**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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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-California Braces for 'New Summer of Love'
The groom was shopping for the perfect diamond for his betrothed - the othergroom. As Rey Almeida, a 47-year-old elementary school principal, perusedthe Equality Forever rings (a same-sex wedding special at 40 percent off ifpurchased from June 16 to June 26), he couldn't help reflecting on thesymbolism.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14weddings.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Pure Tyranny
Righteous indignation is so easy, so pleasant, when you can sit back andfling it overseas. I had that edifying experience on the D.C. MetroWednesday morning, reading in the Times about the Muslim women in France whoare going to cosmetic surgeons for hymen replacement surgery so that theycan bleed as seeming virgins on their wedding nights. It's a practice thathas, apparently, become relatively common in the immigrant communities ofEurope. But, of course, it seems like hair-raising news in a country likeours, where a young woman's right to do with her body as she sees fit has,for decades, been enshrined as perhaps the most essential part of herGod-given human dignity. As my 11-year-old says, Yeah, right. Right after Ifinished reading the Times piece, I called the French Embassy to find outunder what conditions French social security would pay for thehymen-restoration procedure.
http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/pure-tyranny/index.html?ref=opinion
-Bending Gender Every Which Way
It's a mystery why sometimes a few people moving on a stage in apparentlyrandom patterns can look so right. In the first 10 seconds - maybe 5 - ofDance by Neil Greenberg's "Quartet With Three Gay Men," the oddly graceful,undulating movements of the four dancers, the jangly sounds of Zeena
Parkins's
score, and Michael Stiller's clear, bright light have the immediate effectof a poem. Meaning is compressed and harbored, to be released in thrillingfragments, inconclusive and richly layered.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/arts/dance/14dtw.html?scp=3&sq=GAY&st=nyt
-Stewart R. Mott, Longtime Patron of Liberal and Offbeat Causes, Dies at 70
Stewart R. Mott, a philanthropist whose gifts to progressive and sometimesoffbeat causes were often upstaged by his eccentricities, like cultivating alarge garden atop his Manhattan penthouse, complete with 460 plant species(including 17 types of radishes) and a chicken coop, died on Thursday night.
He was 70 and had homes in North Salem, N.Y., and Bermuda.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/nyregion/14mott.html?scp=5&sq=GAY&st=nyt
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Outlook: Long Road Remains for Gay Marriage
California's Gay Marriage Fight Distracts From Real Struggle in Washington
"This week should be a joyous one for those of us who believe in the rightto marry the person you love. A month after the California Supreme Courtoverturned the state's ban on same-sex marriage, gay couples will walk intocounty offices here and secure the same marriage license to whichheterosexual couples such as my wife and I are entitled. ... Gay rightssupporters should toast the happy couples, but they might want to waitbefore raising a glass to the state. The ruling will hardly changeCalifornia, a place blissfully devoted to its live-and-let-live ethos. ButCalifornia -- with its dysfunctional politics and government -- may hurt thecause of same-sex marriage. ... For gay couples and their supporters,California could become an expensive, time-consuming quagmire -- gaymarriage's Vietnam."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/06/13/DI2008061302699.html
-University of California law professor Larry Levine, a frequent panelist,lecturer, and speaker on legal issues involving torts and sexualorientation, will be online Monday, June 16 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss theimplementation of the recent California Supreme Court ruling in favor of gaymarriage, and the fight ahead. He'll be joined by Stuart Gaffney and JohnLewis, plaintiffs in the Supreme Court lawsuit who have been partners for 21years and will get married early Monday.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/06/13/DI2008061302905.html
-"I went into stripping for all the wrong reasons."
After Craig Seymour Took It All Off, He Wrote It All Down
Before Washington leveled Southeast's gay clubs for a stadium, whenneighborhood men could get up close and sweaty together without being in theNats lineup, Craig Seymour, 39, took the stage in a G-string. A PhD studentand stripper. This fall, he joins the journalism faculty at NorthernIllinois University. He'll discuss "All I Could Bare," his memoir ofdisrobing, at the DC Center on June 19.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061203362.html
-California Gay Marriage: The Ruling and One Couple's View
University of California law professor Larry Levine, a frequent panelist,lecturer, and speaker on legal issues involving torts and sexualorientation, will be online Monday, June 16 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss theimplementation of the recent California Supreme Court ruling in favor of gaymarriage, and the fight ahead. He'll be joined by Stuart Gaffney and JohnLewis, plaintiffs in the Supreme Court lawsuit who have been partners for 21years and will get married early Monday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/06/13/DI2008061302905.html
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-More than 5,000 delegates and 120 choirs from 40 states and six countrieswill gather in Miami, Florida, from July 12 through 19, 2008, to help GALAChoruses celebrate its 25th anniversary at Festival 2008. GALA ChorusesFestival 2008 is the largest GLBT performing arts event in the world. [...]GALA Choruses is an internationally recognized advocacy organization forgay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) choruses. The group's weeklonggathering of singers, choirs and clinicians boasts a full schedule ofperformances, commissioned works, workshops and social events. The eventwill be held at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts,formerly known as the Carnival Center. For more information, please visit
http://www.galachoruses.org
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Tensions rise as Billerica selectmen vote to recognize Gay Pride Week
BILLERICA, Mass.: Police Sgt. Jerry Roche said he was moved that a majorityof the selectmen voted last night to support a proclamation recognizing GayPride Week, but angry that Selectmen Marc Lombardo and Mike Rosa did notattend the meeting and are refusing to sign the proclamation. "I have beenon this department for 22 years, decorated by the governor, twice by theselectmen, and received several commendations from the chief," he said afterthe meeting. "I have served this community and I deserve respect as aperson. Am I any less of a person because I am gay? It angers me to no endthat I do not get the respect they would give anyone else."
http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_9573903?source=email
-Homosexuality is 'sport's last taboo'
Graeme Le Saux played more than 400 matches for Blackburn, Chelsea andSouthampton, winning a Premier League title and 36 international caps. CNN'sDon Riddell talks to the former England star about homophobia and racism inthe game.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/football/06/13/lesaux.homophobia/
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Move To Broaden Chicago Gay Partner Benefits
(Chicago, Illinois) An openly gay Chicago alderman is proposing changes tothe city's domestic partner benefits plan to ensure that the partners ofcity workers remain insured if they marry in California.
-Straight Couples Rush To Wed Before Ban Goes Into Effect
(Bakersfield, California) Heterosexual couples are rushing to get married ina conservative California county that plans to halt all civil weddingceremonies as gay marriage is set to be legalized.
-Bingham Cup Attracts Gay Teams From Around The World
(Dublin) Hundreds of sports enthusiasts from around the world are in Dublinthis weekend for the gay rugby world cup.
-Budapest Police Lift Gay Pride March Ban
(Budapest) Under international pressure Budapest's police chief Fridaylifted a ban imposed a day earlier on this year's Gay Pride parade.
-Campaign: Michelle Obama Never Used Word Whitey
(Washington) The Barack Obama campaign said that Michelle Obama never usedthe word "whitey" in a speech from the church pulpit as it launched a Website to debunk rumors about him and his wife.
-Fox News Accused Of Slurs Against Barack, Michelle Obama
(New York City) Fox News Channel referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's babymama" in a graphic on Wednesday, the latest in a trio of references to theDemocratic presidential campaign that have given fuel to network critics.
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-McInerney's Lawyer: I Won't Gay-Bash
As the arraignment of Lawrence King's accused killer, Brandon McInerney,gets postponed again, both the prosecuting attorney and the public defendertalk to The Advocate.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid55842.asp
-Chemistry.com Commemorates California Marriage Equality
Starting Monday, June 16, the day before same-sex marriages can officiallybegin throughout the entire state of California, the online dating communityChemistry.com will offer a free seven-day membership to anyone living inCalifornia, according to a press release from the company. The website,whose mantra is "come as you are," is inviting LGBT Californians (and theirstraight allies) to meet someone special on Chemistry.com. "This is afantastic moment for California," a company representative said in therelease, "and we hope we can start some new relationships in that state."
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55854.asp
-Ex-GOP Official Pleads Guilty to Oral Sex Charge
The former chair of the Clark County, Ind., Republican Party pleaded guiltyThursday to criminal deviate conduct, which could land him in prison for upto six years. Glenn Murphy Jr. is accused of performing oral sex on a manwho was asleep while the act took place. Along with the prison sentence,Murphy would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life,according to the Courier-Journal newspaper in Louisville, Ky.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55856.asp
-Poll: Montana Voters Favor Employment Protections for Gays
A survey by the Montana Human Rights Network shows that a majority of votersin the state favor protecting gays and lesbians from employmentdiscrimination. According to KTVQ TV in Billings, a CBS affiliate, nearly90% of those polled were in favor of such protections. Activists are usingthe findings to push legislators to pass a bill that would bandiscrimination against gay and lesbian workers. "We really need to launchan educational effort so that people understand they're not alone in thesekinds of feelings," Montana Human Rights Network executive director and outstate senator Christine Kaufmann said. "When they accept and understand thatemployment discrimination is wrong no matter who it's directed at; that hate
crimes are wrong no matter who it's directed at."
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55863.asp
-Friends and Foes List
The Advocate's list of our best friends and worst enemies when it comes topreserving the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. Here's yourchance to get involved!
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid55749.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:
-Homosexuality Takes Congress by Storm
The two openly homosexual members of the U.S. House of Representatives haverecruited 50 of their colleagues to officially join them in promoting thehomosexual agenda in Congress. Democrats Barney Frank of Massachusetts andTammy Baldwin of Wisconsin are the only open homosexuals serving inCongress. They have joined with Republicans Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Floridaand Christopher Shays of Connecticut, and 50 other Democrats to create theHouse Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Caucus. Peter LaBarbera,president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says it is a sad daywhen Congress enshrines official promotion of sexual immorality.
-NJ City Ordered to Pay Millions to Victims of Anti-Gay Harassment
A jury has awarded a gay couple nearly $3 million in damages as part of alawsuit against the city of Seacaucus, NJ. The couple, Peter DeVries andTimothy Carter, were awarded $2.84 million by the jury after the judgepresiding over the case, which was heard in a state Superior Court, ruledagainst the city.
-Winning Isn't Everything
After pouring over $100,000 of his own money into his campaign, Jim Nealonly took second place in this year's primary for the Democratic nominationto challenge North Carolina's Republican U.S. Senator Elizabeth "Liddy"Dole. Yet he's amazingly calm and upbeat. "I am in anything but depression,"Neal told me in a recent phone interview. "I was passionate about what I wasdoing, and I continue to be passionate about the issues that drove me torun."
-HIV and Parenthood: Poz Men Find New Hope with Surrogates
Men living with HIV are finding new hope of creating biological familieswith their own sperm through a new program created by the California-basedGrowing Generations, which provides surrogates and egg donation services toHIV-positive men. Recent technological advances have made testing semen forthe HIV virus viable. Along with the implementation of Californialegislation that allows the use of semen from someone with HIV for assistedreproduction, Growing Generations, the nation's largest surrogacy agency,has been able to launch the groundbreaking new program.
-HIV Prevention Goes Digital
As HIV infections continue to rise in some sectors of the gay community, NYUand Public Health Solutions this week debuted an innovative new tool aimedat reducing high-risk sexual behavior among gay men. HIV is Still a Big Dealis a new online video series that follows a character named Josh, a younggay man living in Manhattan, negotiating everything from love to friendshipsin addition to the agony and ecstasy attendant upon each. In the first twoepisodes alone-entitled "The Morning After" and "The Test"-Josh deals withissues like online hookups, unprotected sex, disclosing HIV status, andgetting tested for HIV.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video: Let My Partner Stay
Gay, lesbian and transgender city employees who go to California,Massachusetts or other states to get legally married would keep theirdomestic partner benefits under an ordinance introduced this week byChicago's first openly gay alderman. Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) proposed thechange in the wake of a recent California court decision affirming gaymarriage.
-Because same-sex marriages are not recognized in the United States, certainmarital benefits, like the advantage of permanent residency for a foreignborn partner, are denied to bi-national spouses. This commonly results inthe foreign partner being forced to leave the United States, and their lovedones, behind. Brittany and Joanna's story is one of thousands.
-The balance of public opinion regarding gay marriage is more positive nowthan it was during the 2004 campaign. However, Republicans and whiteevangelical Protestants, in particular, remain staunchly opposed to allowinggays and lesbians to marry, and increasing numbers of Republicans and whiteevangelicals say that gay marriage will be very important in their votingdecisions.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Queer as Folk creator receives an OBE
Queer as Folk creator Russell T Davies has been awarded an OBE in theQueen's Birthday Honours List. Mr Davies who revived Doctor Who for the BBCin addition to creating spin off Torchwood has been honoured for services todrama.
-Google removes HIV "cure" ad after complaints
Internet company Google has said that adverts supplied by its AdSenseservice to websites across the country should not include ones that claim to"cure" HIV.
-Sir Elton John: Diana trusted "the wrong people"
Sir Elton John has claimed that the late Diana, Princess of Wales trusted"the wrong people" towards the end of her life.
-Drag Queen Lily Savage to receive MBE from the real Queen
The gay comedian Paul O'Grady is among a number of high profile celebritiesto have been bestowed an award in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. MrO'Grady, who first shot to fame as drag queen Lily Savage now hosts a chatshow for Channel 4.
-Spanish judge ordered to marry British gay couple
A judge in the Denia region of Spain has been forced to marry a British gaycouple she had previously refused.
-Dublin shows its Pride at 25 years of progress
Dublin's 25th Gay Pride festival opens tonight with a launch party to markthe beginning of the ten day festival taking place in the George on SouthGreat George's street.
-Confusion over Kazakhstan's first ever Pride parade
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Association in Kazakhstan hasannounced it intends to hold a parade in the city of Almaty on June 21st.
-Travel on the "Orient-Express of the North"
Britain's railways have romantic history. It began with steam trains andblossomed into a golden age of opulent rail travel during the 1930s. Theheady romance may have gone from everyday rail travel, but it still lives onin the Orient-Express.
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Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
http://www.pbchrc.org
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Palm Beach County Domestic Partners Prevail in Equal Health InsurancePremiums
The Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) ruled this week thatthe School District of Palm Beach County discriminated against two lesbianemployees with domestic partners by charging excessive health insurancepremiums. "School District administrators have been under the mistakenbelief for years that they did not have to comply with the county's equalemployment ordinance," said Rand Hoch, President of the Palm Beach CountyHuman Rights Council. "Hopefully these two rulings will now put an end totheir discriminatory practices." For more than twenty years the Palm BeachCounty Human Rights Council has been lobbying for GLBT-inclusive laws. TheCounty's equal employment ordinance now prohibits discrimination inemployment, housing, and public accommodations based on race, color,religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, genderidentity or expression, familial status, and marital status.
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Gay American Heroes Foundation
http://www.GayAmericanHeroes.com
Go to this link for the following articles:
-News from Gay American Heroes Foundation
Honoring all LGBT persons who have been murdered because of their sexualorientation and-or gender identity All people who live honestly about their sexual orientation or genderidentity are heroic, as it takes great strength and courage to face thedaily struggles for personal freedom in the face of enormous opposition; toultimately give their life for said freedom makes them...HEROES.
-Gay Murder in Detroit, Jermey Waggoner openly gay hairdresser, 37 year-oldsuffered violent death June 10, 2008. Another HERO to be remembered onthe Gay American Heroes National Memorial?
Contact: Scott Hall (321) 586-8738
Cell Phone: 321/ 586-8738
Website: www.GayAmericanHeroes.info
Email: GayAmericanHeroes@yahoo.com
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Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrier
http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Norway becomes sixth nation to allow gays, lesbians to marry
Norway has become the sixth country in world to grant equal marriage rightsto same-sex couples. The new marriage law, approved by a vote of 84 to 41,also permits gay and lesbian couples to adopt children and allows lesbiansto be artificially inseminated, according to this article. Google/AgenceFrance-Presse (6/12)
-Groups: Timing wrong for federal marriage lawsuits
Out-of-state couples heading to California to marry should bide their timeand refrain from filing federal lawsuits seeking federal recognition oftheir unions, according to a coalition of nine LGBT groups, including LambdaLegal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Freedom to Marry. "Pushingthe federal government before we have a critical mass of states recognizingsame-sex relationships or suing in states where the courts aren't ready islikely to get us bad rulings," the groups said in a joint statement. "Badrulings will make it much more difficult for us to win marriage, and willcertainly make it take much longer." 365Gay.com (6/10)
-Are Democrats all talk on lifting military ban?
Although recent opinion polls show a majority of Americans favor lifting the
military gay ban, most top Democrats reportedly are reluctant to take on theissue in an election year and when the party lacks a veto-proof majority inCongress. One who disagrees is former Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., who said,"Many [party] members underestimate where Americans are on this." SanFrancisco Chronicle/Associated Press (6/11)
-Baldwin, ex-ambassador discuss DP benefits for federal workers
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act and a gay-inclusive hate-crimes billhave more chance of being enacted by Congress in the next session than billsaimed at reversing the marriage and military gay bans, according to out U.S.Rep. Tammy Baldwin. Her comments came during a panel discussion -- whichalso included U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., former Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright and former U.S. Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest -- ona pending federal bill to offer gay federal workers equal benefits for theirpartners as those given to employees' spouses. Washington Blade (6/11)
-Brazil's leader backs civil unions and making homophobia a crime
Calling homophobia the "the most perverse disease impregnated in the humanhead," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, pledged to "do allthat is possible" to enact civil unions and to make homophobia a criminaloffense. Lula made his comments at the First National Conference of Gays,Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transvestites and Transsexuals. PinkNews.co.uk (U.K.)(6/11)
-Do you want to work for the next President of the United States?
The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute is leading a community-wide effort toidentify strong candidates to serve the next president of the United States.
GLLI's Presidential Appointments Project serves as the talent bank foropenly LGBT professionals seeking appointed positions in the nextpresidential administration. If you've ever considered working for thefederal government, now is the time to start thinking about whether you havewhat it takes to work for the president and help to bring about positivechange in our country. GLLI's partners in the project include the HumanRights Campaign, The Task Force, National Black Justice Coalition and theNational Stonewall Democrats. For more information and to submit yourresume, go to www.glli.org/presidential.
-LGBT voters could stay home if Nunn tapped as Obama's VP
Choosing former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn to fill the vice-presidential slot on theDemocratic ticket could alienate top LGBT fundraisers, well as LGBT voters,over Nunn's prominent role in enacting the military gay ban, according toWashington Post editorial page staffer Jonathan Capehart. Nunn recently saidit would be "appropriate" to take a new look at the military ban, but thatmay not be enough to reassure those who question his support of LGBT issues.
"If Obama taps Nunn, he could end up adding gay men and lesbians to the listof disgruntled Democrats," Capehart writes. "They might not vote for McCain,but they might very well stay home." The Washington Post (6/11)
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HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Girl Power & standing for what is right
A year or so ago, HeartStrong launched a letter writing campaign toCalifornia Lutheran High School in Wildomar, CA. (Wildomar is locatedjust inland from Laguna Beach and just north of Temecula.)
The Christian school had expelled two girls for an alleged lesbianrelationship. (A perfect example of what we talk about all the time,religious schools expelling students based on suspicion of being GLBT.)The girls took their former school to court, saying they werediscriminated against for being suspected of being lesbian.
That is when many of you submitted letters to the school through theHeartStrong website.
As a general point, religious schools in the US and pretty much every othercountry (except Canada) have the right to do whatever they want to anystudent or employee as long as they have a religious reason to back uptheir actions.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Link: New York's Gay City News
http://gaycitynews.com/
-A gay man has been murdered in the Detroit area and Triangle Foundationneeds your help to solve this crime and bring justice for him and hisfamily. Jeremy Waggoner, a 37-year-old Detroit resident, was murdered earlythis week. Jeremy, a stylist at the Michael Angelo Salon in Royal Oak, waswell-known and deeply loved. On Tuesday, June 10, 2008, Jeremy Waggoner'sbody was found in a grassy field on Detroit's eastside. He was brutallybludgeoned and possibly stabbed. Police are not sure whether Jeremy waskilled in the grassy field or at another location and his body then dropped off. Few details of themurder, including the possible motive, are known at this time. His green1997 Mazda MPV has not been found. If anyone has information about themurder of Jeremy Waggoner, please contact Melissa Pope at 313-909-3634 orvia e-mail at melissa@tri.org
http://www.tri.org/
-This Week in Washington Blade - Pride Issue!
http://washblade.com/2008/pride
-U.S. Senator Larry Craig
Serving the citizens of Idaho
http://craig.senate.gov/
Honoring My Children On Father's Day
by Senator Larry Craig
Though the origin of Father's Day is not clear, fathers throughout theUnited States are made to feel special by their children every year, on thethird Sunday in June. Sunday, June 15, marks my 24th year as Dad to Mike,Jay and Shae. And in recent years, their seven children have made me adoting Granddad to boot, doubling the joy of our celebration. Throughoutthese years, I have never taken a Father's Day remembrance forgranted - perhaps because I adopted my children when I had the wisdom andmaturity to appreciate the pure joy of having them in my life. I havetreasured the handmade trinkets, the interesting ties and the simple melodyof their voices greeting me on that Sunday morning every year, "HappyFather's Day, Dad! We love you."
Father's Day always has been a time of reflection for Suzanne and me - tolook back fondly on our kids' achievements and to take pride in how theyhandled life's disappointments. I remember Shae's first date and her firstbreakup, Mike's first car and Jay's first soccer game. But nothing affectedme as emotionally as my children's love and loyalty during the dark days oflast August.
http://craig.senate.gov/releases/ed061208.pdf
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Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-American Family Outing visits Bill Hybels & Willow Creek: Effort concludesthis weekend at Dr. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church Last weekend, over twodozen LGBT and straight-ally couples and families met with Bill Hybels andselect staff from Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington,Illinois. The conversation was frank, honest, and respectful at all times asdiscussions focused on theological understanding, relationships, andfamilies.
The following are links to stories of the meeting:
..Soulforce, Willow Creek, and Me, Julie Nemecek, AFO participant
http://julienemecek.blogspot.com/2008/06/soulforce-willow-creek-and-me.html
..Willow Creek Welcomes Gay Rights Advocates, Chicago Tribune
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/religion_theseeker/2008/06/willow-creek-we.html
..Gay Christians meet with Rev. Bill Hybels and Others at Willow Creek
Community Church in South Barrington, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-bakker-gay-church-09-jun09,0,1906519.story
..LGBTs have Historic Meeting with Influential Church, Windy City Times
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=18586
-This Father's Day, June 15, a group of families will attend services atSaddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, the mega-church founded byRick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life. The following day thefamilies will join leaders from Saddleback Church for a private meal andconversation. The visit is the conclusion of a six-week journey, agay-friendly family road trip, to initiate dialogue with mega-churchcongregations across the nation.
For photos of the AFO visit to Willow Creek Community Church go towww.soulforce.org/album/8
-Soulforce featured in Newsweek Magazine
The June 16th edition of Newsweek Magazine features the story of a young manat Bethel University who is fighting to start a Gay-Straight Alliance. Theamazing work of our young adults at Soulforce Q was a significant part ofthe story -- indicating their ability to offer hope and healing to so manystudents at campuses across America with the Equality Ride.
The final visit of the American Family Outing was also mentioned in thearticle. To read the Newsweek article, go to www.soulforce.org/article/1396
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Saturday, June 14, 2008
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 14, 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:
-Plan Would Lift Saudi Oil Output to Highest Ever
Saudi Arabia's plan to boost production next month was seen as a sign thatthe Saudis are nervous about the political and economic effect of high oilprices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/business/14oil.html?hp
-In Midwest, Rising Waters and Fears of Worse
Continued flooding has raised the prospect of a year like 1993, when therewas widespread misery and an economic cost of $20 billion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14midwest.html?hp
-Tim Russert, 58, NBC's Face of Politics, Dies
Mr. Russert, moderator of "Meet the Press," was a fixture on television onSunday mornings and election nights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/business/media/14russert.html?hp
-A Moment of Clarity in Baghdad
As the Bush administration pushes for a legal agreement to extend theAmerican military presence in Iraq, the Iraqis are pushing back. That is apositive sign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/opinion/14sat1.html?ref=opinion
-Courting Conflict
Judges must be impartial - in both appearance and reality - so federal lawsensibly requires that they disqualify themselves from cases if they ownstock in a company that is a party in the matter. It would be best if alljudges ordered their investments to avoid conflicts. But the issue is mostacute for Supreme Court justices, who cannot be replaced by another jurist.
When Supreme Court justices recuse themselves, they risk altering importantdecisions and blocking the court from doing its job.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/opinion/14sat2.html?ref=opinion
-Taliban Free 1,200 in Attack on Afghan Prison
In a brazen attack, Taliban fighters assaulted the main prison in thesouthern Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday night, blowing up the mud walls,killing 15 guards and freeing around 1,200 inmates. Among the escapees wereabout 350 Taliban members, including commanders, would-be suicide bombersand assassins, said Ahmed Wali Karzai, the head of Kandahar's provincialcouncil and a brother of President Hamid Karzai. "It is very dangerous forsecurity. They are the most experienced killers and they all managed toescape," he said by telephone from Kandahar. A Taliban spokesman, QariYousuf Ahmadi, said that the attack was carried out by 30 insurgents onmotorbikes and two suicide bombers, and that they had freed about 400Taliban members, The Associated Press reported.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/world/asia/14kandahar.html?hp
-Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says
From "Scarface" to "Miami Vice," Florida's drug problem has been portrayedas the story of a single narcotic: cocaine. But for Floridians, prescriptiondrugs are increasingly a far more lethal habit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14florida.html
-China Increases Lead as Biggest Carbon Dioxide Emitter
China has clearly overtaken the United States as the world's leading emitterof carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas, a new study has found, itsemissions increasing 8 percent in 2007. The Chinese increase accounted fortwo-thirds of the growth in the year's global greenhouse gas emissions, thestudy found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/world/asia/14china.html
-Campaigns Unable to Agree on Series of Meetings
In almost every campaign appearance this week, Senator John McCain has beenleaning on Senator Barack Obama to accept his offer to engage in a series of10 one-on-one town-hall-style meetings, a format that worked well for Mr.McCain in the primaries.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/politics/14campaign.html
-Justices Come Under Election-Year Spotlight
Thanks in no small part to Justice Antonin Scalia's dire warning thatgranting Guantánamo detainees access to habeas corpus "will almost certainlycause more Americans to be killed," the Supreme Court finds itself on theverge of becoming something that it has not been for many election cycles -a campaign issue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14assess.html?scp=7&sq=GAY&st=nyt
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-A Marriage Form Will Just Be Icing On Our Cake
I have an elaborate fantasy about the morning of my wedding day. It will bea cool summer morning, a weekday. At breakfast, our 8-year-old, Jacob, won'tcomplain that food is getting stuck in his brand-new braces. When Ruth, 4,puts on her own shoes, she'll get the right shoe on the right foot. Ellenwill unlock the garage and arrange all our bikes in the driveway. We'll ridethe five miles down to the Alameda County clerk's office. The kids will getrestless waiting out in the hall. Finally, some random person in the clerk'soffice will be ready for us. She'll be a little bored because she hasmarried so many other gay couples in the past few weeks. She won't care thatEllen and I are wearing shorts and T-shirts. Ellen will write a check. Theclerk will fill out some forms.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303172.html
-GAY MARRIAGE: Calif. Episcopal Dioceses Split on Issue
As California clerks prepare to issue civil marriage licenses to same-sexcouples starting Tuesday, some Episcopal dioceses say they will marry gaysand lesbians, while others are urging caution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303289.html
-The New 'I Do'
The Way We're Handling It Is Pretty Half-Baked
Hold the champagne. Or at least the California sparkling wine. This weekshould be a joyous one for those of us who believe in the right to marry theperson you love. A month after the California Supreme Court overturned thestate's ban on same-sex marriage, gay couples will be able to walk intocounty offices here and secure the same marriage license to whichheterosexual couples such as my wife and I are entitled.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303174.html
-What We'll Miss by David S. Broder
Tim was one of the most fearless journalists in the business and a generousfriend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303391.html
-Seoul's Beef Beef
The Bush administration and Congress must rescue free trade with SouthKorea. There is no reason for South Koreans to fear beef from the UnitedStates. Seoul banned it five years ago after U.S. officials confirmed a caseof mad-cow disease in an American herd. But the health risk, never great,has long since faded; Americans have been consuming meat with nomad-cow-related problems, and the World Organization for Animal Healthdeclared U.S. beef fit for consumption last September. This fulfilledSeoul's final condition for lifting the ban, and, in April, newly electedPresident Lee Myung-bak announced that it would indeed end.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303223.html
-Countrywide Gave Special Attention To Lawmakers
Lender's Chief Executive Offered Incentives to VIPs
In 2004, Sen. Kent Conrad was hunting for a lender for a $1.07 millionmortgage on his vacation home in Bethany Beach, Del., when an old friendhanded him the phone number of Angelo Mozilo.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303738.html?hpid=topnews
-Seeking Common Ground in Faith
Area Jews and Muslims Are Pioneers in Nationwide Effort
For the first time in five Sundays of gatherings, the small group ofWashington area Muslims and Jews around the fireside table seemed like itwas about to move from polite chat on religious history to somethingunavoidably combustible: Zionism.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303284.html?hpid=topnews
-I'm Not Anti-Islam; Islam is Anti-Me'
Sally Quinn Interview | VIDEO: Ayaan Hirsi Ali explains why she left Islamand became an atheist.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/04/16/VI2008041602291.html
-Critics Study Possible Limits to Habeas Corpus Ruling
Affirming Right to Challenge Detention Is Considered by Some a Taking ofFederal Power
The White House and allies in Congress have begun exploring how to limit thescope of this week's Supreme Court ruling that says suspected terroristsheld at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detentions infederal court.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303462.html?hpid=sec-nation
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CUBA: Cuba 'chokes' dissident support
The Cuban government is putting the squeeze on dissidents, citing Bushadministration rules to keep them from receiving aid from U.S. groups.
Apparently abusing Bush administration rules that restrict who can sendmoney to the island, the Cuban government is cutting off resources to humanrights activists who had been receiving cash from exile groups in Miami.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/570022.html
-Even the playing field for women By ELLEN GOODMAN
So is the glass half full or half empty? Or to pick a better metaphor, isthe ''highest, hardest'' glass ceiling now half shattered by the 18 millioncracks, or does it look as impermeable as ever after this unsuccessfulbattering? [...] Mourning is not too strong a word to describe what I'vebeen hearing in the last few days. No sooner had the speech ended than aHillary fundraiser received an e-mail from the Democratic National Committeeasking her to raise money for Barack Obama. She said, tersely, they didn'teven wait for the body to cool. The next day, with Hillary waving goodbye onThe New York Times' Page 1, there was an article on Michelle Obama's clothesin the Styles section. Back to the first lady beat, sighed a reader.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/570035.html
-Pay attention to Pakistan
The most urgent foreign policy problem that the next U.S. president willface won't be Iraq. Nor will it be Iran. The next terrorist attack onAmerica is likely to originate, according to the top U.S. militarycommander, Adm. Mike Mullen, in a place you've probably never heard of: theFATA. That's the acronym for the Federally Ad ministered Tribal Areas ofnorthern Pakistan.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/570034.html
-Obama considering overseas tour
To bolster his credibility on foreign policy, Sen. Barack Obama may visitseveral countries this summer, his advisors said. Sen. Barack Obama maydepart this summer from his road warrior tour of election battlegroundstates to take a trip around the world, one intended to shore up hiscredentials on foreign policy. With a foreign trip under discussion in theObama camp, any itinerary almost certainly would include a stop in Iraq. That would be his first trip to the war zone since early 2006. It would bedesigned to answer Republican presidential candidate John McCain's criticismthat anti-war Obama can't talk credibly about withdrawing U.S. forces sincehe hasn't been on the ground there since the 2007 troop buildup brought somemilitary success.
http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/570009.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-U.S. Should Flunk Electoral College, Sen. Nelson Says
Saying the United States should "abolish this archaic way we electpresidents," Florida's Sen. Bill Nelson argued in a Tampa news conferenceFriday for eliminating the Electoral College. Inspired by the Floridafiascos in both the 2000 and this year's presidential primaries, Nelson saysit's time for presidential election changes both in primaries and in thegeneral election.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/14/na-us-should-flunk-electoral-college-sen-nelson-sa/?news-politics
-Lawmakers Near Deal On Surveillance Bill
Wiretap Orders Begin Expiring Soon
A bipartisan group of congressional negotiators neared a deal yesterday oncontroversial wiretapping legislation that could be unveiled as early asnext week, according to Capitol Hill sources and civil liberties advocatesmonitoring the talks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303419.html?nav=rss_nation
=
[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:
-Plan Would Lift Saudi Oil Output to Highest Ever
Saudi Arabia's plan to boost production next month was seen as a sign thatthe Saudis are nervous about the political and economic effect of high oilprices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/business/14oil.html?hp
-In Midwest, Rising Waters and Fears of Worse
Continued flooding has raised the prospect of a year like 1993, when therewas widespread misery and an economic cost of $20 billion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14midwest.html?hp
-Tim Russert, 58, NBC's Face of Politics, Dies
Mr. Russert, moderator of "Meet the Press," was a fixture on television onSunday mornings and election nights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/business/media/14russert.html?hp
-A Moment of Clarity in Baghdad
As the Bush administration pushes for a legal agreement to extend theAmerican military presence in Iraq, the Iraqis are pushing back. That is apositive sign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/opinion/14sat1.html?ref=opinion
-Courting Conflict
Judges must be impartial - in both appearance and reality - so federal lawsensibly requires that they disqualify themselves from cases if they ownstock in a company that is a party in the matter. It would be best if alljudges ordered their investments to avoid conflicts. But the issue is mostacute for Supreme Court justices, who cannot be replaced by another jurist.
When Supreme Court justices recuse themselves, they risk altering importantdecisions and blocking the court from doing its job.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/opinion/14sat2.html?ref=opinion
-Taliban Free 1,200 in Attack on Afghan Prison
In a brazen attack, Taliban fighters assaulted the main prison in thesouthern Afghan city of Kandahar on Friday night, blowing up the mud walls,killing 15 guards and freeing around 1,200 inmates. Among the escapees wereabout 350 Taliban members, including commanders, would-be suicide bombersand assassins, said Ahmed Wali Karzai, the head of Kandahar's provincialcouncil and a brother of President Hamid Karzai. "It is very dangerous forsecurity. They are the most experienced killers and they all managed toescape," he said by telephone from Kandahar. A Taliban spokesman, QariYousuf Ahmadi, said that the attack was carried out by 30 insurgents onmotorbikes and two suicide bombers, and that they had freed about 400Taliban members, The Associated Press reported.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/world/asia/14kandahar.html?hp
-Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says
From "Scarface" to "Miami Vice," Florida's drug problem has been portrayedas the story of a single narcotic: cocaine. But for Floridians, prescriptiondrugs are increasingly a far more lethal habit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14florida.html
-China Increases Lead as Biggest Carbon Dioxide Emitter
China has clearly overtaken the United States as the world's leading emitterof carbon dioxide, the main heat-trapping gas, a new study has found, itsemissions increasing 8 percent in 2007. The Chinese increase accounted fortwo-thirds of the growth in the year's global greenhouse gas emissions, thestudy found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/world/asia/14china.html
-Campaigns Unable to Agree on Series of Meetings
In almost every campaign appearance this week, Senator John McCain has beenleaning on Senator Barack Obama to accept his offer to engage in a series of10 one-on-one town-hall-style meetings, a format that worked well for Mr.McCain in the primaries.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/politics/14campaign.html
-Justices Come Under Election-Year Spotlight
Thanks in no small part to Justice Antonin Scalia's dire warning thatgranting Guantánamo detainees access to habeas corpus "will almost certainlycause more Americans to be killed," the Supreme Court finds itself on theverge of becoming something that it has not been for many election cycles -a campaign issue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/14/us/14assess.html?scp=7&sq=GAY&st=nyt
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-A Marriage Form Will Just Be Icing On Our Cake
I have an elaborate fantasy about the morning of my wedding day. It will bea cool summer morning, a weekday. At breakfast, our 8-year-old, Jacob, won'tcomplain that food is getting stuck in his brand-new braces. When Ruth, 4,puts on her own shoes, she'll get the right shoe on the right foot. Ellenwill unlock the garage and arrange all our bikes in the driveway. We'll ridethe five miles down to the Alameda County clerk's office. The kids will getrestless waiting out in the hall. Finally, some random person in the clerk'soffice will be ready for us. She'll be a little bored because she hasmarried so many other gay couples in the past few weeks. She won't care thatEllen and I are wearing shorts and T-shirts. Ellen will write a check. Theclerk will fill out some forms.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303172.html
-GAY MARRIAGE: Calif. Episcopal Dioceses Split on Issue
As California clerks prepare to issue civil marriage licenses to same-sexcouples starting Tuesday, some Episcopal dioceses say they will marry gaysand lesbians, while others are urging caution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303289.html
-The New 'I Do'
The Way We're Handling It Is Pretty Half-Baked
Hold the champagne. Or at least the California sparkling wine. This weekshould be a joyous one for those of us who believe in the right to marry theperson you love. A month after the California Supreme Court overturned thestate's ban on same-sex marriage, gay couples will be able to walk intocounty offices here and secure the same marriage license to whichheterosexual couples such as my wife and I are entitled.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303174.html
-What We'll Miss by David S. Broder
Tim was one of the most fearless journalists in the business and a generousfriend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303391.html
-Seoul's Beef Beef
The Bush administration and Congress must rescue free trade with SouthKorea. There is no reason for South Koreans to fear beef from the UnitedStates. Seoul banned it five years ago after U.S. officials confirmed a caseof mad-cow disease in an American herd. But the health risk, never great,has long since faded; Americans have been consuming meat with nomad-cow-related problems, and the World Organization for Animal Healthdeclared U.S. beef fit for consumption last September. This fulfilledSeoul's final condition for lifting the ban, and, in April, newly electedPresident Lee Myung-bak announced that it would indeed end.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303223.html
-Countrywide Gave Special Attention To Lawmakers
Lender's Chief Executive Offered Incentives to VIPs
In 2004, Sen. Kent Conrad was hunting for a lender for a $1.07 millionmortgage on his vacation home in Bethany Beach, Del., when an old friendhanded him the phone number of Angelo Mozilo.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303738.html?hpid=topnews
-Seeking Common Ground in Faith
Area Jews and Muslims Are Pioneers in Nationwide Effort
For the first time in five Sundays of gatherings, the small group ofWashington area Muslims and Jews around the fireside table seemed like itwas about to move from polite chat on religious history to somethingunavoidably combustible: Zionism.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303284.html?hpid=topnews
-I'm Not Anti-Islam; Islam is Anti-Me'
Sally Quinn Interview | VIDEO: Ayaan Hirsi Ali explains why she left Islamand became an atheist.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/04/16/VI2008041602291.html
-Critics Study Possible Limits to Habeas Corpus Ruling
Affirming Right to Challenge Detention Is Considered by Some a Taking ofFederal Power
The White House and allies in Congress have begun exploring how to limit thescope of this week's Supreme Court ruling that says suspected terroristsheld at Guantanamo Bay have the right to challenge their detentions infederal court.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303462.html?hpid=sec-nation
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CUBA: Cuba 'chokes' dissident support
The Cuban government is putting the squeeze on dissidents, citing Bushadministration rules to keep them from receiving aid from U.S. groups.
Apparently abusing Bush administration rules that restrict who can sendmoney to the island, the Cuban government is cutting off resources to humanrights activists who had been receiving cash from exile groups in Miami.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/570022.html
-Even the playing field for women By ELLEN GOODMAN
So is the glass half full or half empty? Or to pick a better metaphor, isthe ''highest, hardest'' glass ceiling now half shattered by the 18 millioncracks, or does it look as impermeable as ever after this unsuccessfulbattering? [...] Mourning is not too strong a word to describe what I'vebeen hearing in the last few days. No sooner had the speech ended than aHillary fundraiser received an e-mail from the Democratic National Committeeasking her to raise money for Barack Obama. She said, tersely, they didn'teven wait for the body to cool. The next day, with Hillary waving goodbye onThe New York Times' Page 1, there was an article on Michelle Obama's clothesin the Styles section. Back to the first lady beat, sighed a reader.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/570035.html
-Pay attention to Pakistan
The most urgent foreign policy problem that the next U.S. president willface won't be Iraq. Nor will it be Iran. The next terrorist attack onAmerica is likely to originate, according to the top U.S. militarycommander, Adm. Mike Mullen, in a place you've probably never heard of: theFATA. That's the acronym for the Federally Ad ministered Tribal Areas ofnorthern Pakistan.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/570034.html
-Obama considering overseas tour
To bolster his credibility on foreign policy, Sen. Barack Obama may visitseveral countries this summer, his advisors said. Sen. Barack Obama maydepart this summer from his road warrior tour of election battlegroundstates to take a trip around the world, one intended to shore up hiscredentials on foreign policy. With a foreign trip under discussion in theObama camp, any itinerary almost certainly would include a stop in Iraq. That would be his first trip to the war zone since early 2006. It would bedesigned to answer Republican presidential candidate John McCain's criticismthat anti-war Obama can't talk credibly about withdrawing U.S. forces sincehe hasn't been on the ground there since the 2007 troop buildup brought somemilitary success.
http://www.miamiherald.com/campaign08/story/570009.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-U.S. Should Flunk Electoral College, Sen. Nelson Says
Saying the United States should "abolish this archaic way we electpresidents," Florida's Sen. Bill Nelson argued in a Tampa news conferenceFriday for eliminating the Electoral College. Inspired by the Floridafiascos in both the 2000 and this year's presidential primaries, Nelson saysit's time for presidential election changes both in primaries and in thegeneral election.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/14/na-us-should-flunk-electoral-college-sen-nelson-sa/?news-politics
-Lawmakers Near Deal On Surveillance Bill
Wiretap Orders Begin Expiring Soon
A bipartisan group of congressional negotiators neared a deal yesterday oncontroversial wiretapping legislation that could be unveiled as early asnext week, according to Capitol Hill sources and civil liberties advocatesmonitoring the talks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061303419.html?nav=rss_nation
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 14, 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:
-Obama campaign begins massive Florida mobilization this weekend
They're coming from all over the country, lured by their faith in BarackObama, to spend a weekend in Tamarac, then six weeks bringing the Obamamessage to Floridians. It's part of a massive mobilization of volunteersfor Obama's campaign throughout the nation. The 3,600 volunteers - thecampaign calls them "fellows" - include 400 in the key battleground state ofFlorida.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbobama0614sbjun14,0,7601364.story
-Troubled group home in Lauderhill shuts down abruptly
A Lauderhill group home for troubled teenage boys abruptly shut down Fridayafternoon, just three weeks after a court-appointed investigator concludedthat the residents faced "insurmountable safety concerns." Impact CommunityServices closed its group home with less than three hours warning, leavingblindsided child welfare officials scrambling to find spots in the fostercare system for the eight boys at the facility.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbimpact0614sbjun14,0,4215293.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Senate Bill 1706 invites so much mischief from South Florida countycommissions that it makes one's head spin. Representing itself as a growthmanagement bill, SB 1706 instead has two noxious provisions that wouldundermine local and state oversight of large developments. One provisionwould allow counties with more than 1.25 million residents to exempt landfrom the Development of Regional Impact process. Only three countiesqualify -- Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. With this provision the threecounty commissions could by a simple resolution open up sites to massiveprojects without either state approval or regional planning councilscrutiny. State law deems DRIs to be so large that they have substantialimpact on the health, safety and welfare of residents in more than onecounty, according to the Florida League of Counties, which opposes thisbill. Under the exemption, a DRI could get the green light without firstsubmitting traffic-impact studies, an evaluation of hurricane evacuationtimes, etc.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/570029.html
-SEVEN MILE BRIDGE: State bans fishing on old Seven Mile Bridge
While the old Seven Mile Bridge renovation project has been stalled for sixyears, the steel structure keeps deteriorating and is now deemed unsafe forfishing.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/569958.html
=
Sol Theatre Project
http://www.SolTheatre.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
Ft. Lauderdale: Sol Theatre Project
Award winning play - Today (Sat.) & Monday
WHY WE HAVE A BODY by Claire Chafee
...reinvent what it means to be a woman...
Lili is a lesbian and private investigator specializing in divorce cases.
Renee, an effervescent paleontologist is recently separated from herhusband, and forms a relationship with Lili. Mary, Lili's sister, is awistful drifter who robs convenience stores, tends towards psychosis, andhas a Joan of Arc complex. Eleanor, Lili and Mary's mother, lectures andconjectures about the female brain while exploring jungle relics, and herown past, in far away lands. These four women desperately try to unearththe lives they want to lead, instead of the ones they feel forced to live.
Each woman forges a unique path, attempting to understand her past, whilewrestling with the possibilities of her future.
For reservations email: sol_theatre@comcast.net
Box Office: 954-801-9207
Website: http://www.SolTheatre.com
Sol Theatre Project, Inc.
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304
=
Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
merajner@gmail.com
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-When out this weekend, please pick up a copy of BUZZ Magazine. This week'sissue of BUZZ Magazine will include the first of my weekly South FloridaCommunity Columns. In this week's column, I feature the TransgenderEquality Rights Initiatives (TERI) and the role this incredible group playedto help broaden protections under Broward County's Human Rights Ordinance.
[....] To view the column on-line, visit:
http://www.thebuzzmag.com/sfissue_images/viewer.php
With you in the fight!
Michael Emanuel Rajner
954 272-8131 Fort Lauderdale
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Democrats can swoop in and dash GOP hopes
In any other year, Democrats in Florida might be accused of beingdelusional. But this is not just another year. Gasoline may soon cost fivebucks a gallon. Florida has the nation's second-highest rate of homeforeclosures. Even unemployment, rarely a problem here, is going up.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article623652.ece
=
[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:
-Obama campaign begins massive Florida mobilization this weekend
They're coming from all over the country, lured by their faith in BarackObama, to spend a weekend in Tamarac, then six weeks bringing the Obamamessage to Floridians. It's part of a massive mobilization of volunteersfor Obama's campaign throughout the nation. The 3,600 volunteers - thecampaign calls them "fellows" - include 400 in the key battleground state ofFlorida.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbobama0614sbjun14,0,7601364.story
-Troubled group home in Lauderhill shuts down abruptly
A Lauderhill group home for troubled teenage boys abruptly shut down Fridayafternoon, just three weeks after a court-appointed investigator concludedthat the residents faced "insurmountable safety concerns." Impact CommunityServices closed its group home with less than three hours warning, leavingblindsided child welfare officials scrambling to find spots in the fostercare system for the eight boys at the facility.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbimpact0614sbjun14,0,4215293.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Senate Bill 1706 invites so much mischief from South Florida countycommissions that it makes one's head spin. Representing itself as a growthmanagement bill, SB 1706 instead has two noxious provisions that wouldundermine local and state oversight of large developments. One provisionwould allow counties with more than 1.25 million residents to exempt landfrom the Development of Regional Impact process. Only three countiesqualify -- Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach. With this provision the threecounty commissions could by a simple resolution open up sites to massiveprojects without either state approval or regional planning councilscrutiny. State law deems DRIs to be so large that they have substantialimpact on the health, safety and welfare of residents in more than onecounty, according to the Florida League of Counties, which opposes thisbill. Under the exemption, a DRI could get the green light without firstsubmitting traffic-impact studies, an evaluation of hurricane evacuationtimes, etc.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/570029.html
-SEVEN MILE BRIDGE: State bans fishing on old Seven Mile Bridge
While the old Seven Mile Bridge renovation project has been stalled for sixyears, the steel structure keeps deteriorating and is now deemed unsafe forfishing.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/569958.html
=
Sol Theatre Project
http://www.SolTheatre.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
Ft. Lauderdale: Sol Theatre Project
Award winning play - Today (Sat.) & Monday
WHY WE HAVE A BODY by Claire Chafee
...reinvent what it means to be a woman...
Lili is a lesbian and private investigator specializing in divorce cases.
Renee, an effervescent paleontologist is recently separated from herhusband, and forms a relationship with Lili. Mary, Lili's sister, is awistful drifter who robs convenience stores, tends towards psychosis, andhas a Joan of Arc complex. Eleanor, Lili and Mary's mother, lectures andconjectures about the female brain while exploring jungle relics, and herown past, in far away lands. These four women desperately try to unearththe lives they want to lead, instead of the ones they feel forced to live.
Each woman forges a unique path, attempting to understand her past, whilewrestling with the possibilities of her future.
For reservations email: sol_theatre@comcast.net
Box Office: 954-801-9207
Website: http://www.SolTheatre.com
Sol Theatre Project, Inc.
1140 N. Flagler Drive
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304
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Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
merajner@gmail.com
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-When out this weekend, please pick up a copy of BUZZ Magazine. This week'sissue of BUZZ Magazine will include the first of my weekly South FloridaCommunity Columns. In this week's column, I feature the TransgenderEquality Rights Initiatives (TERI) and the role this incredible group playedto help broaden protections under Broward County's Human Rights Ordinance.
[....] To view the column on-line, visit:
http://www.thebuzzmag.com/sfissue_images/viewer.php
With you in the fight!
