GLBT DIGEST - October 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:

-Melissa Etheridge to wed girlfriend: report
Melissa Etheridge will wed girlfriend Tammy Lynn Michaels, the singer told celebrity television show "Extra" ahead of California's vote next month on whether to strip same-sex couples of the right to marry. "Yes, we have four children and we're trying to find the right time," Etheridge said when asked about marriage in an interview set to air on Wednesday night.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100200702.html

-Movies: 'Religulous': O, He of Little Faith
Maher Documentary Goes for the Laughs, Not Enlightenment
Bill Maher doesn't believe in God, but he has a lot of funny ideas about religion. They will either make you howl in outrage or laugh out loud as you watch "Religulous," the irreverent television host's globe-trotting, full-frontal assault on Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100203426.html


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

-San Francisco voters asked to weigh merits of JROTC, embattled high school military program
In this city long associated with the peace movement, some teens are taking an unlikely stance - campaigning to keep the armed forces' Junior ROTC program in public schools. If a school board decision stands, San Francisco would become the first city to remove a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. But supporters, including many college-bound Asian-American students who make up the majority of cadets here, initiated an advisory measure on the November ballot. They hope it will persuade a new school board to save JROTC.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-bc-kickingoutjrotcoct01,0,2485136.story

-Koch tells Jewish seniors Obama supports Israel
Former New York City mayor Edward Koch was warmly greeted by a crowd of about 100 seniors - a few even asked the still popular Koch "How ya doin'? - when he went to the Sunrise Senior Center last Sunday to assure Jewish voters of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama's support for Israel.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-fljjbskoch1002jjbsoct02,0,7077072.story

-Groups fight Ark. policy banning unmarried couples from fostering children
A coalition of child advocates is challenging an Arkansas policy that bars unmarried couples who live together from being foster parents. Officials with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and other groups plan to testify Thursday against the policy, which bans "cohabitating adults" from fostering children. They argue that the restriction reduces the potential number of good homes available to needy children.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-gay-foster-ban,0,6140194.story

-Presbyterian minister who officiated at lesbian union near Pittsburgh cleared of wrongdoing
A church panel has ruled that a Presbyterian minister did not violate church law when she officiated at the wedding of two women near Pittsburgh. The nine-member panel unanimously concluded Tuesday that the Rev. Janet Edwards could not have performed at the ceremony. That's because neither the church nor the state of Pennsylvania recognizes gay marriage.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-presbyterians-gays,0,6765672.story

-Groups fight Ark. policy banning unmarried couples from fostering children
A coalition of child advocates is challenging an Arkansas policy that bars unmarried couples who live together from being foster parents. Officials with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and other groups plan to testify Thursday against the policy, which bans "cohabitating adults" from fostering children. They argue that the restriction reduces the potential number of good homes available to needy children.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-gay-foster-ban,0,6140194.story


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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Biden supports same-sex legal benefits; Palin 'not if it goes closer and closer towards redefining the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman'
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/

-Record number of gay candidates running for office
Victory Fund news release:
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund endorsements reach 100 for first time
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund announced it has endorsed 100 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) political candidates in 2008, making this endorsement slate the group's largest ever. LGBT candidates are running for offices at all levels of government, from school boards to the U.S. Congress, according to the group.

-'Goddesses and Monsters' on Oct. 16 at World Erotic Art Museum
"Goddesses and Monsters"
Drag queens, circus performers, exotic dancers, strippers and porn stars are considered by some to be denizens of the night, dangers to society, or simply monsters; others, understanding their talent, dedication and passion, prefer to worship them as Gods and Goddesses alike. With this photo series, I have tried to capture the beauty and the allure of these talented performers who only want to entertain and please their public at large.


