Friday, August 08, 2008

GLBT DIGEST - August 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.

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

-New York State Senate Gets Bill Banning Bullying Acts in the Schools
Legislation aimed at banning bullying in public schools, includingharassment based on sexual orientation, has been quietly introduced in theState Senate. The legislation, which includes language protectingtransgender students and teachers, has been a priority of advocates for gayand lesbian rights but was ignored for nearly a decade in the Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/education/08bully.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin

-New Focus on Children at AIDS Seminar
MEXICO CITY - The global response to the AIDS epidemic has short-changedchildren, health workers at the International AIDS Conference said here onWednesday. Although governments and donors provide large amounts of moneyfor H.I.V. treatment in the developing world, too little of that moneyreaches children, said Linda Richter, a psychologist in South Africa whodelivered the first plenary lecture on children in the history of theconference.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/health/07aids.html

-AIDS Group Cites Rapes in Zimbabwe as Terror Tool
MEXICO CITY - A 13-year-old girl was abducted, then raped repeatedly over atwo-week period during a campaign of political terror in Zimbabwesurrounding recent elections there. Hers is one of 53 cases documented byAIDS-Free World, an advocacy group investigating rape as a political weaponin Zimbabwe, activists said Thursday at a news conference at the 17thInternational AIDS Conference here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/world/africa/08aids.html


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

-Calif. boy pleads not guilty in gay teen's slaying
A 14-year-old Southern California boy has pleaded not guilty to the murderof his gay classmate. Brandon McInerney entered the plea in Ventura CountySuperior Court on Thursday. McInerney is charged as an adult with firstdegree murder and a hate crime for the Feb. 12 fatal shooting of 15-year-oldLarry King at their junior high school in Oxnard.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080800350.html


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

-IMMIGRATION: Lesbian avoids deportation to Jamaica
A Jamaican lesbian was spared deportation to her native country after ajudge found that she might be tortured there because of her sexualorientation.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/633396.html


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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Report: Archbishop of Canterbury says gay relationships are OK
In newly disclosed letters, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrotethat the Bible doesn't forbid same sex relationships when there is acommitment similar to traditional marriages, a British newspaper reportedThursday. The report by the Times of London was the latest development inthe controversial issue of how the Anglican church should viewhomosexuality. Williams has come under intense scrutiny as differing viewsover whether to accept changes in traditional biblical understanding ofsame-sex relationships have threatened to split the 77 million-memberAnglican Communion.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/08/report-archbish.html


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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-NY lawyers defend move to recognize gay marriages
Alliance Defense Fund accuses gov. of overstepping his authorityState lawyers are defending Gov. David Paterson's move to recognizeout-of-state gay marriages.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20209

-What Howard Dean thinks of the Blade
If you want to get a look at what DNC Chair Howard Dean really thinks of thegay media, and the Blade in particular, check out this new YouTube clip.Someone has edited together all of Dean's Blade-trashing remarks from hisrecent videotaped deposition in the case of a gay man, Donald Hitchcock,suing the party for wrongful termination.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=8/2/08&end=8/9/08#20208

-Mr. T Tells Bill O'Reilly: 'I'm Not a Gay-Basher'
Mr. T denied being "homophobic" on "The O'Reilly Factor" Wednesday nightafter his recent Snickers ad was pulled from the airwaves in Britain foroffending homosexuals. "I am not homophobic, I am not a gay-basher I didn'tsay anything that was negative nor derogatory," Mr. T told Bill O'Reilly. "Iwould never do a commercial if I thought it was offensive to anyone.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399584,00.html

-Rowan Williams: gay relationships 'comparable to marriage'
Rowan Williams believes that gay sexual relationships can "reflect the loveof God" in a way that is comparable to marriage, The Times has learnt. Gaypartnerships pose the same ethical questions as those between men and women,and the key issue for Christians is that they are faithful and lifelong, hebelieves.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4473814.ece

-Kanye West to Fans: Don't Use the Word 'Fag'
A YouTube clip of the final minutes of a Madison Square Garden performanceof Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour on August 5th shows the rapperspeaking out against homophobia and anti-gay slurs.
http://www.towleroad.com/2008/08/kanye-west-to-f.html

-Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Jefferson: A Sex Blogger Fights for Custodyof his Kids"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The phrase came to me thismorning while musing over the predicament of my friend, the sex bloggerJefferson. Because his ex-wife recently discovered he is bisexual, he is nowfighting for custody of his kids. It's an ironic twist that the man who tookas his pseudonym Jefferson, in homage to freedom-loving Thomas Jefferson,should have that man's basic principles now used against him in a court oflaw.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzanne-portnoy/life-liberty-the-pursuit_b_117010.html

-Friend & Foe
FRIEND OF THE WEEK
Heddy Pena - Former Executive and Political Director
Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE)
Heddy Pena took over Miami's grassroots GLBT political action committeeafter Miami-Dade County voters approved its gay-friendly Human RightsOrdinance in 2002 and since then she has been a constant and fierce watchdogfor GLBT equality rights. Pena has led the organization's efforts to secureequal benefits to Miami Beach employees and recently the approval for thedomestic partnership registry in Miami Dade. This week she stepped downfrom her position SAVE to take a more active role in the campaign to defeatAmendment 2. She will be heading Spanish-language media efforts as well asfundraising for Florida Red and Blue.

FOE OF THE WEEK
Charlie Crist - Governor State of Florida
To most who've been watching the ascent of Florida's governor Charlie Cristto a more national scope as a short-listed potential vice-presidentialmaterial, Crist's declarative statement supporting Amendment 2, theconstitutional measure to ban same sex marriage in Florida comes as nosurprise. Crist, after all, was among the first to sign the petition toplace the measure on the ballot. However, he's walked an ambiguous linestating for several months that he defines his position as "live and letlive." As his profile zooms to national name recognition one can only seehis leadership as one that will do and say what is expeditiouslyadvantageous to his own ambition. Crist has been criticized for movingincreasingly to the right to win over more conservative factions of theRepublican Party. And while his declarative support for Amendment 2 bringsan end to his nebulous stance on the issue, it will not be the decisivestraw to sway voters Nov. 4.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/view/friendfoe/4938.cfm

-Lingering questions for Barack Obama
The enigmatic senator should provide clarity on issues important to gays I SUPPORT BARACK Obama and urge everyone to do the same. But recently I was accused of not drinking the Kool-Aid yet, which is true, because Obama remains something of an enigma.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/view/columns/4940.cfm



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

-Teen pleads not guilty in Larry King slaying
A 14-year-old Southern California boy has pleaded not guilty to the murder
of his gay classmate.
http://www.365gay.com/news/080808-larry-king-plea/

-Gay dad could face abduction charge
A gay man involved in a bitter battle with his estranged husband has fledthe country with their 23-month old son. Eric Hyett and his son Jedidiahhave surfaced in Israel. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Hyettblames the ugly property and custody battle on Joshua Glazer, who Hyettclaims has for a year ignored offers to settle.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-dad-could-face-abduction-charge/

