**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:
-Gay Marriage in Connecticut: The Backlash
After California's Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal earlier this year, opponents of gay marriage rushed to support a referendum to reverse the ruling. That referendum, Proposition 8, is now the subject of a heated political campaign. The Connecticut Supreme Court's decision last week to legalize gay marriage is prompting its own backlash. In November, Connecticut voters will weigh in on a ballot question asking whether they want a state constitutional convention. The question is put to Connecticut voters every 20 years.
http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/gay-marriage-in-connecticut-the-backlash/?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse
-Rape Victims' Words Help Jolt Congo Into Change
Congo, it seems, is finally facing its rape problem, which has been called the worst sexual violence in the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/world/africa/18congo.html?scp=1&sq=Rape%20Victims%92%20Words%20Help%20Jolt%20Congo%20Into%20Change&st=cse
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-A Faith's Dwindling Following
The Rev. Robert Duncan, 60, is not a Lutheran, but he is a Luther, of sorts. The former Episcopal bishop of Pittsburgh has, in effect, said the words with which Martin Luther shattered Christendom and asserted the primacy of individual judgment and conscience that defines the modern temperament: "Ich kann nicht anders" -- I cannot do otherwise.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702529.html
-Ex-Gays Have Rights, Too
David S. Fishback of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays advocates keeping books that challenge homosexuality out of Fairfax County Public Schools libraries because he doesn't like what the books say about such issues as reparative therapy for homosexuality [letter, Oct. 15]. Yet ex-gay men and women are a fact of life, and trying to keep them out of sight won't work anymore. Contrary to Mr. Fishback's claims, no medical or mental health association prohibits therapy for unwanted same-sex attractions. Indeed, the associations adhere to a code of ethics that calls for client self-determination of therapy, whether it be gay-affirming therapy or change therapy. The ex-gay movement is a civil rights movement to ensure the safety and inclusion of former homosexuals in all realms of society and to support ex-gay people's equal access to schools and other public venues.Let's move forward toward diversity and not backward into narrow-minded thinking.
REGINA GRIGGS
Executive Director
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays
Reedville, Va.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702934.html
-Mormon group protests church's gay marriage stance
A group of Mormons who support gay marriage delivered protest letters and bundles of carnations to church headquarters Friday in an appeal to end the church's support of a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage in California.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703446.html
-Chef who stabbed, seasoned victim guilty of murder
LONDON -- A British chef who sliced and seasoned bits of his victim's flesh after a frenzied knife attack was found guilty of murder Friday. A court in the northern English city of Leeds took less than 2 1/2 hours to convict Anthony Morley, 36, the first winner of the "Mr. Gay UK" title in 1993.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101701947.html
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-EQUALITY: Respect gay, abortion rights
Do you remember the New Yorker cartoon showing a couple in their living room reading the newspaper? ''Gays and lesbians getting married,'' reports the husband to his wife, whereupon he adds, ``Haven't they suffered enough?'' This was an arch and ironic commentary on the image of a beleaguered minority actually trying to break into an institution. Last week it happened again. Connecticut became the third state, after Massachusetts and California, to let homosexuals break into the institution of marriage. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that even in a state with civil unions, separate wasn't equal. Anything less than marriage violated equal protection laws.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/731095.html
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Obama campaign speaks of HIV/AIDS epidemic
Obama/Biden news release:
On a conference call with reporters on Thursday, leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS discussed how an Obama-Biden administration would provide real leadership to combat the epidemic and particularly its disproportionate impact on LGBT and African Americans. While there are many public health issues facing America, Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden will finally provide the kind of leadership on HIV/AIDS prevention, research and treatment that all Americans deserve.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-Video | 'One Man, One Woman' ad in favor of Florida marriage amendment
Yes2Marriage.org news release:
http://www.yes2marriage.org/
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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The Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Students clash over funding request for gay event
President refused based on 'his beliefs'
A gay college group in Colorado Springs is clashing with the school's student president because he refused to approve a funding request, saying it was against his "personal beliefs." The group representing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgenger students says the decision by junior David Williams hindered planning for a campus observance of National Coming Out Day this week at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21787
-Janet returns in top form
Rock Witchu Tour features non-stop hits
After postponing a string of shows due to illness, Janet Jackson returned in top form Wednesday night to her Rock Witchu Tour at Washington's Verizon Center. If she was suffering any lingering effects of the migraines and vertigo that plagued her over the past two weeks, it wasn't apparent Wednesday night, as Jackson danced her way through nearly two-and-a-half hours of hits and their accompanying energetic, complex choreography.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21769
-Group demands W.Va. session to ban gay marriage
Governor's office says law already in place
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21761
-I am not HIV: identity beyond diagnosis
HIV/AIDS activist strips power from his blood test results
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/view/editorial/5164.cfm
-Honesty amidst smoke and mirrors
It's not often that people in the entertainment world come out as bisexual. So I give props to Ted Casablanca for having the courage to tell his readers that he's bi. A gossip columnist tracking all things Hollywood, Casablanca has long been publicly recognized as gay. But he clarified things today when he came out in his column as bi. He identified "as a bisexual man" and referred to bisexuality as "a very real sexual station in life for many" people.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=21812
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Corvino: Scared in California
If the election were held tomorrow, it's quite likely that gays would lose marriage in California. That's California, our most populous state, home of San Francisco and Nancy Pelosi and the liberal Hollywood elite. What progressive California giveth, progressive California may taketh away.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-scared-in-california/
-Three equality riders arrested in Alabama
Three Equality Riders were arrested for trespassing today at Heritage Christian University. They were on campus to deliver letters describing their personal experiences and advocating for the safety and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.
http://www.365gay.com/news/three-equality-riders-arrested-in-alabama/
-Evangelicals are in the news, but not in newsrooms
Here is a foolproof way for politicians to score points with evangelical voters: Attack the media, an institution widely seen as lacking conservative Christian voices.
http://www.365gay.com/news/evangelicals-are-in-the-news-but-not-in-newsrooms/
-Evangelist in court for transporting minors for sex
Evangelist Tony Alamo appeared in court Friday for a five-minute hearing on a federal charge accusing him of transporting minors across state lines for sex.
http://www.365gay.com/news/evangelist-in-court-for-transporting-minors-for-sex/
-Fla. anti-marriage group begins ad campaign
A group attempting to constitutionally ban gay marriage in Florida began an advertising campaign today that warned gay activists were trying to scare voters.
http://www.365gay.com/news/fla-anti-marriage-group-begins-ad-campaign/
-Gay-friendly rental car companies
Last summer, my partner and I flew to North Carolina for a friend's wedding. When we arrived at the Avis counter to pick up our rental car, I asked if I could add her as an additional driver, and was told it would cost $35. As the woman behind the counter ran my credit card, she casually drawled, "Yep. It's thirty-five dollars unless you're co-workers, spouses or domestic partners." My partner and I exchanged a look and I knew we were both thinking the same thing: "Is it worth thirty-five dollars to convince someone that we're gay? In public? In a red state?"
http://www.365gay.com/features/gay-friendly-rental-car-companies/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Ellen Buys $100K in Airtime for No on 8 PSA
On the heels of an announcement that talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres would be starring in her own PSA urging Californians to vote against Prop. 8 comes the news the gay community has been waiting for -- she's giving money to the campaign by paying for the ad to air on television.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63964.asp
-Video Takes Aim at Arkansas's Divisive Act 1
A new video challenging the merits of Arkansas's Act 1 -- a ballot measure that would bar unmarried couples, including gay couples, from adopting children or being foster parents -- has hit YouTube.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63939.asp
-Obama Campaign Unveils Plan to Fix Underfunded HIV/AIDS Programs
Sen. Barack Obama's campaign held a conference call Thursday intended to highlight his policy prescriptions for combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic -- including increased funding for research, care, and prevention as well as developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy within the first year of his administration.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63934.asp
-The Battle Over Florida's Amendment 2
In the midst of an ugly battle, something beautiful is happening in Florida. Despite a too-close-to call battle over Amendment 2 -- which would go further than California's Prop. 8 by stripping away all legal protections for unmarried couples, gay or straight -- LGBTs are organizing in hanging-chad, butterfly-ballot, nail-biter, presidential-election-decider Florida.
By Nadine Smith
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63909.asp
-Fort Lauderdale Mayor's Race Heats Up With Two Gay Candidates
Remember the Fort Lauderdale mayor who wanted to spend $230,000 on a "robo-toilet" to cut down the number of men who have sex with men in public restrooms? His name is Jim Naugle, and after 18 years in office, come spring 2009, the homophobic mayor will bid adieu to City Hall. Two gay men are seeking to take his place and, in aligning themselves with Barack Obama's bid for the White House, hoping to make Florida a blue state in 2008.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63845.asp
-Congress, Washington Culture to Blame for Foley Vindication
Lane Hudson became a household name when he revealed to the Human Rights Campaign that he was the anonymous blogger who exposed the scandal that brought down congressman Mark Foley. Now he responds to Advocate writer James Kirchick's analysis of how the Foley investigation led to the shamed lawmaker being vindicated of all crimes.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63877.asp
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay and Lesbian Medical Association launches Marriage Equality Initiative
Link: Pam's House Blend
by Pam Spaulding
We always see studies touting the benefits of marriage in terms of health and wellness; it's wonderful to see medical professionals speak out to educate why those mental and physical health benefits should be available to gay and lesbian couples. (GLMA): According to its newly published report, "Same-Sex Marriage and Health," there is a positive correlation between same-sex marriage and health and wellness. Same-sex marriage also confers important protections for the children of gays and lesbians. Many mainstream healthcare professionals societies have endorsed same-sex marriage, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, California District; the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.
-Religious leaders rally to shoot down Florida marriage ban
Link: Miami Herald
A coalition of religious leaders from across Florida joined forces Thursday to speak against a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. Florida Clergy for Fairness, a group of interfaith clergy, say that Amendment 2 is mean-spirited and an infringement upon the religious freedoms of all Floridians.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Thousands attend funeral of right-wing but gay Austrian politician Joerg Haider
Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets of the Austrian city of Klagenfurt for the funeral of the fascist politician Joerg Haider who died in a car crash a week ago.
-Mum's tribute to son murdered and cooked by Mr Gay UK
The mother of the man killed, cooked and eaten by a former Mr Gay UK winner has spoken of her special bond with the son she tragically lost.
-Europe cannot impose recognition of same-sex partnerships says EU Commissioner
The man responsible for the new EU directive on discrimination has said that it is up to individual member states whether or not to legally recognise gay and lesbian relationships.
-Dutch court hears evidence from victims of 'HIV gang'
The trial of three men accused of deliberately injecting others with HIV-infected blood has heard testimony from some of their alleged victims.
-I know a dozen gay professional footballers claims retired player
A former professional football player has told a forum on homophobia he knows of a dozen gay men at the top of the game.
-Police told to avoid arresting people having sex in parks
New guidelines for police officers on how to deal with public sex have recommended they avoid "knee jerk" reactions to people cottaging, dogging and cruising.
-Spanish military LGBT activist releases gay calendar
Albert Marchena and made history by being part of the first ever same-sex civil ceremony to take place between two military men in Spain in 2006.
-Gays motivated by greed, Ugandan bishop tells school
Bishop of Mukono Eria Paul Luzinda claimed that homosexuality is increasing in Uganda, and that this increase can be blamed on a desire for wealth.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-k.d. lang's 'Watershed' Moment
By DYANA BAGBY
She's a Buddhist vegetarian lesbian. And k.d. lang is also quite the soulful singer and songwriter, with her latest album, "Watershed," marking her first album of original work since 2000. Dubbed a "Canadian chanteuse," lang, 47, began her career in country music and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her 1989 album, "Absolute Torch and Twang" during her "cowpunk" early years. Music legend Roy Orbison then tapped lang to collaborate with him on his masterpiece, "Crying," and the duet earned the pair a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, also in 1989. But it was in 1992 with "Ingénue" that lang hit her stride and gave her loyal fans and a large new fan base a peek deep into her psyche with the stirring "Constant Craving," perhaps her best-known song. That song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and propelled her into greater mainstream success. Read more
-Riley Hopes to be GA's First Openly Gay State Senator
By MATT SCHAFER | Southern Voice
Tim Riley could make history on Nov. 4, but that hasn't been a focus of his campaign. A candidate for the District 47 seat in the Georgia Senate, Riley has been quietly running as an openly gay man and said it hasn't been an issue in his largely rural district. Senate District 47 includes half of Athens/Clarke County and large swaths of the surrounding countryside, including the small towns of Jackson and Madison. "To be honest with you, no one is fighting me on gay issues, and I think finally, finally we are opening up," Riley said. "I'm just very hopeful that the tide is changing slowly but surely." If successful, Riley would become Georgia's first openly gay state senator and the first openly gay man in the state legislature. State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Georgia's first and currently only openly gay state lawmaker, is unopposed in her bid for a fifth term. Read more
-Catholic Women March in Rome for Female Priesthood
By ALESSANDRA RIZZO | Associated Press Writer | Omaha World Herald
ROME (AP) - Catholic women seeking to become priests denounced the church's ban on female ordination as sexist and unjust, bringing their campaign close to the Vatican on Wednesday during a worldwide gathering of bishops. The small group of women representing Catholic organizations from around the world marched across the Tiber River close to St. Peter's Square, some wearing signs with the names of prominent women in the early days of the Roman Catholic Church. "Ordain Women! Ordain Women!" the woman chanted. They later tried to deliver a petition to the Swiss Guards at the Vatican, but nobody came to pick it up. Aisha Taylor, the executive director of the Women's Ordination Conference in the United States, said the women wanted to call attention to the issue during the synod, a meeting of 253 bishops under way. But the Vatican is not likely to drop its long-standing prohibition on women in the priesthood.
Read more
-Iranian Queer Railroad Launched
By: DOUG IRELAND | Gay City News
Arsham Parsi, a gay sexual refugee living in Toronto, (seen here at right accepting this year's Felipa Award from IGLHRC, alongside Chilean trans activist Andrès Ignacio Rivera Duarte) is pressing the fight to help queer Iranian refugees find suitable resettlement Arsham Parsi, a gay sexual refugee living in Toronto, (seen here at right accepting this year's Felipa Award from IGLHRC, alongside Chilean trans activist Andrès Ignacio Rivera Duarte) is pressing the fight to help queer Iranian refugees find suitable resettlement.
Arsham Parsi, the well-known Iranian gay activist, has announced the launch of the Iranian Queer Railroad (IRQR), a new organization designed specifically to help the growing number of LGBT Iranians forced to leave their country by the violently homophobic policies of the ayatollahs' theocracy. Homosexuality is a capital crime in Iran. Parsi, 28, founded the first Iranian gay group, the Persian Gay and Lesbian Organization (PGLO), in 2004 while still living in Iran. With the police on his tail for his gay activism, Parsi fled to Turkey in 2005, where he continued his work to publicize the plight of LGBT Iranians, and eventually was granted asylum as a sexual refugee by Canada, where he moved two years ago and changed the name of the PGLO to the Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO).
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Iran: IGLHRC Welcomes Moratorium on the
Death Penalty for Juveniles
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) welcomed the announcement this week by the Deputy Attorney General of Iran that judicial authorities would put a moratorium on the death penalty for juveniles. The moratorium will take effect immediately, with plans to seek final parliamentary approval. "The ban on juvenile execution is an important human rights development for sexual minorities, particularly those perceived to be gay," said IGLHRC executive director Paula Ettelbrick. "All too frequently, young Iranian men have been executed as juveniles after being charged with sodomy and other sexual crimes. This is a positive step toward improving human rights in Iran." Over the past several years, IGLHRC has documented cases in which juveniles were executed based on allegations including sodomy charges. In July 2005, two teenage boys, Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni, were hanged in public, allegedly for sodomy and rape. Both teenagers were juveniles at the time when the events happened, and one was believed to have been a juvenile at the time of his execution. In December 2007, Iran executed Makvan Mouloodzadeh, a 21-year-old who was accused of committing anal rape (ighab) with other young boys when he was 13 years old.
http://www.iglhrc.org
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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
-Free Comprehensive Florida VOTER Guide nowavailable for whole state....please use it!
http://www.eqfl.org/ElectionCenter/
-Do Babies Matter in Science?
A true measure of gender equity in academe would look at both the career and family outcomes of female Ph.D.'s
http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=ZynxddZm9tbs3NCqGjSGqrHxccdDxztn
-Joerg Haider was drinking in a gay bar before he crashed
The Austrian far-Right politician Joerg Haider was seen drinking in a gay bar shortly before his fatal car crash.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/3217869/Joerg-Haider-was-drinking-in-a-gay-bar-before-he-crashed.html
-Judge Dismisses Transgendered Model's Sex Assault Claim Against Financier
A Manhattan judge has thrown out a sexual assault suit filed by a 24-year-old transgendered model against financier Jeffrey Epstein on statute-of-limitations grounds. State Supreme Court Justice Edward H. Lehner rejected plaintiff Maximilia Cordero's motion to toll the statute on the basis of her insanity, finding that her ability to function within society demonstrated she was not "insane" under the state guidelines.