Michael Emanuel Rajner
954 272-8131 Fort Lauderdale
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Democrats can swoop in and dash GOP hopes
In any other year, Democrats in Florida might be accused of beingdelusional. But this is not just another year. Gasoline may soon cost fivebucks a gallon. Florida has the nation's second-highest rate of homeforeclosures. Even unemployment, rarely a problem here, is going up.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article623652.ece
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Friday, June 13, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - June 13, 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:
-Massachusetts: Governor’s Daughter Announces She Is a Lesbian
The youngest daughter of Gov. Deval Patrick said in an interview that shewas gay, and that she came out to her parents after lawmakers voted to killa proposal that could have outlawed gay marriage in the state. The daughter,Katherine Patrick, 18, said her father responded to her announcement bygiving her a bear hug and saying, “Well, we love you no matter what.” Ms.Patrick made her revelation public in an interview with her family in BayWindows, a weekly Boston newspaper. The governor told the paper his familyagreed to the interview to make the news public on their own terms. Ms.Patrick said she told her father and her mother, Diane Patrick, of hersexual orientation on July 3, 2007, about three weeks after the legislaturerejected an amendment opposing same-sex marriage to the State Constitution. Mr. Patrick supports same-sex marriage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/13brfs-GOVERNORSDAU_BRF.html?_r=1&sq=gay&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=5&adxnnlx=1213366269-OVha1va1TRGrhJtDoNTrlw
-Three's A Charm? Gay California Couples Wed Again
For many California gays and lesbians, getting married is nothing new. They've done it more than once -- to the same person. But as the stateofficially begins marrying same-sex couples next week, old hands say eachtime is different. "How many times am I going to have to marry this woman
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-marriage-samesex.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay. Latino. 'Gaytino!'
Dan Guerrero owes an awful lot to a certain hot tub. The one at his spa,where he sat soaking when it came to him like divine inspiration: "Isuddenly thought 'Gaytino!' " he excitedly recalls. "I'm a gaytino. Hell!That's a good little phrase."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061201252.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Budapest Police Lift Gay Pride March Ban
Under international pressure Budapest's police chief Friday lifted a banimposed a day earlier on this year's Gay Pride parade.
-Campaign: Michelle Obama Never Used Word Whitey
The Barack Obama campaign said that Michelle Obama never used the word"whitey" in a speech from the church pulpit as it launched a Web site todebunk rumors about him and his wife.
-Fox News Accused Of Slurs Against Barack, Michelle Obama
Fox News Channel referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama" in agraphic on Wednesday, the latest in a trio of references to the Democraticpresidential campaign that have given fuel to network critics.
-3 Yr. Sentence In Gay Man's Death
A 19 year old man has been sentenced to three years in prison in death of agay man who was beaten outside a Greenville, South Carolina bar.
-Nashville Schools To Protect LGBT Students
Nashville's Metro School Board has unanimously approved changes to the codeof student conduct to protect students from discrimination based onsexuality and gender identity.
-NJ Town Ordered To Pay Gay Couple $2.84M In Harassment Case
A Secaucus gay couple who endured years of threats and harassment fromvolunteer firefighters have been awarded $2.84 million in a civil rightssuit against the town.
-Transgender Rights Spread, But Opposition Mounts
As more state and local governments extend anti-bias protections totransgender people, fierce opposition is surfacing.
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Forwarded by Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com
-Letters to the editor
'Ad resembles ... crazy missive'
Re "Battling for America's Soul," advertisement, June 5
I am extremely offended that The Times would choose to publish a two-pageadvertisement from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Familyand Property. Since when is intolerant hate speech appropriate in anewspaper advertisement? Would The Times consider running an anti-Jewish adfrom a neo-Nazi group, or an anti-African American ad from the Ku Klux Klan?From its condescending use of quotation marks in every mention of the wordssame-sex marriage to its dubious conclusion of religious persecution againstopponents of gay unions, the ad is a slap in the face to everyforward-thinking person, gay or straight, who reads it. How interesting thatthe wedding photo of the heterosexual couple featured in the ad shows themwith their eyes shut. The Op-Ed section is the appropriate place for publicdiscourse regarding same-sex marriage in California. I know the newspaperbusiness is tough nowadays, but please don't sell your soul to bigotry andintolerance.
Richard Waddleton Long Beach
[more letters follow]
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-wednesday11-2008jun11,0,218615.story
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Godless
This Father’s Day, one of most popular pastors in America will open hismegachurch to homosexual dads, an event that would usually signal an extremeweather alert from old guard Republican evangelical leaders.
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/godless/index.html?ref=opinion
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Groundbreaking gay grads
Gay high schoolers enter adulthood with hope, big dreams
Yanssen Borges Perreira, Michelle Chadwick, and Adam Brock each walked downthe aisles at their high school commencement ceremonies last week as out andproud members of the graduating Class of 2008.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4751.cfm
-Constitutional issue raised in R.I. gay divorce case
A Superior Court judge has refused to hear the divorce case of a lesbiancouple, but questioned whether the law that barred the women from endingtheir marriage unconstitutionally denied them a right enjoyed byheterosexual Rhode Islanders.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-12-ri-divorce_N.htm
-D.C. mayor orders review of gay marriage options
Calif. ruling prompts city to analyze legal position
Mayor Adrian Fenty said he has directed his interim attorney general, PeterNickles, to conduct a thorough review on what the city’s legal options mightbe if same-sex couples in D.C. go to California to marry and ask theDistrict government to recognize their marriages.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18870
-Poll: New Yorkers support Patterson's directive to recognize same-sex marriages
A majority of New Yorkers support Gov. David Paterson’s directive torecognize same-sex marriages in the state, but they also think Patersonshould have left the decision to the state Legislature, a poll found today.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080612/NEWS12/80612009
-Massachusetts: Governor Deval Patrick's 18-year-old daughter announced thismorning that she is a lesbian, calling it a source of pride that she isready to share with Massachusetts. "As private of an issue as it is, we'vesort of had to come to terms with the fact that we are a public family andthere you give a part of yourself away," Katherine Patrick told the gaynewspaper Bay Windows in an article published today. "And we also ... wantedpeople to know that it's not only something that we accept, but it'ssomething that we�re very proud of. It's a great aspect of our lives andthere's nothing about it that is shameful or that we would want to hide."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/06/governors_daugh.html
-Most Americans say government should let gays wed: USA Today
Over 60% favor same-sex marriage
Six in 10 Americans say the government shouldn’t regulate whether gays andlesbians can marry whom they choose, USA Today reported last week, citing aGallup Poll the paper co-conducted. It found that 63 percent of adults saysame-sex marriage is “strictly a private decision” between two people. Thatthe government has the right “to prohibit or allow” such marriages wasagreed to by 33 percent of responders. Another 4 percent had no opinion. Majorities agreeing same-sex marriage should be private crossed level ofeducation, income and regional brackets. The poll also found that 97 percentsaid people of different religions should be allowed to wed; 95 percentfavored interracial marriages; 63 percent favored same-sex marriages; 30percent favored polygamy; and 18 percent marriages where one or both wereunder age 16.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/national/4758.cfm
-PFLAG demonstrates at ex-gay conference
Church in Orlando site of "Love Won Out"
About 30 members of PFLAG organizations from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, andSouth Carolina, including members of the national board, peacefullydemonstrated in front of an Orlando church where Love Won Out, an ex-gayconference, was held June 7.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/national/4753.cfm
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- Gay Couple Turned Away From Volunteer Work
When a gay couple tried to give back to their small town's local church,they were met with hate. Now the two are testing the waters of Washingtonstate's antidiscrimination policy, to see how it truly holds up.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid55334.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:
-University Researcher Says Gay Communities on the Decline
The face of the gay community worldwide may be changing, according to aUniversity researcher's recently released study. Epidemiology professorSimon Rosser said he learned that "while the gay population is stable orincreasing," in all but the world's largest cities, "the size of thephysical gay community appears to be contracting." This means the number ofgay bars, clubs and bookstores appears to be thinning or becoming moremainstream.
-Our House: Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents
If Lifetime is looking for story ideas for movies, there are five good onesin Meema Spadola's Our House: Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents. Aside fromoriginally giving it an even more unwieldy subtitle ( A Very RealDocumentary about Kids of Gay/Lesbian Parents ) , the filmmaker has doneeverything right in showing five diverse families, their common thread beingthat the children have lesbian or gay parents. Even for the kids who arecool with their situation, having queer parents adds another level ofdifficulty to the already tough task of growing up. But most are copingwell—or manage to fake it for Spadola's camera—as it captures moments fromtheir lives, at home and away, filling in more details through interviews.
-Gay Candidates Win Primaries, Including South Carolina Congressional Race
Two Victory-endorsed candidates won their primaries last night, including aCongressional race in South Carolina. Linda Ketner and Larry Bliss bothdefeated their opponents by margins of 30 percent or more. Linda Ketner wonher primary in a race to represent South Carolina’s first Congressionaldistrict. By a margin of 65 percent to 35 percent, Ketner defeated fellowDemocrat Ben Frasier.
-Sentenced to 3 Years For Killing Man With Punch
A South Carolina man has been sentenced to three years in prison in thedeath of an openly gay man outside a Greenville bar. An attorney for19-year-old Stephen Andrew Moller said his client pleaded guilty and wassentenced Wednesday in the May 2007 death of 20-year-old Sean WilliamKennedy.
-Seniors Can Keep Their Minds Young Playing Video Games
Who would have thought that gunning down kamikaze pilots could keep youyoung? That's the finding of a new University of Florida study that showsthat playing video games helps senior citizens stay mentally alert. But youdon't have to tell that to residents of the Weinberg Village retirement homein Citrus Park, Fla., who are proving that conquering enemies in "Age ofEmpires" or "Medal of Honor" is no longer the domain of the young.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-California is known as a friendly destination for gay travelers, and withthe state due to sanction same-sex weddings next week, it's really rollingout the welcome mat. The California Travel and Tourism Commission websiteis howcasing four dozen wedding locales and packages for gay honeymooners. ...] "There is no doubt that same-sex marriage and vacations toCalifornia will be good for the economy," tourism commission exec SusanWilcox said in a statement. Information on hotel packages and weddingsites — more are being added — is posted at visitcalifornia.com/lgbt.
-A ruling yesterday by Providence, Rhode Island, Superior Court Justice Patricia A. Hurst should sound a cautionary note for same-sex couples fromaround the country (or the world, for that matter) planning to go toCalifornia to get married beginning next week. Of course, folkscontemplating marriage full intend and hope that their union will bepermanent -- "until death do us part," as they say -- but a little realismsuggests that some portion of those blissful unions will turn out to be notquite as blissful as anticipated, and the ability to dissolve the legalbond, distribute the property, etc., will become relevant some day to someportion of those who will be marrying.
-Opponents of same-sex marriage asked the California Court of Appeal todayto put on hold a ruling that permits gays to marry next week, a move thatsupporters of the ruling quickly belittled as frivolous and certain to fail. The California Supreme Court, which approved same-sex nuptials in a historicruling May 15, already has refused to delay the effective date of itsdecision. Opponents wanted the court to postpone the ruling's effect untilafter a November ballot initiative to limit marriage to opposite-sexcouples. The ruling becomes law June 16 at 5 p.m.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-EU will include sexual orientation in discrimination directive
The European Commission has announced that disability, sexual orientation,religion or belief and age will be included in a new directive ondiscrimination.
-Northern Ireland gay groups to be honoured at Stormont reception
A Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly is to host a receptionfor gay rights groups at Parliament Buildings.
-Swedish "prince" accused of faking gay relationship
Gerard Bernadotte, the so called 'fake' Prince, is being sued by Lufthansaairlines for allegedly pretending to be in a gay relationship with flightattendants in order to qualify for reduced airfares.
-Police will allow Budapest Pride to go ahead along planned route
The chief of police in the Hungarian capital Budapest has agreed to let aPride march take place along its original route. Yesterday he facedinternational condemnation when he attempted to ban the event.
-Gay rugby world cup kicks off in Dublin
The Bingham Cup started in Dublin today with 32 teams competing for thebiggest prize in gay rugby. London team Kings Cross Steelers will take on opponents such as theNashville Grizzlies.
-New York turns to online video to promote safer sex
As HIV infections continue to rise in some sectors of New York's gaycommunity, NYU and Public Health Solutions this week debuted an innovativenew tool.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CA: Gay Unions Get Early Start
By Bobby Caina Calvan | Sacramento Bee
Yolo County will begin marrying same-sex couples the minute it is legal – atthe stroke of 5 o’clock Monday afternoon. Clerk-Recorder Freddie Oakley willclose her office for about an hour Monday afternoon so staff can loadgender-neutral marriage forms into county computer systems. Then, at 5 p.m.,she’ll start performing weddings for at least seven couples. “This is a bigevent for them, and we’re extending our hours to accommodate them,” saidBarbara Patenaude, Yolo County’s chief deputy clerk/recorder.
-Two Courts Go In Opposite Directions on ‘DADT’
By Eric Resnick | Gay People’s Chronicle
Boston–Two federal circuit courts have come to different conclusions about“don’t ask, don’t tell” in the last month, making a Supreme Court showdownmore likely if the law is not repealed first. The First Circuit Court ofAppeals in Boston upheld the measure this week, disagreeing with a NinthCircuit ruling that the military ban on open gays and lesbians may no longermeet constitutional muster since the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws. The Ninth Circuit’s May 22 opinion says the military must prove thatallowing openly gay and lesbian servicemembers is bad for morale and unitcohesion, and that the standard of proof was set very high by the top court’s2003 Lawrence v. Texas ruling. The Lawrence decision declared sexualactivity between consenting adults of the same sex “private,constitutionally protected conduct.”
-Two Ohio Lawmakers Join New LGBT Equality Caucus
By Eric Resnick | Gay People’s Chronicle
Washington, D.C.–Two Ohio lawmakers are among the charter members of a Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus formed last week. Reps. Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland and Betty Sutton of Akron, both Democrats, have joined in the venture led by openly lesbian and gay Reps. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Barney Frank of Massachusetts with 61 others, including two Republicans. The caucus was launched on June 4. Baldwin spokesperson Jerilyn Goodman said that members of the caucus will work on educating other House members on issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. Goodman said Baldwin has wanted to organize such a group for years, but the opportunity to do it came this session after the votes on hate crime legislation in May 2007 and on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in October.
-62% of RX Drugs Purchased On-Line are Fake: StudyPharma Times
62% of medicines purchased on-line are fake or substandard, and theseinclude drugs used in the treatment of serious conditions such ascardiovascular and respiratory diseases, neurological disorders and mentalhealth conditions, according to new research presented this month at theGlobal Forum on Pharmaceutical AntiCounterfeiting in Washington, DC.
-Transgender Rights Law Spread, Not Always Calmly
By David Crary | Associated Press Writer | Seattle Post Intellegencer
NEW YORK — As more state and local governments extend anti-bias protectionsto transgender people, fierce opposition is surfacing. In Colorado,conservatives contend a new state law will enable sexual predators tofrequent women’s bathrooms; in Maryland a “Not My Shower” campaign seeks tooverturn a comparable county law. Though frustrated by the resistance, andinsistent that the alarms are unfounded, transgender-rights activists areheartened by an overall trend toward greater protection under the law. Inthe past 15 years, 13 states and more than 90 cities and counties - home toroughly 40 percent of the U.S. population - have passed measures banningvarious types of discrimination against transgender people.
Equality Forum Announces 31 Icons for GLBT Month 2008 in October
Georgina Beyer Mark Bingham
Margarethe Cammermeyer Rachel Carson
Bertrand Delanoe Melissa Etheridge
Harvey Fierstein E.M. Forster
Allen Ginsburg Philip Johnson
Bill T. Jones Cleve Jones
Sheila Kuehl Tony Kushner
Greg Louganis Robert Mapplethorpe
Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon Margaret Mead
Michelangelo Rosie O’Donnell
Troy Perry Gene Robinson
Anthony Romero Randy Shilts
Stephen Sondheim Gianni Versace
Alice Walker Andy Warhol
John Waters Jann Wenner
Tennessee Williams
“From Renaissance artist Michelangelo to environmental pioneer RachelCarson, the 31 Icons for 2008 combined with the 62 Icons for GLBT HistoryMonth 2006 and 2007, are extraordinarily impressive,” stated Malcolm Lazin,Executive Director, Equality Forum. Each day in October 2008, an Icon isfeatured with a video, biography, bibliography and other educationalresources. The resources for GLBT History Month 2008 Icons will be availablein October at www.glbtHistoryMonth.com. Educational resources for 2006 and2007 Icons are archived on the site. GLBT History Month Icon videos areexpected to be broadcast on Logo and here! and streamed on major gayportals. The videos are offered without charge to educational nstitutions,nonprofit organizations, for profit companies and the public.
-MI: Grand Rapids Kicks Off Pride with An Eye-Opening Film
by Sarah Mieras - Between The Lines News
Pride month in Michigan’s second largest city was ushered in with the publicviewing of the touching documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So” and a paneldiscussion. Sponsored by the Triangle Foundation, the film played to anearly full house at the Wealthy Street Theater on June 4. The 2007Sundance-nominated film was produced and directed by Daniel Karslake, andaims to illuminate the effects homophobia has on real people, while gentlycombating anti-gay Christian messages through a mix of interviews,animation, expert testimony and personal life stories.
-MI: K-Zoo Pride to Take Over Downtown
by Sarah Mieras | Pride Source
The Kalamazoo LGBT community is stepping into the spotlight with its firstdowntown Pride festival in recent memory on June 14. The “It’s A FamilyAffair” Pride festival is slated to rock the Arcadia Festival Site in thecenter of downtown Kalamazoo with live music, crafts for the kiddies, adoggy fashion show, drag show, and yes, a beer tent. Artists lined up forthe day include Grand Rapids’ lesbian folk rocker LVNMUZIQ, the Irishtraditional group Whiskey Before Breakfast and the R&B group The Movement.
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-IS ITALY GOING FASCIST?
Firebombings of unwanted gypsies and immigrants, rising gay-bashing,xenophobia and racism, and a hegemonic right against which a left incollapse can do little: our Rome correspondent, veteran ex-pat journalistJudy Harris, delivers exclusively for DIRELAND a dissection of the currentpolitical situation in Italy under hard-right billionaire Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi and whether or not the word "fascist" may be correctlyapplied to it. Fausto Bertinotti, former Speaker of the parliament andleader of the Rifondazione Comunista, has opened the debat e. Read thisLetter from Rome by clicking on:
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2008/06/is-italy-going.html
-Dublin's 25th Gay Pride opens tonight
Dublin's 25th Gay Pride festival opens tonight and will celebrate thechanges for the community over the last two decades. An 80s revival in TheGeorge on South Great Georges Street will open the 10-day fest, which isexpected to draw thousands of visitors to the city. Highlights include theDublin Pride Parade, to be held on June 21st to mark the Stonewall riots inNew York, a pride ceili, family sports day and night party. Some 10,000revellers are due to attend the parade, which is second in size only to thecapital's St Patrick's Day parade.
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Urgent Marriage Alert by Libby Post
Just when you thought it was safe to board a flight to California to say “Ido” the Radical Christian Right wing nuts have come out of their closet withthreats of lawsuits and radio attack ads. Reaching a quick fever pitch withan “Urgent Marriage Alert,” the National Organization for Marriage has an adrunning on a local talk radio across New York. It starts with “Grandma, myteacher says if grandpa was a girl it’s okay, you can still be married . . .” A young girl contends that Adam and Eve and, essentially, God, areold-fashioned and a boy asks if Dad married a man, who would be his mom? The announcer then steps in with an “Urgent Marriage Alert”—likes there’s aweather-system of same-sex marriage spreading across the nation underminingevery straight married couple out there. He tells listeners that New YorkGovernor David Paterson “just ordered state officials to use our tax dollarsto help same sex couples evade New York’s marriage laws.”
http://www.proudlyout.typepad.com/
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Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Office of Equal Opportunity Finds Palm Beach County School District
Discriminates Against Employees With Domestic Partners
The Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) issued two rulingsearlier this week finding that the School District of Palm Beach Countydiscriminated against employees with domestic partners by charging excessivehealth insurance premiums. The OEO also reinforced that the SchoolDistrict was subject to the County's Equal Employment Odinance. "Districtadministrators have been under the mistaken belief for years that they didnot have to comply with the county's equal employment ordiance," said RandHoch, President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. "Hopefullythese two rulings will now put an end to their discrimantory practices."
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For News And Commentary: - Ron Mills
http://www.RonMills.us
-Getting a Campaign Job
Are you currently looking for a job on a campaign? Is your campaign readyto start hiring staff? Staffing can be a very frustrating experience forboth job seekers and campaign staffers. On June 25th DFA Night School isteaming up with Democratic GAIN to help you find the right campaign orstaffer for you or your campaign. Democratic GAIN is the premiere onlineclearinghouse for Campaigns looking to hire staff and activists looking forjobs. Democratic GAIN President Amy Pritchard will join us for an hour longdiscussion on the do's and don'ts of searching for the right campaign job.
http://democracyforamerica.com/events/29399-dfa-night-school-getting-a-campaign-job
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Homophobia exists in all countries, but also manifests itself in differentways. In most the past soviet union countries (because of certain historicalevents and cultural traditions), homophobia, even if it seems imperceptible,is part of the social order. An exception of Belarus, where homophobia is apolitical question also. In Belarus, homophobia has long been a casualnature. Jokes about the gays and insults, after a load, steel,unfortunately, an integral part of our lives. Homosexuals if suddenly becomeaware of their orientation, can be beaten, to dismiss work, to hunt down atthe university.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-What Women Want (Maybe)
LADIES! Behold the splendor of the nude male form: sleek and powerful, amiracle of sculpted sinew, striding confidently across the sand orstretching out before you in ever-uncoiling glory. On second thought,perhaps you'd prefer not to. So say scientists at the frontiers of researchon the eternal question of what women find erotic, the latest answer towhich seems to be: not naked guys, or at least not simply naked guys. "Forheterosexual women," a researcher, Meredith Chivers, says in a newdocumentary about bisexuality called "Bi the Way," which was shown at theNewFest film festival in New York last Friday, "looking at a naked manwalking on the beach is about as exciting as looking at landscapes."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12bisex.html?ref=fashion&pagewanted=all
-Please share this information with New York State residents
New York Governor David Paterson has opened a phone line to determine howmuch support there is for his directive to recognize same-sex marriages fromother states and countries. The call is simple and takes about 5 seconds.
Call: 1-518-474-8390
Here's what happens:
Person on the Other End of the Phone: "Executive Chamber, may I help you?"
You: "I want to voice my support for Governor Paterson's same-sex marriagedirective."
POTOEOTP: "OK, what's your New York zip code?"
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Evangelicals rethink views on gays
Can the terms gay and evangelical coexist? More evangelical Christians aretrying to grapple with homosexuality without straying from traditionallyheld views that same-sex relationships violate God's word. A privateconversation between leaders of a gay-rights advocacy group called Soulforceand Willow Creek Community Church last Sunday could mark a significantturning point.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-seekerbox_13jun13,0,4891181.story
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[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:
-Massachusetts: Governor’s Daughter Announces She Is a Lesbian
The youngest daughter of Gov. Deval Patrick said in an interview that shewas gay, and that she came out to her parents after lawmakers voted to killa proposal that could have outlawed gay marriage in the state. The daughter,Katherine Patrick, 18, said her father responded to her announcement bygiving her a bear hug and saying, “Well, we love you no matter what.” Ms.Patrick made her revelation public in an interview with her family in BayWindows, a weekly Boston newspaper. The governor told the paper his familyagreed to the interview to make the news public on their own terms. Ms.Patrick said she told her father and her mother, Diane Patrick, of hersexual orientation on July 3, 2007, about three weeks after the legislaturerejected an amendment opposing same-sex marriage to the State Constitution. Mr. Patrick supports same-sex marriage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/13brfs-GOVERNORSDAU_BRF.html?_r=1&sq=gay&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=5&adxnnlx=1213366269-OVha1va1TRGrhJtDoNTrlw
-Three's A Charm? Gay California Couples Wed Again
For many California gays and lesbians, getting married is nothing new. They've done it more than once -- to the same person. But as the stateofficially begins marrying same-sex couples next week, old hands say eachtime is different. "How many times am I going to have to marry this woman
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-marriage-samesex.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay. Latino. 'Gaytino!'
Dan Guerrero owes an awful lot to a certain hot tub. The one at his spa,where he sat soaking when it came to him like divine inspiration: "Isuddenly thought 'Gaytino!' " he excitedly recalls. "I'm a gaytino. Hell!That's a good little phrase."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061201252.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Budapest Police Lift Gay Pride March Ban
Under international pressure Budapest's police chief Friday lifted a banimposed a day earlier on this year's Gay Pride parade.
-Campaign: Michelle Obama Never Used Word Whitey
The Barack Obama campaign said that Michelle Obama never used the word"whitey" in a speech from the church pulpit as it launched a Web site todebunk rumors about him and his wife.
-Fox News Accused Of Slurs Against Barack, Michelle Obama
Fox News Channel referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama" in agraphic on Wednesday, the latest in a trio of references to the Democraticpresidential campaign that have given fuel to network critics.
-3 Yr. Sentence In Gay Man's Death
A 19 year old man has been sentenced to three years in prison in death of agay man who was beaten outside a Greenville, South Carolina bar.
-Nashville Schools To Protect LGBT Students
Nashville's Metro School Board has unanimously approved changes to the codeof student conduct to protect students from discrimination based onsexuality and gender identity.
-NJ Town Ordered To Pay Gay Couple $2.84M In Harassment Case
A Secaucus gay couple who endured years of threats and harassment fromvolunteer firefighters have been awarded $2.84 million in a civil rightssuit against the town.
-Transgender Rights Spread, But Opposition Mounts
As more state and local governments extend anti-bias protections totransgender people, fierce opposition is surfacing.
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Forwarded by Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com
-Letters to the editor
'Ad resembles ... crazy missive'
Re "Battling for America's Soul," advertisement, June 5
I am extremely offended that The Times would choose to publish a two-pageadvertisement from the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Familyand Property. Since when is intolerant hate speech appropriate in anewspaper advertisement? Would The Times consider running an anti-Jewish adfrom a neo-Nazi group, or an anti-African American ad from the Ku Klux Klan?From its condescending use of quotation marks in every mention of the wordssame-sex marriage to its dubious conclusion of religious persecution againstopponents of gay unions, the ad is a slap in the face to everyforward-thinking person, gay or straight, who reads it. How interesting thatthe wedding photo of the heterosexual couple featured in the ad shows themwith their eyes shut. The Op-Ed section is the appropriate place for publicdiscourse regarding same-sex marriage in California. I know the newspaperbusiness is tough nowadays, but please don't sell your soul to bigotry andintolerance.
Richard Waddleton Long Beach
[more letters follow]
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-wednesday11-2008jun11,0,218615.story
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Godless
This Father’s Day, one of most popular pastors in America will open hismegachurch to homosexual dads, an event that would usually signal an extremeweather alert from old guard Republican evangelical leaders.
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/godless/index.html?ref=opinion
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Groundbreaking gay grads
Gay high schoolers enter adulthood with hope, big dreams
Yanssen Borges Perreira, Michelle Chadwick, and Adam Brock each walked downthe aisles at their high school commencement ceremonies last week as out andproud members of the graduating Class of 2008.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4751.cfm
-Constitutional issue raised in R.I. gay divorce case
A Superior Court judge has refused to hear the divorce case of a lesbiancouple, but questioned whether the law that barred the women from endingtheir marriage unconstitutionally denied them a right enjoyed byheterosexual Rhode Islanders.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-12-ri-divorce_N.htm
-D.C. mayor orders review of gay marriage options
Calif. ruling prompts city to analyze legal position
Mayor Adrian Fenty said he has directed his interim attorney general, PeterNickles, to conduct a thorough review on what the city’s legal options mightbe if same-sex couples in D.C. go to California to marry and ask theDistrict government to recognize their marriages.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18870
-Poll: New Yorkers support Patterson's directive to recognize same-sex marriages
A majority of New Yorkers support Gov. David Paterson’s directive torecognize same-sex marriages in the state, but they also think Patersonshould have left the decision to the state Legislature, a poll found today.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080612/NEWS12/80612009
-Massachusetts: Governor Deval Patrick's 18-year-old daughter announced thismorning that she is a lesbian, calling it a source of pride that she isready to share with Massachusetts. "As private of an issue as it is, we'vesort of had to come to terms with the fact that we are a public family andthere you give a part of yourself away," Katherine Patrick told the gaynewspaper Bay Windows in an article published today. "And we also ... wantedpeople to know that it's not only something that we accept, but it'ssomething that we�re very proud of. It's a great aspect of our lives andthere's nothing about it that is shameful or that we would want to hide."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/06/governors_daugh.html
-Most Americans say government should let gays wed: USA Today
Over 60% favor same-sex marriage
Six in 10 Americans say the government shouldn’t regulate whether gays andlesbians can marry whom they choose, USA Today reported last week, citing aGallup Poll the paper co-conducted. It found that 63 percent of adults saysame-sex marriage is “strictly a private decision” between two people. Thatthe government has the right “to prohibit or allow” such marriages wasagreed to by 33 percent of responders. Another 4 percent had no opinion. Majorities agreeing same-sex marriage should be private crossed level ofeducation, income and regional brackets. The poll also found that 97 percentsaid people of different religions should be allowed to wed; 95 percentfavored interracial marriages; 63 percent favored same-sex marriages; 30percent favored polygamy; and 18 percent marriages where one or both wereunder age 16.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/national/4758.cfm
-PFLAG demonstrates at ex-gay conference
Church in Orlando site of "Love Won Out"
About 30 members of PFLAG organizations from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, andSouth Carolina, including members of the national board, peacefullydemonstrated in front of an Orlando church where Love Won Out, an ex-gayconference, was held June 7.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/national/4753.cfm
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- Gay Couple Turned Away From Volunteer Work
When a gay couple tried to give back to their small town's local church,they were met with hate. Now the two are testing the waters of Washingtonstate's antidiscrimination policy, to see how it truly holds up.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid55334.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:
-University Researcher Says Gay Communities on the Decline
The face of the gay community worldwide may be changing, according to aUniversity researcher's recently released study. Epidemiology professorSimon Rosser said he learned that "while the gay population is stable orincreasing," in all but the world's largest cities, "the size of thephysical gay community appears to be contracting." This means the number ofgay bars, clubs and bookstores appears to be thinning or becoming moremainstream.
-Our House: Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents
If Lifetime is looking for story ideas for movies, there are five good onesin Meema Spadola's Our House: Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents. Aside fromoriginally giving it an even more unwieldy subtitle ( A Very RealDocumentary about Kids of Gay/Lesbian Parents ) , the filmmaker has doneeverything right in showing five diverse families, their common thread beingthat the children have lesbian or gay parents. Even for the kids who arecool with their situation, having queer parents adds another level ofdifficulty to the already tough task of growing up. But most are copingwell—or manage to fake it for Spadola's camera—as it captures moments fromtheir lives, at home and away, filling in more details through interviews.
-Gay Candidates Win Primaries, Including South Carolina Congressional Race
Two Victory-endorsed candidates won their primaries last night, including aCongressional race in South Carolina. Linda Ketner and Larry Bliss bothdefeated their opponents by margins of 30 percent or more. Linda Ketner wonher primary in a race to represent South Carolina’s first Congressionaldistrict. By a margin of 65 percent to 35 percent, Ketner defeated fellowDemocrat Ben Frasier.
-Sentenced to 3 Years For Killing Man With Punch
A South Carolina man has been sentenced to three years in prison in thedeath of an openly gay man outside a Greenville bar. An attorney for19-year-old Stephen Andrew Moller said his client pleaded guilty and wassentenced Wednesday in the May 2007 death of 20-year-old Sean WilliamKennedy.
-Seniors Can Keep Their Minds Young Playing Video Games
Who would have thought that gunning down kamikaze pilots could keep youyoung? That's the finding of a new University of Florida study that showsthat playing video games helps senior citizens stay mentally alert. But youdon't have to tell that to residents of the Weinberg Village retirement homein Citrus Park, Fla., who are proving that conquering enemies in "Age ofEmpires" or "Medal of Honor" is no longer the domain of the young.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-California is known as a friendly destination for gay travelers, and withthe state due to sanction same-sex weddings next week, it's really rollingout the welcome mat. The California Travel and Tourism Commission websiteis howcasing four dozen wedding locales and packages for gay honeymooners. ...] "There is no doubt that same-sex marriage and vacations toCalifornia will be good for the economy," tourism commission exec SusanWilcox said in a statement. Information on hotel packages and weddingsites — more are being added — is posted at visitcalifornia.com/lgbt.
-A ruling yesterday by Providence, Rhode Island, Superior Court Justice Patricia A. Hurst should sound a cautionary note for same-sex couples fromaround the country (or the world, for that matter) planning to go toCalifornia to get married beginning next week. Of course, folkscontemplating marriage full intend and hope that their union will bepermanent -- "until death do us part," as they say -- but a little realismsuggests that some portion of those blissful unions will turn out to be notquite as blissful as anticipated, and the ability to dissolve the legalbond, distribute the property, etc., will become relevant some day to someportion of those who will be marrying.
-Opponents of same-sex marriage asked the California Court of Appeal todayto put on hold a ruling that permits gays to marry next week, a move thatsupporters of the ruling quickly belittled as frivolous and certain to fail. The California Supreme Court, which approved same-sex nuptials in a historicruling May 15, already has refused to delay the effective date of itsdecision. Opponents wanted the court to postpone the ruling's effect untilafter a November ballot initiative to limit marriage to opposite-sexcouples. The ruling becomes law June 16 at 5 p.m.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-EU will include sexual orientation in discrimination directive
The European Commission has announced that disability, sexual orientation,religion or belief and age will be included in a new directive ondiscrimination.
-Northern Ireland gay groups to be honoured at Stormont reception
A Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly is to host a receptionfor gay rights groups at Parliament Buildings.
-Swedish "prince" accused of faking gay relationship
Gerard Bernadotte, the so called 'fake' Prince, is being sued by Lufthansaairlines for allegedly pretending to be in a gay relationship with flightattendants in order to qualify for reduced airfares.
-Police will allow Budapest Pride to go ahead along planned route
The chief of police in the Hungarian capital Budapest has agreed to let aPride march take place along its original route. Yesterday he facedinternational condemnation when he attempted to ban the event.
-Gay rugby world cup kicks off in Dublin
The Bingham Cup started in Dublin today with 32 teams competing for thebiggest prize in gay rugby. London team Kings Cross Steelers will take on opponents such as theNashville Grizzlies.
-New York turns to online video to promote safer sex
As HIV infections continue to rise in some sectors of New York's gaycommunity, NYU and Public Health Solutions this week debuted an innovativenew tool.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CA: Gay Unions Get Early Start
By Bobby Caina Calvan | Sacramento Bee
Yolo County will begin marrying same-sex couples the minute it is legal – atthe stroke of 5 o’clock Monday afternoon. Clerk-Recorder Freddie Oakley willclose her office for about an hour Monday afternoon so staff can loadgender-neutral marriage forms into county computer systems. Then, at 5 p.m.,she’ll start performing weddings for at least seven couples. “This is a bigevent for them, and we’re extending our hours to accommodate them,” saidBarbara Patenaude, Yolo County’s chief deputy clerk/recorder.
-Two Courts Go In Opposite Directions on ‘DADT’
By Eric Resnick | Gay People’s Chronicle
Boston–Two federal circuit courts have come to different conclusions about“don’t ask, don’t tell” in the last month, making a Supreme Court showdownmore likely if the law is not repealed first. The First Circuit Court ofAppeals in Boston upheld the measure this week, disagreeing with a NinthCircuit ruling that the military ban on open gays and lesbians may no longermeet constitutional muster since the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws. The Ninth Circuit’s May 22 opinion says the military must prove thatallowing openly gay and lesbian servicemembers is bad for morale and unitcohesion, and that the standard of proof was set very high by the top court’s2003 Lawrence v. Texas ruling. The Lawrence decision declared sexualactivity between consenting adults of the same sex “private,constitutionally protected conduct.”
-Two Ohio Lawmakers Join New LGBT Equality Caucus
By Eric Resnick | Gay People’s Chronicle
Washington, D.C.–Two Ohio lawmakers are among the charter members of a Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus formed last week. Reps. Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland and Betty Sutton of Akron, both Democrats, have joined in the venture led by openly lesbian and gay Reps. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Barney Frank of Massachusetts with 61 others, including two Republicans. The caucus was launched on June 4. Baldwin spokesperson Jerilyn Goodman said that members of the caucus will work on educating other House members on issues of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. Goodman said Baldwin has wanted to organize such a group for years, but the opportunity to do it came this session after the votes on hate crime legislation in May 2007 and on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in October.
-62% of RX Drugs Purchased On-Line are Fake: StudyPharma Times
62% of medicines purchased on-line are fake or substandard, and theseinclude drugs used in the treatment of serious conditions such ascardiovascular and respiratory diseases, neurological disorders and mentalhealth conditions, according to new research presented this month at theGlobal Forum on Pharmaceutical AntiCounterfeiting in Washington, DC.
-Transgender Rights Law Spread, Not Always Calmly
By David Crary | Associated Press Writer | Seattle Post Intellegencer
NEW YORK — As more state and local governments extend anti-bias protectionsto transgender people, fierce opposition is surfacing. In Colorado,conservatives contend a new state law will enable sexual predators tofrequent women’s bathrooms; in Maryland a “Not My Shower” campaign seeks tooverturn a comparable county law. Though frustrated by the resistance, andinsistent that the alarms are unfounded, transgender-rights activists areheartened by an overall trend toward greater protection under the law. Inthe past 15 years, 13 states and more than 90 cities and counties - home toroughly 40 percent of the U.S. population - have passed measures banningvarious types of discrimination against transgender people.
Equality Forum Announces 31 Icons for GLBT Month 2008 in October
Georgina Beyer Mark Bingham
Margarethe Cammermeyer Rachel Carson
Bertrand Delanoe Melissa Etheridge
Harvey Fierstein E.M. Forster
Allen Ginsburg Philip Johnson
Bill T. Jones Cleve Jones
Sheila Kuehl Tony Kushner
Greg Louganis Robert Mapplethorpe
Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon Margaret Mead
Michelangelo Rosie O’Donnell
Troy Perry Gene Robinson
Anthony Romero Randy Shilts
Stephen Sondheim Gianni Versace
Alice Walker Andy Warhol
John Waters Jann Wenner
Tennessee Williams
“From Renaissance artist Michelangelo to environmental pioneer RachelCarson, the 31 Icons for 2008 combined with the 62 Icons for GLBT HistoryMonth 2006 and 2007, are extraordinarily impressive,” stated Malcolm Lazin,Executive Director, Equality Forum. Each day in October 2008, an Icon isfeatured with a video, biography, bibliography and other educationalresources. The resources for GLBT History Month 2008 Icons will be availablein October at www.glbtHistoryMonth.com. Educational resources for 2006 and2007 Icons are archived on the site. GLBT History Month Icon videos areexpected to be broadcast on Logo and here! and streamed on major gayportals. The videos are offered without charge to educational nstitutions,nonprofit organizations, for profit companies and the public.
-MI: Grand Rapids Kicks Off Pride with An Eye-Opening Film
by Sarah Mieras - Between The Lines News
Pride month in Michigan’s second largest city was ushered in with the publicviewing of the touching documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So” and a paneldiscussion. Sponsored by the Triangle Foundation, the film played to anearly full house at the Wealthy Street Theater on June 4. The 2007Sundance-nominated film was produced and directed by Daniel Karslake, andaims to illuminate the effects homophobia has on real people, while gentlycombating anti-gay Christian messages through a mix of interviews,animation, expert testimony and personal life stories.
-MI: K-Zoo Pride to Take Over Downtown
by Sarah Mieras | Pride Source
The Kalamazoo LGBT community is stepping into the spotlight with its firstdowntown Pride festival in recent memory on June 14. The “It’s A FamilyAffair” Pride festival is slated to rock the Arcadia Festival Site in thecenter of downtown Kalamazoo with live music, crafts for the kiddies, adoggy fashion show, drag show, and yes, a beer tent. Artists lined up forthe day include Grand Rapids’ lesbian folk rocker LVNMUZIQ, the Irishtraditional group Whiskey Before Breakfast and the R&B group The Movement.
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-IS ITALY GOING FASCIST?
Firebombings of unwanted gypsies and immigrants, rising gay-bashing,xenophobia and racism, and a hegemonic right against which a left incollapse can do little: our Rome correspondent, veteran ex-pat journalistJudy Harris, delivers exclusively for DIRELAND a dissection of the currentpolitical situation in Italy under hard-right billionaire Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi and whether or not the word "fascist" may be correctlyapplied to it. Fausto Bertinotti, former Speaker of the parliament andleader of the Rifondazione Comunista, has opened the debat e. Read thisLetter from Rome by clicking on:
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2008/06/is-italy-going.html
-Dublin's 25th Gay Pride opens tonight
Dublin's 25th Gay Pride festival opens tonight and will celebrate thechanges for the community over the last two decades. An 80s revival in TheGeorge on South Great Georges Street will open the 10-day fest, which isexpected to draw thousands of visitors to the city. Highlights include theDublin Pride Parade, to be held on June 21st to mark the Stonewall riots inNew York, a pride ceili, family sports day and night party. Some 10,000revellers are due to attend the parade, which is second in size only to thecapital's St Patrick's Day parade.
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Urgent Marriage Alert by Libby Post
Just when you thought it was safe to board a flight to California to say “Ido” the Radical Christian Right wing nuts have come out of their closet withthreats of lawsuits and radio attack ads. Reaching a quick fever pitch withan “Urgent Marriage Alert,” the National Organization for Marriage has an adrunning on a local talk radio across New York. It starts with “Grandma, myteacher says if grandpa was a girl it’s okay, you can still be married . . .” A young girl contends that Adam and Eve and, essentially, God, areold-fashioned and a boy asks if Dad married a man, who would be his mom? The announcer then steps in with an “Urgent Marriage Alert”—likes there’s aweather-system of same-sex marriage spreading across the nation underminingevery straight married couple out there. He tells listeners that New YorkGovernor David Paterson “just ordered state officials to use our tax dollarsto help same sex couples evade New York’s marriage laws.”
http://www.proudlyout.typepad.com/
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Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Office of Equal Opportunity Finds Palm Beach County School District
Discriminates Against Employees With Domestic Partners
The Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) issued two rulingsearlier this week finding that the School District of Palm Beach Countydiscriminated against employees with domestic partners by charging excessivehealth insurance premiums. The OEO also reinforced that the SchoolDistrict was subject to the County's Equal Employment Odinance. "Districtadministrators have been under the mistaken belief for years that they didnot have to comply with the county's equal employment ordiance," said RandHoch, President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. "Hopefullythese two rulings will now put an end to their discrimantory practices."
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For News And Commentary: - Ron Mills
http://www.RonMills.us
-Getting a Campaign Job
Are you currently looking for a job on a campaign? Is your campaign readyto start hiring staff? Staffing can be a very frustrating experience forboth job seekers and campaign staffers. On June 25th DFA Night School isteaming up with Democratic GAIN to help you find the right campaign orstaffer for you or your campaign. Democratic GAIN is the premiere onlineclearinghouse for Campaigns looking to hire staff and activists looking forjobs. Democratic GAIN President Amy Pritchard will join us for an hour longdiscussion on the do's and don'ts of searching for the right campaign job.
http://democracyforamerica.com/events/29399-dfa-night-school-getting-a-campaign-job
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Homophobia exists in all countries, but also manifests itself in differentways. In most the past soviet union countries (because of certain historicalevents and cultural traditions), homophobia, even if it seems imperceptible,is part of the social order. An exception of Belarus, where homophobia is apolitical question also. In Belarus, homophobia has long been a casualnature. Jokes about the gays and insults, after a load, steel,unfortunately, an integral part of our lives. Homosexuals if suddenly becomeaware of their orientation, can be beaten, to dismiss work, to hunt down atthe university.
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-What Women Want (Maybe)
LADIES! Behold the splendor of the nude male form: sleek and powerful, amiracle of sculpted sinew, striding confidently across the sand orstretching out before you in ever-uncoiling glory. On second thought,perhaps you'd prefer not to. So say scientists at the frontiers of researchon the eternal question of what women find erotic, the latest answer towhich seems to be: not naked guys, or at least not simply naked guys. "Forheterosexual women," a researcher, Meredith Chivers, says in a newdocumentary about bisexuality called "Bi the Way," which was shown at theNewFest film festival in New York last Friday, "looking at a naked manwalking on the beach is about as exciting as looking at landscapes."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12bisex.html?ref=fashion&pagewanted=all
-Please share this information with New York State residents
New York Governor David Paterson has opened a phone line to determine howmuch support there is for his directive to recognize same-sex marriages fromother states and countries. The call is simple and takes about 5 seconds.
Call: 1-518-474-8390
Here's what happens:
Person on the Other End of the Phone: "Executive Chamber, may I help you?"
You: "I want to voice my support for Governor Paterson's same-sex marriagedirective."
POTOEOTP: "OK, what's your New York zip code?"
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Evangelicals rethink views on gays
Can the terms gay and evangelical coexist? More evangelical Christians aretrying to grapple with homosexuality without straying from traditionallyheld views that same-sex relationships violate God's word. A privateconversation between leaders of a gay-rights advocacy group called Soulforceand Willow Creek Community Church last Sunday could mark a significantturning point.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-seekerbox_13jun13,0,4891181.story
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 13, 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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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ga. group aims to coax more seminarians to pulpit
They come from a host of Christian denominations, but one thing unites them:they are part of a shrinking number of theology students nationally who areinterested in taking over a pulpit rather than doing something else withtheir degrees.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Young-Ministers.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Bush, Pope Take Break In Calm Of Vatican Gardens
Pope Benedict gave George W. Bush an unprecedented welcome in thetranquility of the Vatican Gardens on Friday before the U.S. presidentresumed his campaign to rally European support for sanctions against Iran. Under tight security, Bush was driven from the bustle of Rome into theidyllic setting. As birds chirped, the two entered a restored medieval towerand held 30 minutes of private talks.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-bush-europe.html?scp=10&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts
The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered its third consecutive rebuff to theBush administration's handling of the detainees at Guantánamo Bay, ruling 5to 4 that the prisoners there have a constitutional right to go to federalcourt to challenge their continued detention. The court declared unconstitutional a provision of the Military CommissionsAct of 2006 that, at the administration's behest, stripped the federalcourts of jurisdiction to hear habeas corpus petitions from the detaineesseeking to challenge their designation as enemy combatants.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/13scotus.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
-McCain and Obama Split on Justices' Guantánamo Ruling
The presidential candidates took differing positions Thursday on the SupremeCourt decision granting foreign terrorism suspects at Guantánamo Bay a rightto challenge their detention in civilian courts. Senator John McCainexpressed concern about the ruling, while Senator Barack Obama lauded it. Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama have both long advocated closing the Guantánamodetention center but have disagreed on the rights of prisoners there.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/politics/13candidates.html
-Detention Camp Remains, but Not Its Legal Rationale
Despite the Supreme Court's decision stripping the legal premise behind the Guantánamo Bay detention center, it will not close today or any day soon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/13gitmo.html?hp
-Justice 5, Brutality 4
The Supreme Court's most recent ruling was a good day for people who abhorPresident Bush's attempts to turn Guantánamo Bay into a constitutional-rights-free zone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/opinion/13fri1.html?ref=opinion
-Media and Critics Split Over Sexism in Clinton Coverage
Many in the news media see little need to reconsider their coverage of theClinton campaign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/politics/13women.html?hp
-In Eastern Iowa, the City That 'Would Never Flood' Goes 12 Feet UnderThey said this city would never flood. They talked about 1993, and 1966 and1851, years when the Cedar River swelled and hissed but mostly stayed withinits banks. They thought they were safe. They were wrong.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/13flood.html
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Bush says West must stand with Afghanistan
President Bush said Friday that Europe and United States must hold firm in Afghanistan and never let it be a base for terrorists again. In a speechbilled by the White House as the centerpiece of his European trip, Bushurged allies to stand by the Afghanistan, where the ongoing conflict andredevelopment effort is often overshadowed by the war in Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061300252.html
--America's Gitmo Victory by Eugene Robinson
George W. Bush may not trust America's basic values and highest ideals, but I do. [....] It shouldn't be necessary for the Supreme Court to tell the president that he can't have people taken into custody, spirited to a remote prison camp and held indefinitely, with no legal right to argue that they've been unjustly imprisoned -- not even on grounds of mistaken identity. But the president in question is, sigh, George W. Bush, who has taken a chainsaw to the rule of law with the same manic gusto he displays while clearing brush at his Texas ranch.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061203473.html
-Democrats on the Rise by E. J. Dionne Jr.
A sharp shift toward the Democrats could prove decisive in November.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061203471.html
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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-24-Nation Pew Global Attitudes Survey
Economic Gloom on the Rise, But Some Positive Signs for U.S. Image
The latest Pew Global Attitudes survey of more than 24,000 people in 24countries finds some encouraging signs for America's global image for thefirst time this decade. Although views of the U.S. remain negativeoverall -- and many now worry about the U.S. economy's impact on their ownnational economy -- favorable views of the U.S. have increased modestlysince 2007 in 10 of 21 countries with comparative data. People around theworld are following the U.S. election closely -- and in most placessurveyed, express greater confidence in Obama than in McCain. Read more
-Values Voters
Gay Marriage Back on the Radar
While overall public opinion regarding gay marriage is more positive nowthan during the 2004 campaign, many Republicans and white evangelicalProtestants, in particular, remain staunchly opposed to allowing gays andlesbians to marry. Among these groups, unlike others in the electorate, gaymarriage has regained the importance as a voting factor that it held fouryears ago. Read more
-Sizing Up the 'Religious Left'
Questions and answers about the various groups that make up the religiousleft movement and the implications for the "religious right" in the comingelections. Read more
-Political History
Most Americans See a Black Nominee as Important for the Country
A solid majority says the nomination of an African American for president isimportant to the country, but racial and partisan divisions exist on thesignificance of Obama's historical achievement. Read more
-Clinton Question Drives Coverage
While Obama's primary win gave him the edge in quantity of coverage, Clintonwas the driving force in a media narrative that focused largely on what shewould do next. Themes revolving around the question of "what does Hillarywant" alone accounted for 29% coverage. Read more
-Popular Vote? States Take Aim at Electoral College
A movement is bubbling at the state level to ensure that future presidentsare the candidates who get the most votes nationwide. Read more
-Daily Number
43% - Obama Not Tough Enough on Foreign Policy
A sizable minority of voters (43%) say that Barack Obama would not be toughenough in dealing with foreign policy and national security issues aspresident; an equal number of voters say Obama's foreign policy would beabout right (43%). Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Crist's style called Republican Party's future
Florida Republicans get it, and they want the rest of the nation to watchand follow their lead. That was the message from Florida Republican partyleaders as they gathered in Orlando to honor Florida Republican governorsand tout their own winning formula.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article622031.ece
-Poll: Many in world look to US election for change
People around the globe widely expect the next American president to improvethe country's policies toward the rest of the world, especially if BarackObama is elected, yet they retain a persistently poor image of the U.S.,according to a poll released Thursday.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/13/poll_many_in_world_look_to_us_election_for_change/
-Joe Lieberman keeps twisting that knife
He campaigns for McCain, recruits independents and Democrats, swipes atObama -- and even parts with former party colleagues on some Senate votes. Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's partner on the 2000 Democratic presidential ticketbut now an independent, has turned into a major annoyance for Democrats inthis year's race for the White House.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-trailjoe13-2008jun13,0,814130.story?track=rss
-Obama camp creates website to fight rumors
Senator Barack Obama, dogged throughout the presidential race byInternet-driven smears, launched an aggressive campaign yesterday to fightthem head on, betting that the political benefit of debunking damagingrumors outweighs the risk of making them more visible.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/13/obama_camp_creates_website_to_fight_rumors/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
-Obama moves DNC operations to Chicago
In a major shakeup at the Democratic National Committee -- and a departurefrom tradition -- large parts of the committee's operations are relocatingto Chicago to be fully integrated with the Obama campaign.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Obama_moves_DNC_operations_to_Chicago.html
-A little 'whitey' lie?