-Canada mulls mandatory reporting of HIV+ immigrants
(Vancouver, British Columbia) Immigrants with HIV account for a largeportion of new infections of the disease in Canada and they're slippingbetween the health-care cracks, warns a recent report. Although Citizenshipand Immigration Canada is considering making HIV a reportable disease,currently it is not, meaning it is not considered a public health risk andit is not mandatory to report infections to public health officials.
http://www.365gay.com/news/080708-canada-immigrants/

-Video/ Oh God, I'm Gay! - Sabrina Sojourner
http://www.365gay.com/video/video-oh-god-im-gay-ann-kansfield/


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

-Missouri to Get Its First Out Gay Male Legislator
Mike Colona, a gay lawyer from St. Louis, won his Democratic primary Tuesdayfor a Missouri house seat despite controversy over his ties to the gay pornindustry, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Colona took 42% of the votein his five-candidate race and should head directly to the statehouse: Hehas no Republican challenger in the fall. He'll become the first out gay manin the Missouri legislature.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid59053.asp

-Presidential Debate Commission Chooses Moderators
The Commission on Presidential Debates has named Jim Lehrer and Gwen Ifillof PBS, Tom Brokaw of NBC News, and Bob Schieffer of CBS News as moderatorsof the three presidential debates and one vice presidential face-off.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid59059.asp


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

-Straight Leaders Sought for Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights 2008
Link: Soulforce
(Austin, TX) - There's never been a more exciting time for straightAmericans to take a stand for their lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) friends and neighbors. That's according to Soulforce and AtticusCircle, the sponsors of Seven Straight Nights for Equal Rights 2008, aproject that will spotlight straight Americans' support for equality overthe week of September 14-20.

-Rowan Williams: Gay couples reflect the love of God
Link: The Guardian
Gay relationships can "reflect the love of God" in a way that is comparableto marriage, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Ina series of letters from 2000 and 2001, when he was still archbishop ofWales, Williams wrote that scriptural prohibitions against homosexuality,such as those in Leviticus, were addressed "to heterosexuals looking forsexual variety in their experience".


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

-India's health minister calls for decriminalisation of homosexuality
A leading Cabinet minister in India has said that laws that criminalise gaysex should be overturned. Anbumani Ramadoss made his remarks at the 17thInternational Conference on AIDS.

-Gay blood donors would bring "infection and death" claims Red Cross
Gay activists have accused the Red Cross of scare tactics on the first dayof a hearing into Australia's gay blood ban in Hobart yesterday.

-Gay Filipinos arrested in Saudi Arabia
Two men from the Philippines have been arrested in the Saudi capital Riyadhfor homosexual acts. The arrests by the Muslim nation's "morality police" isthe latest in a crackdown on gays.

-Democratic convention platform short on LGBT issues
The Democratic National Committee sent a draft of the party's 2008 platformto committee members yesterday that incorporated planks from the platformsof former candidates.

-Malaysian political leader pleads not guilty to sodomy charge
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim been bailed by a court in Malaysia afterpleading not guilty to charges of sodomy. His trial will begin on September 10th.


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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

-New Orleans APSA meeting boycott statement.
"Boycott and Support ACORN."
The states like Louisiana that are not just passing anti-gay laws but areactually changing their constitutions to enshrine homophobic exclusiondeserve a strong response, and the APSA ought to stand up and say no to suchbigotry and to injustice of all kinds. In addition, the APSA annual meetingdraws such a large number of participants that the unlikely event actuallydoes become a real possibility. We really do have to take the medical andlegal needs of our lesbian and gay members into account. For these reasons,I support the boycott of the New Orleans APSA meeting. At the same time,this is a boycott that will have an impact on a very special city.Post-Katrina, New Orleans is in desperate need of sound capital investment.It also needs sound democratic leadership, one that would treat the needs ofthe low income residents, rather than the demands for corporate development,as its first priority.
http://www.acorn.org/


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

-Introducing Your 2008 Equality Riders
Since 2006 a dynamic group of volunteers from our young adults division,Soulforce Q, has hit the road on an annual journey that changes hearts andminds at college campuses across the country. Today, I'm excited to sharewith you the words of Katie Higgins, who along with Jarrett Lucas, isdirecting this year's Equality Ride with keen focus and steelydetermination. Take some time to get to know the riders, our most diversegroup yet, and consider supporting them with a financial donation to help usunderwrite this important project. These young people are taking two monthsout of their lives, many of them interrupting their college education, inorder to bring truth and justice to those who need to hear that message themost. Sponsor the riders: http://www.soulforce.org/2008riders
http://www.soulforce.org/email_campaign/email_8_7_2008.html

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#####

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - August 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:

-Olympics Tracker - Interactive Schedule
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/05/sports/olympics/2008_OLYMPICS_TRACKER.html?pagewanted=all

-Russia Threatens Retaliation After Georgia Says It Fired on Planes
Sharp fighting in the disputed Caucasian enclave of South Ossetia threatenedto draw Russia and the American-backed republic of Georgia into directmilitary conflict.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/world/europe/09georgia.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

-Musharraf Won't Resign, Allies Say
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - President Pervez Musharraf will stage a spiriteddefense against impeachment charges the governing coalition is pursuingagainst him, and has no intention of resigning under pressure, his keyallies said Friday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/world/asia/09pstan.html?hp

-Political Memo: Roles of Clintons at Convention Start to Clear
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton asked the question herself, on the last nightof the primaries in June: "What does Hillary want?" That is still a bit ofa mystery, particularly as she and Senator Barack Obama negotiate thedelicate question of her role at the Democratic convention in Denver and inthe campaign beyond. But at least the convention role of one importantperson, former President Bill Clinton, has been settled with the decisionThursday that he would be speaking at the convention.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/us/politics/08clinton.html

-Fingerprint Test Tells What a Person Has Touched
With a new analytical technique, a fingerprint can now reveal much more thanthe identity of a person. It can now also identify what the person has beentouching: drugs, explosives or poisons, for example.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/science/08finger.html

-Date Set for Operation of Large Hadron Collider
Physicists, start your engines. Officials at CERN, the European Center forNuclear Research, outside Geneva, announced Thursday that their new particleaccelerator, the world's largest, would begin operation on Sept. 10. On thatdate, the physicists and engineers will make the first attempt to circulatea beam of protons around a 17-mile-long super-cooled underground racetrackknown as the Large Hadron Collider.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/science/08physics.html

-Know-Nothing Politics
Know-nothingism - the insistence that there are simple answers to everyproblem - has become the core of Republican policy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/opinion/08krugman.html?ref=opinion

-Where the Race Now Begins at Kindergarten
Parents who sent their toddlers to the well-regarded Mandell preschool onthe Upper West Side used to count on getting into the private school oftheir choice.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/nyregion/06private.html