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425327649&pos=ataglance
-Maryland Sex Offenders Must Post 'No Candy' Signs
Really want to scare the bejesus out of your neighbors this Halloween? Consider posting the sign at right, which the Washington Times reports was recently sent in the mail to all registered sex offenders in Maryland. The paper signs began arriving last week in the mailboxes of the roughly 1,200 violent and child-sex offenders across the state with a letter explaining how they are to comport themselves on Oct. 31. "Halloween provides a rare opportunity for you to demonstrate to your neighbors that you are making a sincere effort to change the direction of your life," the letter states.
http://dcist.com/2008/10/15/maryland_sex_offenders_must_post_no.php
-The Right to be Left Alone 07; Age of Consent
The right to sexual freedom is regulate in all states. In some states it is not just age of consent but also what one is allowed to do sexually in their given state. There is nothing so fundamental then a human being and his or her sexuality. To some it is the God given right to procreation to others a way of enjoying a deeper since of self, but no matter why or how one choices to have sex it is important to understand just what is allowable even in the privacy of our own beds. The right to be left alone in one's own bed or with the consent of one's partner is regulated as are many of the rights bestode upon the citizen by the state. Check out the following link on the right of the age of consent; A list by country and state:
http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm
-Two Britons Sentenced to Prison for Their Public Display of Affection
Two British citizens were found guilty on Thursday of having sex in public and were sentenced to three months in prison to be followed by deportation. Hassan Matar, a lawyer for the defendants, Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors, left, said they would appeal. Under the laws of the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a part, the maximum sentence for sex outside of marriage is a year in prison and the minimum is three months. "The verdict shows that the judge was convinced that they did not have sexual intercourse, but he punished them for the indecent act of kissing," Mr. Matar said. Dubai is a popular destination for European tourists, but it also adheres to some strict Islamic rules, among them a ban on sex out of wedlock.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/world/middleeast/17briefs-TWOBRITONSSE_BRF.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y&oref=slogin
-Gay Hate in Miami Beach
A condo association rejects a dream tenant and his partner.
Miami Beach, Tower 41 Condominium
The call came in to Tower 41 Condominium, a salmon-pink set of buildings on Pine Tree Drive, on February 22, 2006. Why, asked real estate broker Ricardo Herran, had his client's application to live there been rejected? In a hushed voice, a curly-haired secretary told him: "It's two men.... Residents are conservative." Herran's client, Steven Bloomfield, is gay. He is also a dream tenant. The slight, bespectacled 48-year-old makes six figures, has stellar credit, and is about as imposing as a granny in a rocking chair. "My face got hot with humiliation and rage," he says. "I felt like a piece of shit."
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2008-10-16/news/gay-hate-in-miami-beach?src=newsletter
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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-I found this article about a transgendered teacher. Is amazing how accepting kids can be but adults always have an issue with what they don't understand.
http://www.kcra.com/cnn-news/17714619/detail.html
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From Ron Mills
http://RonMills.us
-On the October 17 episode of MSNBC's Hardball, Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota claimed that Barack Obama and other members of Congress share anti-American views. To Watch The Video and sign the petition go to
http://RonMills.us
-Top Tampa GOP Figure Circulates Joke About Killing Obama
Al Austin, a longtime, high-level Republican fundraiser from Tampa, today sent to his list of political contacts an e-mail containing a joke that refers to the assassination of Barack Obama. When asked about the e-mail, Austin said it was a mistake and apologized and that he wouldn't knowingly have circulated it. He said he planned to send an apology and retraction to the same e-mail list. if you can not access the above link go to http://BrowardForChange.com
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Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-The Soulforce Q Equality Ride launched on October 1, 2008. This year it will focus on the South, journeying to fifteen schools of various denominations, including some faith-based historically black colleges and universities. True to its purpose of going where it is needed, the 2008 Equality Ride will visit both undergraduate schools and graduate level seminaries. Come meet the new Equality Riders and read what they have to say about this exciting project! More on the Equality Ride - Meet the 2008 Riders -Donate to the Ride - 2008 Equality Ride Route - Blogging from the Road - Video from Liberty
http://www.soulforce.org/index.php
-Equality Ride Under Attack by Mississippi Newspaper -- Write Your Letter Today
The Soulforce Equality Ride needs your help. The Clinton News in Clinton, Mississippi has published an inaccurate and dismissive commentary suggesting that the Equality Riders "like to get arrested" and that publicity "fuels their anger."
http://www.soulforce.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=35882&N=617&L=1919&F=H
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
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Saturday, October 18, 2008
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 18, 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:
-Obama's Ad Effort Swamps McCain and Nears Record
Barack Obama is using an advertising campaign of unrivaled scale and complexity to outadvertise John McCain nationwide by at least four to one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/politics/18ads.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Is Anybody Happy?
Americans are in a very low state about the presidential election. Once again we've hit that magic moment when both sides are sure they're going to lose.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18collins.html?ref=opinion
-Climbing Down the Ladder
BOB HERBERT
Losing a home to foreclosure is a disaster for anyone, but it's a catastrophe for older people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18herbert.html?ref=opinion
-Last-Minute Mischief
All presidents indulge in end-of-the-term environmental rule-making. President Clinton's rules were mostly good. Not surprisingly, most of President Bush's proposals are not. [...] Exhibit A is a set of six resource management plans covering 11 million acres of federal land in Utah. They would open millions of acres to oil and gas drilling and off-road vehicles, risking priceless cultural artifacts and some of the most breathtaking open spaces in America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18sat1.html?ref=opinion
-Nov. 5, 2008
CHARLES M. BLOW
A perfect storm of poor judgments has set the stage for a Barack Obama victory. On Nov. 5, he will be one of the most powerful presidents in recent American history.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18Blow.html?ref=opinion
-Water and What Else?
Until bottled water companies are required to release pertinent information about what's in their water, consumers shouldn't waste their money.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18sat3.html?ref=opinion
-Bush Aides Say Religious Hiring Doesn't Bar Aid
CHARLIE SAVAGE
In a newly disclosed legal memorandum, the Bush administration says it can bypass laws that forbid giving taxpayer money to religious groups that hire only staff members who share their faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/washington/18discrimination.html?hp
-Behind McCain, an Outsider Wanting Back In
Cindy McCain is pursuing a return to Washington, "a harsh town" that she has said does not suit her.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/politics/18cindy.html?hp
-Beluga Whale Protection Bolstered; Palin Objects
The federal government on Friday placed beluga whales that live in Cook Inlet in Alaska on the endangered species list, rejecting efforts by Gov. Sarah Palin and others against increased protection.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/18beluga.html
-Justices Block Effort to Challenge Ohio Voters
The United States Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court's order requiring state officials in Ohio to supply information that would have made it easier to challenge prospective voters. The decision was a setback for Ohio Republicans, who had sued to force the Ohio secretary of state, a Democrat, to provide information about database mismatches to county officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/washington/18scotus.html
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Thousands Erroneously Tagged Ineligible to Vote
Flaws in new federally-mandated state voter registration systems spur lawsuits and escalating partisan battles leading up to Election Day. [...] The scramble to verify voter registrations is happening as states switch from locally managed lists of voters to statewide databases, a change required by federal law and hailed by many as a more efficient and accurate way to keep lists up to date.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703360.html?hpid=topnews
-A Dangerous Rage
Colbert I. King
Do those catcalls at McCain-Palin rallies represent a dominant strain or dying breed? Tell a rabid audience that Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" (as Palin has done), imply that Obama is friendly with people out to destroy America (as she also has done) and what do you expect? The ugliness is stunning.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702496.html
-Saving the Desert From Bush
Tom Kenworthy
The president wants to hand it over to oil companies and off-roaders.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702386.html
-Barack Obama for President
The Washington Post endorses the Democratic senator from Illinois.
THE NOMINATING process this year produced two unusually talented and qualified presidential candidates. There are few public figures we have respected more over the years than Sen. John McCain. Yet it is without ambivalence that we endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president. The choice is made easy in part by Mr. McCain's disappointing campaign, above all his irresponsible selection of a running mate who is not ready to be president. It is made easy in larger part, though, because of our admiration for Mr. Obama and the impressive qualities he has shown during this long race.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101603436.html
-Scare Talk on Taxes
The gotcha tactics of the campaign trail are preventing a rational discussion of how to spread the burden. AS A POLITICAL matter, it's not a great idea to announce that asking rich people to pay taxes is patriotic (Joseph R. Biden Jr.) or to tell Joe the Plumber that he should just spread the wealth (Barack Obama). So it's no wonder that the McCain campaign was quick to pounce on these supposed gaffes. But for all the hyperventilating, does John McCain really disagree with either of these statements?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702936.html
-House Ethics Committee Investigates Fla. Democrat
The House ethics committee announced yesterday that it intends to interview Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) about his settlement of a sexual harassment allegation made by a female aide with whom he had an extramarital affair.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703056.html?hpid=moreheadlines
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The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pakistan's army says it has killed at least 60 militants in an offensive against insurgents in the country's northwest. The military said in a statement Saturday the militants were killed Friday evening when the security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery targeted militant hideouts in troubled Swat valley.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122430304706347345.html
-The Axis of Moscow
It's lonely out there for Vladimir Putin. Where would Russia be without Daniel Ortega? Even more isolated than the Kremlin now finds itself after its August adventure in Georgia.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122428250434746035.html
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain fosters offensive attacks
My 401(k) is down $21,000 since the end of September. And John McCain thinks I should be worried about William Ayers. Not to put too fine a point on it, but these are strange days. And it's difficult not to empathize with the Arizona senator, who has spent these last weeks flailing like a man trying to hit a fastball in the dark
http://www.miamiherald.com/leonard_pitts/
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: The Acorn Story
In Wednesday night's debate, John McCain warned that a group called Acorn is "on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history" and "may be destroying the fabric of democracy." Viewers may have been wondering what Mr. McCain was talking about. So were we.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17fri1.html
-Iglesias: "I'm Astounded" By DOJ's ACORN Probe
David Iglesias says he's shocked by the news, leaked today to the Associated Press, that the FBI is pursuing a voter-fraud investigation into ACORN just weeks before the election. "I'm astounded that this issue is being trotted out again," Iglesias told TPMmuckraker. "Based on what I saw in 2004 and 2006, it's a scare tactic." In 2006, Iglesias was fired as U.S. attorney thanks partly to his reluctance to pursue voter-fraud cases as aggressively as DOJ wanted -- one of several U.S. attorneys fired for inappropriate political reasons, according to a recently released report by DOJ's Office of the Inspector General.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/iglesias_im_astounded_by_dojs.php
-Op-Ed Contributor: Buy American. I Am.
THE financial world is a mess, both in the United States and abroad. Its problems, moreover, have been leaking into the general economy, and the leaks are now turning into a gusher. In the near term, unemployment will rise, business activity will falter and headlines will continue to be scary.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
-Obama has strategic edge in waning days of election
John McCain's answer to the first question in Wednesday night's debate was an acknowledgment that "Americans are hurting right now, and they're angry." He said it twice, so there could be no missing the message. Barack Obama quickly agreed. "Everybody understands at this point that we are experiencing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression," he said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6063428.html
-Wasserman Schultz: Sarah Palin "the most unqualified candidate for VP that I've ever seen''
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic congresswoman and mother of three from Weston, said she respects Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as a busy working mom, but "my admiration for her stops there.'' Palin is the mother of five and governor of Alaska. "I can tell you, it's not easy doing it every day,'' Wasserman Schultz said. "So with five kids, the kind of high profile job she has as governor and how much work she has, I admire her for that. But you know my admiration for her stops there.''
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/us_rep_wasserman_schultz_sarah.html
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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:
-Obama's Ad Effort Swamps McCain and Nears Record
Barack Obama is using an advertising campaign of unrivaled scale and complexity to outadvertise John McCain nationwide by at least four to one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/politics/18ads.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
-Is Anybody Happy?
Americans are in a very low state about the presidential election. Once again we've hit that magic moment when both sides are sure they're going to lose.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18collins.html?ref=opinion
-Climbing Down the Ladder
BOB HERBERT
Losing a home to foreclosure is a disaster for anyone, but it's a catastrophe for older people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18herbert.html?ref=opinion
-Last-Minute Mischief
All presidents indulge in end-of-the-term environmental rule-making. President Clinton's rules were mostly good. Not surprisingly, most of President Bush's proposals are not. [...] Exhibit A is a set of six resource management plans covering 11 million acres of federal land in Utah. They would open millions of acres to oil and gas drilling and off-road vehicles, risking priceless cultural artifacts and some of the most breathtaking open spaces in America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18sat1.html?ref=opinion
-Nov. 5, 2008
CHARLES M. BLOW
A perfect storm of poor judgments has set the stage for a Barack Obama victory. On Nov. 5, he will be one of the most powerful presidents in recent American history.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18Blow.html?ref=opinion
-Water and What Else?
Until bottled water companies are required to release pertinent information about what's in their water, consumers shouldn't waste their money.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/opinion/18sat3.html?ref=opinion
-Bush Aides Say Religious Hiring Doesn't Bar Aid
CHARLIE SAVAGE
In a newly disclosed legal memorandum, the Bush administration says it can bypass laws that forbid giving taxpayer money to religious groups that hire only staff members who share their faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/washington/18discrimination.html?hp
-Behind McCain, an Outsider Wanting Back In
Cindy McCain is pursuing a return to Washington, "a harsh town" that she has said does not suit her.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/politics/18cindy.html?hp
-Beluga Whale Protection Bolstered; Palin Objects
The federal government on Friday placed beluga whales that live in Cook Inlet in Alaska on the endangered species list, rejecting efforts by Gov. Sarah Palin and others against increased protection.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/us/18beluga.html
-Justices Block Effort to Challenge Ohio Voters
The United States Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court's order requiring state officials in Ohio to supply information that would have made it easier to challenge prospective voters. The decision was a setback for Ohio Republicans, who had sued to force the Ohio secretary of state, a Democrat, to provide information about database mismatches to county officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/washington/18scotus.html
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Thousands Erroneously Tagged Ineligible to Vote
Flaws in new federally-mandated state voter registration systems spur lawsuits and escalating partisan battles leading up to Election Day. [...] The scramble to verify voter registrations is happening as states switch from locally managed lists of voters to statewide databases, a change required by federal law and hailed by many as a more efficient and accurate way to keep lists up to date.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703360.html?hpid=topnews
-A Dangerous Rage
Colbert I. King
Do those catcalls at McCain-Palin rallies represent a dominant strain or dying breed? Tell a rabid audience that Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" (as Palin has done), imply that Obama is friendly with people out to destroy America (as she also has done) and what do you expect? The ugliness is stunning.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702496.html
-Saving the Desert From Bush
Tom Kenworthy
The president wants to hand it over to oil companies and off-roaders.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702386.html
-Barack Obama for President
The Washington Post endorses the Democratic senator from Illinois.
THE NOMINATING process this year produced two unusually talented and qualified presidential candidates. There are few public figures we have respected more over the years than Sen. John McCain. Yet it is without ambivalence that we endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president. The choice is made easy in part by Mr. McCain's disappointing campaign, above all his irresponsible selection of a running mate who is not ready to be president. It is made easy in larger part, though, because of our admiration for Mr. Obama and the impressive qualities he has shown during this long race.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101603436.html
-Scare Talk on Taxes
The gotcha tactics of the campaign trail are preventing a rational discussion of how to spread the burden. AS A POLITICAL matter, it's not a great idea to announce that asking rich people to pay taxes is patriotic (Joseph R. Biden Jr.) or to tell Joe the Plumber that he should just spread the wealth (Barack Obama). So it's no wonder that the McCain campaign was quick to pounce on these supposed gaffes. But for all the hyperventilating, does John McCain really disagree with either of these statements?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101702936.html
-House Ethics Committee Investigates Fla. Democrat
The House ethics committee announced yesterday that it intends to interview Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) about his settlement of a sexual harassment allegation made by a female aide with whom he had an extramarital affair.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703056.html?hpid=moreheadlines
=
The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pakistan's army says it has killed at least 60 militants in an offensive against insurgents in the country's northwest. The military said in a statement Saturday the militants were killed Friday evening when the security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery targeted militant hideouts in troubled Swat valley.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122430304706347345.html
-The Axis of Moscow
It's lonely out there for Vladimir Putin. Where would Russia be without Daniel Ortega? Even more isolated than the Kremlin now finds itself after its August adventure in Georgia.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122428250434746035.html
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-McCain fosters offensive attacks
My 401(k) is down $21,000 since the end of September. And John McCain thinks I should be worried about William Ayers. Not to put too fine a point on it, but these are strange days. And it's difficult not to empathize with the Arizona senator, who has spent these last weeks flailing like a man trying to hit a fastball in the dark
http://www.miamiherald.com/leonard_pitts/
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: The Acorn Story
In Wednesday night's debate, John McCain warned that a group called Acorn is "on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history" and "may be destroying the fabric of democracy." Viewers may have been wondering what Mr. McCain was talking about. So were we.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17fri1.html
-Iglesias: "I'm Astounded" By DOJ's ACORN Probe
David Iglesias says he's shocked by the news, leaked today to the Associated Press, that the FBI is pursuing a voter-fraud investigation into ACORN just weeks before the election. "I'm astounded that this issue is being trotted out again," Iglesias told TPMmuckraker. "Based on what I saw in 2004 and 2006, it's a scare tactic." In 2006, Iglesias was fired as U.S. attorney thanks partly to his reluctance to pursue voter-fraud cases as aggressively as DOJ wanted -- one of several U.S. attorneys fired for inappropriate political reasons, according to a recently released report by DOJ's Office of the Inspector General.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/iglesias_im_astounded_by_dojs.php
-Op-Ed Contributor: Buy American. I Am.
