbian rights groups and their supporters from around the country hadput more than $1.3 million into the fight against the ballot initiative."This is a campaign that's important to the entire country, not justCalifornia," said Brad Luna, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign,sponsor of the fundraising dinner that brought more than 750 people to theSt. Francis Hotel on Saturday. "The result will have effects across theUnited States."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/07/27/BA7E12038R.DTL

-Lawyer for Oxnard youth accused of killing gay classmate wants trial tobegin soon
As Brandon McInerney, 14, will be tried in adult court, his lawyer wants ajury to weigh in before his client gets much older. A lawyer for an Oxnardmiddle school student charged with killing gay classmate Lawrence King saidFriday that he wants to get the case in front of a jury quickly now that aVentura County judge has turned down his request to move it to juvenilecourt.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oxnard26-2008jul26,0,6621379.story

-Filmmaker uncovers the struggle of gay Muslims in 'A Jihad for Love'
Parvez Sharma's documentary depicts their battle to reconcile their sexualorientation with their devotion to a faith that condemns their way of life.The film screens at an L.A. theater next week. "AJihad for Love" may not bethe blockbuster movie of the season, but the new documentary about theplight of gay and lesbian Muslims is enjoying a degree of acclaim as itcasts light on a subject often shrouded in mystery.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs26-2008jul26,0,4447210.story


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Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
merajner@gmail.com
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Meditation slows AIDS progression, study finds
Meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, perhaps byaffecting the immune system, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. If thefindings are borne out in larger studies, it could offer a cheap andpleasant way to help people battle the incurable and often fatal condition,the team at the University of California Los Angeles said. They tested astress-lowering program called mindfulness meditation, definedas practicingan open and receptive awareness of the present moment, avoiding thinking ofthe past or worrying about the future. The more often the volunteersmeditated, the higher their CD4 T-cell counts -- a standard measure of howwell the immune system is fighting the AIDS virus. The CD4 counts weremeasured before and after the two-month program.
http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html

-"Is Buddhism Good for Your Health?"
In July 1997, Davidson recruited human subjects at a small biotech companyoutside Madison called Promega to study the effects of Buddhist-stylemeditation on the neural and immunological activity of ordinaryAmericanoffice workers. The employees' brains were wired and measured beforethey began a course in meditation training taught by Kabat-Zinn. It was acontrolled, randomized study, and after eight weeks, the researchers wouldtest brain and immune markers to assess the effects of meditation. There wasreluctance among some employees to volunteer, but eventually, about fourdozen employees participated in the study. Once a week for eight weeks,Kabat-Zinn would show up at Promega with his boom box, his red and purplemeditation tape cassettes and his Tibetan chimes, and the assembled Promegaemployees -- scientists, marketing people, lab techs and even some managers -- would sit on the floor of a conference room and practicemindfulness for three hours.

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