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

-A Challenge on Darfur
Selection of refugee Lopez Lomong to carry U.S. flag in opening ceremoniesis a symbolic, defiant act.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080800009.html?hpid=topnews

-No Will To Drill
Why must there be a choice between encouraging conservation and increasingsupply?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080702900.html

-Texas's Disdain
In carrying out two executions, the state endangers Americans detainedabroad.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080702989.html

-Dazzling Display Launches Games
Performances chronicle China's 5,000-year history and temporarily drawattention away from the months of controversy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080801134.html?hpid=topnews

-Beijing's Games
The high political price of Olympic gold
THERE WAS a certain stage-managed quality to President Bush's mini-clashwith China over human rights this week. The words he employed were indeedstrong: "The United States believes the people of China deserve thefundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings," Mr. Bushdeclared. "So America stands in firm opposition to China's detention ofpolitical dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists." Yethe spoke these words not on Chinese soil but in democratic Thailand. Theycame near the end of a broader address in which the president touched onmany Asian subjects and offered countervailing praise for Chinesecooperation on international issues. The president released his text well inadvance, giving Beijing plenty of time to respond. "We firmly oppose anywords or acts that interfere in other countries' internal affairs, usinghuman rights and religion and other issues," the Communist governmentreplied -- and promptly returned to preparations for today's Olympic OpeningCeremonies, which Mr. Bush and other Western leaders will attend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080702969.html

-Bin Laden Driver Gets 51/2 Years; U.S. Sought 30
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -A former driver for Osama bin Laden wassentenced by a military jury Thursday to 5 1/2 years in prison forsupporting terrorism, a far shorter term than demanded by governmentprosecutors. The judge gave Salim Ahmed Hamdan credit for five years and onemonth of his pretrial incarceration at Guantanamo Bay, making him eligiblefor release from custody in five months.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080700248.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-EPA Denies Texas Temporary Easing Of Ethanol Rules
Agency Sees No 'Severe Economic Harm'
The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday denied a request by Texas totemporarily cut federal ethanol requirements for the nation's fuel supply,saying the state had not proved that the recent rise in corn prices isseverely hurting its economy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080702758.html


-White supremacists hope Obama win prompts backlash
They're not exactly rooting for Barack Obama, but prominent whitesupremacists anticipate a boost to their cause if he becomes the first lackpresident. His election, they say, would trigger a backlash _ whites risingup, a revolution of sorts _ that they think is long overdue.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080800414.html

-A Chance to Dispel Some Norse Myths
The Norwegian women's team handball practice attracted about the crowd you'dexpect when one of the best handball teams in the world takes the court fortraining. There were seven journalists from Norway, one from Finland and ablogger from The Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/05/AR2008080503632.html

-Labor leaders back Obama, but will members?
American labor leaders are urging their white working class members to putaside racial biases that could undermine Barack Obama's union-backed bid tobecome the United States' first black president. Recent elections haveshown Democrats with a populist message could rely on strong support fromunion households.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/08/AR2007080801427.html


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

-Megachurch and state can't hold as many screaming fans as the football stadium in Denver, where Sen. Barack Obama is to address an expected crowd of 75,000 on Aug. 28. Nor is it conveniently located near the scenic Mississippi River, like the arena in St. Paul, Minn., where Sen. John McCain is to take the stage a few days later. But the 3,000-seat auditorium at pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., does have one notable advantage: It's a stage that Obama and McCain recently agreed to share, at least for a little while, on Aug. 16.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/632574.html


-Miami: Man held on charge of threatening Obama
A man who authorities say kept weapons and military-style gear in his Miamihotel room and car is being held without bail on charges he threatened to assassinate presidential candidate Barack Obama.
http://www.miamiherald.com/979/story/632868.html

-No victory for justice
The trial and sentencing of Osama bin Laden's driver by a militarycommission at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, will never be considered a great momentin the history of American justice.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/633412.html


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Technology Review
http://www.technologyreview.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Rentech opens synthetic fuel plant in Colorado
Energy supplier Rentech Inc. says it has opened a synthetic diesel and jetfuel plant in Colorado which is now the only operating one of its kind inthe country. Los Angeles-based Rentech said Wednesday its demonstrationplant in Commerce City, Colo. is designed to produce 420 gallons a day -- amere trickle compared with the needs of airlines and trucking companies.Company officials said their natural gas-based fuel will be sold to theDepartment of Defense and private companies for further testing. Thattesting could lead to certifying the fuel for commercial use in the airlineindustry.
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=21202&channel=wire§ion


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-A Catharsis in Denver?
Don't kid yourself. With Hillary planning a 'Greek drama,' the Clinton-Obamarivalry will go on. For 40 years, conventions have just been big TV showsthat coronate nominees, and this year's festivities aren't going to be anydifferent. But the extraordinary closeness of the Democratic contest andrecent comments by Hillary and Bill Clinton have the media in a tizzy. Couldwe see a donnybrook in Denver after all?
http://www.newsweek.com/id/151388

-Obama forced to deal with Tenn. primary
Barack Obama was forced to involve himself in a racially divisive Memphiscongressional primary Thursday that pits a white liberal incumbent againstan African-American challenger who has connected the congressman to the KuKlux Klan.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12378.html

-Political Cycles
You're in a plane and you're flying over the campaign at a level of about10,000 feet, and you look down and see: Not much has changed. Battle linesfixed, topography the same, troops pretty much where they were.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121813852996621575.html?mod=todays_columnists

-White Supremacists See Hope In Obama Win
First Black President Would Trigger Backlash And Jar Whites Into Action,They Say
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/08/national/main4331869.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._4331869

-Pressure grows on Mayor Kilpatrick to step aside
Jailed and facing an uncertain future, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is undermounting pressure from City Hall to Lansing to step aside and end sevenmonths of scandal and commotion.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/METRO/808080376&imw=Y

-Hawaii and its multiracial society influenced Obama's view of the world andpolitics
The diverse culture of the nation's 50th state - and the island nature ofHawaii itself - shaped Barack Obama's view of the world and the politics hewould practice.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-obama-hawaii-influence,0,1928515.story

-Obama's Tactical Gift to McCain
There is now one question in American politics: With the Republican Party insuch bad shape -- measured by polls, voter registration and generalenthusiasm -- why isn't Barack Obama in better shape? (Most national pollsshow him slightly ahead.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080702899.html

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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - August 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.