THE financial world is a mess, both in the United States and abroad. Its problems, moreover, have been leaking into the general economy, and the leaks are now turning into a gusher. In the near term, unemployment will rise, business activity will falter and headlines will continue to be scary.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
-Obama has strategic edge in waning days of election
John McCain's answer to the first question in Wednesday night's debate was an acknowledgment that "Americans are hurting right now, and they're angry." He said it twice, so there could be no missing the message. Barack Obama quickly agreed. "Everybody understands at this point that we are experiencing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression," he said.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6063428.html
-Wasserman Schultz: Sarah Palin "the most unqualified candidate for VP that I've ever seen''
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic congresswoman and mother of three from Weston, said she respects Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as a busy working mom, but "my admiration for her stops there.'' Palin is the mother of five and governor of Alaska. "I can tell you, it's not easy doing it every day,'' Wasserman Schultz said. "So with five kids, the kind of high profile job she has as governor and how much work she has, I admire her for that. But you know my admiration for her stops there.''
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/us_rep_wasserman_schultz_sarah.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - October 18, 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~~
Florida - Early voting starts Monday!
Avoid the confusion of long lines on November 2 - vote early!!!!
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Equality Florida
Pick up your FREE Equality Florida Customized Voter's Guide Today!
We've polled over 1,000 candidates.
We've convened statewide and local endorsement committees
We've created customized voter's guides for all 67 counties in Florida
http://www.eqfl.org/ElectionCenter/
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Dolphin Democrats
www.dolphindems.org
-There is a new feature on The Broward SOE website now that permits an inquiry from any one to verify if they are registered and at what address. There are two ways to see it. It's on the Home page under the Register To Vote section and in the middle of the Home page with the link Check Your Registration Status. Check it out. www.browardsoe. org
-Deadline to request an absentee ballot is Wednesday, October 29, 2008
-Voter Information Card is recommended but not required to vote.
-A Broward County voter can vote at any one of our 17 early voting sites.
-Postage for the absentee ballot is $1.17.
-In a general election, a voter can vote for the candidate of their choice,
no matter their political party affiliation.
-Campaign season is in full swing and voter turnout is expected to break all records! With early voting and vote-by-mail available, we're trying to help people make sure their votes are counted and educating them on these opportunities. The last thing we want on election day is a surprise that people weren't allowed to vote. We need your help. Please volunteer this weekend for two great events: The first is Bubba's Country Fair at Scandals Saloon in Wilton Manors Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, with shifts between 11 am and 7 pm.
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GLCC - Ft. Lauderdale
http://glccsf.org/
-GLCC Fundraiser!!
Help us raise funds for the GLCC while you shop!
Your participation in our fundraising is critical to help us achieve our finanancial goals. We have now made it easier than ever. Just visit our on-line store at www.shoptoearn.net/glcc. Every purchase you make sends a donation to the GLCC. We have teamed up with over 500 retailers you love! Just purchase items through our site, you get your products and we earn cash. That is it! Everybody wins. The holidays are right around the corner. If you are buying anything on-line, visit our site first.
http://www.shoptoearn.net/cgi-bin/genesis.exe/index.html?p_get_webid=glcc
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Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-The Gay and Lesbian Business Committee and Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera
Bower Invite you to Come Out October 19, 2008 1 PM to 4 PM. Locals and
Gay-friendly businesses will unite in Flamingo Park for the kickoff event
for Gay Pride, April 18, 2009.
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Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission Campaign
Justin@justinflippen.com
954-610-9100
Wilton Manors City Commission candidate Justin Flippen has been endorsed by the Broward County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and Equality Florida. The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale has also voted to recommend Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission.
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This afternoon!!
Join Us For Our Statewide Day of Action!
Saturday, October 18 2:00-6:00pm
Locations Throughout the State!
(Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Gainesville, St. Pete, Tampa, Daytona, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee)
Saturday, October 18 2:00-6:00pm
It's all hands on deck! Polls show that we are very close to defeating Amendment 2 and we have less than 3 weeks to reach millions of Florida voters- and the time has come for everyone to step up! This Saturday we'll be in your community and we need you to join us. With less than 3 weeks until Election Day and early voting set to begin next Monday, Saturday is our best opportunity before November 4th to reach Florida voters with our message to vote NO on Amendment 2. Join the Vote No on 2 Campaign and hundreds of other volunteers as we go door-to-door to inform voters about the dangers of Amendment 2, the so-called "Marriage Protection" Amendment. Water, snacks and campaign materials will be provided. If you have a Vote No on 2 t-shirt, wear it! If not, please wear a plain white shirt and we will provide you with a sticker and/or pin. Click here to do your part! Remember, in these last few precious days before the Election it is only your dedication and hard work that can lead us to victory. More and more Floridians understand that it is wrong to deny people the legal right to take care of their loved ones. They are no longer fooled by cynical political tactics that let bigotry be the means for an even more destructive end. Your conversations will keep the momentum moving in our direction and help us defeat this mean-spirited measure.
Time is running out, step up today!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/dayofaction/details.tcl
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Gary Resnick for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
RESNICK RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS FROM BROWARD COUNTY AFL-CIO, QUALITY FLORIDA AND MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS,
Wilton Manors Florida
Commissioner Gary Resnick, Candidate for Mayor of Wilton Manors, is pleased to announce the endorsements of Broward County AFL-CIO, Equality Florida Action PAC and many prominent local, county and state elected officials. Some of those supporting Resnick include State Senators Steven A. Geller and Nan Rich, State Senator Elect Chris Smith, State Representatives Perry Thurston, Jim Waldman and Martin Kiar, Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, Mayors Rae Carole Armstrong (Plantation), Lori Moseley (Miramar), Jack Brady (North Lauderdale), Beth Talabisco (Tamarac), Debby Eisenger (Cooper City), Joy Cooper (Hallandale Beach) and Frank Ortis (Pembroke Pines). Equality Florida, a statewide education and advocacy organization announced their endorsement of Gary Resnick for Mayor of Wilton Manors. Equality Florida works to eliminate all discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and class.
http://www.garyresnick.com/
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sexual preference is irrelevant in adoptions
October 17, 2008
I am not sure the writer of the letter, "Gay adoption ban moral must," realizes that in his argument against homosexual adoption, he actually provides the very reasons why it should be allowed. Does he believe there are not heterosexual parents who have sexual preferences that he might consider unacceptable? Yes, what is important is that you are a good parent. Your sexual preference is irrelevant.
Niki Wilson, Boca Raton
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-pbmail996sboct17,0,2064032.story
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video | 'One Man, One Woman' ad in favor of marriage amendment
Yes2Marriage.org news release:
TALLAHASSEE- -Today at the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee, Yes2Marriage.org Chairman John Stemberger announced the launch of the "One Thing" television spot. The spot portrays the beauty of Marriage and how it is the exclusive human institution that "Passes Life to the Next Generation." The "One Thing" television ad also informs voters about the true legal purpose and meaning of Amendment 2, the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment. http://www.yes2marriage.org/
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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-12th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner
Fundraiser for Dade Community Foundation LGBT Fun; NGLTF
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is throwing a party this weekend, and all of South Florida is invited! The 12th Annual Recognition Dinner, one of the most important events on the South Florida GLBT social calendar, takes place tonight at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami. As the saying goes, everybody who is anybody will be there.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#21815
-2008 Best of Gay South Florida:
The envelope please...
Welcome to the 2008 Best of Gay South Florida awards. After weeks of voting and thousands of entries, we have compiled the list of winners in four categories. "Day Life" is the most general category, as it includes personal endeavors like shopping and spas and such, as well as community organizations and charities. "Night Life" centers mainly on bars and clubs, as well as the people who make the South Florida scene extra-special. "Sex Life" highlights our voters' favorite naughty pursuits, awarding the places where it feels so good to be bad. And then "Food" should be self-explanatory, with awards going to favorite restaurants.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/arts/cover/5179.cfm
-GLBT religious activists arrested in WPB
Six members of Soulforce a gay Christian activist organization were arrested in West Palm Beach Monday when the protesters attempted to enter a chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Since 2006 Soulforce members have led protests at Christian Universities to help secure safe environments and rights for LGBT students. About 16 members showed up at PBAU Monday to engage students in a dialogue. The organization reported that their bus was vandalized the night before the protest, claiming that a large object had been thrown through the bus's door and two windows had been shattered.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/news/localnews/5159.cfm
-Stonewall Library gets new 20-yr lease
Broward County Commissioners on Tuesday approved extending a 20-year lease to the Stonewall Library's new location at the Art Serve building. The extension comes one year before the current lease expires. But the archives and library need to secure the long-term lease to qualify for a $100,000 matching grant from the Community Foundation of Broward. According to Stonewall president Nate Klarfeld the grant combined with the new lease means the community could count on the library's future. "It means we don't have to worry about things for a long while," said Nate Klarfeld, Stonewall's
president. "We are totally secure."
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/news/localnews/5161.cfm
-Dear Mayor Naugle: I find you 'troubling'
Letter to FTL mayor brings disturbing, but predictable, response
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/view/editorial/5165.cfm
-Fort Lauderdale Mayor's Race Heats Up With Two Gay Candidates
Remember the Fort Lauderdale mayor who wanted to spend $230,000 on a "robo-toilet" to cut down the number of men who have sex with men in public restrooms? His name is Jim Naugle, and after 18 years in office, come spring 2009, the homophobic mayor will bid adieu to City Hall. Two gay men are seeking to take his place and, in aligning themselves with Barack Obama's bid for the White House, hoping to make Florida a blue state in 2008.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63845.asp
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida's unemployment remains at 6.6 percent in September, maintaining 14-year high Palm Beach County has region's highest rate; Broward's also up sharply Unemployment in Florida remained at 6.6 percent in September, but it's still the highest jobless rate in 14 years, the state Agency for Workforce Innovation said Friday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzjobless1018sboct18,0,5798461.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Rep. Mahoney admits affairs, says he broke no laws
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, embroiled in an adultery scandal and a tight race for re-election, admitted Friday to having at least two affairs but insisted he broke no laws and will not resign. The first-term Democrat conceded that one of the affairs began as he was running on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill as teenagers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/730575.html
-CAMPAIGN 2008 | REPUBLICANS
FIU gives John McCain a hearty welcome
John McCain was cheered by an enthusiastic, predominantly Hispanic audience at Florida International University.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/731111.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Will Sunshine State Sway Red Or Blue?
CBS Evening News: Why Florida Is One Of The Final Battleground States Lifelong republican Jim Piccillo always thought he'd vote for John McCain. But as the Florida housing market crashed, so did the mortgage company he worked for. Two months ago, he lost his job.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/17/eveningnews/main4530305.shtml?source=RSS&attr=HOME_4530305
-CAMPAIGN 2008 |ENVIRONMENT: Obama favors Everglades restoration
Candidate Barack Obama promised increased funding for the Everglades, a Tamiami Trail bridge, and cleaner rivers and beaches -- but no money details.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/729592.html
-Broward senator to head biotech panel
State Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Parkland, was named today to lead the Task Force for the Study of Biotech Companies.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/broward_senator_to_head_biotec.html
-Sheriff's race is the hottest election in Broward
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/sheriffs_race_is_the_hottest_e_1.html
-Incendiary sign in McCain office links Obama to dictators
Among the images that greeted visitors to the John McCain campaign office in Pompano Beach this week was a sign headlined "Barrack Hussein Obama" that compared the Democratic presidential candidate to Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro. Shown a picture of the sign Thursday night, Broward Republican Chairman Chip LaMarca said he was "disgusted" by it and would immediately go to the office and remove it.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/incendiary_sign_in_mccain_offi.html
-Take a good look at the economy, governor
While Gov. Charlie Crist campaigned in Miami with John McCain on Friday, more bad economic news tumbled out of his administration. Florida's unemployment rate remained at 6.6 percent in September for the second month in a row. That's half a percentage point above the national average and 2.4 points higher than a year ago.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/article860299.ece
-Wasserman Schultz has earned another Congressional term
Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz would be a highly formidable foe even if she had a solid, well-financed opponent in the U.S House District 20 race.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgsushouse20sboct18,0,94743.story
-An update on 'no match' controversy
Fears about "tens of thousands" of voters being disenfranchised by the controversial "no match" law are not adding up, but the number has grown to 9,259, according to new figures released today by the Department of State.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/10/an-update-on-no.html
-ACORN targeted by violent threats
When Civil Rights-hero and congressman John Lewis warned the McCain-Palin campaign over the weekend that their attacks were creating a supercharged climate which raised the threat of violence, we assume these were the sort of threats now aimed by ACORN were among the things he was worried about. Here's an excerpt from a story by McClatchy Newspapers' Washington bureau: WASHINGTON -- An ACORN community organizer received a death threat and the liberal activist group's Boston and Seattle offices were vandalized Thursday, reflecting mounting tensions over its role in registering 1.3 million mostly poor and minority Americans to vote next month.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/acorn_targeted_by_violent_thre.html
-Mel on Palin, the economy and being a "slow white guy"
Mel Martinez addressed a gathering of newspaper editors from around the country this morning at the Citrus Club, fielding questions about everything from Sarah Palin to his relationship with Barack Obama. Among his comments to leaders of the American Society of Newspaper Editors: * He believes the bailout was necessary but didn't really do anything to address "underlying problems" of declining home values. He also said that, in the meeting with Paulson and Bernanke before the vote, he was left with the message that they believed America was heading towards a "deep and long recession, bordering on the Great Depression."
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_namesblog/2008/10/mel-on-palin-th.html
-Officials see no signs of voter fraud
Despite the national furor over voter fraud, elections officials in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast said they saw no evidence that people had falsified voter registration forms in hopes of stuffing the ballot box on Nov. 4. Of the roughly 15,000 voter registrations that streamed into the Palm Beach County elections office since mid-September, 503 couldn't be verified, Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman said. By Friday, 183 voters had submitted documentation and were cleared to vote. Information is trickling in and he expects more will be issued voter cards during the next two weeks.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/10/17/1017voterreg.html
-New voter registration law snares mostly minorities
Hispanics and blacks account for more than half of the people in Florida whose voter registration forms were rejected in recent weeks under the state's controversial new voter verification law.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article858377.ece
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Florida - Early voting starts Monday!
Avoid the confusion of long lines on November 2 - vote early!!!!
=
Equality Florida
Pick up your FREE Equality Florida Customized Voter's Guide Today!
We've polled over 1,000 candidates.
We've convened statewide and local endorsement committees
We've created customized voter's guides for all 67 counties in Florida
http://www.eqfl.org/ElectionCenter/
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Dolphin Democrats
www.dolphindems.org
-There is a new feature on The Broward SOE website now that permits an inquiry from any one to verify if they are registered and at what address. There are two ways to see it. It's on the Home page under the Register To Vote section and in the middle of the Home page with the link Check Your Registration Status. Check it out. www.browardsoe. org
-Deadline to request an absentee ballot is Wednesday, October 29, 2008
-Voter Information Card is recommended but not required to vote.
-A Broward County voter can vote at any one of our 17 early voting sites.
-Postage for the absentee ballot is $1.17.
-In a general election, a voter can vote for the candidate of their choice,
no matter their political party affiliation.
-Campaign season is in full swing and voter turnout is expected to break all records! With early voting and vote-by-mail available, we're trying to help people make sure their votes are counted and educating them on these opportunities. The last thing we want on election day is a surprise that people weren't allowed to vote. We need your help. Please volunteer this weekend for two great events: The first is Bubba's Country Fair at Scandals Saloon in Wilton Manors Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, with shifts between 11 am and 7 pm.
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GLCC - Ft. Lauderdale
http://glccsf.org/
-GLCC Fundraiser!!
Help us raise funds for the GLCC while you shop!
Your participation in our fundraising is critical to help us achieve our finanancial goals. We have now made it easier than ever. Just visit our on-line store at www.shoptoearn.net/glcc. Every purchase you make sends a donation to the GLCC. We have teamed up with over 500 retailers you love! Just purchase items through our site, you get your products and we earn cash. That is it! Everybody wins. The holidays are right around the corner. If you are buying anything on-line, visit our site first.
http://www.shoptoearn.net/cgi-bin/genesis.exe/index.html?p_get_webid=glcc
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Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-The Gay and Lesbian Business Committee and Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera
Bower Invite you to Come Out October 19, 2008 1 PM to 4 PM. Locals and
Gay-friendly businesses will unite in Flamingo Park for the kickoff event
for Gay Pride, April 18, 2009.
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Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission Campaign
Justin@justinflippen.com
954-610-9100
Wilton Manors City Commission candidate Justin Flippen has been endorsed by the Broward County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and Equality Florida. The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale has also voted to recommend Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission.
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This afternoon!!
Join Us For Our Statewide Day of Action!
Saturday, October 18 2:00-6:00pm
Locations Throughout the State!
(Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Gainesville, St. Pete, Tampa, Daytona, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee)
Saturday, October 18 2:00-6:00pm
It's all hands on deck! Polls show that we are very close to defeating Amendment 2 and we have less than 3 weeks to reach millions of Florida voters- and the time has come for everyone to step up! This Saturday we'll be in your community and we need you to join us. With less than 3 weeks until Election Day and early voting set to begin next Monday, Saturday is our best opportunity before November 4th to reach Florida voters with our message to vote NO on Amendment 2. Join the Vote No on 2 Campaign and hundreds of other volunteers as we go door-to-door to inform voters about the dangers of Amendment 2, the so-called "Marriage Protection" Amendment. Water, snacks and campaign materials will be provided. If you have a Vote No on 2 t-shirt, wear it! If not, please wear a plain white shirt and we will provide you with a sticker and/or pin. Click here to do your part! Remember, in these last few precious days before the Election it is only your dedication and hard work that can lead us to victory. More and more Floridians understand that it is wrong to deny people the legal right to take care of their loved ones. They are no longer fooled by cynical political tactics that let bigotry be the means for an even more destructive end. Your conversations will keep the momentum moving in our direction and help us defeat this mean-spirited measure.
Time is running out, step up today!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/dayofaction/details.tcl
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Gary Resnick for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
RESNICK RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS FROM BROWARD COUNTY AFL-CIO, QUALITY FLORIDA AND MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS,
Wilton Manors Florida
Commissioner Gary Resnick, Candidate for Mayor of Wilton Manors, is pleased to announce the endorsements of Broward County AFL-CIO, Equality Florida Action PAC and many prominent local, county and state elected officials. Some of those supporting Resnick include State Senators Steven A. Geller and Nan Rich, State Senator Elect Chris Smith, State Representatives Perry Thurston, Jim Waldman and Martin Kiar, Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, Mayors Rae Carole Armstrong (Plantation), Lori Moseley (Miramar), Jack Brady (North Lauderdale), Beth Talabisco (Tamarac), Debby Eisenger (Cooper City), Joy Cooper (Hallandale Beach) and Frank Ortis (Pembroke Pines). Equality Florida, a statewide education and advocacy organization announced their endorsement of Gary Resnick for Mayor of Wilton Manors. Equality Florida works to eliminate all discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and class.
http://www.garyresnick.com/
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sexual preference is irrelevant in adoptions
October 17, 2008
I am not sure the writer of the letter, "Gay adoption ban moral must," realizes that in his argument against homosexual adoption, he actually provides the very reasons why it should be allowed. Does he believe there are not heterosexual parents who have sexual preferences that he might consider unacceptable? Yes, what is important is that you are a good parent. Your sexual preference is irrelevant.
Niki Wilson, Boca Raton
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-pbmail996sboct17,0,2064032.story
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video | 'One Man, One Woman' ad in favor of marriage amendment
Yes2Marriage.org news release:
TALLAHASSEE- -Today at the Florida Press Center in Tallahassee, Yes2Marriage.org Chairman John Stemberger announced the launch of the "One Thing" television spot. The spot portrays the beauty of Marriage and how it is the exclusive human institution that "Passes Life to the Next Generation." The "One Thing" television ad also informs voters about the true legal purpose and meaning of Amendment 2, the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment. http://www.yes2marriage.org/
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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-12th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner
Fundraiser for Dade Community Foundation LGBT Fun; NGLTF
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is throwing a party this weekend, and all of South Florida is invited! The 12th Annual Recognition Dinner, one of the most important events on the South Florida GLBT social calendar, takes place tonight at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Miami. As the saying goes, everybody who is anybody will be there.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#21815
-2008 Best of Gay South Florida:
The envelope please...
Welcome to the 2008 Best of Gay South Florida awards. After weeks of voting and thousands of entries, we have compiled the list of winners in four categories. "Day Life" is the most general category, as it includes personal endeavors like shopping and spas and such, as well as community organizations and charities. "Night Life" centers mainly on bars and clubs, as well as the people who make the South Florida scene extra-special. "Sex Life" highlights our voters' favorite naughty pursuits, awarding the places where it feels so good to be bad. And then "Food" should be self-explanatory, with awards going to favorite restaurants.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/arts/cover/5179.cfm
-GLBT religious activists arrested in WPB
Six members of Soulforce a gay Christian activist organization were arrested in West Palm Beach Monday when the protesters attempted to enter a chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Since 2006 Soulforce members have led protests at Christian Universities to help secure safe environments and rights for LGBT students. About 16 members showed up at PBAU Monday to engage students in a dialogue. The organization reported that their bus was vandalized the night before the protest, claiming that a large object had been thrown through the bus's door and two windows had been shattered.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/news/localnews/5159.cfm
-Stonewall Library gets new 20-yr lease
Broward County Commissioners on Tuesday approved extending a 20-year lease to the Stonewall Library's new location at the Art Serve building. The extension comes one year before the current lease expires. But the archives and library need to secure the long-term lease to qualify for a $100,000 matching grant from the Community Foundation of Broward. According to Stonewall president Nate Klarfeld the grant combined with the new lease means the community could count on the library's future. "It means we don't have to worry about things for a long while," said Nate Klarfeld, Stonewall's
president. "We are totally secure."
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/news/localnews/5161.cfm
-Dear Mayor Naugle: I find you 'troubling'
Letter to FTL mayor brings disturbing, but predictable, response
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-16/view/editorial/5165.cfm
-Fort Lauderdale Mayor's Race Heats Up With Two Gay Candidates
Remember the Fort Lauderdale mayor who wanted to spend $230,000 on a "robo-toilet" to cut down the number of men who have sex with men in public restrooms? His name is Jim Naugle, and after 18 years in office, come spring 2009, the homophobic mayor will bid adieu to City Hall. Two gay men are seeking to take his place and, in aligning themselves with Barack Obama's bid for the White House, hoping to make Florida a blue state in 2008.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63845.asp
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida's unemployment remains at 6.6 percent in September, maintaining 14-year high Palm Beach County has region's highest rate; Broward's also up sharply Unemployment in Florida remained at 6.6 percent in September, but it's still the highest jobless rate in 14 years, the state Agency for Workforce Innovation said Friday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sfl-flzjobless1018sboct18,0,5798461.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Rep. Mahoney admits affairs, says he broke no laws
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, embroiled in an adultery scandal and a tight race for re-election, admitted Friday to having at least two affairs but insisted he broke no laws and will not resign. The first-term Democrat conceded that one of the affairs began as he was running on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill as teenagers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/730575.html
-CAMPAIGN 2008 | REPUBLICANS
FIU gives John McCain a hearty welcome
John McCain was cheered by an enthusiastic, predominantly Hispanic audience at Florida International University.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/731111.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Will Sunshine State Sway Red Or Blue?
CBS Evening News: Why Florida Is One Of The Final Battleground States Lifelong republican Jim Piccillo always thought he'd vote for John McCain. But as the Florida housing market crashed, so did the mortgage company he worked for. Two months ago, he lost his job.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/17/eveningnews/main4530305.shtml?source=RSS&attr=HOME_4530305
-CAMPAIGN 2008 |ENVIRONMENT: Obama favors Everglades restoration
Candidate Barack Obama promised increased funding for the Everglades, a Tamiami Trail bridge, and cleaner rivers and beaches -- but no money details.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/729592.html
-Broward senator to head biotech panel
State Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Parkland, was named today to lead the Task Force for the Study of Biotech Companies.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/broward_senator_to_head_biotec.html
-Sheriff's race is the hottest election in Broward
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/sheriffs_race_is_the_hottest_e_1.html
-Incendiary sign in McCain office links Obama to dictators
Among the images that greeted visitors to the John McCain campaign office in Pompano Beach this week was a sign headlined "Barrack Hussein Obama" that compared the Democratic presidential candidate to Karl Marx, Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro. Shown a picture of the sign Thursday night, Broward Republican Chairman Chip LaMarca said he was "disgusted" by it and would immediately go to the office and remove it.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2008/10/incendiary_sign_in_mccain_offi.html
-Take a good look at the economy, governor
While Gov. Charlie Crist campaigned in Miami with John McCain on Friday, more bad economic news tumbled out of his administration. Florida's unemployment rate remained at 6.6 percent in September for the second month in a row. That's half a percentage point above the national average and 2.4 points higher than a year ago.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/article860299.ece
-Wasserman Schultz has earned another Congressional term
Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz would be a highly formidable foe even if she had a solid, well-financed opponent in the U.S House District 20 race.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editgsushouse20sboct18,0,94743.story
-An update on 'no match' controversy
Fears about "tens of thousands" of voters being disenfranchised by the controversial "no match" law are not adding up, but the number has grown to 9,259, according to new figures released today by the Department of State.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/10/an-update-on-no.html
-ACORN targeted by violent threats
When Civil Rights-hero and congressman John Lewis warned the McCain-Palin campaign over the weekend that their attacks were creating a supercharged climate which raised the threat of violence, we assume these were the sort of threats now aimed by ACORN were among the things he was worried about. Here's an excerpt from a story by McClatchy Newspapers' Washington bureau: WASHINGTON -- An ACORN community organizer received a death threat and the liberal activist group's Boston and Seattle offices were vandalized Thursday, reflecting mounting tensions over its role in registering 1.3 million mostly poor and minority Americans to vote next month.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/acorn_targeted_by_violent_thre.html
-Mel on Palin, the economy and being a "slow white guy"
Mel Martinez addressed a gathering of newspaper editors from around the country this morning at the Citrus Club, fielding questions about everything from Sarah Palin to his relationship with Barack Obama. Among his comments to leaders of the American Society of Newspaper Editors: * He believes the bailout was necessary but didn't really do anything to address "underlying problems" of declining home values. He also said that, in the meeting with Paulson and Bernanke before the vote, he was left with the message that they believed America was heading towards a "deep and long recession, bordering on the Great Depression."
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_namesblog/2008/10/mel-on-palin-th.html
-Officials see no signs of voter fraud
Despite the national furor over voter fraud, elections officials in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast said they saw no evidence that people had falsified voter registration forms in hopes of stuffing the ballot box on Nov. 4. Of the roughly 15,000 voter registrations that streamed into the Palm Beach County elections office since mid-September, 503 couldn't be verified, Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman said. By Friday, 183 voters had submitted documentation and were cleared to vote. Information is trickling in and he expects more will be issued voter cards during the next two weeks.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/10/17/1017voterreg.html
-New voter registration law snares mostly minorities
Hispanics and blacks account for more than half of the people in Florida whose voter registration forms were rejected in recent weeks under the state's controversial new voter verification law.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article858377.ece
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Thursday, October 16, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - October 16, 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:
-After 30 Years, a Film Returns to a Harrowing Time in San Francisco
One morning in 1978 a disgruntled San Francisco politician, Dan White, climbed through a City Hall window, assassinated Mayor George Moscone, then shot and killed an openly gay adversary on the city's Board of Supervisors named Harvey Milk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/movies/16milk.html?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-NORTHWEST: Suspect Arrested in Death Of Man Beaten on Street
An 18-year-old District man was arrested yesterday on charges stemming from the fatal beating of Tony R. Hunter, who was attacked last month while walking with a friend to a popular gay bar in Northwest Washington.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/15/AR2008101502288.html
-'Ellen' airs video against gay marriage ban
Ellen DeGeneres has made a public service announcement urging California voters to oppose a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/14/AR2008101402806.html
-Va. Ruling Bolsters Breakaway Parishes
Former Episcopal Groups Organize
Five years after the consecration of an openly gay bishop, conservatives who have left the Episcopal Church have organized into a cohesive movement, creating a de facto, if small, separate Anglican church in the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/14/AR2008101403262.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Confusing sexual orientation with sexual behavior
by Donald Cavanaugh
The letter writer who supports the ban on adoption by gays and lesbians ("Gay adoption ban moral must," Oct. 8) evidenced the problem we have with many unthinking people who conflate sexual orientation with sexual behavior.I don't know if the people who performed the acts described by the writer should be allowed to adopt or not. What people do in the privacy of their bedrooms is no one's business as long as they aren't doing it with children or non-consenting adults. Society has sexualized us homosexuals so when confronted with the issue of our orientation, many people (obviously the writer) have an automatic "gut" reaction involving sexual activity. It is unthinking because it registers in the gut and not in the brain, and there's not a brain cell to be had below the neck. Heterosexual sexual privacy begins at the bedroom door. Unfortunately, many of our fellow humans want our gay sexual privacy to start at the closet door, but the closet doors are open, so it's time to get over it. In my opinion, the immorality is denying gays and lesbians the civil right to adopt because of who we are and denying foster children the right to healthy, loving homes.
Donald Cavanaugh, Lake Worth
-GOP incumbent in tight Miss. Senate race uses fake Village People in ad slamming Dem opponent
A tight race for Trent Lott's old U.S. Senate seat is getting nasty, with the Republican incumbent slamming his Democratic challenger in a television ad that uses actors dressed like the Village People to represent a gay rights group.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-mississippi-senate,0,2632297.story
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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay men prefer Prince Harry to William, poll shows
From Telegraph.co.uk:
Gay men would rather date Prince Harry, than his brother William, according to a poll William's girlfriend Kate Middleton was named as the most lusted after royal date among the nation's lesbians.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-Fla. marriage amendment will be decided Nov. 4
Supporters and opponents know Amendment 2 will be called the "gay marriage amendment," but neither see it that way. They also agree that the vote will be close, but that's about it. Amendment 2 would do one thing, supporters say - define marriage as between a man and a woman in the state constitution. Opponents argue that the amendment is unnecessary because there is already a state law banning same-sex marriage and that its vague wording would create unintended consequences for gay and straight couples.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/727057.html
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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Is Condi gay?
Some blame rumors for VP snub; lesbian executive denies affair with Rice
Was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice considered and later dropped as a possible vice presidential pick by top advisers to GOP presidential nominee John McCain because of persistent rumors that she's a lesbian?
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-10/news/national/5156.cfm
-Mary Cheney, partner attend White House dinner
Couple on guest list in fete for Italian prime minister
Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary Cheney, and her domestic partner, Heather Poe, were on the official guest list for a White House state dinner Monday in honor of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21701
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Queer As Folk, Desperate Housewives actor in critical condition following crash
A hospital spokeswoman says "Desperate Housewives" actor Gayle Harold is in critical condition following a motorcycle accident. USC Medical Center spokeswoman Adelaida De La Cerda said Harold was awaiting further tests. Publicist Nancy Seltzer said Wednesday that Harold fractured his shoulder, and "Housewives" creator and executive producer Marc Cherry said he apparently has swelling on the brain but was expected to recover.
http://www.365gay.com/news/queer-as-folk-desperate-housewives-actor-in-critical-condition-following-crash/
-Transgenders used to measure glass ceiling
A recent study has found a new way to examine pay disparities between men and women: Comparing the salaries of transgender employees before and after their gender changes.
http://www.365gay.com/news/transgenders-used-to-measure-glass-ceiling/
-Radio jocks claim Magic Johnson faking AIDS
Magic Johnson has criticized a pair of talk show hosts for accusing him of faking AIDS but said he didn't want them to be fired. Chris Baker and Langdon Perry of KTLK in Minneapolis made the remarks during Baker's conservative radio show last week. After Johnson condemned the statements, the station said it regretted "some offhand remarks" by the pair.
http://www.365gay.com/news/radio-jocks-claim-magic-johnson-faking-aids/
-Study: Black gay couples fall behind earnings of straight couples
As Californians prepare to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state a new study shows a wide gap between the incomes of same-sex African American couples and straight black couples.
http://www.365gay.com/news/study-black-gay-couples-fall-behind-earnings-of-straight-couples/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Donations From California Teachers, HRC Lead to $2.25 Million for No on 8
When No on 8 campaign director Patrick Guerriero urged LGBT Americans that we have to match the opposition dollar for dollar if we want to win at the polls in November, people sat up and took notice. In the last 24 hours No on 8 has managed to raise more than $2.25 million, due to a trio of sizable donations.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63808.asp
-CA: School District Mum on Trans Teacher
Twenty three children were removed from an elementary school music class after school administrators failed to notify parents that the teacher had undergone gender reassignment surgery. The Foxboro Elementary School teacher, whose name has not been identified, returned to school this fall as a man after teaching for years as a woman, KCRA News reported Tuesday.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63831.asp
-Misleading Mississippi Senate Ad Mocks Gays
Mississippi incumbent U.S. senator Roger Wicker has launched an attack ad skewering challenger Ronnie Musgrove's liberal supporters, including the Human Rights Campaign. The problem, however, is that HRC did not endorse or donate money to Musgrove. The ad, titled "Who's Buying Ronnie Musgrove?" shows a group of people getting out of a limousine to attend a fund-raiser for Musgrove. The group of liberal lobbyists -- including Friends of Hillary; the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League; and a gay cowboy, representing the HRC -- form a line to hand the Musgrove campaign a wad of cash.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63832.asp
-Florida's Marriage Amendment Battle Sure to Be a Squeaker
Polls show Florida's gay marriage ban is just shy of the 60% support needed to pass, but the state's complicated demographics make the outcome of the vote anyone's guess. One thing is certain: Amendment 2's sweeping nature would affect far more people than the gays and lesbians it's targeting. While most of the noise in Florida these days surrounds the heated presidential contest, a less noticed -- but no less profound -- battle looms for the future of equality, fairness, and even pocketbooks in the Sunshine State.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63810.asp
-GLSEN Gets a New Boss
You could say GLSEN is getting a new principal. On Wednesday the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network announced that Eliza Byard will become its new executive director, replacing founder and longtime executive director Kevin Jennings. Byard, who takes the reins on November 1, spoke to The Advocate about the task ahead for LGBT students and all of us who want to see them thrive.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63768.asp
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay ally gunned down in Colombia
Link: 365 Gay News
Police in Bogota are hunting for the killer of Norberto Salamanca, an attorney who was a strong advocate of same-sex couple rights. Salamanca was shot four times by a group of men who approached him while he waited in his car for his sons. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
-Wedding Field Trip Riles Right
Link: Mombian
by Dana Rudolph
I blogged Monday about a San Francisco first-grade class who surprised their lesbian teacher by showing up at her wedding. A parent suggested the field trip and school administrators agreed it was a "teachable moment." While I admired the thought behind the trip, I was very concerned about the far-right running with the story. Well, they have. After the jump is an excerpt from an e-mail the Yes On Proposition 8 organization sent to their mailing list. (Thanks to a friend for sharing.) Emphasis is theirs. This is why we need to support No on Prop 8. (Not that I need to tell most of you that, but I figure it never hurts to give the No folks a link.)
