GLBT DIGEST - August 08, 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.

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

-New York State Senate Gets Bill Banning Bullying Acts in the Schools
Legislation aimed at banning bullying in public schools, includingharassment based on sexual orientation, has been quietly introduced in theState Senate. The legislation, which includes language protectingtransgender students and teachers, has been a priority of advocates for gayand lesbian rights but was ignored for nearly a decade in the Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/education/08bully.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin

-New Focus on Children at AIDS Seminar
MEXICO CITY - The global response to the AIDS epidemic has short-changedchildren, health workers at the International AIDS Conference said here onWednesday. Although governments and donors provide large amounts of moneyfor H.I.V. treatment in the developing world, too little of that moneyreaches children, said Linda Richter, a psychologist in South Africa whodelivered the first plenary lecture on children in the history of theconference.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/health/07aids.html

-AIDS Group Cites Rapes in Zimbabwe as Terror Tool
MEXICO CITY - A 13-year-old girl was abducted, then raped repeatedly over atwo-week period during a campaign of political terror in Zimbabwesurrounding recent elections there. Hers is one of 53 cases documented byAIDS-Free World, an advocacy group investigating rape as a political weaponin Zimbabwe, activists said Thursday at a news conference at the 17thInternational AIDS Conference here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/world/africa/08aids.html


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

-Calif. boy pleads not guilty in gay teen's slaying
A 14-year-old Southern California boy has pleaded not guilty to the murderof his gay classmate. Brandon McInerney entered the plea in Ventura CountySuperior Court on Thursday. McInerney is charged as an adult with firstdegree murder and a hate crime for the Feb. 12 fatal shooting of 15-year-oldLarry King at their junior high school in Oxnard.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080800350.html


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

-IMMIGRATION: Lesbian avoids deportation to Jamaica
A Jamaican lesbian was spared deportation to her native country after ajudge found that she might be tortured there because of her sexualorientation.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/633396.html


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

-Report: Archbishop of Canterbury says gay relationships are OK
In newly disclosed letters, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrotethat the Bible doesn't forbid same sex relationships when there is acommitment similar to traditional marriages, a British newspaper reportedThursday. The report by the Times of London was the latest development inthe controversial issue of how the Anglican church should viewhomosexuality. Williams has come under intense scrutiny as differing viewsover whether to accept changes in traditional biblical understanding ofsame-sex relationships have threatened to split the 77 million-memberAnglican Communion.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/08/report-archbish.html


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

-NY lawyers defend move to recognize gay marriages
Alliance Defense Fund accuses gov. of overstepping his authorityState lawyers are defending Gov. David Paterson's move to recognizeout-of-state gay marriages.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20209

-What Howard Dean thinks of the Blade
If you want to get a look at what DNC Chair Howard Dean really thinks of thegay media, and the Blade in particular, check out this new YouTube clip.Someone has edited together all of Dean's Blade-trashing remarks from hisrecent videotaped deposition in the case of a gay man, Donald Hitchcock,suing the party for wrongful termination.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=8/2/08&end=8/9/08#20208

-Mr. T Tells Bill O'Reilly: 'I'm Not a Gay-Basher'
Mr. T denied being "homophobic" on "The O'Reilly Factor" Wednesday nightafter his recent Snickers ad was pulled from the airwaves in Britain foroffending homosexuals. "I am not homophobic, I am not a gay-basher I didn'tsay anything that was negative nor derogatory," Mr. T told Bill O'Reilly. "Iwould never do a commercial if I thought it was offensive to anyone.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399584,00.html

-Rowan Williams: gay relationships 'comparable to marriage'
Rowan Williams believes that gay sexual relationships can "reflect the loveof God" in a way that is comparable to marriage, The Times has learnt. Gaypartnerships pose the same ethical questions as those between men and women,and the key issue for Christians is that they are faithful and lifelong, hebelieves.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4473814.ece

