GLBT DIGEST - August 02, 2008

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

-Colorado: Death of a Transgender Woman Is Called a Hate Crime
Angie Zapata began living as a woman six years ago even though she was bornmale and named Justin. While Ms. Zapata, 18, was accepted by her manyfriends and five siblings, she was bullied in school and at times was lonelyand troubled, an older sister, Monica, said. Eventually, Ms. Zapata droppedout of school and got her own apartment here in Greeley. It was in thatapartment that Ms. Zapata's badly beaten body was found on July 17.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/02/us/02murder.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse

-Baby, You Can Drive My (Rented) Car, and Other Perks
With Massachusetts deciding this week to allow marriages of same-sex coupleswho live out of state, and Gov. David A. Paterson of New York directingstate agencies in May to recognize gay marriages performed legallyelsewhere, many expect scores of New Yorkers to soon become husband andhusband or wife and wife.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/02/nyregion/02marriage.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse

-New York Gay Couples Head to Massachusetts With Marriage in Mind
Gabriel Blau and Dylan Stein will be heading to Amherst, Mass., in a matterof weeks to complete a marriage ceremony they started two years ago. At thecouple's Jewish wedding in a Hell's Kitchen loft in 2006, they had afloral-embroidered chuppah, stomped on a glass in front of 175 friends andrelatives, and were hoisted on chairs amid a hora-dancing throng. But onething was missing: a marriage certificate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/02/nyregion/02gay.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse


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

-Now Liberals Are Public Enemy
Below is an excerpt from "On Faith," an Internet feature sponsored by TheWashington Post and Newsweek. [...] The pastor of thenow too-well-known Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Churchoccasionally wrote columns for the local newspaper, the Knoxville NewsSentinel. Last March, he wrote one entitled ''Tolerance,'' in which hecompared past intolerance of interracial couples to today's intolerance ofgay couples.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080102975.html


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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-CDC boosts U.S. HIV rate 40%; people living with HIV, allies
demand response from Presidential candidates
Eyes Wide Open, But is Vision Still Lacking? As CDC boosts current andhistorical HIV rate in United States, people living with HIV and alliesdemand response from Presidential candidates
In country lacking national AIDS strategy, data confirms 40% higherinfection rate, persistent epidemic in Black Americans, and rising rates ingay men
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/


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

-Elizabeth Taylor to return home from hospital
Condition called 'nothing to worry about'
Elizabeth Taylor was hospitalized for an undisclosed reason but was expectedto return home soon, representatives for the Oscar-winning actress saidThursday.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20108

-Gay rights protest at Anglican summit
Group led by human rights activist Peter Tatchell
Gay rights campaigners have waved placards as Anglican bishops from aroundthe world met to discuss homosexuality at the Lambeth conference -- thechurch's once-in-a-decade summit.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20106


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

-Democrats Told To Include Gay Issues In Platform
Democrats crafting the party platform were told Friday to include LGBTissues. The National Platform Drafting Committee is holding hearings acrossthe country to hear from various groups on what should be included in the2008 platform. In Cleveland on Friday, Allison Herwitt, the legislativedirector for the Human Rights Campaign, called for a clear position by theparty on several issues, including repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell - the banon gays serving openly in the military - and the addition of sexuality andgender expression in federal workplace laws.
http://www.365gay.com/news/080208-dnc/


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

-Prop. 8 Brings in Boatloads of Dough
A total of about $8 million has already poured in from supporters andopponents of California's marriage ban, with everyone from Mary Cheney toPG&E throwing money at the epic battle.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid58745.asp