-VT: Same-sex marriage platform shifting
Link: Times Argus Online
The path to legalizing same-sex marriage in Vermont may have just gotten easier in the last week. Eight years after Vermont's landmark civil union law, three states have moved beyond that level of recognition to fully embrace same-sex marriage, including the state of Connecticut, where its top court last week ruled that civil unions fall short of marriage's full benefits. This latest development comes just six months after a Vermont Legislature-sponsored commission - after months of testimony and public input - urged lawmakers to "take seriously" the difference between civil unions and same-sex marriage.
-English Catholic adoption agency defies bishop's order on same-sex adoptions
Link: Catholic Culture
A Catholic adoption agency in England has defied the local bishop's directive, and announced that it will comply with new government regulations requiring equal treatment for same-sex couples. Bishop Patrick O'Donohue of Lancaster had said that if the agency did not use "all possible means" to resist the new rules, he would withdraw its right to be considered a Catholic institution. But Catholic Caring Services of Lancaster has said that it will follow the regulations, and "will remain a Catholic charity, operating the same services, with the same staff, same values and same ethos."
-Steve Bing Gives Hollywood's Heftiest No on Prop. 8 Donation
Link: Advocate.com
Hollywood producer and real estate tycoon Steve Bing will donate the largest sum to fight California's proposed gay marriage ban from the entertainment industry. Bing will give $500,000 to No on Proposition 8, according No on 8 political strategist Chad Griffin. His donation will also be the largest non-LGBT gift to the campaign. Griffin contacted The Advocate to announce the donation, which comes on the heels of an announcement from Equality California that fund-raising for No on 8 is gaining on the opposition. Still, donations need to keep rolling in, Equality California campaign director Patrick Guerriero urged at a briefing Tuesday for the LGBT press.
-Commentary: My Wedding Ring -- the moral response to exclusion from marriage
Link: Freakonomics - New York Times Blog
by Ian Ayres
With great joy, I decided to put my wedding ring back on my finger this past weekend. I had stopped wearing my ring because I was slightly embarrassed to live in a state where people like my sister couldn't marry the people they love. But I have no reason now to be embarrassed on this score, because on Friday the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down the statutory exclusion. You can read Justice Palmer's opinion here. (Disclosure: An amicus brief was filed in the case on behalf of me and other Connecticut law professors, and my spouse, Jennifer Gerarda Brown, was the co-author of another amicus brief.)
-Survey: Asian-Americans overwhelmingly against preventing gays' marriages
Link: San Jose Mercury News
Asian-Americans in California overwhelmingly oppose a ballot measure that would ban gay marriage in the state, according to a groundbreaking survey released Wednesday. The poll found that 57 percent of Asian-Americans likely to vote in the Nov. 4 election oppose Proposition 8, which would reverse last spring's California Supreme Court ruling that gave gays and lesbian couples the right to marry. Only 32 percent planned to vote yes. Eleven percent were undecided.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gays motivated by greed, Ugandan bishop tells school
Bishop of Mukono Eria Paul Luzinda claimed that homosexuality is increasing in Uganda, and that this increase can be blamed on a desire for wealth. His claims were made on Sunday during a speech to students at a school in the Kayunga District. Bishop Luzinda told students and teachers: Many Ugandans today think that money is everything and are ready to do anything, be it immoral, to get it.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9321.html
-Indian Prime Minister steps intervenes in gay sex decriminalisation court case
The battle over the decriminalisation of gay sex in India took an unexpected turn when the Prime Minister stepped in. Manmohan Singh requested that Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss meet privately to discuss the matter.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9318.html
-Six arrested on Florida University campus in gay rights protest
Members of a gay rights "Equality Ride" protest were arrested yesterday as they attempted to enter a university campus chapel. Six members of LGBT equality group Soulforce Q, were arrested on trespassing charges at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU).
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9314.html
-Gay high school could open on Obama's home turf
Chicago's head of public schools Arne Duncan has outlined plans for a possible gay school in the city. The school would be a measure to combat high rates of suicide and depression amongst gay and lesbian students.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9310.html
-Church of England split over gay rights rumoured
Conservative evangelical clergy have compelled others to join the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and leave the Church of England in the on-going row over gay rights and women. At the Reform conference in London yesterday, Reform chairman Rev Rod Thomas advised conservative parishes to seek authority from different bishops if their own diocesan bishops' views were too progressive.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9303.html
-GMFA launches 'Know your HIV status' campaign
Gay men's health charity GMFA have launched a new campaign highlighting the benefits of knowing you HIV status following new figures released by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). New BASHH guidelines recommend that gay men take an HIV test every year, after news has emerged that almost half HIV positive men are unaware of their condition.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9312.html
-Transgender entertainer is latest in Korean string of suicides
A transgender woman who found fame through appearing on a Korean game show after gender realignment has committed suicide in what experts are calling a 'copycat suicide.'
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9311.html
-Elton John to write AIDS musical
Pop star Elton John has announced that he will be writing a new musical film about AIDS for actor and director Ben Stiller. The singer wrote the scores for the stage adaption of Billy Elliot in 2005, and Broadway version of The Lion King, and is now branching out into more controversial material.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9307.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gays Must Demand Acceptance Rather than Plead for Tolerance
BY REVA McEACHERN | NJ.com
When people say they are tolerating you, it's probably an indication they don't like you very much, but they're forced to deal with you for one reason or another. So when during the vice presidential debate earlier this month Republican candidate Sarah Palin said she would be tolerant of gays and lesbians, I knew what she meant. "If there's any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, their relationships that they deem - uh, best for themselves - you know, I am tolerant," is what she said. What she meant was that if you are gay, you are an undesirable in this country. Read more
-CT Marriage Victory: Three Steps Forward, No Steps Backward
Gay News Blog
Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal writes:
We all celebrated another historic victory this past weekend as Connecticut joined Massachusetts and California in supporting marriage equality for same-sex couples. We are thrilled about this news, and send our warmest congratulations and thanks to our colleagues at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and to the courageous plaintiffs who fought for and won the freedom to marry. In a 4-3 decision, the majority stated: "Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same-sex partner of their choice. To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others." Lambda Legal was proud to have filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of this case. Read more
-Obama Stance Unclear on Proposed Chicago High School for Gay Students
FOXNews.com
The Chicago school board is set to vote next week on a first-of-its-kind high school geared toward gay students - but while the issue is unfolding in Barack Obama's backyard, the Illinois senator has yet to take a clear position on it. The publicly funded school, called the Social Justice High School-Pride Campus, would serve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. It would be open to all students, but officials say it would be particularly suited to those facing harassment of bullying because of their orientation. Asked repeatedly about the development, the Obama campaign eventually issued a one-sentence statement, and referred FOXNews.com to a bill Obama introduced last year supporting "positive behavior" instruction in schools. "Senator Obama believes we must work to ensure that all schools foster an environment free of violence, harassment and bullying, and he has introduced legislation to keep our schools safe," spokesman Ben LaBolt said. Read more
-Press Conference Announcing Ad Campaign to Address Radio Hall of Fame's
Planned Induction of James Dobson
Yahoo Finance
CHICAGO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -
WHAT: The Dump Dobson coalition, a partnership of local and national gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) organizations, is holding a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 16 (11AM) to denounce the Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) for its plan to honor James Dobson in its Radio Hall of Fame. The awards ceremony is planned for Nov. 8, and the Dump Dobson Coalition is strongly urging MBC Founder Bruce DuMont to rescind the award or face a protest outside of the dinner. The Coalition has launched a website, http://www.DumpDobson.com, and will unveil a new ad campaign at the press conference, which will debut with a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune on Friday, Oct. 17. This will be followed by a robust "signature ad" campaign in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media. The Dump Dobson Coalition is headed by the Gay Liberation Network and Truth Wins Out and has so far been joined by Equality Illinois, SoulForce and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition. "Bruce DuMont would never honor a Don Imus, disgraced for his anti-African American remarks," said Bob Schwartz of the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network. "Nor would 1930s radio icon Father Charles Caughlin - the widely syndicated pro-Nazi and anti-Semite - be feted. Yet, in honoring James Dobson, Mr. DuMont appears to promote a 'gay exception' to the standards of public civility and decency rightly accorded other groups of people." Read more
-CA: Ex-Visalia Priest Speaks Out Against Prop 8
BY KIMBERLINA ROCHA | Visalia Times-Delta
A former Visalia priest who preached a Sunday Mass sermon denouncing Proposition 8, which would end same-sex marriages in California, has been suspended from his pastoral duties and removed as the head priest of a Fresno church. Father Geoffery Farrow, who served at Holy Family Catholic Church until April, admitted he is gay during a television interview the same day. According to Farrow's blog, the priest was in emotional turmoil after receiving a pastoral letter from Bishop John Steinbock urging the support of Proposition 8 and protecting the traditional definition of marriage. Farrow told parishioners as much at St. Paul Newman Center Oct. 5.
-MT: School Board Updates Policy to Protect Gays
ABCMontana.com
BOZEMAN - The Bozeman School Board has voted 6-1 to update its discrimination policy to protect gay and lesbian students.Trustee Carson Taylor first argued for adding the words "sexual orientation" to the policy. He says the district's long-range plan calls for teaching students to be accepting, and the school board should lead by setting an example. Chairman Gary Lusin voted against the proposal Monday night. He says that gay and lesbian students already are protected, and to identify them separately is a disservice because it sends the message that "You're different."
Popularity: 6% [?]
-Rainbow Flag March in the Center of Minsk
Gay Russia
On Saturday October 11, a group of activists walked over the city center of the Belorussian capital waving Rainbow flags and wearing T-shirts with slogans "I am gay" . Under the theme "Know Yourself ! Know your love!", the group started from Yakub Kolas square up to October square and finally ended near the building of the Presidential administration. A symbolical place in a country where Freedom of Speech remains a legend. The action, which organizers also called a Pride parade, was organized by the "Belorussian Intitiative for Sexual and Gender Equality". Local gay activists as well as members of the organizations "ANTIFA" and "Socialist Resistance" also took part. Read more
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-"Serbia to take fight to neo-Nazis"
BELGRADE - Professor Ljubisa Rajic says that an intensive political battle must be fought against fascism, including against its sympathizers within the state apparatus. "People in Serbia have to be made to understand clearly what fascists, clero-fascists and Nazis are, and what they mean to the current and future Serbia," Rajic said.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=10&dd=15&nav_id=54251
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Three accused of infecting men with HIV at orgies
Three homosexual men have been accused of trying to infect several people with the AIDS virus at orgies. "I feel fear, anger, sadness and anxiety," one of their alleged victims, an HIV-positive student, told a Dutch court. Hans Jurgens, 39, Peter Mulder, 50, and Wim Dekker, 49, all HIV-positive, are charged with drugging gay men, raping them, and injecting them with HIV contaminated blood.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/3207338/Three-accused-of-infecting-men-with-HIV-at-orgies.html
-ILGA-Europe
We are working for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people all over Europe. Our office is in Brussels and as Executive Director you will be managing a staff of 14 and a budget of 1, 8 million euro from the European Union, the Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Tides Foundation and the Open Society Institute amongst other funders. ILGA-Europe advocates for the equality of LGBT people at the Council of Europe, OSCE and the European Union as well as at the UN. Our current Executive Director is leaving after four successful years in post, during which the organisation has grown in size and reputation and matured in the depth and complexity of our international engagement.
http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/job_opportunity/executive_director
-A Land Where Nowhere Is Safe: A Lesbian Activist Speaks About Gender and Violence in Kyrgyzstan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-kirey/a-land-where-nowhere-is-s_b_134972.html
-Football Association backs new anti-homophobia campaign
Kick It Out hosts debate on homophobia in football
Two weeks of events to tackle homophobia and racism The Football Association is backing a new campaign against homophobia, and is hosting the Kick It Out campaign launch, this Thursday evening, at its Soho headquarters.
www.kickitout.org
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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
-LGBT History Month
As we observe Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month, we can also reflect on the strides that have been made and the challenges ahead in the ongoing struggle to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) - the U.S. military's ban on open service for members based on sexual orientation.
http://sldn.org/blog/archives/lgbt-history-month/
-Please join the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) at CUNY, Graduate Center in celebrating the official launch of OutHistory.org the new website on queer history!
http://outhistory.org/wiki/Main_Page
-Cutting through the news: Understanding recent reports on male circumcision
The past two weeks have brought a flurry of news stories and scientific publications about male circumcision for HIV prevention. The latest wave of coverage and information includes more on what's known--and what remains unknown--about the relationship between circumcision status and risk of HIV infection in gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Additional news coverage included country-level reporting from sub-Saharan Africa. This Advocates' Network update explores what the new data mean, and underscores some of the key advocacy messages and challenges around male circumcision for HIV prevention.
https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:10248.11719/rid
-Share Your Story of Coming Out & Greek.
Network with Other LGBT & Ally Fraternity & Sorority Leaders. Learn Strategies for Your Community to be Safer, More LGBT-Friendly. Never has there been a leadership conference to share, network and learn strategies to create safer, more LGBT inclusive fraternity and sorority communities. The Out & Greek National Leadership Conference is the first of its kind for undergraduate fraternity and sorority leaders and is sponsored by the landmark Lambda
http://www.lambda10.org/outandgreek
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Southeast Regional Gay Men's Health Summit
November 7-9, 2008
Ft Lauderdale, Florida - Embassy Suites Hotel
www.gaymenssummit.com
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Detroit News
http://detnews.com/
-Longtime friends say Obama would benefit gays
by Deb Price
Want to know what kind of president Barack Obama would be for gay Americans? Just listen to his longtime gay friends. That was the thinking of the Human Rights Campaign PAC, the political arm of the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender group. So after endorsing Obama, HRC sent a camera crew to Chicago to interview gay folks like activist Gail Morse who knew him way before the rest of us. "We're going to have a partner in the White House. We're not going to have an enemy," Morse says in the "Friends" video. "He sees us as people with issues that government can address."
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081013/OPINION03/810130329/1272/OPINION0310
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Anything but Straight
http://www.waynebesen.com/
-Goodbye Gay Conservatives, Don't Let The Door Hit You
In response to mounting criticism of gay conservatives, Dale Carpenter, a prominent gay writer, is threatening to bolt the movement. In a recent column, he spoke of his "rising anger" with how gay advocates treat his ideological brethren. Of course, we know this is a bluff because Carpenter and other gay conservatives have nowhere else to go. They are dependent on the very liberalism they condescendingly deride and rejected by the very political party they claim to be a part of. What is notable about Carpenter's tirade, is how it is at odds with his often intelligent columns. He regularly offers sharp legal critiques and prescient political analysis. However, when discussing gay conservatism, Carpenter uncharacteristically becomes irrational, falling into an undeserved victimhood that is a hallmark of gay Republicans.
http://www.waynebesen.com/
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GAY AUTHOR SPEAKING CANCELLED BY CANADIAN SCHOOL
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2008/10/10/gay-author-schools.html?ref=rss
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Pursuit of Equality
As the Director and Producer of the award winning documentary film Pursuit of Equality, I would to take this opportunity to tell you a little about our amazing film. With the California election taking place on November 4th, educating people on the issue of Same-Sex marriage is vital. In order to defeat PROP 8, educating people on this issue is vital. We continue to have "awareness screenings" of Pursuit of Equality across California and in select cities across the country, Including Washington D.C., Long Beach, and Florida.
Geoff Callan
Director/Producer
www.pursuitofequality.com
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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:
-After 30 Years, a Film Returns to a Harrowing Time in San Francisco
One morning in 1978 a disgruntled San Francisco politician, Dan White, climbed through a City Hall window, assassinated Mayor George Moscone, then shot and killed an openly gay adversary on the city's Board of Supervisors named Harvey Milk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/movies/16milk.html?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-NORTHWEST: Suspect Arrested in Death Of Man Beaten on Street
An 18-year-old District man was arrested yesterday on charges stemming from the fatal beating of Tony R. Hunter, who was attacked last month while walking with a friend to a popular gay bar in Northwest Washington.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/15/AR2008101502288.html
-'Ellen' airs video against gay marriage ban
Ellen DeGeneres has made a public service announcement urging California voters to oppose a ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/14/AR2008101402806.html
-Va. Ruling Bolsters Breakaway Parishes
Former Episcopal Groups Organize
Five years after the consecration of an openly gay bishop, conservatives who have left the Episcopal Church have organized into a cohesive movement, creating a de facto, if small, separate Anglican church in the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/14/AR2008101403262.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Confusing sexual orientation with sexual behavior
by Donald Cavanaugh
The letter writer who supports the ban on adoption by gays and lesbians ("Gay adoption ban moral must," Oct. 8) evidenced the problem we have with many unthinking people who conflate sexual orientation with sexual behavior.I don't know if the people who performed the acts described by the writer should be allowed to adopt or not. What people do in the privacy of their bedrooms is no one's business as long as they aren't doing it with children or non-consenting adults. Society has sexualized us homosexuals so when confronted with the issue of our orientation, many people (obviously the writer) have an automatic "gut" reaction involving sexual activity. It is unthinking because it registers in the gut and not in the brain, and there's not a brain cell to be had below the neck. Heterosexual sexual privacy begins at the bedroom door. Unfortunately, many of our fellow humans want our gay sexual privacy to start at the closet door, but the closet doors are open, so it's time to get over it. In my opinion, the immorality is denying gays and lesbians the civil right to adopt because of who we are and denying foster children the right to healthy, loving homes.
