**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:
-Mother in Virginia Loses Bid to Void Same-Sex Ruling in Vermont on ChildCustody
Virginia must honor a child custody order from a Vermont court issued afterthe breakup of a same-sex civil union there, the Virginia Supreme Courtruled on Friday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/07custody.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay Marriage Litmus Test for Friendship Is Offensive
DEAR AMY: I am a gay man living in California. My partner and I have raised a family and have been together for 26 years. The California Supreme Court recently stated it is illegal not to allow gays to marry. We are thrilled.
Now that we are aging Baby Boomers, we need the protection and rights that married couples have. A proposition to change the California constitution to state that marriage "is between only a man and a woman" will appear on the November ballot, and it only needs a simple majority to pass. The problem is that four of my best friends are women. It is important to me to know that I have their support of gay marriage. If they vote "no," it will be impossible for me to continue these friendships. I need help on how to handle this situation. -- California Gay Guy
--
DEAR CALIFORNIA: Perhaps you should ask people how they intend to vote on the question of gay marriage before you befriend them. It would save you the trouble of having to sever the relationship later. I understand your need to have people in your corner, but your friends are already in your corner.
That's what makes them your friends. Demanding that your friendship hinges on what people choose to do in the privacy of the voting booth is offensive. Furthermore, you seem to assume that your women friends might not support gay marriage. Is this because they're straight or because women are somehow more likely to want to limit the bounds of marriage? This is a sexist assumption. I'd suggest that you tread very lightly.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/29/AR2008052902033.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Three-day event: Utah Pride marks years of struggle
Decades-old festival that celebrates the gay community is expected to draw 25,000 people It started with a kegger. In 1975, about 300 people, mostly gay men and lesbians, drank beer and enjoyed hot dogs in City Creek Canyon near downtown Salt Lake City. Local organizers called it "Gay Freedom Day," and the event was a chance for the gay community in Utah to gather - in public.
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_9497783
-Top Secret: The Transgender Workplace Discrimination Hearings Did you know that there are going to be congressional hearings about transgender employment discrimination? No? Well, you're not alone in yourignorance. I have to confess that even though I'm connected into Washington D.C. fairly well, I've not heard a firm date for these "TOP SECRET" hearings. Donna Rose said on May 28th, 2008: The congressional hearing on Transgender Workplace Discrimination has been scheduled for the morning of June 10.
http://transadvocate.com/enda/topsecret.htm
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Nevada Moves To Give Public Workers Domestic Partner Benefits
The same-sex partners of workers in the civil servicein Nevada could soon have health and insurance benefits.
-One California Clerk Refusing All Marriages
A California county clerk says she'll stop
performing all marriage ceremonies shortly before a state Supreme Courtorder legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect.
-Study: Programs Succeed In Reducing Risky Sex Among HIV-Pos. Minority GayMen
Research has shown that HIV-positive African American and Hispanic men who were sexually abused as children areparticularly vulnerable to engaging in high-risk sex and experiencingdepressive symptoms. Yet few HIV intervention programs exist to help them.
-Catholic Group Denounces Homoerotic Religious Art
A Roman Catholic watchdog group is protesting a student artexhibition in which religious symbols including a crucifix and rosary aredepicted in sexually explicit paintings.
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- Bishop Robinson to Join With Partner on Saturday
Despite the near certainty of death threats and more outcry from otherreligious and conservative groups, Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson plans toenter into a civil union with his partner on Saturday.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55437.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:
-Same-Sex Marriage Will Break Down Prejudices
These days there are many different views and opinions on homosexuality inthe Central Valley compared with California as a whole. As a graduating highschool senior, I feel as though my sexual orientation plays a major role inmy life. Being a lesbian in the Central Valley, I feel as though there is alack of awareness regarding the acceptance of the individuals in mycommunity. The California Supreme Court ruling to lift the ban on same-sexmarriage is a huge first step in creating a better future for gays andlesbians. I do believe that if we can embrace this Supreme Court decision,we can pave the way to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual,and transgender citizens across the nation.
-Human Rights Campaign Endorses Obama
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights group, endorsedSen. Barack Obama for president today, according to a press release. "HRC isproud to throw our full support behind Senator Obama's presidentialcampaign," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "Senator Obama has consistentlyshown that he understands, as we do, that, GLBT rights are civil rights, andhuman rights. Senator Obama has said that embracing 'our gay brothers andsisters' is true to Martin Luther King's vision; I know that Senator Obama'svision is one of equality, fairness, and justice for all of us," he said.
-Las Vegas Rolls Out The Rainbow Carpet
Las Vegas Gay Days & Nights attracted 200 people when it debuted last yearand organizers are hoping to double the attendance for 2008. "The event cameabout because we were quite surprised that Las Vegas kept coming up on ourmarketing surveys as the number two in visited destinations by LGBTtravelers," said Community Marketing, Inc. Projects Director Glen Fishman.
"We thought that was interesting since you don't think of Las Vegas ashaving much of a gay infrastructure - so we thought we would try to givesome structure/cohesiveness to the Vegas experience."
-Tired of Always Coming Out?
Does anyone else tire of having to constantly come out? I thought that onceI told my family and friends I was done. But, I now realize how wrong I was.
I remember the first time telling people, it was exciting because it meant Iwas comfortable with myself. When I completed a survey for work and checkedof the GLBT check-box, it was fun. Now, I got a new doctor, so I had to comeout to him. I started a new job, and eventually came out to the newco-workers. Moved to a new place, which meant coming out to new neighbours(is that your sister? no, it's my girlfriend). It just seems to be aconstant stream. Even when we say we're "completely out" we're not becausewhenever we meet new people, we have to come out to them. It's a neverendingprocess.
-Support Group Forming
To the editor: One evening in late 2004, while I was at work and my wife washome, our then 27-year-old son tearfully called us in California fromWashington, DC and told his mother he was gay. His mother's response wasvery simple and very much to the point. She said: "So?" She assured him weloved and accepted him and that the fact of his being gay wasn't going tochange that. When she asked why he was crying, he said that he knew how"disappointed we would be" that we wouldn't have a grandchild from him. Herreply was that we had him as our son and we were lucky.
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-San Diego voters re-elect Mayor Jerry Sanders; Republican mayor supportedmarriage equality
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-My holiday in Iran challenged perceptions
I spent ages researching into Iran, trying to dispel all these notions thatit is a dangerous place to visit. I knew it wasn't, and I was right.
-MP reacts to homophobic assualt by suggesting "ex-gay" therapy for victimThe wife of the First Minister of Northern Ireland has caused controversywith her born-again Christian outlook on life.
-Muslim gang attacks gay catwalk model
Gay people in Holland have been shocked by a public attack on a gay man inAmsterdam. Model Mike Du Pree was taking part in a fashion show to promotetolerance.
-Sober gays will gather at EuroPride
Special events for the thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans men andwomen in Europe who are in recovery from alcoholism will be held alongsidethis year's EuroPride.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Polish Catholic centre offers 'get well' therapy for gays
LUBLIN, Poland (AFP) - Often considered sick, deviant or sinners, gays andlesbians in deeply Catholic Poland are being nudged towards church-steeredprogrammes designed to help them fight their homosexuality. In thesoutheastern city of Lublin, a hub of Roman Catholic teaching, a nondescriptwhite building houses Odwaga, or Courage, an organisation which offers"therapy" for homosexuals -- to the consternation of gay rights groups whofind it an aberration. Behind its walls, men are taught to kick a footballaround, women take cookery lessons and, above all, participants spend timepraying with priests.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j04RVPjlxTeAz2W6pPL6rXT8EAVw
-OAS Adopts Resolution to Protect Sexual Rights
States Condemn Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
(New York, June 6, 2008) - The General Assembly of the Organization ofAmerican States (OAS) has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning humanrights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, taking acrucial step to end the silence around violence against lesbian, gay,bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Americas, Human Rights Watchsaid today. Human Rights Watch called on OAS member governments to ensurethat the resolution is implemented in their countries, and to continue theirsupport for sexual rights internationally. "This resolution is a bold firststep toward ending violence and discrimination," said Scott Long, directorof the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at HumanRights Watch. "For the resolution to have an impact, concrete changes in lawand policy must follow."
=
Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Last weekend, American Family Outing volunteers took part in anunprecedented and moving meeting with Bishop Eddie Long and members of NewBirth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia. I would like to sharewith you an email I received from one of the participants, Dr. Dionne Bates,an Atlanta psychotherapist. At the end of her message, you will find linksto photos and media coverage of the American Family Outing. Additionally,this update includes information on the 2008 Soulforce Equality Ride, newsabout an award that Soulforce will receive, and the release of the freeonline version of our popular booklet, What the Science Says -- And Doesn'tSay -- About Homosexuality.
-Report on the American Family Outing Visit with Bishop Eddie Long
[...] Lastly, Bishop Long did say that he needed time to learn more aboutLGBT and research scripture. While I do not know what changes the meetingwith him may or may not bring, his willingness to say this left me feelinghopeful that there may be a possibility for future dialogue between him andthe LGBT community.
-Photos of the New Birth Visit from Other Sheep
http://www.othersheep.org/The_AFO_New_Birth_Missionary_Baptist_Church_Lithonia_GA_2008_06_01.html
-Southern Voice: Soulforce worships with New Birth
http://www.sovo.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18754
-Full Media Coverage of the American Family Outing
http://www.soulforce.org/article/1367
-Support the American Family Outing with a Donation
https://www.soulforce.org/BringOurTruthToMegaChurches
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-FL: Gay Activists to Protest Orlando Event, Notion that Homosexuality is'Curable'
Gay activists and clergy are planning a silent protest Saturday morningoutside a conference of ex-gays who contend homosexuality can be cured byreligious counseling. The conference, called "Love Won Out" and sponsored bythe conservative Colorado-based Christian organization Focus on the Family,has sparked controversy and outrage with several billboards in Orlando andother cities that host the traveling event. The billboards declare: "IQuestioned Homosexuality and discovered love won out." The group's messageis that change is possible. "For gays, this is the same as saying you don'thave to be black, you don't have to be Jewish," said Wayne Besen, executivedirector of TruthWinsOut.org, a Brooklyn-based gay advocacy group. "Theyrepresent us as broken and incomplete people."
-HIV+ Shoplifter Charged with Aggravated Robbery for Biting Security Guard
One of the nine aggravated crimes in the Cedar Springs area in the last twoweeks didn't involve a gun, knife or club. Instead, the weapon was saliva.
According to police reports, on May 28, Paul Thibodeaux, 26, tried to steala $4.79 Holmes Smokehouse Sausage from the Kroger at 4142 Cedar SpringsRoad. He tried to make off with the sausage by sticking it down his pantsand walking out the front door. But when a security guard tried to stopThibodeaux, the suspect allegedly kicked and punched the guard before bitinghim twice, and drawing blood.
-TX: Will Ed Oakley Run for City Council Again?
Ed Oakley may run for his old District 3 Dallas City Council seat in 2009.
Oakley, the openly gay former councilman who served three terms beforestepping down to run for mayor last year, filed a campaign treasurer reportwith the City Secretary's Office on May 28, records show. The report doesn'tspecify which office Oakley plans to seek, but he lives in District 3 andsays he doesn't plan on moving.
-Why is EMILY's List Endorsing Anti-Semitism, Racism and Homophobia?
EMILY's List, known for funding female candidates for public office, has twomain qualifications for getting their endorsement. You have to be female andyou have to be pro-choice. The organization recently endorsed Nikki Tinkerin her run for Congress from Tennessee. Tinker is running against sittingRepresentative Steve Cohen, a fellow Democrat. Cohen is one of the mostliberal members of Congress with a history of supporting pro-choice and LGBTissues. Why would EMILY's List work to defeat an incumbent Congressman witha history of working in favor of their chosen issue? The answer has to besexism; he's a man. No other explanation can possibly make sense.
-Michigan: Pride-For Better or Worse
Walking down Woodward Avenue last weekend, it was hard to ignore the feelingin the air. It was more than just another festival or one of thousands ofgay pride celebrations worldwide. It was bigger than the sum of all thevendors selling rainbow chotchkies, plus the HRC lackeys with petitions,plus the half-naked men and women on the dance floor, plus the bandana-claddogs. Motor City Pride was the unlikely enormous celebration of the LGBTcommunity in a state with a terrible economic situation and equally terriblecivil rights situation. Key word: Community. As Interim Executive Directorof the Triangle Foundation Kate Runyon announced at the Building Bridgesmarch, we may be different shades of skin colors, but we're all rainbow.
-Michigan: Couples Wed in Front of City Hall
FERNDALE - Following a night of rain and thunder the sun broke through thecrowds to shine over the 8th annual Commitment Ceremony held in front ofFerndale's City Hall. At the event, which is held the day before Motor CityPride, nine same-sex couples exchanged vows and rings and ate wedding cakeas their friends and families looked on. Ferndale Mayor Craig Coveyofficiated the event along with Rev. Mark Bidwell, Rev. Deb Dysert and Rev.Kevin Kinsel of Metropolitan Community Church of Detroit. Covey is the thirdFerndale Mayor to officiate the event. "Ferndale does this to stand up anddemonstrate to the region that this is the right thing to do. This is thefuture. We're simply ahead of our time," Covey said. "We try to demonstratein our own way that we value and embrace diversity."
-Michigan: 'Power in Numbers'
If the forecast for Michigan's LGBT community has been cloudy, you couldn'ttell last Sunday in Ferndale. There, on a breezy, beautiful spring day, thesun was shining - both literally and on the faces of the estimated 50,000people who showed up to the Motor City Pride Festival.
-Pride Across the Generations
"There's a huge difference between being gay and being trans," says LGBTactivist and parent Marti Abernathey. Many would agree, but Abernathey has arare perspective: She is transgender, but has a gay son.
Despite their differences, though, she feels they share a certain bond: "Inthe whole coming-out process, there are a lot of similarities. I think hisunderstanding of that has helped him understand where I'm at. And viceversa."
-Cuba Approves Free Sex-Change Operations
HAVANA - Cuba has authorized sex-change operations and will offer them freefor qualifying citizens, an official said Friday. The move is the latest ina series of changes implemented by President Raul Castro since he succeededhis elder brother, Fidel, in February. Raul Castro's daughter, Mariela,heads Cuba's National Center for Sex Education, which strongly backs the newpolicy. Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer signed a resolution approvingsex-change surgery, said an official at the center who spoke on condition ofanonymity because the measure has not been formally published. Theresolution will be posted on the Internet on Saturday, the official said.
-MA: Transgender Youth Summit Coming to Cambridge
The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and the BostonAlliance of LGBT Youth (BAGLY) have teamed up to present the TransgenderYouth Summit, a daylong confab that aims to empower trans youth, create ayouth leadership network, and promote political and civic activism. The freeevent is open to people under age 24 who identify as trans or could fallunder the transgender umbrella. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at theDemocracy Center in Cambridge on June 28.
=
HeartStrong
marcadams@heartstrong.org
http://www.exgay.com
http://www.heartstrong.org
-The editorial piece below was sent to many Florida newspapers recently asGay Days in Orlando kicks off and the restorative therapy recruiters andrecruits have also come to that town. Please feel free to distribute andreproduce it as you like, just please do not edit the contact orauthor/contact information.
-What I Can Do For You by Marc Adams
Founder/Executive Director, HeartStrong Inc.
As a former exgay and former fundamentalist Baptist Christian, its important to state something that is NEVER said in these articles. Being gay has nothing to do with religion, spirituality, etc. It just doesn't. We've allowed an unholy union to happen between homosexuality and religion.
Religion is a choice. Orientation is not. You can be gay and any religion you choose or you can be gay and choose not to join a particular religion.
No one ever wakes up one morning and says, "I'm an evangelical Christian."
But every day millions of people wake up to a day where they understand their sexual orientation. As a boy growing up in a fundamentalist Baptisthome, going to Jerry Falwell's university, going through years of restorative therapy, it's easy to understand why I, my peers and many like I once was, choose restorative therapy. (And, even after 20 years, many ofthem are still trapped in a simulated heterosexual lifestyle. Still others ended their lives early when the strain of changing one's behavior is too much to bear.)
Marc Adams - Founder/Executive Director, HeartStrong Inc.
marcadams@heartstrong.org
http://www.exgay.com
http://www.heartstrong.org
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Saturday, June 07, 2008
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 07, 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:
-Job Losses and Surge in Oil Spread Gloom on Economy
Hopes that the U.S. might skirt a recession sank in the face of indicationsthat the economy is gripped by a slowdown and pressured by record fuelprices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/business/07econ.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Water-Starved California Slows Development
Building projects are being curtailed under state law by developers'inability to find long-term water supplies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/07drought.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1212830911-13YO0qUKMiRNVMwZEEQysA
-Raising the Bar at the Pentagon
Defense Secretary Robert Gates's decision to fire the top two Air Forceleaders on Thursday was as surprising as it was commendable.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07sat1.html?ref=opinion
-Savor the Moment
This election year has been a testament to the many decades of work by menand women to build a more just America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07herbert.html?ref=opinion
-What Hillary Won
By the end of those 54 primaries and caucuses, Hillary Clinton had made awoman running for president seem normal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07collins.html?ref=opinion
-The Cons of Creationism
If the creationist view prevails in Texas, students interested in learninghow science really works will have to overcome the handicap of their owneducation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07sat3.html?ref=opinion
-Turkish Headscarf Ruling Blow to Basic Rights: HRW
A decision by Turkey's top court to annul a government reform which lifted aban on Muslim headscarves at universities is a blow to freedom of religionand other fundamental rights, Human Rights Watch said on Saturday.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-turkey-court-rights.html
-Obama's Comments on Israel Stir Criticism in U.S.