-Haiti Prime Minister Hit by Allegations of Lesbianism
Haitian lawmakers ratified Michele Pierre-Louis to be the impoverishedcountry's prime minister on Thursday, ending more than three months ofpolitical bickering and deadlock in Parliament. Haiti's senate approvedPierre-Louis to be the country's number 2 leader by a 12-0 vote, making herthe second woman to become prime minister of Haiti. There were fiveabstentions. [...] While political wrangling went on behind the scenes,public debate on Pierre-Louis's nomination centered on claims that she isgay. Many in the socially conservative nation consider homosexuality to beimmoral, and clergy had denounced her. Pierre-Louis denied the claims in alocal radio interview on Wednesday. ''I have already said that it wasslander and lies,'' she told Radio Caraibes.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid58683.asp


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

-Most Impressive Democrat of the Week--Mass. governor Deval Patrick
Link: Huffington Post
There were a few minor contenders this week for Most Impressive Democrat OfThe Week, but I have to give the award to Massachusetts Governor DevalPatrick, for signing a law which overturns a previous (and outdated) lawwhich barred people from getting married in the state -- if their home statedidn't recognize the marriage. This law was passed in 1913, to avoid havingto marry interracial couples from other states. But it was dusted offrecently, when the state legalized gay marriage, to again bar people fromgetting married in the Bay State unless they were residents. Now, it can beargued that Massachusetts took a close look at what happened in Californiawhen they legalized gay marriage for all (including out-of-state couples),and reaped a flood of tourist money as a result.


-"Does Recognition of the Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry Impose Undue
Burdens on People Who Reject Same-Sex Marriage on Account of ReligiousConvictions?"
Link: FindLaw's Writ
Some critics of the state Supreme Court rulings in Massachusetts andCalifornia that recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry havesuggested that these cases create a conflict between religious believers andproponents of religious liberty, on one side, and gay men and lesbians andsupporters of gay rights, on the other. Click here to find out more! Theirargument is more practical than normative. The rulings' critics maintainthat recognizing same-sex marriages will inevitably lead the state tointerfere with and burden the religious liberty of faith communities thathold traditional beliefs deeming homosexual conduct immoral. For example,the critics fear that religious employers may be forced to violate thetenets of their faith if they are required by state law to extend health andretirement benefits to the same-sex spouses of their employees, just as theyare for opposite-sex spouses.

-"Eulogy for 'Marriage Evasion' in Massachusetts: 1913-2008"
Link: Huffington Post
Another Step for "Coast-to-Coast" Gay Marriage. On July 31, Massachusettsfinally repealed a law passed in 1913 that prohibited residents from otherjurisdictions from marrying in Massachusetts if they were unable to marry intheir home state. This so-called "marriage evasion" law was passed byMassachusetts to prevent out-of-state couples -- most notably, interracialcouples -- from "evading" their home states' marriage laws by traveling toMassachusetts to take advantage of its less restrictive marriagerequirements.

-Ireland: Commentary--"Growing up with my lesbian parents"
Link: Herald.ie
My name is Ailbhe and I am 17. I grew up in an amazing, happy house livingwith two brilliant parents. But our house is not recognised as a familyhome. My parents have been together since they were my age, they love eachother and me very much, but we are not recognised as a family unit. Myparents are gay. My mam's partner, Anto, is no blood relation to me, but sheis still very much my mother. She was at my birth, she taught me to ride abike and bake bread, and all the things a parent should. Every day, she putsup with my mood-swings and loud music, the same as my biological motherdoes. I'm closer to Anto than a lot of my friends are with their ownparents, but in the eyes of the law she is a stranger to me. The way ourlegal system stands, one of my parents has absolutely no rights over me.There is only one name on my birth cert and I only have one legal guardian.If Fiona, my biological mam, goes away for a few days, my other mother can'tsign my permission slips for school or consent forms should I need medicaltreatment.