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

-Backers of gay marriage measure raise $6.4 million
Recent poll finds 49 percent in favor of marriage ban
Supporters of a measure that would alter Arizona's constitution to ban gay marriage have out-raised opponents by millions of dollars.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21413

-Study traces AIDS virus origin to 100 years ago
Scientists estimate date of 1908, not 1930
The AIDS virus has been circulating among people for about 100 years, decades longer than scientists had thought, a new study suggests. Genetic analysis pushes the estimated origin of HIV back to between 1884 and 1924, with a more focused estimate at 1908.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21410

-Pace appointment to IU business chair riles gays
General will meet with gay advocates, student leaders
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace will meet Thursday with student leaders, including gay advocates, at Indiana University concerned about his appointment to a chair in the Kelley School of Business.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21391


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

-Biden says gay relationships are protected by the Constitution
Sen. Joe Biden made a strong statement for gay relationship equality during the only vice presidential debate, held Thursday evening in St. Louis.
http://www.365gay.com/news/biden-says-gay-relationships-are-protected-by-the-constitution/

-Latino church leaders join crusade for Florida anti-gay amendment
Latino church leaders from a variety of denominations have joined a religious umbrella group to advocate for a proposed amendment banning same-sex marriage in Florida.
http://www.365gay.com/news/latino-church-leaders-join-crusade-for-florida-anti-gay-amendment/

-Morales: An LGBT high school is not a ghetto
If you want help settling the debate over Chicago's proposed LGBT high school, just look 90 miles north. Milwaukee's Alliance High School, now in its fourth year of operation, is a small, public high school dedicated to serving students who have been bullied or harassed in other school settings. The school doesn't keep track of students' sexual orientation, but the staff estimates that LGBT kids make up at least 70 percent of the student body.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/morales-an-lgbt-high-school-is-not-a-ghetto/

-Rosie O'Donnell Returns to NBC with "Rosie's Variety Show"
Openly gay former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell will host a live, hour-long special on NBC on Nov. 26 called Rosie's Variety Show, it was announced in The Hollywood Reporter today.
http://www.365gay.com/features/rosie-returns-to-nbc-with-rosies-variety-show/

-Prosecutor: Boy accused of Larry King murder owned White Supremist materials
Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox said that the discovery of white supremacist materials in the bedroom of the 14-year old boy accused of killing openly gay teen Larry King led to the murder charge being upgraded to include a hate crime charge and for the case to be tried in adult court.
http://www.365gay.com/news/prosecutor-boy-accused-of-larry-king-murder-owned-white-supremist-materials/

-Canadian politician: Execute gays
A Northern Ontario candidate running for a seat in Canada's parliament could find himself sitting in jail instead, after telling high school students that gays should be executed.
http://www.365gay.com/news/canadian-politician-execute-gays/

-Rosie O'Donnell Returns to NBC with "Rosie's Variety Show"
Openly gay former talk show host Rosie O'Donnell will host a live, hour-long special on NBC on Nov. 26 called Rosie's Variety Show, it was announced in The Hollywood Reporter today.
http://www.365gay.com/features/rosie-returns-to-nbc-with-rosies-variety-show/


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

-Palin Says McCain White House will be Tolerant of Gay Rights
As the pundits continue to weigh in on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's performance at last night's vice presidential debates -- most agreeing that while she managed to repair a bit of the damage she'd done to her own reputation, nothing to come out the debate proved to be a major game changer -- one particular exchange between Palin and Senator Joe Biden seemed to leave audiences flustered.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid62944.asp

-McCain Campaign Does Written Q&A With LGBT Newspaper
The McCain campaign granted an interview to the Washington Blade Wednesday that produced few surprises other than giving the first glimmer that, although Sen. John McCain presently supports the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, he would consider having it analyzed. "On 'don't ask, don't tell,' I'm going to defer to our military commanders. So far they have told me it's working. I'm willing to have the policy reviewed to make sure that's the case, but at the end of the day, I'm going to rely on the commanders who will be impacted by a change in the law," McCain responded in a written statement.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid62852.asp

-Equality Riders Get Warm Reception at Liberty University
The 2008 edition of the Soulforce Q Equality Ride reached its first destination at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., on Wednesday, where five riders were permitted on campus to deliver books to the library on LGBT issues. In its third year, the Equality Ride seeks to promote dialogue about homosexuality and Christianity by having gay students visit schools across the country where other gay students are discriminated against or outright barred from attending. Seventeen riders are participating this year.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid62860.asp