Donald Cavanaugh, Lake Worth
-GOP incumbent in tight Miss. Senate race uses fake Village People in ad slamming Dem opponent
A tight race for Trent Lott's old U.S. Senate seat is getting nasty, with the Republican incumbent slamming his Democratic challenger in a television ad that uses actors dressed like the Village People to represent a gay rights group.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-mississippi-senate,0,2632297.story
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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay men prefer Prince Harry to William, poll shows
From Telegraph.co.uk:
Gay men would rather date Prince Harry, than his brother William, according to a poll William's girlfriend Kate Middleton was named as the most lusted after royal date among the nation's lesbians.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-Fla. marriage amendment will be decided Nov. 4
Supporters and opponents know Amendment 2 will be called the "gay marriage amendment," but neither see it that way. They also agree that the vote will be close, but that's about it. Amendment 2 would do one thing, supporters say - define marriage as between a man and a woman in the state constitution. Opponents argue that the amendment is unnecessary because there is already a state law banning same-sex marriage and that its vague wording would create unintended consequences for gay and straight couples.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/727057.html
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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Is Condi gay?
Some blame rumors for VP snub; lesbian executive denies affair with Rice
Was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice considered and later dropped as a possible vice presidential pick by top advisers to GOP presidential nominee John McCain because of persistent rumors that she's a lesbian?
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/10-10/news/national/5156.cfm
-Mary Cheney, partner attend White House dinner
Couple on guest list in fete for Italian prime minister
Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary Cheney, and her domestic partner, Heather Poe, were on the official guest list for a White House state dinner Monday in honor of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=21701
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Queer As Folk, Desperate Housewives actor in critical condition following crash
A hospital spokeswoman says "Desperate Housewives" actor Gayle Harold is in critical condition following a motorcycle accident. USC Medical Center spokeswoman Adelaida De La Cerda said Harold was awaiting further tests. Publicist Nancy Seltzer said Wednesday that Harold fractured his shoulder, and "Housewives" creator and executive producer Marc Cherry said he apparently has swelling on the brain but was expected to recover.
http://www.365gay.com/news/queer-as-folk-desperate-housewives-actor-in-critical-condition-following-crash/
-Transgenders used to measure glass ceiling
A recent study has found a new way to examine pay disparities between men and women: Comparing the salaries of transgender employees before and after their gender changes.
http://www.365gay.com/news/transgenders-used-to-measure-glass-ceiling/
-Radio jocks claim Magic Johnson faking AIDS
Magic Johnson has criticized a pair of talk show hosts for accusing him of faking AIDS but said he didn't want them to be fired. Chris Baker and Langdon Perry of KTLK in Minneapolis made the remarks during Baker's conservative radio show last week. After Johnson condemned the statements, the station said it regretted "some offhand remarks" by the pair.
http://www.365gay.com/news/radio-jocks-claim-magic-johnson-faking-aids/
-Study: Black gay couples fall behind earnings of straight couples
As Californians prepare to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in the state a new study shows a wide gap between the incomes of same-sex African American couples and straight black couples.
http://www.365gay.com/news/study-black-gay-couples-fall-behind-earnings-of-straight-couples/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Donations From California Teachers, HRC Lead to $2.25 Million for No on 8
When No on 8 campaign director Patrick Guerriero urged LGBT Americans that we have to match the opposition dollar for dollar if we want to win at the polls in November, people sat up and took notice. In the last 24 hours No on 8 has managed to raise more than $2.25 million, due to a trio of sizable donations.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63808.asp
-CA: School District Mum on Trans Teacher
Twenty three children were removed from an elementary school music class after school administrators failed to notify parents that the teacher had undergone gender reassignment surgery. The Foxboro Elementary School teacher, whose name has not been identified, returned to school this fall as a man after teaching for years as a woman, KCRA News reported Tuesday.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63831.asp
-Misleading Mississippi Senate Ad Mocks Gays
Mississippi incumbent U.S. senator Roger Wicker has launched an attack ad skewering challenger Ronnie Musgrove's liberal supporters, including the Human Rights Campaign. The problem, however, is that HRC did not endorse or donate money to Musgrove. The ad, titled "Who's Buying Ronnie Musgrove?" shows a group of people getting out of a limousine to attend a fund-raiser for Musgrove. The group of liberal lobbyists -- including Friends of Hillary; the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League; and a gay cowboy, representing the HRC -- form a line to hand the Musgrove campaign a wad of cash.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid63832.asp
-Florida's Marriage Amendment Battle Sure to Be a Squeaker
Polls show Florida's gay marriage ban is just shy of the 60% support needed to pass, but the state's complicated demographics make the outcome of the vote anyone's guess. One thing is certain: Amendment 2's sweeping nature would affect far more people than the gays and lesbians it's targeting. While most of the noise in Florida these days surrounds the heated presidential contest, a less noticed -- but no less profound -- battle looms for the future of equality, fairness, and even pocketbooks in the Sunshine State.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63810.asp
-GLSEN Gets a New Boss
You could say GLSEN is getting a new principal. On Wednesday the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network announced that Eliza Byard will become its new executive director, replacing founder and longtime executive director Kevin Jennings. Byard, who takes the reins on November 1, spoke to The Advocate about the task ahead for LGBT students and all of us who want to see them thrive.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63768.asp
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay ally gunned down in Colombia
Link: 365 Gay News
Police in Bogota are hunting for the killer of Norberto Salamanca, an attorney who was a strong advocate of same-sex couple rights. Salamanca was shot four times by a group of men who approached him while he waited in his car for his sons. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
-Wedding Field Trip Riles Right
Link: Mombian
by Dana Rudolph
I blogged Monday about a San Francisco first-grade class who surprised their lesbian teacher by showing up at her wedding. A parent suggested the field trip and school administrators agreed it was a "teachable moment." While I admired the thought behind the trip, I was very concerned about the far-right running with the story. Well, they have. After the jump is an excerpt from an e-mail the Yes On Proposition 8 organization sent to their mailing list. (Thanks to a friend for sharing.) Emphasis is theirs. This is why we need to support No on Prop 8. (Not that I need to tell most of you that, but I figure it never hurts to give the No folks a link.)
-VT: Same-sex marriage platform shifting
Link: Times Argus Online
The path to legalizing same-sex marriage in Vermont may have just gotten easier in the last week. Eight years after Vermont's landmark civil union law, three states have moved beyond that level of recognition to fully embrace same-sex marriage, including the state of Connecticut, where its top court last week ruled that civil unions fall short of marriage's full benefits. This latest development comes just six months after a Vermont Legislature-sponsored commission - after months of testimony and public input - urged lawmakers to "take seriously" the difference between civil unions and same-sex marriage.
-English Catholic adoption agency defies bishop's order on same-sex adoptions
Link: Catholic Culture
A Catholic adoption agency in England has defied the local bishop's directive, and announced that it will comply with new government regulations requiring equal treatment for same-sex couples. Bishop Patrick O'Donohue of Lancaster had said that if the agency did not use "all possible means" to resist the new rules, he would withdraw its right to be considered a Catholic institution. But Catholic Caring Services of Lancaster has said that it will follow the regulations, and "will remain a Catholic charity, operating the same services, with the same staff, same values and same ethos."
-Steve Bing Gives Hollywood's Heftiest No on Prop. 8 Donation
Link: Advocate.com
Hollywood producer and real estate tycoon Steve Bing will donate the largest sum to fight California's proposed gay marriage ban from the entertainment industry. Bing will give $500,000 to No on Proposition 8, according No on 8 political strategist Chad Griffin. His donation will also be the largest non-LGBT gift to the campaign. Griffin contacted The Advocate to announce the donation, which comes on the heels of an announcement from Equality California that fund-raising for No on 8 is gaining on the opposition. Still, donations need to keep rolling in, Equality California campaign director Patrick Guerriero urged at a briefing Tuesday for the LGBT press.
-Commentary: My Wedding Ring -- the moral response to exclusion from marriage
Link: Freakonomics - New York Times Blog
by Ian Ayres
With great joy, I decided to put my wedding ring back on my finger this past weekend. I had stopped wearing my ring because I was slightly embarrassed to live in a state where people like my sister couldn't marry the people they love. But I have no reason now to be embarrassed on this score, because on Friday the Connecticut Supreme Court struck down the statutory exclusion. You can read Justice Palmer's opinion here. (Disclosure: An amicus brief was filed in the case on behalf of me and other Connecticut law professors, and my spouse, Jennifer Gerarda Brown, was the co-author of another amicus brief.)
-Survey: Asian-Americans overwhelmingly against preventing gays' marriages
Link: San Jose Mercury News
Asian-Americans in California overwhelmingly oppose a ballot measure that would ban gay marriage in the state, according to a groundbreaking survey released Wednesday. The poll found that 57 percent of Asian-Americans likely to vote in the Nov. 4 election oppose Proposition 8, which would reverse last spring's California Supreme Court ruling that gave gays and lesbian couples the right to marry. Only 32 percent planned to vote yes. Eleven percent were undecided.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gays motivated by greed, Ugandan bishop tells school
Bishop of Mukono Eria Paul Luzinda claimed that homosexuality is increasing in Uganda, and that this increase can be blamed on a desire for wealth. His claims were made on Sunday during a speech to students at a school in the Kayunga District. Bishop Luzinda told students and teachers: Many Ugandans today think that money is everything and are ready to do anything, be it immoral, to get it.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9321.html
-Indian Prime Minister steps intervenes in gay sex decriminalisation court case
The battle over the decriminalisation of gay sex in India took an unexpected turn when the Prime Minister stepped in. Manmohan Singh requested that Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss meet privately to discuss the matter.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9318.html
-Six arrested on Florida University campus in gay rights protest
Members of a gay rights "Equality Ride" protest were arrested yesterday as they attempted to enter a university campus chapel. Six members of LGBT equality group Soulforce Q, were arrested on trespassing charges at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU).
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9314.html
-Gay high school could open on Obama's home turf
Chicago's head of public schools Arne Duncan has outlined plans for a possible gay school in the city. The school would be a measure to combat high rates of suicide and depression amongst gay and lesbian students.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9310.html
-Church of England split over gay rights rumoured
Conservative evangelical clergy have compelled others to join the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and leave the Church of England in the on-going row over gay rights and women. At the Reform conference in London yesterday, Reform chairman Rev Rod Thomas advised conservative parishes to seek authority from different bishops if their own diocesan bishops' views were too progressive.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9303.html
-GMFA launches 'Know your HIV status' campaign
Gay men's health charity GMFA have launched a new campaign highlighting the benefits of knowing you HIV status following new figures released by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). New BASHH guidelines recommend that gay men take an HIV test every year, after news has emerged that almost half HIV positive men are unaware of their condition.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9312.html
-Transgender entertainer is latest in Korean string of suicides
A transgender woman who found fame through appearing on a Korean game show after gender realignment has committed suicide in what experts are calling a 'copycat suicide.'
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9311.html
-Elton John to write AIDS musical
Pop star Elton John has announced that he will be writing a new musical film about AIDS for actor and director Ben Stiller. The singer wrote the scores for the stage adaption of Billy Elliot in 2005, and Broadway version of The Lion King, and is now branching out into more controversial material.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9307.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gays Must Demand Acceptance Rather than Plead for Tolerance
BY REVA McEACHERN | NJ.com
When people say they are tolerating you, it's probably an indication they don't like you very much, but they're forced to deal with you for one reason or another. So when during the vice presidential debate earlier this month Republican candidate Sarah Palin said she would be tolerant of gays and lesbians, I knew what she meant. "If there's any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, their relationships that they deem - uh, best for themselves - you know, I am tolerant," is what she said. What she meant was that if you are gay, you are an undesirable in this country. Read more
-CT Marriage Victory: Three Steps Forward, No Steps Backward
Gay News Blog
Kevin Cathcart, Executive Director of Lambda Legal writes:
We all celebrated another historic victory this past weekend as Connecticut joined Massachusetts and California in supporting marriage equality for same-sex couples. We are thrilled about this news, and send our warmest congratulations and thanks to our colleagues at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and to the courageous plaintiffs who fought for and won the freedom to marry. In a 4-3 decision, the majority stated: "Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same-sex partner of their choice. To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others." Lambda Legal was proud to have filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of this case. Read more
-Obama Stance Unclear on Proposed Chicago High School for Gay Students
FOXNews.com
The Chicago school board is set to vote next week on a first-of-its-kind high school geared toward gay students - but while the issue is unfolding in Barack Obama's backyard, the Illinois senator has yet to take a clear position on it. The publicly funded school, called the Social Justice High School-Pride Campus, would serve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. It would be open to all students, but officials say it would be particularly suited to those facing harassment of bullying because of their orientation. Asked repeatedly about the development, the Obama campaign eventually issued a one-sentence statement, and referred FOXNews.com to a bill Obama introduced last year supporting "positive behavior" instruction in schools. "Senator Obama believes we must work to ensure that all schools foster an environment free of violence, harassment and bullying, and he has introduced legislation to keep our schools safe," spokesman Ben LaBolt said. Read more
-Press Conference Announcing Ad Campaign to Address Radio Hall of Fame's
Planned Induction of James Dobson
Yahoo Finance
CHICAGO, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -
WHAT: The Dump Dobson coalition, a partnership of local and national gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender (GLBT) organizations, is holding a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 16 (11AM) to denounce the Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) for its plan to honor James Dobson in its Radio Hall of Fame. The awards ceremony is planned for Nov. 8, and the Dump Dobson Coalition is strongly urging MBC Founder Bruce DuMont to rescind the award or face a protest outside of the dinner. The Coalition has launched a website, http://www.DumpDobson.com, and will unveil a new ad campaign at the press conference, which will debut with a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune on Friday, Oct. 17. This will be followed by a robust "signature ad" campaign in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media. The Dump Dobson Coalition is headed by the Gay Liberation Network and Truth Wins Out and has so far been joined by Equality Illinois, SoulForce and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition. "Bruce DuMont would never honor a Don Imus, disgraced for his anti-African American remarks," said Bob Schwartz of the Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network. "Nor would 1930s radio icon Father Charles Caughlin - the widely syndicated pro-Nazi and anti-Semite - be feted. Yet, in honoring James Dobson, Mr. DuMont appears to promote a 'gay exception' to the standards of public civility and decency rightly accorded other groups of people." Read more
-CA: Ex-Visalia Priest Speaks Out Against Prop 8
BY KIMBERLINA ROCHA | Visalia Times-Delta
A former Visalia priest who preached a Sunday Mass sermon denouncing Proposition 8, which would end same-sex marriages in California, has been suspended from his pastoral duties and removed as the head priest of a Fresno church. Father Geoffery Farrow, who served at Holy Family Catholic Church until April, admitted he is gay during a television interview the same day. According to Farrow's blog, the priest was in emotional turmoil after receiving a pastoral letter from Bishop John Steinbock urging the support of Proposition 8 and protecting the traditional definition of marriage. Farrow told parishioners as much at St. Paul Newman Center Oct. 5.
-MT: School Board Updates Policy to Protect Gays
ABCMontana.com
BOZEMAN - The Bozeman School Board has voted 6-1 to update its discrimination policy to protect gay and lesbian students.Trustee Carson Taylor first argued for adding the words "sexual orientation" to the policy. He says the district's long-range plan calls for teaching students to be accepting, and the school board should lead by setting an example. Chairman Gary Lusin voted against the proposal Monday night. He says that gay and lesbian students already are protected, and to identify them separately is a disservice because it sends the message that "You're different."
Popularity: 6% [?]
