GLBT DIGEST - September 12, 2008

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

-Detailed Study on Spread of H.I.V. in U.S.
An unusually detailed study of people newly infected with H.I.V. in the United States has confirmed that the majority of new cases occur among gay and bisexual men and that blacks are most at risk. But the data show that whites and blacks tend to be infected at different times in their lives with the virus that causes AIDS. Most new infections of white gay and bisexual men occur when the men are in their 30s and 40s, the study found, while black gay and bisexual men are more likely to be infected in their teens and 20s. The results were reported on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/science/12HIV.html


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
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-Sarah Palin stirs passion in Hollywood
Sarah Palin represents many things Hollywood liberals love to hate, from her opposition to gay marriage to her support for gun rights, yet she possesses two key qualities they admire -- star appeal and a great script. Accordingly, Hollywood Republicans -- often overshadowed by their left-leaning peers -- are seeking to capitalize on the celebrity of John McCain's running mate in the November 4 election to generate support in a town well-known for its lavish Democratic fund-raisers and events.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/12/AR2008091200640.html


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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
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-Government study tracks spread of HIV
Black gay and bisexual men under age 30, white gay and bisexual men in their 30s, and black women: These are the groups where HIV is spreading the most, health officials said Thursday. First-time estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed what many health experts already have observed about the hot spots of the HIV/AIDS outbreak in South Florida and the nation.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flrxhiv0912pnsep12,0,810974.story

-Read the federal report on HIV/AIDS
The report
To read the new federal report on HIV/AIDS, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/mmwr
To read a 2007 Florida Department of Health report on HIV in the gay community, visit www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/aids
General information on HIV/AIDS: Florida health department at www.doh.state.fl.us, click on "A to Z topics," or 800-352-2437, 800-545-7432
(Spanish) CDC at www.cdc.gov/hiv or 800-232-4636
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flrxhivbox0912sbsep12,0,5888312.story


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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-More than a gayborhood on Biscayne
Miami's Upper East Side corridor blends straight and gay worlds
The images of half naked muscle boys on the Boulevard Theater's wrap-aroundmarquee might be the most obvious sign that a significant gay communitylives around Biscayne Boulevard's Upper East Side Corridor.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/9-11/news/localnews/5052.cfm

-Author Leads Fight Against Ex-Gay Movement
By Carlos Santoscoy | On Top Magazine
In making his way to Anchorage, Alaska to confront, once again, a James Dobson Love Won Out ex-gay conference scheduled for Saturday, Wayne Besen stands at the vanguard of one of the most vehement battles of the gay-Christian culture war - the Christian-based ex-gay movement which seeks to "cure" homosexuals. Yet, the ex-gay movement he hopes to expose operates in relative obscurity, and with little opposition. In 2000, when Exodus Chairman John Paulk was being hailed as the golden boy of the ex-gay movement by such media heavyweights as Newsweek and CBS's 60 Minutes, Besen secretly photographed him flirting with men in a gay Washington D.C. bar and wrote about his apparent fall from grace in Anything But Straight:
Unnmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth. The revelation shocked both the ex-gay movement and the media who had glamorized it, and Paulk was subsequently removed as chairman of Exodus. Besen has since founded Truth Wins Outs, a non-profit organization that advocates against ex-gay ministries, and, more recently, RespectMyResearch.org, where social and behavioral scientists can voice their displeasure at having their research distorted and used to prop up ex-gay claims.
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=2359&MediaType=1&Category=26

-Gay News from the Presidential Campaign Trail
By Lisa Keen | Pride Source
LEADER IN TRUST:
A poll just out this week shows that more registered voters trust Democrat Barack Obama on the rights of gay couples than trust Republican John McCain. The poll, conducted September 5 - 7 of 961 registered voters nationwide by the Washington Post and ABC News, asked, "Regardless of who you may support, who do you trust more to handle social issues, such as abortion and gay civil unions." Forty-eight percent said Obama; 41 percent said McCain. Five percent said "both" or "neither," and six percent were unsure. Interestingly, McCain's standing has improved on the question since the question was first asked in July, and Obama's has dropped off. Only 32 percent of those surveyed trusted McCain more on social issues in July -so the current 41 percent represents a significant boost. Meanwhile, 56 percent trusted Obama more in July - so the current 48 percent represents an eight-point drop.
BUS FUSS:
Mel White, the former ghost writer for Jerry Falwell and other
right-wing televangelists, recently paid a small town in Virginia for busing supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to a local high school to hear the candidate speak. According to various reports, the town was forced to provide last-minute shuttle services from a local stadium to the high school after Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the late Falwell Sr., refused to allow rally attendees to park in the shopping mall owned by Falwell's Liberty University. White and his spouse, Gary Nixon, chipped in the $900 to pay back the town for its services.
http://www.pridesource.com/digestarticle.shtml?article=31872