Jobless women in Germany can't collect unemployment benefits if they declineto work at brothels. Black citizens will lose the right to vote unless 38states ratify an extension of the Civil Rights Act. Rapper 50 Cent's handwas surgically reattached after being slammed in a car door.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0613edit1jun13,0,6286827.story
=
[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:
-Ga. group aims to coax more seminarians to pulpit
They come from a host of Christian denominations, but one thing unites them:they are part of a shrinking number of theology students nationally who areinterested in taking over a pulpit rather than doing something else withtheir degrees.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Young-Ministers.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Bush, Pope Take Break In Calm Of Vatican Gardens
Pope Benedict gave George W. Bush an unprecedented welcome in thetranquility of the Vatican Gardens on Friday before the U.S. presidentresumed his campaign to rally European support for sanctions against Iran. Under tight security, Bush was driven from the bustle of Rome into theidyllic setting. As birds chirped, the two entered a restored medieval towerand held 30 minutes of private talks.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-bush-europe.html?scp=10&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal in Civilian Courts
The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered its third consecutive rebuff to theBush administration's handling of the detainees at Guantánamo Bay, ruling 5to 4 that the prisoners there have a constitutional right to go to federalcourt to challenge their continued detention. The court declared unconstitutional a provision of the Military CommissionsAct of 2006 that, at the administration's behest, stripped the federalcourts of jurisdiction to hear habeas corpus petitions from the detaineesseeking to challenge their designation as enemy combatants.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/13scotus.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
-McCain and Obama Split on Justices' Guantánamo Ruling
The presidential candidates took differing positions Thursday on the SupremeCourt decision granting foreign terrorism suspects at Guantánamo Bay a rightto challenge their detention in civilian courts. Senator John McCainexpressed concern about the ruling, while Senator Barack Obama lauded it. Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama have both long advocated closing the Guantánamodetention center but have disagreed on the rights of prisoners there.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/politics/13candidates.html
-Detention Camp Remains, but Not Its Legal Rationale
Despite the Supreme Court's decision stripping the legal premise behind the Guantánamo Bay detention center, it will not close today or any day soon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/13gitmo.html?hp
-Justice 5, Brutality 4
The Supreme Court's most recent ruling was a good day for people who abhorPresident Bush's attempts to turn Guantánamo Bay into a constitutional-rights-free zone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/opinion/13fri1.html?ref=opinion
-Media and Critics Split Over Sexism in Clinton Coverage
Many in the news media see little need to reconsider their coverage of theClinton campaign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/politics/13women.html?hp
-In Eastern Iowa, the City That 'Would Never Flood' Goes 12 Feet UnderThey said this city would never flood. They talked about 1993, and 1966 and1851, years when the Cedar River swelled and hissed but mostly stayed withinits banks. They thought they were safe. They were wrong.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/us/13flood.html
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Bush says West must stand with Afghanistan
President Bush said Friday that Europe and United States must hold firm in Afghanistan and never let it be a base for terrorists again. In a speechbilled by the White House as the centerpiece of his European trip, Bushurged allies to stand by the Afghanistan, where the ongoing conflict andredevelopment effort is often overshadowed by the war in Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/13/AR2008061300252.html
--America's Gitmo Victory by Eugene Robinson
George W. Bush may not trust America's basic values and highest ideals, but I do. [....] It shouldn't be necessary for the Supreme Court to tell the president that he can't have people taken into custody, spirited to a remote prison camp and held indefinitely, with no legal right to argue that they've been unjustly imprisoned -- not even on grounds of mistaken identity. But the president in question is, sigh, George W. Bush, who has taken a chainsaw to the rule of law with the same manic gusto he displays while clearing brush at his Texas ranch.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061203473.html
-Democrats on the Rise by E. J. Dionne Jr.
A sharp shift toward the Democrats could prove decisive in November.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061203471.html
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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-24-Nation Pew Global Attitudes Survey
Economic Gloom on the Rise, But Some Positive Signs for U.S. Image
The latest Pew Global Attitudes survey of more than 24,000 people in 24countries finds some encouraging signs for America's global image for thefirst time this decade. Although views of the U.S. remain negativeoverall -- and many now worry about the U.S. economy's impact on their ownnational economy -- favorable views of the U.S. have increased modestlysince 2007 in 10 of 21 countries with comparative data. People around theworld are following the U.S. election closely -- and in most placessurveyed, express greater confidence in Obama than in McCain. Read more
-Values Voters
Gay Marriage Back on the Radar
While overall public opinion regarding gay marriage is more positive nowthan during the 2004 campaign, many Republicans and white evangelicalProtestants, in particular, remain staunchly opposed to allowing gays andlesbians to marry. Among these groups, unlike others in the electorate, gaymarriage has regained the importance as a voting factor that it held fouryears ago. Read more
-Sizing Up the 'Religious Left'
Questions and answers about the various groups that make up the religiousleft movement and the implications for the "religious right" in the comingelections. Read more
-Political History
Most Americans See a Black Nominee as Important for the Country
A solid majority says the nomination of an African American for president isimportant to the country, but racial and partisan divisions exist on thesignificance of Obama's historical achievement. Read more
-Clinton Question Drives Coverage
While Obama's primary win gave him the edge in quantity of coverage, Clintonwas the driving force in a media narrative that focused largely on what shewould do next. Themes revolving around the question of "what does Hillarywant" alone accounted for 29% coverage. Read more
-Popular Vote? States Take Aim at Electoral College
A movement is bubbling at the state level to ensure that future presidentsare the candidates who get the most votes nationwide. Read more
-Daily Number
43% - Obama Not Tough Enough on Foreign Policy
A sizable minority of voters (43%) say that Barack Obama would not be toughenough in dealing with foreign policy and national security issues aspresident; an equal number of voters say Obama's foreign policy would beabout right (43%). Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Crist's style called Republican Party's future
Florida Republicans get it, and they want the rest of the nation to watchand follow their lead. That was the message from Florida Republican partyleaders as they gathered in Orlando to honor Florida Republican governorsand tout their own winning formula.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article622031.ece
-Poll: Many in world look to US election for change
People around the globe widely expect the next American president to improvethe country's policies toward the rest of the world, especially if BarackObama is elected, yet they retain a persistently poor image of the U.S.,according to a poll released Thursday.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/13/poll_many_in_world_look_to_us_election_for_change/
-Joe Lieberman keeps twisting that knife
He campaigns for McCain, recruits independents and Democrats, swipes atObama -- and even parts with former party colleagues on some Senate votes. Joe Lieberman, Al Gore's partner on the 2000 Democratic presidential ticketbut now an independent, has turned into a major annoyance for Democrats inthis year's race for the White House.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-trailjoe13-2008jun13,0,814130.story?track=rss
-Obama camp creates website to fight rumors
Senator Barack Obama, dogged throughout the presidential race byInternet-driven smears, launched an aggressive campaign yesterday to fightthem head on, betting that the political benefit of debunking damagingrumors outweighs the risk of making them more visible.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/13/obama_camp_creates_website_to_fight_rumors/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
-Obama moves DNC operations to Chicago
In a major shakeup at the Democratic National Committee -- and a departurefrom tradition -- large parts of the committee's operations are relocatingto Chicago to be fully integrated with the Obama campaign.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/Obama_moves_DNC_operations_to_Chicago.html
-A little 'whitey' lie?
Jobless women in Germany can't collect unemployment benefits if they declineto work at brothels. Black citizens will lose the right to vote unless 38states ratify an extension of the Civil Rights Act. Rapper 50 Cent's handwas surgically reattached after being slammed in a car door.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0613edit1jun13,0,6286827.story
=
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#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 13, 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.
=
Local10.com
http://www.local10.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-School Board Considers Selling WLRN
Selling Public Radio, TV Station Could Help Make Up $284 Million ProjectedWindfall
In an effort to help make up for a projected $284 million shortfall inMiami-Dade County's school budget, school board members are consideringselling the broadcast spectrum that is WLRN, the county's public radio andtelevision stations. With $136 million from the school budget already cut,the school board has been struggling to come up with a way to trim theremaining $148 million for the upcoming fiscal year. Licensed to Miami-DadeCounty Public Schools, WLRN TV-17 and WLRN 98.3 FM reaches an audience fromWest Palm Beach to Key West.
http://www.local10.com/education/16588096/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000206132008&ts=H
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-South Floridians help form gay equality caucus in Congress
Wasserman Shultz joins as a co-leader
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, is one of the leaders of thenewly formed House LGBT Equality Caucus. Wasserman Schultz, who said"lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Americans are awash in a sea ofinequality," is one of the new caucus' vice chairs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbgay0612sbjun13,0,6143454.story
-We'd better get used to expensive oil, analysts say
While consumers and governments struggle with steep oil prices, one of thebiggest questions looming over the global economy is this: Will costs evercome down? Unlike the energy crisis of the 1970s, when the world assumed thespike was temporary, high energy prices could be here to stay, according tooil experts.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzoil0613sbjun13,0,2266273.story
-South Florida leads the state in prescription drug deaths
FDLE report finds S. Florida leads state
Prescription drug overdose deaths skyrocketed in South Florida last year,surpassing increases in the state overall. The Florida Department of LawEnforcement released on Thursday its yearly drug report outlining cases ofpeople who died with drugs in their system. The state saw sharp increases innearly every category of drug-related death, with the exception of heroinand cocaine.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flbdrugs0613pnjun13,0,247534.story
-Analyst paints rosy picture for S. Fla. real estate agents
Home prices in South Florida "easily" could be 20 percent to 30 percenthigher by 2013, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtorssaid Thursday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/sfl-613realtors,0,1841150.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Water wars -- South Florida style
On its face, the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement this weekthat the South Florida Water Management District's back-pumping of pollutedwater into Lake Okeechobee doesn't require a federal permit seems to be theopposite of what the EPA is supposed to do: Protect our water resources. After all, a federal judge in Miami ruled last year that under the CleanWater Act the district had to seek federal permits from the EPA before itcould move polluted water into the lake.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/568478.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Green Gay Warriors
A winning day for the beach and its residents
Saturday, June 12, the Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach (ECOMB) ishosting "The Big Sweep, " a beach clean-up competition designed to reducelitter along Miami-Dade's garbage-laden beaches. From 8am-2pm, volunteerswill target the section between South Pointe and 14th Street Beach,collecting the rubbish strewn along South Beach's most heavily populatedstrip.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4752.cfm
-Top Dems come out against Amendment 2
Florida Red and Blue, the political action committee organized to fight theso-called marriage protection amendment, announced two major endorsements bytop Democrats, Sen. Barack Obama and Alex Sink, Florida Chief FinancialOfficer.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4755.cfm
-Gay Prom Goes Green
Pridelines Youth Services hosts its 13th Annual Youth Prom June 13, a funand safe space for gay youth ages 13 to 20 to party and celebrate the end ofthe school year.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4756.cfm
-Gay judge gets a Daytime Emmy nod
Miami native Judge David Young celebrates a year of compassionate justiceNow it's Judge David Young's turn to await a verdict--from Emmy voters. It'sbeen just over a year since the first openly gay judge on daytime televisionstepped off the bench of Miami-Dade Circuit Court to preside over hiscourtroom TV show, and he's celebrating his first anniversary on camera instyle with a Daytime Emmy nomination. "Judge David Young" is nominated for"Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program," but through all the excitement, a fewthings remain consistent: Judge Young's courtroom philosophy ofcompassionate justice, his desire to save the world, and his 13-yearsrelationship with his partner, Judge Scott Bernstein. Judge Young was "bornand raised in Miami," and it's where he and Scott still call home, alongwith their "four-legged child," a dog named Maggie.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4760.cfm
-Local Artists Exhibit Pride
United & Proud Opens at Broward Co. Library
ArtsUnited, the local organization dedicated to promoting LGBT artists,opened its annual United & Proud 2008 exhibit last week at Gallery 6 in theBroward County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. According to organizers, entries were not limited to a theme; instead theexhibition was designed to showcase local gay and lesbian artists during thetraditional Pride month. Works include photography, painting, 3-D/mixedmedia and drawing/print. United & Proud 2008 shares the gallery with theStonewall Library and Archives new exhibit, "Out of the Shadows: Gay Americafrom Kinsey to Stonewall" and will remain on view through June 27. For moreinformation, go to www.artsunitedonline.org.
-Take a stroll down memory lane (or, if you're a youngster learn somethingnew) reminiscing about Fort Lauderdale's gay history, at a meet & greet for"Greetings from the Gayborhood," written by Donald Reuter. "Gayborhood" isa nostalgic look at gay neighborhoods across the U.S., with Fort Lauderdaleplaying a major role in the tales; Reuter will be on hand to sign books andanswer questions. Sunday, June 15, at George's Alibi, 4:00 p.m., 2266Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors. 954-565-2526. LMC Interfaith Ministries, a newaffirming congregation under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Lori Cardona, hasbegun meeting on the third Sunday of each month at the Atlantic Insitute ofOriental Medicine, 100 E. Broward Blvd., second floor, in Fort Lauderdale. The next service will be held on Sunday, June 15 at 10 a.m. For moreinformation, contact loricardona@revlori.com.
-The Miami Gay Men's Chorus salutes the men and women of the armed serviceswith "By the Sword," June 13-15 at the Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road inMiami Beach. The musical program will address all of our nation's conflicts,as well as the soldiers from the LGBT community who have served theircountry. In these shows, chorus members occasionally jump off the risersand dance around, with some jazz-hands-infused choreography, proving onceagain that when they say "gay men's chorus," they really really mean it. "Above the fruited plain," indeed! For more information or tickets, go towww.miamigaychorus.org.
-The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus presents "Rockin'with the Rhythm,"June 21-22 at the Amaturo Theatre at the Broward Center. Artistic DirectorTodd Wiley promises an entertaining program with hits covering five decades.
For tickets, go to www.browardcenter.org or call 954-462-0222.
-Melissa Etheridge takes the stage at Boca Raton's Mizner Park Amphitheatreon June 17 when her Revival Tour 2008 stops in South Florida. This is not tobe confused with the True Colors tour, as she is apparently notparticipating in that for some unbeknownst reason. Tickets are available atwww.melissaetheridge.com or at the Mizner Park box office on the day ofshow.
-City Theatre's Summer Shorts Festival continues at Miami's Arsht Center forthe Performing Arts through June 22 before heading to Fort Lauderdale'sBroward Center, June 26-29. For the adult crowd, "UnderShorts," amini-series of plays for mature audiences (nudity and profanity) begins thisThursday, June 18. Be sure to catch UnderShorts in Miami because this newseries isn't making the trip to Broward. For more information or tickets, goto www.citytheatre.com or call 305-365-5400.
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Mark's List : A Guide to Your Weekend, Movies, Nightclubs and MORE DisneyPhotos!
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/061308.htm
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-A new tiff on Florida delegates
Party unity is on the agenda at the Florida Democrats' Jefferson-Jackson weekend. But first, before celebrating Barack Obama, they'll engage in alittle ritual bloodletting. The Obama campaign wants a new selection ofsome delegates to August's convention in Denver to reward supporters.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-delegates13-2008jun13,0,5961595.story?track=rss
-Florida's budget falls far short of praise
Gov. Charlie Crist didn't excise much from the 2008-09 state budget when hequietly signed it Wednesday. And he tried to put a happy face on thespending plan, praising it for being "balanced" and funding the state's"critical needs."
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN62061308.htm
-Teachers union shuns Bogdanoff, endorses challenger
The Broward Teachers Union, which supported state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff,R-Fort Lauderdale, in her 2006 campaign against Democrat Chris Chiari, isendorsing the challenger in this year's rematch.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/06/teachers_union_shuns_bogdanoff_1.html
-Gov says he's blessed to have Carole
Buzz noticed that Gov. Charlie Crist gave a very public nod to hisgirlfriend Carole Rome, which might just be a first for the governor, atleast in a public speech. "Lt. Gov. (Jeff) Kottkamp and I are lucky guys. You're blessed with Cindy and I'm blessed with Carole, and that's a specialthing," Crist said during his speech at a Republican Party of Floridafundraiser on Thursday night.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/06/gov-says-hes-bl.html
-Column: As long as they don't cut football...
Here's my Thursday column. Each time I've written about Florida'suniversities in the past I've gotten a certain bit of reaction along thelines of, you know, them whiny liberal pointy-heads, good riddance,universities are bloated piles of nonsense, etc., etc. It's sometimesdiscouraging, but American society has always had a strong "know-nothing"streak in it, sneering at the importance of inquiry. We are pretty damnedsure of ourselves. I do think there is something especially off aboutFlorida. I've lived here 26 years, and never cease to marvel at the contrastwith my native North Carolina, where the much-praised state universitysystem was a revered institution.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/troxler/2008/06/column-as-long.html
-Will new law bring down price of textbooks?
The University of Florida has had little luck getting professors to provideadvance notice of the textbooks being used in their courses. Now they havea state law to force the issue, but some professors and textbook storeowners say the effort fails to address the problem of skyrocketing textbookprices.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080612/NEWS/806120351
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Stonewall Library & Archives invites you:
EXHIBITION SYMPOSIUM
Monday, June 16
Broward Main Library auditorium - 7p.m.
Chaired by John Coppola, curator of Out of the Shadows: Gay America fromKinsey to Stonewall
Panelists:
-William Mann, author of "Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped
Hollywood 1910-1969" and "Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines"
- Professor Fred Fejes, FAU, author of "Lesbians and Gay Men and thePolitics of Minority Identity"
- Dan Reuter author of "Greetings from the Gayborhood: A Nostalgic Look atGay Neighborhoods"
Also, Dan Reuter will be signing copies of his new book, "Greetings from theGayborhood: A Nostalgic Look at Gay Neighborhoods" at Georgies Alibi inWilton Manors on Sunday, June 15, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. A portion of theproceeds from books sold during the signing will be donated to Stonewall.
FILM SERIES Broward Main Library auditorium
June 18 7:00 pm
"Desert Hearts"
June 25 7:00 pm
"Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin"
"Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The William Haines Story"
This exhibition and its related programs were organized by Stonewall Library& Archives as part of its mission to collect, preserve and disseminatematerials related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. Muchof the material featured in this exhibition was drawn from the StonewallLibrary & Archives collection. Generous support for this project wasprovided by Comcast, Pride South Florida, and the Stonewall Library &Archives staff and volunteers. The exhibition and its programs arecosponsored by the Broward County Library. Funding for this organization isprovided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners asrecommended by the Broward Cultural Council. For further information aboutthe exhibition, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Local10.com
http://www.local10.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-School Board Considers Selling WLRN
Selling Public Radio, TV Station Could Help Make Up $284 Million ProjectedWindfall
In an effort to help make up for a projected $284 million shortfall inMiami-Dade County's school budget, school board members are consideringselling the broadcast spectrum that is WLRN, the county's public radio andtelevision stations. With $136 million from the school budget already cut,the school board has been struggling to come up with a way to trim theremaining $148 million for the upcoming fiscal year. Licensed to Miami-DadeCounty Public Schools, WLRN TV-17 and WLRN 98.3 FM reaches an audience fromWest Palm Beach to Key West.
http://www.local10.com/education/16588096/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000206132008&ts=H
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-South Floridians help form gay equality caucus in Congress
Wasserman Shultz joins as a co-leader
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, is one of the leaders of thenewly formed House LGBT Equality Caucus. Wasserman Schultz, who said"lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Americans are awash in a sea ofinequality," is one of the new caucus' vice chairs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbgay0612sbjun13,0,6143454.story
-We'd better get used to expensive oil, analysts say
While consumers and governments struggle with steep oil prices, one of thebiggest questions looming over the global economy is this: Will costs evercome down? Unlike the energy crisis of the 1970s, when the world assumed thespike was temporary, high energy prices could be here to stay, according tooil experts.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzoil0613sbjun13,0,2266273.story
-South Florida leads the state in prescription drug deaths
FDLE report finds S. Florida leads state
Prescription drug overdose deaths skyrocketed in South Florida last year,surpassing increases in the state overall. The Florida Department of LawEnforcement released on Thursday its yearly drug report outlining cases ofpeople who died with drugs in their system. The state saw sharp increases innearly every category of drug-related death, with the exception of heroinand cocaine.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flbdrugs0613pnjun13,0,247534.story
-Analyst paints rosy picture for S. Fla. real estate agents
Home prices in South Florida "easily" could be 20 percent to 30 percenthigher by 2013, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtorssaid Thursday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/sfl-613realtors,0,1841150.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Water wars -- South Florida style
On its face, the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement this weekthat the South Florida Water Management District's back-pumping of pollutedwater into Lake Okeechobee doesn't require a federal permit seems to be theopposite of what the EPA is supposed to do: Protect our water resources. After all, a federal judge in Miami ruled last year that under the CleanWater Act the district had to seek federal permits from the EPA before itcould move polluted water into the lake.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/568478.html
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Green Gay Warriors
A winning day for the beach and its residents
Saturday, June 12, the Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach (ECOMB) ishosting "The Big Sweep, " a beach clean-up competition designed to reducelitter along Miami-Dade's garbage-laden beaches. From 8am-2pm, volunteerswill target the section between South Pointe and 14th Street Beach,collecting the rubbish strewn along South Beach's most heavily populatedstrip.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4752.cfm
-Top Dems come out against Amendment 2
Florida Red and Blue, the political action committee organized to fight theso-called marriage protection amendment, announced two major endorsements bytop Democrats, Sen. Barack Obama and Alex Sink, Florida Chief FinancialOfficer.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4755.cfm
-Gay Prom Goes Green
Pridelines Youth Services hosts its 13th Annual Youth Prom June 13, a funand safe space for gay youth ages 13 to 20 to party and celebrate the end ofthe school year.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4756.cfm
-Gay judge gets a Daytime Emmy nod
Miami native Judge David Young celebrates a year of compassionate justiceNow it's Judge David Young's turn to await a verdict--from Emmy voters. It'sbeen just over a year since the first openly gay judge on daytime televisionstepped off the bench of Miami-Dade Circuit Court to preside over hiscourtroom TV show, and he's celebrating his first anniversary on camera instyle with a Daytime Emmy nomination. "Judge David Young" is nominated for"Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program," but through all the excitement, a fewthings remain consistent: Judge Young's courtroom philosophy ofcompassionate justice, his desire to save the world, and his 13-yearsrelationship with his partner, Judge Scott Bernstein. Judge Young was "bornand raised in Miami," and it's where he and Scott still call home, alongwith their "four-legged child," a dog named Maggie.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/6-12/news/localnews/4760.cfm
-Local Artists Exhibit Pride
United & Proud Opens at Broward Co. Library
ArtsUnited, the local organization dedicated to promoting LGBT artists,opened its annual United & Proud 2008 exhibit last week at Gallery 6 in theBroward County Main Library, 100 S. Andrews Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. According to organizers, entries were not limited to a theme; instead theexhibition was designed to showcase local gay and lesbian artists during thetraditional Pride month. Works include photography, painting, 3-D/mixedmedia and drawing/print. United & Proud 2008 shares the gallery with theStonewall Library and Archives new exhibit, "Out of the Shadows: Gay Americafrom Kinsey to Stonewall" and will remain on view through June 27. For moreinformation, go to www.artsunitedonline.org.
-Take a stroll down memory lane (or, if you're a youngster learn somethingnew) reminiscing about Fort Lauderdale's gay history, at a meet & greet for"Greetings from the Gayborhood," written by Donald Reuter. "Gayborhood" isa nostalgic look at gay neighborhoods across the U.S., with Fort Lauderdaleplaying a major role in the tales; Reuter will be on hand to sign books andanswer questions. Sunday, June 15, at George's Alibi, 4:00 p.m., 2266Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors. 954-565-2526. LMC Interfaith Ministries, a newaffirming congregation under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Lori Cardona, hasbegun meeting on the third Sunday of each month at the Atlantic Insitute ofOriental Medicine, 100 E. Broward Blvd., second floor, in Fort Lauderdale. The next service will be held on Sunday, June 15 at 10 a.m. For moreinformation, contact loricardona@revlori.com.
-The Miami Gay Men's Chorus salutes the men and women of the armed serviceswith "By the Sword," June 13-15 at the Colony Theatre, 1040 Lincoln Road inMiami Beach. The musical program will address all of our nation's conflicts,as well as the soldiers from the LGBT community who have served theircountry. In these shows, chorus members occasionally jump off the risersand dance around, with some jazz-hands-infused choreography, proving onceagain that when they say "gay men's chorus," they really really mean it. "Above the fruited plain," indeed! For more information or tickets, go towww.miamigaychorus.org.
-The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus presents "Rockin'with the Rhythm,"June 21-22 at the Amaturo Theatre at the Broward Center. Artistic DirectorTodd Wiley promises an entertaining program with hits covering five decades.
For tickets, go to www.browardcenter.org or call 954-462-0222.
-Melissa Etheridge takes the stage at Boca Raton's Mizner Park Amphitheatreon June 17 when her Revival Tour 2008 stops in South Florida. This is not tobe confused with the True Colors tour, as she is apparently notparticipating in that for some unbeknownst reason. Tickets are available atwww.melissaetheridge.com or at the Mizner Park box office on the day ofshow.
-City Theatre's Summer Shorts Festival continues at Miami's Arsht Center forthe Performing Arts through June 22 before heading to Fort Lauderdale'sBroward Center, June 26-29. For the adult crowd, "UnderShorts," amini-series of plays for mature audiences (nudity and profanity) begins thisThursday, June 18. Be sure to catch UnderShorts in Miami because this newseries isn't making the trip to Broward. For more information or tickets, goto www.citytheatre.com or call 305-365-5400.
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Mark's List : A Guide to Your Weekend, Movies, Nightclubs and MORE DisneyPhotos!
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/061308.htm
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-A new tiff on Florida delegates
Party unity is on the agenda at the Florida Democrats' Jefferson-Jackson weekend. But first, before celebrating Barack Obama, they'll engage in alittle ritual bloodletting. The Obama campaign wants a new selection ofsome delegates to August's convention in Denver to reward supporters.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-delegates13-2008jun13,0,5961595.story?track=rss
-Florida's budget falls far short of praise
Gov. Charlie Crist didn't excise much from the 2008-09 state budget when hequietly signed it Wednesday. And he tried to put a happy face on thespending plan, praising it for being "balanced" and funding the state's"critical needs."
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN62061308.htm
-Teachers union shuns Bogdanoff, endorses challenger
The Broward Teachers Union, which supported state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff,R-Fort Lauderdale, in her 2006 campaign against Democrat Chris Chiari, isendorsing the challenger in this year's rematch.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/06/teachers_union_shuns_bogdanoff_1.html
-Gov says he's blessed to have Carole
Buzz noticed that Gov. Charlie Crist gave a very public nod to hisgirlfriend Carole Rome, which might just be a first for the governor, atleast in a public speech. "Lt. Gov. (Jeff) Kottkamp and I are lucky guys. You're blessed with Cindy and I'm blessed with Carole, and that's a specialthing," Crist said during his speech at a Republican Party of Floridafundraiser on Thursday night.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/06/gov-says-hes-bl.html
-Column: As long as they don't cut football...
Here's my Thursday column. Each time I've written about Florida'suniversities in the past I've gotten a certain bit of reaction along thelines of, you know, them whiny liberal pointy-heads, good riddance,universities are bloated piles of nonsense, etc., etc. It's sometimesdiscouraging, but American society has always had a strong "know-nothing"streak in it, sneering at the importance of inquiry. We are pretty damnedsure of ourselves. I do think there is something especially off aboutFlorida. I've lived here 26 years, and never cease to marvel at the contrastwith my native North Carolina, where the much-praised state universitysystem was a revered institution.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/troxler/2008/06/column-as-long.html
-Will new law bring down price of textbooks?
The University of Florida has had little luck getting professors to provideadvance notice of the textbooks being used in their courses. Now they havea state law to force the issue, but some professors and textbook storeowners say the effort fails to address the problem of skyrocketing textbookprices.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080612/NEWS/806120351
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Stonewall Library & Archives invites you:
EXHIBITION SYMPOSIUM
Monday, June 16
Broward Main Library auditorium - 7p.m.
Chaired by John Coppola, curator of Out of the Shadows: Gay America fromKinsey to Stonewall
Panelists:
-William Mann, author of "Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped
Hollywood 1910-1969" and "Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines"
- Professor Fred Fejes, FAU, author of "Lesbians and Gay Men and thePolitics of Minority Identity"
- Dan Reuter author of "Greetings from the Gayborhood: A Nostalgic Look atGay Neighborhoods"
Also, Dan Reuter will be signing copies of his new book, "Greetings from theGayborhood: A Nostalgic Look at Gay Neighborhoods" at Georgies Alibi inWilton Manors on Sunday, June 15, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. A portion of theproceeds from books sold during the signing will be donated to Stonewall.
FILM SERIES Broward Main Library auditorium
June 18 7:00 pm
"Desert Hearts"
June 25 7:00 pm
"Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin"
"Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The William Haines Story"
This exhibition and its related programs were organized by Stonewall Library& Archives as part of its mission to collect, preserve and disseminatematerials related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. Muchof the material featured in this exhibition was drawn from the StonewallLibrary & Archives collection. Generous support for this project wasprovided by Comcast, Pride South Florida, and the Stonewall Library &Archives staff and volunteers. The exhibition and its programs arecosponsored by the Broward County Library. Funding for this organization isprovided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners asrecommended by the Broward Cultural Council. For further information aboutthe exhibition, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Thursday, June 12, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - June 12, 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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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Norway: New Rights Granted to Gays
The Parliament granted gay and lesbian couples the right to marry and toadopt children on an equal basis with heterosexual couples. The country'snew universal marriage act, which also allows lesbians to be artificiallyinseminated in Norwegian medical facilities, supersedes a domesticpartnership policy. "No longer will there be different classes of love,"Erling Lae, the chief commissioner of Oslo, told an online newspaper minutesafter the Parliament's 84-41 vote, adding that he now plans to marry hismale companion of 26 years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/europe/12briefs-NEWRIGHTSGRA_BRF.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt
-What Women Want (Maybe)
LADIES! Behold the splendor of the nude male form: sleek and powerful, amiracle of sculpted sinew, striding confidently across the sand orstretching out before you in ever-uncoiling glory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12bisex.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=nyt
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CIRCUIT COURT: Judge Sides With Foes Of Transgender Measure
Montgomery Voters Might Yet Decide Whether to Accept Law's Protections
A Montgomery County judge sided with opponents of broad new protections for transgender individuals yesterday in an initial ruling on a local referendumeffort. But Circuit Court Judge Robert A. Greenberg has not decidedwhether Montgomery voters will have a chance in November to accept or rejecta law passed by the County Council in the fall that prohibits discriminationbased on a person's gender identity.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061102527.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Southern Baptists Wary Of McCain
Four years ago, the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign hosted a reception forSouthern Baptist pastors at a hotel across the street from their annualmeeting.
-Clinton Supporters Behind Obama
They may not be falling in love, but they're falling in line. In several keystates this week, Obama is being joined on stages by top Democrats who, afew weeks ago, were working to deny him the nomination.
-Obama Adds To Gay Outreach
Democrat Barack Obama has added two longtime gay advocates to his LGBTelection team.
-Norway Parliament Approves Gay Marriage
The gallery at the Norwegian Parliament erupted in applause and cheers onWednesday with the passage of legislation allowing same-sex couples tomarry.
-Rights Group Calls On Uganda To Drop Charges Against Gay Activists
The arrest of three sexual rights activists during a peaceful demonstrationto raise awareness about LGBT issues shows the Ugandan government'sdetermination to enforce silence around sexuality and HIV/AIDS, Human RightsWatch said in a letter to Minister of Justice and Attorney General EdwardKiddu Makubuya on Wednesday.
-Crist Signs Florida Inclusive Bully Law
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has signed legislation that requires schooldistricts to prohibit bullying and harassment.
-Former Official Sues NASCAR Claiming Harassment
As an aspiring racing official, Mauricia Grant had grown used to working ina man's world.
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Habitat for Humanity ends Planned Parenthood deal
Habitat for Humanity, a Christian ministry which among other worthwhile projects, builds homes for homeless, has backed out of a deal to partner with Planned Parenthood to build a new abortion clinic in Sarasota, Florida. After a torrent of phone calls and e-mails, the board of directors for Habitat's Sarasota branch voted to "dissociate" itself from the project. Habitat for Humanity issued the following statement: "Habitat for Humanity of Sarasota has declined a donation of land from Planned Parenthood, accepting the land would not be in the best interests of our ongoing work in the community, the families we seek to serve, or the broader Habitat for Humanity community."
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Baldwin discusses gay bills in Congressional limbo
Washington elite gather to consider D.P. benefits for federal employees
The only open lesbian in the U.S. House of Representatives is predictingthat in the next session of Congress, bills related to employmentnon-discrimination and hate crimes will be more successful than legislationaimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18898
-SLDN hires gay Va. lawmaker
Ebbin takes role as communications director
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) - the organization leading thefight against the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy - hassigned on Adam Ebbin, the only openly gay member of the Virginia GeneralAssembly, as its new communications director.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18896
-Resolution at Southern Baptist Convention seeks Fort Worth church's ouster
A North Carolina pastor has recommended that Broadway Baptist Church in FortWorth be ousted from the Southern Baptist Convention, saying it encourageshomosexuality.
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/694349.html
-Norway adopts gay marriage law
Norway's parliament on Wednesday adopted a new marriage law that allowshomosexuals to marry and adopt children and permits lesbians to beartificially inseminated.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jko_BIHizUFFqUtmEaUrAEoPXFWw
-Defamation suit against gay men settled out of court
A defamation lawsuit by a Pointe Claire man seeking $400,000 in damages fromtwo gay neighbours - following events that drew massive media coveragebeginning in 2001 - has been settled on the eve of a civil trial.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=76da53b4-606f-4678-b990-8df42fde6d11
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-South Carolina: Man Charged In Death Of Gay Man To Enter Plea
The man charged in the 2007 death of a gay man outside a Greenville Countynightclub will enter a plea on Wednesday. Deputies said 20-year-old SeanKennedy was attacked on May 16, 2007, in the parking lot of the former Brew's nightclub by Stephen Moller because Kennedy was gay. Kennedy later died fromhis injuries.
- LA Mayor Says He'll Happily Perform Gay Weddings
Officials across California are eagerly anticipating next week's date when gay marriages will be allowed. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is scheduled to be in Israel when the ban is lifted June 17, said he has taken the steps to allow him to perform weddings. "I've told a number of couples that I will be happy to preside," the mayor said last week. "I will marry as many people as possible."
-Gays Who Wed in California
Won't Have Equal Marriage Rights
Thousands of gay couples will marry in California during the upcomingmonths, but when it comes to the law, not all marriages are created equal.Same-sex married couples can expect many of the same marital rights asheterosexual couples under state law. But things will be different if theyend up in bankruptcy court, take a leave from work or own a vacation homeout of state. In those areas, federal law comes into play, and the federalgovernment does not recognize marriages between lesbians or gay men.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Bishop Marc Andrus of the Diocese of California is encouraging all couples,regardless of sexual orientation, to obtain secular marriages before seekingthe church's blessing, as a way to support same-gender couples and "ourcontinued witness to God's inclusive love." "For too long the onus hasfallen on marginalized people to bear the burden of inequalities that existwithin the Church, and the decision by our state's Supreme Court has givenus the opportunity to level the playing field," Andrus wrote in a recentpastoral letter to clergy and lay leaders of the San Francisco-baseddiocese.
-Palm Springs:
With the state's gay marriage ban about to be lifted, Palm Springs MayorSteve Pougnet and City Council members Ginny Foat and Rick Hutcheson expectto be busy over the next several months performing civil marriage ceremoniesfor gay and lesbian couples looking to tie the knot. The trio, who are allopenly gay, have been deputized to perform marriages throughout the county.
-As thousands of gay couples across the country prepare to marry inCalifornia next week, many states are girding for a surge of complex andpolitically charged legal challenges when newlyweds return to their homestates. "Because California is so much more populous than Massachusetts(which has allowed same-sex marriage since 2004), and it welcomes peoplefrom every jurisdiction, there will be far more couples moving or returningto the other 49," said William Araiza, a professor at Loyola Law School inLos Angeles. "Many more states will have to deal with the legal fallout."
-Although religious beliefs have long undergirded much of the opposition tosame-sex marriage, some Inland ministers and rabbis believe that same-sexunions can be just as holy as opposite-sex ones. They're preparing toperform weddings that will bestow a religious blessing on ceremonies that,beginning Tuesday, will be recognized under state law. Most major U.S.religious denominations believe homosexual activity and same-sex marriageare wrong. The Roman Catholic Church, most Protestant denominations, Islamand the Orthodox branch of Judaism are among those opposed to same-gendermarriage. Under the court ruling, clergy are free to continue restrictingweddings to opposite-sex couples.
-Florida: The News-Press did a disservice to the people of Southwest Florida by
labeling Amendment 2 as a "gay marriage" amendment. ("Vote on Gay MarriageHeats in Fla.; California legalization shapes debate here." June 2). Same-sex couples are a small minority of those who will be affected if thisproposed Florida constitutional amendment passes this November. The sponsorsof Amendment 2 are misleading people (very effectively it seems) intobelieving this amendment is about gay marriage. That's just not true.In fact, since same-sex marriage is already against the law in Florida, thisamendment is not about "gay marriage" at all. The language of this proposedamendment has the illusion of being straightforward. It is not.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Outrage as Budapest Pride banned by police
Gay rights activists have reacted angrily to news that the chief of policein Budapest has decided that a Pride march planned for July 5th willinterfere with traffic and therefore will not go ahead.
-Homosexuals can change claims Iris's "lovely" psychiatrist
A psychiatrist in Northern Ireland has defended his practice of treating menfor unwanted same-sex attraction.
-Norway's new gay marriage law also grants new parental rights
New legislation on same-sex marriage approved by the Norwegian parliamentyesterday also extends parenting rights for gay and lesbian couples.
-Christian Institute weighs into "gay cure" row
A Christian group notorious for its opposition to gay rights has backed anMP who said homosexuality is disgusting, loathsome, nauseating, wicked andvile and claimed gay people can be "cured."
-Greek same-sex couples excluded from new co-habitation law
Greece's government will introduce legislation to allow unmarriedheterosexual couples to register their relationships.
-Madonna's estranged brother to write tell-all book
He served as the artistic director for Truth or Dare and then again for herGirlie Show Tour. Then, by most accounts, Madonna and brother ChristopherCiccone had a falling out.
-Obama campaign appoints director of LGBT Vote
Throughout the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, SenatorHillary Clinton enjoyed the overwhelming support of the gay and lesbiancommunity.
-Lesbian parents get new rights in New South Wales
The rights of lesbian parents in New South Wales, Australia have beenexpanded under laws passed by the state government.
-Your job is to protect all citizens, Gambian leader told
A New York-based human rights group has said that the President of theGambia is failing in his responsibility to ensure respect for the rights ofall.
-Equal treatment bill stalls in Lithuanian parliament
Not enough MPs turned up to vote for a new equality law in the Lithuanianparliament yesterday and the legislation will have to be rescheduled.
-Fatwa condemns Gambian gay execution threat as unsound
An Islamic cleric based in Texas has issued a fatwa condeming GambianPresident Yahya Jammeh's threat of the execution of every gay person in hiscountry as theologically unsound.
-Comedy, music and literature at Europe's biggest lesbian event
Tickets for the York Lesbian Arts Festival (YLAF) 2008, Europe's biggestlesbian event, are on sale. The four day event returns to York this October.
-Brazilian President calls homophobia a "perverse disease"
The president of Brazil has become the first nation leader to launch aconference with the sole purpose of promoting gay equality.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-RI: Judge Points to Way Court Might Consider Same-Sex Issue
A Superior Court judge yesterday raised the question of whether it'sconstitutional for Rhode Island to block divorces for same-sex couplesmarried in Massachusetts. Two Providence women, Margaret R. Chambers andCassandra B. Ormiston, married in Fall River in 2004 after Massachusettsbecame the first state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, andin 2006 the couple sought Rhode Island's first same-sex divorce in FamilyCourt. But in a December 2007 decision that drew national attention, adivided state Supreme Court ruled that Family Court lacked jurisdiction togrant the divorce. The majority said that under the 1961 law that createdFamily Court, the word "marriage" meant just one thing - the union of a manand a woman.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-RI: Judge Points to Way Court Might Consider Same-Sex Issue
PROVIDENCE - A Superior Court judge yesterday raised the question of whetherit's constitutional for Rhode Island to block divorces for same-sex couplesmarried in Massachusetts. Two Providence women, Margaret R. Chambers andCassandra B. Ormiston, married in Fall River in 2004 after Massachusettsbecame the first state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, andin 2006 the couple sought Rhode Island's first same-sex divorce in FamilyCourt. But in a December 2007 decision that drew national attention, adivided state Supreme Court ruled that Family Court lacked jurisdiction togrant the divorce. The majority said that under the 1961 law that createdFamily Court, the word "marriage" meant just one thing - the union of a manand a woman.
-Baldwin Discusses Gay Bills in Congressional Limbo
The only open lesbian in the U.S. House of Representatives is predictingthat in the next session of Congress, bills related to employmentnon-discrimination and hate crimes will be more successful than legislationaimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) made the comments today at a Center forAmerican Progress forum geared toward highlighting the importance of theDomestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would grant thepartners of gay federal employees the same benefits that are available tothe spouses of straight counterparts. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) joinedBaldwin in the panel discussion. Other speakers at the event included formerSecretary of State Madeleine Albright and former U.S. Ambassador to RomaniaMichael Guest, who resigned his 26-year career as a foreign service officerlast year in protest of federal employment practices. Baldwin said she is"very optimistic" that ENDA and a hate crimes measure would pass Congressnext session, particularly if Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama,who has supported these initiatives, take the White House. Read more
-The Milquetoast Manifesto
What if the evangelicals wrote a manifesto and nobody cared? It was supposedto be a decisive document, a credo that unified American evangelicals aroundthe Christian principles that form the foundations of their faith. It wouldrestore to American evangelicals a sense of mission and history-giving thempermission to look beyond party politics for their values while at the sametime urging them to be orthodox and ethical in their lives and in the world.Instead, "An Evangelical Manifesto" was released three weeks ago to almostno fanfare. Aside from a handful of news stories and some dutifulintervarsity sniping online, the fallout from the "Evangelical Manifesto"was-and continues to be-less than earth-shattering. The idea for themanifesto was born three years ago in the mind of Os Guinness, aVirginia-based evangelical intellectual. He was inspired to write it, hetold NEWSWEEK, after speaking with people who were so disillusioned with theway that evangelicals were conducting themselves in politics-and with theway they were portrayed in the press-that they no longer cared to labelthemselves "evangelical." So together with people like Richard Mouw,president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and DavidNeff, editor of Christianity Today, Guinness drafted his manifesto: sevenChristian principles that every evangelical could agree on.Read more
-Join the 'Out' Club
While in the secular world some colleges are debating whether to designatespecial restrooms for transgendered students, Christian colleges arepondering whether to allow gay students to organize at all. Andy Swenson isan unlikely revolutionary. Raised in a conservative Lutheran household, hegrew up believing that homosexuality was a sin. He arrived on the campus ofBethel University in St. Paul, Minn., and happily agreed to sign itscovenant, a statement of beliefs and forbidden practices that wedged"homosexual behavior" between "drunkenness" and "lying." "I was, like,'Yeah, it is a sin'." As the semesters went by, Swenson could not keeppretending. He started telling his friends that he was gay. Now, for morethan a year, Swenson has been one of about a dozen students intent onorganizing an official gay-straight alliance at Bethel. The group fliesunder the radar. It doesn't have a room, so the students meet near thecafeteria. It doesn't have a faculty adviser. Getting approval won't beeasy-"a student group can't conflict with our mission or core values," aspokeswoman says-but next year Swenson's group, which still has no name,plans to submit the paperwork anyway. America's Christian colleges may bethe last bastion of traditional values-places where parents can continue, inabsentia, to protect their children from the corrupting influences of theworld and where the kids themselves often promise, as Swenson did, toabstain not just from homosexual sex but from premarital sex, adultery andinappropriate fondling-and greed, idolatry and slander. But as homosexualityceases to be a cultural taboo, evangelicals increasingly have had to grappleopenly with the question of how to deal with the gays and lesbians in theirmidst; last week Rick Warren announced that he was welcoming a group of gayfathers to his church for Father's Day. Now, even on very conservativeChristian campuses, there are gays who are "out" and who want theirauthority figures to recognize them-and their sexuality-as deserving of God's love. Thanks largely to the efforts of Soul Force, which encourages dialoguebetween gays and Christians on campus, these students are trying to getorganized. Read more
-McCain's VP Short-Lister Bobby Jindal's Exorcist Work
The very young governor of Louisiana is allegedly on John McCain's VP shortlist, but this little bit of news should tank his prospects for selection. Bobby Jindal, the 36-year old governor of Louisiana, is being taken seriously by the national press as a candidate on the shortlist to be John McCain's Vice President. No one doubts that he's a political prodigy - his impressive resume includes stints as president of the state universitysystem, a Congressman and now governor. But one of Jindal's job titles hasn't gotten much attention - and it just might prompt a few questions if his Veep candidacy gains steam: Exorcist. We've discovered that in an essay Jindal wrote in 1994 for the New Oxford Review, a serious right-wing Catholic journal, Jindal narrated a bizarre story of a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group ofcollege friends. And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer. It sounds like Jindal has a bright future as a competitor of Benny Hinn.
-Anti-Gays Indoctrinate Student with Their Violent Lifestyle
Two teen girls beat the shitake out of a fellow freshman today in the hallsof Michigan's Wayland Union High School, leaving the victim with facialinjuries. And the reason for the scuffle? Well, this from local news sourceWOOD TV: The suspects told police the girl was a gay-rights advocate andthat she was trying to impose her views on them. They didn't like it, andthey told police they didn't see anything wrong with what they did. Yes,that's right - it's no longer stealing boyfriends, talking sh*t behind eachothers' backs, or looking prettier in a certain dress that's leading highschool girls to turn to fisticuffs. It's now the mere idea that a gay rightsactivist is trying to "impose her views" that's leading to teen-on-teenviolence. Gee, wonder what sort of cultural phenomenon is leading to thisadolescent trend?
Read more
-Dobson's Lack of Support Won't Hurt McCain
Colorado Republicans need to focus on fiscal restraint and smallgovernment - and avoid social issues - if they want to reassert themselvesagainst the well-funded and well-organized Democratic Party that has emergedin the Centennial State over the last four years, a panel of experts toldThe Denver Post on a PoliticsWest webcast. Colorado GOP chairman DickWadhams also said that Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's comments that he would not vote for the party's presumptive nominee, John McCain, won't hurt the Arizona senator. "I got to tell you, I constantly go to Republicanevents and speak to them and participate in them and I don't perceive thatattitude among social conservatives in Colorado," Wadhams said. "In fact,our delegation to the national convention, I haven't done an actual count,but we have a significant number of social conservatives and they aresolidly behind Sen. McCain. And so I just don't perceive any problem on thatfront." Dobson, the evangelical Christian leader who endorsed PresidentBush in 2004, opposes McCain. He said in February, "I am convinced Sen.McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stickhis thumb in the eyes of those who are."Read more
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=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Norway: New Rights Granted to Gays
The Parliament granted gay and lesbian couples the right to marry and toadopt children on an equal basis with heterosexual couples. The country'snew universal marriage act, which also allows lesbians to be artificiallyinseminated in Norwegian medical facilities, supersedes a domesticpartnership policy. "No longer will there be different classes of love,"Erling Lae, the chief commissioner of Oslo, told an online newspaper minutesafter the Parliament's 84-41 vote, adding that he now plans to marry hismale companion of 26 years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/europe/12briefs-NEWRIGHTSGRA_BRF.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt
-What Women Want (Maybe)
LADIES! Behold the splendor of the nude male form: sleek and powerful, amiracle of sculpted sinew, striding confidently across the sand orstretching out before you in ever-uncoiling glory.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12bisex.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=nyt
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CIRCUIT COURT: Judge Sides With Foes Of Transgender Measure
Montgomery Voters Might Yet Decide Whether to Accept Law's Protections
A Montgomery County judge sided with opponents of broad new protections for transgender individuals yesterday in an initial ruling on a local referendumeffort. But Circuit Court Judge Robert A. Greenberg has not decidedwhether Montgomery voters will have a chance in November to accept or rejecta law passed by the County Council in the fall that prohibits discriminationbased on a person's gender identity.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061102527.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Southern Baptists Wary Of McCain
Four years ago, the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign hosted a reception forSouthern Baptist pastors at a hotel across the street from their annualmeeting.
