GLBT DIGEST - October 27, 2008

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

-A Line in the Sand for Same-Sex Marriage Foes
While the battle over same-sex marriage has been all but invisible in the presidential race this year, it is raging like a wind-whipped wildfire in California.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/27/us/27right.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin


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

-AIDS treatment should start sooner, study finds
People who have the AIDS virus should start drug treatments sooner than current guidelines recommend, suggests a large new study that could change the care of hundreds of thousands of Americans. The study found that delaying treatment until a patient's immune system is badly damaged nearly doubles the risk of dying in the next few years compared to patients whose treatment started earlier.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/26/AR2008102600941.html?hpid=sec-health

-Saudi king to attend UN interfaith dialogue
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The ruler of conservative Saudi Arabia said he plans to attend a meeting at the United Nations next month to discuss his initiative to promote interfaith dialogue, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. In remarks carried by the agency late Saturday, King Abdullah, whose country bans non-Muslims from openly practicing their religion, called for religious tolerance and said such dialogue is the duty of every human being. The king also urged fellow Muslims to reach out to non-Muslims as a way to show that Islam is not a violent religion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/26/AR2008102600778.html?hpid=sec-education


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

-Fla. marriage amendment will be decided Nov. 4
Supporters and opponents know Amendment 2 will be called the "gay marriage amendment," but neither see it that way. They also agree that the vote will be close, but that's about it.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/743041.html


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

-Video | Key West's Fantasy Fest packs political punch
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/


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

-Ruby-Sachs: What we can expect from an Obama presidency
There is a lot of speculation about what the gay community can hope to achieve from an Obama presidency. There has also been a lot of criticism about his allegiances to the gay community, especially his willingness to fight for equality.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-what-we-can-expect-from-an-obama-presidency/


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

-A Mormon's Lament:
Church Is On the Wrong Side of History Again With Proposition 8
Source: Huffington Post
The LDS Church's cautious official response to the war (one of the most consequential decisions in recent American history) and near-unconditional subsequent support for the Bush Administration (in 2005, Dick Cheney was awarded an honorary doctorate and invited as the commencement speaker at BYU, the Church's flagship institution), raise important questions about the Church's involvement in political affairs, particularly when an issue has moral/ethical implications. When should it speak out? When should it stay neutral? And how does it treat its members with minority views? Nearly six years and thousands of lost lives since the war began, Mormon authorities still haven't weighed in on Iraq, Abu Ghraib, or Guantanomo Bay. Neither have they directed semi-annual Conference addresses to the genocide in Sudan, human rights violations caused by multi-national corporations, or climate change that could have devastating effects on future generations. Instead, in the past few months they have decided to take action on a "moral issue" of a different sort: denying gay couples the constitutional right to get married in California.

-Poll: Arkansas anti-gay adoption ban measure trailing badly
Source: Qnews
A proposal to ban unmarried couples from fostering or adopting children in Arkansas is likely to fail, according to a major poll taken by University of Arkansas. The ballot measure that will be voted on Nov. 4 is opposed by 58 percent of those surveyed and supported by 38 percent of participants. 7 percent told pollsters they were undecided or refused to answer. The poll interviewed 1,628 adult Arkansans via telephone between Oct. 1 and Oct. 21. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percent on most questions, Morning News reports.


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

-75% of Brits would vote for a gay Prime Minister
A new survey has found that a large majority of people would be comfortable with a gay or lesbian person becoming Prime Minister.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9409.html

-Nuns and Irish parents are reasons I call people fags claims Leary
TV star Dennis Leary has defended a chapter in his new book, Why We Suck, entitled "Matt Dillon is a Giant Fag." The actor, who achieved success as a stand up comedian before diversifying into screen roles, told gay magazine The Advocate, that he reacts against being told what he can and cannot say.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9408.html

-Texts are latest weapon in South Africa's HIV battle
A million text messages a day will be sent as part of a new scheme to encourage South Africans to be tested for HIV. Project Masiluleke has been described as the largest use of mobile phone technology for health promotion.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9406.html

-Comedian Jerry Lewis under fire after calling cricket a "fag's game"
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9400.html

-Hate preacher demands death penalty for Mr Gay UK convicted of murder
A Christian fundamentalist group has commented on the recent case of a former Mr Gay UK convicted of murder.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9389.html


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

-People from 50 States, 17 Countries Give $$ to Same-Sex Marriage Prop.
Total contributions top $57 million
At least 41,000 people from all 50 states and 17 foreign countries have given money to support or oppose a same-sex marriage ban in California, reflecting broad interest in a race viewed by some as second in national importance only to the presidential election. Two weeks before the vote on Proposition 8, campaign finance records show that total contributions for and against the measure have surpassed $57 million, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. That would be a record nationally for a ballot initiative based on a social rather than economic issue, campaign finance experts say. It also eclipses the combined total of $33 million spent in the 24 states where similar measures have been put to voters since 2004.


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From Steve Krantz
http://krantzarama.blogspot.com
PFLAG Director, Southern Pacific Region, and National Board Member,
http://www.pflag.org
Jews for Marriage Equality Founder, http://www.jewsformarriageequality.org

-A Majority of California Rabbis Support Marriage Equality for Same-sex Couples
Two-hundred fifty-two California rabbis declared their support for marriage equality at a press conference on Friday, October 24, and announced that two, full-page ads will be placed in the largest Jewish publications in California (the LA Jewish Journal and the J - the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California). Rabbi Denise Eger of Congregation Kol Ami, at the press conference in West Hollywood, welcomed participants and reporters and said, "Proposition 8 goes against all Jewish values of equality before G_d. Jews everywhere understand that when one group votes against another group in our community, it is wrong." The 252 rabbis who signed the statement for marriage equality are from Conservative, Humanistic, Reconstructionist, Reform, and Renewal Jewish communities, and make up a majority in California.
For a full listing see:
http://www.jewsformarriageequality.org/html/supporting_leaders.html
To download the clergy statement, go to
http://www.jewsformarriageequality.org/DOWNLOADS/J4ME_Clergy_Statement_Aug_08_2008.pdf


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HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-We've just returned home after completing the first part of the 28th Outreach/Educational Trip for HeartStrong. We took on NY, MD, PA, MA, NJ, and CT. It is almost unfathomable that this is our 28th Outreach/Educational trip for HeartStrong. The years (12 of them) and the miles (373,000 of them) have ticked by. [...] We still have about $600.00 needed to cover the costs of the first part of this trip we just finished.
On November 7th, we begin the second part of this trip and we need about $2500.00 for that.HeartStrong does not have the luxury of endowments (yet!) or a constant flow of donations (yet!) to enable to continue our work. So we ask you, our supporters to help us raise the money we need for our work.
Honestly, if everyone receiving this email would give just $5 we would completely cover the costs of this trip. It's not a gigantic task but we do need your help to do it. It's easy to give. Give safely at http://www.heartstrong.org or mail your donation to HeartStrong, PO Box 2051, Seattle WA 98111. If you have questions about giving you can also contact me directly at 206-388-3894.Thank you for your help!
Marc Adams
Executive Director/Founder


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Detroit News
http://detnews.com/

-Northeast sets gay-friendly example
A recent ruling by Connecticut's top court in favor of marriage for gay couples will speed up the synergy accelerating advances in the Northeast. With the exception of Pennsylvania, the region's nine states have painted themselves gay-friendly lavender by protecting and nurturing gay couples. Connecticut, where gay couples will start marrying in mid-November, follows northern neighbor Massachusetts in declaring that its state constitution forbids treating gay couples differently, including by offering us a separate "civil union" category of rights.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081027/OPINION03/810270317


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