-Pepperdine Wants Name Removed From Yes on 8 Ad
Pepperdine University president Andrew Benton wants all references to his school to be removed from the first Yes on 8 advertisement, which premiered on Monday, reports the Los Angeles Times.
The commercial, which is running throughout California, features Pepperdine law professor Richard Peterson warning that if the ban on marriage equality is not passed on November 4, people could be sued over their personal beliefs, churches could lose their tax exemption, and gay marriage could be taught in public schools. The school's name and Peterson's title appears in text on the screen.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid62865.asp

-Advocates for Homeless Gay Youths Descend on Washington
The National Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning Homeless Youth will be convening on Friday in Washington, D.C., to ask congressional leaders to help gay homeless children.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid62879.asp

-"Condom-Mobile" Stolen in Mexico City
The Condomovil, which has been touring Mexico for a decade dispensing condoms for the purpose of HIV/AIDS awareness and education, was stolen Sunday in Mexico City, according to the Associated Press. While the vehicle was recovered Wednesday, it was missing about 5,000 condoms and some educational equipment.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid62909.asp

-GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Heroes
October is GLBT History Month, a national celebration of queer culture through the ages. To remind people of our achievements, the Equality Forum has honored a hero for every day of the month. Who made the list? This month's GLBT History Month was created to remind our youth that gay people can accomplish anything. The Equality Forum -- the nonprofit civil rights group that coordinates GLBT History Month -- is spreading the word about gay achievement by honoring a different queer leader every day through Halloween. Its esteemed list is below; click here for more info on these history-makers.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid62893.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:

-Gay Community Urges Hate Crime Charges
Members of Vancouver's gay community have joined Vancouver police in urging that hate crime provisions of the Criminal Code be applied in what is alleged to have been an unprovoked attack on a gay man preceded by anti-gay insults. Michael Kandola, 20, of Vancouver, appeared in Vancouver Downtown Community Court Monday accused of assaulting Jordan Smith, 27, of White Rock.

-HeteroQueer Activist Speaks at Southern Comfort
"I've been in the family for so long-nearly 30 years-it's home to me.
Straight, to me, is a lifestyle I just can't relate to even though I present fairly straight." C. Michael Woodward identifies as heteroqueer; "It means I'm a man who enjoys the company of women-although that has been known to be flexible-but lives almost exclusively in LGBTQ social circles"

-Senate Okays Bill to Require HIV Testing in Prisons
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday OK'd a bill, already passed by the House, that would require HIV testing for all inmates upon arrival in federal prisons. The bill would require HIV antibody testing and counseling for all incoming inmates and follow-up testing to be available annually. Prisoners potentially exposed to HIV while incarcerated could request follow-up testing and counseling at any time.


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

-Portuguese Govt says no to freedom to marry
Link: Otago Daily Times Online
The governing Socialist Party will block an attempt by smaller parties to pass legislation allowing same-sex marriages in Portugal, a senior official says. Socialist parliamentary leader Alberto Martins said his party's lawmakers will be instructed to vote down the proposal. "An overwhelming majority (of Socialist lawmakers) support the party line," Martins said after a meeting of party officials.

-Gay couples as committed as straight couples: study
Link: Reuters
In two new studies that compared same-sex and heterosexual couples using different factors and methods to assess their happiness, scientists found few differences. "Among the committed couples, there were very few differences that we were able to identify either in terms of how satisfied these couples were, how effectively they interacted with one another or how their bodies responded physiologically while they were interacting with one another," Glenn I. Roisman, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, said in an interview. He and his colleagues compared 30 gay male and 30 lesbian couples with 50 engaged heterosexual couples, 40 older, married heterosexual couples and dating heterosexual couples.