~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Gay & Lesbian Community Center of
South Florida (GLCC) eVOICE

-CHOICES GROUP STARTING SOON
HIV+? Stressed by dating, sex, relationships or disclosure?
Join CHOICES! Living with HIV/AIDS can add unique stressors to life. Thefive-week CHOICES (Choosing Healthy Options & Improving CommunicationEffectivenesS) program helps men living with HIV build coping skills tohandle some of these challenges. We meet in small groups to discuss how tobuild healthy relationships, negotiate safer sex, lower stress and discloseHIV-status to family, friends and sex partners. These fun, interactivesessions use modern movie clips to launch small group discussions each week.We offer CHOICES groups both in English and en Español.
www.glccsf.org

-MIKE TROST HOSTS FUNDRAISING EVENT - SEPTEMBER 25
Mike Trost will host the second annual fundraising event at his home for theGLCC. Last year Mike raised $25,000 to support the programs and services ofthe GLCC. This year the goal is $40,000. Cost is only $100 to enjoy greatfood, drink, Silent Auction with great items, and much more. For moreinformation contact Robert Boo, Development Director, at 954.463.9005 or rboo@glccsf.org.
www.glccsf.org


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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Crist gives straight answer
Florida Governor announces support of Amendment 2
Gov. Charlie Crist's "live and let live" policy regarding the constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Florida is now a thing of the past.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/news/localnews/4929.cfm

-GLBT youth growing up
Pridelines expanding services, hiring new staff
Pridelines, the Miami-based organization serving GLBTQ youth, is searchingthe nation for a new executive director. Vivian Marthell, who previouslyheld that position, is stepping down from her position, and will continueworking with the organization as Program Director.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/news/localnews/4936.cfm

-Flex your political muscles
HRC Equality Weekend comes to South Florida
This is an election year, and every vote counts! The Human Rights Campaign,the largest national GLBT advocacy organization, is hoping to energize SouthFlorida voters with Equality Weekend, Thursday, Aug. 7 - Sunday, Aug. 10.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/2008/8-7/locallife/pulse/4945.cfm


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

Forwarded, thanks to Adrian Reesey
Candidate for Broward County Supervisor of Elections

-Interactive Ballot Guide - Broward and Palm Beach Counties
Find your races by entering your street address, city and ZIP code. Comparethe candidates.
http://www.thevoterguide.org/a-sun-sentinel/index.do?i=0


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

-Florida utilities face new requirements for renewable energy
Talking about renewable energy is nothing new in the Sunshine State, but thepush for cleaner energy could soon become a legal mandate. For the firsttime, Florida is about to require that part of the state's power come fromrenewable sources. The state has been promoting that idea with grants andtax exemptions for several years, but renewable power makes up less than 3percent of the total in Florida.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-0808renewableenergy,0,1685841.story

-Inflation eating up income gains in South Florida
Average paychecks rose 5.6% last year in South Florida
The good news is South Florida's per-capita income rose 5.6 percent lastyear, according to a report Thursday from the U.S. Commerce Department. Butdon't be too impressed. The bad news is that inflation ate up all of thatincrease and more.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzincome0808sbaug08,0,2434232.story

-Houses in S. Florida take longer to sell than anywhere else in the country
The U.S. housing downturn has hammered South Florida like few other placesnationwide. A surge in foreclosures and a decrease in the number ofqualified buyers have tested the patience of many sellers.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzdaysonmarket0808sbaug08,0,7949791.story

-Choose Ryan in Senate District 31
Eeney, meeny, miney ...In what appears to be a cut-from-the-same-cloth contest, voters in south central Broward County will have to choose betweenthree Democratic former state representatives vying to replace state Sen.Steven A. Geller, D-Cooper City, who can't run for re-election because ofterm limits.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editdlsd31sbaug07,0,1683522.story


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Heads up for hurricanes: NOAA predicts more storms
Calling conditions ripe for tropical development, U.S. governmentforecasters Thursday said the remainder of the 2008 Atlantic storm seasonshould be bustling, with as many as eight more hurricanes.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-a2canes0808aug08,0,7268886.story?track=rss

-Publix wastes not, recycles old food
Publix's unsold food is heading to a Pompano Beach recycling plant to be
turned into organic fertilizer
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/633202.html

-School Funding: Trust worth billions
Gov. Charlie Crist appears to be the trusting sort. He supports a propertyinsurance system that is severely underfunded and trusts that the state cansomehow acquire the billions if a hurricane hits.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/080808/opi_315487795.shtml

-Drug prices increase as much as 3,000%
Drug companies are quietly pushing through price hikes of 100 percent -- oreven 1,000 percent -- for a very small but growing number of prescriptiondrugs, helping drive up costs for insurers, patients and governmentprograms.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/NEWS01/808080343/1006

-Pornographic photos found on DJJ computer
Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman said Thursday a dozen detentionofficers have been fired in an investigation of pornographic images found ona state computer. Peterman called a news conference on the steps of hisdepartment headquarters to emphasize that no boys at the St. Johns RegionalJuvenile Detention Center were exposed to the materials. He said thepictures ranged from "suggestive" to "explicit," but that no pictures ofminors were among them.
http://floridacapitalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080808/CAPITOLNEWS/808080323&theme=

=

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#####

Thursday, August 07, 2008

GLBT DIGEST - August 07, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


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

-Vulnerable to H.I.V., Resistant to Labels
The 29-year-old is not gay. He wants that known. He did have sex with a manonce, but that was the result of loneliness and his hormones' being inoverdrive, he said, not because of any attraction to men. He suspects thatthe one encounter was responsible for giving him the virus that causes AIDS.But he is not gay no matter what anybody may think.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/world/americas/07mexico.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin


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

-Probe into Heath Ledger death closed: report
Federal prosecutors in New York have closed an investigation into the fatalprescription drug overdose of actor Heath Ledger without bringing charges,People magazine reported on its Web site on Wednesday. The report, citingan unidentified law enforcement source, also said the U.S. Attorney's Officewill not enforce a subpoena issued in the case by a federal grand juryagainst actress Mary-Kate Olsen.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080700814.html

-Catholic bishops endorse Calif. gay marriage ban
California's Roman Catholic bishops are urging parishioners to support afall ballot measure that seeks to overturn the court ruling that legalizedsame-sex marriage in the state. The California Catholic Conference issued astatement strongly encouraging parishioners "to provide both the financialsupport and the volunteer efforts needed for the passage of Proposition 8."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080700660.html

-Early Lessons Forgotten, AIDS Conference Told
Twenty-five years after AIDS was branded the "gay plague," the virus isagain exacting a disproportionate toll on men who have sex with men, notonly in the United States but also in countries where the epidemic is justemerging.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080602940.html

-Report: Anglican says gay relationships okay
In newly disclosed letters, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrotethat the Bible doesn't forbid same sex relationships when there is acommitment similar to traditional marriages, a British newspaper reportedThursday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080700768.html


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

-UN chief: End bias against gay men
Discrimination against men who have sex with men must end, and countriesmust gear up prevention programs against AIDS in this high-risk group, thesecretary general of the United Nations said Wednesday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/health/sfl-flaaids0807sbaug07,0,3600157.story

-World Naked Bike Ride
Sparsely clad cyclists ride on June 7, 2008, during World Naked Biking Dayin Copenhagen.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/custom/fringe/sns-green-naked-bikeday-pg,0,591429.photogallery