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

-Amsterdam Gay Pride draws half a million
Amsterdam is hosting its 13th annual Gay Pride canal parade. A record eightyboats will be carrying thousands of gays and lesbians clad in scanty orextravagant clothing through Amsterdam's historic centre. An estimated500,000 spectators are expected to line the canals. This year's canal paradewill for the first time be joined by a large number of politicians. Amongthem are Education and Culture Minister Ronald Plasterk, who is alsoresponsible for gender equality, Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst andAmsterdam Mayor Job Cohen.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/5902123/Amsterdam-Gay-Pride-draws-half-a-million

-Record Stockholm Pride parade despite rain
Saturday's Stockholm Pride parade may have started with heavy rainfall, butit´s set to be the biggest Stockholm Pride parade ever, with over 80,000participants. While last year's parade attracted 50,000 people with 89floats, this year's has 152 floats, almost double. Part of the explanationfor this year's bump in attendees is that StockholmPride is also hostingEuropride, greatly increasing the number ofinternational guests.
http://www.thelocal.se/13442/

-Castration law for Swedish transgenders
Published: 2 Aug 08 13:02 CET
A new proposal to introduce castration as a prerequisite for thoseundergoing
gender reassignment surgery in Sweden has been met with outrageby a leading
gay and transgender rights organization. Today, those undergoing gender
reassignment surgery in order to achieve sexchange usually complement their
surgery with hormone treatment. A side-effect of the hormone treatment is
natural sterilization. However, hormone treatments may be broken off,
whether permanently orshort-term, allowing for the possibility of pregnancy,
as was the case of aBritish transgender "man" who got pregnant this year.
http://www.thelocal.se/13448/

-Gay Nigerian tells of death threats
By Christopher Landau
Davis Mac-Iyalla is an Anglican from Nigeria - nothing unusual about that -
but he is also gay and the death threats he has received since being open
about his sexuality led him to seek asylum in the UK.
Now he is campaigning at the Lambeth Conference, hoping that bishops will
face up to the existence of gay Christians in Africa. I met him just before
he began a demonstration at the conference venue on the Kent university
campus, joined by lesbian and gay Anglicans from six African countries.
With dancing accompanied by traditional drumming, the campaigners held a
banner proclaiming, "We're here!" Many gay Anglicans around the world still
feel that the church would prefer to deny their existence. Mr Mac-Iyalla's
message is simple. "Homosexuality does exist in Africa - it's not a
Western thing, as our African bishops would want people to believe," he
says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7535533.stm


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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

-GLAAD's "The Best & Worst of National News"

The Best:
...Washington Post Examines Needs of LGBT Youth
Since the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King was first reported in
lateFebruary, the need for comprehensive support systems for middle and
highschool LGBT students has been spotlighted. Most recently, Theresa
Vargas'July 14th Washington Post article, "Owning His Gay Identity: at 15
YearsOld," shared the story of Saro Harvey, a 15 year old from Virginia who
hasbeen openly gay since middle school. This respectful and
detailedexamination of what it means to be openly gay in middle and high
schoolpoints out the lack of supportive schools with inclusive
anti-bullyingpolicies and the presence of Gay-Straight Alliances. Saro
Harvey's story ofbravery is touching and encourages readers to remember the
importance ofmaking sure that schools are a welcoming and safe environment
for all.
...Reuters Profiles the Struggles of Binational Couples
Mary Milliken's Reuters article, "Gay Marriage: Until Deportation Do
UsPart?" shed light on risks binational couples face because of the lack
ofimmigration access for gay and lesbian couples. Milliken highlighted
thestory of Rita Boyadijian, a California resident who must move out of
thecountry in order to stay with her German partner whose student visawillsoon run out. Boyadijian's story put a powerful face on the losses wefaceas a country due to the lack of marriage recognition for same-sexcouples,and pointed out the urgent need for reform to address theseproblems....ABC News Offers In-Depth Look at Challenges and Triumphs of LGBTStudentsThis month ABC News offered a detailed look at how to ensure LGBTmiddleschool students are given all the opportunities necessary to flourish.
In"Young Teens Openly Express Sexuality; LGBT Pre-Teens Proud, NotSafe,"Susan Donaldson James examined the importance of respecting youngerteens'recognition of their orientation, and supporting them through thisprocess.The article called for implementation of teacher training topreventbullying, which too often leads to physical violence if leftunaddressed. James also tracked the growth of gay-straight alliance (GSA)clubs in recentyears, noting that while 110 now exist at the middle schoollevelnationwide, an increase may be helpful in the effort to create safeandeffective schools for all students.
...Washington Post Examines Challenges for Gay Hispanic people with HIVThe
week before President Bush signed the bill lifting the United States'ban on
visitors and immigrants who are HIV-positive, The Washington Postarticle
"AIDS Among Latinos on Rise," presented compelling portraits ofthree Mexican
immigrants affected by HIV. Reporter Ceci Connolly highlightedthe need for
better policies to address the growing rate of Hispanic HIVinfection, such
as increased Spanish-language health initiatives. Thearticle also emphasized
the negative effects of the immigration ban onHIV-positive people, pointing
out that fear of deportation often leads tolate diagnoses and lack of
treatment.