-Clinton Supporters Behind Obama
They may not be falling in love, but they're falling in line. In several keystates this week, Obama is being joined on stages by top Democrats who, afew weeks ago, were working to deny him the nomination.
-Obama Adds To Gay Outreach
Democrat Barack Obama has added two longtime gay advocates to his LGBTelection team.
-Norway Parliament Approves Gay Marriage
The gallery at the Norwegian Parliament erupted in applause and cheers onWednesday with the passage of legislation allowing same-sex couples tomarry.
-Rights Group Calls On Uganda To Drop Charges Against Gay Activists
The arrest of three sexual rights activists during a peaceful demonstrationto raise awareness about LGBT issues shows the Ugandan government'sdetermination to enforce silence around sexuality and HIV/AIDS, Human RightsWatch said in a letter to Minister of Justice and Attorney General EdwardKiddu Makubuya on Wednesday.
-Crist Signs Florida Inclusive Bully Law
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has signed legislation that requires schooldistricts to prohibit bullying and harassment.
-Former Official Sues NASCAR Claiming Harassment
As an aspiring racing official, Mauricia Grant had grown used to working ina man's world.
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Habitat for Humanity ends Planned Parenthood deal
Habitat for Humanity, a Christian ministry which among other worthwhile projects, builds homes for homeless, has backed out of a deal to partner with Planned Parenthood to build a new abortion clinic in Sarasota, Florida. After a torrent of phone calls and e-mails, the board of directors for Habitat's Sarasota branch voted to "dissociate" itself from the project. Habitat for Humanity issued the following statement: "Habitat for Humanity of Sarasota has declined a donation of land from Planned Parenthood, accepting the land would not be in the best interests of our ongoing work in the community, the families we seek to serve, or the broader Habitat for Humanity community."
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Baldwin discusses gay bills in Congressional limbo
Washington elite gather to consider D.P. benefits for federal employees
The only open lesbian in the U.S. House of Representatives is predictingthat in the next session of Congress, bills related to employmentnon-discrimination and hate crimes will be more successful than legislationaimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18898
-SLDN hires gay Va. lawmaker
Ebbin takes role as communications director
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) - the organization leading thefight against the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy - hassigned on Adam Ebbin, the only openly gay member of the Virginia GeneralAssembly, as its new communications director.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18896
-Resolution at Southern Baptist Convention seeks Fort Worth church's ouster
A North Carolina pastor has recommended that Broadway Baptist Church in FortWorth be ousted from the Southern Baptist Convention, saying it encourageshomosexuality.
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/694349.html
-Norway adopts gay marriage law
Norway's parliament on Wednesday adopted a new marriage law that allowshomosexuals to marry and adopt children and permits lesbians to beartificially inseminated.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jko_BIHizUFFqUtmEaUrAEoPXFWw
-Defamation suit against gay men settled out of court
A defamation lawsuit by a Pointe Claire man seeking $400,000 in damages fromtwo gay neighbours - following events that drew massive media coveragebeginning in 2001 - has been settled on the eve of a civil trial.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=76da53b4-606f-4678-b990-8df42fde6d11
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-South Carolina: Man Charged In Death Of Gay Man To Enter Plea
The man charged in the 2007 death of a gay man outside a Greenville Countynightclub will enter a plea on Wednesday. Deputies said 20-year-old SeanKennedy was attacked on May 16, 2007, in the parking lot of the former Brew's nightclub by Stephen Moller because Kennedy was gay. Kennedy later died fromhis injuries.
- LA Mayor Says He'll Happily Perform Gay Weddings
Officials across California are eagerly anticipating next week's date when gay marriages will be allowed. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is scheduled to be in Israel when the ban is lifted June 17, said he has taken the steps to allow him to perform weddings. "I've told a number of couples that I will be happy to preside," the mayor said last week. "I will marry as many people as possible."
-Gays Who Wed in California
Won't Have Equal Marriage Rights
Thousands of gay couples will marry in California during the upcomingmonths, but when it comes to the law, not all marriages are created equal.Same-sex married couples can expect many of the same marital rights asheterosexual couples under state law. But things will be different if theyend up in bankruptcy court, take a leave from work or own a vacation homeout of state. In those areas, federal law comes into play, and the federalgovernment does not recognize marriages between lesbians or gay men.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Bishop Marc Andrus of the Diocese of California is encouraging all couples,regardless of sexual orientation, to obtain secular marriages before seekingthe church's blessing, as a way to support same-gender couples and "ourcontinued witness to God's inclusive love." "For too long the onus hasfallen on marginalized people to bear the burden of inequalities that existwithin the Church, and the decision by our state's Supreme Court has givenus the opportunity to level the playing field," Andrus wrote in a recentpastoral letter to clergy and lay leaders of the San Francisco-baseddiocese.
-Palm Springs:
With the state's gay marriage ban about to be lifted, Palm Springs MayorSteve Pougnet and City Council members Ginny Foat and Rick Hutcheson expectto be busy over the next several months performing civil marriage ceremoniesfor gay and lesbian couples looking to tie the knot. The trio, who are allopenly gay, have been deputized to perform marriages throughout the county.
-As thousands of gay couples across the country prepare to marry inCalifornia next week, many states are girding for a surge of complex andpolitically charged legal challenges when newlyweds return to their homestates. "Because California is so much more populous than Massachusetts(which has allowed same-sex marriage since 2004), and it welcomes peoplefrom every jurisdiction, there will be far more couples moving or returningto the other 49," said William Araiza, a professor at Loyola Law School inLos Angeles. "Many more states will have to deal with the legal fallout."
-Although religious beliefs have long undergirded much of the opposition tosame-sex marriage, some Inland ministers and rabbis believe that same-sexunions can be just as holy as opposite-sex ones. They're preparing toperform weddings that will bestow a religious blessing on ceremonies that,beginning Tuesday, will be recognized under state law. Most major U.S.religious denominations believe homosexual activity and same-sex marriageare wrong. The Roman Catholic Church, most Protestant denominations, Islamand the Orthodox branch of Judaism are among those opposed to same-gendermarriage. Under the court ruling, clergy are free to continue restrictingweddings to opposite-sex couples.
-Florida: The News-Press did a disservice to the people of Southwest Florida by
labeling Amendment 2 as a "gay marriage" amendment. ("Vote on Gay MarriageHeats in Fla.; California legalization shapes debate here." June 2). Same-sex couples are a small minority of those who will be affected if thisproposed Florida constitutional amendment passes this November. The sponsorsof Amendment 2 are misleading people (very effectively it seems) intobelieving this amendment is about gay marriage. That's just not true.In fact, since same-sex marriage is already against the law in Florida, thisamendment is not about "gay marriage" at all. The language of this proposedamendment has the illusion of being straightforward. It is not.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Outrage as Budapest Pride banned by police
Gay rights activists have reacted angrily to news that the chief of policein Budapest has decided that a Pride march planned for July 5th willinterfere with traffic and therefore will not go ahead.
-Homosexuals can change claims Iris's "lovely" psychiatrist
A psychiatrist in Northern Ireland has defended his practice of treating menfor unwanted same-sex attraction.
-Norway's new gay marriage law also grants new parental rights
New legislation on same-sex marriage approved by the Norwegian parliamentyesterday also extends parenting rights for gay and lesbian couples.
-Christian Institute weighs into "gay cure" row
A Christian group notorious for its opposition to gay rights has backed anMP who said homosexuality is disgusting, loathsome, nauseating, wicked andvile and claimed gay people can be "cured."
-Greek same-sex couples excluded from new co-habitation law
Greece's government will introduce legislation to allow unmarriedheterosexual couples to register their relationships.
-Madonna's estranged brother to write tell-all book
He served as the artistic director for Truth or Dare and then again for herGirlie Show Tour. Then, by most accounts, Madonna and brother ChristopherCiccone had a falling out.
-Obama campaign appoints director of LGBT Vote
Throughout the campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, SenatorHillary Clinton enjoyed the overwhelming support of the gay and lesbiancommunity.
-Lesbian parents get new rights in New South Wales
The rights of lesbian parents in New South Wales, Australia have beenexpanded under laws passed by the state government.
-Your job is to protect all citizens, Gambian leader told
A New York-based human rights group has said that the President of theGambia is failing in his responsibility to ensure respect for the rights ofall.
-Equal treatment bill stalls in Lithuanian parliament
Not enough MPs turned up to vote for a new equality law in the Lithuanianparliament yesterday and the legislation will have to be rescheduled.
-Fatwa condemns Gambian gay execution threat as unsound
An Islamic cleric based in Texas has issued a fatwa condeming GambianPresident Yahya Jammeh's threat of the execution of every gay person in hiscountry as theologically unsound.
-Comedy, music and literature at Europe's biggest lesbian event
Tickets for the York Lesbian Arts Festival (YLAF) 2008, Europe's biggestlesbian event, are on sale. The four day event returns to York this October.
-Brazilian President calls homophobia a "perverse disease"
The president of Brazil has become the first nation leader to launch aconference with the sole purpose of promoting gay equality.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-RI: Judge Points to Way Court Might Consider Same-Sex Issue
A Superior Court judge yesterday raised the question of whether it'sconstitutional for Rhode Island to block divorces for same-sex couplesmarried in Massachusetts. Two Providence women, Margaret R. Chambers andCassandra B. Ormiston, married in Fall River in 2004 after Massachusettsbecame the first state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, andin 2006 the couple sought Rhode Island's first same-sex divorce in FamilyCourt. But in a December 2007 decision that drew national attention, adivided state Supreme Court ruled that Family Court lacked jurisdiction togrant the divorce. The majority said that under the 1961 law that createdFamily Court, the word "marriage" meant just one thing - the union of a manand a woman.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-RI: Judge Points to Way Court Might Consider Same-Sex Issue
PROVIDENCE - A Superior Court judge yesterday raised the question of whetherit's constitutional for Rhode Island to block divorces for same-sex couplesmarried in Massachusetts. Two Providence women, Margaret R. Chambers andCassandra B. Ormiston, married in Fall River in 2004 after Massachusettsbecame the first state to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, andin 2006 the couple sought Rhode Island's first same-sex divorce in FamilyCourt. But in a December 2007 decision that drew national attention, adivided state Supreme Court ruled that Family Court lacked jurisdiction togrant the divorce. The majority said that under the 1961 law that createdFamily Court, the word "marriage" meant just one thing - the union of a manand a woman.
-Baldwin Discusses Gay Bills in Congressional Limbo
The only open lesbian in the U.S. House of Representatives is predictingthat in the next session of Congress, bills related to employmentnon-discrimination and hate crimes will be more successful than legislationaimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) made the comments today at a Center forAmerican Progress forum geared toward highlighting the importance of theDomestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would grant thepartners of gay federal employees the same benefits that are available tothe spouses of straight counterparts. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) joinedBaldwin in the panel discussion. Other speakers at the event included formerSecretary of State Madeleine Albright and former U.S. Ambassador to RomaniaMichael Guest, who resigned his 26-year career as a foreign service officerlast year in protest of federal employment practices. Baldwin said she is"very optimistic" that ENDA and a hate crimes measure would pass Congressnext session, particularly if Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama,who has supported these initiatives, take the White House. Read more
-The Milquetoast Manifesto
What if the evangelicals wrote a manifesto and nobody cared? It was supposedto be a decisive document, a credo that unified American evangelicals aroundthe Christian principles that form the foundations of their faith. It wouldrestore to American evangelicals a sense of mission and history-giving thempermission to look beyond party politics for their values while at the sametime urging them to be orthodox and ethical in their lives and in the world.Instead, "An Evangelical Manifesto" was released three weeks ago to almostno fanfare. Aside from a handful of news stories and some dutifulintervarsity sniping online, the fallout from the "Evangelical Manifesto"was-and continues to be-less than earth-shattering. The idea for themanifesto was born three years ago in the mind of Os Guinness, aVirginia-based evangelical intellectual. He was inspired to write it, hetold NEWSWEEK, after speaking with people who were so disillusioned with theway that evangelicals were conducting themselves in politics-and with theway they were portrayed in the press-that they no longer cared to labelthemselves "evangelical." So together with people like Richard Mouw,president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and DavidNeff, editor of Christianity Today, Guinness drafted his manifesto: sevenChristian principles that every evangelical could agree on.Read more
-Join the 'Out' Club
While in the secular world some colleges are debating whether to designatespecial restrooms for transgendered students, Christian colleges arepondering whether to allow gay students to organize at all. Andy Swenson isan unlikely revolutionary. Raised in a conservative Lutheran household, hegrew up believing that homosexuality was a sin. He arrived on the campus ofBethel University in St. Paul, Minn., and happily agreed to sign itscovenant, a statement of beliefs and forbidden practices that wedged"homosexual behavior" between "drunkenness" and "lying." "I was, like,'Yeah, it is a sin'." As the semesters went by, Swenson could not keeppretending. He started telling his friends that he was gay. Now, for morethan a year, Swenson has been one of about a dozen students intent onorganizing an official gay-straight alliance at Bethel. The group fliesunder the radar. It doesn't have a room, so the students meet near thecafeteria. It doesn't have a faculty adviser. Getting approval won't beeasy-"a student group can't conflict with our mission or core values," aspokeswoman says-but next year Swenson's group, which still has no name,plans to submit the paperwork anyway. America's Christian colleges may bethe last bastion of traditional values-places where parents can continue, inabsentia, to protect their children from the corrupting influences of theworld and where the kids themselves often promise, as Swenson did, toabstain not just from homosexual sex but from premarital sex, adultery andinappropriate fondling-and greed, idolatry and slander. But as homosexualityceases to be a cultural taboo, evangelicals increasingly have had to grappleopenly with the question of how to deal with the gays and lesbians in theirmidst; last week Rick Warren announced that he was welcoming a group of gayfathers to his church for Father's Day. Now, even on very conservativeChristian campuses, there are gays who are "out" and who want theirauthority figures to recognize them-and their sexuality-as deserving of God's love. Thanks largely to the efforts of Soul Force, which encourages dialoguebetween gays and Christians on campus, these students are trying to getorganized. Read more
-McCain's VP Short-Lister Bobby Jindal's Exorcist Work
The very young governor of Louisiana is allegedly on John McCain's VP shortlist, but this little bit of news should tank his prospects for selection. Bobby Jindal, the 36-year old governor of Louisiana, is being taken seriously by the national press as a candidate on the shortlist to be John McCain's Vice President. No one doubts that he's a political prodigy - his impressive resume includes stints as president of the state universitysystem, a Congressman and now governor. But one of Jindal's job titles hasn't gotten much attention - and it just might prompt a few questions if his Veep candidacy gains steam: Exorcist. We've discovered that in an essay Jindal wrote in 1994 for the New Oxford Review, a serious right-wing Catholic journal, Jindal narrated a bizarre story of a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group ofcollege friends. And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer. It sounds like Jindal has a bright future as a competitor of Benny Hinn.
-Anti-Gays Indoctrinate Student with Their Violent Lifestyle
Two teen girls beat the shitake out of a fellow freshman today in the hallsof Michigan's Wayland Union High School, leaving the victim with facialinjuries. And the reason for the scuffle? Well, this from local news sourceWOOD TV: The suspects told police the girl was a gay-rights advocate andthat she was trying to impose her views on them. They didn't like it, andthey told police they didn't see anything wrong with what they did. Yes,that's right - it's no longer stealing boyfriends, talking sh*t behind eachothers' backs, or looking prettier in a certain dress that's leading highschool girls to turn to fisticuffs. It's now the mere idea that a gay rightsactivist is trying to "impose her views" that's leading to teen-on-teenviolence. Gee, wonder what sort of cultural phenomenon is leading to thisadolescent trend?
Read more
-Dobson's Lack of Support Won't Hurt McCain
Colorado Republicans need to focus on fiscal restraint and smallgovernment - and avoid social issues - if they want to reassert themselvesagainst the well-funded and well-organized Democratic Party that has emergedin the Centennial State over the last four years, a panel of experts toldThe Denver Post on a PoliticsWest webcast. Colorado GOP chairman DickWadhams also said that Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's comments that he would not vote for the party's presumptive nominee, John McCain, won't hurt the Arizona senator. "I got to tell you, I constantly go to Republicanevents and speak to them and participate in them and I don't perceive thatattitude among social conservatives in Colorado," Wadhams said. "In fact,our delegation to the national convention, I haven't done an actual count,but we have a significant number of social conservatives and they aresolidly behind Sen. McCain. And so I just don't perceive any problem on thatfront." Dobson, the evangelical Christian leader who endorsed PresidentBush in 2004, opposes McCain. He said in February, "I am convinced Sen.McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stickhis thumb in the eyes of those who are."Read more
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NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 12, 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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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Interrogation for Profit
Congress should approve measures to make war-zone contractors liable forcriminal behavior and to assign the F.B.I. to inquiries into contractorcrimes. [...] Operating free of the restraints of military rule and ethics,some of these corporate thugs turned up in the torture scandal at the AbuGhraib prison and walked away with impunity. Others are now believed to bein the employ of the Central Intelligence Agency at secret prisons thatremain outside the rule of law, exempted even from the weak 2006 rules oninterrogating prisoners.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/opinion/12thu1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-The Sex Speech
Now, it's up to Barack Obama to give a speech about gender that mighttrigger a useful national conversation about women in leadership.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/opinion/12kristof.html?ref=opinion
-Obama Aide Quits Under Fire for His Business Ties
The resignation of James A. Johnson highlights the challenge Barack Obamafaces in living up to his goal of not surrounding himself with people withties to special interests.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/politics/12veep.html?hp
-American Aid Is Seized in Zimbabwe
Food for schoolchildren was ordered to be given to backers of PresidentRobert Mugabe, the U.S. ambassador said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/africa/12zimbabwe.html?hp
-American Exception: Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in
Speech
A couple of years ago, a Canadian magazine published an article arguing thatthe rise of Islam threatened Western values. The article's tone was mockingand biting, but it said nothing that conservative magazines and blogs in theUnited States do not say every day without fear of legal reprisal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12hate.html?hp
-Democrats Offer Plans to Revamp Schools Law
Democrats are dividing into camps as they debate a new course for educationpolicy after President Bush leaves office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12education.html
-Pakistan Angry as Strike by U.S. Kills 11 Soldiers
American air and artillery strikes killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary soldiersduring a clash with insurgents on the Afghan border on Tuesday night, adevelopment that raised concerns about the already strained Americanrelationship with Pakistan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/asia/12pstan.html?hp
-News Analysis: An Anger in Korea Over More Than Beef
When tens of thousands of South Koreans spilled into central Seoul onTuesday in the country's largest antigovernment protest in 20 years, thepolice built a barricade with shipping containers. They coated them with oiland filled them with sandbags so protesters could not climb or topple themto march on President Lee Myung-bak's office a couple of blocks away.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/asia/12seoul.html
-U.S. Life Expectancy Reaches Record
For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78 years, thegovernment reported Wednesday. The increase is due mainly to fallingmortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death, federal healthofficials said. The average life expectancy for babies born in 2006 wasabout four months greater than for children born in 2005.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/health/AP-MED-Life-Expectancy.html
-Report Takes Aim at 'Model Minority' Stereotype of Asian-American Students
The image of Asian-Americans as a homogeneous group of high achievers takingover the campuses of the nation's most selective colleges came under assaultin a report issued Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/education/10asians.html
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Unvetted Vetter
Say this for Sen. Barack Obama: He is a lot quicker in these post-Jeremiah Wright days to walk away from controversy caused him by others. By the timehe finished distancing himself from Jim Johnson, his former vicepresidential vetter, Johnson must have felt like he was on Mars.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103170.html
-The Politics of Divorce
In a week in which John McCain and Barack Obama have gone at each other over tax policy, health care and Iraq, the buzz in the blogosphere concerns avery different subject. Her name is Carol McCain.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061200998_pf.html
-Let Love Rule
Forty-one years ago, the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia lawpreventing marriage between African Americans and whites.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103171.html
-Decline Of the Senate
Sen. Arlen Specter, age 78, was feeling miserable Monday following
chemotherapy the previous Friday. But believing the best antidote was hardwork, Specter took the Senate floor with a speech that contrasted sharplyfrom the partisan oratory now customary in the chamber.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103173.html
-A Courageous Commutation
Mr. Kaine spares the life of a man on death row.
VIRGINIA GOV. Timothy M. Kaine (D), a confidant of Barack Obama's and thefirst governor outside Illinois to endorse the senator's bid for theDemocratic presidential nomination, is routinely mentioned as avice-presidential prospect. Many politicians in his position might bend orsuspend principle to keep such prospects alive. But this week, Mr. Kainecommuted the death sentence of a mentally deficient triple killer to life inprison without parole. Under the circumstances, the decision, which couldwell provide convenient fodder for Republican attack ads in a nationalcampaign, was courageous as well as fair-minded and fact-based.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103440.html
-U.S. Releases Footage of Clash
Pakistan claims skirmish with militants resulted in an air strike thatkilled 11 of its troops. [...] But Pakistani and U.S. officials have givenwidely differing accounts of an event that threatens to further sourrelations between key allies in Washington's war on terror _ a partnershipalready unpopular among Pakistanis.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061200493.html?hpid=topnews
-Canadian Government Apologizes For Abuse of Indigenous People
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a long-anticipated apologyyesterday to tens of thousands of indigenous people who as children wereripped from their families and sent to boarding schools, where many wereabused as part of official government policy to "kill the Indian in thechild."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061100419.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Southern Baptists target political arena
America's largest evangelical denomination adopted a resolution on politicalengagement on Wednesday signaling its intention to flex its muscles in theNovember presidential election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061101688.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Oprah Winfrey tops Forbes most powerful celebs list for fifth time
Oprah Winfrey led Forbes magazine's list of the 100 most powerfulcelebrities, reflecting the talk- show host's income and ability toinfluence audiences.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-0612forbes-celebs,0,7325231.story
-Gov. Crist's strengths and weaknesses as a running mate
Strengths: Popular in a major electoral state, Crist could deliver Florida for McCain - and with it, 27 electoral votes. As a moderate, he would reinforce McCain's appeal to independents and Democrats. His tough record on crime could appeal to conservatives.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flacriststrengths0612sbjun12,0,7873849.story
-Troubling surge in underweight babies
The percentage of underweight babies born in the U.S. has increased to itshighest rate in 40 years, according to a new report that also documents arecent rise in the number of children living in poverty. The data on lowbirth weights is worrisome because such babies - those bornat less than 5.5pounds - are at greater risk of dying in infancy or experiencing long-termdisabilities. The findings were released today in the annual Kids Countreport on the health and well-being of America's youth, which measures thestates in 10 categories. "Well-being indicators have largely gotten betterfor teens, and they've gotten worse for babies," said Laura Beavers,coordinator of the Kids Count project for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flanatdig06123sbjun12,0,218814,print.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-DUST-UP: The Obama-McCain veepstakes
Ezra Klein likes Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for Obama and Sen. JoeLieberman for McCain. Megan McArdle says Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal wouldhelp McCain's chances, but Republicans would be wise to save his star powerfor a future White House run.
-Redefine the vice presidency
The No. 2 spot has historically been a weak position, with a few notable -and recent - exceptions. It has also served as the petri dish forpartisanship, beginning in the campaign season. Cal and Bob see another way.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/redefine-the-vi.html?csp=34
=
[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:
-Interrogation for Profit
Congress should approve measures to make war-zone contractors liable forcriminal behavior and to assign the F.B.I. to inquiries into contractorcrimes. [...] Operating free of the restraints of military rule and ethics,some of these corporate thugs turned up in the torture scandal at the AbuGhraib prison and walked away with impunity. Others are now believed to bein the employ of the Central Intelligence Agency at secret prisons thatremain outside the rule of law, exempted even from the weak 2006 rules oninterrogating prisoners.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/opinion/12thu1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-The Sex Speech
Now, it's up to Barack Obama to give a speech about gender that mighttrigger a useful national conversation about women in leadership.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/opinion/12kristof.html?ref=opinion
-Obama Aide Quits Under Fire for His Business Ties
The resignation of James A. Johnson highlights the challenge Barack Obamafaces in living up to his goal of not surrounding himself with people withties to special interests.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/politics/12veep.html?hp
-American Aid Is Seized in Zimbabwe
Food for schoolchildren was ordered to be given to backers of PresidentRobert Mugabe, the U.S. ambassador said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/africa/12zimbabwe.html?hp
-American Exception: Unlike Others, U.S. Defends Freedom to Offend in
Speech
A couple of years ago, a Canadian magazine published an article arguing thatthe rise of Islam threatened Western values. The article's tone was mockingand biting, but it said nothing that conservative magazines and blogs in theUnited States do not say every day without fear of legal reprisal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12hate.html?hp
-Democrats Offer Plans to Revamp Schools Law
Democrats are dividing into camps as they debate a new course for educationpolicy after President Bush leaves office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12education.html
-Pakistan Angry as Strike by U.S. Kills 11 Soldiers
American air and artillery strikes killed 11 Pakistani paramilitary soldiersduring a clash with insurgents on the Afghan border on Tuesday night, adevelopment that raised concerns about the already strained Americanrelationship with Pakistan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/asia/12pstan.html?hp
-News Analysis: An Anger in Korea Over More Than Beef
When tens of thousands of South Koreans spilled into central Seoul onTuesday in the country's largest antigovernment protest in 20 years, thepolice built a barricade with shipping containers. They coated them with oiland filled them with sandbags so protesters could not climb or topple themto march on President Lee Myung-bak's office a couple of blocks away.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/world/asia/12seoul.html
-U.S. Life Expectancy Reaches Record
For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78 years, thegovernment reported Wednesday. The increase is due mainly to fallingmortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death, federal healthofficials said. The average life expectancy for babies born in 2006 wasabout four months greater than for children born in 2005.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/health/AP-MED-Life-Expectancy.html
-Report Takes Aim at 'Model Minority' Stereotype of Asian-American Students
The image of Asian-Americans as a homogeneous group of high achievers takingover the campuses of the nation's most selective colleges came under assaultin a report issued Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/education/10asians.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Unvetted Vetter
Say this for Sen. Barack Obama: He is a lot quicker in these post-Jeremiah Wright days to walk away from controversy caused him by others. By the timehe finished distancing himself from Jim Johnson, his former vicepresidential vetter, Johnson must have felt like he was on Mars.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103170.html
-The Politics of Divorce
In a week in which John McCain and Barack Obama have gone at each other over tax policy, health care and Iraq, the buzz in the blogosphere concerns avery different subject. Her name is Carol McCain.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061200998_pf.html
-Let Love Rule
Forty-one years ago, the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia lawpreventing marriage between African Americans and whites.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103171.html
-Decline Of the Senate
Sen. Arlen Specter, age 78, was feeling miserable Monday following
chemotherapy the previous Friday. But believing the best antidote was hardwork, Specter took the Senate floor with a speech that contrasted sharplyfrom the partisan oratory now customary in the chamber.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103173.html
-A Courageous Commutation
Mr. Kaine spares the life of a man on death row.
VIRGINIA GOV. Timothy M. Kaine (D), a confidant of Barack Obama's and thefirst governor outside Illinois to endorse the senator's bid for theDemocratic presidential nomination, is routinely mentioned as avice-presidential prospect. Many politicians in his position might bend orsuspend principle to keep such prospects alive. But this week, Mr. Kainecommuted the death sentence of a mentally deficient triple killer to life inprison without parole. Under the circumstances, the decision, which couldwell provide convenient fodder for Republican attack ads in a nationalcampaign, was courageous as well as fair-minded and fact-based.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061103440.html
-U.S. Releases Footage of Clash
Pakistan claims skirmish with militants resulted in an air strike thatkilled 11 of its troops. [...] But Pakistani and U.S. officials have givenwidely differing accounts of an event that threatens to further sourrelations between key allies in Washington's war on terror _ a partnershipalready unpopular among Pakistanis.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061200493.html?hpid=topnews
-Canadian Government Apologizes For Abuse of Indigenous People
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a long-anticipated apologyyesterday to tens of thousands of indigenous people who as children wereripped from their families and sent to boarding schools, where many wereabused as part of official government policy to "kill the Indian in thechild."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061100419.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Southern Baptists target political arena
America's largest evangelical denomination adopted a resolution on politicalengagement on Wednesday signaling its intention to flex its muscles in theNovember presidential election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061101688.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Oprah Winfrey tops Forbes most powerful celebs list for fifth time
Oprah Winfrey led Forbes magazine's list of the 100 most powerfulcelebrities, reflecting the talk- show host's income and ability toinfluence audiences.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-0612forbes-celebs,0,7325231.story
-Gov. Crist's strengths and weaknesses as a running mate
Strengths: Popular in a major electoral state, Crist could deliver Florida for McCain - and with it, 27 electoral votes. As a moderate, he would reinforce McCain's appeal to independents and Democrats. His tough record on crime could appeal to conservatives.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flacriststrengths0612sbjun12,0,7873849.story
-Troubling surge in underweight babies
The percentage of underweight babies born in the U.S. has increased to itshighest rate in 40 years, according to a new report that also documents arecent rise in the number of children living in poverty. The data on lowbirth weights is worrisome because such babies - those bornat less than 5.5pounds - are at greater risk of dying in infancy or experiencing long-termdisabilities. The findings were released today in the annual Kids Countreport on the health and well-being of America's youth, which measures thestates in 10 categories. "Well-being indicators have largely gotten betterfor teens, and they've gotten worse for babies," said Laura Beavers,coordinator of the Kids Count project for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flanatdig06123sbjun12,0,218814,print.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-DUST-UP: The Obama-McCain veepstakes
Ezra Klein likes Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for Obama and Sen. JoeLieberman for McCain. Megan McArdle says Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal wouldhelp McCain's chances, but Republicans would be wise to save his star powerfor a future White House run.
-Redefine the vice presidency
The No. 2 spot has historically been a weak position, with a few notable -and recent - exceptions. It has also served as the petri dish forpartisanship, beginning in the campaign season. Cal and Bob see another way.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/redefine-the-vi.html?csp=34
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 12, 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:
-Palm Beach County administrators propose 8.3 percent tax increase
For the first time in more than a decade, Palm Beach County administratorsproposed Wednesday to raise the countywide tax rate by 8.3 percent, anincrease that would wipe away part of the expected savings from this year'sproperty tax cuts.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpbudget0612pnjun12,0,6253829.story
-Florida No. 2 in nation for exporting guns used in crimeFlorida, perhaps best known for exporting oranges, is now No. 2 nationwidefor shipping out another commodity: guns.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flbgun0612sbjun12,0,6152648.story
-Pool party to benefit homeless and at-risk children at Covenant HouseFlorida
Get ready to dive in the deep end for kids' sakes. Young Professionals for Covenant House hosts the fundraiser, "Summer Splash Poolside Bash," on Saturday. The summer bash include free beer and punch from 4 to 7 p.m., contests and giveaways. For those who want to swim, bring a bathing suit and a towel. The party is at La Playa on the Intracoastal, 3003 NE 32nd Ave, Fort Lauderdale. The fee is $40 for non-members, $25 for members and $30 for guests of members. All proceeds will benefit the homeless, runaway, and at-risk kids of Covenant House Florida. For more information, call Courtney at 954-568-7916 or visit
www.youngpros.net.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/news/thingstodo/sfl-0612ttd-pool-benefit,0,1806609.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Find the lowest gas prices in South Florida
http://www.miamiherald.com/1060/story/364548.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-GOP resurrects offshore oil drilling plan
With gas topping $4 a gallon, Republicans on Capitol Hill are reviving anissue that most Florida politicians and environmentalists had consideredsettled: offshore oil and gas drilling.
-Teachers union endorses in hot state rep primary
Ken Thurston, one of several Democrats in a multi-candidate field for staterepresentative, has picked up the endorsement of the Broward Teachers Union.
"Your community service and experience will help to prove your record now.
We are confident that you will be a teacher advocate and promote educationalissues," BTU President Pat Santeramo said in a statement.
-Crist signs austere $66 billion state budget
An austere $66 billion budget that's expected to result in layoffs, schoolclosures and service reductions became law Wednesday as Gov. Charlie Cristquietly signed it without the usual public ceremony.
http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/566418.html
-South Florida drying out
Port St. Lucie soon may offer one of this area's best examples of how tosave water all the time, not just during a drought. The South Florida WaterManagement District may give a boost to such ideas by providing modelordinances local governments can follow. In Port St. Lucie, members of thePlanning and Zoning Board recommend that 50 percent of trees and shrubsplanted around stores, apartments and churches be drought-resistant. Theboard also suggests that a committee review sprinkler systems, to ensurethat they are water-efficient for the landscape design, before acceptingplans for buildings other than homes.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/12/a14a_dryplants_edit_0612.html
=
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus Summer Conference
July 18-20, 2008 in Gainesville
The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County will host the Florida GLBTDemocratic Caucus Summer Conference on the weekend of July 18-20 inGainesville, FL. Registration is $35 for members of the state caucus and $50for non-members before June 16. Friday night, July 18 there will be a socialat the Wild Iris Books and Cafe. The Saturday conference will be at the UFHilton Conference Center and will feature Representatives from the HumanRights Campaign, Equality Florida, and the Florida ACLU LGBT AdvocacyProject will speak at the Saturday meeting. In addition to the usual rosterof local and statewide candidates and officeholders, we are planning toinclude conversation panels on topics such as gender identity ordinances andintersections among Democratic groups. Saturday night there will be areception at the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida and isbeing organized by the Human Rights Council of North Central Florida. Moreinformation, including registration and links to hotel reservations can befound on the Caucus web site here.
http://www.floridaglbtdemocrats.org/conference-alachua.html
=
Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Makes Endorsements
The Council recently made the following endorsements:
U.S. House of Representatives - District 19: Robert Wexler
U.S. House of Representatives - District 22: Ronald Klein
U.S. House of Representatives - District 23: Alcee Hastings
State Senator - District 27: Dave Aronberg
State Representative - District 84: Priscilla Taylor
State Representative - District 86: Maria Sachs
State Representative - District 88: Mark S. Pafford
State Representative - District 89: Mary Brandenburg
State Representative - District 90: Kelly Skidmore
State Representative - District 91: Christian Chiari
Public Defender Carey Haughwout
Tax Collector Anne M. Gannon
School Board Member - District 1: Monroe Benaim West Palm Beach City Commission - District 3 - Kimberly Mitchell
As endorsements continue to be made, please go to:
www.pbchrc.org and click "Endorsements."
=
[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:
-Palm Beach County administrators propose 8.3 percent tax increase
For the first time in more than a decade, Palm Beach County administratorsproposed Wednesday to raise the countywide tax rate by 8.3 percent, anincrease that would wipe away part of the expected savings from this year'sproperty tax cuts.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpbudget0612pnjun12,0,6253829.story
-Florida No. 2 in nation for exporting guns used in crimeFlorida, perhaps best known for exporting oranges, is now No. 2 nationwidefor shipping out another commodity: guns.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-flbgun0612sbjun12,0,6152648.story
-Pool party to benefit homeless and at-risk children at Covenant HouseFlorida
Get ready to dive in the deep end for kids' sakes. Young Professionals for Covenant House hosts the fundraiser, "Summer Splash Poolside Bash," on Saturday. The summer bash include free beer and punch from 4 to 7 p.m., contests and giveaways. For those who want to swim, bring a bathing suit and a towel. The party is at La Playa on the Intracoastal, 3003 NE 32nd Ave, Fort Lauderdale. The fee is $40 for non-members, $25 for members and $30 for guests of members. All proceeds will benefit the homeless, runaway, and at-risk kids of Covenant House Florida. For more information, call Courtney at 954-568-7916 or visit
www.youngpros.net.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/news/thingstodo/sfl-0612ttd-pool-benefit,0,1806609.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Find the lowest gas prices in South Florida
http://www.miamiherald.com/1060/story/364548.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-GOP resurrects offshore oil drilling plan
With gas topping $4 a gallon, Republicans on Capitol Hill are reviving anissue that most Florida politicians and environmentalists had consideredsettled: offshore oil and gas drilling.
-Teachers union endorses in hot state rep primary
Ken Thurston, one of several Democrats in a multi-candidate field for staterepresentative, has picked up the endorsement of the Broward Teachers Union.
"Your community service and experience will help to prove your record now.
We are confident that you will be a teacher advocate and promote educationalissues," BTU President Pat Santeramo said in a statement.
-Crist signs austere $66 billion state budget
An austere $66 billion budget that's expected to result in layoffs, schoolclosures and service reductions became law Wednesday as Gov. Charlie Cristquietly signed it without the usual public ceremony.
http://www.miamiherald.com/775/story/566418.html
-South Florida drying out
Port St. Lucie soon may offer one of this area's best examples of how tosave water all the time, not just during a drought. The South Florida WaterManagement District may give a boost to such ideas by providing modelordinances local governments can follow. In Port St. Lucie, members of thePlanning and Zoning Board recommend that 50 percent of trees and shrubsplanted around stores, apartments and churches be drought-resistant. Theboard also suggests that a committee review sprinkler systems, to ensurethat they are water-efficient for the landscape design, before acceptingplans for buildings other than homes.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/12/a14a_dryplants_edit_0612.html
=
Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus Summer Conference
July 18-20, 2008 in Gainesville
The Stonewall Democrats of Alachua County will host the Florida GLBTDemocratic Caucus Summer Conference on the weekend of July 18-20 inGainesville, FL. Registration is $35 for members of the state caucus and $50for non-members before June 16. Friday night, July 18 there will be a socialat the Wild Iris Books and Cafe. The Saturday conference will be at the UFHilton Conference Center and will feature Representatives from the HumanRights Campaign, Equality Florida, and the Florida ACLU LGBT AdvocacyProject will speak at the Saturday meeting. In addition to the usual rosterof local and statewide candidates and officeholders, we are planning toinclude conversation panels on topics such as gender identity ordinances andintersections among Democratic groups. Saturday night there will be areception at the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida and isbeing organized by the Human Rights Council of North Central Florida. Moreinformation, including registration and links to hotel reservations can befound on the Caucus web site here.
http://www.floridaglbtdemocrats.org/conference-alachua.html
=
Palm Beach County Human Rights Council Makes Endorsements
The Council recently made the following endorsements:
U.S. House of Representatives - District 19: Robert Wexler
U.S. House of Representatives - District 22: Ronald Klein
U.S. House of Representatives - District 23: Alcee Hastings
State Senator - District 27: Dave Aronberg
State Representative - District 84: Priscilla Taylor
State Representative - District 86: Maria Sachs
State Representative - District 88: Mark S. Pafford
State Representative - District 89: Mary Brandenburg
State Representative - District 90: Kelly Skidmore
State Representative - District 91: Christian Chiari
Public Defender Carey Haughwout
Tax Collector Anne M. Gannon
School Board Member - District 1: Monroe Benaim West Palm Beach City Commission - District 3 - Kimberly Mitchell
As endorsements continue to be made, please go to:
www.pbchrc.org and click "Endorsements."
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - June 11, 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:
-First the Announcement, Then the Understanding
"Anyone and Everyone," which looks at how various couples took the news thattheir child is gay, ultimately decides to be an advocacy film rather than adocumentary. But before it does, it tells some truly moving stories of thepower of parental love.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/arts/television/11anyo.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=nyt
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obituaries: Dolores Neuman, 66; Photographer, Advocate
Dolores Neuman, 66, a freelance still photographer and independent-filmpromoter who worked extensively for public interest and advocacy groups,died June 5 at the Washington Home hospice. She had kidney cancer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003127.html?sub=AR
-Dems reluctant to take on 'don't ask, don't tell'
Democrats say the nation should be ashamed of its ban on gays serving openlyin the military. It discourages qualified people from joining the ranks at atime when the armed forces are stretched by two wars, they say, and isdegrading to those willing to serve their country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061100331.html
-Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Bar Nunn
If Obama taps Sam Nunn for VP, he risks alienating gay men and lesbians. [...] As Sen. Barack Obama considers potential running mates, he shouldcontemplate Sam Nunn with caution. As chairman of the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee in 1993, Nunn helped lead the fight against allowing gay men andlesbians to serve openly in the military and was the force behind thedisastrous "don't ask, don't tell" compromise. In the process, Nunnengendered the enduring enmity of a loyal voting and fundraising bloc of the Democratic Party. That Nunn's name keeps appearing on vice presidential shortlists makes sense. A Southerner who spent 24 years in the Senate, he would give Obama entree to voters who chose Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. His moderate-to-conservative positions would balance out Obama's liberal street cred. More important, he would add foreign policy heft.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002527.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Young voters could have big impact in November
The Millennial Generation. Echo Boomers. Generation Y. Whatever you callthem, voters under 30 have gained prominence across America and will have ahuge influence on the November presidential elections and beyond.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flpvote0611pnjun11,0,7462276.story
-3 from Lesbos sue gay group over 'Lesbian' name
Three islanders from Lesbos told a court Tuesday that gay women insult theirhome's identity by calling themselves lesbians. The plaintiffs -- two womenand a man -- are seeking to ban a Greek gay rights group from using the word"lesbian" in its name.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/custom/fringe/sns-ap-greece-lesbian-fight,0,2303436.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Number of military discharges under 'don't ask, don't tell'
Discharges under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy since 1997:
1997 - 997
1998 - 1,145
1999 - 1,034
2000 - 1,212
2001 - 1,227
2002 - 885
2003 - 770
2004 - 653
2005 - 726
2006 - 612
2007 - 627
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/565858.html
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Will Gay Marriage Save Cash-Strapped Calif?
With the country facing the potential of recession California businesses seegay marriage as a cash cow.
-Longtime Couple To Kick Off Gay Marriage In Calif.
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon's nuptials at City Hall ignited the gay weddingspree that thrust San Francisco into the national spotlight in 2004.
-LGBT Groups Issue Warning To Out-Of-State Couples Marrying In Calif.
Four LGBT legal organizations and five other leading national LGBT groupsissued a warning Tuesday to couples planning to go to California to marrythat they should mot use their marriages to fight for recognition in federalcourt.
-ACLU Cites Gay Issues In Major Push In Heartland
The American Civil Liberties Union announced by far the largest fundraisingcampaign in its 88-year history this week, eying a dramatic expansion of itswork on social justice issues in relatively conservative states such asTexas and Florida.
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Dismissal of gay vets' suit upheld
Plaintiffs had been discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuitfiled by 12 gay and lesbian veterans who had challenged the military's "don't
ask, don't tell" policy.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18862
-Pittsburgh minister still charged with banned gay wedding
Charges for performing ceremony improperly dropped
A Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh still faces two charges that sheconducted a prohibited gay wedding ceremony. But the Rev. Janet Edwards willnot face charges for performing the ceremony improperly when her churchtrial resumes in October.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18861
-Oklahoma: Henry vetoes 'Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act'
Gov. Brad Henry on Friday vetoed a controversial measure to protect religionin schools. Henry vetoed House Bill 2633, called the "Religious ViewpointsAntidiscrimination Act," by Sen. James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, and Rep.Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080606_1__World33430
-Really, Boston Herald?
The Boston Herald's Inside Track section has a story today promoting theappearance of 'Top Chef' lesbian couple Jen Biesty and Zoi Antonitsas at alocal Macy's. The article mentions that Jen and Zoi have been together fora long time. "She was chosen as a contestant on the show together with Zoi,her lesbian partner of four and a half years," it reads. Well then whydisrespect the relationship with a headline that reads: "'Top Chef' galpalswill heat up Macy's"? GALPALS? Regarding straight couples, would they call apartner of four years a "buddy"? Maybe I'm overreacting. But why couldn'tthey just say "couple"?
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=6/5/08&end=6/12/08#18864
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-S.C. School District Debating Ways to Ban GSAs
A South Carolina school district has delayed until later in the month a voteon whether to ban all student clubs that don't relate to academics or sportsas a way to close a gay student organization.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55659.asp
-Gay Students Fight for Equality on Christian Campus
A dozen LGBT students at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., includingstudent Andy Swenson, have formed an informal gay-straight alliance oncampus, Newsweek reports.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55664.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:
-Who Still Dies of AIDS, and Why
In the video, filmed last November, Mel Cheren appears understandablydismayed. He's being interviewed by a reporter for CBS News on Logo, agay-temed news program; he's sitting in a wheelchair, and he's talkingabout the indignity and the irony of dying from AIDS at a time when AIDSshould be a chronic disease, not a fatal one. Cheren, a music producer andfounder of West End Records, had been an AIDS activist since the earliestdays of the epidemic. It was Cheren, in 1982, who gave the Gay Men's HealthCrisis its first home, providing a floor of his brownstone on West 22ndStreet. In the interview, Cheren talks about what it's like to lose morethan 300 friends to the AIDS epidemic, outlive them all, and then getdiagnosed yourself at age 74.
-S.F. Same-Sex Couple Ready to be First Again
When same-sex marriages start at 5 p.m. June 16, San Francisco will stage arepeat of the ceremony that started the 2004 Winter of Love, when thousandsof gay and lesbian couples married at City Hall. This time, though, DelMartin and Phyllis Lyon's wedding will be legal. Mayor Gavin Newsom saidMonday that the ceremony, which he will officiate, will be the only one heldin City Hall that day. Martin and Lyon have been together more than fivedecades, and they were the first couple to marry four years ago.
-ACLU to Ramp Up in the Flyovers
The American Civil Liberties Union announced by far the largest fundraisingcampaign in its 88-year history Monday, eyeing a dramatic expansion of itswork on social justice issues in relatively conservative states such asTexas and Florida. The campaign's goal is $335 million, with $258 million already raised through behind-the-scenes solicitations over the past year, ACLU executivedirector Anthony Romero said.
-Grandfather Plans Rights Suit Over Boy Using Girls Bathroom
Jasmine Smith, 13, is concerned that next year the fifth-grader at Asa Adams Elementary School who identifies as a girl will be changing in the girls locker room. At a press conference Monday night in front of the municipal building, the seventh-grader said that because she has seen the fifth-grader in the girls bathroom after school she assumes the student will be allowed to use the girls facilities at Orono Middle School.
-Treating TB is Key to Saving Lives of AIDS Patients
People suffering from both AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) are more likely to dieof TB, a Zambian infected with HIV said here Monday. Winstone Zulu, anAIDS/TB activist, told a press conference that four brothers, who like himwere diagnosed with both AIDS and tuberculosis, had died because they didnot have access to treatment for TB. He said he was able to lead a normallife because he was fortunate to have
received TB treatment.
-Gay Rights Group Denounces McCain; Endorses Obama
Senator John McCain wants gays and lesbians to think of him as beinggay-friendly, or, at least, gay-comfortable. For instance, he has kept mumon gay nuptials in California set to begin next week. And a recentappearance on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show where he gently spars withthe openly-out DeGeneres on marriage was suppose to appear respectful ofgays. For gay rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that was not enough. In a new video and campaign, posted at its hrc.org website, the nation's largest gay rights group argues that McCain is no friend of GLBT people.
-2008 Pride Erie Picnic on June 28th
Once again, the Pride Erie Picnic will be held at Presque Isle State Park atthe Rotary Pavilion. The picnic is later than usual this year! It is beingheld the LAST Saturday in June (June 28) and we will run from 1 PM to 6 PMYou can now register online before the event and not have to fill out thepaper registration form when you arrive! We will have a hard copy of everyone who registered online, so all that you have to do is give us your name. Easy! We are again at the nifty Rotary Pavilion, which is close tothe 3 cabins near the Waterworks Beach. Photos of the site are here. There will be signs at the park for the location.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Marriage: It's a generational thing, you could say, grinning just alittle as you do so. It's because younger people today - those youngerthan, say, 45 or so - have been far more exposed to more fluid notions ofgender and sexuality, to the idea of homosexuality as a common,nonthreatening, what's-the-big-deal shrug, and, therefore, they/weunderstand that allowing gay people to wed doesn't mean our shaky notions ofGod and family and society will collapse. This, I think, was perhaps themost fascinating tidbit of insight to emerge from the most recent poll ofCalifornians in which, for the first time in state history, a majority ofthose polled said they support the idea of same-sex marriage and/or oppose anew and vile push for a state constitutional amendment to ban it outright. And that majority consists, by and large, of the young.
-It's not surprising that religious conservatives are trying to get thedecision reversed via referendum this fall; they have genuine religiousconvictions on the issue. What is peculiar, however, is their obsession withsame-sex marriage and bizarre insinuation that monogamous gays pose agreater threat to marriage than adulterous straights. Even if gays andlesbians are at odds with Biblical teachings, it's difficult to argue thattheir relationships put heterosexual marriages at risk.
-California: Couples can no longer tie the knot at the clerk's office inButte County.
Butte County Clerk Candace Grubbs says the county can't afford to continueperforming wedding ceremonies. About 200 couples a year marry at the clerk'soffice. Grubbs said her decision has nothing to do with the CaliforniaSupreme Court's ruling last month legalizing gay marriage. The state hasdirected county clerks to start using new gender-neutral marriage licensesonce the ruling becomes final at 5 p.m. on June 16.
-Marriage equality in California is only a week away and thousands of samesex couples are planning to race to pick up marriage licenses. Reports arethat in the Palm Springs area, the Riverside County Registrar's office hasfilled appointments for 500 couples an hour during the first days after June17, 2008.
-Charges against a gay couple from Roslyn who refused to leave Oyster BayTown Hall when their request for a marriage license was denied weredismissed yesterday. Judge Fred Hirsh said the couple posed no threat to thecommunity and had cooperated with authorities.
-Shannon Minter, the legal director for the National Center for LesbianRights, who argued the case before the California Supreme Court on behalf ofthe 14 couples and Equality California, and Geoff Kors, Equality Californiaexecutive director, sat down with The Desert Sun recently to discuss thelandmark decision.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-US brewer backs Matthew Shepard Foundation's campaign to erase hate
Coors Brewing Company has become the first US corporation to become asponsor of a new campaign to highlight and eradicate hatred in Americansociety.
-Obama's birth certificate latest battleground in Presidential race
As Barack Obama settles into his role as the presumptive Democraticpresidential nominee, his opponents on the right are circulating rumoursquestioning his eligibility.