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Steve Rothaus
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/steve_rothaus/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Heddy Peña leaves SAVE to join Florida Red & Blue campaign against gaymarriage amendment
Political director and former executive director Heddy Peña has left SAVE(Safeguarding American Values for Everyone) to join the Florida Red & Bluecampaign to defeat Amendment 2.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/08/heddy-pea-leave.html

-Women's Business Networker @ Open Doors - 7300 Biscyane Blvd., Miami
The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, in association withPandora Events presents "A Designer Cocktail Event," this month's Women'sBusiness Networker on Thursday, August 7th @ Open Doors, 7300 BiscayneBlvd., Miami. Beginning at 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M., light beverages andcanapés will be served. $5.00 for MDGLCC members; $10.00 for prospectivemembers.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/08/womens-business.html

-6th annual Oakland (Calif.) International Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &Transgender Film Festival opens Aug. 14
Oakland, Calif. -- It was six years ago when festival producers DebraWilson and Joe Hawkins decided to do what many thought wasn't possible;create a film festival dedicated to showcasing films about the lives oflesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of African descent.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2008/08/6th-annual-oakl.html


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Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Closet case Crist flip-flops on marriage
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has flip-flopped on the issue of his state'sNovember ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage and now supports themeasure. It's just the latest transparent move by Crist to make himself morepalatable to GOP conservatives in the hopes of being picked as John McCain'srunning mate. He recently announced that he's engaged, after living all butseven months of his life single. Crist was briefly married in 1979. Bladereaders will recall that in 2006, Crist's primary opponent, Max Linn of theReform Party, outed him on a radio show. "Charlie, come out, come out fromwherever you are," Linn said on the radio show. Crist has repeatedly deniedthe rumors. When a Miami radio host asked Crist about the rumors two yearsago, he responded, "The point is, I'm not. There's the answer. How do youlike it? Not that there's anything wrong with that, as they say on Seinfeld.But I just happen not to be." But Linn claims that Crist's sexualorientation is an open secret in Florida, much like Mark Foley's was. "In myopinion, it's widely known throughout the Republican Party that Crist isgay," Linn said. Until this week, Crist had mostly stayed out of the debateover the Florida amendment, which is unnecessary because state law alreadybars same-sex couples from marrying. He adopted a "live and let live"approach to the issue. But with national Republican leaders now eyeing himmore closely, it was time to butch it up and, naturally, bash the gays. It'sunfortunate that Crist and other rumored closet cases (i.e. Lindsey Graham)refuse to learn from Foley and Larry Craig's mistakes.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=8/1/08&end=8/8/08#20164

-Tape Exposes Democratic Floridian Politico Rouson's Truly Anti-Gay Colors
Floridian politician Darryl Rouson may need to do some same-sex damagecontrol.
http://www.queerty.com/tape-exposes-floridian-politico-rousons-truly-anti-gay-colors-20080805/

-Televised Political Pundits Talk Gay
Gay-baiting previously played an enlarged role in American politics. We allremember the 2000 and 2004 elections, where culture warriors threw stones,Bibles and unholy words toward the lavender set. This year's already shapingup to different, what with the Iraq War and an economy in the toilet.
http://www.queerty.com/televised-political-pundits-talk-gay-20080806/

-The Gays, logo, demographics: Can Logo Survive With Gays 2.0?
The Viacom-owned gay network recently did some "who the hell is ouraudience, anyway?" market research and came up with some fairly interestingnumbers. One such data point: "Less than half of gay people want to live inthe city and a majority want to live in suburbia or small-town America.Regardless of where they want to live, 58 percent want to live closer toother gay people." Really! But the gays always live in the city. The SouthEnd of Boston would be a dump if it weren't for them. But, I guess the timesthey are a blah blah. The second half of that data poses some problems forthe folks polled, as there aren't too many already-established gay suburbanor small-town enclaves. I mean, there are only so many Northamptons in thisworld, eh? But, those could be good numbers for Logo.
http://gawker.com/5033456/can-logo-survive-with-gays-20

-Many states miss goal for gay inclusion at Dem convention
But total number of gay delegates is up from 2004
Many states that aimed to boost gay representation at the 2008 DemocraticNational Convention are falling short of their voluntary goals, according tonumbers from the National Stonewall Democrats.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20191

-Tenn. church rampage suspect eyes insanity defense
Adkisson targeted church for liberal views, acceptance of gays
An unemployed truck driver accused in a fatal church shooting plans aninsanity defense for the rampage that left two people dead and six wounded,his lawyer said Wednesday.
http://www.expressgaynews.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=20190

-Mexican court reinstates fired pos soldier
The soldier from Jalisco, removed from his job after 20 years of service when he tested HIV-positive, is reinstated with back pay by a federal court.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20080805/co_po/mexicancourtreinstatesfiredpossoldier


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

-Archbishop's letters contradict current gay position
(London) Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams' current call for amoratorium on both consecrating gay bishops and holding blessings forsame-sex unions appears to belie his earlier writings on the.

-Firefighters in gay bias case leave dept.
Three volunteer firefighters who were accused of homophobia by a gay couplein a multi-million dollar lawsuit have resigned. Peter de Vries, 55, andTimothy Carter, 45, won a $2.8 million judgment against the town last monthin court. The jury also ordered the town to pay $2 million in legal fees.

-Transwoman robbed bank to fund sex change
A transwoman is facing up to 20 years behind bars after being convicted by afederal jury of bank robbery. Add The woman was charged and tried underher birth name - Jimmy Maurice Lewis II - of robbing the Alabama CreditUnion in Huntsville. Police said that Lewis intended to use the money fromthe robberies to finance her sex reassignment surgery.


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

-Obama Supports Right of Same-Sex Couples to Adopt
Barack Obama has expressed his support for same-sex couples' right to adoptchildren, according to the Family Equality Council. The group had sought tolearn the presidential candidates' positions on the topic, and only Obamaresponded. However, John McCain has previously expressed his opposition toadoption by gays in a July 13 New York Times article.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid58998.asp

-Kansas Candidate Loses Primary After Her Sexuality Becomes Issue
Inga Taylor, a lesbian from Wichita, Kan., lost the Democratic primary forthe state's 84th district house seat on Tuesday to a woman who made acampaign issue of Taylor's sexuality. Gail Finney, a marketing consultantwho's also the vice chair of the local Democratic Party, wasn't as wellfunded or organized, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, whichendorsed and financially supported Taylor, a medical assistant. But in thelast days of the campaign, Finney and her supporters took issue withTaylor's sexual orientation and her ties to the "East Coast" -- the VictoryFund is based in Washington, D.C. -- in a coordinated mail, e-mail, andphone campaign.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid58974.asp