THE WORST
...Offensive Coverage of Transgender People by Boston Herald
A story by Jessica Van Sack of the Boston Herald published in the July8thedition of the paper repeatedly used offensive slurs to describetransgenderpeople. The article, titled "Undercover 'John' Takes on Trannies,Pimps,"focused on one Boston-area detective's undercover investigations among sexworkers. The article opens by describing how the detective hasbeen"trapped inside houses of ill repute by giant naked trannies" and goesonthe repeatedly refer to transgender women as "trannies." Such slursareunacceptable in any credible news outlet. Together with the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), GLAAD issued a Call toAction onJuly 11th, encouraging people to contact the Boston Herald andJessica VanSack to call for an apology. To date, the paper has beenunresponsive.
...Denver Daily News Publishes False Claims Regarding Children of GayandLesbian Couples
On July 15th, the Denver Daily News published an article written byPeterMarcus Marcus, titled, "Gay Parents= Gay Kids?" The story reportsthat21percent of children raised by gay and lesbian parents will be gayorlesbian themselves, and that these children will also have a moredifficulttime fitting into society. This statistic is based on a biasedreview by Dr.Trayce L. Hansen, of studies done concerning children raised bygay andlesbian parents. Dr. Hansen has drawn fire in the past for attemptingtopass off anti-gay beliefs as science and has been refuted bymainstreamdevelopmental psychologists. To back up Dr. Hansen's claims,Marcus quotesDr. Bill Maier, a psychologist, from the anti-gay group, Focuson theFamily, a well-known opponent of protections for gay and lesbiancouples.The story sparked many reactions, which resulted in a responsearticlepublished by the Denver Daily News the following day. Together withtheGLBT Community Center of Denver and Children of Lesbians and GaysEverywhere(COLAGE), GLAAD contacted Marcus and assisted him in obtainingsources forhis follow-up, "Gay Kids Study Wrong?," which offered the counteropinion ofa representative from the GLBT Community Center. While this isto becommended, a debate pitting one side against another wasunnecessarilyignited by initially publishing a so-called evaluation onresearch from abiased source and backing it up with quotes from thenotoriously anti-gaygroup, Focus on the Family.
...Rick Santorum Attacks the LGBT Community in Op-Ed Published by The
Philadelphia Inquirer
On July 3, The Philadelphia Inquirer ran an opinion piece by Rick Santorum regarding Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's decision to stopsubsidizingthe Boy Scouts' rent due to their discriminatory policies towardgay people.The Boy Scouts' refusal to allow membership of gay Scouts andScout leadersviolates Philadelphia's non-discrimination laws. Santorum pitsLGBTadvocates for equality and the Boy Scouts against one another, claimingthatLGBT advocates are somehow opposed to basic moral issues such asloyalty,courteousness, kindness, and braveness. Santorum also wronglyasserts thatMayor Nutter and the City of Philadelphia are "bowing to gayspecialinterests over the interest of the safety of the city" when in factthechange in policy regarding the Boy Scouts' rent assures that city lawisbeing followed.