-Progress on gay rights in the Americas
A group of nations in the Americas have passed a unanimous resolutioncondemning human rights voilations based on sexual orientation and genderidentity.
-Ugandan bishop attacks European attitude towards gays
An Anglican bishop has urged the government of Uganda to keep homosexualityillegal. Eria Paul Luzinda said that "not all that comes from Europe issuperior and must be taken up."
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Faux News Strikes Again By Waymon Hudson
Does anyone even think Fox News is really a news station anymore? In asegment discussing Barack and Michelle Obama's now famous fist-bump, FoxNews anchor E.D. Hill decided to turn an innocent expression of love betweena couple into something insidious and dangerous. What did Hill call thebump? "A Terrorist Fist Jab." Ugh.
-Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Stand Against Same-Sex Marriage
A few people on the left are wondering how the Religious Right, who hatesboth Muslims and gays, will reconcile Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's rejection ofcounsel because of same-sex marriage, either in Massachusetts or California.
From the Wall Street Journal:
-The Predator Argument Doesn't Work with Transgender Fifth Graders
I feel like I've been talking about public restrooms way too much of late.Blame the news cycles; blame conservative Christians - LGBT civil rights andpublic accommodation issues seem to be boiling down to which publicrestrooms transpeople are going to be using. It's of special concern, itseems, which public restrooms transwomen are going to use. It's theperpetrator thing. Frankly, many women look at men who are strangers to themas potential predators, and these same women (along with their maleprotectors) perceive visibly transgender women who use women's publicrestrooms as potential male rapists. And if these same women (and their maleprotectors) have female children, they perceive visibly transgender womenwho use women's public restrooms as potential pedophiles. There's hasn'tbeen any studies that have substantiated or unsubstantiated this fear ofcrossdressed males abusing women and children in women's public restrooms,but this fear of crossdressed, male, public restroom perpetrators is beingused in an attempt to shape public policy on LGBT civil rights and publicaccommodation legislation - most recently in Montgomery County, Maryland andColorado.
-CA Anti-Gays Either Completely Idiotic or Shameless Liars
Sometimes anti-gays do or say something so stupid, so plainly false, thatyou wonder who they think they're fooling. Today's example comes from theCalifornia anti-gay group Campaign for Children and Families and (whereelse?) Kern County. The Bakersfield Californian reported on the CountySupervisors meeting this morning. There, Randy Thomasson of the CCFpresented an proposed ordinance for considerationThe ordinance states "no employee of (blank) County, and no elected orappointed official of (blank) County, may issue a marriage license to anycouple other than a statutorily qualified man and woman." There Thomassonmade the rather bizzare claim that the County Supervisors could override thedecision of the State Supreme Court.
-TiVo Pulls Web Page Promoting FOTF's Super Dads Constest
Apparently, TiVo has been getting a lot of grief over the TiVo/Focus On theFamily SuperDads contest. That's the contest where everyone is supposed tosubmit an essay explaining why their dad is a "SuperDad," with winnersthroughout the month of June receiving free TiVo's. The problem is thatseveral LGBT folks have been submitting essays explaining why their dads areSuperDads, only to find their submissions disappear into the ether. This hasprompted tons of complaints to TiVo, as well as an online petition at theFamily Equality Council.
-Love Won Out Still Promoting Orientation Change
In recent years the ex-gay movement has toned down its message of "change."With occasional exceptions, gone are the days when one could hear Exodusspokespeople make direct and unambiguous claims that gay people who wentthrough an ex-gay program could become straight. It's unsurprising, then,that Love Won Out has taken steps to tone down some of its ownproclamations. In April, CitizenLink made an effort to clarify LWO'sposition: Love Won Out says it does not attempt to "fix" gays and lesbians,a charge heard often from its critics in the APA. "Such glibcharacterizations ignore the complex series of factors that can lead tosame-sex attractions," according to the Web site. "They also mischaracterizeour mission. We exist to help men and women dissatisfied with livinghomosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome. It is noteasy, but it is possible, as evidenced by the thousands of men and women whohave walked this difficult road successfully." As little as that statementactually says, it nonetheless would have been news to anyone who attended aLWO conference before Joseph Nicolosi disappeared from the roster. LWO maynever have specifically used the world "fix," but their website did at onetime openly state that homosexuality was "preventable and treatable" - amessage that hardly needs clarification.
-Former Official Sues NASCAR Over Harassment Claims
As an aspiring racing official, Mauricia Grant had grown used to working ina man's world. When she finally made it into NASCAR, Grant was appalled atthe way she says she was treated beginning from her first day on the job until her firinglast October. Now she's suing NASCAR for $225 million, alleging racial andsexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
-Hagee Down But Not Out
Despite the public flogging that Pastor John Hagee has recently received, itis too early to cast him off to the dustbin of history. While he may nolonger be accepted aboard Senator John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" norhave such easy access to the congressional offices of a bevy of Jewishlegislators-many of whom have welcomed him with open arms in the past-it isunlikely that either Hagee's Christians United for Israel (CUFI) or his SanAntonio mega-church will be closing its doors anytime soon.
-In Syria, Gay Iraqis Seek New Life
Damascus, Syria - Maybe one of the of most difficult situations that anIraqi could be in is to be gay, the Iraqi society in general discriminateagainst the gay and transsexual people, normally they consider them aspeople who left their gender and changed for sexual want. Even though mostgay people of Iraq have managed to live their lives, being born gay isalmost the same as being born with an assurance of death. Most Iraqis don'taccept that homosexuality is something you're born with, or which isassigned by your genes. Due to the Iraqi cultural and religious beliefs,homosexuality is forbidden and considered a mortal sin, and in many casesthe penalty of death is assigned as the solution for it. Some of the Iraqihomosexuals used to live in the Karrada neighborhood, practicing there lifenormally but still in secret. Although before the war as well they could notshow that they are gay, due to the risk of being attacked verbally by theneighbors or the people they live with.
-Asian Gay, Transgender Groups Fight for Their Rights
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in Asia have agreed todevelop an international network to advocate protection of their rights intheir respective countries and at the regional level. Bali hosted a conference of the groups from June 2 to 6 in the tourismenclave Nusa Dua. The conference was attended by 21 participants from eightcountries - Indonesia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Chinaand Thailand.
-AVER Questions Recruiting of Felons
Within the last year or so the U.S. Military has begun to recruit convictedfelons to fill the quotas of active duty servicemembers. Our military hasalways claimed to enlist only the best the country has to offer in herdefense. One need only to remember some of these great contributors both tothe military and to society at large: John Paul Jones, father of the Navy;Lt. Tom Dooley M.C, hero of Laos; Walter Reed, USA, one of the developers ofthe treatment of Yellow Fever; Admiral Grace Hopkins, inventor of the COBALlanguage for computers. And the list goes on. Add to this the many unsungheroes that most of us know. The Soldier who puts himself between a grenadeand his men. The hospital corpsman who risks his life caring for his woundedMarine. The helicopter pilot who flies into danger to evacuate her troops.These are servicemembers of the highest caliber who daily demonstrate theirdedication to our country and respect for her laws.
-The Few, The Proud, One Less
The young Marine sergeant was yelling at me."Ma'am, we got to move now!"I stared at him and realized that it was time to act. I turned to look atthe three-man news crew that I was escorting and realized that I had to dragthem into our up-armored HMMWVs (AKA Humvees) quickly. It was like herdingcats, but we managed to get out of the line of fire after a few seconds ofcajoling and pulling. It was a dusty, hot July day in Fallujah, Iraq at ayet unfinished Iraqi police station in July 2005. My job was to serve asthe unit spokeswoman for the Marine Corps 5th Civil Affairs unit and escortmedia embeds through Fallujah. I was a Marine Corps Captain, who leftactive duty because of the stress of living under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, andI was called up out of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) to serve in Iraq.
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Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrier
http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp
Go to this link for the following articles:
-HRC takes stand against McCain, but Log Cabin still on fence
The Human Rights Campaign's "high-stakes strategy" to stop John McCain'selection -- a strategy that includes a video warning of the potential of"four more years of anti-gay policy in the White House" -- could lead to agay-community schism if Log Cabin Republicans decide to endorse the Arizonasenator, according to columnist Deb Price. However, Log Cabin, whichwithheld its endorsement from President George W. Bush in 2004, would likelydo the same with McCain if he were to choose an anti-gay running mate suchas Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee or throw his support behind anti-gayamendments pending in California and Florida, Price writes. The Detroit News(6/9)
-New York couples in a California state of mind
The 12,000 gay and lesbian couples from New York who are projected to marryin California over the next three years will enjoy more than just a symbolicceremony. They're likely to receive the full state benefits of theinstitution, under a directive by New York Gov. David Paterson that stateagencies recognize the marriages. But the legality of the unions ultimatelyrests with the outcome of a November ballot measure in California that couldimpose a constitutional marriage ban. USA TODAY (6/9)
-Golden State clerks ready for new marriage reality: Most wedding officialsin California are adapting easily to the prospect of marrying same-sexcouples, although some resistance to the change is being reported. The KernCounty clerk-recorder has decided to end all marriage ceremonies, and a fewother officiants have said they will not marry gay and lesbian couples.However, Santa Clara County is conducting a special training session for 70volunteers who want to officiate at weddings. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)
(6/10)
-Philly's new top cop seeks to make force more gay-friendly
Philadelphia's new police commissioner, Charles H. Ramsey, is consideringcreating an LGBT unit based in the city's main gay neighborhood and wants toprovide gay-sensitivity training to all department personnel. Ramseysuccessfully launched an LGBT unit during his previous stint running theWashington, D.C., police department. "My goal is to create an environmentwhere officers don't feel intimidated in any way," Ramsey said. "If theywant to acknowledge [their sexuality], they should feel comfortable doingit." The Philadelphia Inquirer (6/9)
-Gay vets turned away by federal appeals court
Saying it had to defer to congressional authority, a federal appeals courthas upheld the dismissal by a lower court of a lawsuit filed by 12 gay andlesbian veterans seeking to overturn the military's gay ban. The plaintiffsclaimed that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy violates theirconstitutional rights to privacy, free speech and equal protection. TheBoston Globe/Associated Press (6/10)
-New York quietly sets new guidelines for LGBT youths in custody
The Village Voice (6/3)
-2008 International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference
The Mayflower Hotel | Washington, D.C. | December 4-7
Registration is now open for the 24th International Gay & Lesbian LeadershipConference, the premier gathering of openly LGBT elected, appointed andcommunity leaders. This year the conference returns to Washington, D.C. justweeks after U.S. voters choose a new president. It will be an exciting timeto be in the capital city, and attendees will be at the center of it all inthe famed Mayflower Hotel just steps from the White House and Dupont Circle. There are a limited number of hotel rooms at the Mayflower at our specialconference rate of just $149 per night. Act now to enjoy 35% offregistration fees and receive your special code to book rooms at theMayflower.
-PFLAG stages event outside "ex-gay" conference
Supporters and staff from PFLAG demonstrated at an "ex-gay" conference inOrlando, Fla., urging participants to accept their orientation. View a videoclip at The PFLAG National Blog.
-AIDS in New York, a decade after the drug cocktail
This article looks at the impact of anti-retroviral therapy, or so-calleddrug cocktails, which have been used for more than a decade to treat HIV, onthe spread of the virus and the consequences of infection in New York. "Dying from AIDS, or dying with an HIV infection, which may not be the samething, is a significantly less common event than it was a decade ago, butit's not nearly as uncommon as anyone would like," writes Gary Taubes. NewYork magazine (6/8)
-Opinion among residents in Oxnard, Calif., is split as to whetherprosecutors were right to try as an adult 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, whois accused of shooting to death a 15-year-old openly gay classmate, LarryKing. McInerney, who is charged with premeditated murder and a hate crime,could face a term of life in prison if he is tried and convicted as anadult. National Public Radio (6/9)
-Couple of 52 years makes bequest to help LGBT youths, stop AIDS
The Standard-Times (6/9)
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Same-Sex Marriage in Canada 5 years on
Five years ago today, I put on a white suit and my good luck shoes and wentto the office of the Ontario Court of Appeal to pick up a judgment. The case was Halpern et al v. the Attorney-General of Canada et al. Theresult: "The Clerk is directed to immediately begin issuing marriagelicences to same-sex couples." Within hours, our clients Michael Leshner andMike Stark were married in a Toronto courthouse. I could barely stand upduring the ceremony; I was so emotional, my co-counsel, Joanna Radbord, hadto hold me up. Over the next few weeks, we attended many marriages - of our clients,colleagues and friends - and wept throughout each one.
-CAMPUS PRIDE ANNOUNCES DATES FOR LGBT-FRIENDLY COLLEGE ADMISSION FAIRS
FALL 2008
"It was great to have my first college fair be one where I could askimportant questions about myself as someone from the LGBT community. Thistype of college fair was also very important for me as I have two moms - Iwant to be at a college where I can feel comfortable about my family."
MIDWEST FAIR
Twin Cities, MN
Friday, October 3, 2008 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Great Hall, Coffman Memorial Union
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
300 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN
EAST COAST FAIR
Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, October 11, 2008 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall
University of Pennsylvania
3417 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA
Registration and more details will be available online starting June 30,2008 at the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index
www.campusclimateindex.org/events
-Progressive Religious Leaders Drowned Out in Conversations About Sex
"Are there any boundaries left in the USA or will most traditions cometumbling down?" asks self-styled moral arbiter Bill O'Reilly in an interviewlumping gay marriage in California with polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs'recently released photos kissing underage girls as young as twelve. Havingrisen to media stardom by fueling America's obscenely profitable culture warbetween God-fearing traditionalists and anything-goes secularists, O'Reillymorphs into the same threat a progressive court ruling for social justiceand the sexually abusive culture of a traditional family-values religion. But media blowhards with a conservative agenda are not the only ones whothink that progressive sex and family values don't mix.
http://www.alternet.org/story/87047/
-Former Senator Sam Nunn
Calls on Congress to Revisit "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Washington, DC - Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn said yesterday that hebelieves it is time for Congress to revisit the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" lawwhich bans lesbians, gays and bisexuals from serving openly in the military. Nunn, one of the principle lawmakers responsible for the passage of the 1993law, said in Atlanta, "I think [when] 15 years go by on any personnelpolicy, it's appropriate to take another look at it - see how it's working,ask the hard questions, hear from the military. Start with a Pentagonstudy." "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was bad law when Senator Nunn pushed itforward in 1993 and it is still bad law. It is still a violation of ourbasic civil rights," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director ofServicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN).
-How Our Sexuality Is Being Restricted One Bad Law at a Time
With anxiety and anger about sexuality reaching a noisy crescendo, Congressmembers and state legislators are responding with laws that placate the mobdu jour -- laws restricting sexual expression that have little chance ofsurviving even the lightest Constitutional scrutiny. For example, Congresshas passed law after law attempting to rid the Internet of pornography.
-Texas recently passed a law requiring strip clubs
to pay a special tax of $5 per head (no jokes, please). This spring, Indianapassed a law requiring vendors of "sexually explicit" materials to registerwith the state and pay a $250 fee. But every federal law censoring theInternet has been derailed by a court. The Texas law was overturned by theirSupreme Court just two months ago. The Indiana law, you can be sure, will beoverturned before Labor Day.
http://www.alternet.org/story/87015/
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-First the Announcement, Then the Understanding
"Anyone and Everyone," which looks at how various couples took the news thattheir child is gay, ultimately decides to be an advocacy film rather than adocumentary. But before it does, it tells some truly moving stories of thepower of parental love.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/arts/television/11anyo.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=nyt
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obituaries: Dolores Neuman, 66; Photographer, Advocate
Dolores Neuman, 66, a freelance still photographer and independent-filmpromoter who worked extensively for public interest and advocacy groups,died June 5 at the Washington Home hospice. She had kidney cancer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003127.html?sub=AR
-Dems reluctant to take on 'don't ask, don't tell'
Democrats say the nation should be ashamed of its ban on gays serving openlyin the military. It discourages qualified people from joining the ranks at atime when the armed forces are stretched by two wars, they say, and isdegrading to those willing to serve their country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061100331.html
-Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Bar Nunn
If Obama taps Sam Nunn for VP, he risks alienating gay men and lesbians. [...] As Sen. Barack Obama considers potential running mates, he shouldcontemplate Sam Nunn with caution. As chairman of the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee in 1993, Nunn helped lead the fight against allowing gay men andlesbians to serve openly in the military and was the force behind thedisastrous "don't ask, don't tell" compromise. In the process, Nunnengendered the enduring enmity of a loyal voting and fundraising bloc of the Democratic Party. That Nunn's name keeps appearing on vice presidential shortlists makes sense. A Southerner who spent 24 years in the Senate, he would give Obama entree to voters who chose Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. His moderate-to-conservative positions would balance out Obama's liberal street cred. More important, he would add foreign policy heft.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002527.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Young voters could have big impact in November
The Millennial Generation. Echo Boomers. Generation Y. Whatever you callthem, voters under 30 have gained prominence across America and will have ahuge influence on the November presidential elections and beyond.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flpvote0611pnjun11,0,7462276.story
-3 from Lesbos sue gay group over 'Lesbian' name
Three islanders from Lesbos told a court Tuesday that gay women insult theirhome's identity by calling themselves lesbians. The plaintiffs -- two womenand a man -- are seeking to ban a Greek gay rights group from using the word"lesbian" in its name.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/custom/fringe/sns-ap-greece-lesbian-fight,0,2303436.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Number of military discharges under 'don't ask, don't tell'
Discharges under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy since 1997:
1997 - 997
1998 - 1,145
1999 - 1,034
2000 - 1,212
2001 - 1,227
2002 - 885
2003 - 770
2004 - 653
2005 - 726
2006 - 612
2007 - 627
http://www.miamiherald.com/692/story/565858.html
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Will Gay Marriage Save Cash-Strapped Calif?
With the country facing the potential of recession California businesses seegay marriage as a cash cow.
-Longtime Couple To Kick Off Gay Marriage In Calif.
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon's nuptials at City Hall ignited the gay weddingspree that thrust San Francisco into the national spotlight in 2004.
-LGBT Groups Issue Warning To Out-Of-State Couples Marrying In Calif.
Four LGBT legal organizations and five other leading national LGBT groupsissued a warning Tuesday to couples planning to go to California to marrythat they should mot use their marriages to fight for recognition in federalcourt.
-ACLU Cites Gay Issues In Major Push In Heartland
The American Civil Liberties Union announced by far the largest fundraisingcampaign in its 88-year history this week, eying a dramatic expansion of itswork on social justice issues in relatively conservative states such asTexas and Florida.
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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Dismissal of gay vets' suit upheld
Plaintiffs had been discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuitfiled by 12 gay and lesbian veterans who had challenged the military's "don't
ask, don't tell" policy.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18862
-Pittsburgh minister still charged with banned gay wedding
Charges for performing ceremony improperly dropped
A Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh still faces two charges that sheconducted a prohibited gay wedding ceremony. But the Rev. Janet Edwards willnot face charges for performing the ceremony improperly when her churchtrial resumes in October.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18861
-Oklahoma: Henry vetoes 'Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act'
Gov. Brad Henry on Friday vetoed a controversial measure to protect religionin schools. Henry vetoed House Bill 2633, called the "Religious ViewpointsAntidiscrimination Act," by Sen. James A. Williamson, R-Tulsa, and Rep.Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080606_1__World33430
-Really, Boston Herald?
The Boston Herald's Inside Track section has a story today promoting theappearance of 'Top Chef' lesbian couple Jen Biesty and Zoi Antonitsas at alocal Macy's. The article mentions that Jen and Zoi have been together fora long time. "She was chosen as a contestant on the show together with Zoi,her lesbian partner of four and a half years," it reads. Well then whydisrespect the relationship with a headline that reads: "'Top Chef' galpalswill heat up Macy's"? GALPALS? Regarding straight couples, would they call apartner of four years a "buddy"? Maybe I'm overreacting. But why couldn'tthey just say "couple"?
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=6/5/08&end=6/12/08#18864
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-S.C. School District Debating Ways to Ban GSAs
A South Carolina school district has delayed until later in the month a voteon whether to ban all student clubs that don't relate to academics or sportsas a way to close a gay student organization.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55659.asp
-Gay Students Fight for Equality on Christian Campus
A dozen LGBT students at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., includingstudent Andy Swenson, have formed an informal gay-straight alliance oncampus, Newsweek reports.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid55664.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:
-Who Still Dies of AIDS, and Why
In the video, filmed last November, Mel Cheren appears understandablydismayed. He's being interviewed by a reporter for CBS News on Logo, agay-temed news program; he's sitting in a wheelchair, and he's talkingabout the indignity and the irony of dying from AIDS at a time when AIDSshould be a chronic disease, not a fatal one. Cheren, a music producer andfounder of West End Records, had been an AIDS activist since the earliestdays of the epidemic. It was Cheren, in 1982, who gave the Gay Men's HealthCrisis its first home, providing a floor of his brownstone on West 22ndStreet. In the interview, Cheren talks about what it's like to lose morethan 300 friends to the AIDS epidemic, outlive them all, and then getdiagnosed yourself at age 74.
-S.F. Same-Sex Couple Ready to be First Again
When same-sex marriages start at 5 p.m. June 16, San Francisco will stage arepeat of the ceremony that started the 2004 Winter of Love, when thousandsof gay and lesbian couples married at City Hall. This time, though, DelMartin and Phyllis Lyon's wedding will be legal. Mayor Gavin Newsom saidMonday that the ceremony, which he will officiate, will be the only one heldin City Hall that day. Martin and Lyon have been together more than fivedecades, and they were the first couple to marry four years ago.
-ACLU to Ramp Up in the Flyovers
The American Civil Liberties Union announced by far the largest fundraisingcampaign in its 88-year history Monday, eyeing a dramatic expansion of itswork on social justice issues in relatively conservative states such asTexas and Florida. The campaign's goal is $335 million, with $258 million already raised through behind-the-scenes solicitations over the past year, ACLU executivedirector Anthony Romero said.
-Grandfather Plans Rights Suit Over Boy Using Girls Bathroom
Jasmine Smith, 13, is concerned that next year the fifth-grader at Asa Adams Elementary School who identifies as a girl will be changing in the girls locker room. At a press conference Monday night in front of the municipal building, the seventh-grader said that because she has seen the fifth-grader in the girls bathroom after school she assumes the student will be allowed to use the girls facilities at Orono Middle School.
-Treating TB is Key to Saving Lives of AIDS Patients
People suffering from both AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) are more likely to dieof TB, a Zambian infected with HIV said here Monday. Winstone Zulu, anAIDS/TB activist, told a press conference that four brothers, who like himwere diagnosed with both AIDS and tuberculosis, had died because they didnot have access to treatment for TB. He said he was able to lead a normallife because he was fortunate to have
received TB treatment.
-Gay Rights Group Denounces McCain; Endorses Obama
Senator John McCain wants gays and lesbians to think of him as beinggay-friendly, or, at least, gay-comfortable. For instance, he has kept mumon gay nuptials in California set to begin next week. And a recentappearance on Ellen DeGeneres' daytime talk show where he gently spars withthe openly-out DeGeneres on marriage was suppose to appear respectful ofgays. For gay rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that was not enough. In a new video and campaign, posted at its hrc.org website, the nation's largest gay rights group argues that McCain is no friend of GLBT people.
-2008 Pride Erie Picnic on June 28th
Once again, the Pride Erie Picnic will be held at Presque Isle State Park atthe Rotary Pavilion. The picnic is later than usual this year! It is beingheld the LAST Saturday in June (June 28) and we will run from 1 PM to 6 PMYou can now register online before the event and not have to fill out thepaper registration form when you arrive! We will have a hard copy of everyone who registered online, so all that you have to do is give us your name. Easy! We are again at the nifty Rotary Pavilion, which is close tothe 3 cabins near the Waterworks Beach. Photos of the site are here. There will be signs at the park for the location.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Marriage: It's a generational thing, you could say, grinning just alittle as you do so. It's because younger people today - those youngerthan, say, 45 or so - have been far more exposed to more fluid notions ofgender and sexuality, to the idea of homosexuality as a common,nonthreatening, what's-the-big-deal shrug, and, therefore, they/weunderstand that allowing gay people to wed doesn't mean our shaky notions ofGod and family and society will collapse. This, I think, was perhaps themost fascinating tidbit of insight to emerge from the most recent poll ofCalifornians in which, for the first time in state history, a majority ofthose polled said they support the idea of same-sex marriage and/or oppose anew and vile push for a state constitutional amendment to ban it outright. And that majority consists, by and large, of the young.
-It's not surprising that religious conservatives are trying to get thedecision reversed via referendum this fall; they have genuine religiousconvictions on the issue. What is peculiar, however, is their obsession withsame-sex marriage and bizarre insinuation that monogamous gays pose agreater threat to marriage than adulterous straights. Even if gays andlesbians are at odds with Biblical teachings, it's difficult to argue thattheir relationships put heterosexual marriages at risk.
-California: Couples can no longer tie the knot at the clerk's office inButte County.
Butte County Clerk Candace Grubbs says the county can't afford to continueperforming wedding ceremonies. About 200 couples a year marry at the clerk'soffice. Grubbs said her decision has nothing to do with the CaliforniaSupreme Court's ruling last month legalizing gay marriage. The state hasdirected county clerks to start using new gender-neutral marriage licensesonce the ruling becomes final at 5 p.m. on June 16.
-Marriage equality in California is only a week away and thousands of samesex couples are planning to race to pick up marriage licenses. Reports arethat in the Palm Springs area, the Riverside County Registrar's office hasfilled appointments for 500 couples an hour during the first days after June17, 2008.
-Charges against a gay couple from Roslyn who refused to leave Oyster BayTown Hall when their request for a marriage license was denied weredismissed yesterday. Judge Fred Hirsh said the couple posed no threat to thecommunity and had cooperated with authorities.
-Shannon Minter, the legal director for the National Center for LesbianRights, who argued the case before the California Supreme Court on behalf ofthe 14 couples and Equality California, and Geoff Kors, Equality Californiaexecutive director, sat down with The Desert Sun recently to discuss thelandmark decision.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-US brewer backs Matthew Shepard Foundation's campaign to erase hate
Coors Brewing Company has become the first US corporation to become asponsor of a new campaign to highlight and eradicate hatred in Americansociety.
-Obama's birth certificate latest battleground in Presidential race
As Barack Obama settles into his role as the presumptive Democraticpresidential nominee, his opponents on the right are circulating rumoursquestioning his eligibility.
-Progress on gay rights in the Americas
A group of nations in the Americas have passed a unanimous resolutioncondemning human rights voilations based on sexual orientation and genderidentity.
-Ugandan bishop attacks European attitude towards gays
An Anglican bishop has urged the government of Uganda to keep homosexualityillegal. Eria Paul Luzinda said that "not all that comes from Europe issuperior and must be taken up."
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Faux News Strikes Again By Waymon Hudson
Does anyone even think Fox News is really a news station anymore? In asegment discussing Barack and Michelle Obama's now famous fist-bump, FoxNews anchor E.D. Hill decided to turn an innocent expression of love betweena couple into something insidious and dangerous. What did Hill call thebump? "A Terrorist Fist Jab." Ugh.
-Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's Stand Against Same-Sex Marriage
A few people on the left are wondering how the Religious Right, who hatesboth Muslims and gays, will reconcile Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's rejection ofcounsel because of same-sex marriage, either in Massachusetts or California.
From the Wall Street Journal:
-The Predator Argument Doesn't Work with Transgender Fifth Graders
I feel like I've been talking about public restrooms way too much of late.Blame the news cycles; blame conservative Christians - LGBT civil rights andpublic accommodation issues seem to be boiling down to which publicrestrooms transpeople are going to be using. It's of special concern, itseems, which public restrooms transwomen are going to use. It's theperpetrator thing. Frankly, many women look at men who are strangers to themas potential predators, and these same women (along with their maleprotectors) perceive visibly transgender women who use women's publicrestrooms as potential male rapists. And if these same women (and their maleprotectors) have female children, they perceive visibly transgender womenwho use women's public restrooms as potential pedophiles. There's hasn'tbeen any studies that have substantiated or unsubstantiated this fear ofcrossdressed males abusing women and children in women's public restrooms,but this fear of crossdressed, male, public restroom perpetrators is beingused in an attempt to shape public policy on LGBT civil rights and publicaccommodation legislation - most recently in Montgomery County, Maryland andColorado.
-CA Anti-Gays Either Completely Idiotic or Shameless Liars
Sometimes anti-gays do or say something so stupid, so plainly false, thatyou wonder who they think they're fooling. Today's example comes from theCalifornia anti-gay group Campaign for Children and Families and (whereelse?) Kern County. The Bakersfield Californian reported on the CountySupervisors meeting this morning. There, Randy Thomasson of the CCFpresented an proposed ordinance for considerationThe ordinance states "no employee of (blank) County, and no elected orappointed official of (blank) County, may issue a marriage license to anycouple other than a statutorily qualified man and woman." There Thomassonmade the rather bizzare claim that the County Supervisors could override thedecision of the State Supreme Court.
-TiVo Pulls Web Page Promoting FOTF's Super Dads Constest
Apparently, TiVo has been getting a lot of grief over the TiVo/Focus On theFamily SuperDads contest. That's the contest where everyone is supposed tosubmit an essay explaining why their dad is a "SuperDad," with winnersthroughout the month of June receiving free TiVo's. The problem is thatseveral LGBT folks have been submitting essays explaining why their dads areSuperDads, only to find their submissions disappear into the ether. This hasprompted tons of complaints to TiVo, as well as an online petition at theFamily Equality Council.
-Love Won Out Still Promoting Orientation Change
In recent years the ex-gay movement has toned down its message of "change."With occasional exceptions, gone are the days when one could hear Exodusspokespeople make direct and unambiguous claims that gay people who wentthrough an ex-gay program could become straight. It's unsurprising, then,that Love Won Out has taken steps to tone down some of its ownproclamations. In April, CitizenLink made an effort to clarify LWO'sposition: Love Won Out says it does not attempt to "fix" gays and lesbians,a charge heard often from its critics in the APA. "Such glibcharacterizations ignore the complex series of factors that can lead tosame-sex attractions," according to the Web site. "They also mischaracterizeour mission. We exist to help men and women dissatisfied with livinghomosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome. It is noteasy, but it is possible, as evidenced by the thousands of men and women whohave walked this difficult road successfully." As little as that statementactually says, it nonetheless would have been news to anyone who attended aLWO conference before Joseph Nicolosi disappeared from the roster. LWO maynever have specifically used the world "fix," but their website did at onetime openly state that homosexuality was "preventable and treatable" - amessage that hardly needs clarification.
-Former Official Sues NASCAR Over Harassment Claims
As an aspiring racing official, Mauricia Grant had grown used to working ina man's world. When she finally made it into NASCAR, Grant was appalled atthe way she says she was treated beginning from her first day on the job until her firinglast October. Now she's suing NASCAR for $225 million, alleging racial andsexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
-Hagee Down But Not Out
Despite the public flogging that Pastor John Hagee has recently received, itis too early to cast him off to the dustbin of history. While he may nolonger be accepted aboard Senator John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" norhave such easy access to the congressional offices of a bevy of Jewishlegislators-many of whom have welcomed him with open arms in the past-it isunlikely that either Hagee's Christians United for Israel (CUFI) or his SanAntonio mega-church will be closing its doors anytime soon.
-In Syria, Gay Iraqis Seek New Life
Damascus, Syria - Maybe one of the of most difficult situations that anIraqi could be in is to be gay, the Iraqi society in general discriminateagainst the gay and transsexual people, normally they consider them aspeople who left their gender and changed for sexual want. Even though mostgay people of Iraq have managed to live their lives, being born gay isalmost the same as being born with an assurance of death. Most Iraqis don'taccept that homosexuality is something you're born with, or which isassigned by your genes. Due to the Iraqi cultural and religious beliefs,homosexuality is forbidden and considered a mortal sin, and in many casesthe penalty of death is assigned as the solution for it. Some of the Iraqihomosexuals used to live in the Karrada neighborhood, practicing there lifenormally but still in secret. Although before the war as well they could notshow that they are gay, due to the risk of being attacked verbally by theneighbors or the people they live with.
-Asian Gay, Transgender Groups Fight for Their Rights
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in Asia have agreed todevelop an international network to advocate protection of their rights intheir respective countries and at the regional level. Bali hosted a conference of the groups from June 2 to 6 in the tourismenclave Nusa Dua. The conference was attended by 21 participants from eightcountries - Indonesia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Chinaand Thailand.
-AVER Questions Recruiting of Felons
Within the last year or so the U.S. Military has begun to recruit convictedfelons to fill the quotas of active duty servicemembers. Our military hasalways claimed to enlist only the best the country has to offer in herdefense. One need only to remember some of these great contributors both tothe military and to society at large: John Paul Jones, father of the Navy;Lt. Tom Dooley M.C, hero of Laos; Walter Reed, USA, one of the developers ofthe treatment of Yellow Fever; Admiral Grace Hopkins, inventor of the COBALlanguage for computers. And the list goes on. Add to this the many unsungheroes that most of us know. The Soldier who puts himself between a grenadeand his men. The hospital corpsman who risks his life caring for his woundedMarine. The helicopter pilot who flies into danger to evacuate her troops.These are servicemembers of the highest caliber who daily demonstrate theirdedication to our country and respect for her laws.
-The Few, The Proud, One Less
The young Marine sergeant was yelling at me."Ma'am, we got to move now!"I stared at him and realized that it was time to act. I turned to look atthe three-man news crew that I was escorting and realized that I had to dragthem into our up-armored HMMWVs (AKA Humvees) quickly. It was like herdingcats, but we managed to get out of the line of fire after a few seconds ofcajoling and pulling. It was a dusty, hot July day in Fallujah, Iraq at ayet unfinished Iraqi police station in July 2005. My job was to serve asthe unit spokeswoman for the Marine Corps 5th Civil Affairs unit and escortmedia embeds through Fallujah. I was a Marine Corps Captain, who leftactive duty because of the stress of living under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, andI was called up out of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) to serve in Iraq.
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Gay & Lesbian Leadership SmartBrier
http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp
Go to this link for the following articles:
-HRC takes stand against McCain, but Log Cabin still on fence
The Human Rights Campaign's "high-stakes strategy" to stop John McCain'selection -- a strategy that includes a video warning of the potential of"four more years of anti-gay policy in the White House" -- could lead to agay-community schism if Log Cabin Republicans decide to endorse the Arizonasenator, according to columnist Deb Price. However, Log Cabin, whichwithheld its endorsement from President George W. Bush in 2004, would likelydo the same with McCain if he were to choose an anti-gay running mate suchas Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee or throw his support behind anti-gayamendments pending in California and Florida, Price writes. The Detroit News(6/9)
-New York couples in a California state of mind
The 12,000 gay and lesbian couples from New York who are projected to marryin California over the next three years will enjoy more than just a symbolicceremony. They're likely to receive the full state benefits of theinstitution, under a directive by New York Gov. David Paterson that stateagencies recognize the marriages. But the legality of the unions ultimatelyrests with the outcome of a November ballot measure in California that couldimpose a constitutional marriage ban. USA TODAY (6/9)
-Golden State clerks ready for new marriage reality: Most wedding officialsin California are adapting easily to the prospect of marrying same-sexcouples, although some resistance to the change is being reported. The KernCounty clerk-recorder has decided to end all marriage ceremonies, and a fewother officiants have said they will not marry gay and lesbian couples.However, Santa Clara County is conducting a special training session for 70volunteers who want to officiate at weddings. San Jose Mercury News (Calif.)
(6/10)
-Philly's new top cop seeks to make force more gay-friendly
Philadelphia's new police commissioner, Charles H. Ramsey, is consideringcreating an LGBT unit based in the city's main gay neighborhood and wants toprovide gay-sensitivity training to all department personnel. Ramseysuccessfully launched an LGBT unit during his previous stint running theWashington, D.C., police department. "My goal is to create an environmentwhere officers don't feel intimidated in any way," Ramsey said. "If theywant to acknowledge [their sexuality], they should feel comfortable doingit." The Philadelphia Inquirer (6/9)
-Gay vets turned away by federal appeals court
Saying it had to defer to congressional authority, a federal appeals courthas upheld the dismissal by a lower court of a lawsuit filed by 12 gay andlesbian veterans seeking to overturn the military's gay ban. The plaintiffsclaimed that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy violates theirconstitutional rights to privacy, free speech and equal protection. TheBoston Globe/Associated Press (6/10)
-New York quietly sets new guidelines for LGBT youths in custody
The Village Voice (6/3)
-2008 International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference
The Mayflower Hotel | Washington, D.C. | December 4-7
Registration is now open for the 24th International Gay & Lesbian LeadershipConference, the premier gathering of openly LGBT elected, appointed andcommunity leaders. This year the conference returns to Washington, D.C. justweeks after U.S. voters choose a new president. It will be an exciting timeto be in the capital city, and attendees will be at the center of it all inthe famed Mayflower Hotel just steps from the White House and Dupont Circle. There are a limited number of hotel rooms at the Mayflower at our specialconference rate of just $149 per night. Act now to enjoy 35% offregistration fees and receive your special code to book rooms at theMayflower.
-PFLAG stages event outside "ex-gay" conference
Supporters and staff from PFLAG demonstrated at an "ex-gay" conference inOrlando, Fla., urging participants to accept their orientation. View a videoclip at The PFLAG National Blog.
-AIDS in New York, a decade after the drug cocktail
This article looks at the impact of anti-retroviral therapy, or so-calleddrug cocktails, which have been used for more than a decade to treat HIV, onthe spread of the virus and the consequences of infection in New York. "Dying from AIDS, or dying with an HIV infection, which may not be the samething, is a significantly less common event than it was a decade ago, butit's not nearly as uncommon as anyone would like," writes Gary Taubes. NewYork magazine (6/8)
-Opinion among residents in Oxnard, Calif., is split as to whetherprosecutors were right to try as an adult 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, whois accused of shooting to death a 15-year-old openly gay classmate, LarryKing. McInerney, who is charged with premeditated murder and a hate crime,could face a term of life in prison if he is tried and convicted as anadult. National Public Radio (6/9)
-Couple of 52 years makes bequest to help LGBT youths, stop AIDS
The Standard-Times (6/9)
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Same-Sex Marriage in Canada 5 years on
Five years ago today, I put on a white suit and my good luck shoes and wentto the office of the Ontario Court of Appeal to pick up a judgment. The case was Halpern et al v. the Attorney-General of Canada et al. Theresult: "The Clerk is directed to immediately begin issuing marriagelicences to same-sex couples." Within hours, our clients Michael Leshner andMike Stark were married in a Toronto courthouse. I could barely stand upduring the ceremony; I was so emotional, my co-counsel, Joanna Radbord, hadto hold me up. Over the next few weeks, we attended many marriages - of our clients,colleagues and friends - and wept throughout each one.
-CAMPUS PRIDE ANNOUNCES DATES FOR LGBT-FRIENDLY COLLEGE ADMISSION FAIRS
FALL 2008
"It was great to have my first college fair be one where I could askimportant questions about myself as someone from the LGBT community. Thistype of college fair was also very important for me as I have two moms - Iwant to be at a college where I can feel comfortable about my family."
MIDWEST FAIR
Twin Cities, MN
Friday, October 3, 2008 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Great Hall, Coffman Memorial Union
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
300 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN
EAST COAST FAIR
Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, October 11, 2008 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall
University of Pennsylvania
3417 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA
Registration and more details will be available online starting June 30,2008 at the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index
www.campusclimateindex.org/events
-Progressive Religious Leaders Drowned Out in Conversations About Sex
"Are there any boundaries left in the USA or will most traditions cometumbling down?" asks self-styled moral arbiter Bill O'Reilly in an interviewlumping gay marriage in California with polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs'recently released photos kissing underage girls as young as twelve. Havingrisen to media stardom by fueling America's obscenely profitable culture warbetween God-fearing traditionalists and anything-goes secularists, O'Reillymorphs into the same threat a progressive court ruling for social justiceand the sexually abusive culture of a traditional family-values religion. But media blowhards with a conservative agenda are not the only ones whothink that progressive sex and family values don't mix.
http://www.alternet.org/story/87047/
-Former Senator Sam Nunn
Calls on Congress to Revisit "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Washington, DC - Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn said yesterday that hebelieves it is time for Congress to revisit the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" lawwhich bans lesbians, gays and bisexuals from serving openly in the military. Nunn, one of the principle lawmakers responsible for the passage of the 1993law, said in Atlanta, "I think [when] 15 years go by on any personnelpolicy, it's appropriate to take another look at it - see how it's working,ask the hard questions, hear from the military. Start with a Pentagonstudy." "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was bad law when Senator Nunn pushed itforward in 1993 and it is still bad law. It is still a violation of ourbasic civil rights," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director ofServicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN).
-How Our Sexuality Is Being Restricted One Bad Law at a Time
With anxiety and anger about sexuality reaching a noisy crescendo, Congressmembers and state legislators are responding with laws that placate the mobdu jour -- laws restricting sexual expression that have little chance ofsurviving even the lightest Constitutional scrutiny. For example, Congresshas passed law after law attempting to rid the Internet of pornography.
-Texas recently passed a law requiring strip clubs
to pay a special tax of $5 per head (no jokes, please). This spring, Indianapassed a law requiring vendors of "sexually explicit" materials to registerwith the state and pay a $250 fee. But every federal law censoring theInternet has been derailed by a court. The Texas law was overturned by theirSupreme Court just two months ago. The Indiana law, you can be sure, will beoverturned before Labor Day.
http://www.alternet.org/story/87015/
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 11, 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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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Christian leaders meet privately with Obama
Barack Obama discussed Darfur, the Iraq war, gay rights, abortion and otherissues Tuesday with Christian leaders, including conservatives who have beencriticized for praising the Democratic presidential candidate.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-Obama-Religion.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
-Dolores Neuman, 66, a freelance still photographer and independent-filmpromoter who worked extensively for public interest and advocacy groups,died June 5 at the Washington Home hospice. She had kidney cancer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003127.html
-Another Failure on Climate Change
No one ever said that dealing with climate change would be easy orcost-free. But we expected better from the Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/opinion/11wed1.html?scp=1&sq=Another+Failure+on+Climate+Change&st=nyt
-Obama on the Nile by Thomas Friedman
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Democrats' nomination ofBarack Obama as their candidate for president has improved America's imageabroad. This column will probably get Barack Obama in trouble, but that'snotmy problem. I cannot tell a lie: Many Egyptians and other Arab Muslimsreally like him and hope that he wins the presidency. I have had a chanceto observe several U.S. elections from abroad, but it has been unusuallyrevealing to be in Egypt as Barack Hussein Obama became the Democrats'nominee for president of the United States. [...] Every interview seems toend with the person I was interviewing asking me: "Now, can I ask you aquestion? Obama? Do you think they will let him win?" (It's always "let himwin" not just "win.")
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/opinion/11friedman.html?ref=opinion
-Surgery Offers Muslim Women Illusion of Virginity
An increasing number of Muslim women in Europe are having surgery to createthe illusion of virginity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/europe/11virgin.html?hp=&pagewanted=all
-Bring Your Cultural Compass
Navigating the culture of Egypt can be a challenge, but it could help toease strains in U.S.-Egypt relations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/middleeast/11egypt.html?hp
-Study Shows Colorado Has Largest Rise in Child Poverty
Colorado experienced the nation's largest rate of growth in impoverished children from 2000 to 2006, according to a study released Tuesday. The study, by the Colorado Children's Campaign, a nonprofit group that focuses on child welfare, said that the most recent census data show that 180,000 children - 15.7 percent of the state total - were living in poverty in Colorado in 2006, a 73 percent increase since 2000. New Hampshire and Delaware experienced the second- and third-largest rates of increase in child poverty, about 47 percent and 45 percent respectively.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/us/11kids.html
-Judge Orders Ohio to Alter Its Method of Execution
Ohio must stop using a common combination of three chemicals to executecondemned inmates because they may produce excruciating pain, a state courtjudge there ruled Tuesday. Then, in what legal experts said was a first,the judge instead ordered the state to start using a single large dose ofbarbiturate, common in animal euthanasia. The decision is an exception torecent judicial trends in the wake of the United States Supreme Court'sdecision in April in Baze v. Rees, which upheld Kentucky's lethal injectionprotocol, similar to the one used in Ohio. There have been fiveexecutions - two in Georgia and one each in Mississippi, South Carolina andVirginia - since Baze ended a de facto seven-month moratorium. And Texas isto resume executions on Wednesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/us/11death.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1213186022-1Hr39wGQBsnbEI0Lw8Fl4g
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Christian leaders meet privately with Obama
Barack Obama discussed Darfur, the Iraq war, gay rights, abortion and otherissues Tuesday with Christian leaders, including conservatives who have beencriticized for praising the Democratic presidential candidate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002720.html
-Don't Ask Nunn
As Sen. Barack Obama considers potential running mates, he shouldcontemplate Sam Nunn with caution. As chairman of the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee in 1993, Nunn helped lead the fight against allowing gay men andlesbians to serve openly in the military and was the force behind thedisastrous "don't ask, don't tell" compromise. In the process, Nunnengendered the enduring enmity of a loyal voting and fundraising bloc of theDemocratic Party.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002527.html
-The McCain Miracle
The political and personal miracle of John McCain has been largelyovershadowed. [...] A year ago this summer, the McCain campaign was abankrupt political joke; the political class only mentioned it to speculatewhen it would be mercifully euthanized. What followed was one of the mostimprobable comebacks of American political history.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002526.html
-Saving Doha
Why an obscure Frenchman may be the last hope for global free trade.
YOU HAVE probably never heard of Pascal Lamy, but he might be able to savethe world. The only question is when he should do it. Okay, so we'reexaggerating a bit. Not about Mr. Lamy's obscurity: The veteran Frenchbureaucrat is director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), whichhardly makes him a household name, even though he is a remarkably talentedand persistent international public servant. It's not precisely true that heis the only person who can save our troubled planet. But he might just bethe last possible savior of global trade liberalization.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002617.html
-Anti-Child-Porn Tactic Criticized
Thwarting Payments Makes Users Hard to Track, Report Says
The decision yesterday by three Internet service providers to block accessto online child pornography is the latest in a series of steps by companiesand government officials to curb the distribution of such materials. But areport to be published later this month questions whether such actions aremaking it more difficult to track users.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002544.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Kucinich Forces Vote On Bush's Impeachment
Having failed in efforts to impeach Vice President Cheney, Rep. Dennis J.Kucinich (D-Ohio) escalated his battle against the administration this weekby introducing 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush, using aparliamentary maneuver that will probably force a vote today.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003087.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-What Is Owed to Native Americans?
Judge Hopes to Settle Question in Suit Over Oil, Gas Royalties
A lawsuit over billions of dollars in royalties collected from oil and gascompanies that leased Native American land has meandered through the courtsystem for so long that a federal judge recently compared the case toCharles Dickens's "Bleak House," a tome about a long-running and convolutedlegal dispute.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002739.html?hpid=sec-nation
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-U.S. Rep. Wexler calling for impeachment of President Bush
Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler signedon Tuesday to Articles of Impeachment for President Bush. "President Bushdeliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraqto the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachmentresolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power," Wexler saidin a statement.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flb3bdigest06113sbjun11,0,5100560.story
-Florida-grown tomatoes declared OK to eat
Federal health officials on Tuesday declared Florida-grown tomatoes to befree from salmonella contamination that triggered a 17-state outbreak, buthad not nailed down the source of the bacteria that have sickened at least167 people and claimed one life since April.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flrxtom0611sbjun11,0,6802318.story
-U.S. Rep. Wexler calling for impeachment of President Bush
Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler signedon Tuesday to Articles of Impeachment for President Bush.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flb3bdigest06113sbjun11,0,5100560.story
-Paul Newman Reportedly Battling Terminal Lung Cancer
Legendary actor and director Paul Newman is reportedly battling terminallung cancer. The 83-year old actor is said to have been diagnosed at NewYork's Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he is currently receivingoutpatient treatment and is under the care of a leading New York oncologist.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sfl-0610newman,0,6038617.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Healthcare a defining issue for McCain, Obama
As the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama heats up,nowhere are the differences in their policies more striking than onhealthcare. [...] Obama's proposed universal healthcare plan embodies thelong-held Democratic Party goal of covering the 47 million Americans wholack health insurance. Employers, insurers, individuals and the governmentall would have greater roles in assuring coverage through a number ofproposals designed to close gaps in the system. [...] McCain's plan takes adifferent approach. It follows Republican orthodoxy of trying to make theprivate-insurance marketplace more affordable and competitive by radicallyaltering the tax treatment of healthcare benefits.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/565648.html
-Cheney's joke about the poor isn't funny By LEONARD PITTS JR.
A few words about white trash. I've always found that term offensive, itsubiquity notwithstanding. I have a number of reasons, but the most importantis that it is a gratuitous insult to the white poor. Of course, they are oneof the few groups remaining one can insult with relative impunity. Granted,Vice President Cheney did not actually use the term ''white trash'' in the''joke'' he attempted last week at the National Press Club in Washington. Hedidn't need to. It was there, understood, without being spoken. The remarkcame in a discussion of the Cheney family tree. ''We have Cheneys on bothsides of the family,'' he said. ``And we don't even live in West Virginia.'' Get it? Ha ha ha. I mean, you know how it is up there in the hills andhollers of that state where the population is 95 percent white and themedian family income is $10,000 below the national average: cousins marrycousins, brothers bed their pipe-smoking sisters. Pardon me while I slap myknee.
http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/565679.html
-Mugabe's campaign of fear in Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is trying desperately to win reelectionin a country he has brought to the brink of ruin, and he seems determined tostop at nothing to get his way. Since a close vote count in April forced aJune 27 runoff, Mr. Mugabe has embarked on a campaign of terror againstopponents, including intimidation, beatings and scores of murders.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/565668.html
=
Forwarded from Ron Mills
-I'm Voting Republican - You'll Get What You Deserve
(Check out this video)
http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/flash/ivr.swf
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Decision 2008: Mich. unions start to line up behind Obama
UAW pledges support, considered especially critical; AFL-CIO is poised to doso.