-Maryland to Vote to Remove Trans Protections
Conservatives in Maryland are hoping a referendum will pass that intends toreverse a Montgomery County law protecting transgender people fromdiscrimination.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid59020.asp

-Far-Right Christian Group Targets Paterson on Gay Marriage
Conservative legal group the Alliance Defense Fund will face off in the NewYork supreme court on Thursday against Gov. David Paterson about hisexecutive order to recognize out-of-state gay unions. The group is citingthe definition of the word marriage according to the online edition of theMerriam-Webster dictionary, claiming that legal recognition of same-sexmarriages would "undermine the democratic process and force taxpayers tofund benefits for same-sex couples," The New York Sun reports.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid59003.asp

-Canada Pledges Additional $45 Million to Fight AIDS
Canadian health minister Tony Clement announced at the 17th InternationalAIDS Conference in Mexico City that his country will spend $45 million tofight the spread of HIV in Africa. These funds will be on top of the $515million Canada has pledged to fight HIV globally over the past three years.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid58997.asp


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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Gay In Gay Mag Takes Strong Stand Against Gay Sex Site
In the new issue of Out, Michael Joseph Gross takes on the thing that gayguys sort of refuse to but also can't stop talking about: the hookup siteManhunt. The website, founded in 2001, claims a million members, with400,000 uniques a month-and a stupendously long time-per-visitor, onaverage, 40 minutes. (The New York Times would kill for that.) They get30,000 new members a week, and that is a lot of horny gays. How do thosenumbers stack up in gayland? Matt Foreman, former executive director of theNational Gay and Lesbian Task Force, notes with some awe that Manhunt'smembership is "larger than the membership of every major gay politicalorganization combined."

-Scandalous, Sexy, and Disturbingly Humorous
Website Captures All New Audience
The Lacuna Group, LLC announced today the launch of an innovative sitecatching fire in the Lesbian Community, an honest and bitingly humorouswebsite examining celebrities, pop culture, products, from the uniqueperspective of women who dig women. No other website has done it to thiscaliber. From the funny yet true entry that states boldly that "Angelina washotter when she banged chicks," (that includes pictorial support), to thedownright honest assessment that dental damns suck but should be used..thiswebsite seems to have gained crossover appeal because of its humor andhonesty, and well, sexiness. The blog has edge, but is right on the mark.See what all the fuss is about at www. grrlplanet.com

-Human Rights Groups Petition Iran for Release of HIV/AIDS Doctors
A coalition of AIDS and human rights organizations that includes Physiciansfor Human Rights (PHR) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) has launched a campaignto free two Iranian physicians, Drs. Arash Alaei and Kamiar Alaei. Thedoctors, who are brothers, are active in HIV/AIDS education, prevention andtreatment in Iran. According to international news reports, Iraniansecurity forces detained the Drs. Alaei in late June, 2008 and are holdingthem incommunicado. The doctors' whereabouts remain unknown. On Sunday, theAssociated Press and Agence France-Presse cited Iranian news reports statingthat the brothers have been charged with participating in "a velvetrevolution," partly due to their activities at international AIDSconferences, such as the one currently taking place in Mexico City. Dr.Arash Alaei had been slated to speak here Thursday.


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

-Earlier this summer, we saw images of committed, loving couples dedicatingtheir lives to each other in marriage. But our opponents are doingeverything they can to pass Prop 8, which threatens to ban marriage for gayand lesbian couples. They've promised to spend over $10 million to denymillions of Californians the fundamental freedom to marry. We can't letthem win this November. Get involved at www.NoOnProp8.com.

-"Some Canada Anglicans may reject same-sex moratorium"
There seems little chance that all Canadian Anglican clergy will honor themoratorium on blessing same-sex unions requested by the worldwide Anglicancommunion. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, leader of the globalAnglican church, warned on Sunday that the 80-million-member church would be"in grave peril" if the U.S. and Canadian branches did not agree tomoratoriums on same-sex blessings and on the ordination of gay bishops.But the head of the Canadian church, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, told Reuters ina phone interview on Wednesday it would be especially tough for BishopMichael Ingham of the British Columbia diocese of New Westminster to haltthe homosexual blessings altogether.

-Dana Rudolph: Obama Builds LGBT Family Expertise
Senators Obama and McCain have very different views of LGBT families, as Imentioned Monday. Yesterday, I received an e-mail from Obama's campaignabout the expansion of his LGBT leadership team. It only adds to his statusas the candidate committed to LGBT families. There will be five newnational co-chairs of Obama Pride, which will build grassroots support forObama in the LGBT community. One is Marsha Botzer, who co-chairs the SafeSchools Coalition, an organization aimed at making schools safer foreveryone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. She was alsoco-chair of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Board (2005-6), afounding member of Equal Rights Washington, founder of Seattle's IngersollGender Center, and works with Seattle's Pride Foundation.

-Analysis: "Gay-Baiting '08"
The day after the 2004 presidential election, Stephen Colbert appeared onThe Daily Show to give his analysis of just how George W. Bush defeated JohnKerry. "Eleven states approved anti-gay marriage ballot initiativesyesterday," he said earnestly. "Clearly, our deep national fear of hotman-on-man monogamy drove turnout among the nation's so-called valuevoters." Starting in 2000, reaching a peak in 2004, and in 2006 promptingJon Stewart to comment, "It's as though marriage in our country is onlythreatened during even-numbered years," the invocation of gay rightsissues - serving in the military, protection from employment discrimination,and the biggest threat of all, marriage equality - has been the stuff notjust of political humor but of political advertising and cable news punditryas well.


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

-DEA orders actress to answer questions about Heath Ledger's drugs
America's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a subpoena torequire actress Mary-Kate Olsen to testify in front of a grand jury.

-Lesbian politician to co-chair Obama LGBT committee
With the US Presidential race tightening, Barack Obama is stepping up hisefforts to reach out to the gay and lesbian community.

-Less than 1% of civil partnerships ending in 'divorce'
Figures obtained by PinkNews.co.uk show that so far less than 250 lesbianand gay civil partnerships have ended in a dissolution.

-Rowan Williams "a prisoner of the Lambeth mafia" claims gay activist
Peter Tatchell has accused the Anglican church of accommodating homophobesin a way it would never do with racists or anti-Semites.

-Anglican leader criticises church for making gays feel "rejected"
Anglican leaders need to correct the wrongful impression that the Churchrejects gay and lesbian people, the Archbishop of Wales said yesterday.

-'God Hates Fags' sect to picket show about their founder
Alistair Newton, playwright and director of The Pastor Phelps Project: AFundamentalist Cabaret, has invited the show's inspiration, homophobicpastor Fred Phelps, to the opening night.

-Schwarzenegger to decide on honour for assassinated gay politician
The Governor of California has been sent a bill that would make theanniversary of the birth of Harvey Milk a "day of significance" in the state's educational institutions.