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Forwarded from Gay Asylum - UK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/messages?o=1
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-Mehdi reaction in the House of Lords
Lord Roberts of Llandudno: My Lords, I want to express my appreciation of the Home Secretary's action in giving asylum to Mehdi Kazemi, the young man who was to be forcefully removed to Iran. I am told that that happened yesterday. In view of what is going on in Iran and the possible treatment of those who are repatriated or forcibly removed from here, could there not be a total moratorium on the removal of failed asylum seekers to Iran?

-Insight: the hell of the asylum seeker
The Azerbaijani gay asylum seeker Babi Badalov last week sent out a plea to friends reflecting his appalling situation, caught in the fifth richest country in the world, between destitution and possible honor killing (actually more than possible, his relatives have already made threats). A situation which the Home Office, backed by the Daily Mail etc. considers 'civilised'. Babi is currently trying to get his case reviewed having been turned down on the basis that he can be 'discreet' once he's 'sent back' (a passive way of describing what will actually happen to this remarkable artist).

-So-called 'honour' killings are a deadly serious issue in numerous countries for lesbians and gays, in particular Iraq but also Turkey, Palestine, Pakistan, Gambia, Brazil, Mexico and others. There have been cases in the UK of gay asylum seekers also been attacked for similar reasons.

-A Christian fleeing from Nigeria, where the Church supports anti-gay legislation, was granted asylum in the UK last Friday after receiving death threats. Davis Mac-Iyalla, director of Changing Attitude Network (Nigeria), who left the country in 2006, said that he could now work in safety to further the welfare of other Nigerians who were lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transsexual. Mr Mac-Iyalla, who addressed a fringe meeting at the Lambeth Con­ference onTuesday, said that he could introduce bishops who denied that there were anygay Africans to several homosexuals from Africa. Homosexuality had existedin Africa long before Westerners arrived, he said. "Homosexuality was knownin Africa: what was not known was Chris­tianity. But the missionaries came and said it was a sin. It is not homosexuality that is a Western thing."


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
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Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article

-Anti marriage donors in California
The much anticipated release of the major donors to Yes onProposition 8 was published today on the Californians Against Hate web site:
http://CaliforniansAgainstHate.com The announcement came in a postbyCampaign Manager Fred Karger on the Huffington Post. Proposition 8 changesthe California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples tomarry. The top 10 donors are now up on the front page ofCalifornians Against Hate's newly redesigned web site, and the remaining 102 donors can be found by using the link directly below the "Top 10." A list of who's funding the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign to take away marriage equality in California. Below are the Top 10 donors (click their names for more info).
To view the names of the hundreds of other donors, click the link at the end of the list.
Knights of Columbus, New Haven, CT
$1,275,000
National Organization for Marriage, Princeton, NJ
$941,134.80
John Templeton, Bryn Mawr, PA - John Templeton Foundation
$900,000
Fieldstead & Company, Irvine, CA
$600,000
American Family Association, Tupelo, MS
$500,000
Elsa Prince, Holland, MI
$450,000
Focus On the Family, Colorado Springs, CO
$412,246.63
Terry Caster & Family, San Diego, CA
$293,000
Dorothy Nielson, La Verne, CA
$150,000
Doug Manchester, San Diego, CA - Manchester Financial Group
$125,000
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=37197360&msgid=518313&act=ZCOX&c=302269&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2FCaliforniansAgainstHate.com