The United Auto Workers endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president Tuesday, anunsurprising decision that puts one of the most influential forces inMichigan politics behind the presumptive Democratic nominee.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/POLITICS01/806110380/1374
-CAMPAIGN '08: Michelle Obama in the hot seat too
They loved to hate Hillary Rodham Clinton. They loved to hate Teresa HeinzKerry. And now, it appears, conservative voices are energetically taking onMichelle Obama. "Mrs. Grievance" bellowed the cover of a recent NationalReview, which featured a photo of a fierce-looking Obama. The magazine'sonline edition titled an essay about her stump speech "America's UnhappiestMillionaire."
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-michelle11-2008jun11,0,3978235.story
-Test-based education is shortchanging students
AS another school year winds down, debate about the challenges facingSeattle's public schools is heating up. Recent pages in the Times have beenawash with stories about the resegregation of our schools and newSuperintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson's plan to add tougher, "standardsbased" programs at low-income schools as a way to attract more upper-income,white families back to their neighborhood schools.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004470222_newhutcins11.html
-Huckabee: 'Huge Mistake' to Demonize Obama
Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee cautioned Republicanactivists not to demonize Democratic nominee-to-be Sen. Barack Obama duringthe presidential general election season underway.
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Huckabee_obama/2008/06/10/103254.html
-Silly season for oil policy
Lawmakers are falling over themselves to show they're doing something aboutthe price of oil.
This year's rapid run-up in crude oil prices might have prompted sillylegislation at any time -- but the fact that it has happened in an electionyear has fostered a sort of wrongheadedness renaissance. Lawmakers from bothparties are scrambling to dust off failed strategies from years past andtout them as new and improved ways of halting oil's meteoric rise. None ofthem will work, of course, nor are they intended to; they serve only tomislead the public into thinking that Washington is looking out forconsumers.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-oil11-2008jun11,0,1249678.story?track=rss
-Dems reluctant to take on 'don't ask, don't tell'
Democrats say the nation should be ashamed of its ban on gays serving openlyin the military. It discourages qualified people from joining the ranks at atime when the armed forces are stretched by two wars, they say, and isdegrading to those willing to serve their country.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-15/1213168743168750.xml&storylist=washington
=
[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:
-Christian leaders meet privately with Obama
Barack Obama discussed Darfur, the Iraq war, gay rights, abortion and otherissues Tuesday with Christian leaders, including conservatives who have beencriticized for praising the Democratic presidential candidate.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/AP-Obama-Religion.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
-Dolores Neuman, 66, a freelance still photographer and independent-filmpromoter who worked extensively for public interest and advocacy groups,died June 5 at the Washington Home hospice. She had kidney cancer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003127.html
-Another Failure on Climate Change
No one ever said that dealing with climate change would be easy orcost-free. But we expected better from the Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/opinion/11wed1.html?scp=1&sq=Another+Failure+on+Climate+Change&st=nyt
-Obama on the Nile by Thomas Friedman
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Democrats' nomination ofBarack Obama as their candidate for president has improved America's imageabroad. This column will probably get Barack Obama in trouble, but that'snotmy problem. I cannot tell a lie: Many Egyptians and other Arab Muslimsreally like him and hope that he wins the presidency. I have had a chanceto observe several U.S. elections from abroad, but it has been unusuallyrevealing to be in Egypt as Barack Hussein Obama became the Democrats'nominee for president of the United States. [...] Every interview seems toend with the person I was interviewing asking me: "Now, can I ask you aquestion? Obama? Do you think they will let him win?" (It's always "let himwin" not just "win.")
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/opinion/11friedman.html?ref=opinion
-Surgery Offers Muslim Women Illusion of Virginity
An increasing number of Muslim women in Europe are having surgery to createthe illusion of virginity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/europe/11virgin.html?hp=&pagewanted=all
-Bring Your Cultural Compass
Navigating the culture of Egypt can be a challenge, but it could help toease strains in U.S.-Egypt relations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/middleeast/11egypt.html?hp
-Study Shows Colorado Has Largest Rise in Child Poverty
Colorado experienced the nation's largest rate of growth in impoverished children from 2000 to 2006, according to a study released Tuesday. The study, by the Colorado Children's Campaign, a nonprofit group that focuses on child welfare, said that the most recent census data show that 180,000 children - 15.7 percent of the state total - were living in poverty in Colorado in 2006, a 73 percent increase since 2000. New Hampshire and Delaware experienced the second- and third-largest rates of increase in child poverty, about 47 percent and 45 percent respectively.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/us/11kids.html
-Judge Orders Ohio to Alter Its Method of Execution
Ohio must stop using a common combination of three chemicals to executecondemned inmates because they may produce excruciating pain, a state courtjudge there ruled Tuesday. Then, in what legal experts said was a first,the judge instead ordered the state to start using a single large dose ofbarbiturate, common in animal euthanasia. The decision is an exception torecent judicial trends in the wake of the United States Supreme Court'sdecision in April in Baze v. Rees, which upheld Kentucky's lethal injectionprotocol, similar to the one used in Ohio. There have been fiveexecutions - two in Georgia and one each in Mississippi, South Carolina andVirginia - since Baze ended a de facto seven-month moratorium. And Texas isto resume executions on Wednesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/us/11death.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1213186022-1Hr39wGQBsnbEI0Lw8Fl4g
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Christian leaders meet privately with Obama
Barack Obama discussed Darfur, the Iraq war, gay rights, abortion and otherissues Tuesday with Christian leaders, including conservatives who have beencriticized for praising the Democratic presidential candidate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002720.html
-Don't Ask Nunn
As Sen. Barack Obama considers potential running mates, he shouldcontemplate Sam Nunn with caution. As chairman of the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee in 1993, Nunn helped lead the fight against allowing gay men andlesbians to serve openly in the military and was the force behind thedisastrous "don't ask, don't tell" compromise. In the process, Nunnengendered the enduring enmity of a loyal voting and fundraising bloc of theDemocratic Party.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002527.html
-The McCain Miracle
The political and personal miracle of John McCain has been largelyovershadowed. [...] A year ago this summer, the McCain campaign was abankrupt political joke; the political class only mentioned it to speculatewhen it would be mercifully euthanized. What followed was one of the mostimprobable comebacks of American political history.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002526.html
-Saving Doha
Why an obscure Frenchman may be the last hope for global free trade.
YOU HAVE probably never heard of Pascal Lamy, but he might be able to savethe world. The only question is when he should do it. Okay, so we'reexaggerating a bit. Not about Mr. Lamy's obscurity: The veteran Frenchbureaucrat is director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), whichhardly makes him a household name, even though he is a remarkably talentedand persistent international public servant. It's not precisely true that heis the only person who can save our troubled planet. But he might just bethe last possible savior of global trade liberalization.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002617.html
-Anti-Child-Porn Tactic Criticized
Thwarting Payments Makes Users Hard to Track, Report Says
The decision yesterday by three Internet service providers to block accessto online child pornography is the latest in a series of steps by companiesand government officials to curb the distribution of such materials. But areport to be published later this month questions whether such actions aremaking it more difficult to track users.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002544.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Kucinich Forces Vote On Bush's Impeachment
Having failed in efforts to impeach Vice President Cheney, Rep. Dennis J.Kucinich (D-Ohio) escalated his battle against the administration this weekby introducing 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush, using aparliamentary maneuver that will probably force a vote today.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061003087.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-What Is Owed to Native Americans?
Judge Hopes to Settle Question in Suit Over Oil, Gas Royalties
A lawsuit over billions of dollars in royalties collected from oil and gascompanies that leased Native American land has meandered through the courtsystem for so long that a federal judge recently compared the case toCharles Dickens's "Bleak House," a tome about a long-running and convolutedlegal dispute.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002739.html?hpid=sec-nation
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-U.S. Rep. Wexler calling for impeachment of President Bush
Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler signedon Tuesday to Articles of Impeachment for President Bush. "President Bushdeliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraqto the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachmentresolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power," Wexler saidin a statement.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flb3bdigest06113sbjun11,0,5100560.story
-Florida-grown tomatoes declared OK to eat
Federal health officials on Tuesday declared Florida-grown tomatoes to befree from salmonella contamination that triggered a 17-state outbreak, buthad not nailed down the source of the bacteria that have sickened at least167 people and claimed one life since April.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flrxtom0611sbjun11,0,6802318.story
-U.S. Rep. Wexler calling for impeachment of President Bush
Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler signedon Tuesday to Articles of Impeachment for President Bush.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flb3bdigest06113sbjun11,0,5100560.story
-Paul Newman Reportedly Battling Terminal Lung Cancer
Legendary actor and director Paul Newman is reportedly battling terminallung cancer. The 83-year old actor is said to have been diagnosed at NewYork's Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he is currently receivingoutpatient treatment and is under the care of a leading New York oncologist.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sfl-0610newman,0,6038617.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Healthcare a defining issue for McCain, Obama
As the presidential race between John McCain and Barack Obama heats up,nowhere are the differences in their policies more striking than onhealthcare. [...] Obama's proposed universal healthcare plan embodies thelong-held Democratic Party goal of covering the 47 million Americans wholack health insurance. Employers, insurers, individuals and the governmentall would have greater roles in assuring coverage through a number ofproposals designed to close gaps in the system. [...] McCain's plan takes adifferent approach. It follows Republican orthodoxy of trying to make theprivate-insurance marketplace more affordable and competitive by radicallyaltering the tax treatment of healthcare benefits.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/565648.html
-Cheney's joke about the poor isn't funny By LEONARD PITTS JR.
A few words about white trash. I've always found that term offensive, itsubiquity notwithstanding. I have a number of reasons, but the most importantis that it is a gratuitous insult to the white poor. Of course, they are oneof the few groups remaining one can insult with relative impunity. Granted,Vice President Cheney did not actually use the term ''white trash'' in the''joke'' he attempted last week at the National Press Club in Washington. Hedidn't need to. It was there, understood, without being spoken. The remarkcame in a discussion of the Cheney family tree. ''We have Cheneys on bothsides of the family,'' he said. ``And we don't even live in West Virginia.'' Get it? Ha ha ha. I mean, you know how it is up there in the hills andhollers of that state where the population is 95 percent white and themedian family income is $10,000 below the national average: cousins marrycousins, brothers bed their pipe-smoking sisters. Pardon me while I slap myknee.
http://www.miamiherald.com/418/story/565679.html
-Mugabe's campaign of fear in Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is trying desperately to win reelectionin a country he has brought to the brink of ruin, and he seems determined tostop at nothing to get his way. Since a close vote count in April forced aJune 27 runoff, Mr. Mugabe has embarked on a campaign of terror againstopponents, including intimidation, beatings and scores of murders.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/565668.html
=
Forwarded from Ron Mills
-I'm Voting Republican - You'll Get What You Deserve
(Check out this video)
http://www.imvotingrepublican.com/flash/ivr.swf
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Decision 2008: Mich. unions start to line up behind Obama
UAW pledges support, considered especially critical; AFL-CIO is poised to doso.
The United Auto Workers endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president Tuesday, anunsurprising decision that puts one of the most influential forces inMichigan politics behind the presumptive Democratic nominee.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080611/POLITICS01/806110380/1374
-CAMPAIGN '08: Michelle Obama in the hot seat too
They loved to hate Hillary Rodham Clinton. They loved to hate Teresa HeinzKerry. And now, it appears, conservative voices are energetically taking onMichelle Obama. "Mrs. Grievance" bellowed the cover of a recent NationalReview, which featured a photo of a fierce-looking Obama. The magazine'sonline edition titled an essay about her stump speech "America's UnhappiestMillionaire."
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-michelle11-2008jun11,0,3978235.story
-Test-based education is shortchanging students
AS another school year winds down, debate about the challenges facingSeattle's public schools is heating up. Recent pages in the Times have beenawash with stories about the resegregation of our schools and newSuperintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson's plan to add tougher, "standardsbased" programs at low-income schools as a way to attract more upper-income,white families back to their neighborhood schools.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004470222_newhutcins11.html
-Huckabee: 'Huge Mistake' to Demonize Obama
Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee cautioned Republicanactivists not to demonize Democratic nominee-to-be Sen. Barack Obama duringthe presidential general election season underway.
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Huckabee_obama/2008/06/10/103254.html
-Silly season for oil policy
Lawmakers are falling over themselves to show they're doing something aboutthe price of oil.
This year's rapid run-up in crude oil prices might have prompted sillylegislation at any time -- but the fact that it has happened in an electionyear has fostered a sort of wrongheadedness renaissance. Lawmakers from bothparties are scrambling to dust off failed strategies from years past andtout them as new and improved ways of halting oil's meteoric rise. None ofthem will work, of course, nor are they intended to; they serve only tomislead the public into thinking that Washington is looking out forconsumers.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-oil11-2008jun11,0,1249678.story?track=rss
-Dems reluctant to take on 'don't ask, don't tell'
Democrats say the nation should be ashamed of its ban on gays serving openlyin the military. It discourages qualified people from joining the ranks at atime when the armed forces are stretched by two wars, they say, and isdegrading to those willing to serve their country.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-15/1213168743168750.xml&storylist=washington
=
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#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 11, 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.
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida: Key Tomato Crop Approved
Salmonella Investigation Continues as FDA Clears Florida Produce
Federal food safety officials yesterday cleared Florida's latest tomato cropas safe to eat, a move that is likely to speed the return of tomatoes tomany restaurants. Florida is the nation's leading supplier of freshtomatoes. The Food and Drug Administration decision is also expected to helpgrocery stores replenish their supplies of Roma, red plum and red roundtomatoes, which remain the subject of a nationwide alert.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002947_pf.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward votes to set aside $7 million a year in tourism taxes for Hiltonhotel
More than $7 million a year in tourism taxes will be set aside to market theplanned convention center hotel under a deal Broward County commissionersaccepted Tuesday. The decision on how to help pay for the project removes amajor hurdle to the development of the 1,000-room Hilton hotel.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhotel0611sbjun11,0,2315880.story
-Reporting illegal condo activity can be risky
Your condo association refuses to tell you how it is spending your money orwon't let you see the books. You want to file a complaint with the state,but you cannot do so anonymously. If you give your name, chances are youcould become a pariah in your building or community. Angry unit ownersfacing that situation say the state puts them in an untenable situation.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbcondocol0611sbjun11,0,4879929.column
-Complete coverage: Condos & homeowner associations
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-condos,0,97029.storygallery
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-ELECTIONS: Optical-scan voting nears South Florida debut
New optical-scan voting machines will be the third ballot system used in South Florida since 2000. After the 2000 debacle proved that punch cards were too old, and voter skepticism showed that touch screens were too new, South Florida election officials are looking for their new optical-scan systems to be like that fabled third bowl of porridge: just right.
http://www.miamiherald.com/516/story/565568.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Wasserman Schultz helps form gay caucus
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from gay-friendly Broward Countyplans to unveil today the creation of an LGBT Equality Caucus.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/2008/06/wasserman_schultz_helps_form_g_1.html
-We might wish for punch cards when ballot lines are drawn to vote
When I read that Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning called our newoptical-scan ballot voting machines "the end of the line," I got a WoodrowWilson flashback.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2008/06/10/s1b_bino_0611.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=76
-ELECTIONS
Optical-scan voting nears South Florida debut
New optical-scan voting machines will be the third ballot system used inSouth Florida since 2000.
http://www.miamiherald.com/516/story/565568.html
-Obama to address nation's mayors in Miami
When the U.S. Conference of Mayors meets next week in Miami, they'll get oneof the most sought-after political speakers in the country: Barack Obama,the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami/sfl-flacampaignwatch0611sbjun11,0,1476626.story
-Dem. lawmakers jump on FCAT scores, urge reform
Outgoing Minority House leader Dan Gelber and Democratic Rep. Martin Kiarjumped on today's release of FCAT scores to urge further reforms to the FCATgrading system implemented by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2008/06/dem-lawmakers-j.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida: Key Tomato Crop Approved
Salmonella Investigation Continues as FDA Clears Florida Produce
Federal food safety officials yesterday cleared Florida's latest tomato cropas safe to eat, a move that is likely to speed the return of tomatoes tomany restaurants. Florida is the nation's leading supplier of freshtomatoes. The Food and Drug Administration decision is also expected to helpgrocery stores replenish their supplies of Roma, red plum and red roundtomatoes, which remain the subject of a nationwide alert.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002947_pf.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Broward votes to set aside $7 million a year in tourism taxes for Hiltonhotel
More than $7 million a year in tourism taxes will be set aside to market theplanned convention center hotel under a deal Broward County commissionersaccepted Tuesday. The decision on how to help pay for the project removes amajor hurdle to the development of the 1,000-room Hilton hotel.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhotel0611sbjun11,0,2315880.story
-Reporting illegal condo activity can be risky
Your condo association refuses to tell you how it is spending your money orwon't let you see the books. You want to file a complaint with the state,but you cannot do so anonymously. If you give your name, chances are youcould become a pariah in your building or community. Angry unit ownersfacing that situation say the state puts them in an untenable situation.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbcondocol0611sbjun11,0,4879929.column
-Complete coverage: Condos & homeowner associations
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-condos,0,97029.storygallery
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-ELECTIONS: Optical-scan voting nears South Florida debut
New optical-scan voting machines will be the third ballot system used in South Florida since 2000. After the 2000 debacle proved that punch cards were too old, and voter skepticism showed that touch screens were too new, South Florida election officials are looking for their new optical-scan systems to be like that fabled third bowl of porridge: just right.
http://www.miamiherald.com/516/story/565568.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Wasserman Schultz helps form gay caucus
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz from gay-friendly Broward Countyplans to unveil today the creation of an LGBT Equality Caucus.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/2008/06/wasserman_schultz_helps_form_g_1.html
-We might wish for punch cards when ballot lines are drawn to vote
When I read that Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning called our newoptical-scan ballot voting machines "the end of the line," I got a WoodrowWilson flashback.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2008/06/10/s1b_bino_0611.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=76
-ELECTIONS
Optical-scan voting nears South Florida debut
New optical-scan voting machines will be the third ballot system used inSouth Florida since 2000.
http://www.miamiherald.com/516/story/565568.html
-Obama to address nation's mayors in Miami
When the U.S. Conference of Mayors meets next week in Miami, they'll get oneof the most sought-after political speakers in the country: Barack Obama,the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/miami/sfl-flacampaignwatch0611sbjun11,0,1476626.story
-Dem. lawmakers jump on FCAT scores, urge reform
Outgoing Minority House leader Dan Gelber and Democratic Rep. Martin Kiarjumped on today's release of FCAT scores to urge further reforms to the FCATgrading system implemented by former Gov. Jeb Bush.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2008/06/dem-lawmakers-j.html
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - June 10, 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.
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-3 of 5 charges dropped for minister over lesbian wedding
A Presbyterian church court dropped three of five charges against, the Rev.Janet Edwards, but her trial for having performed a marriage ceremony for alesbian couple in 2005 will move forward.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08161/888617-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml
-'Brokeback Mountain' to become opera: Scheduled to premiere in 2013
The New York City Opera commissioned Charles Wuorinen to compose an operabased on "Brokeback Mountain," the 1997 short story by Annie Proulx thatbecame the basis for a 2005 movie that won three Academy Awards.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18828
-Gay men urged to out DUP members after MP's 'abomination' remark
Gay men in Northern Ireland were urged today to publicly "out" any member ofthe Democratic Unionist party they may have had sex with. OutRage! - the UKgay rights organisation - said it would be "entirely justified" to out anyunionist politician in the wake of remarks by DUP MP Iris Robinson.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/09/northernireland.northernireland
-Accused Treated as Adult in Gay Student's Killing
Prosecutors' decision to charge Brandon McInerney, 14, as an adult in theshooting death of Larry King, 15, has divided the seaside town of Oxnard,Calif. McInerney is charged with premeditated murder and a hate crime in thekilling of King, an openly gay eighth-grader.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91327117&ft=1&f=1003
-He Sees Gay People
After my Memorial Day run at the Crown and Anchor in Ptown, I took a lovelylocal nine-seater CapeAir plane into Boston for the 27th Annual MA Bill ofRights dinner. The pilot was in training and kept reading the laminatedinstruction list. It was a quaint reminder of early flight. But if you wantto meet some real risk-takers, look no further than the honorees at the ACLUdinner. The founder of Boston's Wainright Bank, committed to progressivelending and minority ideals, disproves the real current mantra, "When bankscompete, you lose." While Errol Morris's film Standard Operating Procedureis certainly not what you'd call a date movie, he deserved the recognitionfor telling the back story of Abu Ghraib. Ironically, on the same day of therelease Scott McClellan's belated tell-all book What Happened, Watergate'sJohn Dean, was honored for his work. I asked him to please thank his son,Howard, for his good job rebuilding the Democratic Party.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-clinton/he-sees-gay-people_b_105632.html
-Hillary mentions gays twice in concession speech
During Sen. Hillary Clinton's concession speech on Saturday, she mentioned the gays not once, but twice!
She included her gay supporters in her thank yous: "18 million of you from all walks of life - women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and middle class, gay andstraight - you have stood strong with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=6/4/08&end=6/11/08#18832
-Sexually Transmitted Infections and the City
One in four adults in New York City, according to a new study, are infectedwith the virus that causes genital herpes. (More than one herpes virus cancause sores on your genitals, which makes this genital-herpes-virus stuffconfusing, but that's for another post.) The headline seems alarming untilyou read the story, which points out that nearly one in five adults outsideNew York City are infected with the virus that causes herpes. So the rate inNYC is significantly higher, and that's worrisome, but it's not like folksin NYC are that much likelier to have herpes than folks in, say, Seattle.
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/sexually_transmitted_infections_and_the
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Obama Issues Letter to LGBT Community,
Rallies Gay Supporters
The Obama campaign released video of the candidate thanking his campaignstaff in Chicago over the weekend. It's indicative of the transparency theinternet has brought and the willingness of the Obama campaign to utilizeit. [...] Obama also released a statement regarding gay pride month aswell as an open letter to the LGBT community (read it, AFTER THE JUMP)
-Anderson Cooper Not My Boo
Because news in America is increasingly becoming part reliable mediasource/part for profit business hodgepodge, CNN has launched a line oft-shirts playing off this week's awkward on air exchange between hostAnderson Cooper and political analyst Donna Brazile. The shirts, whichread, Anderson Cooper, 'You're Not My Boo', are available at CNN.com,playing off the exchange that went down this week between Cooper and theling time democratic political advisor.
-Marriage Fight Wastes Gay Dollars
The Human Rights Campaign, America's largest gay-rights group, recentlyannounced plans to spend at least a half-million dollars to defeat theCalifornia Marriage Protection Act. What a waste; gays and lesbians have farmore urgent needs. The Golden State constitutional amendment poses nosubstantive threat to them - it will take nothing away from same-sex couplesbut the word "marriage." Even if HRC wants Californians to vote no on theinitiative, $500,000 is a lot to spend on a struggle to retain an unpopularcourt victory that's only semantic and symbolic.
-Pride Parade Continues Despite Langford's Opposition
On Saturday, June 7, Birmingham opened its streets to Central Alabama's gay,lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. This was the 20th annualPride Parade and was hosted by Central Alabama Pride. The parade is a partof Central Alabama's annual pride week, which is called "The 10 Days ofPride," and also hosted by Central Alabama Pride every year. Thiscelebration encompasses everything from the Pride Parade to PRIDEFest, whichis a daylong event for the whole family.
-A Gay Rugby World Cup - Darling Please
Well how about this? News has just reached Lifting the Covers that there isto be a Gay Rugby World Cup which kicks-off in Dublin in Ireland on Friday.
Yes I kid you not. Now let me say straight away that I am all for gayrights, so why not stage a World Cup for them? Apparently it is thesecond-largest biennial amateur rugby tournament in the world. The 2006cup, which took place in New York, was the biggest yet. Thirty teams drawnfrom clubs around the world competed in the three-day tournament.
-Book Club: Openly Gay Cop Greg Miraglia
A cop's life is a tough one-but the life of a gay cop can be even moredifficult. Greg Miraglia, a cop for thirty years, now director of a policeacademy in California, is the author of Coming Out From Behind the Badge,stories of success and advice from police officers out on the job. Iinterviewed Greg at The 12th Annual International Conference of Gay andLesbian Criminal Justice Professionals, held recently in Washington, DC.
-Blacks, Jews and Gays Most Likely Victims of Hate Crimes
Blacks and Jews are most likely to be the victims of hate crimes in Canadaand youth aged 12 to 17 were often the perpetrators, according to researchreleased Monday by Statistics Canada. The study, which relies mostly onresearch by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, uses police-reporteddata on the race, religion and sexual orientation of victims ofhate-motivated incidents, ranging from property crimes to violent crimes.
-N.Y. Gay Couples Plan to Dash to Altar by Way of Calif.
Jeff Friedman and Andrew Zwerin were high school sweethearts on Long Island.
After college and graduate school, they returned to New York to RockvilleCentre. When they adopted Joshua, now 4, Friedman quit his job as a lawyerto be a stay-at-home dad. Despite deep roots in New York, they will fly toLos Angeles this month to plan what Friedman, 40, says will be "atraditional Jewish wedding" under a chuppa, or canopy, at a cousin's home onOct. 11.
-CDC Misses Mark With HIV Prevention Programs, Critics Say
Gay and bisexual men have been at the epicenter of the domestic AIDS crisissince the first cases were reported in 1981. But over the past few years theCenters for Disease Control & Prevention created funding structures thatdramatically reduced the number of HIV/AIDS prevention programs targetingthe population that has always been and continues to be at highest risk forcontracting HIV in America. In 1999, the CDC established the "Diffusion ofEffective Behavioral Interventions," which are scientifically supportedprevention programs, and are the only type of interventions funded directlyby CDC to community-based AID organizations. Of the 16 DEBIs the CDC fundedlast year, five were geared toward gay and bisexual men.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-NEW YORK - Four LGBT legal organizations and five other leading nationalLGBT groups have issued a statement entitled "Make Change, Not Lawsuits."
The statement explains that while couples who go to California to marryshould ask friends, neighbors and institutions to honor their marriages,they generally shouldn't sue. The statement says that ill-timed lawsuitsare likely to set the fight for marriage back, and that there are other waysto fight which are more likely to win.
-For insights into healthy marriages, social scientists are looking in anunexpected place.
A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal toteach everyone else about marriage and relationships. Most studies showsurprisingly few differences between committed gay couples and committedstraight couples, but the differences that do emerge have shed light on thekinds of conflicts that can endanger heterosexual relationships. Thefindings offer hope that some of the most vexing problems are notnecessarily entrenched in deep-rooted biological differences between men andwomen. And that, in turn, offers hope that the problems can be solved.
-Eunice Brabec, a 69-year-old volunteer wedding official from South SanFrancisco, didn't feel right about performing the marriage of two men or twowomen. "I think that marriage is between a man and woman to have children,"said Brabec, one of two volunteer marriage commissioners in San Mateo Countywho decided to stop doing weddings to avoid doing same-sex ceremonies.
Elsewhere in California, at least one county clerk-recorder is suspendingwedding ceremonies for all couples rather than do same-sex marriagesstarting June 17. But despite occasional protests, many Bay Area countyclerks are hearing from a crop of volunteers who want to help officiate thesame-sex ceremonies.
-Registered domestic partners in Washington gain dozens of new rights andresponsibilities at midnight Thursday, when the bulk of the more than 320measures lawmakers passed this year kick in. Domestic partners registeredwith the state will get more than 170 of the rights and responsibilities ofmarriage. It's another step toward what supporters hope will eventually befull recognition of same-sex unions in the state.
-About 250 appointments for gay marriages have been made for later thismonth, including more than 50 for June 17, when same-sex nuptials becomelegal, the San Diego County Clerk's Office said. The most popular locationis the County Administration Center in downtown San Diego. There are 186wedding appointments at the center so far.
-The recent legalization of same-sex marriage in California will add anadditional $64 million to the state budget over the next three years,according to a new study released today by the Williams Institute for SexualOrientation Law and Public Policy. The study also found the state's weddingindustry will grow by approximately $683.8 million in the same period, bothfrom in-state marriages and the predicted 68,000 out-of-state couples whowill flock to California to wed starting June 17.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-I am defending the word of God says "gay cure" MP
The wife of Northern Ireland's First Minister has said she is the victim ofa "witch hunt" trying to prevent Christians from speaking out againsthomosexuality.
-New bill will promote gay equality
A new equality bill seeking to actively promote equality for lesbian,bisexual and gay people will be formally announced in November's Queen'sspeech.
-Flying the Rainbow flag up to each British embassy
The sight of the international symbol of the gay community flying fromBritish embassy buildings in Riga and Warsaw in past weeks has been widelypraised as a symbol of the UK's commitment to gay rights.
-Gay tourists released from Gambian jail
Two Spanish tourists arrested in the Gambia for allegedly trying to solicitgay sex from taxi drivers have been released and left the country.
-Free 15 minute HIV tests available in Soho
A walk in clinic in the heart of London's gay village is encouraging gay andbi men to take advantage of their free, rapid HIV testing.
-Minister who called gay rugby 'apartheid' is sacked
Edwin Poots has been dropped from the Northern Ireland Executive after areshuffle. As minister for arts and culture he attacked the formation of agay rugby team in the province.
-US company helps HIV+ men become fathers
Men living with HIV are finding new hope of creating biological familieswith their own sperm through a new programme created by the California-basedGrowing Generations.
-Gay groups gain observer status at UN
One of Europe's best-known gay rights organisations has been recommended for consultative status at the United Nations.
-US abandons UN human rights body
The United States has announced plans to distance itself from the UN HumanRights council - an action that has been said to "fail victims of abuse."
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-As Father's Day Nears, Focus on the Family Attacks Fathers and Charity
Focus on the Family has joined with TiVo to turn Father's Day 2008 into aback-door political attack against gay fathers. The TiVo "SuperDad" campaigninvites people to nominate fathers as SuperDads; Focus' involvement ensuresthat gay fathers and their families will be excluded. TiVo's ties to Focuson the Family are no accident, according to a TiVo representative who spokewith Joe.My.God Average Gay Joe. The Family Equality Council is organizing aletter-writing campaign to TiVo in support of gay fathers. In addition todiscriminating against gay fathers and their offspring, Focus and its localbranches and antifamily allies in California plan this year to divert $30million dollars from more charitable endeavors into their petty war againstmarriage.
-Yesterday's Obama LGBT Conference Call By Chris Crain
Last evening the Obama campaign held a conference call with 1200 LGBTactivists from around the country in order to update people on campaignplans moving forward. The first order of business was to invite gays whowere Senator Clinton supporters into the Obama family. After a short welcomefrom Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager (and LGBT community member) SteveHildebrand, Elizabeth Birch, former head of the Human Rights campaign (HRC),recounted how it felt to be a long time Hillary Clinton supporter at thismoment, now that the nomination has slipped from her grasp. She described animmense sadness and repeatedly alluded to how you feel when you see a"vanquished warrior" or "fallen warrior." Birch has two children of mixedrace, a daughter and a son. She confided that although she was hoping thather daughter would see that it was possible for a woman to become presidentof the United States, now she realizes that it was just as important for herson to see that a person of color can become president. Her message was thatafter a period mourning, Clinton supporters should rally around Obama. It isimperative that Obama prevails for LBT rights to move forward.
-Boos and Cheers for a Homecoming King
Eighteen-year-old Kyle Hutchinson accomplished something that no one at RedMountain High School in Mesa, Arizona, has ever done before. He was crownedking of the high school prom as an openly gay man.
Kyle's parents were present when he was crowned king Saturday night amidcheers and boos:
-Franken Wins Endoresment for Senate in Minnesota
Al Franken won a resounding endorsement for the U.S. Senate on Saturday fromMinnesota Democrats, quickly dispatching with concerns about jokes thatoffended some and promising a tough challenge to Republican Sen. NormColeman. "To the people of Minnesota, let me say this: I'm not a perfectperson," said Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer.
"I'm not going to pretend to have all the answers. But I'll tell the truth,I will keep my spine, and I will work for you."
-McCain Adviser: The Press Want to 'Convince Everyone that the Economy is inRecession' to Hurt McCain
In his Bloomberg column today, Kevin Hassett of the American EnterpriseInstitute charges that the news media is guilty of a "politically motivatedpessimism" when it pushes "the idea that the U.S. is in a terriblerecession." Hassett, who is an economic adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ),argues that the "Democratic-leaning press" may be trying to "influence theelection" against McCain:
-US Leads Soaring Levels of Military Spending
World military spending grew 45 percent in the past decade, with the UnitedStates accounting for nearly half of all expenditure, the StockholmInternational Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday. Militaryspending grew six percent last year alone, according to SIPRI's annualreport. In 2007, 1,339 billion dollars (851 billion euros) was spent on armsand other military expenditure, corresponding to 2.5 percent of global grossdomestic product, or GDP - or 202 dollars for each of the world's 6.6billion people. The United States spends by far the most towards militaryaims, dishing out 547 billion dollars last year, or 45 percent of globalexpenditure.
-Conpicuous by Their Absence
Three Yemeni female journalists chat with a British human rights workerabout the discrimination they face in their profession. It's not only inYemen - studies have shown that female journalists are marginalizedworldwide. Rome - Observe any summit picture - you won't find many women.
The mystery of female underrepresentation in the echelons of power persists:after so many decades of the feminist movement, why are women at the helmscarce? A look at the media sector may provide some answers.
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How friendly toward gays is McCain? by Deb Price
Think you know Sen. John McCain? That's what the nation's largestgay-rights organization is asking voters.
A maverick? An independent? A moderate? Not so, the Human Rights Campaignargues forcefully in a new video at its hrc.org Web site that uses filmclips capturing key moments in McCain's political career to back up itswarning that a McCain presidency would mean "four more years of anti-gaypolicy in the White House."
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080609/OPINION03/806090338/1031
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in Asia have agreed todevelop an international network to advocate protection of their rights intheir respective countries and at the regional level. Bali hosted aconference of the groups from June 2 to 6 in the tourism enclave Nusa Dua.
The conference was attended by 21 participants from eight countries --Indonesia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China andThailand. "We agreed to make some kind of international network to advocateprotection of LGBT rights in our countries," Rido Triawan, head of ArusPelangi, an Indonesian non-governmental organization that fights for LGBTrights, told *The Jakarta Post* on Saturday.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/06/09/asian-gay-transgender-groups-fight-their-rights.html
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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-In Syria, Gay Iraqis Seek New Life - 06.09.2008
Damascus, Syria - Maybe one of the of most difficult situations that anIraqi could be in is to be gay, the Iraqi society in general discriminateagainst the gay and transsexual people, normally they consider them aspeople who left their gender and changed for sexual want. Even though mostgay people of Iraq have managed to live their lives, being born gay isalmost the same as being born with an assurance of death. Most Iraqis don'taccept that homosexuality is something you're born with, or which isassigned by your genes. Due to the Iraqi cultural and religious beliefs, homosexuality is forbidden and considered amortal sin, and in many cases the penalty of death is assigned as thesolution for it.
http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2008/06/09/in-syria-gay-iraqis-seek-new-life/
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-"Lithuania risks EU sanctions over new amendments to the Law on EqualTreatment."
On 10 June 2008 the Parliament of Lithuania (Seimas) will vote on deleting"sexual orientation" as one of the grounds of forbidden discrimination inthe Law on Equal Treatment. This will mean that Lithuanian citizens andvisitors to the country will not be protected against unequal treatment, sopaving the way for discrimination in access to services and goods. This willalso diminish the possibility of effective redress in discrimination casesin employment, which is against Employment Directive.
The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights calls uponLithuania to respect all citizens equally and keep the protection againstdiscrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the Law on EqualTreatment.
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Call Your Senators NOW:
Help Improve Medical Treatment for People with HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS advocates around the country have been working hard to convince theSenate Finance Committee to pass a law that would close an important gap intreatment access for people with HIV/AIDS by allowing ADAP expenditures tocount towards Medicare Part D true out of pocket costs. The Committee haschosen to ignore the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS by failing toinclude this provision in a Medicare reform bill. This provision would costfar less than 1% of what the Senate proposes to spend on other Medicareimprovements and would improve the lives of countless people living withHIV/AIDS around the country. What you can do: Call your two U.S. Senatorsin their Washington, DC office. Ask to speak to the legislative aide whohandles health care issues.
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article.
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Court Upholds Don't Ask Don't Tell
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that the militarydid not violate the constitutional rights of 12 gay and lesbianservicemembers when it discharged them.
-UN: New HIV Infections Outpace Drug Treatment
Despite a stepped up global battle against AIDS, the numbers of people newlyinfected with HIV are far and away outpacing the numbers beginningantiretroviral drug treatments, U.N. officials say.
-Study Examines Factors In LGBT Teen Suicides
A University of Arizona professor is embarking on a major study to determinethe root causes of the high rate of suicide among LGBT youth.
-Sexuality Behind One In Ten Hate Crimes In Canada
Hate-motivated incidents account for a relatively small proportion of crimein Canada, and those that occur are most commonly related to race orethnicity, says a new study.
-Study: 1 In 4 NYC Adults Has Herpes
A city Health Department study finds that more than a fourth of adult NewYorkers are infected with the virus that causes genital herpes.
-Charges Dropped Against NY Gay Couple In Marriage Protest
Trespassing charges have been dropped against a middle-aged gay couple
arrested in April when they refused to leave the town clerk's office afterbeing refused a marriage license.
-Gays March In European Capitals Where Rights Under Attack
Gays and lesbians staged large LGBT pride marches over the weekend inWarsaw, Rome and Athens, three European capitals where their rights areunder fire.
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-3 of 5 charges dropped for minister over lesbian wedding
A Presbyterian church court dropped three of five charges against, the Rev.Janet Edwards, but her trial for having performed a marriage ceremony for alesbian couple in 2005 will move forward.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08161/888617-100.stm?cmpid=latest.xml
-'Brokeback Mountain' to become opera: Scheduled to premiere in 2013
The New York City Opera commissioned Charles Wuorinen to compose an operabased on "Brokeback Mountain," the 1997 short story by Annie Proulx thatbecame the basis for a 2005 movie that won three Academy Awards.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=18828
-Gay men urged to out DUP members after MP's 'abomination' remark
Gay men in Northern Ireland were urged today to publicly "out" any member ofthe Democratic Unionist party they may have had sex with. OutRage! - the UKgay rights organisation - said it would be "entirely justified" to out anyunionist politician in the wake of remarks by DUP MP Iris Robinson.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jun/09/northernireland.northernireland
-Accused Treated as Adult in Gay Student's Killing
Prosecutors' decision to charge Brandon McInerney, 14, as an adult in theshooting death of Larry King, 15, has divided the seaside town of Oxnard,Calif. McInerney is charged with premeditated murder and a hate crime in thekilling of King, an openly gay eighth-grader.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91327117&ft=1&f=1003
-He Sees Gay People
After my Memorial Day run at the Crown and Anchor in Ptown, I took a lovelylocal nine-seater CapeAir plane into Boston for the 27th Annual MA Bill ofRights dinner. The pilot was in training and kept reading the laminatedinstruction list. It was a quaint reminder of early flight. But if you wantto meet some real risk-takers, look no further than the honorees at the ACLUdinner. The founder of Boston's Wainright Bank, committed to progressivelending and minority ideals, disproves the real current mantra, "When bankscompete, you lose." While Errol Morris's film Standard Operating Procedureis certainly not what you'd call a date movie, he deserved the recognitionfor telling the back story of Abu Ghraib. Ironically, on the same day of therelease Scott McClellan's belated tell-all book What Happened, Watergate'sJohn Dean, was honored for his work. I asked him to please thank his son,Howard, for his good job rebuilding the Democratic Party.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-clinton/he-sees-gay-people_b_105632.html
-Hillary mentions gays twice in concession speech
During Sen. Hillary Clinton's concession speech on Saturday, she mentioned the gays not once, but twice!
She included her gay supporters in her thank yous: "18 million of you from all walks of life - women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and middle class, gay andstraight - you have stood strong with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for."
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=6/4/08&end=6/11/08#18832
-Sexually Transmitted Infections and the City
One in four adults in New York City, according to a new study, are infectedwith the virus that causes genital herpes. (More than one herpes virus cancause sores on your genitals, which makes this genital-herpes-virus stuffconfusing, but that's for another post.) The headline seems alarming untilyou read the story, which points out that nearly one in five adults outsideNew York City are infected with the virus that causes herpes. So the rate inNYC is significantly higher, and that's worrisome, but it's not like folksin NYC are that much likelier to have herpes than folks in, say, Seattle.
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/06/sexually_transmitted_infections_and_the
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Obama Issues Letter to LGBT Community,
Rallies Gay Supporters
The Obama campaign released video of the candidate thanking his campaignstaff in Chicago over the weekend. It's indicative of the transparency theinternet has brought and the willingness of the Obama campaign to utilizeit. [...] Obama also released a statement regarding gay pride month aswell as an open letter to the LGBT community (read it, AFTER THE JUMP)
-Anderson Cooper Not My Boo
Because news in America is increasingly becoming part reliable mediasource/part for profit business hodgepodge, CNN has launched a line oft-shirts playing off this week's awkward on air exchange between hostAnderson Cooper and political analyst Donna Brazile. The shirts, whichread, Anderson Cooper, 'You're Not My Boo', are available at CNN.com,playing off the exchange that went down this week between Cooper and theling time democratic political advisor.
-Marriage Fight Wastes Gay Dollars
The Human Rights Campaign, America's largest gay-rights group, recentlyannounced plans to spend at least a half-million dollars to defeat theCalifornia Marriage Protection Act. What a waste; gays and lesbians have farmore urgent needs. The Golden State constitutional amendment poses nosubstantive threat to them - it will take nothing away from same-sex couplesbut the word "marriage." Even if HRC wants Californians to vote no on theinitiative, $500,000 is a lot to spend on a struggle to retain an unpopularcourt victory that's only semantic and symbolic.
-Pride Parade Continues Despite Langford's Opposition
On Saturday, June 7, Birmingham opened its streets to Central Alabama's gay,lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. This was the 20th annualPride Parade and was hosted by Central Alabama Pride. The parade is a partof Central Alabama's annual pride week, which is called "The 10 Days ofPride," and also hosted by Central Alabama Pride every year. Thiscelebration encompasses everything from the Pride Parade to PRIDEFest, whichis a daylong event for the whole family.
-A Gay Rugby World Cup - Darling Please
Well how about this? News has just reached Lifting the Covers that there isto be a Gay Rugby World Cup which kicks-off in Dublin in Ireland on Friday.
Yes I kid you not. Now let me say straight away that I am all for gayrights, so why not stage a World Cup for them? Apparently it is thesecond-largest biennial amateur rugby tournament in the world. The 2006cup, which took place in New York, was the biggest yet. Thirty teams drawnfrom clubs around the world competed in the three-day tournament.
-Book Club: Openly Gay Cop Greg Miraglia
A cop's life is a tough one-but the life of a gay cop can be even moredifficult. Greg Miraglia, a cop for thirty years, now director of a policeacademy in California, is the author of Coming Out From Behind the Badge,stories of success and advice from police officers out on the job. Iinterviewed Greg at The 12th Annual International Conference of Gay andLesbian Criminal Justice Professionals, held recently in Washington, DC.
-Blacks, Jews and Gays Most Likely Victims of Hate Crimes
Blacks and Jews are most likely to be the victims of hate crimes in Canadaand youth aged 12 to 17 were often the perpetrators, according to researchreleased Monday by Statistics Canada. The study, which relies mostly onresearch by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, uses police-reporteddata on the race, religion and sexual orientation of victims ofhate-motivated incidents, ranging from property crimes to violent crimes.
-N.Y. Gay Couples Plan to Dash to Altar by Way of Calif.
Jeff Friedman and Andrew Zwerin were high school sweethearts on Long Island.
After college and graduate school, they returned to New York to RockvilleCentre. When they adopted Joshua, now 4, Friedman quit his job as a lawyerto be a stay-at-home dad. Despite deep roots in New York, they will fly toLos Angeles this month to plan what Friedman, 40, says will be "atraditional Jewish wedding" under a chuppa, or canopy, at a cousin's home onOct. 11.
-CDC Misses Mark With HIV Prevention Programs, Critics Say
Gay and bisexual men have been at the epicenter of the domestic AIDS crisissince the first cases were reported in 1981. But over the past few years theCenters for Disease Control & Prevention created funding structures thatdramatically reduced the number of HIV/AIDS prevention programs targetingthe population that has always been and continues to be at highest risk forcontracting HIV in America. In 1999, the CDC established the "Diffusion ofEffective Behavioral Interventions," which are scientifically supportedprevention programs, and are the only type of interventions funded directlyby CDC to community-based AID organizations. Of the 16 DEBIs the CDC fundedlast year, five were geared toward gay and bisexual men.
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-NEW YORK - Four LGBT legal organizations and five other leading nationalLGBT groups have issued a statement entitled "Make Change, Not Lawsuits."
The statement explains that while couples who go to California to marryshould ask friends, neighbors and institutions to honor their marriages,they generally shouldn't sue. The statement says that ill-timed lawsuitsare likely to set the fight for marriage back, and that there are other waysto fight which are more likely to win.
-For insights into healthy marriages, social scientists are looking in anunexpected place.
A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal toteach everyone else about marriage and relationships. Most studies showsurprisingly few differences between committed gay couples and committedstraight couples, but the differences that do emerge have shed light on thekinds of conflicts that can endanger heterosexual relationships. Thefindings offer hope that some of the most vexing problems are notnecessarily entrenched in deep-rooted biological differences between men andwomen. And that, in turn, offers hope that the problems can be solved.
-Eunice Brabec, a 69-year-old volunteer wedding official from South SanFrancisco, didn't feel right about performing the marriage of two men or twowomen. "I think that marriage is between a man and woman to have children,"said Brabec, one of two volunteer marriage commissioners in San Mateo Countywho decided to stop doing weddings to avoid doing same-sex ceremonies.
Elsewhere in California, at least one county clerk-recorder is suspendingwedding ceremonies for all couples rather than do same-sex marriagesstarting June 17. But despite occasional protests, many Bay Area countyclerks are hearing from a crop of volunteers who want to help officiate thesame-sex ceremonies.
-Registered domestic partners in Washington gain dozens of new rights andresponsibilities at midnight Thursday, when the bulk of the more than 320measures lawmakers passed this year kick in. Domestic partners registeredwith the state will get more than 170 of the rights and responsibilities ofmarriage. It's another step toward what supporters hope will eventually befull recognition of same-sex unions in the state.
-About 250 appointments for gay marriages have been made for later thismonth, including more than 50 for June 17, when same-sex nuptials becomelegal, the San Diego County Clerk's Office said. The most popular locationis the County Administration Center in downtown San Diego. There are 186wedding appointments at the center so far.
-The recent legalization of same-sex marriage in California will add anadditional $64 million to the state budget over the next three years,according to a new study released today by the Williams Institute for SexualOrientation Law and Public Policy. The study also found the state's weddingindustry will grow by approximately $683.8 million in the same period, bothfrom in-state marriages and the predicted 68,000 out-of-state couples whowill flock to California to wed starting June 17.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-I am defending the word of God says "gay cure" MP
The wife of Northern Ireland's First Minister has said she is the victim ofa "witch hunt" trying to prevent Christians from speaking out againsthomosexuality.
-New bill will promote gay equality
A new equality bill seeking to actively promote equality for lesbian,bisexual and gay people will be formally announced in November's Queen'sspeech.
-Flying the Rainbow flag up to each British embassy
The sight of the international symbol of the gay community flying fromBritish embassy buildings in Riga and Warsaw in past weeks has been widelypraised as a symbol of the UK's commitment to gay rights.
-Gay tourists released from Gambian jail
Two Spanish tourists arrested in the Gambia for allegedly trying to solicitgay sex from taxi drivers have been released and left the country.
-Free 15 minute HIV tests available in Soho
A walk in clinic in the heart of London's gay village is encouraging gay andbi men to take advantage of their free, rapid HIV testing.
-Minister who called gay rugby 'apartheid' is sacked
Edwin Poots has been dropped from the Northern Ireland Executive after areshuffle. As minister for arts and culture he attacked the formation of agay rugby team in the province.
-US company helps HIV+ men become fathers
Men living with HIV are finding new hope of creating biological familieswith their own sperm through a new programme created by the California-basedGrowing Generations.
-Gay groups gain observer status at UN
One of Europe's best-known gay rights organisations has been recommended for consultative status at the United Nations.
-US abandons UN human rights body
The United States has announced plans to distance itself from the UN HumanRights council - an action that has been said to "fail victims of abuse."
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-As Father's Day Nears, Focus on the Family Attacks Fathers and Charity
Focus on the Family has joined with TiVo to turn Father's Day 2008 into aback-door political attack against gay fathers. The TiVo "SuperDad" campaigninvites people to nominate fathers as SuperDads; Focus' involvement ensuresthat gay fathers and their families will be excluded. TiVo's ties to Focuson the Family are no accident, according to a TiVo representative who spokewith Joe.My.God Average Gay Joe. The Family Equality Council is organizing aletter-writing campaign to TiVo in support of gay fathers. In addition todiscriminating against gay fathers and their offspring, Focus and its localbranches and antifamily allies in California plan this year to divert $30million dollars from more charitable endeavors into their petty war againstmarriage.
-Yesterday's Obama LGBT Conference Call By Chris Crain
Last evening the Obama campaign held a conference call with 1200 LGBTactivists from around the country in order to update people on campaignplans moving forward. The first order of business was to invite gays whowere Senator Clinton supporters into the Obama family. After a short welcomefrom Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager (and LGBT community member) SteveHildebrand, Elizabeth Birch, former head of the Human Rights campaign (HRC),recounted how it felt to be a long time Hillary Clinton supporter at thismoment, now that the nomination has slipped from her grasp. She described animmense sadness and repeatedly alluded to how you feel when you see a"vanquished warrior" or "fallen warrior." Birch has two children of mixedrace, a daughter and a son. She confided that although she was hoping thather daughter would see that it was possible for a woman to become presidentof the United States, now she realizes that it was just as important for herson to see that a person of color can become president. Her message was thatafter a period mourning, Clinton supporters should rally around Obama. It isimperative that Obama prevails for LBT rights to move forward.