The morning after claiming the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obamaspoke to skeptical members of a pro-Israel lobby and made a pledge that someof them found pleasantly surprising: "Jerusalem will remain the capital ofIsrael, and it must remain undivided."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/politics/07obama.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Guantanamo Court
The trials of Sept. 11 suspects are a discredit to U.S. justice.
IT'S NOT SURPRISING that the five detainees facing military commissions atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, for their alleged roles in the Sept. 11, 2001,terrorist attacks would complain about being put on trial. Like ZacariasMoussaoui, the al-Qaeda operative who pleaded guilty in U.S. federal courtto charges of conspiring to kill Americans, these men rail against the U.S.government, question the legitimacy of the military commissions and rejectcourt-appointed lawyers. Some also claim to have been tortured. But unlikeMr. Moussaoui, the five on trial in Guantanamo have a point.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603876.html
-Mr. Obama's Middle East
After all, he doesn't see the region much differently than President Bushdoes.
IN THE HEAT of the Democratic primary campaign, some on the left wereinspired to believe that Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) offered a far-reachingtransformation of U.S. foreign policy, "the most sweeping liberal
foreign-policy critique we've heard from a serious presidential contender indecades," as one particularly breathless article in the American Prospectput it. Yet, when Mr. Obama opened his general election campaign this weekwith a major speech on Middle East policy, the substantive strategy heoutlined was, in many respects, not very much different from that of theBush administration -- or that of Republican Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
That's not a bad thing; rather, it's a demonstration that there is a strongbipartisan consensus about America's vital interests in the Middle East andthat the sensible options for defending them are relatively limited.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603646.html
-Zimbabwe Detains Mugabe Rival for Second Time in Three Days
The opposition's presidential candidate was briefly detained Friday for thesecond time this week as Zimbabwean authorities intensified a crackdown onpolitical opponents and what they consider outside meddling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060600441.html?hpid=sec-world
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Iron My Skirt: Subject To Debate
Hillary Clinton came this close. In fact, as of this writing, she hasn'tformally conceded. Nobody really understands why: why she stuck it out thislong, given the math, and why she gave such a grudging, graceless version ofher stump speech after the South Dakota primary clinched the nomination forBarack Obama. Suggestions I've heard are not very flattering: she hopes towhittle down her multimillion-dollar campaign debt with donations from thedeluded die-hards screaming Denver! Denver! She wants the number-two spot.
She's a crazy narcissistic rhymes-with-rich. Maybe she's just ticked offbecause pundits have been trying to hustle her off the stage ever since herthird-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080623/pollitt
-Bruised but toughened, Obama must thank Clinton
"I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with HillaryRodham Clinton," Barack Obama declared Tuesday when he locked up the nomination.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/article611295.ece
-Seven Ways Hillary Clinton Changed Our Politics
Political writers and policy thinkers weigh in. Hillary Clinton will announce tomorrow that she is suspending her presidential campaign. We asked seven leading political writers and policy thinkers to tell us one key way Clinton affected the 2008 Election, and progressive politics, over the course of the primary. Here's what they had to say:
K.A. Geier: She Was a Front-runner, and She Stood Up For Women's Rights
Christopher Hayes: She Made Us Talk About Sexism
Ed Kilgore: She Helped Create a United Democratic Front on Iraq
Paul Starr: She Figured Out Health Care
Rebecca Traister: She Kept Voters, and the Candidates, Engaged Until the EndMoira Whelan: She Provided Leadership on National Security IssuesKai Wright: She Made Us Reconsider Whether Progressives Understand Racehttp://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=seven_ways_hillary_clinton_changed_our_politics
-Obama in a Blowout: The Presidential Election Will Not Be Close
Charisma, change and vision vs. a gaffe-prone spent force: Obama will beat McCain and win 300 to 350 electoral votes. In early December 2007, at a time when Hillary Clinton was tracking 20-plus points ahead of the Democratic field in national polls, I published an article contending that Hillary Clinton was an inherently weak candidate, a beatable candidate, and that Barack Obama would be a stronger match against Republicans.
http://www.alternet.org/election08/87225/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Job Losses and Surge in Oil Spread Gloom on Economy
Hopes that the U.S. might skirt a recession sank in the face of indicationsthat the economy is gripped by a slowdown and pressured by record fuelprices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/business/07econ.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Water-Starved California Slows Development
Building projects are being curtailed under state law by developers'inability to find long-term water supplies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/07drought.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1212830911-13YO0qUKMiRNVMwZEEQysA
-Raising the Bar at the Pentagon
Defense Secretary Robert Gates's decision to fire the top two Air Forceleaders on Thursday was as surprising as it was commendable.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07sat1.html?ref=opinion
-Savor the Moment
This election year has been a testament to the many decades of work by menand women to build a more just America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07herbert.html?ref=opinion
-What Hillary Won
By the end of those 54 primaries and caucuses, Hillary Clinton had made awoman running for president seem normal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07collins.html?ref=opinion
-The Cons of Creationism
If the creationist view prevails in Texas, students interested in learninghow science really works will have to overcome the handicap of their owneducation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/opinion/07sat3.html?ref=opinion
-Turkish Headscarf Ruling Blow to Basic Rights: HRW
A decision by Turkey's top court to annul a government reform which lifted aban on Muslim headscarves at universities is a blow to freedom of religionand other fundamental rights, Human Rights Watch said on Saturday.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-turkey-court-rights.html
-Obama's Comments on Israel Stir Criticism in U.S.
The morning after claiming the Democratic nomination, Senator Barack Obamaspoke to skeptical members of a pro-Israel lobby and made a pledge that someof them found pleasantly surprising: "Jerusalem will remain the capital ofIsrael, and it must remain undivided."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/politics/07obama.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Guantanamo Court
The trials of Sept. 11 suspects are a discredit to U.S. justice.
IT'S NOT SURPRISING that the five detainees facing military commissions atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, for their alleged roles in the Sept. 11, 2001,terrorist attacks would complain about being put on trial. Like ZacariasMoussaoui, the al-Qaeda operative who pleaded guilty in U.S. federal courtto charges of conspiring to kill Americans, these men rail against the U.S.government, question the legitimacy of the military commissions and rejectcourt-appointed lawyers. Some also claim to have been tortured. But unlikeMr. Moussaoui, the five on trial in Guantanamo have a point.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603876.html
-Mr. Obama's Middle East
After all, he doesn't see the region much differently than President Bushdoes.
IN THE HEAT of the Democratic primary campaign, some on the left wereinspired to believe that Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) offered a far-reachingtransformation of U.S. foreign policy, "the most sweeping liberal
foreign-policy critique we've heard from a serious presidential contender indecades," as one particularly breathless article in the American Prospectput it. Yet, when Mr. Obama opened his general election campaign this weekwith a major speech on Middle East policy, the substantive strategy heoutlined was, in many respects, not very much different from that of theBush administration -- or that of Republican Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
That's not a bad thing; rather, it's a demonstration that there is a strongbipartisan consensus about America's vital interests in the Middle East andthat the sensible options for defending them are relatively limited.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603646.html
-Zimbabwe Detains Mugabe Rival for Second Time in Three Days
The opposition's presidential candidate was briefly detained Friday for thesecond time this week as Zimbabwean authorities intensified a crackdown onpolitical opponents and what they consider outside meddling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060600441.html?hpid=sec-world
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Iron My Skirt: Subject To Debate
Hillary Clinton came this close. In fact, as of this writing, she hasn'tformally conceded. Nobody really understands why: why she stuck it out thislong, given the math, and why she gave such a grudging, graceless version ofher stump speech after the South Dakota primary clinched the nomination forBarack Obama. Suggestions I've heard are not very flattering: she hopes towhittle down her multimillion-dollar campaign debt with donations from thedeluded die-hards screaming Denver! Denver! She wants the number-two spot.
She's a crazy narcissistic rhymes-with-rich. Maybe she's just ticked offbecause pundits have been trying to hustle her off the stage ever since herthird-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080623/pollitt
-Bruised but toughened, Obama must thank Clinton
"I am a better candidate for having had the honor to compete with HillaryRodham Clinton," Barack Obama declared Tuesday when he locked up the nomination.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/article611295.ece
-Seven Ways Hillary Clinton Changed Our Politics
Political writers and policy thinkers weigh in. Hillary Clinton will announce tomorrow that she is suspending her presidential campaign. We asked seven leading political writers and policy thinkers to tell us one key way Clinton affected the 2008 Election, and progressive politics, over the course of the primary. Here's what they had to say:
K.A. Geier: She Was a Front-runner, and She Stood Up For Women's Rights
Christopher Hayes: She Made Us Talk About Sexism
Ed Kilgore: She Helped Create a United Democratic Front on Iraq
Paul Starr: She Figured Out Health Care
Rebecca Traister: She Kept Voters, and the Candidates, Engaged Until the EndMoira Whelan: She Provided Leadership on National Security IssuesKai Wright: She Made Us Reconsider Whether Progressives Understand Racehttp://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=seven_ways_hillary_clinton_changed_our_politics
-Obama in a Blowout: The Presidential Election Will Not Be Close
Charisma, change and vision vs. a gaffe-prone spent force: Obama will beat McCain and win 300 to 350 electoral votes. In early December 2007, at a time when Hillary Clinton was tracking 20-plus points ahead of the Democratic field in national polls, I published an article contending that Hillary Clinton was an inherently weak candidate, a beatable candidate, and that Barack Obama would be a stronger match against Republicans.
http://www.alternet.org/election08/87225/
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA NEWS - Saturday June 07, 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.
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain tours, backs Glades
Sen. John McCain toured the Everglades on Friday and called for increasedfederal spending on restoration while Democrats continued to criticize hisrecord.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/561525.html
-'Safe haven' law saves its 100th baby
The 100th newborn was taken to an official ''safe haven'' since the FloridaLegislature passed the Safe Haven for Newborns Act in 2000.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/561608.html
-A new plan for financing convention hotel
Broward would spend about $7 million a year marketing a convention hotel inFort Lauderdale under a new plan. Small hoteliers still aren't happy aboutsubsidizing the competition. [...] Those dollars, about $7 million a yearin the current economy, would be spent marketing the 1,000-room Hilton ifthe hotel fell short of profit forecasts. Broward would sell about $440million worth of tax-exempt government bonds to build the hotel oncounty-owned waterfront, but Wall Street lenders would bear most of thefinancial risk for the project. The proposed Hilton has divided both thecounty commission and Broward's tourism industry.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/561422.html
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Florida Red & Blue - SayNo2!
We don't usually begin with breaking news in a monthly wrap-up, but this is worth it:
Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, has signed on to SayNo2!
CFO Sink manages the state's finances, and recognizes the severe financial impact Amendment 2 could have on unmarried Floridians. An undisputed Florida leader adding her voice to the SayNo2 chorus is a key development and we're delighted to have her join our campaign.
http://www.sayno2.com/
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sen. Bill Nelson wants to get rid of Electoral College
Under his plan, the popular vote would select a president.
The U.S. would no longer use the Electoral College to choose its presidents under a roposal introduced Friday by Florida's Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Instead, presidents would be picked by popular vote, a method that would have given ormer Vice President Al Gore the White House after the contested 2000 election.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-elect0708jun07,0,1563740.story
-Obama assails McCain over Everglades vote
The Arizona senator defends his opposition to a 2007 restoration bill, saying it was arded with pork-barrel projects. The sharp exchange may signal a contentious eneral-election season ahead.
Judging by the only metric that seemed to count Friday -- the number of dueling conference calls -- the general-election battle between John McCain and Barack Obama as begun in earnest.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-campaign7-2008jun07,0,7472465.story?track=rss
-Down with the Electoral College!
What would the country be like if the president were elected by an actual popular ote and not by the Electoral College?
Well, Al Gore might be having his dinner in the White House tonight, not polishing is Nobel Prize.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2008/06/06/down_with_the_electoral_colleg.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Practical Steps To Safeguard Florida From Global Warming
If scientists are correct about global warming, the outlook for Florida is grim: Rising seas will wash away beaches, flood marshlands and leave coastal communities xposed to storm surge; saltwater intrusion will ruin municipal water supplies; igher water temperatures will kill corals and spread marine diseases.
The state will be plagued by more intense storms, droughts and severe weather luctuations.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/06/na-practical-steps-to-safeguard-florida-from-globa/?news-opinion-editorials
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain tours, backs Glades
Sen. John McCain toured the Everglades on Friday and called for increasedfederal spending on restoration while Democrats continued to criticize hisrecord.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/561525.html
-'Safe haven' law saves its 100th baby
The 100th newborn was taken to an official ''safe haven'' since the FloridaLegislature passed the Safe Haven for Newborns Act in 2000.
http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/561608.html
-A new plan for financing convention hotel
Broward would spend about $7 million a year marketing a convention hotel inFort Lauderdale under a new plan. Small hoteliers still aren't happy aboutsubsidizing the competition. [...] Those dollars, about $7 million a yearin the current economy, would be spent marketing the 1,000-room Hilton ifthe hotel fell short of profit forecasts. Broward would sell about $440million worth of tax-exempt government bonds to build the hotel oncounty-owned waterfront, but Wall Street lenders would bear most of thefinancial risk for the project. The proposed Hilton has divided both thecounty commission and Broward's tourism industry.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/561422.html
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Florida Red & Blue - SayNo2!
We don't usually begin with breaking news in a monthly wrap-up, but this is worth it:
Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink, has signed on to SayNo2!
CFO Sink manages the state's finances, and recognizes the severe financial impact Amendment 2 could have on unmarried Floridians. An undisputed Florida leader adding her voice to the SayNo2 chorus is a key development and we're delighted to have her join our campaign.
http://www.sayno2.com/
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sen. Bill Nelson wants to get rid of Electoral College
Under his plan, the popular vote would select a president.
The U.S. would no longer use the Electoral College to choose its presidents under a roposal introduced Friday by Florida's Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Instead, presidents would be picked by popular vote, a method that would have given ormer Vice President Al Gore the White House after the contested 2000 election.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-elect0708jun07,0,1563740.story
-Obama assails McCain over Everglades vote
The Arizona senator defends his opposition to a 2007 restoration bill, saying it was arded with pork-barrel projects. The sharp exchange may signal a contentious eneral-election season ahead.
Judging by the only metric that seemed to count Friday -- the number of dueling conference calls -- the general-election battle between John McCain and Barack Obama as begun in earnest.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-campaign7-2008jun07,0,7472465.story?track=rss
-Down with the Electoral College!
What would the country be like if the president were elected by an actual popular ote and not by the Electoral College?
Well, Al Gore might be having his dinner in the White House tonight, not polishing is Nobel Prize.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2008/06/06/down_with_the_electoral_colleg.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Practical Steps To Safeguard Florida From Global Warming
If scientists are correct about global warming, the outlook for Florida is grim: Rising seas will wash away beaches, flood marshlands and leave coastal communities xposed to storm surge; saltwater intrusion will ruin municipal water supplies; igher water temperatures will kill corals and spread marine diseases.
The state will be plagued by more intense storms, droughts and severe weather luctuations.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/06/na-practical-steps-to-safeguard-florida-from-globa/?news-opinion-editorials
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Friday, June 06, 2008
GLBT NEWS - Ray's List Digest - Friday June 06, 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.
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Washington: Lesbian kiss in stands touches off storm
Most of the time, a kiss is just a kiss in the stands at Seattle Marinersgames. The crowd hardly even pays attention when fans smooch.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flanatdig06060sbjun06,0,1722601.story
-Adieu, Saint Laurent
Green bunches of Yves Saint Laurent's beloved wheat dressed the yellow cloth covering his casket amid mourning luminaries clothed in funereal black, his favorite color. Most women, his other passion, wore trousers at the final tribute in Paris on Thursday to the designer who revolutionized femininity by making it
glamorous to wear pants.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flapeople0606sbjun06,0,5628356.story
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Report: Edwards Rules Out VP Role
(Madrid) John Edwards has ruled out being Barack Obama's running mate on theDemocratic presidential ticket, according to interviews carried by twoleading Spanish newspapers on Friday.
-Some Calif. Clerks To Issue Licenses Earlier
(San Francisco, California) California officials say counties may beginissuing gender-neutral marriage licenses the minute after a state SupremeCourt order legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect.
-S.A. Health Minister: HIV Rates Declining
(Cape Town, South Africa) South Africa's health minister said Thursday thatHIV infection rates among pregnant women declined for the second straightyear and claimed it was proof of the success of government policies.
-Fashion World Bids Farewell To Yves Saint Laurent
(Paris) Model-turned-first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, actress CatherineDeneuve and the Shah of Iran's widow were among mourners Thursday at thefuneral of legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent.