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

-Leading gay politician Peter Mandelson to rejoin government
The openly gay European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is to rejoin the Cabinet as Business Secretary. Mr Mandelson twice resigned from the government, having served as Trade and Industry Secretary and Northern Ireland Secretary.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9188.html

-London gay youth left permanently paralysed by homophobic attack
A 21-year-old man has been left permanently paralysed from the waist down after he was set upon by a group of youths while he was on his way to a gay bar in east London.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9188.html

-Organisers claim homophobic fire department closed gay festival
A gay and lesbian film festival which was supposed to open in St Petersburg yesterday has been thrown into disarray after city fire inspectors ruled the venues were not suitable.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9189.html

-Arsenal manager says homophobic abuse should not be tolerated
A leading football coach has said insults of any kind should not be tolerated after a Portsmouth player was targeted with homophobic and racist abuse.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9184.html

-Finnish President speaks out after sacking of lesbian editor
A media company in Finland is facing high level criticism after it allegedly sacked a female newspaper editor because she is in a lesbian relationship. Today the country's President, Tarja Halonen, said she had been shocked to hear of the case.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9181.html

-McCain's limp responses to questions from gay community
The Republican candidate for President of the United States has given a written response to questions for a leading American gay publication. However, John McCain refused to engage with many of the issues put to him.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9179.html


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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Judge Orders Obama to Produce Birth Certificate
By Jon Christian Dryer | NewsWithViews.com
On September 29, 2008 US District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick, the federal magistrate for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled in the matter of Philip J. Berg vs Barack Hussein Obama, et al as the world was distracted by the $700 billion subprime mortgage crisis. Obama signed a breathe of relief as the mainstream media chose to ignore the question: "Can Senator Barack Hussein Obama legally seek the office of President of the United States?" The flap began in June when National Review's Jim Geraghty raised the question and asked the Obama Campaign to release a copy of his birth certificate in order to prove that he actually was born in the United States. (Reports had previously surfaced claiming that Obama's Kenyan grandmother, Sarah Hussein Obama, told reporters that Obama was not born in Hawaii, but in Kenya. She reportedly told reporters that when her son, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. returned to Kenya he was accompanied by a pregnant white wife who was close to term.)

-Young, Black, Gay and Vulnerable
By DESIREE COOPER | FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
At 20, you should be getting dressed at midnight to go to a party, harassing your friends to help put gas in your hooptie, falling in and out of love. The last thing you should be doing is sitting in a doctor's office reading phrases like "viral load" on the wall. But that's exactly where Nkosi Figueroa found himself in 2002 - young and HIV-positive. "It was hard because I thought I knew how HIV worked," said Figueroa, who was working as an outreach worker at a center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth.

-Gay Iraqi Leader Assassinated in Baghdad
UK Gay News
LONDON, September 25, 2008 - The Baghdad coordinator of Iraqi LGBT has been assassinated, probably by one of the two religious militia . Peter Tatchell of Outrage! issued the following statement at lunchtime: This morning, I received news from Iraq that the coordinator of Iraqi LGBT in Baghdad, Bashar, aged 27, a university student, has been assassinated in a barber shop. Militias burst in and sprayed his body with bullets at point blank range.

-CHURCH EXPELS GAY AUTHOR DUE TO IRREVERENT MEMOIR
"Happy Porn-Writing Sodomite" Removed from Ministry
BOSTON, MA - On September 19, a Roman Catholic Church in Boston removed author Scott Pomfret from his lay ministry posts due to publicity concerning Pomfret's recently published memoir Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir. Confession details Pomfret's attempts to persuade Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston to drop his support for an amendment to the Massachusetts constitution banning gay marriage. Separately, the church, known as St. Anthony Shrine, also terminated the meetings of its Gay and Lesbian Spirituality Group, of which Pomfret was co-leader. Following Pomfret's ouster, a Roman Catholic Church in Hartford, Connecticut, also abruptly cancelled a previously scheduled speaking engagement by Pomfret.

-Harvey Milk Day Dies with Governor's Veto
By On Top Magazine Staff | On Top Magazine
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a proposed Harvey Milk Day. The measure would have set aside the birthday of the slain gay activist/politician in his memory and encourage public schools to commemorate and educate about the history of California's first openly gay politician. Schwarzenegger's veto came on the last day possible to kill the legislation introduced by openly gay Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco)
and passed by lawmakers.