-Kanye West to Fans: Don't Use the Word 'Fag'
A YouTube clip of the final minutes of a Madison Square Garden performanceof Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour on August 5th shows the rapperspeaking out against homophobia and anti-gay slurs.
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/08/kanye-west-to-f.html

-Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Jefferson: A Sex Blogger Fights for Custodyof his Kids"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The phrase came to me thismorning while musing over the predicament of my friend, the sex bloggerJefferson. Because his ex-wife recently discovered he is bisexual, he is nowfighting for custody of his kids. It's an ironic twist that the man who tookas his pseudonym Jefferson, in homage to freedom-loving Thomas Jefferson,should have that man's basic principles now used against him in a court oflaw.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzanne-portnoy/life-liberty-the-pursuit_b_117010.html

-Friend & Foe
FRIEND OF THE WEEK
Heddy Pena - Former Executive and Political Director
Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE)
Heddy Pena took over Miami's grassroots GLBT political action committeeafter Miami-Dade County voters approved its gay-friendly Human RightsOrdinance in 2002 and since then she has been a constant and fierce watchdogfor GLBT equality rights. Pena has led the organization's efforts to secureequal benefits to Miami Beach employees and recently the approval for thedomestic partnership registry in Miami Dade. This week she stepped downfrom her position SAVE to take a more active role in the campaign to defeatAmendment 2. She will be heading Spanish-language media efforts as well asfundraising for Florida Red and Blue.

FOE OF THE WEEK
Charlie Crist - Governor State of Florida
To most who've been watching the ascent of Florida's governor Charlie Cristto a more national scope as a short-listed potential vice-presidentialmaterial, Crist's declarative statement supporting Amendment 2, theconstitutional measure to ban same sex marriage in Florida comes as nosurprise. Crist, after all, was among the first to sign the petition toplace the measure on the ballot. However, he's walked an ambiguous linestating for several months that he defines his position as "live and letlive." As his profile zooms to national name recognition one can only seehis leadership as one that will do and say what is expeditiouslyadvantageous to his own ambition. Crist has been criticized for movingincreasingly to the right to win over more conservative factions of theRepublican Party. And while his declarative support for Amendment 2 bringsan end to his nebulous stance on the issue, it will not be the decisivestraw to sway voters Nov. 4.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/view/friendfoe/4938.cfm

-Lingering questions for Barack Obama
The enigmatic senator should provide clarity on issues important to gays I SUPPORT BARACK Obama and urge everyone to do the same. But recently I was accused of not drinking the Kool-Aid yet, which is true, because Obama remains something of an enigma.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/view/columns/4940.cfm



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

-Teen pleads not guilty in Larry King slaying
A 14-year-old Southern California boy has pleaded not guilty to the murder
of his gay classmate.
http://www.365gay.com/news/080808-larry-king-plea/

-Gay dad could face abduction charge
A gay man involved in a bitter battle with his estranged husband has fledthe country with their 23-month old son. Eric Hyett and his son Jedidiahhave surfaced in Israel. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Hyettblames the ugly property and custody battle on Joshua Glazer, who Hyettclaims has for a year ignored offers to settle.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-dad-could-face-abduction-charge/

-Canada mulls mandatory reporting of HIV+ immigrants
(Vancouver, British Columbia) Immigrants with HIV account for a largeportion of new infections of the disease in Canada and they're slippingbetween the health-care cracks, warns a recent report. Although Citizenshipand Immigration Canada is considering making HIV a reportable disease,currently it is not, meaning it is not considered a public health risk andit is not mandatory to report infections to public health officials.
http://www.365gay.com/news/080708-canada-immigrants/

-Video/ Oh God, I'm Gay! - Sabrina Sojourner
http://www.365gay.com/video/video-oh-god-im-gay-ann-kansfield/