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Wis. Supreme Court says lawsuit over gay remark is frivolous
Gay rights group used excerpt from anti-gay activist's speech
An activist's lawsuit claiming a Wisconsin gay rights group defamed him byaccusing him of advocating the murder of gays is frivolous, the WisconsinSupreme Court ruled Thursday. Anti-gay activist Rev. Grant Storms of NewOrleans sued gay rights group Action Wisconsin after it took excerpts from a2003 speech Storms made in Milwaukee and claimed he was advocating themurder of gays. Storms' lawsuit was dismissed in 2005, and he was ordered topay court costs and attorneys' fees. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheldthat decision, which had been reversed by an appeals court. The high court's4-3 decision means Storms' attorney James Donohoo will have to pay more than$87,000 in court costs and fees because the court said he should have knownthe lawsuit was frivolous. Donohoo and attorneys for Action Wisconsin, whichhas since changed its name to Fair Wisconsin, did not immediately returnmessages. Storms, who hosts a talk show on a New Orleans radio station,considers himself a Christian activist and has protested what he calls "thehomosexual agenda."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18761
-County clerk will stop performing all weddings
Wedding bells won't ring in the Kern county clerk's office for any couples -gay or straight - after June 13, local officials said Wednesday after theCalifornia Supreme Court refused to stay its decision legalizing same-sexmarriage. The office will issue same-sex marriage licenses beginning June 17as state law requires but will stop solemnizing weddings due to lack ofstaff and space, Auditor-Controller-County Clerk Ann Barnett announced in anews release Wednesday evening.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/462592.html
-Asking and Telling Sam Nunn
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was a compromise forced on Bill Clinton's presidencyby a recalcitrant, (then) anti-gay Sam Nunn who stopped Clinton's plans toend discrimination against homosexual men and women serving in the U.S.military. In fact, while Senator Nunn was still in the Senate, he fired twostaff members when it came to light that these individuals were gay. Now,Senator Nunn is recommending a "review" of the policy he helped fashionfifteen years ago, but he is not indicating whether his own views havechanged. I'm a fan of Sam Nunn's important work in trying to rid the worldof nuclear weapons and other WMD related materials. I hear from many friendsthat he is an outstanding Board Chairman of the Center for Strategic andInternational Studies and also Co-Chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
So despite my sincere respect for many of the good things Sam Nunn has done,I also think it is important for those whispering about the possibility ofputting Nunn in the VP slot on the Obama ticket -- or in Obama's cabinet --to realize that this blog and many others will not stand for someone whostill harbors long standing, institutionalized discriminatory views againstgay men and women, particularly in the arena of national security when weshould be applauding any who want to serve this country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/asking-and-telling-sam-nu_b_105401.html
-Gay Muslims Make a Familiar Point
Parvez Sharma's new documentary, A Jihad for Love, is a remarkableexploration, six years in the making, of the lives and struggles of gays andlesbians in the Islamic world today. From a pair of Sufi lesbians in Turkeyto a religious instructor in South Africa to young men in Iran and Egypt whohave been jailed for their sexual orientation, to India, France, and Canada,the film casts an unblinking eye on the queer underground. Documentary hasthe power of one person, telling the story of an individual we can get toknow, deeply, and to identify with. This is not political posturing orabstract statistics. It is a journey of pain and suffering, and ultimatelyhope. Sharma has done something quite brilliant with this project. It isnot a story that is outside of Islam, not an attack on Islam.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-ayers-/gay-muslims-make-a-famili_b_105363.html
-Legal Q&A on gay marriage
Experts respond to conservative activists' 'pro-family' arguments
The May 15 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in California reignitedintense debate over the issue and demonstrated that, regardless of what thejustices decided or how voters there will react to a ballot referendum inNovember, the controversial subject isn't likely to go away anytime soon.
Reaction to this month's ruling was predictable. Notoriously anti-gay groupslike Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, Family ResearchCouncil and others decried the ruling as an outrage. Reaction among gayactivists was the inverse, with leaders from groups like Human RightsCampaign and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force heaping praise on thejustices. "Frequently asked questions" sections of the web sites of theaforementioned organizations (and others) address the issues raised by thoseon opposite sides of the ideological divide. But clearly the concerns ofmany anti-gay groups haven't been addressed to their satisfaction. If twomen or two women can marry in some parts of the country, could it, in time,lead to a repeal of U.S. polygamy laws?
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-5/news/localnews/4725.cfm
- Friend or Foe?
FRIEND OF THE WEEK
NEW YORK GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON
A same sex marriage memo in New York opens the doors of state agencies,directing then to honor out-of-state gay marriages. The directive is a keylink in allowing gay married couples visiting and living in New York toenjoy some important aspects of recognition and equality, including hospitalvisitation, insurance benefits and property inheritance. Paterson says hisdirective simply follows existing law, since New York has always recognizedthe rights of married couples whose ceremonies were certified by otherstates. The hand-wringing and backlash have already begun.
FOE OF THE WEEK
FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL McCOLLUM
As same sex couples in California celebrate the State Supreme Court decisionto strike down the ban on gay marriage, Florida Attorney General BillMcCollum and nine other Republican state attorney generals are trying tosilence the wedding bells. McCollum added his signature to a letter toCalifornia's Chief Justice, asking the court to put gay marriage on holduntil the public votes on the issue in November.
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Fabulous at 30
"Flags are torn from the soul of the people," said rainbow flag designerGilbert Baker on the symbol's 30th anniversary. "This one was born in amoment of celebration." When the rainbow flag debuted in San Francisco onJune 25, 1978, Baker knew it was special, but had no idea it would becomeone of the most recognized symbols in the world.
-Family My Way
Family My Way, the Internet's newest and most unique online community,launches today at www.familymyway.com. Bringing together families of allmakeups and sizes, Family My Way seeks to redefine the traditional conceptof today's nuclear family into a more modern and encompassing model. FamilyMy Way is the modern-day family.
-Knight, Others In Mass Commitment Ceremony
West Hollywood sure got gay last night. Well, gayer than usual.
TR Knight, his child bride boyfriend, Jay Leno and scads of media folkswarmed on popular gay bar The Abbey for a mass commitment ceremony, asymbolic push toward California's forthcoming gay marriages.
-New Radio Ad Blasts Gay Marriage
A controversial radio ad began playing in Albany, New York City andRochester Thursday. It is being paid for by the National Organization forMarriage.
-Aids Body Chief Roots for Gays
The gay community in the country should not be neglected while designinganti-HIV/AIDS strategies, the director general of the Uganda AIDSCommission, Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli, has said. "It is true that research wasdone among gays and the trend is common in young people. We need to addressthe gay issue, but they are not a major driver of infections."
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Kern County Auditor-Controller-County Clerk Ann Barnett repeatedly tried toavoid licensing and performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples,interviews and e-mails obtained by The Californian show. At her request,County Counsel Bernard Barmann filed a brief with the California SupremeCourt opposing implementation of the May 15 ruling allowing gay marriage.
She tried to resign her elected position as county clerk - while keeping herpositions as auditor-controller and elections boss. "She really wanted toget rid of it," Barmann said.
-Buried in the rush of election news yesterday was the California court'srefusal to stay the civil marriages for gay couples that will start on June17 and continue throughout the year. This strikes me as a critical decisionbecause it reframes the debate in California. If voters are asked to decideon the abstract question of marriage equality, they respond differently thanif they are asked to decide about civil marriages already in existence. Manyvoters simply do not want to think about this question and resent those whobring it up. If you ask Californians: "Do you favor the right of gay couplesto marry?" they will divide pretty evenly. If you ask, "Do you want to undoall these couples' marriages?" they will tend to answer no.
- It was front page of the New York Times and on television news broadcastseverywhere, so New York Governor David Paterson's directive that stateagencies prepare to recognize same-sex marriages from other states must havebeen something big and new, right? No. And yes. What Paterson did, say gaylegal activists, is declare that his administration would follow and enforcea law that already exists in the state and has for a long time. That lawsays that the state will recognize marriages licensed in other states, evenif those marriages wouldn't be licensed in New York.
Legally, Paterson changed nothing.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Lithuanian MPs attempt to exclude gays from legal protection
Members of Parliament in Lithuania have removed age, disability, and sexualorientation protections from a new draft law on equal opportunities.
-TiVo in hot water over links to homophobes
One of America's coolest brands risks alienating the gay community after itslinks with an organisation that fights against equality were questioned.
-Amnesty condemns arrests of Uganda AIDS conference protesters
A leading human rights group has said it is concerned for the welfare ofthree gay protesters who forced their way into an international conferenceabout HIV/AIDS prevention in Uganda organised by the UN.
-Sober gays will gather at EuroPride
Special events for the thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans men and
women in Europe who are in recovery from alcoholism will be held alongsidethis year's EuroPride.
-McCain campaign tries to woo Clinton supporters
Even as Hillary Clinton prepares to endorse Barack Obama on Saturday, theRepublican National Committee is throwing open its doors to her supporters.
-Gay youth to picnic in Soho Square
London's largest gathering of LGBT youth will take place in the centre ofthe city later this month. They will gather in Soho Square on Friday 20thJune for the 'OutZone Summer Picnic'.
-London team prepares for rugby's Bingham Cup
Gay rugby club the Kings Cross Steelers is off to Dublin for the Bingham Cupon Sunday and players are looking forward to a good luck send off at the TwoBrewers on Clapham High Street.
-Michelle Obama "whitey" tape fails to materialise
There is little proof behind the widely reported story that a major newsnetwork is in possession of video featuring Michelle Obama, wife ofpresidential hopeful Barack Obama, railing against white people.
-Homophobic governments block gays from UN AIDS conference
Lesbian and gay and sexual health groups from Jamaica, Zimbabwe and Egypthave been excluded from a major international conference on HIV/AIDSorganised by the United Nations General Assembly.
-New caucus in US Congress will campaign for LGBT rights
A cross-party group of US Congressmen and women have formed a new campaignto push for greater rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Americans.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/
Go to the above link for the following articles:
-Interview: New Hampshire's 'Turbulent Priest' and the Fight for GayAcceptance
Controversy and Bishop Gene Robinson go hand in hand. Ever since hiselection as the first openly gay bishop in the American Anglican Church, hehas rarely been out of the headlines. Splits and schisms over the positionof homosexual men and women in the Church have been a staple feature ofreporting on religious affairs since his inauguration in 2003.
Traditionalists decry him as a snake, a man determined to divide thefaithful with his selfish insistence on taking senior office in the Church.
To others, especially gay clergy and laymen and women, he is a hero, a manunafraid to be Anglican, gay and proud and to lead his diocese.
-CA: Leno Defeats Migden for Senate Nod
Gay California Assemblyman Mark Leno has won the Democratic primary tobecome the party's nominee for a San Francisco-area Senate seat, defeatinglesbian incumbent Carole Migden. The Third District, which includes theeastern neighborhoods of the city, all Marin County and part of SonomaCounty, is heavily Democratic, so the November election is largely aforegone conclusion. Leno also defeated former Assemblyman Joe Nation. "It'svery thrilling," Leno told the Bay Area Reporter. "It's really a night of elation."
Migden was hurt by accusations of campaign finance violations last year. Thescandal resulted in her being fined a record $350,000 for her financialindiscretions, which included using surplus funds for personal use,
according to the Reporter.
-MA: Transgender Youth Summit Coming to Cambridge
The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and the BostonAlliance of LGBT Youth (BAGLY) have teamed up to present the TransgenderYouth Summit, a daylong confab that aims to empower trans youth, create ayouth leadership network, and promote political and civic activism. The freeevent is open to people under age 24 who identify as trans or could fallunder the transgender umbrella. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at theDemocracy Center in Cambridge on June 28.
-The Gay Marriage Race: Which State Will Be Next?
Whither California, the nation? That's the question LGBT activists andjust-plain folks across the country are asking. Will legalizing marriage inthe California Republic set off a wave of such actions across the country?
Judging from what happened in New York, it may already have. EDGE analyzesthe move toward (and away from) gay marriage state by state and handicapsthe race to be next in line to the altar.
-Catholic Group Urges America to Resist Homosexual 'Marriage'
HANOVER, Penn., June 5 /Christian Newswire/ - Reacting to California'sSupreme Court ruling in favor of homosexual "marriage," the American Societyfor the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) published a two-pagead today, which appeared simultaneously in The New York Times, The LosAngeles Times, and The Washington Times. The American TFP's statement iscalled Battling for America's Soul: How Homosexual "Marriage" Threatens OurNation and Faith-the TFP Urges Lawful and Conscientious Resistance."Mainstream America is understandably upset about same-sex 'marriage,'" said TFPdirector Preston Noell. It is a grave offense against God and undermines2,000 years of Christian morality. Same-sex 'marriage' threatens the socialstability of our nation and future," he added. In fact, after New YorkGovernor David Patterson ordered legal recognition for same-sex "marriages"contracted out of state, the controversy has only intensified.
-A Servicewoman Prevails in Her Bid to Reinstate Her ConstitutionalChallenge to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy
The blockbuster decision by the California Supreme Court to recognize gay
marriage may have dominated the headlines, but it was not the only major gayrights judicial victory to emerge from the West Coast last month. In aless-noticed but also significant ruling in Witt v. Secretary of the AirForce, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit breathed life into animportant constitutional challenge brought by a servicewoman to the military's so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The court held that the policydiscriminates against gay and lesbian relationships in a way that requires asubstantial government justification.
-Does the Constitution Permit Government to Favor Religion over Nonreligion?Justice Scalia Says Yes
Speaking over the past weekend at the annual dinner of an Orthodox Jewishgroup, Agudath Israel of America, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scaliaclaimed that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment should not beconstrued to forbid government from favoring "religion over nonreligion."
Justice Scalia has made this point before, both on and off the bench, and hemay be correct when he says, as he did before Agudath Israel, that such aprohibition "does not . . . represent the American tradition," but only ifone excludes from that tradition the last forty years of Supreme Courtjurisprudence. The proposition that government may not favor religion overnonreligion does, however, represent the current doctrine of the SupremeCourt, albeit with a few exceptions. And of course, Justice Scaliaacknowledges as much. He offers his view as a challenge to the modern caselaw-not a characterization of it.
-Letter Sent to Tivo about "SuperDad Essay Contest" from Family EqualityCouncil Director
Dear Owners and Administrators of TiVo, Inc.:
My name is Jennifer Chrisler. I am the Executive Director of Family EqualityCouncil, the national organization working to ensure equality for lesbian,gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families by building community,changing hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families.
On behalf of LGBT families everywhere, I am incredibly disappointed to seethat TiVo, a national corporation providing entertainment services tomillions of families in this country, has decided to sponsor and endorse the"I Know a SuperDad Essay Contest" with Focus on the Family.
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HeartStrong
The work never ends! As is typical for this time of year, many studentsfrom both religious and public schools are facing the prospect of beenrolled into a religious college or university in just a couple months.
Without fail, HeartStrong always receives requests from students who aredesperately trying to change their parent's minds about enrolling them intoa religious college. While HeartStrong cannot change the parent's minds whenthey have religious or conformist reasons for sending their kids toreligious colleges and universities, HeartStrong is able to provide supportand information that would not be part of the student's general knowledge.
We are also busy working on our summer outreach and educational programs.
In July we will spend two weeks in MN, IL and WI. In August we will spendtwo weeks in CO. We are excited to be revisiting these states. If youare interested in attending an educational forum in these states pleasecheck out our forum schedule on our website. If your group would like tohost an educational forum, please contact HeartStrong at
heartstrong@heartstrong.org
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Turkey's Latest Anti-Gay Surge By: DOUG IRELAND
In the latest in a series of legal attacks on LGBT organizations and publications in Turkey, on May 29 a court in Istanbul, the nation's largest city, ordered the dissolution of Lambda Istanbul. Founded in 1993, the groupis Turkey's oldest LGBT organization, and has organized Gay Pride marches in that city every year since 2003. The organization has been under attack from Istanbul's governor, Muammer Güler, since 2007, when his office brought a legal action to close the organization, claiming that Lambda violates both the Penal Code, as an association in violation of "law and morals," and Article 41 of the Turkish Constitution, which is concerned with "the peace and welfare of the family."
http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19750019&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=569346&rfi=6
-Gay soldier's fate grips Brazil
Brazilian military police have arrested an army sergeant who revealed thathe was gay in an interview with a national news magazine at the weekend.
The ministry of defence says the sergeant is to be questioned about allegeddesertion from the military and there is no question of discrimination.
-Colombia: Student who was kicked out of high school for being a lesbianspeaks up against discrimination
Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M14IfwIjrIw
-Bahamas: Gay community fears 'trend' of unsolved murders (TheNassau Guardian)
Gay community fears 'trend' of unsolved murders
Outraged members of the gay community in New Providence are compiling a list of names of reported homosexual Bahamians whose murders remain unsolved, The Nassau Guardian was told last night. The move is hoped to bring attention to the community's concerns surrounding what appears to be a trend of unsolvedmurders of gays, and follows the murder of Jamaican Marvin Wilson, one of four recent violent murders involving men who were reportedly homosexual. It also comes amid growing fears that the deaths may be connected. "I have been pproached by members of the community offering their assistance," said ErinGreene, a spokesperson for the country's gay advocacy group Rainbow Alliance of The Bahamas. "[In addition to the list] some members are also working with a regional group known as CARIFLAG (Caribbean Forum of Lesbians, AU-Sexuals and Gays) that has an ongoing project to archive within communities the murders of gay citizens and those unsolved murders." While the killings have sparked a level of concern in the local gay community, well-placed sources have told The Guardian that most members of that community do not feel the murders are random.
http://www.thenassauguardian.net/national_local/344321161854604.php
-Today!
Friday: LGBT conference call for Obama
After aggressive contests in all 50 states, the Democratic Primary has cometo an end. If we are to elect Barack Obama president in November, as acommunity, it's important that we come together. With theunified and enthusiastic support of LGBT Americans, our chance of success ismuch greater. That's why we need your help to take the next step insupporting Barack. Tomorrow, Friday, June 6th, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time,our campaign is hosting a national call for LGBT Americans who areinterested in helping Barack. On this call, we will give a status report ofour campaign as a whole, discuss LGBT policy, provide suggestions for howyou can be involved and answer questions and hear your concerns.
National LGBT Conference Call
Friday, June 6th, 2008
6:00 p.m. EDT
RSVP for the conference call:
http://pride.barackobama.com/LGBTcall
=
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Washington: Lesbian kiss in stands touches off storm
Most of the time, a kiss is just a kiss in the stands at Seattle Marinersgames. The crowd hardly even pays attention when fans smooch.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flanatdig06060sbjun06,0,1722601.story
-Adieu, Saint Laurent
Green bunches of Yves Saint Laurent's beloved wheat dressed the yellow cloth covering his casket amid mourning luminaries clothed in funereal black, his favorite color. Most women, his other passion, wore trousers at the final tribute in Paris on Thursday to the designer who revolutionized femininity by making it
glamorous to wear pants.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flapeople0606sbjun06,0,5628356.story
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Report: Edwards Rules Out VP Role
(Madrid) John Edwards has ruled out being Barack Obama's running mate on theDemocratic presidential ticket, according to interviews carried by twoleading Spanish newspapers on Friday.