-Army Private Subjected to Anti-Semitic Attacks Brutally Beaten by Soldiers
By Jason Leopold | The Public Record
A U.S. Army soldier was brutally beaten by other soldiers in his platoon earlier this month following two incidents in which a drill sergeants allegedly used anti-Semitic slurs to address the soldier. Pvt. Michael Handman, 20, who has just completed his fifth week of basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, was recently released from a hospital where he was treated for a concussion, facial wounds, and severe oral injuries following the attack, according to the boy's father, Jonathan Handman.


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

-FRANCE'S NEXT VATICAN ENVOY NOT GAY, NOT DIVORCED: DIPLOMAT
ROME, Sept 29, 2008 (AFP) - France has settled on an envoy to represent Paris at the Vatican after the Holy See rejected a gay candidate, a French diplomatic source told AFP on Monday. France had earlier decided against proposing author Denis Tillinac for the post because he is divorced, sources close to the dossier said. Instead, Stanislas Lefebvre de Laboulaye, currently France's ambassador to Moscow, is to take up the post, the diplomatic source said. The Beirut-born Lefebvre de Laboulaye has represented France in Moscow since November 2006, following stints as ambassador to Madagascar and consul general in Jerusalem in the 1990s. The last French ambassador to the Holy See, Bernard Kessedjian, died in December 2007. The gay man whose candidacy to replace Kessedjian was rejected is a career diplomat who is in a civil union with his partner, the sources said. The Roman Catholic Church condemns both divorce and active homosexuality, and strongly opposes legal rights for gay couples. The Vatican is rarely placed in the position of opposing potential ambassadors on personal grounds. However, Argentina has also had difficulty naming a new ambassador, having withdrawn the candidacy of divorced former justice minister Alberto Iribarne, who is divorced and living with another woman.

-The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly has condemned discrimination and violence against LGBT people in Bosnia, as part of a Resolution on the Honouring of obligations and commitments by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

-Russian gay community to contest Moscow parade ban in Strasbourg
MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russian gay activists are set to contest in the European Court of Human Rights the decision by authorities to ban a gay pride march in Moscow during the May holidays, the Gay Russia Web site reported. The Moscow City Court rejected Wednesday the appeal by the gay parade organizers against the decision by the Tverskoy court to accept the ban on holding the event on May 1 and 2 in the Russian capital as legal. The organizers made a total of 155 applications to hold the gay pride march in Moscow five times on the each day of May holidays. However, all of them were rejected by the Russian authorities.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081001/117372821.html

-St. Petersburg, Russia: Gay Festival Hit By Fire Inspection
Two popular local nightclubs are facing closure after they agreed to hold a gay and lesbian film festival on their premises. The Place and Sochi, two venues popular with students, the art crowd and expats, were targets of unscheduled fire safety inspections on the eve of the festival's opening and were in the process shut down for breaking the fire code.
http://www.times.spb.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=27266

-"MEPs expressing concerns to the embassy of Uganda."
On 23 September the European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights sent a letter to the Ambassador S.T. Katenta Apuuli at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Uganda to the EU. "We have to react to the continued State sponsored persecution of human rights defenders taking place in Uganda," said Raúl Romeva, Vice-President of the Intergroup for Greens/EFA. "Illegal arrests, harassment and torture of LGBT activists are not acceptable and should be halted immediately". In the letter, Members of the European Parliament are bringing up the arrest of human rights defenders Oundo George and Kiiza in the village of Nabweru on 10 September. Oundo and Kiiza were released a week later without receiving any explanation or charges.
www.lgbt-ep.eu

-Ireland: Call for reform of sex-change legislation
There is a need for urgent reform of Irish law relating to transgendered people, according to the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC). Transgendered people are those who have had gender reassignment surgery and treatment, having being diagnosed with gender identity disorder. This is a recognised medical disorder where a person's psychological identity and physical characteristics diverge. Under current law a transgendered person cannot have a birth certificate issued with his or her new gender, and does not have the right to marry in that identity. However, in 2008, following a High Court case, the Oireachtas enacted the Passports Act 2008 which recognised a person's right to have a passport issued in his or her new gender.