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

-Missouri to Get Its First Out Gay Male Legislator
Mike Colona, a gay lawyer from St. Louis, won his Democratic primary Tuesdayfor a Missouri house seat despite controversy over his ties to the gay pornindustry, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Colona took 42% of the votein his five-candidate race and should head directly to the statehouse: Hehas no Republican challenger in the fall. He'll become the first out gay manin the Missouri legislature.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid59053.asp

-Presidential Debate Commission Chooses Moderators
The Commission on Presidential Debates has named Jim Lehrer and Gwen Ifillof PBS, Tom Brokaw of NBC News, and Bob Schieffer of CBS News as moderatorsof the three presidential debates and one vice presidential face-off.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid59059.asp


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

-Straight Leaders Sought for Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights 2008
Link: Soulforce
(Austin, TX) - There's never been a more exciting time for straightAmericans to take a stand for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) friends and neighbors. That's according to Soulforce and AtticusCircle, the sponsors of Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights 2008, aproject that will spotlight straight Americans' support for equality overthe week of September 14-20.

-Rowan Williams: Gay couples reflect the love of God
Link: The Guardian
Gay relationships can "reflect the love of God" in a way that is comparableto marriage, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Ina series of letters from 2000 and 2001, when he was still archbishop ofWales, Williams wrote that scriptural prohibitions against homosexuality,such as those in Leviticus, were addressed "to heterosexuals looking forsexual variety in their experience".


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

-India's health minister calls for decriminalisation of homosexuality
A leading Cabinet minister in India has said that laws that criminalise gaysex should be overturned. Anbumani Ramadoss made his remarks at the 17thInternational Conference on AIDS.

-Gay blood donors would bring "infection and death" claims Red Cross
Gay activists have accused the Red Cross of scare tactics on the first dayof a hearing into Australia's gay blood ban in Hobart yesterday.

-Gay Filipinos arrested in Saudi Arabia
Two men from the Philippines have been arrested in the Saudi capital Riyadhfor homosexual acts. The arrests by the Muslim nation's "morality police" isthe latest in a crackdown on gays.

-Democratic convention platform short on LGBT issues
The Democratic National Committee sent a draft of the party's 2008 platformto committee members yesterday that incorporated planks from the platformsof former candidates.

-Malaysian political leader pleads not guilty to sodomy charge
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim been bailed by a court in Malaysia afterpleading not guilty to charges of sodomy. His trial will begin on September 10th.


=
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

-New Orleans APSA meeting boycott statement.
"Boycott and Support ACORN."
The states like Louisiana that are not just passing anti-gay laws but areactually changing their constitutions to enshrine homophobic exclusiondeserve a strong response, and the APSA ought to stand up and say no to suchbigotry and to injustice of all kinds. In addition, the APSA annual meetingdraws such a large number of participants that the unlikely event actuallydoes become a real possibility. We really do have to take the medical andlegal needs of our lesbian and gay members into account. For these reasons,I support the boycott of the New Orleans APSA meeting. At the same time,this is a boycott that will have an impact on a very special city.Post-Katrina, New Orleans is in desperate need of sound capital investment.It also needs sound democratic leadership, one that would treat the needs ofthe low income residents, rather than the demands for corporate development,as its first priority.
http://www.acorn.org/


=
Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Introducing Your 2008 Equality Riders
Since 2006 a dynamic group of volunteers from our young adults division,Soulforce Q, has hit the road on an annual journey that changes hearts andminds at college campuses across the country. Today, I'm excited to sharewith you the words of Katie Higgins, who along with Jarrett Lucas, isdirecting this year's Equality Ride with keen focus and steelydetermination. Take some time to get to know the riders, our most diversegroup yet, and consider supporting them with a financial donation to help usunderwrite this important project. These young people are taking two monthsout of their lives, many of them interrupting their college education, inorder to bring truth and justice to those who need to hear that message themost. Sponsor the riders: http://www.soulforce.org/2008riders
http://www.soulforce.org/email_campaign/email_8_7_2008.html

=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####