-Some Calif. Clerks To Issue Licenses Earlier
(San Francisco, California) California officials say counties may beginissuing gender-neutral marriage licenses the minute after a state SupremeCourt order legalizing same-sex marriage takes effect.
-S.A. Health Minister: HIV Rates Declining
(Cape Town, South Africa) South Africa's health minister said Thursday thatHIV infection rates among pregnant women declined for the second straightyear and claimed it was proof of the success of government policies.
-Fashion World Bids Farewell To Yves Saint Laurent
(Paris) Model-turned-first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, actress CatherineDeneuve and the Shah of Iran's widow were among mourners Thursday at thefuneral of legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent.
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Wis. Supreme Court says lawsuit over gay remark is frivolous
Gay rights group used excerpt from anti-gay activist's speech
An activist's lawsuit claiming a Wisconsin gay rights group defamed him byaccusing him of advocating the murder of gays is frivolous, the WisconsinSupreme Court ruled Thursday. Anti-gay activist Rev. Grant Storms of NewOrleans sued gay rights group Action Wisconsin after it took excerpts from a2003 speech Storms made in Milwaukee and claimed he was advocating themurder of gays. Storms' lawsuit was dismissed in 2005, and he was ordered topay court costs and attorneys' fees. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheldthat decision, which had been reversed by an appeals court. The high court's4-3 decision means Storms' attorney James Donohoo will have to pay more than$87,000 in court costs and fees because the court said he should have knownthe lawsuit was frivolous. Donohoo and attorneys for Action Wisconsin, whichhas since changed its name to Fair Wisconsin, did not immediately returnmessages. Storms, who hosts a talk show on a New Orleans radio station,considers himself a Christian activist and has protested what he calls "thehomosexual agenda."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18761
-County clerk will stop performing all weddings
Wedding bells won't ring in the Kern county clerk's office for any couples -gay or straight - after June 13, local officials said Wednesday after theCalifornia Supreme Court refused to stay its decision legalizing same-sexmarriage. The office will issue same-sex marriage licenses beginning June 17as state law requires but will stop solemnizing weddings due to lack ofstaff and space, Auditor-Controller-County Clerk Ann Barnett announced in anews release Wednesday evening.
http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/462592.html
-Asking and Telling Sam Nunn
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was a compromise forced on Bill Clinton's presidencyby a recalcitrant, (then) anti-gay Sam Nunn who stopped Clinton's plans toend discrimination against homosexual men and women serving in the U.S.military. In fact, while Senator Nunn was still in the Senate, he fired twostaff members when it came to light that these individuals were gay. Now,Senator Nunn is recommending a "review" of the policy he helped fashionfifteen years ago, but he is not indicating whether his own views havechanged. I'm a fan of Sam Nunn's important work in trying to rid the worldof nuclear weapons and other WMD related materials. I hear from many friendsthat he is an outstanding Board Chairman of the Center for Strategic andInternational Studies and also Co-Chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
So despite my sincere respect for many of the good things Sam Nunn has done,I also think it is important for those whispering about the possibility ofputting Nunn in the VP slot on the Obama ticket -- or in Obama's cabinet --to realize that this blog and many others will not stand for someone whostill harbors long standing, institutionalized discriminatory views againstgay men and women, particularly in the arena of national security when weshould be applauding any who want to serve this country.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/asking-and-telling-sam-nu_b_105401.html
-Gay Muslims Make a Familiar Point
Parvez Sharma's new documentary, A Jihad for Love, is a remarkableexploration, six years in the making, of the lives and struggles of gays andlesbians in the Islamic world today. From a pair of Sufi lesbians in Turkeyto a religious instructor in South Africa to young men in Iran and Egypt whohave been jailed for their sexual orientation, to India, France, and Canada,the film casts an unblinking eye on the queer underground. Documentary hasthe power of one person, telling the story of an individual we can get toknow, deeply, and to identify with. This is not political posturing orabstract statistics. It is a journey of pain and suffering, and ultimatelyhope. Sharma has done something quite brilliant with this project. It isnot a story that is outside of Islam, not an attack on Islam.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-ayers-/gay-muslims-make-a-famili_b_105363.html
-Legal Q&A on gay marriage
Experts respond to conservative activists' 'pro-family' arguments
The May 15 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in California reignitedintense debate over the issue and demonstrated that, regardless of what thejustices decided or how voters there will react to a ballot referendum inNovember, the controversial subject isn't likely to go away anytime soon.
Reaction to this month's ruling was predictable. Notoriously anti-gay groupslike Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, Family ResearchCouncil and others decried the ruling as an outrage. Reaction among gayactivists was the inverse, with leaders from groups like Human RightsCampaign and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force heaping praise on thejustices. "Frequently asked questions" sections of the web sites of theaforementioned organizations (and others) address the issues raised by thoseon opposite sides of the ideological divide. But clearly the concerns ofmany anti-gay groups haven't been addressed to their satisfaction. If twomen or two women can marry in some parts of the country, could it, in time,lead to a repeal of U.S. polygamy laws?
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-5/news/localnews/4725.cfm
- Friend or Foe?
FRIEND OF THE WEEK
NEW YORK GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON
A same sex marriage memo in New York opens the doors of state agencies,directing then to honor out-of-state gay marriages. The directive is a keylink in allowing gay married couples visiting and living in New York toenjoy some important aspects of recognition and equality, including hospitalvisitation, insurance benefits and property inheritance. Paterson says hisdirective simply follows existing law, since New York has always recognizedthe rights of married couples whose ceremonies were certified by otherstates. The hand-wringing and backlash have already begun.
FOE OF THE WEEK
FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL McCOLLUM
As same sex couples in California celebrate the State Supreme Court decisionto strike down the ban on gay marriage, Florida Attorney General BillMcCollum and nine other Republican state attorney generals are trying tosilence the wedding bells. McCollum added his signature to a letter toCalifornia's Chief Justice, asking the court to put gay marriage on holduntil the public votes on the issue in November.
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Fabulous at 30
"Flags are torn from the soul of the people," said rainbow flag designerGilbert Baker on the symbol's 30th anniversary. "This one was born in amoment of celebration." When the rainbow flag debuted in San Francisco onJune 25, 1978, Baker knew it was special, but had no idea it would becomeone of the most recognized symbols in the world.
-Family My Way
Family My Way, the Internet's newest and most unique online community,launches today at www.familymyway.com. Bringing together families of allmakeups and sizes, Family My Way seeks to redefine the traditional conceptof today's nuclear family into a more modern and encompassing model. FamilyMy Way is the modern-day family.
-Knight, Others In Mass Commitment Ceremony
West Hollywood sure got gay last night. Well, gayer than usual.
TR Knight, his child bride boyfriend, Jay Leno and scads of media folkswarmed on popular gay bar The Abbey for a mass commitment ceremony, asymbolic push toward California's forthcoming gay marriages.
-New Radio Ad Blasts Gay Marriage
A controversial radio ad began playing in Albany, New York City andRochester Thursday. It is being paid for by the National Organization forMarriage.
-Aids Body Chief Roots for Gays
The gay community in the country should not be neglected while designinganti-HIV/AIDS strategies, the director general of the Uganda AIDSCommission, Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli, has said. "It is true that research wasdone among gays and the trend is common in young people. We need to addressthe gay issue, but they are not a major driver of infections."
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Kern County Auditor-Controller-County Clerk Ann Barnett repeatedly tried toavoid licensing and performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples,interviews and e-mails obtained by The Californian show. At her request,County Counsel Bernard Barmann filed a brief with the California SupremeCourt opposing implementation of the May 15 ruling allowing gay marriage.
She tried to resign her elected position as county clerk - while keeping herpositions as auditor-controller and elections boss. "She really wanted toget rid of it," Barmann said.
-Buried in the rush of election news yesterday was the California court'srefusal to stay the civil marriages for gay couples that will start on June17 and continue throughout the year. This strikes me as a critical decisionbecause it reframes the debate in California. If voters are asked to decideon the abstract question of marriage equality, they respond differently thanif they are asked to decide about civil marriages already in existence. Manyvoters simply do not want to think about this question and resent those whobring it up. If you ask Californians: "Do you favor the right of gay couplesto marry?" they will divide pretty evenly. If you ask, "Do you want to undoall these couples' marriages?" they will tend to answer no.
- It was front page of the New York Times and on television news broadcastseverywhere, so New York Governor David Paterson's directive that stateagencies prepare to recognize same-sex marriages from other states must havebeen something big and new, right? No. And yes. What Paterson did, say gaylegal activists, is declare that his administration would follow and enforcea law that already exists in the state and has for a long time. That lawsays that the state will recognize marriages licensed in other states, evenif those marriages wouldn't be licensed in New York.
Legally, Paterson changed nothing.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Lithuanian MPs attempt to exclude gays from legal protection
Members of Parliament in Lithuania have removed age, disability, and sexualorientation protections from a new draft law on equal opportunities.
-TiVo in hot water over links to homophobes
One of America's coolest brands risks alienating the gay community after itslinks with an organisation that fights against equality were questioned.
-Amnesty condemns arrests of Uganda AIDS conference protesters
A leading human rights group has said it is concerned for the welfare ofthree gay protesters who forced their way into an international conferenceabout HIV/AIDS prevention in Uganda organised by the UN.
-Sober gays will gather at EuroPride
Special events for the thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans men and
women in Europe who are in recovery from alcoholism will be held alongsidethis year's EuroPride.
-McCain campaign tries to woo Clinton supporters
Even as Hillary Clinton prepares to endorse Barack Obama on Saturday, theRepublican National Committee is throwing open its doors to her supporters.
-Gay youth to picnic in Soho Square
London's largest gathering of LGBT youth will take place in the centre ofthe city later this month. They will gather in Soho Square on Friday 20thJune for the 'OutZone Summer Picnic'.
-London team prepares for rugby's Bingham Cup
Gay rugby club the Kings Cross Steelers is off to Dublin for the Bingham Cupon Sunday and players are looking forward to a good luck send off at the TwoBrewers on Clapham High Street.
-Michelle Obama "whitey" tape fails to materialise
There is little proof behind the widely reported story that a major newsnetwork is in possession of video featuring Michelle Obama, wife ofpresidential hopeful Barack Obama, railing against white people.
-Homophobic governments block gays from UN AIDS conference
Lesbian and gay and sexual health groups from Jamaica, Zimbabwe and Egypthave been excluded from a major international conference on HIV/AIDSorganised by the United Nations General Assembly.
-New caucus in US Congress will campaign for LGBT rights
A cross-party group of US Congressmen and women have formed a new campaignto push for greater rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Americans.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/
Go to the above link for the following articles:
-Interview: New Hampshire's 'Turbulent Priest' and the Fight for GayAcceptance
Controversy and Bishop Gene Robinson go hand in hand. Ever since hiselection as the first openly gay bishop in the American Anglican Church, hehas rarely been out of the headlines. Splits and schisms over the positionof homosexual men and women in the Church have been a staple feature ofreporting on religious affairs since his inauguration in 2003.
Traditionalists decry him as a snake, a man determined to divide thefaithful with his selfish insistence on taking senior office in the Church.
To others, especially gay clergy and laymen and women, he is a hero, a manunafraid to be Anglican, gay and proud and to lead his diocese.
-CA: Leno Defeats Migden for Senate Nod
Gay California Assemblyman Mark Leno has won the Democratic primary tobecome the party's nominee for a San Francisco-area Senate seat, defeatinglesbian incumbent Carole Migden. The Third District, which includes theeastern neighborhoods of the city, all Marin County and part of SonomaCounty, is heavily Democratic, so the November election is largely aforegone conclusion. Leno also defeated former Assemblyman Joe Nation. "It'svery thrilling," Leno told the Bay Area Reporter. "It's really a night of elation."
Migden was hurt by accusations of campaign finance violations last year. Thescandal resulted in her being fined a record $350,000 for her financialindiscretions, which included using surplus funds for personal use,
according to the Reporter.
-MA: Transgender Youth Summit Coming to Cambridge
The Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and the BostonAlliance of LGBT Youth (BAGLY) have teamed up to present the TransgenderYouth Summit, a daylong confab that aims to empower trans youth, create ayouth leadership network, and promote political and civic activism. The freeevent is open to people under age 24 who identify as trans or could fallunder the transgender umbrella. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at theDemocracy Center in Cambridge on June 28.
-The Gay Marriage Race: Which State Will Be Next?
Whither California, the nation? That's the question LGBT activists andjust-plain folks across the country are asking. Will legalizing marriage inthe California Republic set off a wave of such actions across the country?
Judging from what happened in New York, it may already have. EDGE analyzesthe move toward (and away from) gay marriage state by state and handicapsthe race to be next in line to the altar.
-Catholic Group Urges America to Resist Homosexual 'Marriage'
HANOVER, Penn., June 5 /Christian Newswire/ - Reacting to California'sSupreme Court ruling in favor of homosexual "marriage," the American Societyfor the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) published a two-pagead today, which appeared simultaneously in The New York Times, The LosAngeles Times, and The Washington Times. The American TFP's statement iscalled Battling for America's Soul: How Homosexual "Marriage" Threatens OurNation and Faith-the TFP Urges Lawful and Conscientious Resistance."Mainstream America is understandably upset about same-sex 'marriage,'" said TFPdirector Preston Noell. It is a grave offense against God and undermines2,000 years of Christian morality. Same-sex 'marriage' threatens the socialstability of our nation and future," he added. In fact, after New YorkGovernor David Patterson ordered legal recognition for same-sex "marriages"contracted out of state, the controversy has only intensified.
-A Servicewoman Prevails in Her Bid to Reinstate Her ConstitutionalChallenge to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy
The blockbuster decision by the California Supreme Court to recognize gay
marriage may have dominated the headlines, but it was not the only major gayrights judicial victory to emerge from the West Coast last month. In aless-noticed but also significant ruling in Witt v. Secretary of the AirForce, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit breathed life into animportant constitutional challenge brought by a servicewoman to the military's so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The court held that the policydiscriminates against gay and lesbian relationships in a way that requires asubstantial government justification.
-Does the Constitution Permit Government to Favor Religion over Nonreligion?Justice Scalia Says Yes
Speaking over the past weekend at the annual dinner of an Orthodox Jewishgroup, Agudath Israel of America, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scaliaclaimed that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment should not beconstrued to forbid government from favoring "religion over nonreligion."
Justice Scalia has made this point before, both on and off the bench, and hemay be correct when he says, as he did before Agudath Israel, that such aprohibition "does not . . . represent the American tradition," but only ifone excludes from that tradition the last forty years of Supreme Courtjurisprudence. The proposition that government may not favor religion overnonreligion does, however, represent the current doctrine of the SupremeCourt, albeit with a few exceptions. And of course, Justice Scaliaacknowledges as much. He offers his view as a challenge to the modern caselaw-not a characterization of it.
-Letter Sent to Tivo about "SuperDad Essay Contest" from Family EqualityCouncil Director
Dear Owners and Administrators of TiVo, Inc.:
My name is Jennifer Chrisler. I am the Executive Director of Family EqualityCouncil, the national organization working to ensure equality for lesbian,gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) families by building community,changing hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families.
On behalf of LGBT families everywhere, I am incredibly disappointed to seethat TiVo, a national corporation providing entertainment services tomillions of families in this country, has decided to sponsor and endorse the"I Know a SuperDad Essay Contest" with Focus on the Family.
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HeartStrong
The work never ends! As is typical for this time of year, many studentsfrom both religious and public schools are facing the prospect of beenrolled into a religious college or university in just a couple months.
Without fail, HeartStrong always receives requests from students who aredesperately trying to change their parent's minds about enrolling them intoa religious college. While HeartStrong cannot change the parent's minds whenthey have religious or conformist reasons for sending their kids toreligious colleges and universities, HeartStrong is able to provide supportand information that would not be part of the student's general knowledge.
We are also busy working on our summer outreach and educational programs.
In July we will spend two weeks in MN, IL and WI. In August we will spendtwo weeks in CO. We are excited to be revisiting these states. If youare interested in attending an educational forum in these states pleasecheck out our forum schedule on our website. If your group would like tohost an educational forum, please contact HeartStrong at
heartstrong@heartstrong.org
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Turkey's Latest Anti-Gay Surge By: DOUG IRELAND
In the latest in a series of legal attacks on LGBT organizations and publications in Turkey, on May 29 a court in Istanbul, the nation's largest city, ordered the dissolution of Lambda Istanbul. Founded in 1993, the groupis Turkey's oldest LGBT organization, and has organized Gay Pride marches in that city every year since 2003. The organization has been under attack from Istanbul's governor, Muammer Güler, since 2007, when his office brought a legal action to close the organization, claiming that Lambda violates both the Penal Code, as an association in violation of "law and morals," and Article 41 of the Turkish Constitution, which is concerned with "the peace and welfare of the family."
http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19750019&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=569346&rfi=6
-Gay soldier's fate grips Brazil
Brazilian military police have arrested an army sergeant who revealed thathe was gay in an interview with a national news magazine at the weekend.
The ministry of defence says the sergeant is to be questioned about allegeddesertion from the military and there is no question of discrimination.