-Boos and Cheers for a Homecoming King
Eighteen-year-old Kyle Hutchinson accomplished something that no one at RedMountain High School in Mesa, Arizona, has ever done before. He was crownedking of the high school prom as an openly gay man.
Kyle's parents were present when he was crowned king Saturday night amidcheers and boos:
-Franken Wins Endoresment for Senate in Minnesota
Al Franken won a resounding endorsement for the U.S. Senate on Saturday fromMinnesota Democrats, quickly dispatching with concerns about jokes thatoffended some and promising a tough challenge to Republican Sen. NormColeman. "To the people of Minnesota, let me say this: I'm not a perfectperson," said Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer.
"I'm not going to pretend to have all the answers. But I'll tell the truth,I will keep my spine, and I will work for you."
-McCain Adviser: The Press Want to 'Convince Everyone that the Economy is inRecession' to Hurt McCain
In his Bloomberg column today, Kevin Hassett of the American EnterpriseInstitute charges that the news media is guilty of a "politically motivatedpessimism" when it pushes "the idea that the U.S. is in a terriblerecession." Hassett, who is an economic adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ),argues that the "Democratic-leaning press" may be trying to "influence theelection" against McCain:
-US Leads Soaring Levels of Military Spending
World military spending grew 45 percent in the past decade, with the UnitedStates accounting for nearly half of all expenditure, the StockholmInternational Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Monday. Militaryspending grew six percent last year alone, according to SIPRI's annualreport. In 2007, 1,339 billion dollars (851 billion euros) was spent on armsand other military expenditure, corresponding to 2.5 percent of global grossdomestic product, or GDP - or 202 dollars for each of the world's 6.6billion people. The United States spends by far the most towards militaryaims, dishing out 547 billion dollars last year, or 45 percent of globalexpenditure.
-Conpicuous by Their Absence
Three Yemeni female journalists chat with a British human rights workerabout the discrimination they face in their profession. It's not only inYemen - studies have shown that female journalists are marginalizedworldwide. Rome - Observe any summit picture - you won't find many women.
The mystery of female underrepresentation in the echelons of power persists:after so many decades of the feminist movement, why are women at the helmscarce? A look at the media sector may provide some answers.
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How friendly toward gays is McCain? by Deb Price
Think you know Sen. John McCain? That's what the nation's largestgay-rights organization is asking voters.
A maverick? An independent? A moderate? Not so, the Human Rights Campaignargues forcefully in a new video at its hrc.org Web site that uses filmclips capturing key moments in McCain's political career to back up itswarning that a McCain presidency would mean "four more years of anti-gaypolicy in the White House."
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080609/OPINION03/806090338/1031
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups in Asia have agreed todevelop an international network to advocate protection of their rights intheir respective countries and at the regional level. Bali hosted aconference of the groups from June 2 to 6 in the tourism enclave Nusa Dua.
The conference was attended by 21 participants from eight countries --Indonesia, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China andThailand. "We agreed to make some kind of international network to advocateprotection of LGBT rights in our countries," Rido Triawan, head of ArusPelangi, an Indonesian non-governmental organization that fights for LGBTrights, told *The Jakarta Post* on Saturday.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/06/09/asian-gay-transgender-groups-fight-their-rights.html
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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-In Syria, Gay Iraqis Seek New Life - 06.09.2008
Damascus, Syria - Maybe one of the of most difficult situations that anIraqi could be in is to be gay, the Iraqi society in general discriminateagainst the gay and transsexual people, normally they consider them aspeople who left their gender and changed for sexual want. Even though mostgay people of Iraq have managed to live their lives, being born gay isalmost the same as being born with an assurance of death. Most Iraqis don'taccept that homosexuality is something you're born with, or which isassigned by your genes. Due to the Iraqi cultural and religious beliefs, homosexuality is forbidden and considered amortal sin, and in many cases the penalty of death is assigned as thesolution for it.
http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2008/06/09/in-syria-gay-iraqis-seek-new-life/
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-"Lithuania risks EU sanctions over new amendments to the Law on EqualTreatment."
On 10 June 2008 the Parliament of Lithuania (Seimas) will vote on deleting"sexual orientation" as one of the grounds of forbidden discrimination inthe Law on Equal Treatment. This will mean that Lithuanian citizens andvisitors to the country will not be protected against unequal treatment, sopaving the way for discrimination in access to services and goods. This willalso diminish the possibility of effective redress in discrimination casesin employment, which is against Employment Directive.
The European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights calls uponLithuania to respect all citizens equally and keep the protection againstdiscrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in the Law on EqualTreatment.
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Call Your Senators NOW:
Help Improve Medical Treatment for People with HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS advocates around the country have been working hard to convince theSenate Finance Committee to pass a law that would close an important gap intreatment access for people with HIV/AIDS by allowing ADAP expenditures tocount towards Medicare Part D true out of pocket costs. The Committee haschosen to ignore the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS by failing toinclude this provision in a Medicare reform bill. This provision would costfar less than 1% of what the Senate proposes to spend on other Medicareimprovements and would improve the lives of countless people living withHIV/AIDS around the country. What you can do: Call your two U.S. Senatorsin their Washington, DC office. Ask to speak to the legislative aide whohandles health care issues.
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article.
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Court Upholds Don't Ask Don't Tell
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that the militarydid not violate the constitutional rights of 12 gay and lesbianservicemembers when it discharged them.
-UN: New HIV Infections Outpace Drug Treatment
Despite a stepped up global battle against AIDS, the numbers of people newlyinfected with HIV are far and away outpacing the numbers beginningantiretroviral drug treatments, U.N. officials say.
-Study Examines Factors In LGBT Teen Suicides
A University of Arizona professor is embarking on a major study to determinethe root causes of the high rate of suicide among LGBT youth.
-Sexuality Behind One In Ten Hate Crimes In Canada
Hate-motivated incidents account for a relatively small proportion of crimein Canada, and those that occur are most commonly related to race orethnicity, says a new study.
-Study: 1 In 4 NYC Adults Has Herpes
A city Health Department study finds that more than a fourth of adult NewYorkers are infected with the virus that causes genital herpes.
-Charges Dropped Against NY Gay Couple In Marriage Protest
Trespassing charges have been dropped against a middle-aged gay couple
arrested in April when they refused to leave the town clerk's office afterbeing refused a marriage license.
-Gays March In European Capitals Where Rights Under Attack
Gays and lesbians staged large LGBT pride marches over the weekend inWarsaw, Rome and Athens, three European capitals where their rights areunder fire.
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 10, 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:
-Baptists Reluctantly Embrace "Liberal" McCain
Some Southern Baptists feel they have no choice but to vote for a "liberal"in the November U.S. presidential election: presumptive Republican nomineeJohn McCain. "It's basically a choice between a liberal and anultra-liberal," Jodie Sanders, a Southern Baptist church-goer fromFairfield, Texas, said about the choice between McCain and his Democraticrival Barack Obama.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-usa-politics-baptists-mccain.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
-Justices Reject 'Class of One' Argument
Government employees who are singled out for arbitrary, irrational or evenvindictive treatment by their supervisors will find no relief in theConstitution's guarantee of equal protection, the Supreme Court ruled onMonday, unless the mistreatment is due to discrimination on the basis ofrace, sex or another protected category.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/washington/10scotus.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Well: Gay Unions Shed Light on Gender in Marriage
For insights into healthy marriages, social scientists are looking in an unexpected place. A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal to teach everyone else about marriage and relationships.
Most studies show surprisingly few differences between committed gay couples
and committed straight couples, but the differences that do emerge have shed light on the kinds of conflicts that can endanger heterosexual relationships.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/health/10well.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Threatening Iran
Saber-rattling at Iran is not a strategy and an attack on it by either theUnited States or Israel would be disastrous.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/opinion/10tue1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-Chinese Stocks Plunge 8.1 Percent
The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets fell after an increase in Chinese bankreserve requirements, increased worries about high food and oil prices, andfears about exports to the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/worldbusiness/11asiastocks.html?hp
-S. Korean Cabinet Offers to Quit After Beef Protests
Fears that allowing imports of American beef could expose the public to madcow disease has ignited a political crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/world/asia/10korea.html?hp
-European Leaders Support Bush on Iran Sanctions
Opening a farewell tour of Europe, President Bush won European support onTuesday for a proposal to consider expanded sanctions on Iran, includingrestrictions on its banks, as a means of restraining Tehran's nuclearprogram.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/europe/11prexy.html?hp
-Trade Deficit Widened in April
The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in April as the averageprice for imported oil jumped to a record $96.81 per barrel and U.S. exportsand imports also set records, a Commerce Department report showed onTuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/politics-usa-economy-trade.html
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Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Virginia's GOP, Crumbling Before Our Eyes
As attention focuses today on Virginia Democrats voting to choosecongressional candidates, the commonwealth's Republican Party appears to befraying--or worse--at both edges. The razor-thin margin by which formerGov. Jim Gilmore 10 days ago won the GOP nomination to face fellowex-governor Mark Warner in this fall's U.S. Senate race demonstrated thatmany in Virginia's Republican party are more focused on proving the purityof their conservative positions than in finding a message that might appealto independent voters.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2008/06/virginias_gop_crumbling_before.html
-Israel's Syria Card
Talks with Damascus about a peace deal are worth trying, but a breakthroughis probably a long way off.
AS THE CHALLENGE from Iran has grown, the United States and its allies haverepeatedly been tantalized by the possibility of driving a wedge betweenTehran and its chief Arab ally, Syria. The two countries work together tosponsor the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip; removing Syria from the equation could cripple Iran's bid to become thedominant power in the Middle East. The problem is how to move the murderousand corrupt regime of Bashar al-Assad, which hosts Hamas's leadership and isunder investigation by the United Nations for assassinating Lebanesepoliticians. Sanctions against Syria have been too weak to be effective, andmost of the political bribes that might interest Mr. Assad would beself-defeating -- such as allowing him to restore Syria's political hegemonyover Lebanon.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902395.html
-McClellan To Testify About CIA Leak
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has agreed to testifynext week before the House Judiciary Committee about his assertions that topBush administration officials misled him about their role in the leak of theidentity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902586.html?hpid=sec-politics
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From MoveOn.Org
Amazing news: We smashed our goal and have given away over half a million Obama bumper stickers!
Since folks are so enthusiastic about showing their support for Obama, we're going to open this up to everybody. That's right: We'll give a free bumper sticker to every American who wants one. Can you take a moment to forward this email to your friends, family, and colleagues and let them know that they can order a FREE Obama bumper sticker? (If you haven't ordered yours yet, you can do so at the link below, too.)
https://pol.moveon.org/obamastickers/?id=12816-5533006-MWZSNu&t=4
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain are study in contrast
Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain share a dislike of rough-edged U.S.politics. Each tried to talk her spouse out of running for the White House.
Obama, wife of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and McCain, who is marriedto Republican John McCain, are both known for an elegant sense of style,lending glamour to their husbands' campaigns.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061000079.html
-Why It's Worse Than You Think
For months, economic Pollyannas have looked beyond the dismal headlines andpromised a quick recovery in the second half. They're dead wrong. Theforgettable first half of 2008 is stumbling to a close. On Friday, the LaborDepartment reported that American employers axed 49,000 jobs in May, thefifth straight month of job losses-an event that signals a recession sure asthe glittery ball dropping on Times Square augurs a New Year. The report,which inspired a 394-point decline in the Dow Jones Industrial AverageFriday, was the latest in a run of bad news. Auto sales, the largestretailing sector in the U.S., were off 10.7 percent in May from the yearbefore. And housing? Ugh. Nationwide, according to the Case-Shiller Index,home prices in the first quarter fell 14 percent.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/140553
-High oil prices? Weak dollar? Blame Bush
Few issues focus the public's attention on politics like the price ofgasoline. It keeps going up, the public wants relief, and politicians areheld accountable for not fixing the situation. Yet to solve the problem, youfirst need to know the cause of the illness.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10940.html
-Barack Obama is $100M man
Leading Democratic fundraisers predict that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) willraise hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few months if he optsout of public financing and begins raising money for the general election.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/barack-obama-is-100m-man-2008-06-09.html
-Getting to know African-American church is overdue
The controversy surrounding certain sermons and speeches made by particularmembers of Chicago's clergy has put a spotlight on the African-Americanchurch. These unfortunate events have spawned characterizations by the mediaand political pundits that often reflect an incomplete, incorrect andnegative image of one of the most vital, influential and positiveinstitutions in America.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0610churchjun10,0,4035843.story
-Obama doesn't shrink on affirmative action bans
Shortly after Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her presidential campaign andurged her supporters - especially women - to embrace Barack Obama's WhiteHouse bid, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee gave them anotherreason to rally to his side.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/obama-doesnt-sh.html?csp=34
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[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:
-Baptists Reluctantly Embrace "Liberal" McCain
Some Southern Baptists feel they have no choice but to vote for a "liberal"in the November U.S. presidential election: presumptive Republican nomineeJohn McCain. "It's basically a choice between a liberal and anultra-liberal," Jodie Sanders, a Southern Baptist church-goer fromFairfield, Texas, said about the choice between McCain and his Democraticrival Barack Obama.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-usa-politics-baptists-mccain.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=nyt&oref=slogin
-Justices Reject 'Class of One' Argument
Government employees who are singled out for arbitrary, irrational or evenvindictive treatment by their supervisors will find no relief in theConstitution's guarantee of equal protection, the Supreme Court ruled onMonday, unless the mistreatment is due to discrimination on the basis ofrace, sex or another protected category.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/washington/10scotus.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Well: Gay Unions Shed Light on Gender in Marriage
For insights into healthy marriages, social scientists are looking in an unexpected place. A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal to teach everyone else about marriage and relationships.
Most studies show surprisingly few differences between committed gay couples
and committed straight couples, but the differences that do emerge have shed light on the kinds of conflicts that can endanger heterosexual relationships.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/health/10well.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Threatening Iran
Saber-rattling at Iran is not a strategy and an attack on it by either theUnited States or Israel would be disastrous.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/opinion/10tue1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-Chinese Stocks Plunge 8.1 Percent
The Shanghai and Shenzhen markets fell after an increase in Chinese bankreserve requirements, increased worries about high food and oil prices, andfears about exports to the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/worldbusiness/11asiastocks.html?hp
-S. Korean Cabinet Offers to Quit After Beef Protests
Fears that allowing imports of American beef could expose the public to madcow disease has ignited a political crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/world/asia/10korea.html?hp
-European Leaders Support Bush on Iran Sanctions
Opening a farewell tour of Europe, President Bush won European support onTuesday for a proposal to consider expanded sanctions on Iran, includingrestrictions on its banks, as a means of restraining Tehran's nuclearprogram.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/world/europe/11prexy.html?hp
-Trade Deficit Widened in April
The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in April as the averageprice for imported oil jumped to a record $96.81 per barrel and U.S. exportsand imports also set records, a Commerce Department report showed onTuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/politics-usa-economy-trade.html
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Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Virginia's GOP, Crumbling Before Our Eyes
As attention focuses today on Virginia Democrats voting to choosecongressional candidates, the commonwealth's Republican Party appears to befraying--or worse--at both edges. The razor-thin margin by which formerGov. Jim Gilmore 10 days ago won the GOP nomination to face fellowex-governor Mark Warner in this fall's U.S. Senate race demonstrated thatmany in Virginia's Republican party are more focused on proving the purityof their conservative positions than in finding a message that might appealto independent voters.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/rawfisher/2008/06/virginias_gop_crumbling_before.html
-Israel's Syria Card
Talks with Damascus about a peace deal are worth trying, but a breakthroughis probably a long way off.
AS THE CHALLENGE from Iran has grown, the United States and its allies haverepeatedly been tantalized by the possibility of driving a wedge betweenTehran and its chief Arab ally, Syria. The two countries work together tosponsor the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip; removing Syria from the equation could cripple Iran's bid to become thedominant power in the Middle East. The problem is how to move the murderousand corrupt regime of Bashar al-Assad, which hosts Hamas's leadership and isunder investigation by the United Nations for assassinating Lebanesepoliticians. Sanctions against Syria have been too weak to be effective, andmost of the political bribes that might interest Mr. Assad would beself-defeating -- such as allowing him to restore Syria's political hegemonyover Lebanon.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902395.html
-McClellan To Testify About CIA Leak
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has agreed to testifynext week before the House Judiciary Committee about his assertions that topBush administration officials misled him about their role in the leak of theidentity of CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/09/AR2008060902586.html?hpid=sec-politics
=
From MoveOn.Org
Amazing news: We smashed our goal and have given away over half a million Obama bumper stickers!
Since folks are so enthusiastic about showing their support for Obama, we're going to open this up to everybody. That's right: We'll give a free bumper sticker to every American who wants one. Can you take a moment to forward this email to your friends, family, and colleagues and let them know that they can order a FREE Obama bumper sticker? (If you haven't ordered yours yet, you can do so at the link below, too.)
https://pol.moveon.org/obamastickers/?id=12816-5533006-MWZSNu&t=4
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain are study in contrast
Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain share a dislike of rough-edged U.S.politics. Each tried to talk her spouse out of running for the White House.
Obama, wife of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, and McCain, who is marriedto Republican John McCain, are both known for an elegant sense of style,lending glamour to their husbands' campaigns.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061000079.html
-Why It's Worse Than You Think
For months, economic Pollyannas have looked beyond the dismal headlines andpromised a quick recovery in the second half. They're dead wrong. Theforgettable first half of 2008 is stumbling to a close. On Friday, the LaborDepartment reported that American employers axed 49,000 jobs in May, thefifth straight month of job losses-an event that signals a recession sure asthe glittery ball dropping on Times Square augurs a New Year. The report,which inspired a 394-point decline in the Dow Jones Industrial AverageFriday, was the latest in a run of bad news. Auto sales, the largestretailing sector in the U.S., were off 10.7 percent in May from the yearbefore. And housing? Ugh. Nationwide, according to the Case-Shiller Index,home prices in the first quarter fell 14 percent.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/140553
-High oil prices? Weak dollar? Blame Bush
Few issues focus the public's attention on politics like the price ofgasoline. It keeps going up, the public wants relief, and politicians areheld accountable for not fixing the situation. Yet to solve the problem, youfirst need to know the cause of the illness.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10940.html
-Barack Obama is $100M man
Leading Democratic fundraisers predict that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) willraise hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few months if he optsout of public financing and begins raising money for the general election.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/barack-obama-is-100m-man-2008-06-09.html
-Getting to know African-American church is overdue
The controversy surrounding certain sermons and speeches made by particularmembers of Chicago's clergy has put a spotlight on the African-Americanchurch. These unfortunate events have spawned characterizations by the mediaand political pundits that often reflect an incomplete, incorrect andnegative image of one of the most vital, influential and positiveinstitutions in America.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0610churchjun10,0,4035843.story
-Obama doesn't shrink on affirmative action bans
Shortly after Hillary Rodham Clinton suspended her presidential campaign andurged her supporters - especially women - to embrace Barack Obama's WhiteHouse bid, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee gave them anotherreason to rally to his side.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/obama-doesnt-sh.html?csp=34
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 10, 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.
=
STONEWALL LIBRARY & ARCHIVES TO HOST SYMPOSIUM AND FILM SERIES RELATED TO
THE EXHIBITION "OUT OF THE SHADOWS: GAY AMERICA FROM KINSEY TO STONEWALL"
Stonewall Library & Archives is pleased to announce a symposium and film series, to be held in conjunction with the exhibition "Out of the Shadows:
Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall." This historical exhibition,organized by Stonewall, is on view during June at Broward Main Library, 100 South Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Related programs take place at the Broward Main Library auditorium and are free and open to the public.
EXHIBITION SYMPOSIUM
Broward Main Library auditorium - 7 p.m.
Chaired by John Copolla, curator of Out of the Shadows: Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall
Panelists (as of June 1, 2008):
-William Mann, author of "Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians ShapedHollywood 1910-1969" and "Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines"
-Dan Reuter author of "Greetings from the Gayborhood: A Nostalgic Look atGay Neighborhoods"
-Dr.Fred Fejes, author of "Lesbians and Gay Men and the Politics of Minority Identity."
FILM SERIES
Broward Main Library auditorium
- June 11 7:00 pm Boys in the Band
- June 18 7:00 pm Desert Hearts
- June 25 7:00 pm Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin
Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The William Haines Story
For further information about the exhibition, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Publix to buy 49 Albertsons, including 4 in Broward, Palm Beach counties
Florida's largest supermarket chain, Publix Super Markets, will grow largerafter buying 49 stores from rival chain Albertsons in a deal announcedMonday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-flzpublix0610sbjun10,0,1919289.story
-Time is right for water restrictions to be permanent
Time for Water restrictions to be permanent South Florida has discovered itcan live quite well with two-day-a-week lawn watering restrictions. It istime to make the restrictions permanent, and make water conservation a wayof life.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgswatercappnjun10,0,7670533.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gas costs make train's flaws more painful
On Sept. 15, 1985, the cover illustration for Tropic magazine was about asincisive a depiction of Metrorail as anything I could ever scribble: acartoon train of fat white elephants, trunk to tail, in a circus processionalong the elevated tracks. Miami Herald staff writer John Dorschner, in along Sunday magazine piece, offered a detailed and painful explanation ofhow the billion-dollar white elephant went off the tracks.
http://www.miamiherald.com/431/story/564319.html
-Tourists still coming, but they're looking for bargains
Arnoldo Ramirez's customers certainly seemed recession proof. He chartersluxury yachts, where a four-hour cruise on Biscayne Bay with a captain and asteward costs $2,500. But bookings are down this year, prompting the ownerof Water Fantaseas to lower his prices. He created a two-hour cruise for$1,750 and business has rebounded.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/564376.html
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain sees the 'Glades but misses big picture
John McCain doesn't understand Everglades restoration any better than heunderstands national disaster insurance. A three-day visit to the state lastweek, including an airboat tour of the Everglades, didn't seem to enlightenhim - and his failure to grasp either issue could hurt Floridians.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/10/a12a_leadedit_mccainedit_0610.html
=
From Stephen Goldstein - JOIN US AT THE RIVERSIDE
Every other Friday in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Stephen Goldstein andKingsley Guy appear together as the "The Dueling Columnists," where we takean issue and come at it from different political perspectives. We alsoappear as regular guests on the morning drive-time Nicole Sandler radio showon WINZ-940AM, and occasionally serve as guest hosts. The goal of our "duels" is to generate debate in the South Florida community on the vitalinterests that affect the state and the nation. On June 20, we'll be tryingsomething new with the "The Dueling Columnists at the Riverside."
Florida's
energetic House Speaker Marco Rubio will be with us at a buffet luncheon atthe historic Riverside Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale to discuss therecent legislative session and the impact of the budget cuts on state andlocal government. [...] The public is invited to what we expect to becomeregular luncheon meetings with important civic and political figures. BobGraham is scheduled to join us in September, and former U.S. Rep. Clay Shawin October. [...] Cost for the luncheon is $25, and reservations can bemade by calling Chelsea Barker at (954) 377-5467. For more information,check our website at www.dueling-columnists.com.
=
NEWS FROM GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER (GLCC)
-HIV+? Stressed by dating, sex, relationships or disclosure?
The PALS Project at the GLCC will start the next five-week CHOICES programon Thursday, June 12 at 7 p.m. Dating, sex and intimacy prove stressful formany gay and bisexual men. Those living with HIV may face extra stressors.
The CHOICES (Choosing Healthy Options & Improving CommunicationEffectivenesS) program at the GLCC helps men living with HIV build copingskills to handle some of these challenges. In small groups, men meet todiscuss how to build healthy relationships, negotiate safer sex, lowerstress and disclose HIV-status to family, friends and sex partners. Thecreative, interactive sessions use modern movie clips to launch fun smallgroup discussions each week. PALS offers CHOICES groups both in English anden Español. "The CHOICES program introduced me to guys going through thesame experiences that I am going through as an HIV+ man," said Steve Stagon,recent graduate. "The course helped me understand that I can make decisionsthat will increase the probability of staying healthy and living longer. Inother words, I am in control of both my health and my life." Interestedparticipants should contact the PALS Project at PALS@glccsf.org or954.463.9011. The PALS Project provides a safe, non-judgmental environmentfor HIV+ men to look at their own behavior and to make wise choices thatbenefit their health and the health of others.
- GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
(GLCBSG is Sponsored by GLCC & SAGE)
The GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP is getting togetheronce again for a social to commemorate the groups' 4th Anniversary onSunday, June 15, 2008 (Father's Day) at the GLCC and will be held, from 2 -4 p.m. In the past 4 years, many people have come and gone since the groupstarted and anyone who has ever attended a meeting of the Gay & LesbianCommunity Bereavement Support Group or wishes to learn more about thisspecial support group is welcome to attend the social. The topic ofdiscussion that day will be "Where We've Been and Where Do We Go FromHere" - a special discussion about the future of the group. While cold softdrinks and beverages will be supplied, everyone is asked to bring a"Pot-Luck" plate of "finger food" to share.
- SafetyNET Program & Broward Sheriff Office
Cordially invites to you attend a
Crime Prevention Community Forum
Take A Stand Against Crime
Learn how to prevent crime and build a stronger, more secure community.
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 6:00 P.M at
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
1717 North Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
Please RSVP to Sandra Garcia at sgarcia@glccsf.org or 954-463-9005
-Gay Bingo
Saturday, June 14
Theme: Pride
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: At the GLCC
=
YOU ARE INVITED
To Backyard Cookout and Fundraiser
To meet the next State Representative From District 92
Mark LaFontaine
Friday, June 20, 2008
6-8:30pm
1117 NE 10th Ave.
Fort Lauderdale
Suggested Contribution: $25.00 ~ Maximum Contribution: $500.00
Please call 954-651-3147
or email ron@marklafontaine.com
to RSVP or for additional information.
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
STONEWALL LIBRARY & ARCHIVES TO HOST SYMPOSIUM AND FILM SERIES RELATED TO
THE EXHIBITION "OUT OF THE SHADOWS: GAY AMERICA FROM KINSEY TO STONEWALL"
Stonewall Library & Archives is pleased to announce a symposium and film series, to be held in conjunction with the exhibition "Out of the Shadows:
Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall." This historical exhibition,organized by Stonewall, is on view during June at Broward Main Library, 100 South Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Related programs take place at the Broward Main Library auditorium and are free and open to the public.
EXHIBITION SYMPOSIUM
Broward Main Library auditorium - 7 p.m.
Chaired by John Copolla, curator of Out of the Shadows: Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall
Panelists (as of June 1, 2008):
-William Mann, author of "Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians ShapedHollywood 1910-1969" and "Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines"
-Dan Reuter author of "Greetings from the Gayborhood: A Nostalgic Look atGay Neighborhoods"
-Dr.Fred Fejes, author of "Lesbians and Gay Men and the Politics of Minority Identity."
FILM SERIES
Broward Main Library auditorium
- June 11 7:00 pm Boys in the Band
- June 18 7:00 pm Desert Hearts
- June 25 7:00 pm Brother Outside: The Life of Bayard Rustin
Out of the Closet, Off the Screen: The William Haines Story
For further information about the exhibition, please contact:
Jack Rutland, Executive Director
Stonewall Library & Archives
954-763-8565
jack-rutland@stonewall-library.org
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Publix to buy 49 Albertsons, including 4 in Broward, Palm Beach counties
Florida's largest supermarket chain, Publix Super Markets, will grow largerafter buying 49 stores from rival chain Albertsons in a deal announcedMonday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-flzpublix0610sbjun10,0,1919289.story
-Time is right for water restrictions to be permanent
Time for Water restrictions to be permanent South Florida has discovered itcan live quite well with two-day-a-week lawn watering restrictions. It istime to make the restrictions permanent, and make water conservation a wayof life.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgswatercappnjun10,0,7670533.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gas costs make train's flaws more painful
On Sept. 15, 1985, the cover illustration for Tropic magazine was about asincisive a depiction of Metrorail as anything I could ever scribble: acartoon train of fat white elephants, trunk to tail, in a circus processionalong the elevated tracks. Miami Herald staff writer John Dorschner, in along Sunday magazine piece, offered a detailed and painful explanation ofhow the billion-dollar white elephant went off the tracks.
http://www.miamiherald.com/431/story/564319.html
-Tourists still coming, but they're looking for bargains
Arnoldo Ramirez's customers certainly seemed recession proof. He chartersluxury yachts, where a four-hour cruise on Biscayne Bay with a captain and asteward costs $2,500. But bookings are down this year, prompting the ownerof Water Fantaseas to lower his prices. He created a two-hour cruise for$1,750 and business has rebounded.
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/564376.html
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain sees the 'Glades but misses big picture
John McCain doesn't understand Everglades restoration any better than heunderstands national disaster insurance. A three-day visit to the state lastweek, including an airboat tour of the Everglades, didn't seem to enlightenhim - and his failure to grasp either issue could hurt Floridians.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/10/a12a_leadedit_mccainedit_0610.html
=
From Stephen Goldstein - JOIN US AT THE RIVERSIDE
Every other Friday in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Stephen Goldstein andKingsley Guy appear together as the "The Dueling Columnists," where we takean issue and come at it from different political perspectives. We alsoappear as regular guests on the morning drive-time Nicole Sandler radio showon WINZ-940AM, and occasionally serve as guest hosts. The goal of our "duels" is to generate debate in the South Florida community on the vitalinterests that affect the state and the nation. On June 20, we'll be tryingsomething new with the "The Dueling Columnists at the Riverside."
Florida's
energetic House Speaker Marco Rubio will be with us at a buffet luncheon atthe historic Riverside Hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale to discuss therecent legislative session and the impact of the budget cuts on state andlocal government. [...] The public is invited to what we expect to becomeregular luncheon meetings with important civic and political figures. BobGraham is scheduled to join us in September, and former U.S. Rep. Clay Shawin October. [...] Cost for the luncheon is $25, and reservations can bemade by calling Chelsea Barker at (954) 377-5467. For more information,check our website at www.dueling-columnists.com.
=
NEWS FROM GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER (GLCC)
-HIV+? Stressed by dating, sex, relationships or disclosure?
The PALS Project at the GLCC will start the next five-week CHOICES programon Thursday, June 12 at 7 p.m. Dating, sex and intimacy prove stressful formany gay and bisexual men. Those living with HIV may face extra stressors.
The CHOICES (Choosing Healthy Options & Improving CommunicationEffectivenesS) program at the GLCC helps men living with HIV build copingskills to handle some of these challenges. In small groups, men meet todiscuss how to build healthy relationships, negotiate safer sex, lowerstress and disclose HIV-status to family, friends and sex partners. Thecreative, interactive sessions use modern movie clips to launch fun smallgroup discussions each week. PALS offers CHOICES groups both in English anden Español. "The CHOICES program introduced me to guys going through thesame experiences that I am going through as an HIV+ man," said Steve Stagon,recent graduate. "The course helped me understand that I can make decisionsthat will increase the probability of staying healthy and living longer. Inother words, I am in control of both my health and my life." Interestedparticipants should contact the PALS Project at PALS@glccsf.org or954.463.9011. The PALS Project provides a safe, non-judgmental environmentfor HIV+ men to look at their own behavior and to make wise choices thatbenefit their health and the health of others.
- GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
(GLCBSG is Sponsored by GLCC & SAGE)
The GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP is getting togetheronce again for a social to commemorate the groups' 4th Anniversary onSunday, June 15, 2008 (Father's Day) at the GLCC and will be held, from 2 -4 p.m. In the past 4 years, many people have come and gone since the groupstarted and anyone who has ever attended a meeting of the Gay & LesbianCommunity Bereavement Support Group or wishes to learn more about thisspecial support group is welcome to attend the social. The topic ofdiscussion that day will be "Where We've Been and Where Do We Go FromHere" - a special discussion about the future of the group. While cold softdrinks and beverages will be supplied, everyone is asked to bring a"Pot-Luck" plate of "finger food" to share.
- SafetyNET Program & Broward Sheriff Office
Cordially invites to you attend a
Crime Prevention Community Forum
Take A Stand Against Crime
Learn how to prevent crime and build a stronger, more secure community.
Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 6:00 P.M at
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
1717 North Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
Please RSVP to Sandra Garcia at sgarcia@glccsf.org or 954-463-9005
-Gay Bingo
Saturday, June 14
Theme: Pride
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Where: At the GLCC
=
YOU ARE INVITED
To Backyard Cookout and Fundraiser
To meet the next State Representative From District 92
Mark LaFontaine
Friday, June 20, 2008
6-8:30pm
1117 NE 10th Ave.
Fort Lauderdale
Suggested Contribution: $25.00 ~ Maximum Contribution: $500.00
Please call 954-651-3147
or email ron@marklafontaine.com
to RSVP or for additional information.
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Monday, June 09, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - June 09, 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.
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay Anglican U.S. bishop enters into civil union
The openly gay U.S. Episcopal bishop at the center of the Anglican church'sglobal battle over homosexuality, has entered into a civil union with hislongtime partner at a private ceremony.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060800775.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Anne Heche pays the price in divorce settlement
Anne Heche's five-year marriage to Coleman Laffoon is officially over, but not without a pinch to her pocketbook. A judge ruled that Heche must pay $275,000 to her ex-husband, along with monthly child-support payments of $3,700 for the care of their 6-year-old son, Homer, according to court documents released Friday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sfl-68anneheche,0,1861674.story
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-US: Leaving UN Rights Council Fails Victims of Abuse
US Failure to Engage Added to Council's Shortcomings
A decision by the United States to disengage entirely from the UN HumanRights Council amounts to an abandonment of human rights defenders andvictims, Human Rights Watch said today. The United States briefed EuropeanUnion members in Geneva on its decision to end its participation in thecouncil, and confirmed its intention to Human Rights Watch on June 6, 2008. Although the United States was not a member of the Human Rights Council, ithad participated as an observer at the council since its inception in 2006. "The US decision to walk away from the Human Rights Council iscounter-productive and short-sighted," said Juliette de Rivero, Genevaadvocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "Whatever the council's problems,this decision is a victory for abusive states and a betrayal of thosefighting for their rights worldwide." The council remains a criticalinstitution for protecting human rights throughout the world, despite somesubstantial weaknesses, Human Rights Watch said.
http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=united_nations_hrc
-The Equality Parade has marched through the streets of Warsaw for thefourth time this Saturday.
At the parade whose motto was "Live, Love, Be" several thousand of peopledemonstrated against homophobia and the discrimination of the gay community. Adam Rogalewski from the Equality Foundation said that the gay community isdemanding that their rights be acknowledged, showing at the same time thatits members are part of the society. According to Rogalewski, the situationof homosexuals in Poland has been improving in the last four years, that issince the first parade was organised. As usual, there was acounter-demonstration. Members of the National Radical Camp (ONR) and theAll-P olish Youth (MW) manifested too, voicing their disapproval of theparade. However, the Warsaw police did their best to prevent the twodemonstrations from coming into contact. Apart from lavish verbal abuse thedemonstrations were peaceful.
http://www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/news/?id=84284
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-The Home Office wants to send another gay asylum seeker back to torture andpossible death - and is again claiming that 'discretion' means they can doit. Prossy Kakooza is a 26-year-old lesbian woman who fled Uganda aftersuffering vicious sexual, physical and verbal attacks due to her sexualorientation. She has an English Literature degree and would like to teachhere. Uganda's government is violently anti-gay, newspapers and religiousgroups are engaged in witch hunts and asylum campaigners have reported thatreturnees on arrival in Kampala have been immediately taken to a torturecentre. While in prison Kakooza was subjected to multiple rapes and brandedwith red hot meat skewers on her thighs by drunken police officers.
http://paulcanning.blogspot.com/2008/06/another-gay-asylum-seeker-to-be-sent.html
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Senator Barack Obama released the following statement commemorating pride month.
"I am proud to join with our lesbian, gay, bisexualand transgendered brothers and sisters incelebrating the accomplishments, the lives, and thefamilies of all LGBT people during this Prideseason. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights isexploited by those seeking to divide us. But at itscore, this issue is about who we are as Americans."
"It's time to live up to our founding promise ofequality by treating all our citizens with dignityand respect. Let's enact federal civil rightslegislation to outlaw hate crimes and protectworkers against discrimination based upon sexualorientation and gender identity or expression. Let's repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and demonstratethat the most effective and professional military inthe world is open to all Americans who are ready andwilling to serve our country. Let's treat therelationships and the families of LGBT Americanswith full equality under the law."
-What the Science Says - And Doesn't Say - About Homosexuality
This is now on-line from Soulforce:
An important resource for gay people of faith and their families
http://www.soulforce.org/article/1365
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-GA: Elite Black Male College Comes Gradually to Terms with Gay Life
Michael Brewer, a senior at Morehouse College, was strolling purposefullyaround campus on a hot spring day, his heavy frame dripping sweat, his handsclutching a small stack of fliers. "no more hate," the fliers read, instylish sans serif. "no more discrimination. no more." "What's up, brother?"
Brewer said in a lilting, cheerful voice as he approached a fellow studentin a dark business suit. "Take one of these, if you will." The young mangave the flier a glance. It was promoting what was perhaps the mostambitious week of gay-rights events in the history of Morehouse, the onlyhistorically black all-male school in America.
-AL: Gay Pride Continues in Birmingham Despite Mayor's Objections
It's been a topsy-turvy Gay Pride season in Birmingham, Ala., where manypeople might be surprised to learn that there is even such a thing as GayPride season. In reality, gay people in Birmingham have hosted a Gay Pridefestival for 30 years, produced a Pride parade for 20 years and have beenhonored by city proclamations for the past 15 years. But the streak ofreceiving city support ended a few weeks ago when Birmingham Mayor LarryLangford rejected a request from Central Alabama Pride to recognize thefestival with a proclamation and street banners. Langford did not respond tointerview requests by press time.
-God is Not Against You'
Atlanta: Rev. Dennis Meredith still preaches to a full house twice eachSunday, but the faces largely don't belong to the same people who filled thepews when he arrived in 1994. Since 1917, Tabernacle Baptist Church hadserved a historically African-American population in the Old Fourth Ward,but shortly after the turn of the century the church began to change.
Families who worshiped at the church for generations, veteran donors, leftthe church because it was becoming a "gay church." "I used to preach allover the country. I'd be gone once or twice a month preaching, that's a lot.
When I started preaching love and acceptance, people stopped calling becausesuddenly I'm the gay pastor, I'm the pastor of the gay church," saidMeredith, who is straight. In 2001, after Meredith's son told the pastor hewas gay, Meredith changed the messages he preached every Sunday andWednesday night.
=
Forwarded from Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com
-Family matters
The state Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage brings the law into sync with reality for many Pasadena parents and children
People like Jim Buss and Craig Simmons are no strangers to being told they're different, and that being different somehow makes them less human. In May2005, the Pasadena couple and their then 5-year-old twin sons, Justin andMaverick, were denied a family membership with the posh Gerrish Swim andTennis Club, where the boys had frequently attended birthday parties forclassmates. School functions, minivans and soccer practices aside, theBuss-Simmons family was not a family in the eyes of the club, where thedefinition of the word started with "married couple" - specifically,"husband and wife." A few months after their story ran in the PasadenaWeekly, a California Supreme Court decision that upheld a lesbian couple'srights to family membership benefits at a San Diego Country Club promptedGerrish to change that policy, but it was too late for the Buss-Simmonsclan, who by then had decided to take their money elsewhere. Last month'sstate Supreme Court decision to lift the ban on same-sex marriage promisesto go light years further in erasing concepts like different, separate andlesser from the way we think about family.
http://69.94.124.246/cms/story/detail/family_matters/6043/
=
You are invited to view Michael Emanuel Rajner's photo album: Pride South Florida Picnic in Wilton Manors
http://picasaweb.google.com/merajner/PrideSouthFloridaPicnic682008?authkey=750yZLCZdx4
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay Anglican U.S. bishop enters into civil union
The openly gay U.S. Episcopal bishop at the center of the Anglican church'sglobal battle over homosexuality, has entered into a civil union with hislongtime partner at a private ceremony.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060800775.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Anne Heche pays the price in divorce settlement
Anne Heche's five-year marriage to Coleman Laffoon is officially over, but not without a pinch to her pocketbook. A judge ruled that Heche must pay $275,000 to her ex-husband, along with monthly child-support payments of $3,700 for the care of their 6-year-old son, Homer, according to court documents released Friday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/sfl-68anneheche,0,1861674.story
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-US: Leaving UN Rights Council Fails Victims of Abuse
US Failure to Engage Added to Council's Shortcomings
A decision by the United States to disengage entirely from the UN HumanRights Council amounts to an abandonment of human rights defenders andvictims, Human Rights Watch said today. The United States briefed EuropeanUnion members in Geneva on its decision to end its participation in thecouncil, and confirmed its intention to Human Rights Watch on June 6, 2008. Although the United States was not a member of the Human Rights Council, ithad participated as an observer at the council since its inception in 2006. "The US decision to walk away from the Human Rights Council iscounter-productive and short-sighted," said Juliette de Rivero, Genevaadvocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "Whatever the council's problems,this decision is a victory for abusive states and a betrayal of thosefighting for their rights worldwide." The council remains a criticalinstitution for protecting human rights throughout the world, despite somesubstantial weaknesses, Human Rights Watch said.
http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=united_nations_hrc
-The Equality Parade has marched through the streets of Warsaw for thefourth time this Saturday.
At the parade whose motto was "Live, Love, Be" several thousand of peopledemonstrated against homophobia and the discrimination of the gay community. Adam Rogalewski from the Equality Foundation said that the gay community isdemanding that their rights be acknowledged, showing at the same time thatits members are part of the society. According to Rogalewski, the situationof homosexuals in Poland has been improving in the last four years, that issince the first parade was organised. As usual, there was acounter-demonstration. Members of the National Radical Camp (ONR) and theAll-P olish Youth (MW) manifested too, voicing their disapproval of theparade. However, the Warsaw police did their best to prevent the twodemonstrations from coming into contact. Apart from lavish verbal abuse thedemonstrations were peaceful.
http://www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/news/?id=84284
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-The Home Office wants to send another gay asylum seeker back to torture andpossible death - and is again claiming that 'discretion' means they can doit. Prossy Kakooza is a 26-year-old lesbian woman who fled Uganda aftersuffering vicious sexual, physical and verbal attacks due to her sexualorientation. She has an English Literature degree and would like to teachhere. Uganda's government is violently anti-gay, newspapers and religiousgroups are engaged in witch hunts and asylum campaigners have reported thatreturnees on arrival in Kampala have been immediately taken to a torturecentre. While in prison Kakooza was subjected to multiple rapes and brandedwith red hot meat skewers on her thighs by drunken police officers.
http://paulcanning.blogspot.com/2008/06/another-gay-asylum-seeker-to-be-sent.html
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Senator Barack Obama released the following statement commemorating pride month.
"I am proud to join with our lesbian, gay, bisexualand transgendered brothers and sisters incelebrating the accomplishments, the lives, and thefamilies of all LGBT people during this Prideseason. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights isexploited by those seeking to divide us. But at itscore, this issue is about who we are as Americans."
"It's time to live up to our founding promise ofequality by treating all our citizens with dignityand respect. Let's enact federal civil rightslegislation to outlaw hate crimes and protectworkers against discrimination based upon sexualorientation and gender identity or expression. Let's repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and demonstratethat the most effective and professional military inthe world is open to all Americans who are ready andwilling to serve our country. Let's treat therelationships and the families of LGBT Americanswith full equality under the law."
-What the Science Says - And Doesn't Say - About Homosexuality
This is now on-line from Soulforce:
An important resource for gay people of faith and their families
http://www.soulforce.org/article/1365
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-GA: Elite Black Male College Comes Gradually to Terms with Gay Life
Michael Brewer, a senior at Morehouse College, was strolling purposefullyaround campus on a hot spring day, his heavy frame dripping sweat, his handsclutching a small stack of fliers. "no more hate," the fliers read, instylish sans serif. "no more discrimination. no more." "What's up, brother?"
Brewer said in a lilting, cheerful voice as he approached a fellow studentin a dark business suit. "Take one of these, if you will." The young mangave the flier a glance. It was promoting what was perhaps the mostambitious week of gay-rights events in the history of Morehouse, the onlyhistorically black all-male school in America.
-AL: Gay Pride Continues in Birmingham Despite Mayor's Objections
It's been a topsy-turvy Gay Pride season in Birmingham, Ala., where manypeople might be surprised to learn that there is even such a thing as GayPride season. In reality, gay people in Birmingham have hosted a Gay Pridefestival for 30 years, produced a Pride parade for 20 years and have beenhonored by city proclamations for the past 15 years. But the streak ofreceiving city support ended a few weeks ago when Birmingham Mayor LarryLangford rejected a request from Central Alabama Pride to recognize thefestival with a proclamation and street banners. Langford did not respond tointerview requests by press time.
-God is Not Against You'
Atlanta: Rev. Dennis Meredith still preaches to a full house twice eachSunday, but the faces largely don't belong to the same people who filled thepews when he arrived in 1994. Since 1917, Tabernacle Baptist Church hadserved a historically African-American population in the Old Fourth Ward,but shortly after the turn of the century the church began to change.
Families who worshiped at the church for generations, veteran donors, leftthe church because it was becoming a "gay church." "I used to preach allover the country. I'd be gone once or twice a month preaching, that's a lot.
When I started preaching love and acceptance, people stopped calling becausesuddenly I'm the gay pastor, I'm the pastor of the gay church," saidMeredith, who is straight. In 2001, after Meredith's son told the pastor hewas gay, Meredith changed the messages he preached every Sunday andWednesday night.
=
Forwarded from Bill Sterling
whsterling1@yahoo.com
-Family matters
The state Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage brings the law into sync with reality for many Pasadena parents and children
People like Jim Buss and Craig Simmons are no strangers to being told they're different, and that being different somehow makes them less human. In May2005, the Pasadena couple and their then 5-year-old twin sons, Justin andMaverick, were denied a family membership with the posh Gerrish Swim andTennis Club, where the boys had frequently attended birthday parties forclassmates. School functions, minivans and soccer practices aside, theBuss-Simmons family was not a family in the eyes of the club, where thedefinition of the word started with "married couple" - specifically,"husband and wife." A few months after their story ran in the PasadenaWeekly, a California Supreme Court decision that upheld a lesbian couple'srights to family membership benefits at a San Diego Country Club promptedGerrish to change that policy, but it was too late for the Buss-Simmonsclan, who by then had decided to take their money elsewhere. Last month'sstate Supreme Court decision to lift the ban on same-sex marriage promisesto go light years further in erasing concepts like different, separate andlesser from the way we think about family.
http://69.94.124.246/cms/story/detail/family_matters/6043/
=
You are invited to view Michael Emanuel Rajner's photo album: Pride South Florida Picnic in Wilton Manors
http://picasaweb.google.com/merajner/PrideSouthFloridaPicnic682008?authkey=750yZLCZdx4
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 09, 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:
-Politics and Hunger
At last week's United Nations food summit, the world's more-developednations proved, again, that domestic politics trumps humanitarian concerns.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-It's a Different Country by Paul Krugman
The de-racialization of U.S. politics has implications that go far beyondthe possibility that we're about to elect an African-American president.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09krugman.html?ref=opinion
-Airbrushed by the Kremlin, Again
Growing self-censorship among Russian journalists is as insidious asgovernment censorship.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon2.html?ref=opinion
-The Good American and Monsieur Obama
In French eyes, there's a single good American: the Democratic Partynominee, Barack Obama.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09cohen.html?ref=opinion
-The Seductive Charms of Term Limits
Term limits automatically purge the system of rascally politicians, butdemocracy already vests that power in every voter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon4.html?ref=opinion
-Campaign Adds to Complicated Clinton Legacy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/us/politics/09legacy.html
-Uncertainty as Tribune Prepares to Retrench
Is Sam Zell right about the newspaper business? Last week, Mr. Zell, chairman and chief executive of the Tribune Company,and Randy Michaels, the chief operating officer, announced a set of deepcuts, saying that shrinking revenue left them no choice. They said theywould trim 500 pages of news each week from the company's dozen papers,including The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times. Their aim is apaper with pages - excluding classified advertising and special adsections - split 50-50 between news content and ads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/business/media/09zell.html?hp
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-No Time for 'Nobody Home'
The early months of 2009 may well be the most precarious period in recentAmerican history. As the next president takes office, some 350,000 U.S.military personnel deployed overseas will await orders from their newcommander in chief, the first wartime transition since Johnson-Nixon 40years ago. The next administration will not only take charge of two wars butwill also inherit daunting national security challenges: a global struggleagainst violent extremism; the continued proliferation of nuclear weapons tohostile states; growing challenges associated with energy security andclimate change; an overstretched military under enormous strain; an economysliding toward recession; and U.S. global standing at an all-time low.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801688.html
- Servers That Snitch: What can be done to preserve freedom on the Internet?
EVERYONE WANTS to boost American exports. But the last thing any U.S.company should do is sell tools of repression to authoritarian regimesabroad. It would be especially troubling if businesses were to helpdictators muzzle the Internet, the most powerful facilitator of freeexpression and communication ever invented.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801676.html
-Stop Raising Cash
Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain should use the federal financing system for thefall campaign -- and reform it afterward.