-Rainbow Flag March in the Center of Minsk
Gay Russia
On Saturday October 11, a group of activists walked over the city center of the Belorussian capital waving Rainbow flags and wearing T-shirts with slogans "I am gay" . Under the theme "Know Yourself ! Know your love!", the group started from Yakub Kolas square up to October square and finally ended near the building of the Presidential administration. A symbolical place in a country where Freedom of Speech remains a legend. The action, which organizers also called a Pride parade, was organized by the "Belorussian Intitiative for Sexual and Gender Equality". Local gay activists as well as members of the organizations "ANTIFA" and "Socialist Resistance" also took part. Read more
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-"Serbia to take fight to neo-Nazis"
BELGRADE - Professor Ljubisa Rajic says that an intensive political battle must be fought against fascism, including against its sympathizers within the state apparatus. "People in Serbia have to be made to understand clearly what fascists, clero-fascists and Nazis are, and what they mean to the current and future Serbia," Rajic said.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=10&dd=15&nav_id=54251
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Three accused of infecting men with HIV at orgies
Three homosexual men have been accused of trying to infect several people with the AIDS virus at orgies. "I feel fear, anger, sadness and anxiety," one of their alleged victims, an HIV-positive student, told a Dutch court. Hans Jurgens, 39, Peter Mulder, 50, and Wim Dekker, 49, all HIV-positive, are charged with drugging gay men, raping them, and injecting them with HIV contaminated blood.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/3207338/Three-accused-of-infecting-men-with-HIV-at-orgies.html
-ILGA-Europe
We are working for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people all over Europe. Our office is in Brussels and as Executive Director you will be managing a staff of 14 and a budget of 1, 8 million euro from the European Union, the Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Tides Foundation and the Open Society Institute amongst other funders. ILGA-Europe advocates for the equality of LGBT people at the Council of Europe, OSCE and the European Union as well as at the UN. Our current Executive Director is leaving after four successful years in post, during which the organisation has grown in size and reputation and matured in the depth and complexity of our international engagement.
http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/job_opportunity/executive_director
-A Land Where Nowhere Is Safe: A Lesbian Activist Speaks About Gender and Violence in Kyrgyzstan
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-kirey/a-land-where-nowhere-is-s_b_134972.html
-Football Association backs new anti-homophobia campaign
Kick It Out hosts debate on homophobia in football
Two weeks of events to tackle homophobia and racism The Football Association is backing a new campaign against homophobia, and is hosting the Kick It Out campaign launch, this Thursday evening, at its Soho headquarters.
www.kickitout.org
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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
-LGBT History Month
As we observe Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month, we can also reflect on the strides that have been made and the challenges ahead in the ongoing struggle to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) - the U.S. military's ban on open service for members based on sexual orientation.
http://sldn.org/blog/archives/lgbt-history-month/
-Please join the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (CLAGS) at CUNY, Graduate Center in celebrating the official launch of OutHistory.org the new website on queer history!
http://outhistory.org/wiki/Main_Page
-Cutting through the news: Understanding recent reports on male circumcision
The past two weeks have brought a flurry of news stories and scientific publications about male circumcision for HIV prevention. The latest wave of coverage and information includes more on what's known--and what remains unknown--about the relationship between circumcision status and risk of HIV infection in gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Additional news coverage included country-level reporting from sub-Saharan Africa. This Advocates' Network update explores what the new data mean, and underscores some of the key advocacy messages and challenges around male circumcision for HIV prevention.
https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:10248.11719/rid
-Share Your Story of Coming Out & Greek.
Network with Other LGBT & Ally Fraternity & Sorority Leaders. Learn Strategies for Your Community to be Safer, More LGBT-Friendly. Never has there been a leadership conference to share, network and learn strategies to create safer, more LGBT inclusive fraternity and sorority communities. The Out & Greek National Leadership Conference is the first of its kind for undergraduate fraternity and sorority leaders and is sponsored by the landmark Lambda
http://www.lambda10.org/outandgreek
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Southeast Regional Gay Men's Health Summit
November 7-9, 2008
Ft Lauderdale, Florida - Embassy Suites Hotel
www.gaymenssummit.com
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Detroit News
http://detnews.com/
-Longtime friends say Obama would benefit gays
by Deb Price
Want to know what kind of president Barack Obama would be for gay Americans? Just listen to his longtime gay friends. That was the thinking of the Human Rights Campaign PAC, the political arm of the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender group. So after endorsing Obama, HRC sent a camera crew to Chicago to interview gay folks like activist Gail Morse who knew him way before the rest of us. "We're going to have a partner in the White House. We're not going to have an enemy," Morse says in the "Friends" video. "He sees us as people with issues that government can address."
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081013/OPINION03/810130329/1272/OPINION0310
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Anything but Straight
http://www.waynebesen.com/
-Goodbye Gay Conservatives, Don't Let The Door Hit You
In response to mounting criticism of gay conservatives, Dale Carpenter, a prominent gay writer, is threatening to bolt the movement. In a recent column, he spoke of his "rising anger" with how gay advocates treat his ideological brethren. Of course, we know this is a bluff because Carpenter and other gay conservatives have nowhere else to go. They are dependent on the very liberalism they condescendingly deride and rejected by the very political party they claim to be a part of. What is notable about Carpenter's tirade, is how it is at odds with his often intelligent columns. He regularly offers sharp legal critiques and prescient political analysis. However, when discussing gay conservatism, Carpenter uncharacteristically becomes irrational, falling into an undeserved victimhood that is a hallmark of gay Republicans.
http://www.waynebesen.com/
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GAY AUTHOR SPEAKING CANCELLED BY CANADIAN SCHOOL
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2008/10/10/gay-author-schools.html?ref=rss
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Pursuit of Equality
As the Director and Producer of the award winning documentary film Pursuit of Equality, I would to take this opportunity to tell you a little about our amazing film. With the California election taking place on November 4th, educating people on the issue of Same-Sex marriage is vital. In order to defeat PROP 8, educating people on this issue is vital. We continue to have "awareness screenings" of Pursuit of Equality across California and in select cities across the country, Including Washington D.C., Long Beach, and Florida.
Geoff Callan
Director/Producer
www.pursuitofequality.com
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 16, 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:
-Candidates Clash Over Character and Policy
Senator John McCain used the final debate of the presidential election on Wednesday night to raise persistent and pointed questions about Senator Barack Obama's character, judgment and policy prescriptions in a session that was by far the most spirited and combative of their encounters this fall.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/politics/16debate.html?hp
-The TV Watch: Rivals Split, With Joe in the Middle
Barack Obama looked like a prosecutor delivering a polished summation in a long civil case, Joe the Plumber v. George W. Bush.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/politics/16watch.html?hp
-Final Presidential Debate
Watch the debate, analyze the transcript, check the facts and share your thoughts.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/debates/third-presidential-debate.html?hp
-Editorial: Snooping on Our Own Frontlines
The nation still doesn't know the full extent of President Bush's obsession with eavesdropping on citizens, but here's a cheesy new aspect: Phone calls home from American soldiers, aid workers and journalists in Iraq were reported to have been tapped and stored by military agents supposedly searching for terrorist intelligence leads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/opinion/16thu3.html?ref=opinion
-Mob Muscles Its Way Into Politics in Bulgaria
Politics is played to the death in Bulgaria, where the lives of politicians can be as cheap as spent bullets and murky business groups wage a murderous struggle for their cut of everything from real estate deals to millions in European aid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/world/europe/16bulgaria.html?hp
-Wall St. Opens Higher After More Losses in Global Shares
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/business/economy/17market.html?hp
-Ruling May Impede Thousands of Ohio Voters
More than 200,000 registered Ohio voters may be blocked from casting regular ballots on Election Day because of a federal appeals court decision on Tuesday requiring the disclosure of lists of voters whose names did not match those on government databases, state election officials and voting experts said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/16vote.html?hp
-Mayor's California Bid May Undercut Incumbents
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg visited California on Wednesday to stump for a measure that would prevent legislators there from redrawing their district maps, a practice that he contends is a self-serving way for lawmakers to keep themselves in office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/nyregion/16bloomberg.html?hp
-Elizabeth Dole Finds a Once-Safe Race Less So
Before this campaign season, Senator Elizabeth Dole was not considered a particularly vulnerable incumbent. As Washington royalty with a gold-plated résumé, she won the seat once held by Senator Jesse Helms by a nine-point margin in 2002. But on Tuesday, when Mrs. Dole appeared at a rally for Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican candidate for vice president, she was appealing for her political life. She told the crowd of party faithful that the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senator Charles E. Schumer, was spending nearly $10 million of "New York money" on "negative, ugly, mean-spirited, untruthful ads" against her, and the crowd responded with lusty boos.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/politics/16dole.html
-Poll Says McCain Is Hurting His Bid by Using Attacks
The McCain campaign's recent angry tone and sharply personal attacks on Senator Barack Obama appear to have backfired and tarnished Senator John McCain more than their intended target, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll has found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15poll.html?hp
-If Elected ...
From 2 Rivals, 2 Prescriptions
With Senator John McCain unveiling a $52.5 billion package of proposals on Tuesday, both presidential candidates have now outlined their plans for addressing the economic crisis, leaving voters with a clear choice when it comes to one of the biggest challenges the next president will face.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15elected.html?hp
-In Voting Booth, Race May Play a Bigger Role
With less than three weeks until Election Day, a big question is looming over the campaign for the White House, and it has nothing to do with the economic crisis or the caustic exchanges between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain over character and credentials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15race.html?hp
-Misplaced Blame
Critics are blaming the Community Reinvestment Act for the current economic crisis, but the charges do not hold up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/opinion/15wed2.html?ref=opinion
-Op-Ed Columnist: Those Hard-Boiled Eggheads
I'm not sending Paul Krugman Champagne. He won the Nobel prize in economics this week, and while I'm sure that's delightful for him, it has raised the bar to an impossible height for his fellow columnists at The Times. We used to strive for Pulitzers, or simply regional awards, or even just try to top each other on the paper's most e-mailed list.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/opinion/15dowd.html?ref=opinion
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Palin Too Close for Comfort
It's time to start taking Sarah Palin seriously.
Though the latest polls show the Obama-Biden ticket ahead, the Alaska governor is still uncomfortably close to becoming vice president of the United States. The thought should concentrate the mind of every American who remembers the abuse of executive power by the administration of Richard Nixon. Just look at what Palin has done, in a short time, with the authority delegated to her by Alaskans.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/10/palin_too_close_for_comfort.html
-Social Security Benefits to Jump 5.8 percent
Benefits for 50 million people to increase by largest amount in more than 25 years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101600381.html?hpid=topnews
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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-Religious-Bias Filings Up
Mass firings at meatpacking plants in Colorado and Nebraska last month highlight growing conflicts over how to accommodate religion in the workplace. The plants, owned by the U.S. unit of Brazil's JBS SA, collectively fired about 200 Muslim Somali workers who walked off the job over prayer disputes.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411562348138619.html
-School Efforts to Stem Violence Offer A Textbook Case of Limits on Speech
With the nation's school systems roiled by campus shootings over the past decade, and on the lookout for conflict, students are being asked to check a broader array of free-speech rights at the door -- raising questions about what lesson that is teaching them.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411642705338721.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poor minorities become scapegoats
In the great search for somebody to blame for the nation's economic meltdown, an easy scapegoat is emerging. Or rather, make that a few million easy scapegoats. By golly, it's those low-income minorities! Those people who never should have qualified for home loans in the first place. The un-creditworthy defaulters of all those nasty subprime loans that caused our lending system to crumble and catapulted world markets into the tank.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-15sanchezsboct15,0,2990789.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-MORTGAGES: To cut losses, homeowners consider default
Some struggling homeowners are being tempted to default on purpose in order to qualify for mortgage relief from the federal government or their lenders.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/728184.html
-THE OPPENHEIMER REPORT: Falling oil prices a bad omen for Chávez
The world financial meltdown of 2008 is sparing no ideologies: It has crushed the Bush administration's brand of go-go capitalism and it will put a damper on Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's oil-based leftist populism.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/columnists/story/728174.html
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Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-In Defense of Ayers
William Ayers has been trashed by conservative pundits and labeled "an unrepentant domestic terrorist" by Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, but the University of Illinois at Chicago professor has garnered the support of a growing number of peers who admire his scholarship and see the attacks on him as an affront to academic freedom. Ayers, who helped found a Vietnam-era protest group that was blamed for bombing government buildings, has been a faculty member at Illinois-Chicago since 1987. In a statement signed by faculty members across the country, professors have spoken out against "the demonization" of Ayers, whose alleged ties to the Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama have made headlines.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/14/ayers
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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Economic Outlook
Public Not Desperate About Economy or Personal Finances
Americans are concerned about the nation's economic problems and they register the lowest level of national satisfaction ever measured in a Pew survey. But there is little indication that the nation's financial crisis has triggered public panic or despair. Read more
-Media Matters
Blaming the Messenger
From Jefferson to Palin, politicians have blamed the media for public discontent with their policies, politics or personal behavior. Here are some highlights from that historical faceoff. Read more
-Campaign Tactics and Tone Trump Economy in News Media Narratives
For the first time in a month, the election generated more coverage than the financial crisis and almost one-third of that coverage was connected to the increasingly harsh tone of the campaign. Read more
-Financial Fall, Fiscal Mess
Escalating Economic Crisis Grips States
A week after President Bush signed a $700-billion bailout plan for Wall Street, the financial crisis has deepened in many state capitals with tight credit markets and new, pessimistic budget figures that pose the biggest threat to states' fiscal health in 25 years. Read more
-Who Knows News?
What You Read or View Matters, but Not Your Politics
Where you turn for news may say a lot about how much you actually know. So who scores higher on a political knowledge quiz? Hardball or Hannity & Colmes? Newspapers or network news? Stewart or Colbert? Read more
-Voting Values
Culture War Politics
Leading experts discuss the history of cultural divisions in American
politics and what role, if any, they will play in the outcome of the November election. Read more
-Daily Number
79% - Tougher Times for the Middle Class
Nearly eight-in-ten (79%) Americans say it is more difficult now than five years ago for people in the middle class to maintain their standard of living. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Too Little, Too Late For McCain?
CBSNews.com Analysis: Front-Running Obama Navigates Around Aggressive McCain
Performance In Final Presidential Debate
"Joe the plumber" achieved sudden national fame in the final presidential debate, but it was John McCain who needed the headlines. Although the Republican nominee was energetic, focused and, at times, emotional in his last on-stage appearance before Election Day, it was likely not enough to change the underlying trajectory of the race.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/16/politics/2008debates/main4525262.shtml
-McCain's last stand
The Republican senator's final debate performance was marked by oddball characters and marginal attacks, as hopes of his political resurrection appeared to fade. What may well have been the final debate of John McCain's political career featured oddball characters who seemed like refugees from "Sesame Street" -- Joe the Plumber (an Everyman from Ohio), Senator Government (a Freudian slip moniker for Barack Obama) and a sometimes petulant 72-year-old Republican trying to be Mac the Knife. While instant debate verdicts are always suspect, there was scant evidence that McCain, despite a strong showing during the first 45 minutes of the debate, landed a haymaker at Hofstra. As the debate clock wound down Wednesday night, along with McCain's hopes of political resurrection, the Arizona Republican ended by arguing with Obama over a nearly irrelevant issue at a time of economic crisis -- school vouchers.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/16/debate3/index.html
-CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won Final Debate
UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULTS As in the previous debates, CBS News and Knowledge Networks have conducted a nationally representative poll of uncommitted voters to get their immediate reaction to tonight's presidential debate.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/15/politics/horserace/entry4525171.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=Horserace_4525171
-Behind the GOP's voter fraud hysteria
As Republicans warn of catastrophe at the polls, an expert on election fraud explains the real partisan hoax -- the suppression of Democratic votes.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/15/voter_suppression/
-It Was Always a War for Oil: Here's the Proof
Before Bush launched the Iraq War, I had a bumper sticker that said "No War for Oil." I got some one-finger salutes, and I remember a guy on a motorcycle screaming at me for several hundred yards. Meanwhile, all the on-air cheerleaders for Bush's war disputed the assertion that it had anything to do with that dirty three-letter-word oil.
http://www.progressive.org/mag/wx101508.html
-Ohio Files Appeal to Supreme Court on Voter Registration Data
Ohio's Attorney General filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court late Wednesday night seeking to block a lower court decision that could cost many thousands of Ohio voters a chance to cast a regular ballot on Nov. 4.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101600702.html
-Obama cuts Michigan staff, advertising
Campaign resources are being transferred to battleground states of Indiana, North Carolina. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is sharply cutting his ad spending in Michigan and moving some staff to more competitive states -- completing Michigan's whiplash transformation from battleground state to an also-ran.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081016/POLITICS01/810160385/1022/POLITICS
-Ark. Pastor Challenges IRS With Pro-McCain Sermon
Ark. Pastor Challenges IRS With Sermon Endorsing McCain For President
In a predominantly black church in a city known for its past racial strife, Bishop Robert Smith is taking sides. His targets: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and federal restrictions barring Smith's endorsement of Republican John McCain.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/16/ap/politics/main4525288.shtml
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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:
-Candidates Clash Over Character and Policy
Senator John McCain used the final debate of the presidential election on Wednesday night to raise persistent and pointed questions about Senator Barack Obama's character, judgment and policy prescriptions in a session that was by far the most spirited and combative of their encounters this fall.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/politics/16debate.html?hp
-The TV Watch: Rivals Split, With Joe in the Middle
Barack Obama looked like a prosecutor delivering a polished summation in a long civil case, Joe the Plumber v. George W. Bush.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/politics/16watch.html?hp
-Final Presidential Debate
Watch the debate, analyze the transcript, check the facts and share your thoughts.