-Colombia: Student who was kicked out of high school for being a lesbianspeaks up against discrimination
Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M14IfwIjrIw
-Bahamas: Gay community fears 'trend' of unsolved murders (TheNassau Guardian)
Gay community fears 'trend' of unsolved murders
Outraged members of the gay community in New Providence are compiling a list of names of reported homosexual Bahamians whose murders remain unsolved, The Nassau Guardian was told last night. The move is hoped to bring attention to the community's concerns surrounding what appears to be a trend of unsolvedmurders of gays, and follows the murder of Jamaican Marvin Wilson, one of four recent violent murders involving men who were reportedly homosexual. It also comes amid growing fears that the deaths may be connected. "I have been pproached by members of the community offering their assistance," said ErinGreene, a spokesperson for the country's gay advocacy group Rainbow Alliance of The Bahamas. "[In addition to the list] some members are also working with a regional group known as CARIFLAG (Caribbean Forum of Lesbians, AU-Sexuals and Gays) that has an ongoing project to archive within communities the murders of gay citizens and those unsolved murders." While the killings have sparked a level of concern in the local gay community, well-placed sources have told The Guardian that most members of that community do not feel the murders are random.
http://www.thenassauguardian.net/national_local/344321161854604.php
-Today!
Friday: LGBT conference call for Obama
After aggressive contests in all 50 states, the Democratic Primary has cometo an end. If we are to elect Barack Obama president in November, as acommunity, it's important that we come together. With theunified and enthusiastic support of LGBT Americans, our chance of success ismuch greater. That's why we need your help to take the next step insupporting Barack. Tomorrow, Friday, June 6th, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time,our campaign is hosting a national call for LGBT Americans who areinterested in helping Barack. On this call, we will give a status report ofour campaign as a whole, discuss LGBT policy, provide suggestions for howyou can be involved and answer questions and hear your concerns.
National LGBT Conference Call
Friday, June 6th, 2008
6:00 p.m. EDT
RSVP for the conference call:
http://pride.barackobama.com/LGBTcall
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NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 06, 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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Local10.com
http://www.local10.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Protest Held Outside McCain Fundraiser
McCain Attends Fundraiser At St. Regis Fort Lauderdale Resort While presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain prepared to attend a fundraiser at the St. Regis Fort Lauderdale Resort, a small group of labor union members gathered outside to protest his proposed health care plan.
http://www.local10.com/politics/16513525/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000306062008&ts=H
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Calif. clerks may issue same - sex licenses sooner
California officials say counties may begin issuing gender-neutral marriagelicenses the minute after a state Supreme Court order legalizing same-sexmarriage takes effect.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Gay-Marriage.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
-Adviser Says McCain Backs Bush Wiretaps
The position appears to bring Senator John McCain into closer alignment withthe sweeping theories of executive power pushed by the Bush administration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/politics/06mccain.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Clinton Meets With Obama, and the Rest Is Secret
Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton pulled off a secret rendezvousThursday night, eluding camera crews and setting off a political scavengerhunt.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/politics/07meet.html?hp
-Bush Overstated Evidence on Iraq, Senators Report
The report accuses President Bush and other top officials of overstating theIraqi threat in building the case for war.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06intel.html?hp
-The Truth About the War
A new report shows clearly that President Bush should have known thatimportant claims he made about Iraq did not conform with intelligencereports.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/opinion/06fri1.html?ref=opinion
-Combating Illegal Guns
The success of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign against illegal guns inNew York City provides a model for other jurisdictions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/opinion/06fri3.html?ref=opinion
-2 Leaders Ousted From Air Force in Atomic Errors
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made the decision after an inquiry intothe mishandling of nuclear weapons found systemic problems in the Air Force.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/washington/06military.html?hp
-Zimbabwe Said to Hold Tsvangirai
HARARE - Zimbabwean police on Friday detained opposition leader MorganTsvangirai for the second time this week after blocking him from reaching acampaign rally for the June 27 presidential run-off vote, his MDC partysaid. "(Party) president Tsvangirai and other MDC leaders were detainedagain in Umzingwane. They are being taken to Esigodini police station," saidNelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-zimbabwe-election-tsvangirai.html?hp
-Justice Dept. Investigating Deportation to Syria
The Justice Department's ethics office is reviewing a decision in 2002 bydepartment officials to send a Canadian citizen to Syria, where he wastortured, American officials said Thursday. A Justice Department spokesman,Peter A. Carr, said that its inquiry, by the department's Office ofProfessional Responsibility, was begun in March 2007 and was examining therole of department lawyers in expelling Maher Arar to Syria, which has longbeen identified by the State Department as habitually using torture onprisoners. The existence of the Justice inquiry was disclosed at aCongressional hearing on Thursday by Richard L. Skinner, the inspectorgeneral of the Department of Homeland Security.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06arar.html
-Pakistan Tries to Assure Afghans Over Taliban Talks
Pakistan's foreign minister sought on Friday to allay Afghanistan's concernsthat peace talks with Pakistani Taliban would lead to more militant attackson the Afghan side of the border. "We will not engage with terrorists, wewill not compromise with terrorists. And those who would take up arms andguns are neither your friends nor our friends," Foreign Minister ShahMehmood Qureshi told a joint news conference in Kabul.
The United States and NATO commanders share doubts about Pakistan's proposedpeace pact with Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, basedin South Waziristan. NATO says Taliban attacks have jumped up along theborder areas since the start of talks in recent weeks.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-afghan-pakistan.html
-Zimbabwe Tells All Aid Groups to Halt Efforts
Zimbabwe's government has ordered all humanitarian aid groups to suspendtheir operations in the deeply impoverished nation, a prohibition thatrelief agencies estimate will deprive two million people of food aid andother basic assistance. The government had already barred CARE, one of theworld's largest aid groups, from providing humanitarian aid in the country,accusing it of siding with the political opposition before a presidentialrunoff this month. But Nicholas Goche, Zimbabwe's social welfare minister,greatly expanded the ban this week, applying it to all nongovernmentalorganizations working in a country where the economy is in shambles,unemployment has surpassed 80 percent and people are locked in anincreasingly desperate struggle to survive. As news of the government'sdecision leaked out Thursday, the police detained American and Britishdiplomats investigating political violence north of the capital and releasedthem only after a harrowing ordeal that included a six-mile car chase andthreats to burn the diplomats alive in their vehicle, American officialssaid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/africa/06zimbabwe.html
-Turkey's High Court Overturns Headscarf Rule
Turkey's highest court dealt a stinging slap to the governing party of PrimeMinister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, ruling that a legal changeallowing women attending universities to wear head scarves wasunconstitutional. The Constitutional Court said in a brief statement thatthe change, proposed by Mr. Erdogan's party and passed by Parliament inFebruary, violated principles of secularism set in Turkey's Constitution.
The ruling sets the stage for a showdown between Turkey's secular elite -its military, judiciary and secular political party - and Mr. Erdogan, anobservant Muslim with an Islamist past. The court is one of Turkey's mostimportant secular institutions, and liberals see the ruling as largelypolitical. It bodes ominously for Mr. Erdogan: The same court is consideringa case that would ban him and 70 members of his party from politics. Adecision is expected in the summer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/europe/06turkey.html
-Obama Moves to Next Phase as Clinton Douses Talk of Ticket
Senator Barack Obama moved forcefully into the general election on Thursday,placing his stamp on the Democratic Party apparatus and holding a privatenighttime meeting with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in an effort to unifyDemocrats. A day after her campaign said she would end her quest for thepresidential nomination, Mrs. Clinton disavowed an effort by her supportersto pressure Mr. Obama into choosing her as his running mate. She said thatthey were acting on their own and that the decision was "Senator Obama's andhis alone." The meeting between the two former rivals in Washington wasinitiated by Mrs. Clinton after Mr. Obama spent the day in Virginia, a statesymbolic of his efforts to expand the Democratic reach.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/politics/06dems.html
-South Carolina to Offer Cross on Car Plates
South Carolina drivers will be the first in the nation to be offered license plates that carry the phrase "I Believe" and a Christian cross over a stained-glass window under a law that took effect on Thursday. Critics havethreatened to fight the law in court, saying the license plate represents an illegal state endorsement of religion.
The bill authorizing the plate passed the State House and Senate unanimously on May 22. It became law without the signature of Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, under the South Carolina Constitution. "While I do, in fact, 'believe,' it is my personal view that the largest proclamation of one's faith ought to be in how one lives one's life," Mr. Sanford wrote on Thursday in a letter to Glenn F. McConnell, president pro tem of the Senateand a fellow Republican.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/06license.html
-Unemployment Rate Hits 5.5%; Payrolls Shrink for Fifth Month
Employers shed 49,000 nonfarm jobs last month, and the jobless rate'ssurprising half-point surge signaled continuing weakness in the economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/business/07jobs.html?hp
=
Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The 'Word' Is Out: It's Bad.
Science is not on my side (yet), but I insist there is some congenitaldefect in gays that prevents them from writing, directing and acting inhalfway decent movies about their own kind. I say this after years oftolerant, patient attendance at substandard gay-themed comedies and dramas.
As a result, there are no more chilling words than "gay film festival ."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060501026.html
-Africa's Messiah of Horror
A friend, the head of a major aid organization, tells how his workers ineastern Congo a few years ago chanced upon a group of shell-shocked womenand children in the bush. A militia had kidnapped a number of families andforced the women to kill their husbands with machetes, under the threat thattheir sons and daughters would be murdered if they refused. Afterward thewomen were raped by more than 100 soldiers; the children were spectators attheir own private genocide. This is ultimately the work and trademark of asingle man: Joseph Kony, the most carnivorous killer since Idi Amin. As themilitary and spiritual leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Kony is acombination of serial murderer and cult leader. He raises armies of capturedboys, who are often forced to kill their neighbors and engage in cannibalismto sever all their ties of community and conscience. Girls are kidnappedinto sexual and domestic slavery. Kony has a messiah complex -- all mustprostrate themselves in his presence -- but he is a messiah in reverse, whosheds his humanity instead of assuming it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503430.html
-What He Overcame By Eugene Robinson
There will be plenty of time to chart Barack Obama's attempt to navigate acourse between the exigencies of the old politics and the promise of thenew, between yesterday and tomorrow, youth and experience, black and white.
For now, take a moment to consider the mind-bending improbability of whatjust happened. A young, black, first-term senator -- a man whose father wasfrom Kenya, whose mother was from Kansas and whose name sounds as if itmight have come from the roster of Guantanamo detainees -- has won amarathon of primaries and caucuses to become the presumptive presidentialnominee of the Democratic Party. To reach this point, he had to do more thanoutduel the party's most powerful and resourceful political machine. He alsohad to defy, and ultimately defeat, 389 years of history.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503433.html
-Pakistan's Worrisome Pullback
KABUL -- Relations between the U.S. military and the Pakistani army,critical allies in the "war on terror," are at their worst point since Sept.11, 2001, senior Western military officers and diplomats here say, asPakistani troops withdraw from several tribal areas bordering Afghanistanthat are home to Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders and thousands of theirfighters. Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, chief of the Pakistani army, has told U.S.military and NATO officials that he will not retrain or reequip troops tofight the counterinsurgency war the Americans are demanding on Pakistan'smountainous western border. Instead, the bulk of the army will remaindeployed on Pakistan's eastern border and prepare for possible conflictswith traditional enemy India -- wars that have always been fought on theplains of Punjab. More than 80 percent of the $10 billion in U.S. aid toPakistan since the Sept. 11 attacks has gone to the military; much of it hasbeen used to buy expensive weapons systems for the Indian front rather thanthe smaller items needed for counterinsurgency. There are also signs thatWashington is delaying delivery of U.S. arms meant for the eastern front andis asking Western allies to do the same.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503431.html
-16 Tibet Monks Detained In Bombings, Beijing Says
Security forces in Tibet have arrested 16 Buddhist monks on charges ofplanning or carrying out separatist bombings that authorities said wereinspired by propaganda from the Dalai Lama, the New China News Agencyreported Thursday. The arrests, which the official agency said took place inMay, refocused attention on Tibet after nearly a month during which thedevastating earthquake in Sichuan province has dominated news from China andeclipsed a still-intense security crackdown in the restive mountain region.
Since rioting March 14 in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, security forces havearrested scores of Tibetans, many of them monks, and sentenced them toprison on charges including arson, murder and inciting subversion againstthe state. In addition, thousands of monks have been forced to undergo whatauthorities call "patriotic education," designed to inspire loyalty toBeijing's rule and discourage support for the Dalai Lama and his exile groupin India.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060501005.html
=
The Sun-Sentinel
www.sun-sentinel.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-9/11 suspects defiant before Guantanamo tribunal
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and others say they want the death penalty in order to become martyrs, and they reject U.S. defense lawyers. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and others say they want the death penalty in orderto become martyrs, and they reject U.S. defense lawyers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/la-na-gitmo6-2008jun06,0,5129255.story
-Gates ousts Air Force leaders in historic shake-up
Defense Secretary Robert Gates ousted the Air Force's top military and civilian leaders Thursday, holding them to account in a historic Pentagon shake-up after embarrassing nuclear mix-ups. Gates announced at a news conference that he had accepted the resignations of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne -- a highly unusual double firing.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_top11jun05,0,602776.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Clinton acting not too vice-presidential
Hillary Clinton talked her way out of the vice presidency on Tuesday night.
Barack Obama may never have intended to make her the offer. But Clinton'slargely self-focused nonconcession speech suggested that what some call adream ticket could turn into a nightmare. Clinton did declare it an''honor'' to have Obama as an opponent and ''to call him my friend,'' butshe made no acknowledgement of the historic nature of her opponent'sachievement. Democrats, once the party most associated with slavery andsegregation, had just taken the decisive step of making Obama the firstAfrican American to be a major-party nominee for president. But Obama wasnot really on Clinton's radar. By contrast, Obama offered a lengthy tributeto Clinton and ''her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency.'' Hepraised Bill Clinton's successes in office. And in a graceful notehighlighting one of Hillary Clinton's many honorable passions, he declaredthat when universal healthcare is achieved, ``she will be central to thatvictory.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/560152.html
-Mexico asks World Court to stay US executions
Mexico appealed to the U.N.'s highest court Thursday to block the executionsof Mexicans in the United States, arguing that U.S. officials have failed tocomply with a judgment ordering a review of their trials. The InternationalCourt of Justice said Mexico asked the court for an ''interpretation'' of anearlier ruling to clarify its meaning when it asked the U.S. to ''review andreconsider'' the cases of the condemned prisoners. Until that can be done,Mexico said the United States ''must take any and all steps necessary'' toensure that none of its citizens is executed, and asked the court to takeurgent measures to intercede. The court, informally known as the WorldCourt, ruled in 2004 that the convictions of some 50 Mexicans on death rowaround the United States violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which providesthat people arrested abroad can have access to their home country's consularofficials.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/559755.html
=
Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Hispanic Unemployment Rises Sharply
The latest economic slowdown has had a disproportionate impact on Latinoworkers. From a historic low in late 2006, the unemployment rate for Latinosrose sharply in 2007 and currently stands well above the rate fornon-Latinos. Read more
-Primary Wrap-Up: Obama Controversies Registered Widely
Of nearly 40 campaign events that have been measured, Obama's relationshipwith his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright remains the most widely heardabout campaign story. A News Interest Index report finds that Obama hasclearly been the dominant figure in the campaign thus far, both in terms ofpress coverage and public visibility. Read more
-Obama Backers Cool to Clinton as Running Mate
While a majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters (53%) favor aso-called "Dream Ticket," fully 54% of Obama supporters do not want Clintonchosen as his running mate. Read more
-Democratic Party's Favorables Rise; GOP and Congress Still Unpopular
While opinion of the Republican Party (39% favorable) remains at a historiclow, favorable views of the Democratic Party have risen to 57%. Attitudestoward the Democratic-led Congress, however, remain very negative. Read moreIraq and the Election
-The Iraq Challenge
The war is no longer the top priority among voters, having been displaced bysoaring concerns about the economy, and how it will figure as an issue inthe coming election is complicated by ambivalent and contradictory publicopinions. Read more
-Media Pivot to November, Iraq Debate
Campaign coverage about the developing general election between John McCainand Barack Obama brought the Iraq war back onto center stage. Read moreScience and Faith
-Brain Science's Picture of Religion
Recent advances in neuroscience are offering researchers a look into thephysiology of religious belief. In a transcript from a Pew Forum event,University of Pennsylvania radiologist, Dr. Andrew Newberg, discusses howmeasurable brain activity matches up with the religious experiencesdescribed by worshippers. Read more
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Major Clinton Backers Rally Around Obama
Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday disavowed efforts by some supporters whohave urged Barack Obama to choose her as his running mate. The push-backcame a day after the former first lady said she would end her quest for theDemocratic nomination and endorse the Illinois senator.
"She is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her,"communications director Howard Wolfson said. "The choice here is SenatorObama's and his alone."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/05/major-clinton-backers-ral_n_105494.html
-McCain says he won't run from Bush in campaign
Republican John McCain said he won't try to "separate" himself from aweakened President Bush or his unpopular handling of the war in Iraq to tryto win the general election against Barack Obama, who has made opposition tothe war a focus of the Democratic campaign.
During an interview Thursday with USA TODAY, McCain also made it clear thathe would emphasize his steadiness and experience - particularly on nationalsecurity issues - to counter the vibrancy and oratory skills that have madeObama a sensation on the campaign trail.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-05-mccain_N.htm?csp=34
-Obama reaching out to the white working class
As he begins the general election contest for the White House, DemocratBarack Obama is targeting the voters he had the hardest time winning in theprimaries: those who are white and working class.