-Poland's National Gay Rights Organization Is Kicking-Off Its First
International Branch In NYC- With Special Events: To Hold A Conference On Lesbian And Gays In East Europe Poland's main LGBT rights NGO Campaign Against Homophobia (KPH), based in seven locations around Poland, is establishing a New York branch. It will kick-off with FILMS ON OCT 3 at the LGBT Center along with a PHOTO EXHIBIT of Polish Parades. There will be a CONFERENCE ON OCT 7 at Syngergos focusing on the recent pride parades in East Europe. A CLOSING PARTY will be held at Mehanata Bar. They hope to march in the annual PULASKI DAY PARADE on Oct 5. as well.

-80% of Bulgarians Have Homophobic Sentiments - Report
The majority of the Bulgarians do not accept people with homosexual orientation, according to a poll, which was presented Wednesday at a roundtable in Sofia dedicated to sexuality issues and AIDS and HIV prevention. According to the research, 80% of all Bulgarians have negative attitudes towards gay people, whereas 59% are extremely homophobic. 70% of the respondents would not send their kids to school with a gay teacher, and 50% would not work with persons with homosexual orientation. In comparison over 50% of the Americans believe gay marriage should be made legal.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=97483


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

-Regulatory Change to HIV Travel Ban Continues to Stigmatize HIV-positive People, Fails to End Ban
Immigration Equality: "timing of these regulations is deeply troubling" Two months after Congress voted to repeal the ban on HIV-positive travelers to the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced yesterday that it will issue regulations which purport to "streamline" the waiver application process for HIV-positive short-term visitors. The move comes nearly two years after President Bush directed the agency to streamline the process and fails to follow Congress' mandate to end the ban. "The timing of these regulations is deeply troubling," said Victoria Neilson, Legal Director of Immigration Equality. "In July, Congress issued a bipartisan message to this Administration - remove HIV as a barrier to travel and immigration. Instead of simply ending the HIV travel ban, the administration is again treating HIV differently from any other medical condition."


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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

-GAY LIST DAILY LAUNCHES LOS ANGELES EDITION
Sassy lifestyle e-publication now publishes LA, New York, Dallas and national editions
Gay List Daily, a swank e-publication 'dedicated to making trendy gays even more trendy and gay,' has launched a new localized Los Angeles edition. Gay List Daily also publishes New York City and Dallas editions, as well as a national "anywhere" edition.
Subscribers, who can sign up for free at www.gaylistdaily.com receive Gay List Daily in their email inboxes every morning (Monday - Friday). Each issue highlights one single item that the publication's editor and writers think subscribers would enjoy reading about. City-specific editions also include localized weekend guides on Thursdays that focus on events, community activities and other fun happenings for the upcoming weekend.
http://www.gaylistdaily.com/

-Pressure on Finland's Alma Media to explain the dismissal of a gay editor mounted on Thursday, with Tarja Halonen, the president, saying she had been shocked by the news. The president urged the employer to explain why a partner's sexual orientation or political activities were valid grounds for dismissal.
http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=19898&group=General

-STDs Spread Among Boomers, Seniors
You're Never Too Old For HIV, Activist Says Jane Fowler found herself back on the dating scene after being married 23 years. Then, she found out she had HIV. "I was not promiscuous at all," Fowler said. "I went out with men who were known to me. They had been married and had divorced. They were acquaintances." After dating a few years and having unprotected sex, the mother and grandmother got her diagnosis when she was 56.
http://www.nbc4.com/health/17506370/detail.html?rss=dc&taf=dc

-The Importance of Looking Back as We Move Forward
As our movement makes important strides forward, it's important that all of us, especially those of us haven't been around as long, look back at the important accomplishments that brought us here. It's up to all of us to remind each other to occasionally take the time to do this. It's also very important for folks who have any piece of this valuable historical knowledge to share it.
Maybe it's just because I'm a bit of a history geek, but I'm really excited about the film Milk coming out later this year. As I've shared my excitement with others, I've been surprised at other young activists who can't imagine why I would be looking forward to a biopic about the legendary Harvey Milk. "Was he gay?" one young LGBT activist asked me.
http://www.advocategenq.com/2008/09/the-importance.html