IT'S BEEN just a few days since he clinched the Democratic nomination, soBarack Obama deserves some time to fulfill his pledge to "aggressivelypursue" an agreement with John McCain to stay within the public financingsystem for the general election. In case you worry that it would be hard tomake do on the paltry $85 million available to each candidate, considerthis: That money could be spent in only the 10 weeks between the nominatingconvention and Election Day. From now until the convention, Mr. Obama -- andMr. McCain for that matter -- can raise and spend "primary" money in whateveryone understands is a general election campaign. So the question for Mr.Obama is whether he should take the public money and use it to run in theclosing weeks, as Mr. McCain plans to do, or whether he should become thefirst candidate since the post-Watergate reforms to run a presidentialcampaign funded entirely by private donations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801677.html
-What Obama Could Teach Africa
What lessons, if any, will African leaders learn from Senator Barack Obama'sstunning success? Senator Obama has inspired a diverse cross-section ofAmericans: Whites, Latinos, Asians, African-Americans. Will those in Africa,the source of his heritage, follow suit? Sen. Obama's campaign has all along been about hope, a scarce commodity inAfrica where selfishness and greed are what define virtually every Africanleader. African leaders don't hold town hall meetings to listen to theircitizens' concerns. They're condescending and arrogant when it comes todealing with ordinary people.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/njoroge_wachai/2008/06/what_obama_could_teach_africa.html
-Lawyer: Gitmo interrogators told to trash notes
The Pentagon urged interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to destroy handwrittennotes in case they were called to testify about potentially harsh treatmentof detainees, a military defense lawyer said Sunday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801890.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Bahrain picks Jewish Woman as U.S. envoy, local media critical
Bahrain has nominated a Jewish woman to be its ambassador to Washington, theGulf Arab kingdom's foreign minister said on Sunday, dismissing doubts abouther suitability to represent the small Muslim country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060800565.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Senate vote rejects climate-change risk
The United States is years behind Europe in reducing the emissions thatcontribute to global warming. Congress appeared willing to tackle the issuelast week, but Senate Republican leaders scuttled the chance for a neededclimate-change discussion on the role our country plays in theglobal-warming risk. The vote was 48-36, with Florida Sens. Bill Nelson andMel Martinez supporting the bill.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/563403.html
-Help opposition to restore democracy
Once again Hugo Chávez may be overreaching. On May 28, a spine-chillingintelligence decree went into effect with ominous consequences for civilliberties and the writ of habeas corpus. Ostensibly issued to deflectnational-security threats, the decree threatens Venezuelans who refuse toact as informants with up to four years in prison. Warrantless wiretappingand other forms of surveillance are green-lighted. A community-based networkof spies is in the works.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/563405.html
-John McCain's Ohio disconnect
Republican Party machinery in the state helped get President Bush intooffice, but it's not firing yet on McCain's behalf.
As the architect of Ohio's ballot measure against gay marriage, Phil Burresshelped draw thousands of conservative voters to the polls in 2004, most ofwhom also cast ballots to reelect President Bush. So Burress was notsurprised when two high-level staffers from John McCain's campaign droppedby his office, asking for his help this fall.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-ohio9-2008jun09,0,1838453.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind
McCain likes to illustrate his moral fibre by referring to his five years asa prisoner-of-war in Vietnam. And to demonstrate his commitment to familyvalues, the 71-year-old former US Navy pilot pays warm tribute to hisbeautiful blonde wife, Cindy, with whom he has four children.
But there is another Mrs McCain who casts a ghostly shadow over the Senator's presidential campaign. She is seldom seen and rarely written about, despitebeing mother to McCain's three eldest children.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html
-GOP Insiders Worry About McCain's Chances
For four months John McCain had a clear field while Barack Obama and HillaryClinton were at each other's throats. Given the opportunity, the ArizonaSenator failed to define the debate in favorable terms, spending much of thevaluable primary months defending himself on charges that his campaign staffwas top heavy with lobbyists.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/08/gop-insiders-worry-about_n_105946.html
-McCain Campaign Declines to Meet with Billy Graham
In another disturbing sign that Sen. John McCain has little interest inreaching out to his conservative base, including evangelical Christianvoters, his campaign has declined an offer to meet with the Rev. BillyGraham.
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/mccain_graham_jacobs/2008/06/08/102779.html
-Sen. Kennedy to be released from hospital, son says
Sen. Edward Kennedy is expected to be released from the hospital a weekafter undergoing surgery in North Carolina for brain cancer. Rep. PatrickKennedy, D-R.I., tells The Providence Journal that his father will bereleased Monday from Duke University Medical Center and will head home toHyannis Port on Cape Cod.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2008/06/09/sen_kennedy_to_be_released_from_hospital_son_says/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news
-Campaign Notebook: 'Willie Horton' ad creator takes on Obama
On a website he calls ExposeObama.com, Floyd G. Brown, the producer of the "Willie Horton" ad that helped defeat Michael Dukakis in 1988, is preparing an encore. Brown is raising money for a series of ads that he says will show Barack Obama to be out of touch on an issue of fundamental concern to voters: violent crime. One spot already on the Internet attacks the presumptive Democratic nominee for opposing a bill while he was an Illinois legislator that would have extended the death penalty to gang-related murders.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/09/willie_horton_ad_creator_takes_on_obama/
-Racial attitudes pose challenge for Obama
Joyce Susick is the type of voter who might carry Barack Obama to the WhiteHouse -- or keep him out. A registered Democrat in a highly competitivestate, she is eager to replace George W. Bush, whom she ranks among theworst presidents ever.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/09/racial_attitudes_pose_challenge_for_obama/
=
[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:
-Politics and Hunger
At last week's United Nations food summit, the world's more-developednations proved, again, that domestic politics trumps humanitarian concerns.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-It's a Different Country by Paul Krugman
The de-racialization of U.S. politics has implications that go far beyondthe possibility that we're about to elect an African-American president.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09krugman.html?ref=opinion
-Airbrushed by the Kremlin, Again
Growing self-censorship among Russian journalists is as insidious asgovernment censorship.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon2.html?ref=opinion
-The Good American and Monsieur Obama
In French eyes, there's a single good American: the Democratic Partynominee, Barack Obama.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09cohen.html?ref=opinion
-The Seductive Charms of Term Limits
Term limits automatically purge the system of rascally politicians, butdemocracy already vests that power in every voter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon4.html?ref=opinion
-Campaign Adds to Complicated Clinton Legacy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/us/politics/09legacy.html
-Uncertainty as Tribune Prepares to Retrench
Is Sam Zell right about the newspaper business? Last week, Mr. Zell, chairman and chief executive of the Tribune Company,and Randy Michaels, the chief operating officer, announced a set of deepcuts, saying that shrinking revenue left them no choice. They said theywould trim 500 pages of news each week from the company's dozen papers,including The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times. Their aim is apaper with pages - excluding classified advertising and special adsections - split 50-50 between news content and ads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/business/media/09zell.html?hp
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-No Time for 'Nobody Home'
The early months of 2009 may well be the most precarious period in recentAmerican history. As the next president takes office, some 350,000 U.S.military personnel deployed overseas will await orders from their newcommander in chief, the first wartime transition since Johnson-Nixon 40years ago. The next administration will not only take charge of two wars butwill also inherit daunting national security challenges: a global struggleagainst violent extremism; the continued proliferation of nuclear weapons tohostile states; growing challenges associated with energy security andclimate change; an overstretched military under enormous strain; an economysliding toward recession; and U.S. global standing at an all-time low.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801688.html
- Servers That Snitch: What can be done to preserve freedom on the Internet?
EVERYONE WANTS to boost American exports. But the last thing any U.S.company should do is sell tools of repression to authoritarian regimesabroad. It would be especially troubling if businesses were to helpdictators muzzle the Internet, the most powerful facilitator of freeexpression and communication ever invented.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801676.html
-Stop Raising Cash
Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain should use the federal financing system for thefall campaign -- and reform it afterward.
IT'S BEEN just a few days since he clinched the Democratic nomination, soBarack Obama deserves some time to fulfill his pledge to "aggressivelypursue" an agreement with John McCain to stay within the public financingsystem for the general election. In case you worry that it would be hard tomake do on the paltry $85 million available to each candidate, considerthis: That money could be spent in only the 10 weeks between the nominatingconvention and Election Day. From now until the convention, Mr. Obama -- andMr. McCain for that matter -- can raise and spend "primary" money in whateveryone understands is a general election campaign. So the question for Mr.Obama is whether he should take the public money and use it to run in theclosing weeks, as Mr. McCain plans to do, or whether he should become thefirst candidate since the post-Watergate reforms to run a presidentialcampaign funded entirely by private donations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801677.html
-What Obama Could Teach Africa
What lessons, if any, will African leaders learn from Senator Barack Obama'sstunning success? Senator Obama has inspired a diverse cross-section ofAmericans: Whites, Latinos, Asians, African-Americans. Will those in Africa,the source of his heritage, follow suit? Sen. Obama's campaign has all along been about hope, a scarce commodity inAfrica where selfishness and greed are what define virtually every Africanleader. African leaders don't hold town hall meetings to listen to theircitizens' concerns. They're condescending and arrogant when it comes todealing with ordinary people.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/njoroge_wachai/2008/06/what_obama_could_teach_africa.html
-Lawyer: Gitmo interrogators told to trash notes
The Pentagon urged interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to destroy handwrittennotes in case they were called to testify about potentially harsh treatmentof detainees, a military defense lawyer said Sunday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060801890.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Bahrain picks Jewish Woman as U.S. envoy, local media critical
Bahrain has nominated a Jewish woman to be its ambassador to Washington, theGulf Arab kingdom's foreign minister said on Sunday, dismissing doubts abouther suitability to represent the small Muslim country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/08/AR2008060800565.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Senate vote rejects climate-change risk
The United States is years behind Europe in reducing the emissions thatcontribute to global warming. Congress appeared willing to tackle the issuelast week, but Senate Republican leaders scuttled the chance for a neededclimate-change discussion on the role our country plays in theglobal-warming risk. The vote was 48-36, with Florida Sens. Bill Nelson andMel Martinez supporting the bill.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/563403.html
-Help opposition to restore democracy
Once again Hugo Chávez may be overreaching. On May 28, a spine-chillingintelligence decree went into effect with ominous consequences for civilliberties and the writ of habeas corpus. Ostensibly issued to deflectnational-security threats, the decree threatens Venezuelans who refuse toact as informants with up to four years in prison. Warrantless wiretappingand other forms of surveillance are green-lighted. A community-based networkof spies is in the works.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/563405.html
-John McCain's Ohio disconnect
Republican Party machinery in the state helped get President Bush intooffice, but it's not firing yet on McCain's behalf.
As the architect of Ohio's ballot measure against gay marriage, Phil Burresshelped draw thousands of conservative voters to the polls in 2004, most ofwhom also cast ballots to reelect President Bush. So Burress was notsurprised when two high-level staffers from John McCain's campaign droppedby his office, asking for his help this fall.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-ohio9-2008jun09,0,1838453.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind
McCain likes to illustrate his moral fibre by referring to his five years asa prisoner-of-war in Vietnam. And to demonstrate his commitment to familyvalues, the 71-year-old former US Navy pilot pays warm tribute to hisbeautiful blonde wife, Cindy, with whom he has four children.
But there is another Mrs McCain who casts a ghostly shadow over the Senator's presidential campaign. She is seldom seen and rarely written about, despitebeing mother to McCain's three eldest children.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html
-GOP Insiders Worry About McCain's Chances
For four months John McCain had a clear field while Barack Obama and HillaryClinton were at each other's throats. Given the opportunity, the ArizonaSenator failed to define the debate in favorable terms, spending much of thevaluable primary months defending himself on charges that his campaign staffwas top heavy with lobbyists.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/08/gop-insiders-worry-about_n_105946.html
-McCain Campaign Declines to Meet with Billy Graham
In another disturbing sign that Sen. John McCain has little interest inreaching out to his conservative base, including evangelical Christianvoters, his campaign has declined an offer to meet with the Rev. BillyGraham.
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/mccain_graham_jacobs/2008/06/08/102779.html
-Sen. Kennedy to be released from hospital, son says
Sen. Edward Kennedy is expected to be released from the hospital a weekafter undergoing surgery in North Carolina for brain cancer. Rep. PatrickKennedy, D-R.I., tells The Providence Journal that his father will bereleased Monday from Duke University Medical Center and will head home toHyannis Port on Cape Cod.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2008/06/09/sen_kennedy_to_be_released_from_hospital_son_says/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news
-Campaign Notebook: 'Willie Horton' ad creator takes on Obama
On a website he calls ExposeObama.com, Floyd G. Brown, the producer of the "Willie Horton" ad that helped defeat Michael Dukakis in 1988, is preparing an encore. Brown is raising money for a series of ads that he says will show Barack Obama to be out of touch on an issue of fundamental concern to voters: violent crime. One spot already on the Internet attacks the presumptive Democratic nominee for opposing a bill while he was an Illinois legislator that would have extended the death penalty to gang-related murders.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/09/willie_horton_ad_creator_takes_on_obama/
-Racial attitudes pose challenge for Obama
Joyce Susick is the type of voter who might carry Barack Obama to the WhiteHouse -- or keep him out. A registered Democrat in a highly competitivestate, she is eager to replace George W. Bush, whom she ranks among theworst presidents ever.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/09/racial_attitudes_pose_challenge_for_obama/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 09, 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.
=
South Florida Social Circle Ends
A New Time -I've loved the years, (17 years), that I've been puttingtogether events, and have met a lot of wonderful people who have becomeclose friends. After many yeas of putting together social events, theater,dinners, group travel, and fund raisers for community organizations, I'vedecided to end South Florida Social Circle and concentrate on some personalendeavors. In my last email that went out, I said I was selling my home (itsold). I will be staying in the greater Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors area,and look forward to seeing all of you out and about. This is the last emailfrom South Florida Social Circle.
Sincerely,
Doug White
South Florida Social Circle
=
You are invited! Beverly "Bev " Gallagher's Campaign for Re-Election
Broward County School Board District 2
Monday, June 9, 2008 From 5:30 pm- 7:30 pm
At the Grand Palms Country Club
110 Grand Palms Dr., Pembroke Pines, FL 33027
Refreshments, entertainment and lots of fun forthe entire family! Bring the kids!
Please RSVP by June 6 to 954-435-5918
or BevAGallagher@aol.com
For more information on Bev Gallagher,
Please visit her website www.beverlygallagher.com!
=
Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton received the endorsement today fromthe Broward Teachers Union. The BTU represents educational, technicalsupport and charter school professionals that are 13,000 membersstrong. "I share their commitment to a quality public school education,where our teachers are valued and our students learn to the very bestof their abilities" said Newton upon receipt of his endorsement. "As aproduct and supporter of our public schools, my wife Cindy and I alongwith our 3 children graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School. Itmakes me proud to have the teachers support my campaign for StateRepresentative in District 92. I look forward to working with them onissues of great importance to our community."
www.votenewton.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-How tough is your house? Florida hurricane inspections tell you
The wind inspector squeezed into the attic. I followed. In a few minutes, Iwould learn whether a hurricane could easily rip off my roof, or whether myinsurance company might cut me a break. Just in time for the six-month hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30, Ibecame one of the 250,000 single-family house owners who have received freewind inspections under the $250 million My Safe Florida Home program.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flainspect0608sbjun09,0,5756058.story
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Engage in water war
Florida, including the state's congressional delegation, finally seems to beputting up more of a fight in the tri-state water war that endangers thePanhandle. But the entire state has to fight soon, and hard. So far, Georgia is the winner in the decades-old fight with Florida andAlabama. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has cut flows of fresh water fromGeorgia's Lake Lanier to Panhandle rivers and Apalachicola Bay, where thewater sustains the oyster industry, and to Alabama, where it cools powerplants. In the meantime, Georgia has not curbed development, and just lastweek denied Atlanta's request to impose stricter outdoor wateringrestrictions than the state.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/09/a16a_waterwars_edit_0609.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Life, Liberty, Water
As climate change and worldwide shortages loom, will people fight over wateror join together to protect it? A global water justice movement is demandinga change in international law to ensure the universal right to clean waterfor all.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2697
-Katherine Harris vs. Katherine Harris
Mock if you must, but we're as giddy as a schoolgirl over this nugget ofnews: Jamie Miller, who did time as Katherine Harris' campaign managerduring her stunningly bad, wildly entertaining bid for U.S. Senate, sayshe's writing a book about the experience.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2008/06/katherine-harri.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
South Florida Social Circle Ends
A New Time -I've loved the years, (17 years), that I've been puttingtogether events, and have met a lot of wonderful people who have becomeclose friends. After many yeas of putting together social events, theater,dinners, group travel, and fund raisers for community organizations, I'vedecided to end South Florida Social Circle and concentrate on some personalendeavors. In my last email that went out, I said I was selling my home (itsold). I will be staying in the greater Fort Lauderdale/Wilton Manors area,and look forward to seeing all of you out and about. This is the last emailfrom South Florida Social Circle.
Sincerely,
Doug White
South Florida Social Circle
=
You are invited! Beverly "Bev " Gallagher's Campaign for Re-Election
Broward County School Board District 2
Monday, June 9, 2008 From 5:30 pm- 7:30 pm
At the Grand Palms Country Club
110 Grand Palms Dr., Pembroke Pines, FL 33027
Refreshments, entertainment and lots of fun forthe entire family! Bring the kids!
Please RSVP by June 6 to 954-435-5918
or BevAGallagher@aol.com
For more information on Bev Gallagher,
Please visit her website www.beverlygallagher.com!
=
Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton received the endorsement today fromthe Broward Teachers Union. The BTU represents educational, technicalsupport and charter school professionals that are 13,000 membersstrong. "I share their commitment to a quality public school education,where our teachers are valued and our students learn to the very bestof their abilities" said Newton upon receipt of his endorsement. "As aproduct and supporter of our public schools, my wife Cindy and I alongwith our 3 children graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School. Itmakes me proud to have the teachers support my campaign for StateRepresentative in District 92. I look forward to working with them onissues of great importance to our community."
www.votenewton.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-How tough is your house? Florida hurricane inspections tell you
The wind inspector squeezed into the attic. I followed. In a few minutes, Iwould learn whether a hurricane could easily rip off my roof, or whether myinsurance company might cut me a break. Just in time for the six-month hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30, Ibecame one of the 250,000 single-family house owners who have received freewind inspections under the $250 million My Safe Florida Home program.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flainspect0608sbjun09,0,5756058.story
=
Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Engage in water war
Florida, including the state's congressional delegation, finally seems to beputting up more of a fight in the tri-state water war that endangers thePanhandle. But the entire state has to fight soon, and hard. So far, Georgia is the winner in the decades-old fight with Florida andAlabama. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has cut flows of fresh water fromGeorgia's Lake Lanier to Panhandle rivers and Apalachicola Bay, where thewater sustains the oyster industry, and to Alabama, where it cools powerplants. In the meantime, Georgia has not curbed development, and just lastweek denied Atlanta's request to impose stricter outdoor wateringrestrictions than the state.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/06/09/a16a_waterwars_edit_0609.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Life, Liberty, Water
As climate change and worldwide shortages loom, will people fight over wateror join together to protect it? A global water justice movement is demandinga change in international law to ensure the universal right to clean waterfor all.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2697
-Katherine Harris vs. Katherine Harris
Mock if you must, but we're as giddy as a schoolgirl over this nugget ofnews: Jamie Miller, who did time as Katherine Harris' campaign managerduring her stunningly bad, wildly entertaining bid for U.S. Senate, sayshe's writing a book about the experience.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2008/06/katherine-harri.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Sunday, June 08, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - June 08, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Qaeda Defendant and Gay Marriage
BRIEFS A blogger spent a few hundred words dissecting Khalid Shaikh
Mohammed's rationale for rejecting his American lawyers: same-sex marriage laws in the U.S. "Do you think we ought to tell KSM that same sex marriage is only legal on the hippie coasts-and may be overturned in California come ovember?"
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/qaeda-defendant-and-gay-marriage/?scp=1&sq=gay&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Calif. Battle Over Gay Marriage Raises Novel Legal Questions
Court Legalized Unions, but Ballot Measure Would Ban Them
Two things are certain in California's mounting legal showdown over same-sexmarriage: Gay couples will wed this month, and, come November, voters willdecide whether the state's constitution should exclude them from suchunions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060701531.html
-Jamaica: The Poster Girl Who Was Cut Out of the Picture
Early last year, Annesha Taylor's face was plastered on billboards, postersand flyers across Jamaica. Dancing and smiling brightly, she looked vibrantin her yellow blouse. The caption told her story: She was living with HIV,taking her medication, eating well and, above all, "getting on with life."
There were television spots as well, and radio ads. In a blitz organized bythe Jamaican Ministry of Health, Annesha became the poster child for thecountry's fight against HIV/AIDS. Some people assumed that the 27-year-oldwas an actress. (How could such a beautiful woman be living with such anugly disease?) Others took her apparent well-being as evidence that HIVisn't so dangerous after all.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603499.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Despite victory, gay marriages on hold
Drew Snyder and William Ballentine had a commitment ceremony with all the trimmings four years ago, the closest they could get to a wedding at the time. Now that California's highest court has held that two men may be legally married starting later this month, friends want to know when the Los Angeles couple plan to take their relationship to the next level. The answer: Not anytime soon.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flagaywed0608sbjun08,0,2089412.story
-Think twice before dumping old car for gas-miser
With gas prices skyrocketing, you may be contemplating dumping your old gas guzzler for something much more efficient. But think before you rush, especially if you are financing your car and have owned it for three years or less, says Consumer Reports. The costs associated with buying a new car (price tag, taxes, new financing, etc.) could end up much higher than the savings you'll recoup in a new Prius or other gas-miser, said Consumer Reports.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzdaniel0608sbjun08,0,6244522.story
-Despite victory, gay marriages on hold
Drew Snyder and William Ballentine had a commitment ceremony with all thetrimmings four years ago, the closest they could get to a wedding at thetime. Now that California's highest court has held that two men may belegally married starting later this month, friends want to know when theLos Angeles couple plan to take their relationship to the next level. Theanswer: Not anytime soon.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flagaywed0608sbjun08,0,2089412.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-NH gay bishop, partner joined in civil union
The first openly gay Episcopal bishop and his partner of 20 years have been united in a private civil union.
The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson was legally joined to Mark Andrew, his partner of 20 years, in a civil ceremony Saturday, the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire announced.
http://www.miamiherald.com/367/story/562615.html
=
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 service in Nevada could soonhave health and insurance benefits.
-Study: Programs Succeed In Reducing Risky Sex Among HIV-Pos. Minority GayMen
Research has shown that HIV-positive African American and Hispanic men whowere sexually abused as children are particularly vulnerable to engaging inhigh-risk sex and experiencing depressive symptoms. Yet few HIV interventionprograms exist to help them.
-Catholic Group Denounces Homoerotic Religious Art
A Roman Catholic watchdog group is protesting a student art exhibition inwhich religious symbols including a crucifix and rosary are depicted insexually explicit paintings.
-Court: Vt. Ruling In Lesbian Custody Case Stands
The Virginia Supreme Court said Friday that a Vermont court's ruling shouldstand in a child visitation dispute between two former lesbian partners.
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Italy gay pride march protests against government and Church Some 10,000 dancing and singing homosexuals and gay-rights supporters marched through Rome on Saturday, many of them chanting slogans against the Vatican and Italy's conservative new government. The yearly Gay Pride march took on added political significance because city officials denied a request for the march to end with a rally near theBasilica of St John's in Lateran, the pope's cathedral in his capacity as bishop of Rome.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080607/wl_nm/italy_gays_dc_1
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- CDC Misses Mark With HIV Prevention Programs, Critics Say
Gay and bisexual men have been at the epicenter of the domestic AIDS crisissince the first cases were reported in 1981. But over the past few years theCenters for Disease Control & Prevention created funding structures thatdramatically reduced the number of HIV/AIDS prevention programs targetingthe population that has always been and continues to be at highest risk forcontracting HIV in America.
-Philippines: American Files Petition For Annulment vs Gay 'Bride'
An American national filed a petition to annul his marriage after findingout on his honeymoon that he and his "wife" were both men. The 50-year oldAmerican said he learned that he had married a homosexual only on hiswedding night.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20080607-141314/American-files-petition-for-annulment-vs-gay-bride
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Homosexuality a destructive sin, claims "caring" Russian Orthodox Church
A senior Russian Archpriest has said the country's Orthodox Church cares forgay and lesbian people and accepts them, but their sexual orientation is a"destructive sin."
-We never said Clinton had sex with actress claims Vanity Fair
Magazine Vanity Fair has come underfire from both former US President BillClinton and gay and lesbian icon Gina Gershon for an article alleging herfriendship with him might have gone to the next level.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-2,000 parade for gay rights in Warsaw
WARSAW (AFP) - Some 2,000 people paraded Saturday through the streets ofPoland's capital in support of gay rights, as an opinion poll showed thedeeply Catholic country largely hostile to homosexuality. Police were outin force to prevent feared attacks by extreme-right groups as a processionof floats passed through Warsaw's main avenues to the soundof dance music.
Homosexuals are generally viewed in Poland as being perverted, sick or atbest sinners.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIyE0Ype_iOHhmLWb1iV40BdFy_Q
-Compassion to gays makes the Church condemn unisexual relations - theMoscow Patriarchate
The Church condemns the sin of unisexual love because it cares for the people who suffer from this sin, the deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said.
"The Church lovingly accepts everyone, including those who have passion for the people of the same s ex. But just because she loves them, she says:
unisexual love is a sin. A destructive sin," Fr. Vsevolod said answering the questions of the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily readers. He is convinced that those who tell about "happy, joyful homosexual life" are mistaken.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4774
-Gay Pride held in Athens, Warsaw and Rome
Gay Pride parades were held in Athens, Rome and Warsaw on Saturday. Tens of thousands turned out to witness the annual event which advocates equalrights for homosexuals. In Athens, the parade was headed by one of the fournewly-weds married last Tuesday by the Mayor of the island of Tilos, whotook advantage of a legal loophole. Dozens of extreme right sympathisersdisrupted the parade in the Greek capital and police had to intervene to disperse the group.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/5821171/Gay-Pride-held-in-Athens-Warsaw-and-Rome
=
[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:
-Qaeda Defendant and Gay Marriage
BRIEFS A blogger spent a few hundred words dissecting Khalid Shaikh
Mohammed's rationale for rejecting his American lawyers: same-sex marriage laws in the U.S. "Do you think we ought to tell KSM that same sex marriage is only legal on the hippie coasts-and may be overturned in California come ovember?"
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/qaeda-defendant-and-gay-marriage/?scp=1&sq=gay&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Calif. Battle Over Gay Marriage Raises Novel Legal Questions
Court Legalized Unions, but Ballot Measure Would Ban Them
Two things are certain in California's mounting legal showdown over same-sexmarriage: Gay couples will wed this month, and, come November, voters willdecide whether the state's constitution should exclude them from suchunions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060701531.html
-Jamaica: The Poster Girl Who Was Cut Out of the Picture
Early last year, Annesha Taylor's face was plastered on billboards, postersand flyers across Jamaica. Dancing and smiling brightly, she looked vibrantin her yellow blouse. The caption told her story: She was living with HIV,taking her medication, eating well and, above all, "getting on with life."
There were television spots as well, and radio ads. In a blitz organized bythe Jamaican Ministry of Health, Annesha became the poster child for thecountry's fight against HIV/AIDS. Some people assumed that the 27-year-oldwas an actress. (How could such a beautiful woman be living with such anugly disease?) Others took her apparent well-being as evidence that HIVisn't so dangerous after all.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603499.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Despite victory, gay marriages on hold
Drew Snyder and William Ballentine had a commitment ceremony with all the trimmings four years ago, the closest they could get to a wedding at the time. Now that California's highest court has held that two men may be legally married starting later this month, friends want to know when the Los Angeles couple plan to take their relationship to the next level. The answer: Not anytime soon.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flagaywed0608sbjun08,0,2089412.story
-Think twice before dumping old car for gas-miser
With gas prices skyrocketing, you may be contemplating dumping your old gas guzzler for something much more efficient. But think before you rush, especially if you are financing your car and have owned it for three years or less, says Consumer Reports. The costs associated with buying a new car (price tag, taxes, new financing, etc.) could end up much higher than the savings you'll recoup in a new Prius or other gas-miser, said Consumer Reports.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzdaniel0608sbjun08,0,6244522.story
-Despite victory, gay marriages on hold
Drew Snyder and William Ballentine had a commitment ceremony with all thetrimmings four years ago, the closest they could get to a wedding at thetime. Now that California's highest court has held that two men may belegally married starting later this month, friends want to know when theLos Angeles couple plan to take their relationship to the next level. Theanswer: Not anytime soon.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flagaywed0608sbjun08,0,2089412.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-NH gay bishop, partner joined in civil union
The first openly gay Episcopal bishop and his partner of 20 years have been united in a private civil union.
The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson was legally joined to Mark Andrew, his partner of 20 years, in a civil ceremony Saturday, the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire announced.
http://www.miamiherald.com/367/story/562615.html
=
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 service in Nevada could soonhave health and insurance benefits.
-Study: Programs Succeed In Reducing Risky Sex Among HIV-Pos. Minority GayMen
Research has shown that HIV-positive African American and Hispanic men whowere sexually abused as children are particularly vulnerable to engaging inhigh-risk sex and experiencing depressive symptoms. Yet few HIV interventionprograms exist to help them.
-Catholic Group Denounces Homoerotic Religious Art
A Roman Catholic watchdog group is protesting a student art exhibition inwhich religious symbols including a crucifix and rosary are depicted insexually explicit paintings.
-Court: Vt. Ruling In Lesbian Custody Case Stands
The Virginia Supreme Court said Friday that a Vermont court's ruling shouldstand in a child visitation dispute between two former lesbian partners.
=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Italy gay pride march protests against government and Church Some 10,000 dancing and singing homosexuals and gay-rights supporters marched through Rome on Saturday, many of them chanting slogans against the Vatican and Italy's conservative new government. The yearly Gay Pride march took on added political significance because city officials denied a request for the march to end with a rally near theBasilica of St John's in Lateran, the pope's cathedral in his capacity as bishop of Rome.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080607/wl_nm/italy_gays_dc_1
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- CDC Misses Mark With HIV Prevention Programs, Critics Say
Gay and bisexual men have been at the epicenter of the domestic AIDS crisissince the first cases were reported in 1981. But over the past few years theCenters for Disease Control & Prevention created funding structures thatdramatically reduced the number of HIV/AIDS prevention programs targetingthe population that has always been and continues to be at highest risk forcontracting HIV in America.
-Philippines: American Files Petition For Annulment vs Gay 'Bride'
An American national filed a petition to annul his marriage after findingout on his honeymoon that he and his "wife" were both men. The 50-year oldAmerican said he learned that he had married a homosexual only on hiswedding night.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20080607-141314/American-files-petition-for-annulment-vs-gay-bride
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Homosexuality a destructive sin, claims "caring" Russian Orthodox Church
A senior Russian Archpriest has said the country's Orthodox Church cares forgay and lesbian people and accepts them, but their sexual orientation is a"destructive sin."
-We never said Clinton had sex with actress claims Vanity Fair
Magazine Vanity Fair has come underfire from both former US President BillClinton and gay and lesbian icon Gina Gershon for an article alleging herfriendship with him might have gone to the next level.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-2,000 parade for gay rights in Warsaw
WARSAW (AFP) - Some 2,000 people paraded Saturday through the streets ofPoland's capital in support of gay rights, as an opinion poll showed thedeeply Catholic country largely hostile to homosexuality. Police were outin force to prevent feared attacks by extreme-right groups as a processionof floats passed through Warsaw's main avenues to the soundof dance music.
Homosexuals are generally viewed in Poland as being perverted, sick or atbest sinners.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIyE0Ype_iOHhmLWb1iV40BdFy_Q
-Compassion to gays makes the Church condemn unisexual relations - theMoscow Patriarchate
The Church condemns the sin of unisexual love because it cares for the people who suffer from this sin, the deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said.
"The Church lovingly accepts everyone, including those who have passion for the people of the same s ex. But just because she loves them, she says:
unisexual love is a sin. A destructive sin," Fr. Vsevolod said answering the questions of the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily readers. He is convinced that those who tell about "happy, joyful homosexual life" are mistaken.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=4774
-Gay Pride held in Athens, Warsaw and Rome
Gay Pride parades were held in Athens, Rome and Warsaw on Saturday. Tens of thousands turned out to witness the annual event which advocates equalrights for homosexuals. In Athens, the parade was headed by one of the fournewly-weds married last Tuesday by the Mayor of the island of Tilos, whotook advantage of a legal loophole. Dozens of extreme right sympathisersdisrupted the parade in the Greek capital and police had to intervene to disperse the group.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/5821171/Gay-Pride-held-in-Athens-Warsaw-and-Rome
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - June 08, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Op-Ed Columnist: One Historic Night, Two Americas
WHEN Barack Obama achieved his historic victory on Tuesday night, the battlewas joined between two Americas. Not John Edwards's two Americas, dividedbetween rich and poor. Not the Americas split by race, gender, party orideology. What looms instead is an epic showdown between two wildlydifferent visions of the country, from the ground up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08rich.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Obama Maps a Nationwide Push in G.O.P. Strongholds
Barack Obama has moved to transform his primary organization into a generalelection machine, hiring staff members and sending organizers into keystates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08obama.html?hp
-People vs. Dinosaurs BY THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Before dismissing prospects for Israel's longevity, Iran's toxic presidentshould remember that while his country invests in oil, Israel invests in itspeople, a renewable resource.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08friedman.html?ref=opinion
-Women's Work
A bill of rights for domestic workers would bring the professionlong-overdue affirmation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08sun2.html?ref=opinion
-Chávez Suffers Military and Policy Setbacks
On the same day Colombia said it had captured a Venezuelan national guardofficer carrying 40,000 AK-47 assault rifle cartridges believed to beintended for leftist guerrillas, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela saidSaturday he would withdraw a decree overhauling intelligence policies thathe had made earlier that week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/world/americas/08venez.html?hp
-Senator Asks About Surgery on Gangsters
A United States senator wants to know more about liver transplant operationsperformed by U.C.L.A. Medical Center on four Japanese gang figures,according to a published report.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/washington/08transplant.html
-The Nation: Running in Circles Over Carbon
Cutting carbon dioxide emissions is a fine idea, and a lot of companieswould be proud to do it. But they would prefer to be second, if not third orfourth. This is not a good way to get started in fighting global warming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/weekinreview/08wald.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Shrinking Flock Examines Its Identity
Churches Renamed to Escape Stigma Some Say 'Baptist' Carries
The Rev. Todd Thomason looked out at the nearly empty pews of hiscongregation at Baptist Temple Church last Sunday. He had preached long andhar about Abraham leaving all that he knew and setting out into an unknownfuture on nothing more than faith in God. He was hoping that, after theservice, what was left of his flock would have the courage to do the same.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060700924_pf.html
-Calif. Battle Over Gay Marriage Raises Novel Legal Questions
Court Legalized Unions, but Ballot Measure Would Ban Them
Two things are certain in California's mounting legal showdown over same-sexmarriage: Gay couples will wed this month, and, come November, voters willdecide whether the state's constitution should exclude them from suchunions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060701531.html
-Screeching to a Halt
On mass transit, the nation is falling perilously behind.
WITH SAN Francisco gas stations already charging $4.50 per gallon of regularand other places not far behind, it's little wonder that the demand for masstransit is surging nationwide. Last year, the 10.3 billion trips taken onU.S. public transportation -- trains, subways, buses -- were the most in 50years, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Andridership continued to jump in the first three months of 2008, particularlyon light rail (streetcars and trolleys) and commuter rail lines.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060701651.html
-Looking to the Future, Feminism Has to Focus
In April 2004, around 1 million women went to Washington to rally forwomen's rights. One of the main speakers at the event was the junior senatorfrom New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, even then the object of futurepresidential speculation. Her surprise appearance elicited an ecstaticresponse from the crowd.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603494.html
-The Civil Rights Movement Needs to Overcome Its Fears
Sen. Barack Obama will accept his nomination as the Democratic candidate forpresident on Aug. 28, exactly 45 years after the Rev. Martin Luther KingJr.'s historic speech at the March on Washington. For those of us fascinatedby such things, the occasion suggests less a coincidence than a harmonicconvergence of cosmic dimensions. Just think: A brown-skinned American,having been judged according to "the content of his character," will betaking aim at the nation's highest office. What's more, he will be takingthe helm of a party that, just a few decades ago, was sorely divided overthe mere inclusion of blacks in its ranks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603497.html
-The Color of an Awkward Conversation
I was annoyed the first time an African American man called me "sister." Itwas in a Brooklyn store, and I had recently arrived from Nigeria, a countrywhere, thanks to the mosquitoes that kept British colonizers from settling,my skin color did not determine my identity, did not limit my dreams or myconfidence. And so, although I grew up reading books about the bafflingplaces where black people were treated badly for being black, race remainedan exotic abstraction: It was Kunta Kinte.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603141.html
-The Homegrown Young Radicals Of Next-Gen Jihad
We are fighting the wrong foe. Over the past six years, the nature of theinternational Islamist terrorist threat to the West has changeddramatically, but Western governments are still fighting the last war -- setup to fight an old al-Qaeda that is now largely contained. Unless weunderstand this sea change, we will not be able to ward off the new menace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603501.html
-'Feeling the Strain'
World leaders met in Rome last week to find ways to ease a global foodcrisis that is affecting millions of people on every continent. A glimpse ofhow consumers in several countries are dealing with higher prices andshortages.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/07/ST2008060702403.html?hpid=topnews
-Bush Is a Lame Duck. Bush-Bashing in Europe Is, Too.
When President Bush came to Britain on a state visit in November 2003, morethan 100,000 people turned out to protest against him -- the largest everweekday rally in London. But when the president comes to town this week,we'll be talking closer to 100 protesters than 100,000. Newspapers won't berunning multiple pages of open letters to Bush from the great and the good.
The television schedules will go undisturbed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603496.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Religious Right feeling rejected by McCain
On May 22, 2008, a new era began in the history of what is called theReligious Right. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain rejectedthe endorsements of two influential Evangelical pastors, Rev. John Hagee andRev. Rod Parsley. The impact of McCain publicly disavowing these two majorfigures will trigger a new alignment among politically active religiousconservatives and the political parties.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum08mccainsbjun08,0,6406837.story
-Think twice before dumping old car for gas-miser
With gas prices skyrocketing, you may be contemplating dumping your old gasguzzler for something much more efficient. But think before you rush,especially if you are financing your car and have owned it for three yearsor less, says Consumer Reports. The costs associated with buying a new car(price tag, taxes, new financing, etc.) could end up much higher than thesavings you'll recoup in a new Prius or other gas-miser, said ConsumerReports.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzdaniel0608sbjun08,0,6244522.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Paranoia harming our way of life By LEONARD PITTS JR.
You've seen this gag in a hundred old cartoons: Cat turns to flee angry dog,steps on a rake instead, knocks himself silly. It's not sophisticated humor,but it is a visceral illustration of an abiding truth: Panic can make youhurt yourself. Some of us, I think, need reminding. Consider the case ofRachael Ray and the scarf that made people scream. Ray, of couse, is thepreternaturally perky host of cooking shows on the Food Network -- and aspokeswoman for Dunkin' Donuts. In that capacity, she wore theaforementioned scarf around her neck in an online ad -- and people startedsceaming. It seems that in the eyes of conservative columnist MichelleMalkin and a handful of blogosphere blowhards, the scarf resembled akaffiyeh, the Arab headdress most infamously worn by the late PLO leaderYasser Arafat.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/561078.html
=
[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:
-Op-Ed Columnist: One Historic Night, Two Americas
WHEN Barack Obama achieved his historic victory on Tuesday night, the battlewas joined between two Americas. Not John Edwards's two Americas, dividedbetween rich and poor. Not the Americas split by race, gender, party orideology. What looms instead is an epic showdown between two wildlydifferent visions of the country, from the ground up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08rich.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=nyt
-Obama Maps a Nationwide Push in G.O.P. Strongholds
Barack Obama has moved to transform his primary organization into a generalelection machine, hiring staff members and sending organizers into keystates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08obama.html?hp
-People vs. Dinosaurs BY THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Before dismissing prospects for Israel's longevity, Iran's toxic presidentshould remember that while his country invests in oil, Israel invests in itspeople, a renewable resource.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08friedman.html?ref=opinion
-Women's Work
A bill of rights for domestic workers would bring the professionlong-overdue affirmation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/opinion/08sun2.html?ref=opinion
-Chávez Suffers Military and Policy Setbacks
On the same day Colombia said it had captured a Venezuelan national guardofficer carrying 40,000 AK-47 assault rifle cartridges believed to beintended for leftist guerrillas, President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela saidSaturday he would withdraw a decree overhauling intelligence policies thathe had made earlier that week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/world/americas/08venez.html?hp
-Senator Asks About Surgery on Gangsters
A United States senator wants to know more about liver transplant operationsperformed by U.C.L.A. Medical Center on four Japanese gang figures,according to a published report.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/washington/08transplant.html
-The Nation: Running in Circles Over Carbon
Cutting carbon dioxide emissions is a fine idea, and a lot of companieswould be proud to do it. But they would prefer to be second, if not third orfourth. This is not a good way to get started in fighting global warming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/weekinreview/08wald.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Shrinking Flock Examines Its Identity
Churches Renamed to Escape Stigma Some Say 'Baptist' Carries
The Rev. Todd Thomason looked out at the nearly empty pews of hiscongregation at Baptist Temple Church last Sunday. He had preached long andhar about Abraham leaving all that he knew and setting out into an unknownfuture on nothing more than faith in God. He was hoping that, after theservice, what was left of his flock would have the courage to do the same.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060700924_pf.html
-Calif. Battle Over Gay Marriage Raises Novel Legal Questions
Court Legalized Unions, but Ballot Measure Would Ban Them
Two things are certain in California's mounting legal showdown over same-sexmarriage: Gay couples will wed this month, and, come November, voters willdecide whether the state's constitution should exclude them from suchunions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060701531.html
-Screeching to a Halt
On mass transit, the nation is falling perilously behind.
WITH SAN Francisco gas stations already charging $4.50 per gallon of regularand other places not far behind, it's little wonder that the demand for masstransit is surging nationwide. Last year, the 10.3 billion trips taken onU.S. public transportation -- trains, subways, buses -- were the most in 50years, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Andridership continued to jump in the first three months of 2008, particularlyon light rail (streetcars and trolleys) and commuter rail lines.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/07/AR2008060701651.html
-Looking to the Future, Feminism Has to Focus
In April 2004, around 1 million women went to Washington to rally forwomen's rights. One of the main speakers at the event was the junior senatorfrom New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, even then the object of futurepresidential speculation. Her surprise appearance elicited an ecstaticresponse from the crowd.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603494.html
-The Civil Rights Movement Needs to Overcome Its Fears
Sen. Barack Obama will accept his nomination as the Democratic candidate forpresident on Aug. 28, exactly 45 years after the Rev. Martin Luther KingJr.'s historic speech at the March on Washington. For those of us fascinatedby such things, the occasion suggests less a coincidence than a harmonicconvergence of cosmic dimensions. Just think: A brown-skinned American,having been judged according to "the content of his character," will betaking aim at the nation's highest office. What's more, he will be takingthe helm of a party that, just a few decades ago, was sorely divided overthe mere inclusion of blacks in its ranks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603497.html
-The Color of an Awkward Conversation
I was annoyed the first time an African American man called me "sister." Itwas in a Brooklyn store, and I had recently arrived from Nigeria, a countrywhere, thanks to the mosquitoes that kept British colonizers from settling,my skin color did not determine my identity, did not limit my dreams or myconfidence. And so, although I grew up reading books about the bafflingplaces where black people were treated badly for being black, race remainedan exotic abstraction: It was Kunta Kinte.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603141.html
-The Homegrown Young Radicals Of Next-Gen Jihad
We are fighting the wrong foe. Over the past six years, the nature of theinternational Islamist terrorist threat to the West has changeddramatically, but Western governments are still fighting the last war -- setup to fight an old al-Qaeda that is now largely contained. Unless weunderstand this sea change, we will not be able to ward off the new menace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603501.html
-'Feeling the Strain'
World leaders met in Rome last week to find ways to ease a global foodcrisis that is affecting millions of people on every continent. A glimpse ofhow consumers in several countries are dealing with higher prices andshortages.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/07/ST2008060702403.html?hpid=topnews
-Bush Is a Lame Duck. Bush-Bashing in Europe Is, Too.
When President Bush came to Britain on a state visit in November 2003, morethan 100,000 people turned out to protest against him -- the largest everweekday rally in London. But when the president comes to town this week,we'll be talking closer to 100 protesters than 100,000. Newspapers won't berunning multiple pages of open letters to Bush from the great and the good.
The television schedules will go undisturbed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603496.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Religious Right feeling rejected by McCain
On May 22, 2008, a new era began in the history of what is called theReligious Right. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain rejectedthe endorsements of two influential Evangelical pastors, Rev. John Hagee andRev. Rod Parsley. The impact of McCain publicly disavowing these two majorfigures will trigger a new alignment among politically active religiousconservatives and the political parties.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum08mccainsbjun08,0,6406837.story
-Think twice before dumping old car for gas-miser
With gas prices skyrocketing, you may be contemplating dumping your old gasguzzler for something much more efficient. But think before you rush,especially if you are financing your car and have owned it for three yearsor less, says Consumer Reports. The costs associated with buying a new car(price tag, taxes, new financing, etc.) could end up much higher than thesavings you'll recoup in a new Prius or other gas-miser, said ConsumerReports.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzdaniel0608sbjun08,0,6244522.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Paranoia harming our way of life By LEONARD PITTS JR.
You've seen this gag in a hundred old cartoons: Cat turns to flee angry dog,steps on a rake instead, knocks himself silly. It's not sophisticated humor,but it is a visceral illustration of an abiding truth: Panic can make youhurt yourself. Some of us, I think, need reminding. Consider the case ofRachael Ray and the scarf that made people scream. Ray, of couse, is thepreternaturally perky host of cooking shows on the Food Network -- and aspokeswoman for Dunkin' Donuts. In that capacity, she wore theaforementioned scarf around her neck in an online ad -- and people startedsceaming. It seems that in the eyes of conservative columnist MichelleMalkin and a handful of blogosphere blowhards, the scarf resembled akaffiyeh, the Arab headdress most infamously worn by the late PLO leaderYasser Arafat.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other_views/story/561078.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - June 08, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Hotel deal taps tourism tax dollars in case of bailout
Hoteliers across Broward County could soon be forced to help pay formarketing the hotel that tourism officials want built next to FortLauderdale 's convention center. [...] The idea is raising the ire of otherhoteliers and being attacked by critics as legally suspect. ."We areoutraged, absolutely outraged," said Joe Van Eron, owner of Liberty Suitesin Dania Beach. "Tourism development taxes should not be directed to any oneentity. It's insanity at a time all the small hotels are in survival mode."
[...] As a Tourism Professional & Leader ... Small Business Owner...and,Broward County Voter.. "This post sounds eerily similar to a certainCommissioner's previous comments at a recent workshop on thisproject...."There is no groundswell of opposition", only "The voice of a fewactivist hotels", and "It's not their money"......I assure you that there isa huge "groundswell", and if the commission would only have their ears tothe ground, they would hear their constituents pain in surviving to remainin business, keep a roof over their heads and feed their families. There isnot a one of us that wouldn't want taxpayer dollars to guarantee oursurvival....but this would be wrong and illegal!??....over the last 6 yearsthe State of Florida and Broward County have lost over 40% of their SmallHotels which are mostly owner operated, family Mom & Pop ( or Pop & Pop)businesses, largley due to the greed of developers and the failure ofgovernment to offer significant property tax and insurance reform.....adisatrous loss of revenue, local jobs and affordable options for ourvisitors and residents.
Contact Ray's List for the full article.
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-TERI Grant Proposal Celebration, Sunday June 8, at Hagen Park Please planto come out and support TERI as we celebrate our recent successful bid for a$2500 grant from Pride South Florida, Inc. It will be held at the PrideSouth Florida 20th Annual Picnic on Sunday June 8, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pmat Hagen Park, located at 2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, just West ofGeorge's Alibi on the South side of Wilton Manners Drive. [...] Admissionto Hagen Park is FREE. You may bring your own picnic basket or purchasefood, drinks, and beer at the park. Unfortunately, Hagen Park DOES NOT ALLOWPETS. For more information call the Pride Line at (954) 561-2020.
=
[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:
-Hotel deal taps tourism tax dollars in case of bailout
Hoteliers across Broward County could soon be forced to help pay formarketing the hotel that tourism officials want built next to FortLauderdale 's convention center. [...] The idea is raising the ire of otherhoteliers and being attacked by critics as legally suspect. ."We areoutraged, absolutely outraged," said Joe Van Eron, owner of Liberty Suitesin Dania Beach. "Tourism development taxes should not be directed to any oneentity. It's insanity at a time all the small hotels are in survival mode."
[...] As a Tourism Professional & Leader ... Small Business Owner...and,Broward County Voter.. "This post sounds eerily similar to a certainCommissioner's previous comments at a recent workshop on thisproject...."There is no groundswell of opposition", only "The voice of a fewactivist hotels", and "It's not their money"......I assure you that there isa huge "groundswell", and if the commission would only have their ears tothe ground, they would hear their constituents pain in surviving to remainin business, keep a roof over their heads and feed their families. There isnot a one of us that wouldn't want taxpayer dollars to guarantee oursurvival....but this would be wrong and illegal!??....over the last 6 yearsthe State of Florida and Broward County have lost over 40% of their SmallHotels which are mostly owner operated, family Mom & Pop ( or Pop & Pop)businesses, largley due to the greed of developers and the failure ofgovernment to offer significant property tax and insurance reform.....adisatrous loss of revenue, local jobs and affordable options for ourvisitors and residents.
Contact Ray's List for the full article.
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-TERI Grant Proposal Celebration, Sunday June 8, at Hagen Park Please planto come out and support TERI as we celebrate our recent successful bid for a$2500 grant from Pride South Florida, Inc. It will be held at the PrideSouth Florida 20th Annual Picnic on Sunday June 8, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pmat Hagen Park, located at 2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, just West ofGeorge's Alibi on the South side of Wilton Manners Drive. [...] Admissionto Hagen Park is FREE. You may bring your own picnic basket or purchasefood, drinks, and beer at the park. Unfortunately, Hagen Park DOES NOT ALLOWPETS. For more information call the Pride Line at (954) 561-2020.
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
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