The Illinois senator told USA TODAY Thursday that his appearance here in asmall town on the Virginia-Tennessee border represented the first stop in a2½-week tour about economic issues. The trip will also take him to severalstates won by his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, during the Democraticprimaries, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-05-Obama_N.htm?csp=34
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Local10.com
http://www.local10.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Protest Held Outside McCain Fundraiser
McCain Attends Fundraiser At St. Regis Fort Lauderdale Resort While presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain prepared to attend a fundraiser at the St. Regis Fort Lauderdale Resort, a small group of labor union members gathered outside to protest his proposed health care plan.
http://www.local10.com/politics/16513525/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000306062008&ts=H
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Calif. clerks may issue same - sex licenses sooner
California officials say counties may begin issuing gender-neutral marriagelicenses the minute after a state Supreme Court order legalizing same-sexmarriage takes effect.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Gay-Marriage.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
-Adviser Says McCain Backs Bush Wiretaps
The position appears to bring Senator John McCain into closer alignment withthe sweeping theories of executive power pushed by the Bush administration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/politics/06mccain.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Clinton Meets With Obama, and the Rest Is Secret
Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton pulled off a secret rendezvousThursday night, eluding camera crews and setting off a political scavengerhunt.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/us/politics/07meet.html?hp
-Bush Overstated Evidence on Iraq, Senators Report
The report accuses President Bush and other top officials of overstating theIraqi threat in building the case for war.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06intel.html?hp
-The Truth About the War
A new report shows clearly that President Bush should have known thatimportant claims he made about Iraq did not conform with intelligencereports.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/opinion/06fri1.html?ref=opinion
-Combating Illegal Guns
The success of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign against illegal guns inNew York City provides a model for other jurisdictions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/opinion/06fri3.html?ref=opinion
-2 Leaders Ousted From Air Force in Atomic Errors
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made the decision after an inquiry intothe mishandling of nuclear weapons found systemic problems in the Air Force.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/washington/06military.html?hp
-Zimbabwe Said to Hold Tsvangirai
HARARE - Zimbabwean police on Friday detained opposition leader MorganTsvangirai for the second time this week after blocking him from reaching acampaign rally for the June 27 presidential run-off vote, his MDC partysaid. "(Party) president Tsvangirai and other MDC leaders were detainedagain in Umzingwane. They are being taken to Esigodini police station," saidNelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-zimbabwe-election-tsvangirai.html?hp
-Justice Dept. Investigating Deportation to Syria
The Justice Department's ethics office is reviewing a decision in 2002 bydepartment officials to send a Canadian citizen to Syria, where he wastortured, American officials said Thursday. A Justice Department spokesman,Peter A. Carr, said that its inquiry, by the department's Office ofProfessional Responsibility, was begun in March 2007 and was examining therole of department lawyers in expelling Maher Arar to Syria, which has longbeen identified by the State Department as habitually using torture onprisoners. The existence of the Justice inquiry was disclosed at aCongressional hearing on Thursday by Richard L. Skinner, the inspectorgeneral of the Department of Homeland Security.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/middleeast/06arar.html
-Pakistan Tries to Assure Afghans Over Taliban Talks
Pakistan's foreign minister sought on Friday to allay Afghanistan's concernsthat peace talks with Pakistani Taliban would lead to more militant attackson the Afghan side of the border. "We will not engage with terrorists, wewill not compromise with terrorists. And those who would take up arms andguns are neither your friends nor our friends," Foreign Minister ShahMehmood Qureshi told a joint news conference in Kabul.
The United States and NATO commanders share doubts about Pakistan's proposedpeace pact with Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, basedin South Waziristan. NATO says Taliban attacks have jumped up along theborder areas since the start of talks in recent weeks.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-afghan-pakistan.html
-Zimbabwe Tells All Aid Groups to Halt Efforts
Zimbabwe's government has ordered all humanitarian aid groups to suspendtheir operations in the deeply impoverished nation, a prohibition thatrelief agencies estimate will deprive two million people of food aid andother basic assistance. The government had already barred CARE, one of theworld's largest aid groups, from providing humanitarian aid in the country,accusing it of siding with the political opposition before a presidentialrunoff this month. But Nicholas Goche, Zimbabwe's social welfare minister,greatly expanded the ban this week, applying it to all nongovernmentalorganizations working in a country where the economy is in shambles,unemployment has surpassed 80 percent and people are locked in anincreasingly desperate struggle to survive. As news of the government'sdecision leaked out Thursday, the police detained American and Britishdiplomats investigating political violence north of the capital and releasedthem only after a harrowing ordeal that included a six-mile car chase andthreats to burn the diplomats alive in their vehicle, American officialssaid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/africa/06zimbabwe.html
-Turkey's High Court Overturns Headscarf Rule
Turkey's highest court dealt a stinging slap to the governing party of PrimeMinister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, ruling that a legal changeallowing women attending universities to wear head scarves wasunconstitutional. The Constitutional Court said in a brief statement thatthe change, proposed by Mr. Erdogan's party and passed by Parliament inFebruary, violated principles of secularism set in Turkey's Constitution.
The ruling sets the stage for a showdown between Turkey's secular elite -its military, judiciary and secular political party - and Mr. Erdogan, anobservant Muslim with an Islamist past. The court is one of Turkey's mostimportant secular institutions, and liberals see the ruling as largelypolitical. It bodes ominously for Mr. Erdogan: The same court is consideringa case that would ban him and 70 members of his party from politics. Adecision is expected in the summer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/europe/06turkey.html
-Obama Moves to Next Phase as Clinton Douses Talk of Ticket
Senator Barack Obama moved forcefully into the general election on Thursday,placing his stamp on the Democratic Party apparatus and holding a privatenighttime meeting with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in an effort to unifyDemocrats. A day after her campaign said she would end her quest for thepresidential nomination, Mrs. Clinton disavowed an effort by her supportersto pressure Mr. Obama into choosing her as his running mate. She said thatthey were acting on their own and that the decision was "Senator Obama's andhis alone." The meeting between the two former rivals in Washington wasinitiated by Mrs. Clinton after Mr. Obama spent the day in Virginia, a statesymbolic of his efforts to expand the Democratic reach.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/politics/06dems.html
-South Carolina to Offer Cross on Car Plates
South Carolina drivers will be the first in the nation to be offered license plates that carry the phrase "I Believe" and a Christian cross over a stained-glass window under a law that took effect on Thursday. Critics havethreatened to fight the law in court, saying the license plate represents an illegal state endorsement of religion.
The bill authorizing the plate passed the State House and Senate unanimously on May 22. It became law without the signature of Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican, under the South Carolina Constitution. "While I do, in fact, 'believe,' it is my personal view that the largest proclamation of one's faith ought to be in how one lives one's life," Mr. Sanford wrote on Thursday in a letter to Glenn F. McConnell, president pro tem of the Senateand a fellow Republican.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/us/06license.html
-Unemployment Rate Hits 5.5%; Payrolls Shrink for Fifth Month
Employers shed 49,000 nonfarm jobs last month, and the jobless rate'ssurprising half-point surge signaled continuing weakness in the economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/07/business/07jobs.html?hp
=
Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The 'Word' Is Out: It's Bad.
Science is not on my side (yet), but I insist there is some congenitaldefect in gays that prevents them from writing, directing and acting inhalfway decent movies about their own kind. I say this after years oftolerant, patient attendance at substandard gay-themed comedies and dramas.
As a result, there are no more chilling words than "gay film festival ."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060501026.html
-Africa's Messiah of Horror
A friend, the head of a major aid organization, tells how his workers ineastern Congo a few years ago chanced upon a group of shell-shocked womenand children in the bush. A militia had kidnapped a number of families andforced the women to kill their husbands with machetes, under the threat thattheir sons and daughters would be murdered if they refused. Afterward thewomen were raped by more than 100 soldiers; the children were spectators attheir own private genocide. This is ultimately the work and trademark of asingle man: Joseph Kony, the most carnivorous killer since Idi Amin. As themilitary and spiritual leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Kony is acombination of serial murderer and cult leader. He raises armies of capturedboys, who are often forced to kill their neighbors and engage in cannibalismto sever all their ties of community and conscience. Girls are kidnappedinto sexual and domestic slavery. Kony has a messiah complex -- all mustprostrate themselves in his presence -- but he is a messiah in reverse, whosheds his humanity instead of assuming it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503430.html
-What He Overcame By Eugene Robinson
There will be plenty of time to chart Barack Obama's attempt to navigate acourse between the exigencies of the old politics and the promise of thenew, between yesterday and tomorrow, youth and experience, black and white.
For now, take a moment to consider the mind-bending improbability of whatjust happened. A young, black, first-term senator -- a man whose father wasfrom Kenya, whose mother was from Kansas and whose name sounds as if itmight have come from the roster of Guantanamo detainees -- has won amarathon of primaries and caucuses to become the presumptive presidentialnominee of the Democratic Party. To reach this point, he had to do more thanoutduel the party's most powerful and resourceful political machine. He alsohad to defy, and ultimately defeat, 389 years of history.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503433.html
-Pakistan's Worrisome Pullback
KABUL -- Relations between the U.S. military and the Pakistani army,critical allies in the "war on terror," are at their worst point since Sept.11, 2001, senior Western military officers and diplomats here say, asPakistani troops withdraw from several tribal areas bordering Afghanistanthat are home to Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders and thousands of theirfighters. Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, chief of the Pakistani army, has told U.S.military and NATO officials that he will not retrain or reequip troops tofight the counterinsurgency war the Americans are demanding on Pakistan'smountainous western border. Instead, the bulk of the army will remaindeployed on Pakistan's eastern border and prepare for possible conflictswith traditional enemy India -- wars that have always been fought on theplains of Punjab. More than 80 percent of the $10 billion in U.S. aid toPakistan since the Sept. 11 attacks has gone to the military; much of it hasbeen used to buy expensive weapons systems for the Indian front rather thanthe smaller items needed for counterinsurgency. There are also signs thatWashington is delaying delivery of U.S. arms meant for the eastern front andis asking Western allies to do the same.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060503431.html
-16 Tibet Monks Detained In Bombings, Beijing Says
Security forces in Tibet have arrested 16 Buddhist monks on charges ofplanning or carrying out separatist bombings that authorities said wereinspired by propaganda from the Dalai Lama, the New China News Agencyreported Thursday. The arrests, which the official agency said took place inMay, refocused attention on Tibet after nearly a month during which thedevastating earthquake in Sichuan province has dominated news from China andeclipsed a still-intense security crackdown in the restive mountain region.
Since rioting March 14 in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, security forces havearrested scores of Tibetans, many of them monks, and sentenced them toprison on charges including arson, murder and inciting subversion againstthe state. In addition, thousands of monks have been forced to undergo whatauthorities call "patriotic education," designed to inspire loyalty toBeijing's rule and discourage support for the Dalai Lama and his exile groupin India.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060501005.html
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The Sun-Sentinel
www.sun-sentinel.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-9/11 suspects defiant before Guantanamo tribunal
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and others say they want the death penalty in order to become martyrs, and they reject U.S. defense lawyers. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and others say they want the death penalty in orderto become martyrs, and they reject U.S. defense lawyers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/la-na-gitmo6-2008jun06,0,5129255.story
-Gates ousts Air Force leaders in historic shake-up
Defense Secretary Robert Gates ousted the Air Force's top military and civilian leaders Thursday, holding them to account in a historic Pentagon shake-up after embarrassing nuclear mix-ups. Gates announced at a news conference that he had accepted the resignations of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne -- a highly unusual double firing.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_top11jun05,0,602776.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Clinton acting not too vice-presidential
Hillary Clinton talked her way out of the vice presidency on Tuesday night.
Barack Obama may never have intended to make her the offer. But Clinton'slargely self-focused nonconcession speech suggested that what some call adream ticket could turn into a nightmare. Clinton did declare it an''honor'' to have Obama as an opponent and ''to call him my friend,'' butshe made no acknowledgement of the historic nature of her opponent'sachievement. Democrats, once the party most associated with slavery andsegregation, had just taken the decisive step of making Obama the firstAfrican American to be a major-party nominee for president. But Obama wasnot really on Clinton's radar. By contrast, Obama offered a lengthy tributeto Clinton and ''her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency.'' Hepraised Bill Clinton's successes in office. And in a graceful notehighlighting one of Hillary Clinton's many honorable passions, he declaredthat when universal healthcare is achieved, ``she will be central to thatvictory.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/560152.html
-Mexico asks World Court to stay US executions
Mexico appealed to the U.N.'s highest court Thursday to block the executionsof Mexicans in the United States, arguing that U.S. officials have failed tocomply with a judgment ordering a review of their trials. The InternationalCourt of Justice said Mexico asked the court for an ''interpretation'' of anearlier ruling to clarify its meaning when it asked the U.S. to ''review andreconsider'' the cases of the condemned prisoners. Until that can be done,Mexico said the United States ''must take any and all steps necessary'' toensure that none of its citizens is executed, and asked the court to takeurgent measures to intercede. The court, informally known as the WorldCourt, ruled in 2004 that the convictions of some 50 Mexicans on death rowaround the United States violated the 1963 Vienna Convention, which providesthat people arrested abroad can have access to their home country's consularofficials.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/559755.html
=
Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Hispanic Unemployment Rises Sharply
The latest economic slowdown has had a disproportionate impact on Latinoworkers. From a historic low in late 2006, the unemployment rate for Latinosrose sharply in 2007 and currently stands well above the rate fornon-Latinos. Read more
-Primary Wrap-Up: Obama Controversies Registered Widely
Of nearly 40 campaign events that have been measured, Obama's relationshipwith his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright remains the most widely heardabout campaign story. A News Interest Index report finds that Obama hasclearly been the dominant figure in the campaign thus far, both in terms ofpress coverage and public visibility. Read more
-Obama Backers Cool to Clinton as Running Mate
While a majority of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters (53%) favor aso-called "Dream Ticket," fully 54% of Obama supporters do not want Clintonchosen as his running mate. Read more
-Democratic Party's Favorables Rise; GOP and Congress Still Unpopular
While opinion of the Republican Party (39% favorable) remains at a historiclow, favorable views of the Democratic Party have risen to 57%. Attitudestoward the Democratic-led Congress, however, remain very negative. Read moreIraq and the Election
-The Iraq Challenge
The war is no longer the top priority among voters, having been displaced bysoaring concerns about the economy, and how it will figure as an issue inthe coming election is complicated by ambivalent and contradictory publicopinions. Read more
-Media Pivot to November, Iraq Debate
Campaign coverage about the developing general election between John McCainand Barack Obama brought the Iraq war back onto center stage. Read moreScience and Faith
-Brain Science's Picture of Religion
Recent advances in neuroscience are offering researchers a look into thephysiology of religious belief. In a transcript from a Pew Forum event,University of Pennsylvania radiologist, Dr. Andrew Newberg, discusses howmeasurable brain activity matches up with the religious experiencesdescribed by worshippers. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Major Clinton Backers Rally Around Obama
Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday disavowed efforts by some supporters whohave urged Barack Obama to choose her as his running mate. The push-backcame a day after the former first lady said she would end her quest for theDemocratic nomination and endorse the Illinois senator.
"She is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her,"communications director Howard Wolfson said. "The choice here is SenatorObama's and his alone."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/05/major-clinton-backers-ral_n_105494.html
-McCain says he won't run from Bush in campaign
Republican John McCain said he won't try to "separate" himself from aweakened President Bush or his unpopular handling of the war in Iraq to tryto win the general election against Barack Obama, who has made opposition tothe war a focus of the Democratic campaign.
During an interview Thursday with USA TODAY, McCain also made it clear thathe would emphasize his steadiness and experience - particularly on nationalsecurity issues - to counter the vibrancy and oratory skills that have madeObama a sensation on the campaign trail.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-05-mccain_N.htm?csp=34
-Obama reaching out to the white working class
As he begins the general election contest for the White House, DemocratBarack Obama is targeting the voters he had the hardest time winning in theprimaries: those who are white and working class.
The Illinois senator told USA TODAY Thursday that his appearance here in asmall town on the Virginia-Tennessee border represented the first stop in a2½-week tour about economic issues. The trip will also take him to severalstates won by his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, during the Democraticprimaries, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-06-05-Obama_N.htm?csp=34
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST June 06, 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.
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Arsenic mixing with water supply could stall Everglades restoration
Concerns about arsenic mixing with water supplies threaten to further delay
Everglades restoration, water managers said Thursday. Pumping water deep into the ground and storing it there is a key part of themulti-billion-dollar project agreed to in 2000 to restore flows to the Everglades and protect South Florida's water supply.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpeverglades0606sbjun06,0,3933666.story
-Medical supply companies protest rule changes
They say firms from elsewhere can't do the job
Companies that sell medical equipment in South Florida on Wednesday protested a controversial federal program that changes how much Medicare patients pay for the equipment and which companies can supply it.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flzprotest0605sbjun05,0,828260.story
-Slump in home prices fuels record foreclosure rates
Home foreclosures and late payments nationwide set records over the firstthree months of the year and are expected to keep rising, stark signs of thehousing crisis' mounting damage to homeowners and the economy.
And South Florida is no exception as many residents stretched to buy homesthey couldn't afford as housing prices soared from 2000 to 2005.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzforeclosures0606sbjun06,0,1387009.story
-Broward schools chief: FPL rate hike will hurt education
State leaders should step in so cash-strapped school districts don't paymillions in higher rates to Florida Power & Light Co. to offset the powercompany's increased fuel costs, Broward Schools Superintendent James Nottersaid Thursday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbnotter0606sbjun06,0,1837625.story
-More people are leaving Broward, but is that all bad?
Lighter traffic. Shorter checkout lines. Fewer students in class and lessstrain on natural resources. Is it such a bad thing that Broward County lostpopulation between 2006 and 2007? According to census estimates released inMarch, Broward's population stands at 1.76 million ... a drop of 13,154.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbpop0606sbjun06,0,4823551.story
-Jury selection begins in homeless beating trial
The sensational case of two Broward men accused of beating a homeless man todeath with a baseball bat drew an unusual crowd of nearly 200 prospectivejurors to Broward Circuit Court on Thursday. The group was whittled as ajudge and lawyers try to find 12 jurors, plus at least three alternates,untainted by extensive media coverage and able to spend an estimated sixweeks listening to the details and rendering a verdict. The Jan. 12, 2006,attacks on three homeless men, two of whom survived, became national newsafter police released video-surveillance footage showing the beating ofJacques Pierre at a Florida Atlantic University building on Las OlasBoulevard. The tape shows Pierre, then 58, scrambling on the ground as hetries to fend off the blows of two smiling, baseball-bat-wielding teens.