-Larry Kroon, the pastor of Wasilla Bible Church, which Sarah Palin
attended, was on Fox News to explain why Sarah Palin's church advertised a Love Won Out conference. Love Won Out, which is an arm of Focus on the Family, promotes ex-gay therapy, the idea that if gays pray hard enough, they can turn straight. He explains that he advertised it because people in his church were talking about homosexuality without an understanding of "the dynamics of same-sex attraction" and were talking about two gays in the ommunity without a "gracious tone and manner." He says, "I don't think there was appropriate use of terminology," which I'm guessing means some people were calling those gays "faggots" or "dykes" (he doesn't say whether they were male or female). This person's a real piece of work. Will someone please ask Sarah Palin if she supports this? After Barack Obama had to respond to several quotations from his pastor taken out of context, I think the fact that Sarah Palin's church supports ex-gay therapy is worth asking her about.
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/09/sarah_palins_crazy_homophobic_pastor.php#more

-Comprehensive national survey on transgender discrimination launched by National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Respond to the survey online at https://online.survey.psu.edu/endtransdiscrim

-Pro-Marriage Republicans Win Big in Primary
New York: As many of you know, Tuesday was New York's Primary Election Day.Log Cabin is very pleased to report that all four Republican Assembly memberswho have stood up for marriage equality won their primaries withoutopposition. When Assemblymembers Janet Duprey, Joel Miller, Teresa Saywardand Dede Scozzafava took their stand in 2007, the far right threatened toderail their paths to the Republican nomination. These important primaryvictories demonstrate that Republicans can do the right thing in Albany andmaintain their support among their conservative, moderate and libertarianconstituents.


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

-GOP downplays Palin book ban flap
The McCain campaign is defending Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's much-criticizedinquiry into banning books at her hometown library, saying her questionswere only hypothetical. Shortly after taking office in 1996 as mayor ofWasilla, a city of about 7,000 people, Palin asked the city's head librarianabout banning books. Later, the librarian was notified by Palin that she wasbeing fired, although Palin backed off under pressure.
http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/gop-downplays-palin-book-ban-flap/

-The perils of aging while gay
When Gayle had a stroke one Sunday evening nine years ago, she was rushed toHennepin County Medical Center's emergency room, Minnesota's third largesthospital.? But when Gayle (a senior trans woman) got there, she was toldthat in order to receive treatment, she would have to re-assume her oldidentity: She had to become Glen if she wanted to be helped. ?
http://www.365gay.com/features/the-perils-of-aging-while-gay-2/

-Obama foes thwarted by court
A federal judge dealt a blow Thursday to the advertising plans of aconservative group that purports to tell "the real truth" about Barack Obama's
abortion views.
http://www.365gay.com/news/obama-foes-thwarted-by-court/

-Obama ad mocks McCain computer skills
John McCain is mocked as an out-of-touch, out-of-date computer illiterate ina television commercial out Friday from Barack Obama, as the Democrat beginshis sharpest barrage yet on McCain's long Washington career.
http://www.365gay.com/news/obama-ad-mocks-mccain-computer-skills/


-Besen: Ex-gays and ex-Republicans
The first thing that struck me about the Republican National Convention inSt. Paul was the stunning lack of diversity. Only the GOP is capable ofmaking Minnesota whiter. Into this cocoon of Caucasians stepped theultra-pale John McCain and his moose-whacking VP, Sarah Palin, who togethercould have billed the ticket as "Powder and Gun Powder."
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-ex-gays-and-ex-republicans/

-Bosnia police brace for Gay Pride violence
(Sarajevo, Bosnia) Two weeks before Bosnia holds its first LGBT Pridefestival, police in Sarajevo say they are preparing for potential violence.Posters calling for death to gays have been appearing in Sarajevo ahead ofthe Queer Sarajevo Festival, scheduled for Sept. 24 to 27.
http://www.365gay.com/news/bosnia-police-brace-for-gay-pride-violence/


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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
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-New LGBT High School Proposed in Chicago
A new high school for LGBT students has been proposed in Chicago, accordingto the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The project is not likely to get underway before 2012, and it faces significant opposition from a variety ofgroups across the political spectrum.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid61240.asp

-HIV-Positive Teacher Sues School for Wrongful Firing
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is filing a suit against aMaryland school for allegedly firing a teacher because he is HIV positive.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid61275.asp