=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - August 07, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


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

-Panel Convicts bin Laden Driver in Split Verdict
Salim Ahmed Hamdan was convicted of one war crime but acquitted of anothercharge, arguably more serious, in the first military trial at Guantánamo Bay.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/washington/07gitmo.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

-German City Wonders How Green Is Too Green
A town's decision to require solar-heating panels has prompted a debate overecological good citizenship. The ordinance, the first of its kind inGermany, will require solar panels not only on new buildings, which fewerpeople oppose, but also on existing homes that undergo renovations or getnew heating systems or roof repairs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/world/europe/07solar.html?hp

-Editorial: Guilty as Ordered
Now that was a real nail-biter. The court designed by the White House andits Congressional enablers to guarantee convictions of high-profiledetainees in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba - using evidence obtained by torture andsecret evidence as desired - has held its first trial. It produced ... aguilty verdict.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/opinion/07thu1.html?ref=opinion

-The Energy Drill
While John McCain was never violently opposed to offshore drilling, he hasnow embraced it as if it is not only the solution to our energy problems,but also the key to eternal salvation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/opinion/07collins.html?ref=opinion

-China's Leaders Are Resilient in Face of Change
One Olympic byproduct is an upsurge in patriotism that has bolstered theCommunist Party against criticism.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/sports/olympics/07nationalism.html?hp

-Pakistan Moves to Impeach Musharraf
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's ruling coalition, led by the party of slainformer prime minister Benazir Bhutto, announced on Thursday it would beginimpeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/news-pakistan-politics.html?hp

-Is Obama the End of Black Politics?
Forty-seven years after he last looked out from behind the bars of a SouthCarolina jail cell, locked away for leading a march against segregation inColumbia, James Clyburn occupies a coveted suite of offices on the secondand third floors of the United States Capitol, alongside the speaker and theHouse majority leader. Above his couch hangs a black-and-white photograph ofthe Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in Charleston, with the boyishClyburn and a group of other men standing behind him onstage. When I visitedClyburn recently, he told me that the photo was taken in 1967, nine monthsbefore King's assassination, when rumors of violence were swirling, andsomewhere on the side of the room a photographer's floodlight had just comecrashing down unexpectedly. At the moment the photo was taken, everyonepictured has reflexively jerked their heads in the direction of the sound,with the notable exception of King himself, who remains in profile, staringstraight ahead at his audience. Clyburn prizes that photo. It tells thestory, he says, of a man who knew his fate but who, quite literally, refusedto flinch.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/magazine/10politics-t.html

-Family's Donations to McCain Raise Questions
The Jordanian business partner of a prominent Florida businessman, who hasraised more than $500,000 for Senator John McCain, appears to be at thecenter of a cluster of questionable donations to his presidential campaign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/us/politics/07mccain.html


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

-Activists Pierce China's Security Apparatus
Intense effort to block protests that would mar Olympic Games challenged byforeigners bent on diverting attention to a wide variety of issues.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/07/AR2008080700555.html?hpid=topnews

-Obama Too Soft for Some
Democratic strategists worry candidate hasn't hit back hard enough inresponse to McCain's attac
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080603707.html?hpid=topnews

-Power Grab
Venezuela's Hugo Chávez launches a new attack on his country's freedoms. ONLY NINE months ago, Venezuela's voters rejected President Hugo Chávez'sproposed rewrite of the Venezuelan constitution. In addition to making Mr.Chávez de facto president for life, the changes would have given him thepower to supplant locally elected governors with his own appointees, disposeof the reserves of the central bank and, perhaps most ominously, create anew "Bolivarian Militia" answerable not to the Venezuelan army's chain ofcommand but directly to him. The defeat, followed soon after by embarrassingrevelations of his support for Marxist guerrillas in Colombia, seemed tohave a chastening effect on the Venezuelan strongman. He withdrew aprovocative domestic spying plan and even called on the Colombian guerrillasto make peace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080602793.html

-Video link: In China, a New Architectural Identity
A robust economy and massive population migration are fueling a buildingboom across the country. But what the rash of new structures says aboutchanging Chinese society may be as important as the buildings themselves.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/interactives/chinabuildings/index.html?hpid=artslot

-The Olympic Battle to Watch
So the Olympics in Beijing are not just a battle between athletes but abattle between systems, huh? So it's not just shot-putters and crew jocks,bicyclists and divers, sprinters and ping pong paddlers. It's democraticcapitalism (US) vs. authoritarian capitalism (THEM). It's war by any othermeans, huh?
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/08/the_battle_of_the_titans.html

-Bush's Drilling Ban: It's Not So Easy
There are some people who would claim that President Bush's announcementabout lifting a presidential ban on drilling in offshore areas currently offlimits has had something to do with the recent drop in oil prices. The othernight, a friend asked me if this was true. The short answer is: no.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/energywire/2008/08/bushs_drilling_ban_its_not_so.html

-The Trail: Obama Muslim Coordinator Resigns
Barack Obama's national Muslim outreach coordinator has resigned amid acontroversy of over his connections to a man who the Justice Departmentnamed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the racketeering trial last year ofseveral alleged Hamas fund-raisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080601081.html?hpid=sec-religion


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

-THE OPPENHEIMER REPORT: Little hope for U.N. rights council
What a joke! The United Nations' brand new Human Rights Council AdvisoryCommittee held its first session this week in Geneva and -- as unbelievableas it looks -- elected a Cuban official to chair the 18-country group.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/columnists/story/631994.html


=
Express Gay News
http://www.expressgaynews.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Paris Punks the Politico
John McCain thought he was taking a nice shot at Barack Obama when hecompared the Democrat to a celebrity-fueled fad akin to Paris Hilton. Ofcourse, just like Paris herself, any mention of the Paris Hilton name isn'tgoing to go away any time soon. Despite what her foes may say, it can besaid Miss P knows how to take a joke-and, more importantly, how to play itoff to her advantage. Witness the brilliance of her hilarious response, onwww.funnyordie.com:
http://www.expressgaynews.com/blog/index.cfm?type=blog&start=8/6/08&end=8/8/08#20186


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

-When Universities Run Schools ... Into the Ground
In the 1990s, a number of universities got into the business of runningcharter schools, with compelling plans to match the vast intellectualresources of their faculty with the educational and social service needs ofimpoverished communities. A decade in, the University of South Florida hasgiven up the ghost.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/07/charter

-Facebook Profile Meets Catholic Values (and the Campaign)
It's 2008, and Web 2.0 has been around for a few years. The potential ofonline phenomena to disrupt political campaigns - the ubiquity of activistswith video recorders, say, or the likelihood that even a "private" personalpage will eventually find its way into an opponent's hands - is a fact oflife grasped by most political candidates. And their families.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/08/07/facebook


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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-China's Olympic Moment
An Enthusiastic China Welcomes the Games
Publics around the world are showing signs of apprehension about China'sgrowing economic power, its role in foreign affairs and the safety of theproducts it exports. But the Chinese people are confident that the 2008Summer Olympics in Beijing will change the way their country is viewed. Readmore