-Efforts Against AIDS Among Black Americans Criticized
A prominent AIDS organization accused the federal government yesterdayofdoing too little to fight AIDS among black Americans, in whom the sizeandscope of the epidemic resembles that seen in many African nations. In a55-page report, the Black AIDS Institute argued that the diseaseshould beviewed as a threat to the entire black population, and not justspecifichigh-risk groups. Unlike in white Americans - and in the citizensof mostindustrialized nations - HIV in American blacks is increasinglytransmittedheterosexually through "networks" where men especially have manysex partnersat the same time, the report noted.
http://www.truthout.org/article/efforts-against-aids-among-black-americans-criticized

-The Reality of Living - and Dying - Without Respect
By Beth Littrell, Lambda Legal Staff Attorney
On the campaign trail this spring, former presidential candidateMikeHuckabee touted the need for a federal constitutional amendmentbanningmarriage equality and barring civil unions, claiming that legaldocumentscan alleviate inequality in most matters of life. "The power ofattorneywould give same-sex couples a chance to visit one another at ahospital,transfer assets," he said. "There are a lot of things that could behandledthat don't require a civil union."
Tell that to Janice Langbehn
Janice arrived at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fl, at the same timeas the ambulance carrying her life partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond.Forty-fiveminutes later, the hospital received Lisa's durable power ofattorneyidentifying Janice as the person authorized to make medicaldecisions. Eighthours later, Janice was still pleading with hospitalemployees to allow her,and their three jointly adopted children, permissionto be with Lisa as shewas taking her last breaths on this earth.
http://www.lambdalegal.org/our-work/publications/general/the-reality-of-living-and.html

-Olympic Problems with Sex Testing
BY ALICE DREGER
Ah, Beijing, where men are men and women are. women until proven otherwise.As reported in the New York Times, "Organizers of the Beijing Olympics haveset up a sex-determination laboratory to evaluate 'suspect' femaleathletes." According to the Times, "only athletes whose gender has beenquestioned will be tested in Beijing." This approach betrays fuzzy-headedthinking of - well, of Olympic proportions. So I'm laying out here myquestions to the Olympic officials involved in this business, in the hopessomeone on the inside will send them along. But first, let's get thelanguage straight. These are not gender tests, they're sex tests. Theofficials don't need to test for gender, since gender is about social roleand self-identification. And the concern of the Olympic testers is notsocial role or self-identification, it's biology. They're concerned thatsome women athletes might "really" have "male" anatomy that would give theman unfair advantage. So, here's what I would like to know from those chargedwith sex policing for the Olympics:
http://www.bioethicsforum.org/sex-testing-Olympics.asp


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Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrier
http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Out, black lesbian candidate trying to make history in Georgia
A Democratic runoff Tuesday will determine whether Keisha Waites will becomethe first lesbian of color to win state office in Georgia. Waites, who isbacked by The Victory Fund, is running for the state House seat beingvacated by Rep. Bob Holmes, D-Atlanta. Southern Voice (8/1)

-Military will adjust to presence of out soldiers
Although the military is likely to undergo a period of adjustment if the gayban is lifted, writer and Army veteran Rafael Enrique Valero believes therank-and-file, with the guidance of their superiors, would be able to handlehaving out soldiers in their units. "If gay soldiers were to openly servebeginning tomorrow, for a time the military would be unsettled,undoubtedly," he writes. "But they are, after all, soldiers. They can toughit out." The Atlantic.com/The Current blog (7/30)

-Trans workers make progress with acceptance on the job
Although transgender people still face discrimination at work, the overallclimate is improving, with almost 150 Fortune 500 companies includingtransgender employees in their anti-bias policies, according to thisarticle. "The issues transgender people face in the workplace are anoffshoot of what they face in society," says Ray Carannante, coordinator ofthe Gender Identity Project at New York's LGBT Community Center. "Asprofessional as we all aspire to be, folks hiring us are human beings andthey're part of our culture. And our culture views transgender as weird."
New York Post (7/28)

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