-Patrick Sammon Discusses Log Cabin's McCain Endorsement
Patrick Sammon takes questions from The Advocate about Log Cabin's decisionto endorse the McCain-Palin ticket and predicts seeing more inclusivelanguage from the campaign before voters cast their ballots November 4.Following the Log Cabin Republicans' endorsement of John McCain forpresident at the Republican National Convention, The Advocate caught up withLog Cabin president Patrick Sammon to discuss the group's advocacy work,McCain's stances on LGBT issues, and how Gov. Sarah Palin affected thedecision to endorse.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid61284.asp

- Dancing With Lance Bass
He's toured the world over as one fifth of the most popular boy band inrecent memory, entertained a mission to space, and come out on the cover ofPeople. He's now poised to turn reality television on its ear when he takesto the stage this season on Dancing With the Stars. Lance Bass practicallyinvites the question: Is there anything this guy can't do? He's toured theworld over as one fifth of the most popular boy band in recent memory,entertained a mission to space, and come out on the cover of People. He'snow poised to turn reality television on its ear when he takes to the stagethis season on Dancing With the Stars. Lance Bass practically invites thequestion: Is there anything this guy can't do?
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid61258.asp


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Pink News
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
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-UN urged to push for ban on execution of children
A human rights group has called for action on executions for crimescommitted by children. The vast majority of executions of juvenileoffenders take place in Iran, where judges can impose the death penalty incapital cases if the defendant has attained "majority," defined in Iranianlaw as 9 years for girls and 15 years for boys, says Human Rights Watch.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8980.html

-Asia's largest gay festival begins in Taipei
The Taiwanese gay community will be celebrating during the coming month asthe 2008 Taipei Gay Carnival began today. The highlight of the carnivalwill be the Pride parade on 27th September.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8976.html

-Macedonia should recognise same-sex couples says rights commissioner
The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights has published a report into the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in Macedonia. Thomas Hammarberg said that the "atmosphere and attitude towards LGBT persons" in the former Yugoslav Republic has improved.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8978.html

-Italian comedian faces "Fascist" prosecution for mocking the Pope
The Minister of Justice in Italy has given prosecutors permission to use aFascist-era law to punish a comedian for mocking the Pope. Sabina Guzzantiis accused of "offending the honour of the sacred and inviolable person" ofPope Benedict XVI.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8973.html

-Candlelight vigil to mark 10th anniversary of Matthew Shepard's murder
Ten years ago, all across the world, people kept vigil for a teenager whohad been viciously attacked because he was gay. They lit candles and saidprayers for Matthew Shepard, but their intercessions could not save him.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8972.html

-Interview: Homophobic bullying is killing gay kids
The UK's leading gay lifestyle magazine has joined forces with Stonewall tofight homophobic bullying in Britain's schools. In September's issue ofAttitude, celebs gay and straight show their support for the 'Some peopleare gay. Get over it!' campaign.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8969.html

-Caymans define marriage amid fears UK will impose civil partnerships
An amendment to legislation in the Cayman Islands defining marriage asbetween a man and a woman was approved by the territory's LegislativeAssembly on Monday. However, the proposed change to the law but does notmention civil partnerships.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-8963.html


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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
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-Republicans launch own efforts to defeat Prop 8
Link: Bay Area Reporter
Democrats aren't the only group campaigning against Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment on the fall ballot that would ban same-sex marriage. Republicans have formed a group, too, to defeat the antigaymeasure. Republicans Against 8 hopes to reach "persuadable Republican voters" in the state to sway them toward voting against the measure, said Scott Schmidt, the group's campaign manager.

-Prop 8's Message to Youth: Blatant Lies and Transparent Bigotry
Link: Box Turtle Bulletin
The supporters of Proposition 8 have set up a website geared towards youth at iProtectMarriage.com. And perhaps they think that adults are too well informed because they reserve their really crazy homophobic slurs and lies for the kiddies. It's horrible. And not just their goal, but their message and their methods. It's sad and pathetic and completely condescending. You have to wonder if the designer of the site has ever met a young adult.

-LDS Church issues statement on same-sex marriage
Link: Deseret News
Top leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recentlyreleased a six-page statement on why the faith is opposed to same-sexmarriage. The document, titled "The Divine Institution of Marriage," hasgarnered both praise and derision from Affirmation, a group of gayLatter-day Saints. The document was posted on the church's Web site,www.lds.org, in the "newsroom" section last month, and leaders ofAffirmation issued a press release late last week in response.