-No Longer in the News, Earthquake Survivors Face a Painful Recovery
Media focus in China turned away weeks ago from the May 12 earthquake to theOlympics, but a journey through the heart of the destruction reveals theimmense task faced by the people of Sichuan, already poor, to recreate theirlives. Read more

-How the World Sees China... And How China Sees Itself
With the Olympic Games beginning, PewResearch.org highlights its most recentChina-related reports, covering Chinese public opinion, religion and mediatrends. Read more

-Celebrity Jeopardy
Obama Fatigue: Half Say They Are Hearing Too Much About Him
While John McCain closed the gap in campaign news coverage last week, BarackObama still enjoyed much more visibility in the eye of the public. But 48%say they've heard too much about the Democratic nominee and a plurality saythey've heard too little about his opponent. Read more

-Spears and Hilton Raise McCain Coverage Even With Obama
A spasm of introspection by the media, amid a wave of accusations that theywere being unfair to the GOP standard bearer, combined with a controversialad to generate equal coverage of the two candidates. Read more

-Online Observations
Search Soars, Challenging Email as a Favorite Internet Activity
The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports on the growing usage ofsearch engines by internet users, and which groups are more likely to usesearch tools. Read more

-Daily Number
6 of 10 - Travel Advisory
Comparing the U.S. Commerce Department's list of most-visited nations in2007 and Pew Global Attitudes surveys reveals that in six of their 10 mostpopular foreign destinations Americans are well-liked; opinion is mixed ornegative in three nations, and ratings are not available for one country.Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more


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Local10.com
http://www.local10.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Detroit Mayor Ordered To Jail
Kwame Kilpatrick Violated Terms Of Bond
A judge on Thursday ordered Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to Wayne CountyJail for failing to notify the court of his trip to Canada and violating theterms of his bond. Circuit Court Judge Ronald Giles said he needed to treatKilpatrick as any criminal defendant and immediately sent him to jail,WDIV-TV in Detroit reported. The judge found that the mayor violated theterms of his bond by not informing the court before taking his Canada trip.
http://www.local10.com/news/17120571/detail.html?treets=mia&tml=mia_natlbreak&ts=T&tmi=mia_natlbreak_1_09530308072008

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FLORIDA DIGEST - August 07, 2008

**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.


~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~

Congregation Etz Chaim Announces High Holy Days Food Drive
The Board of Directors of Congregation Etz Cham has announced plans for itsAnnual Food Drive to benefit the Poverello Food Center. The Congregationorganizes the Food Drive each year as part of its observance of the JewishHigh Holy Days. The Poverello Food Center, located on Wilton Drive inWilton Manors, serves the nutritional needs of People Living with HIV/AIDS.People who would like to contribute to the Food Drive should bringnon-perishable food items to Etz Chaim's Kol Nidre or Yom Kippur services,which are being held at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1550 N.E. 26Street, in Wilton Manors, on Wednesday, October 8, at 8 p.m. and Thursday,October 9, at 10 a.m. This Annual Food Drive is coordinated by theSynagogue's Tzedakah & Tikkun Olam Committee, which in Hebrew means Charityand Repairing the World.
For more information contact CEC at (954) 564-9232


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-Sneaky school amendments might pull fast one on Florida voters
Patricia Levesque, the executive director of former Gov. Jeb Bush'seducational think tank, took time out from maternity leave to ask me aquestion on Wednesday. "Why is it that the same Catholic school that can'tteach a 5-year-old using an opportunity scholarship voucher can teach a4-year-old in a [state-backed pre-kindergarten] program?" she said fromTallahassee.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbmayocol0807sbaug07,0,5052331.column

-Non-Hispanic whites leaving Broward, Palm Beach counties
Non-Hispanic whites are leaving Broward and Palm Beach counties in droves.Meanwhile, the dramatic growth of Hispanics and other minority groups hasslowed.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbcensus0807sbaug07,0,345294.story

-South Florida personal bankruptcies nearly double from just a year ago
Using the local bankruptcy court as a barometer, individuals are hurtingmore than businesses in South Florida. Total bankruptcies in the U.S.Bankruptcy Court's Southern District of Florida, which includes MonroeCounty north to Indian River County, have nearly doubled in July from a yearago. Most of them, 1,731 to be exact, were personal bankruptcies rather thanbusiness filings.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzbankruptcy0807sbaug07,0,200400.story

-Broward voting machines go through their final test
Voting machines go through their final test before primary
Broward County officials did a final test run of the county's new votingequipment Wednesday, making sure the paper ballots and optical scanners workthe way they're supposed to.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbvotingtest0807sbaug07,0,6023941.story

-Bartleman the choice in School Board at-large District 9.
In her first term on the School Board, Robin Bartleman worked hard toestablish a hands-on reputation with a public that is often far fromenamored with the board. An at-large member, Bartleman spent plenty of timein schools, at construction sites and meeting with teachers to learn aboutproblems and then try to get them solved.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgsschoolboard9sbaug06,0,7346238.story


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

-Crew may still have a job, but at what cost?
It's rarely a good idea to dredge up quotes from Clarence Thomas'confirmation hearing. Better to avoid raising questions about foreignsubstances on Coke cans and any variation of Justice Thomas' indignantcharge that he was the victim of a ``high-tech lynching.'' Rudy Crewunabashedly reprised the infamous lynching hyperbole as he fended offefforts to oust him from the Miami-Dade superintendent job Monday night. Butthere was nothing high-tech about the attempt to fire Crew. Justold-fashioned demagoguery of the low-tech kind.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/columnists/story/631914.html

-For Broward County Commission, District 7
The Miami Herald recommends JOHN RODSTROM.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/631992.html

-For Broward County Commission, District 9
The Miami Herald recommends JOSEPHUS EGGELLETION JR.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/631973.html

-Hispanic vote keeps on growing
For Sen. Barack Obama, winning Florida is not essential, but it'sstrategically important. In 1988, then Vice President George H.W. Bush'schief strategist, Lee Atwater, when told that the Democrats could not winthe presidency without California, answered, ''That is exactly why I wantit.'' If Obama carries Florida on Nov. 4, there is no way Sen. John McCaincan become president.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/631985.html


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Local10.com
http://www.local10.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Smart Signs Sync Driving Times
Starting this morning, Miami-Dade commuters will get a little help timingtheir commute. Smart signs are being unveiled today on I-95, 195, and thePalmetto Expressway from I-75 to the Golden Glades Interchange. You mayhave noticed the signs being tested recently. The signs were turned on alongparts of 595 last month. The system uses sensors on the side of the highwayto pick up the number of vehicles on the road and how fast they are goingand then estimates the time of your commute.
http://www.local10.com/print/17118554/detail.html

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Wednesday, August 06, 2008

GLBT DIGEST - August 06, 2008

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