Pierre survived.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhomelessbeating0606sbjun06,0,965031.story
-Hispanic workers have high death rate, especially in construction industry
Hispanic workers die at higher rates than other laborers, with 1 in 3 deaths
occurring in the construction industry, a government study reportedThursday. Hispanics tend to hold more high-risk jobs than those in otherracial groups, but language and literacy barriers and poor training andsupervision also may be factors, researchers said. The leading causes ofdeath in recent years have been falls and highway-related accidents. Thestudy was done by health researchers in Massachusetts, Michigan and NewJersey and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's beingpublished this week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flanatdig06061sbjun06,0,6652792.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain defends position on Florida measures
Republican John McCain is getting criticism for opposing two issuesimportant to Florida: an Everglades restoration measure and a nationalhurricane insurance fund.
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/559704.html
-Schools cut most optional summer-school programs
Hundreds of thousands of South Florida school children ended another schoolyear Thursday. For most, school doors won't reopen again until late August.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/560079.html
-Foreclosures surge in Florida
Rapidly declining property values touched off a new wave of home-loandelinquencies in Florida during the first three months of the year andpushed 77,000 homeowners into foreclosure, a signal that turmoil in thehousing market is far from over. The state ranked second in the country infailing loans, according to a report released Thursday by the MortgageBankers Association. California led the nation with 109,000 foreclosures.
The states with the next highest numbers -- Texas, Michigan and Ohio -- sawno more than 24,000 foreclosures during the same period. ''The problems inCalifornia and Florida are extraordinary,'' said Jay Brinkmann, vicepresident for research and economics with the MBA. ``They are the maindrivers of the national trend.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/560123.html
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Disbarment Likely for Jack Thompson
The Florida Bar asked for an "enhanced disbarment" in the disciplinaryhearing of Jack Thompson, held earlier this afternoon. The recommendationmeans Thompson would be disbarred and prohibited from applying to practicelaw again for ten years, according to 11th Judicial Circuit of Floridaspokesperson Eunice Sigler. Thompson's disciplinary hearing apparently endedin the attorney walking out of the courtroom after saying the judge did nothave the authority to hear his case, a reader who sat in on the hearing toldus.
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain's got explaining to do in Florida
As Sen. John McCain traveled the state this week urging Floridians to choose him for president, he found himself explaining his opposition to some Florida-friendly policies. The Arizona Republican opposes the creation of a
national catastrophe fund to spread Florida's storm insurance costs to other states.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080606/NEWS/806060501/1018/news02
-Crist quiet on global-warming bill
When the going got tough on a new global-warming bill on Washington'sCapitol Hill, self-fashioned global-warming fighter Charlie Crist got goingto Atlanta, to Sedona, Ariz., to New York and to Fort Lauderdale instead forevents that were more about hobnobbing and politics than policy.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/559874.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Arsenic mixing with water supply could stall Everglades restoration
Concerns about arsenic mixing with water supplies threaten to further delay
Everglades restoration, water managers said Thursday. Pumping water deep into the ground and storing it there is a key part of themulti-billion-dollar project agreed to in 2000 to restore flows to the Everglades and protect South Florida's water supply.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpeverglades0606sbjun06,0,3933666.story
-Medical supply companies protest rule changes
They say firms from elsewhere can't do the job
Companies that sell medical equipment in South Florida on Wednesday protested a controversial federal program that changes how much Medicare patients pay for the equipment and which companies can supply it.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flzprotest0605sbjun05,0,828260.story
-Slump in home prices fuels record foreclosure rates
Home foreclosures and late payments nationwide set records over the firstthree months of the year and are expected to keep rising, stark signs of thehousing crisis' mounting damage to homeowners and the economy.
And South Florida is no exception as many residents stretched to buy homesthey couldn't afford as housing prices soared from 2000 to 2005.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzforeclosures0606sbjun06,0,1387009.story
-Broward schools chief: FPL rate hike will hurt education
State leaders should step in so cash-strapped school districts don't paymillions in higher rates to Florida Power & Light Co. to offset the powercompany's increased fuel costs, Broward Schools Superintendent James Nottersaid Thursday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbnotter0606sbjun06,0,1837625.story
-More people are leaving Broward, but is that all bad?
Lighter traffic. Shorter checkout lines. Fewer students in class and lessstrain on natural resources. Is it such a bad thing that Broward County lostpopulation between 2006 and 2007? According to census estimates released inMarch, Broward's population stands at 1.76 million ... a drop of 13,154.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbpop0606sbjun06,0,4823551.story
-Jury selection begins in homeless beating trial
The sensational case of two Broward men accused of beating a homeless man todeath with a baseball bat drew an unusual crowd of nearly 200 prospectivejurors to Broward Circuit Court on Thursday. The group was whittled as ajudge and lawyers try to find 12 jurors, plus at least three alternates,untainted by extensive media coverage and able to spend an estimated sixweeks listening to the details and rendering a verdict. The Jan. 12, 2006,attacks on three homeless men, two of whom survived, became national newsafter police released video-surveillance footage showing the beating ofJacques Pierre at a Florida Atlantic University building on Las OlasBoulevard. The tape shows Pierre, then 58, scrambling on the ground as hetries to fend off the blows of two smiling, baseball-bat-wielding teens.
Pierre survived.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhomelessbeating0606sbjun06,0,965031.story
-Hispanic workers have high death rate, especially in construction industry
Hispanic workers die at higher rates than other laborers, with 1 in 3 deaths
occurring in the construction industry, a government study reportedThursday. Hispanics tend to hold more high-risk jobs than those in otherracial groups, but language and literacy barriers and poor training andsupervision also may be factors, researchers said. The leading causes ofdeath in recent years have been falls and highway-related accidents. Thestudy was done by health researchers in Massachusetts, Michigan and NewJersey and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's beingpublished this week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flanatdig06061sbjun06,0,6652792.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain defends position on Florida measures
Republican John McCain is getting criticism for opposing two issuesimportant to Florida: an Everglades restoration measure and a nationalhurricane insurance fund.
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/559704.html
-Schools cut most optional summer-school programs
Hundreds of thousands of South Florida school children ended another schoolyear Thursday. For most, school doors won't reopen again until late August.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/560079.html
-Foreclosures surge in Florida
Rapidly declining property values touched off a new wave of home-loandelinquencies in Florida during the first three months of the year andpushed 77,000 homeowners into foreclosure, a signal that turmoil in thehousing market is far from over. The state ranked second in the country infailing loans, according to a report released Thursday by the MortgageBankers Association. California led the nation with 109,000 foreclosures.
The states with the next highest numbers -- Texas, Michigan and Ohio -- sawno more than 24,000 foreclosures during the same period. ''The problems inCalifornia and Florida are extraordinary,'' said Jay Brinkmann, vicepresident for research and economics with the MBA. ``They are the maindrivers of the national trend.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/560123.html
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Disbarment Likely for Jack Thompson
The Florida Bar asked for an "enhanced disbarment" in the disciplinaryhearing of Jack Thompson, held earlier this afternoon. The recommendationmeans Thompson would be disbarred and prohibited from applying to practicelaw again for ten years, according to 11th Judicial Circuit of Floridaspokesperson Eunice Sigler. Thompson's disciplinary hearing apparently endedin the attorney walking out of the courtroom after saying the judge did nothave the authority to hear his case, a reader who sat in on the hearing toldus.
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain's got explaining to do in Florida
As Sen. John McCain traveled the state this week urging Floridians to choose him for president, he found himself explaining his opposition to some Florida-friendly policies. The Arizona Republican opposes the creation of a
national catastrophe fund to spread Florida's storm insurance costs to other states.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080606/NEWS/806060501/1018/news02
-Crist quiet on global-warming bill
When the going got tough on a new global-warming bill on Washington'sCapitol Hill, self-fashioned global-warming fighter Charlie Crist got goingto Atlanta, to Sedona, Ariz., to New York and to Fort Lauderdale instead forevents that were more about hobnobbing and politics than policy.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/559874.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Thursday, June 05, 2008
GLBT DIGEST June 05, 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:
-Gambia releases Spaniards accused of soliciting sex
BANJUL, Gambia (AP) -- Two Spanish men detained in Gambia for allegedly propositioning taxi drivers for sex have been released after five days in jail, a Spanish official said Wednesday. The men were released late Tuesday and have left the West African country, said Nicola El Busto, an official with Spain's embassy in Gambia. The Spaniards were arrested Friday after taxi drivers reported being solicited by them. Homosexual sex is illegal in Gambia, and those convicted of consensual homosexual acts face up to 14 years in prison. Gambian authorities could not be reached for comment. Last month, Gambia's president ordered gays to leave the country and threatened to ''cut off the head'' of anyone found to be gay. President Yahya Jammeh also threatened to close down hotels that rent rooms to gays.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Gambia-Gay-Arrests.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=GAY&st=nyt&oref=slogin
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Decline in Teen Sex Levels Off, Survey Shows
The nation's campaign to get more teenagers to delay sex and to use condoms is faltering, threatening to undermine the highly successful effort to reduce teen pregnancy and protect young people from sexually transmitted diseases, federal officials reported yesterday. New data from a large government survey show that by every measure, a decade-long decline in sexual activity among high school students leveled off between 2001 and 2007, and that the rise in condom use by teens flattened out in 2003.
Moreover, the survey found disturbing hints that teen sexual activity may have begun creeping up and that condom use among high school students might be edging downward, though those trend lines have not yet reached a point where statisticians can be sure, officials said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/04/AR2008060401735.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Gay couples cheer California high court ruling
SAN FRANCISCO -- Gay and lesbian couples around California are planning their nuptials following a refusal by the state's highest court to delay its decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The California Supreme Court's announcement Wednesday cleared the final hurdle for same-sex couples in the nation's most populous state to wed beginning June 17, when state officials have said counties must start issuing new gender-neutral marriage licenses.
Judy Appel, executive director of Our Family Coalition, a San Francisco-based group that advocates for same-sex couples with children, said she was thrilled by the court's refusal to stay the ruling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060500632.html
-Lesbian kiss at Seattle ballpark stirs up gay-friendly town
SEATTLE -- Most of the time, a kiss is just a kiss in the stands at Seattle Mariners games. The crowd hardly even pays attention when fans smooch. But then last week, a lesbian complained that an usher at Safeco Field asked her to stop kissing her date because it was making another fan uncomfortable.
The incident has exploded on local TV, on talk radio and in the blogosphere and has touched off a debate over public displays of affection in generally gay-friendly Seattle. "Certain individuals have not yet caught up. Those people see a gay or lesbian couple and they stare or say something," said Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington. "This is one of the challenges of being gay. Everyday things can become sources of trauma."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060500884.html
-Hollywood sees cracks in gay "glass closet"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's "glass closet" may not be shattered, but with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and T.R. Knight openly out and shows like "The L Word" proving popular in recent years, insiders say being gay or lesbian is no longer a career breaker for celebrities. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday gave a final approval for gay marriages in the state, clearing the way for talk show host deGeneres and her girlfriend of four years, actress Portia de Rossi, to marry as planned.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060500361.html
-Rosie says she's waiting to remarry Kelli
NEW YORK -- Ellen DeGeneres is doing it. So is George Takei. But Rosie O'Donnell isn't jumping at the chance to walk down the aisle. O'Donnell and her girlfriend, Kelli Carpenter, were married four years ago when the mayor of San Francisco allowed same-sex marriages. The California Supreme Court later declared such marriages invalid. Now the state's highest court has ruled that denying same-sex marriages was discriminatory, and many gay and lesbian couples, including DeGeneres and girlfriend Portia de Rossi and Takei and his partner, Brad Altman, are planning to tie the knot.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060502085.html
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Frank, Baldwin launch LGBT Equality Caucus
Co-chairs joined by 52 colleagues in new congressional effort
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO, Washington Blade | Jun 4, 2:17 PM
The only two openly gay members of Congress announced Wednesday creation of he “LGBT Equality aucus,” comprised of 52 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who’ve taken the lead previously in introducing gay legislation, were joined by 13 of their colleagues at a news conference on Capitol Hill. Baldwin said the caucus will be both “symbolic and substantive” a nd “will serve as a resource for members of Congress, their staffs and the general public on LGBT issues.” “Our work this session on legislation combating hate crimes and employment non-discrimination highlighted the need and the desire people had for more information,” Baldwin said, referring to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The House passed ENDA, but the Senate has yet to take it up this session. The hate
crimes measure was attached to the Defense authorization bill, but later yanked.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18744
-Calif. court refuses to stay gay marriage ruling
Ruling will be final at 5 p.m. on June 16
California's highest court has refused to stay until after the November election its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.
Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its order from becoming effective until voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue. An initiative that would amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage has qualified for the ballot. Its passage would overrule the court's decision. The Supreme Court says its ruling will be final at 5 p.m. on June 16.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18740
-In ROTC Address, Faust Quietly Criticizes 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
University President Drew G. Faust softly criticized the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy at the ROTC commissioning ceremony today, saying in her speech that all Harvard students should be allowed to serve in the military while declining to directly criticize the military's ban on openly-gay servicemembers. "I wish that there were more of you," Faust said to the five cadets and about 100 spectators on the steps of Memorial Church, in what amounted to the closest mention or condemnation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. "I believe that every Harvard student should have the opportunity to serve in the military, as you do, and as those honored in the past have done." The controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which is the basis for much of the opposition to ROTC at Harvard, bars openly gay individuals from erving in the armed forces. In the weeks leading up to the speech, Faust had rawn fire for her plans to criticize the policy from conservative and pro-military groups, including in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=523839
-Most say gay marriage private choice
Six in 10 Americans say the government should not regulate whether gays and lesbians can marry the people they choose, a survey finds. As same-sex couples line up to get marriage licenses in California on June 17, the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 63% of adults say same-sex marriage is "strictly a private decision" between two people. That the government has the right "to prohibit or allow" such marriages was stated by 33%, and 4% had no opinion.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-03-gay-marriage-poll_N.htm
- McCain "welcomes" anti-gay ballot initiative to revoke marriage in CA
"I welcome the news that the people of California will have the opportunity to decide on the question of the definition of marriage, rather than having that decision made by judicial fiat as the California Supreme Court asserted in their recent ruling." -- John McCain Seeing as McCain is on his second marriage, after having dumped his first permanently disabled wife for a rich trophy bride 17 years his junior, he knows a thing or two about marriage.
http://www.americablog.com/2008/06/mccain-welcomes-anti-gay-ballot.html
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Will Fundraiser Scandal Taint Obama?
(Chicago, Illinois) A day after Barack Obama sealed the Democratic nomination for president, a corruption scandal involving a fundraiser who once bankrolled his campaign resurfaced to slightly dampen the festivities.
-Clinton Preparing To Concede (Washington) Hillary Rodham Clinton is ending her historic bid to become the first female president and will back rival Barack Obama on Saturday, capping a 17-month quest that began with the words "I'm in it to win it" with a more humble plea for party unity.
-Obama-Clinton Ticket: Dream Or Nightmare?
Picture a cozy weekend at Camp David for President Obama, Vice President Hillary Rodham Clinton and their lively spouses. -Wedding Plans Underway In Calif. As Foes Rally Offensive (San Francisco, California) Gay and lesbian couples around California are planning their nuptials following a refusal by the state's highest court to delay its decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
-Suspected Gay Serial Killer Charged With Murder
(Stockholm) A man suspected of a number of murders of gay men in Sweden has been formally charged with one of the killings. -Pittsburgh Mulls Gay Partner Registry (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) An openly gay Pittsburgh councilmember has filed legislation that would allow people living together in committed relationships to register with the city.
-Opposition Party Moves To Delay Gay Partner Legislation
(Canberra) Australia's opposition Liberal Party says it wants a full Senate inquiry into proposed legislation that would provide limited benefits to same-sex couples.
-NYS Assembly Passes Transgender Non Discrimination Bill (Albany, New York)
The New York Assembly has voted 102-33 to amend the state’s human rights law to include anti-discrimination protections based upongender identity and expression.
-House Members Form Gay Equality Caucus
Fifty-two members of the House of Representatives have formed a bipartisan LGBT Equality Caucus to lobby for civil rights. All but two of the members are Democrats.
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Pride South Florida Announces 2008 Grant Awards
Pride South Florida, Inc., the 501 © 3 non-profit organization run by unpaid volunteers that supports a variety of groups who work to promote charitable activities, educational programs, and cultural arts for the GLBT community, is delighted to announce their 2008 Grant Award recipients. Pride South Florida (PSF) produces the annual “Pridefest”, a week-long celebration and tribute to the GLBT community, held each year at FortLauderdale’s Holiday Park and War Memorial. The monies generated from Pridefest serve as the primary income producer for various Grant Programs and public benefit opportunities bestowed throughout the year. 100% of the proceeds from Pridefest are distributed via this Grant Program each spring.
-`Survivor' Winner Takes Case to Supreme Court
"Survivor" winner Richard Hatch has appealed his tax evasion conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, his attorney said Tuesday. Hatch was convicted two years ago of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won on the debut season of the hit CBS reality series. The Newport man was sentenced to more than four years in prison.
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Six of the seven California Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican governors, who lauded their conservative credentials. This same judiciary delivered the legal outcome dreaded by many members oftheir party -- the legalization of same-sex marriage in California and the simultaneous elevation of sexual orientation to the highest class of protection, making California the first state in the nation to adopt such astrict standard. "The great triumph of the gay rights movement has been to transform American culture so that acceptance of gay people isn't just confined to the latte-sipping, windsurfing Democrats," says Andrew Koppelman, a professor of constitutional law at Northwestern University and the author of "Same Sex,
Different States."