-L.A. City Council to support federal same-sex marriage bill
Link: The Desert Sun
A proposed federal bill that would eliminate language defining marriage as aunion between a man and a woman is expected to gain support today from theLos Angeles City Council. Introduced by Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts,HR 6115 would amend the Defense of Marriage Act to repeal the definition ofmarriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. The bill, "StateRegulation of Marriage is Appropriate Act," was referred to the subcommitteeon the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. A resolutionauthored by City Council President Eric Garcetti and seconded by CityCouncilman Bill Rosendahl calls marriage "a sacred, living symbol of theunion between two members of the opposite or same sex."

-Big labor urges NY to pass marriage equality
Link: 365Gay.com
The New York State AFL-CIO is urging the Legislature is pass a bill thatwould allow same-sex couples in the state to marry. It also wantslawmakers to enact legislation banning discrimination against transgenderNew Yorkers and provide a mechanism to end bullying and harassment of LGBTyouth in public schools. The call came in the form of three resolutions that passed without objection at the AFL-CIO's annual convention.


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Lambda Legal
Married Under the Wire In Iowa
Last month marked the one-year wedding anniversary of Tim and SeanMcQuillan, the first same-sex couple to marry in their home state of Iowa.Last August Lambda Legal won a district court victory on behalf of sixsame-sex couples who sought to marry in Iowa and on behalf of three of theirchildren. The day after the decision, the McQuillans obtained a waiver forthe waiting period and their ceremony was performed before the court granteda stay on the decision pending appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court. LambdaLegal continues to forge ahead for marriage equality in Iowa, following thethrilling California marriage victory this May.
http://www.lambdalegal.org/


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Andrew Sullivan on Palin

-Michael Moynihan takes issue with my comparing Palin not giving aninterview to Putin's Russia:
Sullivan should probably recognize that a press corps trying to wrangle aninterview with an elusive V.P. candidate (and hamstrung by a McCain campaignpetrified of a "General Whatshisname" moment) isn't at all analogous to astate-run media run by an illiberal band of Putin lackeys. As I havepreviously written, throwing the word "fascist" around willy-nilly isintellectually lazy and, more often than not, historically illiterate. Butso is accusing the American media of being no better than outlets controlledby the Kremlin, or those remaining independent journalists whose reportingis influenced by credible threats of violence. Who is he kidding? We havesomeone who could be elected vice-president in less than two months andtomorrow it will be two weeks since she was anounced and still no-one in thepress is allowed to even ask her a question in an uncontrolled setting. Thishas never, ever happened before in modern American politics. Never. Giventhe fact that she is a total unknown, given that the convention was verylate historiclaly, given that we have less than two months to figure out whoto vote for, the denial of access is both an outrage to transparency anddemocracy and also, deeply, deeply troubling about what it says about whatthe McCain camp believes is her competence level. Yes, this is the spiritof Vladimir Putin. I wrote not that we were living in Putin's Russia butthat John McCain is giving us a "taste" of what that's like. John McCain -the man who prided himself on access, on answering any question, on talkingto the press, even when we'd grown a little bored of talking to him. Whathappened to that guy? Who kidnapped him and replaced him with this creepy,sealed off, bullying press management? We, of course, have a FirstAmendment. It's just that John McCain is treating it with contempt.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/everything-is-o.html


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From Transgender Equality
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-Germany's Federal Constitutional Court struck down a law July 24 thatrequired married postoperative transsexuals to get divorced before their newgender could be legally recognized. The court said the law isunconstitutional, cannot be enforced and must be changed by August 2009. Theruling came in the case of a 79 year old individual who had a sex-changeoperation to become female in 2002. The womans wife also did not want toget divorced.


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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
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-Foot Tapping Protected First Amendment, Craig's Lawyer Says
In an effort to persuade a three-judge panel to throw out Sen. Larry Craig'sguilty plea, his attorney suggested Wednesday that his foot tapping in anairport men's room may have been protected by the First Amendment right tofreedom of speech. The Idaho Republican was arrested in the Minneapolis-St.Paul airport in June 2007, after an undercover police officer accused him of soliciting sex by using hand signals and tapping his foot in a bathroom stall.

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