-Sen. McCain Reaches Out to Gay Voters
"I hope gay and lesbian Americans will give full consideration to supporting me" - Sen. John McCain
In an historic first, the Republican nominee for President of the United States John McCain, participated in an interview with a gay publication. In a Washington Blade exclusive, Sen. McCain answered questions on a variety of issues important to gay & lesbian Americans and asks for our votes in November. "Sen. McCain's outreach to gay and lesbian voters is unprecedented from a GOP presidential candidate," said Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon. "Log Cabin is proud to endorse him. We know his inclusive vision for America will draw strong support from LGBT voters." â?oThe gay left has been trying to define John McCain as another George W. Bush on gay issues. His words in this interview further undermine that ridiculous argument,â? said Sammon.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21367

-Tennessee: Lambda Legal Files Federal Lawsuit Charging Johnson City Police Department with Bias
Today Lambda Legal is filing a federal lawsuit in Tennessee on behalf of Kenneth Giles against Johnson City and its police chief. The lawsuit centers on the fact that the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD), in a highly unusual action for that Department, released photos of Giles and 39 other men who were arrested in a public sex sting operation. "In America, the police do not get to add an extra punishment to people they don't like," said Greg Nevins, Supervising Senior Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal's Southern Regional Office based in Atlanta. "They also do not get to ignore the principle of innocent until proven guilty. The JCPD went out of its way to humiliate Mr. Giles and caused irreparable damage."
http://www.lambdalegal.org/news/pr/lambda-legal-files-federal-lawsuit-in-tenn.html

-Mont. former same-sex partner gets parental rights
A judge ruled in favor of a woman who sought parental rights to a boy and girl adopted by her former same-sex partner, a decision described as a first for Montana. Michelle Kulstad sought joint custody of two children - an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl - adopted by Barbara Maniaci. In his ruling Monday, District Judge Ed McLean agreed. "To discriminate further against Ms. Kulstad because of her sexual preference in this day and age is no different than telling a person to go to the back of the bus because of her skin color," McLean wrote.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/707324.html

-Western Michigan University, the Division of Student Affairs, and the Office of LBGT Student Services, with generous funding from the Arcus Gay & Lesbian Fund, is pleased to present their inaugeral Student Leadership & Activism Conference on WMU's main campus. The conference is open to everyone, but will focus on the development of student leaders and activists, not only on the campus of Western Michigan University, but on other college campuses as well. Conference activities include keynote speaker Dr. John Corvino, "the Gay Moralist" and presentations from national organizations Advocates for Youth and the Center For Progressive Leadership. Please see the full schedule and info here.
www.lbgt.wmich.edu

-My name is Kris Goodrich, and I am a doctoral candidate in Counseling and Human Services at Syracuse University. Currently, I am engaging in my dissertation research which explores the experiences of heterosexual parents with lesbian, gay or bisexual-identified sons or daughters. I have attached the participant's letter which explains the project in greater detail. The survey can be found at this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=klSmOZak3Vr7k9esEuaVBg_3d_3d

-Victory Fund backs record slate of 100 out candidates
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/mAeghixlhVosaGCibitYdIuq

-Parental Notice For Abortion Back On Calif. Ballot
California voters may have a sense of deja vu when they reach Proposition 4 on the November ballot. Twice before, in 2005 and 2006, they have defeated similar initiatives seeking to require notification of parents or guardians when unemancipated minors seek an abortion.
http://cbs5.com/local/abortion.parental.notification.2.828625.html

-Iowa AG seeks review of nude dancing ruling
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ibDXSkIvy8Lf3tiUCV9Gvp1rYy6QD93GIR2G3

-Deb Price on senate hearing on gay partner benefits.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080929/OPINION03/809290326/1031


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Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/

-Slavic Immigrants vs. Gay Rights
In this election season, American River College is providing a useful lesson of what happens when you don't vote. A slate of candidates wins a student government election and uses its bully pulpit to take a stand against same-sex marriage.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/03/arc

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