-These cases in which courts refuse to acknowledge the humanity of the gay litigants appearing before them are absolutely infuriating. Here is another, Stadter v. Siperko, a June 3 ruling by the Court of Appeals ofVirginia, holding that a lesbian co-parent has no right to seek visitation with the child whose conception she participated in planning, whose birth she attended, and with whom she bonded as a mother figure for the first year and a half of the child's life. See 2008 Westlaw 2235600. In this case, the birth mother, Jennifer Siperko, and the co-parent, Christine Stadter, had their child on January 10, 2003, and separated during the summer of 2004.
-The California Supreme Court denied a request today to put its rulingallowing same-sex marriages on hold until after the November election,clearing the way for gay and lesbian weddings to begin June 17.
Opponents of the court's May 15 ruling had asked the justices to stay thedecision until Californians vote Nov. 4 on a constitutional amendment thatwould overturn the court's decision.
-Same-sex marriage in California will undoubtedly make life more complicatedfor many other states. That's their problem, not California's, where thestate Supreme Court should let the marriages go ahead this month as planned.
Gays and lesbians have waited plenty long for their rights to be recognized,and those rights should not be held hostage to the convenience of attorneysgeneral across the nation.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-More homophobia from Polish politicians
A gay parent who is in a sexual relationship should have their childrentaken from them, a politician in Poland has claimed.
-Questions over police behaviour at Riga Pride
Members of the European, Danish and Swedish parliaments have criticised thecivic authorities in Riga over the way this year's Pride event was handled.
-Gay campaigners storm AIDS conference in Uganda
Three people have been arrested after they forced their way into aninternational conference about HIV/AIDS prevention in Ugnada organised bythe UN.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today condemned the arrests of three Ugandan LGBT activists and called for their immediate and unconditional release. The three -- Onziema Patience, (an FTM transgender, 28), Valentine Kalende (female, age 27) and Auf (male, age 26) -- were arrested yesterday morning by the Uganda Police Force at the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting currently taking place in Kampala, Uganda. Along with other LGBT and HIV and AIDS activists, they were peacefully protesting statements made by a Ugandan government official that no funds would be directed toward HIV programs targeting men who have sex with men. SMUG and IGLHRC have fears for the safety of the three activists.
-Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Stefan Niesielowski (Civil Platform-PO) was in a televised debate on the recent court decision to have a lesbian mother depraved of the custody to her 4 year old daughter. During the debate, Niesielowski among other things said: "The court didn't bow down to the pressure of the aggressive homosexual community, which came to make a scene as they usually do. I'm very happy about that. What is this, that they dared to have an impact on the verdict? It seems from what the court said the mother was a drug addict and molested the child…". When he was corrected that she was not accused of molestation he went on "Ok, she didn't molest but she was addicted to drugs. This community is so compulsive that they tried to influence a court decision. In this case the court clearly stated that the mother's homosexuality did not play a role." "The child's interest should be most important. It's unacceptable for her to have two mothers or fathers. If they want to live together then fine. But get the hell away from children". Same-sex families are "abnormal", according to Niesielowski. "I refuse to agree to this and I'll fight with the serious pathology which is a pair of lesbians with a child. Not too long ago homosexuals said 'don't persecute us' and now they demand adoption and the right to raise children, and that will never be allowed". Niesielowski stated that he would support a law which would take children away from homosexuals if they "bring in another homosexual to the family and their home becomes a place of permanent deprivation".
-"Turkey's closure of an LGBT organisation - a step away from the EU."
On 29 May a local court in Istanbul has ruled to close the LGBT organisation Lambdaistanbul. The ruling comes after a complaint filed by the City of Istanbul, which states that the aims of the association are against public morality. The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights calls upon Turkey to respect its obligations arising from the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association of every Turkish citizen. "This is an extremely worrying development", said Michael Cashman, President of the Intergroup. "This is a regressive step in terms of Turkey's accession to the European Union."
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gambia releases Spaniards accused of soliciting sex
BANJUL, Gambia (AP) -- Two Spanish men detained in Gambia for allegedly propositioning taxi drivers for sex have been released after five days in jail, a Spanish official said Wednesday. The men were released late Tuesday and have left the West African country, said Nicola El Busto, an official with Spain's embassy in Gambia. The Spaniards were arrested Friday after taxi drivers reported being solicited by them. Homosexual sex is illegal in Gambia, and those convicted of consensual homosexual acts face up to 14 years in prison. Gambian authorities could not be reached for comment. Last month, Gambia's president ordered gays to leave the country and threatened to ''cut off the head'' of anyone found to be gay. President Yahya Jammeh also threatened to close down hotels that rent rooms to gays.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Gambia-Gay-Arrests.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=GAY&st=nyt&oref=slogin
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Decline in Teen Sex Levels Off, Survey Shows
The nation's campaign to get more teenagers to delay sex and to use condoms is faltering, threatening to undermine the highly successful effort to reduce teen pregnancy and protect young people from sexually transmitted diseases, federal officials reported yesterday. New data from a large government survey show that by every measure, a decade-long decline in sexual activity among high school students leveled off between 2001 and 2007, and that the rise in condom use by teens flattened out in 2003.
Moreover, the survey found disturbing hints that teen sexual activity may have begun creeping up and that condom use among high school students might be edging downward, though those trend lines have not yet reached a point where statisticians can be sure, officials said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/04/AR2008060401735.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Gay couples cheer California high court ruling
SAN FRANCISCO -- Gay and lesbian couples around California are planning their nuptials following a refusal by the state's highest court to delay its decision legalizing same-sex marriage. The California Supreme Court's announcement Wednesday cleared the final hurdle for same-sex couples in the nation's most populous state to wed beginning June 17, when state officials have said counties must start issuing new gender-neutral marriage licenses.
Judy Appel, executive director of Our Family Coalition, a San Francisco-based group that advocates for same-sex couples with children, said she was thrilled by the court's refusal to stay the ruling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060500632.html
-Lesbian kiss at Seattle ballpark stirs up gay-friendly town
SEATTLE -- Most of the time, a kiss is just a kiss in the stands at Seattle Mariners games. The crowd hardly even pays attention when fans smooch. But then last week, a lesbian complained that an usher at Safeco Field asked her to stop kissing her date because it was making another fan uncomfortable.
The incident has exploded on local TV, on talk radio and in the blogosphere and has touched off a debate over public displays of affection in generally gay-friendly Seattle. "Certain individuals have not yet caught up. Those people see a gay or lesbian couple and they stare or say something," said Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington. "This is one of the challenges of being gay. Everyday things can become sources of trauma."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060500884.html
-Hollywood sees cracks in gay "glass closet"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood's "glass closet" may not be shattered, but with stars such as Ellen DeGeneres and T.R. Knight openly out and shows like "The L Word" proving popular in recent years, insiders say being gay or lesbian is no longer a career breaker for celebrities. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday gave a final approval for gay marriages in the state, clearing the way for talk show host deGeneres and her girlfriend of four years, actress Portia de Rossi, to marry as planned.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060500361.html
-Rosie says she's waiting to remarry Kelli
NEW YORK -- Ellen DeGeneres is doing it. So is George Takei. But Rosie O'Donnell isn't jumping at the chance to walk down the aisle. O'Donnell and her girlfriend, Kelli Carpenter, were married four years ago when the mayor of San Francisco allowed same-sex marriages. The California Supreme Court later declared such marriages invalid. Now the state's highest court has ruled that denying same-sex marriages was discriminatory, and many gay and lesbian couples, including DeGeneres and girlfriend Portia de Rossi and Takei and his partner, Brad Altman, are planning to tie the knot.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/05/AR2008060502085.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Frank, Baldwin launch LGBT Equality Caucus
Co-chairs joined by 52 colleagues in new congressional effort
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO, Washington Blade | Jun 4, 2:17 PM
The only two openly gay members of Congress announced Wednesday creation of he “LGBT Equality aucus,” comprised of 52 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who’ve taken the lead previously in introducing gay legislation, were joined by 13 of their colleagues at a news conference on Capitol Hill. Baldwin said the caucus will be both “symbolic and substantive” a nd “will serve as a resource for members of Congress, their staffs and the general public on LGBT issues.” “Our work this session on legislation combating hate crimes and employment non-discrimination highlighted the need and the desire people had for more information,” Baldwin said, referring to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The House passed ENDA, but the Senate has yet to take it up this session. The hate
crimes measure was attached to the Defense authorization bill, but later yanked.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18744
-Calif. court refuses to stay gay marriage ruling
Ruling will be final at 5 p.m. on June 16
California's highest court has refused to stay until after the November election its decision legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.
Conservative religious and legal groups had asked the California Supreme Court to stop its order from becoming effective until voters have the chance to weigh in on the issue. An initiative that would amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage has qualified for the ballot. Its passage would overrule the court's decision. The Supreme Court says its ruling will be final at 5 p.m. on June 16.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18740
-In ROTC Address, Faust Quietly Criticizes 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
University President Drew G. Faust softly criticized the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy at the ROTC commissioning ceremony today, saying in her speech that all Harvard students should be allowed to serve in the military while declining to directly criticize the military's ban on openly-gay servicemembers. "I wish that there were more of you," Faust said to the five cadets and about 100 spectators on the steps of Memorial Church, in what amounted to the closest mention or condemnation of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. "I believe that every Harvard student should have the opportunity to serve in the military, as you do, and as those honored in the past have done." The controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which is the basis for much of the opposition to ROTC at Harvard, bars openly gay individuals from erving in the armed forces. In the weeks leading up to the speech, Faust had rawn fire for her plans to criticize the policy from conservative and pro-military groups, including in a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=523839
-Most say gay marriage private choice
Six in 10 Americans say the government should not regulate whether gays and lesbians can marry the people they choose, a survey finds. As same-sex couples line up to get marriage licenses in California on June 17, the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 63% of adults say same-sex marriage is "strictly a private decision" between two people. That the government has the right "to prohibit or allow" such marriages was stated by 33%, and 4% had no opinion.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-03-gay-marriage-poll_N.htm
- McCain "welcomes" anti-gay ballot initiative to revoke marriage in CA
"I welcome the news that the people of California will have the opportunity to decide on the question of the definition of marriage, rather than having that decision made by judicial fiat as the California Supreme Court asserted in their recent ruling." -- John McCain Seeing as McCain is on his second marriage, after having dumped his first permanently disabled wife for a rich trophy bride 17 years his junior, he knows a thing or two about marriage.
http://www.americablog.com/2008/06/mccain-welcomes-anti-gay-ballot.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Will Fundraiser Scandal Taint Obama?
(Chicago, Illinois) A day after Barack Obama sealed the Democratic nomination for president, a corruption scandal involving a fundraiser who once bankrolled his campaign resurfaced to slightly dampen the festivities.
-Clinton Preparing To Concede (Washington) Hillary Rodham Clinton is ending her historic bid to become the first female president and will back rival Barack Obama on Saturday, capping a 17-month quest that began with the words "I'm in it to win it" with a more humble plea for party unity.
-Obama-Clinton Ticket: Dream Or Nightmare?
Picture a cozy weekend at Camp David for President Obama, Vice President Hillary Rodham Clinton and their lively spouses. -Wedding Plans Underway In Calif. As Foes Rally Offensive (San Francisco, California) Gay and lesbian couples around California are planning their nuptials following a refusal by the state's highest court to delay its decision legalizing same-sex marriage.
-Suspected Gay Serial Killer Charged With Murder
(Stockholm) A man suspected of a number of murders of gay men in Sweden has been formally charged with one of the killings. -Pittsburgh Mulls Gay Partner Registry (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) An openly gay Pittsburgh councilmember has filed legislation that would allow people living together in committed relationships to register with the city.
-Opposition Party Moves To Delay Gay Partner Legislation
(Canberra) Australia's opposition Liberal Party says it wants a full Senate inquiry into proposed legislation that would provide limited benefits to same-sex couples.
-NYS Assembly Passes Transgender Non Discrimination Bill (Albany, New York)
The New York Assembly has voted 102-33 to amend the state’s human rights law to include anti-discrimination protections based upongender identity and expression.
-House Members Form Gay Equality Caucus
Fifty-two members of the House of Representatives have formed a bipartisan LGBT Equality Caucus to lobby for civil rights. All but two of the members are Democrats.
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Pride South Florida Announces 2008 Grant Awards
Pride South Florida, Inc., the 501 © 3 non-profit organization run by unpaid volunteers that supports a variety of groups who work to promote charitable activities, educational programs, and cultural arts for the GLBT community, is delighted to announce their 2008 Grant Award recipients. Pride South Florida (PSF) produces the annual “Pridefest”, a week-long celebration and tribute to the GLBT community, held each year at FortLauderdale’s Holiday Park and War Memorial. The monies generated from Pridefest serve as the primary income producer for various Grant Programs and public benefit opportunities bestowed throughout the year. 100% of the proceeds from Pridefest are distributed via this Grant Program each spring.
-`Survivor' Winner Takes Case to Supreme Court
"Survivor" winner Richard Hatch has appealed his tax evasion conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, his attorney said Tuesday. Hatch was convicted two years ago of failing to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he won on the debut season of the hit CBS reality series. The Newport man was sentenced to more than four years in prison.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Six of the seven California Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican governors, who lauded their conservative credentials. This same judiciary delivered the legal outcome dreaded by many members oftheir party -- the legalization of same-sex marriage in California and the simultaneous elevation of sexual orientation to the highest class of protection, making California the first state in the nation to adopt such astrict standard. "The great triumph of the gay rights movement has been to transform American culture so that acceptance of gay people isn't just confined to the latte-sipping, windsurfing Democrats," says Andrew Koppelman, a professor of constitutional law at Northwestern University and the author of "Same Sex,
Different States."
-These cases in which courts refuse to acknowledge the humanity of the gay litigants appearing before them are absolutely infuriating. Here is another, Stadter v. Siperko, a June 3 ruling by the Court of Appeals ofVirginia, holding that a lesbian co-parent has no right to seek visitation with the child whose conception she participated in planning, whose birth she attended, and with whom she bonded as a mother figure for the first year and a half of the child's life. See 2008 Westlaw 2235600. In this case, the birth mother, Jennifer Siperko, and the co-parent, Christine Stadter, had their child on January 10, 2003, and separated during the summer of 2004.
-The California Supreme Court denied a request today to put its rulingallowing same-sex marriages on hold until after the November election,clearing the way for gay and lesbian weddings to begin June 17.
Opponents of the court's May 15 ruling had asked the justices to stay thedecision until Californians vote Nov. 4 on a constitutional amendment thatwould overturn the court's decision.
-Same-sex marriage in California will undoubtedly make life more complicatedfor many other states. That's their problem, not California's, where thestate Supreme Court should let the marriages go ahead this month as planned.
Gays and lesbians have waited plenty long for their rights to be recognized,and those rights should not be held hostage to the convenience of attorneysgeneral across the nation.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-More homophobia from Polish politicians
A gay parent who is in a sexual relationship should have their childrentaken from them, a politician in Poland has claimed.
-Questions over police behaviour at Riga Pride
Members of the European, Danish and Swedish parliaments have criticised thecivic authorities in Riga over the way this year's Pride event was handled.
-Gay campaigners storm AIDS conference in Uganda
Three people have been arrested after they forced their way into aninternational conference about HIV/AIDS prevention in Ugnada organised bythe UN.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) today condemned the arrests of three Ugandan LGBT activists and called for their immediate and unconditional release. The three -- Onziema Patience, (an FTM transgender, 28), Valentine Kalende (female, age 27) and Auf (male, age 26) -- were arrested yesterday morning by the Uganda Police Force at the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting currently taking place in Kampala, Uganda. Along with other LGBT and HIV and AIDS activists, they were peacefully protesting statements made by a Ugandan government official that no funds would be directed toward HIV programs targeting men who have sex with men. SMUG and IGLHRC have fears for the safety of the three activists.
-Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Stefan Niesielowski (Civil Platform-PO) was in a televised debate on the recent court decision to have a lesbian mother depraved of the custody to her 4 year old daughter. During the debate, Niesielowski among other things said: "The court didn't bow down to the pressure of the aggressive homosexual community, which came to make a scene as they usually do. I'm very happy about that. What is this, that they dared to have an impact on the verdict? It seems from what the court said the mother was a drug addict and molested the child…". When he was corrected that she was not accused of molestation he went on "Ok, she didn't molest but she was addicted to drugs. This community is so compulsive that they tried to influence a court decision. In this case the court clearly stated that the mother's homosexuality did not play a role." "The child's interest should be most important. It's unacceptable for her to have two mothers or fathers. If they want to live together then fine. But get the hell away from children". Same-sex families are "abnormal", according to Niesielowski. "I refuse to agree to this and I'll fight with the serious pathology which is a pair of lesbians with a child. Not too long ago homosexuals said 'don't persecute us' and now they demand adoption and the right to raise children, and that will never be allowed". Niesielowski stated that he would support a law which would take children away from homosexuals if they "bring in another homosexual to the family and their home becomes a place of permanent deprivation".
-"Turkey's closure of an LGBT organisation - a step away from the EU."
On 29 May a local court in Istanbul has ruled to close the LGBT organisation Lambdaistanbul. The ruling comes after a complaint filed by the City of Istanbul, which states that the aims of the association are against public morality. The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights calls upon Turkey to respect its obligations arising from the European Convention on Human Rights, particularly rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of association of every Turkish citizen. "This is an extremely worrying development", said Michael Cashman, President of the Intergroup. "This is a regressive step in terms of Turkey's accession to the European Union."
=
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