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/debates/third-presidential-debate.html?hp
-Editorial: Snooping on Our Own Frontlines
The nation still doesn't know the full extent of President Bush's obsession with eavesdropping on citizens, but here's a cheesy new aspect: Phone calls home from American soldiers, aid workers and journalists in Iraq were reported to have been tapped and stored by military agents supposedly searching for terrorist intelligence leads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/opinion/16thu3.html?ref=opinion
-Mob Muscles Its Way Into Politics in Bulgaria
Politics is played to the death in Bulgaria, where the lives of politicians can be as cheap as spent bullets and murky business groups wage a murderous struggle for their cut of everything from real estate deals to millions in European aid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/world/europe/16bulgaria.html?hp
-Wall St. Opens Higher After More Losses in Global Shares
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/business/economy/17market.html?hp
-Ruling May Impede Thousands of Ohio Voters
More than 200,000 registered Ohio voters may be blocked from casting regular ballots on Election Day because of a federal appeals court decision on Tuesday requiring the disclosure of lists of voters whose names did not match those on government databases, state election officials and voting experts said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/16vote.html?hp
-Mayor's California Bid May Undercut Incumbents
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg visited California on Wednesday to stump for a measure that would prevent legislators there from redrawing their district maps, a practice that he contends is a self-serving way for lawmakers to keep themselves in office.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/nyregion/16bloomberg.html?hp
-Elizabeth Dole Finds a Once-Safe Race Less So
Before this campaign season, Senator Elizabeth Dole was not considered a particularly vulnerable incumbent. As Washington royalty with a gold-plated résumé, she won the seat once held by Senator Jesse Helms by a nine-point margin in 2002. But on Tuesday, when Mrs. Dole appeared at a rally for Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican candidate for vice president, she was appealing for her political life. She told the crowd of party faithful that the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senator Charles E. Schumer, was spending nearly $10 million of "New York money" on "negative, ugly, mean-spirited, untruthful ads" against her, and the crowd responded with lusty boos.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/us/politics/16dole.html
-Poll Says McCain Is Hurting His Bid by Using Attacks
The McCain campaign's recent angry tone and sharply personal attacks on Senator Barack Obama appear to have backfired and tarnished Senator John McCain more than their intended target, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll has found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15poll.html?hp
-If Elected ...
From 2 Rivals, 2 Prescriptions
With Senator John McCain unveiling a $52.5 billion package of proposals on Tuesday, both presidential candidates have now outlined their plans for addressing the economic crisis, leaving voters with a clear choice when it comes to one of the biggest challenges the next president will face.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15elected.html?hp
-In Voting Booth, Race May Play a Bigger Role
With less than three weeks until Election Day, a big question is looming over the campaign for the White House, and it has nothing to do with the economic crisis or the caustic exchanges between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain over character and credentials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/us/politics/15race.html?hp
-Misplaced Blame
Critics are blaming the Community Reinvestment Act for the current economic crisis, but the charges do not hold up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/opinion/15wed2.html?ref=opinion
-Op-Ed Columnist: Those Hard-Boiled Eggheads
I'm not sending Paul Krugman Champagne. He won the Nobel prize in economics this week, and while I'm sure that's delightful for him, it has raised the bar to an impossible height for his fellow columnists at The Times. We used to strive for Pulitzers, or simply regional awards, or even just try to top each other on the paper's most e-mailed list.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/15/opinion/15dowd.html?ref=opinion
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Palin Too Close for Comfort
It's time to start taking Sarah Palin seriously.
Though the latest polls show the Obama-Biden ticket ahead, the Alaska governor is still uncomfortably close to becoming vice president of the United States. The thought should concentrate the mind of every American who remembers the abuse of executive power by the administration of Richard Nixon. Just look at what Palin has done, in a short time, with the authority delegated to her by Alaskans.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/10/palin_too_close_for_comfort.html
-Social Security Benefits to Jump 5.8 percent
Benefits for 50 million people to increase by largest amount in more than 25 years.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101600381.html?hpid=topnews
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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-Religious-Bias Filings Up
Mass firings at meatpacking plants in Colorado and Nebraska last month highlight growing conflicts over how to accommodate religion in the workplace. The plants, owned by the U.S. unit of Brazil's JBS SA, collectively fired about 200 Muslim Somali workers who walked off the job over prayer disputes.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411562348138619.html
-School Efforts to Stem Violence Offer A Textbook Case of Limits on Speech
With the nation's school systems roiled by campus shootings over the past decade, and on the lookout for conflict, students are being asked to check a broader array of free-speech rights at the door -- raising questions about what lesson that is teaching them.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411642705338721.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poor minorities become scapegoats
In the great search for somebody to blame for the nation's economic meltdown, an easy scapegoat is emerging. Or rather, make that a few million easy scapegoats. By golly, it's those low-income minorities! Those people who never should have qualified for home loans in the first place. The un-creditworthy defaulters of all those nasty subprime loans that caused our lending system to crumble and catapulted world markets into the tank.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-15sanchezsboct15,0,2990789.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-MORTGAGES: To cut losses, homeowners consider default
Some struggling homeowners are being tempted to default on purpose in order to qualify for mortgage relief from the federal government or their lenders.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/728184.html
-THE OPPENHEIMER REPORT: Falling oil prices a bad omen for Chávez
The world financial meltdown of 2008 is sparing no ideologies: It has crushed the Bush administration's brand of go-go capitalism and it will put a damper on Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's oil-based leftist populism.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/columnists/story/728174.html
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Inside Higher Education
http://www.insidehighered.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-In Defense of Ayers
William Ayers has been trashed by conservative pundits and labeled "an unrepentant domestic terrorist" by Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, but the University of Illinois at Chicago professor has garnered the support of a growing number of peers who admire his scholarship and see the attacks on him as an affront to academic freedom. Ayers, who helped found a Vietnam-era protest group that was blamed for bombing government buildings, has been a faculty member at Illinois-Chicago since 1987. In a statement signed by faculty members across the country, professors have spoken out against "the demonization" of Ayers, whose alleged ties to the Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama have made headlines.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/14/ayers
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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Economic Outlook
Public Not Desperate About Economy or Personal Finances
Americans are concerned about the nation's economic problems and they register the lowest level of national satisfaction ever measured in a Pew survey. But there is little indication that the nation's financial crisis has triggered public panic or despair. Read more
-Media Matters
Blaming the Messenger
From Jefferson to Palin, politicians have blamed the media for public discontent with their policies, politics or personal behavior. Here are some highlights from that historical faceoff. Read more
-Campaign Tactics and Tone Trump Economy in News Media Narratives
For the first time in a month, the election generated more coverage than the financial crisis and almost one-third of that coverage was connected to the increasingly harsh tone of the campaign. Read more
-Financial Fall, Fiscal Mess
Escalating Economic Crisis Grips States
A week after President Bush signed a $700-billion bailout plan for Wall Street, the financial crisis has deepened in many state capitals with tight credit markets and new, pessimistic budget figures that pose the biggest threat to states' fiscal health in 25 years. Read more
-Who Knows News?
What You Read or View Matters, but Not Your Politics
Where you turn for news may say a lot about how much you actually know. So who scores higher on a political knowledge quiz? Hardball or Hannity & Colmes? Newspapers or network news? Stewart or Colbert? Read more
-Voting Values
Culture War Politics
Leading experts discuss the history of cultural divisions in American
politics and what role, if any, they will play in the outcome of the November election. Read more
-Daily Number
79% - Tougher Times for the Middle Class
Nearly eight-in-ten (79%) Americans say it is more difficult now than five years ago for people in the middle class to maintain their standard of living. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Too Little, Too Late For McCain?
CBSNews.com Analysis: Front-Running Obama Navigates Around Aggressive McCain
Performance In Final Presidential Debate
"Joe the plumber" achieved sudden national fame in the final presidential debate, but it was John McCain who needed the headlines. Although the Republican nominee was energetic, focused and, at times, emotional in his last on-stage appearance before Election Day, it was likely not enough to change the underlying trajectory of the race.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/16/politics/2008debates/main4525262.shtml
-McCain's last stand
The Republican senator's final debate performance was marked by oddball characters and marginal attacks, as hopes of his political resurrection appeared to fade. What may well have been the final debate of John McCain's political career featured oddball characters who seemed like refugees from "Sesame Street" -- Joe the Plumber (an Everyman from Ohio), Senator Government (a Freudian slip moniker for Barack Obama) and a sometimes petulant 72-year-old Republican trying to be Mac the Knife. While instant debate verdicts are always suspect, there was scant evidence that McCain, despite a strong showing during the first 45 minutes of the debate, landed a haymaker at Hofstra. As the debate clock wound down Wednesday night, along with McCain's hopes of political resurrection, the Arizona Republican ended by arguing with Obama over a nearly irrelevant issue at a time of economic crisis -- school vouchers.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/16/debate3/index.html
-CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won Final Debate
UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULTS As in the previous debates, CBS News and Knowledge Networks have conducted a nationally representative poll of uncommitted voters to get their immediate reaction to tonight's presidential debate.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/15/politics/horserace/entry4525171.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=Horserace_4525171
-Behind the GOP's voter fraud hysteria
As Republicans warn of catastrophe at the polls, an expert on election fraud explains the real partisan hoax -- the suppression of Democratic votes.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/15/voter_suppression/
-It Was Always a War for Oil: Here's the Proof
Before Bush launched the Iraq War, I had a bumper sticker that said "No War for Oil." I got some one-finger salutes, and I remember a guy on a motorcycle screaming at me for several hundred yards. Meanwhile, all the on-air cheerleaders for Bush's war disputed the assertion that it had anything to do with that dirty three-letter-word oil.
http://www.progressive.org/mag/wx101508.html
-Ohio Files Appeal to Supreme Court on Voter Registration Data
Ohio's Attorney General filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court late Wednesday night seeking to block a lower court decision that could cost many thousands of Ohio voters a chance to cast a regular ballot on Nov. 4.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101600702.html
-Obama cuts Michigan staff, advertising
Campaign resources are being transferred to battleground states of Indiana, North Carolina. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is sharply cutting his ad spending in Michigan and moving some staff to more competitive states -- completing Michigan's whiplash transformation from battleground state to an also-ran.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081016/POLITICS01/810160385/1022/POLITICS
-Ark. Pastor Challenges IRS With Pro-McCain Sermon
Ark. Pastor Challenges IRS With Sermon Endorsing McCain For President
In a predominantly black church in a city known for its past racial strife, Bishop Robert Smith is taking sides. His targets: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and federal restrictions barring Smith's endorsement of Republican John McCain.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/16/ap/politics/main4525288.shtml
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - October 16, 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~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Anti-gay church to speak at FIU debate on Amendment 2
Forum will focus on amendment to ban same-sex marriage
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flpwestboro1016pnoct16,0,1119087.story
-Boca church takes a stand against marriage amendment
Along with casting a vote for the next president of the United States on Nov. 4, Florida voters will decide if the state's definition of marriage needs revamping. One of six proposed amendments to the state constitution that will appear on ballots statewide, Amendment 2, the Florida marriage protection amendment, reads as follows: "This amendment protects marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/bocaraton/sfl-flbrfamendment1015brfoct15,0,7012641.story
-And yes, it does affect us
I don't know a lot of people who have a happier marriage than I have.
Correction: I don't know anybody who has a happier marriage than I have. So according to the backers of proposed Amendment 2 to the Florida Constitution, I not only shouldn't worry about the possibility of that amendment passing, I should embrace it.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flesbjaundiced1016esboct16,0,3526645.story
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video | Michael Schiavo: Vote No On 2
This is a web commercial from ProgressFlorida done by Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo, the comatose Florida woman at the center of a national end-of-life debate a few years ago. Michael Schiavo is campaigning against Florida's proposed marriage amendment.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-BSO forms task force to fight hate crimes
Includes protections of victims of GLBT bias
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#21748
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St. Petersburg Times
http://www.tampabay.com/
-Two wealthy Republicans fueling both sides in the fight over Amendment 2
Two wealthy Republicans are the financial fuel behind both sides of the ballot measure that would ban gay marriage in the Florida Constitution. Backing the measure is the patriarch who founded Amway Corp. On the other side is a little-known telecom multimillionaire.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article856986.ece
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From Anthony Niedwiecki for Oakland Park City Commission
www.Anthony09.com
City of Oakland Park Takes Stand Against Amendment 2
Commission Passes Resolution Opposing Amendment 2
Last night, the Oakland Park City Commission voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing Amendment 2, Florida 's so called "Marriage Protection Amendment." The commission passed the resolution because of the "potential adverse impact that it causes on the existing rights and future rights of unmarried Floridians."
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GLBT Get Out the Vote Center - Saturday and Sunday!
-Tonight! Please join us at the GLBT Get Out The Vote Center
2040b N. Dixie Highway (back left corner of the new GLCC Campus)
1/3 mile south of "5-points" intersection Wilton Manors, FL 33305
(954) 630-VOTE (8683)
Friday, October 17th, 2008
6:00 pm
Wine and cheese served.
-Campaign season is in full swing and voter turnout is expected to break all records! With early voting and vote-by-mail available, we're trying to help people make sure their votes are counted and educating them on these opportunities. The last thing we want on election day is a surprise that people weren't allowed to vote. We need your help. Please volunteer this weekend for two great events: The first is Bubba's Country Fair at Scandals Saloon in Wilton Manors Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, with shifts between 11 am and 7 pm. The second is the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day at the GLCC Friday, October 16 from 3 pm until ?? They're both going to be wonderful events and incredible opportunities for us to do an incredible thing for the community. If you are able to help, please email Chipwich00@hotmail.com. Let me know what day, time and event you would like to help with, along with your name, number and email, and I will make sure you get plugged into your favorite event. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Chip Clapp
Outreach Coordinator
GLBT Get Out the Vote Center
Chipwich00@hotmail.com
(954) 701-2902
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Join Us For Our Statewide Day of Action!
Saturday, October 18 2:00-6:00pm
It's all hands on deck! Polls show that we are very close to defeating Amendment 2 and we have less than 3 weeks to reach millions of Florida voters- and the time has come for everyone to step up! This Saturday we'll be in your community and we need you to join us. Click here to join your local team. With less than 3 weeks until Election Day and early voting set to begin next Monday, Saturday is our best opportunity before November 4th to reach Florida voters with our message to vote NO on Amendment 2. Join the Vote No on 2 Campaign and hundreds of other volunteers as we go door-to-door to inform voters about the dangers of Amendment 2, the so-called "Marriage Protection" Amendment. Water, snacks and campaign materials will be provided. If you have a Vote No on 2 t-shirt, wear it! If not, please wear a plain white shirt and we will provide you with a sticker and/or pin. Click here to do your part!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/dayofaction/details.tcl
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Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
-Town Meeting on Amendment 2
The American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Advocacy Project, The Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, and The Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) Club at PBCC's Lake Worth Campus invite you to a Town Hall Forum regarding Amendment 2 (the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment)
October 23, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
STAGE WEST @ Duncan Theatre
Lake Worth Campus,Palm Beach Community College
While backers of proposed Amendment 2 claim they are only reaffirming marriage as one man and one woman, there are already several laws, including the Florida Defense of Marriage Act, that outlaw same sex marriage in the state.
RSVP to Jamie Ziegele. Call; (561) 868-3315 or e-mail ziegelej@pbcc.edu
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Gary Resnick for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
For information about Gary's campaign, please contact Gary at home at 954-566-0054, or via email, garyresnick@..., or visit his website, www.garyresnick.com
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From Steve GLASSMAN For Fort Lauderdale City Commission District 2 Campaign
Leadership for a Change
From Naugle and Rodstrom to a Majority Community-Friendly Commission Gay Leaders excited over the potential for change in the upcoming elections Even before a single vote is cast in this historic presidential election season, pro-community activists were looking ahead to Fort Lauderdale's municipal elections. Key leaders optimistic about the potential for change include important voices in Fort Lauderdale's community, political and neighborhood organizations such as Michael Albetta, president of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus and Waymon Hudson, founder of Fight Out Loud .Watching historic change coming to America and the White House, the local leaders sense opportunity for Fort Lauderdale and both have endorsed Steve Glassman's candidacy in the strongest terms. Albetta explained, " Naugle is termed out and so the Mayor's race is wide open. Cindi is departing so that's District 4. And so you have Rodstrom, whose silence on important issues and failure to live up to loudly stated campaign promises has been a slap in the face of the GLBT community." Hudson, who started Fight Out Loud after experiencing a Hate Crime, summed it up, " Look, the last Commission meeting was the latest example of intolerance from the dais that is just outrageous. Rodstrom was clapping after one pro Amendment 2 speaker for goodness sake. I am endorsing Steve Glassman because Rodstrom has become an obstacle to having a commission that is committed to all its citizens." Asked about the endorsements, Glassman embraced them, stating, "District 2 is the most diverse district in the City - racially, ethnically, economically, geographically. In many vibrant ways, our community is a microcosm of America and the city as a whole and who I am reflects the community. I am happy to see that recognized, especially by leaders who by their advocacy have earned everyone's respect." Regarding the opportunity to transition from a culture of division to one of inclusion, Glassman summed up everyone's
sentiment: "DREAM! HOPE! CHANGE!"
Steve@VoteGlassman.com
http://voteglassman.com/
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From Earl Rynerson for Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Campaign
MAYORAL CANDIDATE EARL RYNERSON TAKES THE LEAD IN CAMPAIGN FUNDING
Earl Rynerson, Mayoral Candidate for Fort Lauderdale, announced today that he has taken the lead in total Campaign Funding among the four Mayoral Candidates. Rynerson's total funding (at the end of Q3) totaled $90,307, compared to Jack Seiler's total of $74,130, Dean Trantalis' total of $16,192, and Steve Rossi's total of $2,844. "I made the decision that, in order to level the playing field against career politicians like Jack Seiler, I will need to inject some of my own funds into this campaign to ensure that I am able to get my message out to the voters. I am invested in Fort Lauderdale and investing in my campaign is a natural extension of that".
"We as voters need to have alternatives to career politicians and attorneys running our city. We will soon be ending 18 years with a career politician as Mayor of Fort Lauderdale. Do we really want another career politician as a replacement? I made the decision to enter this race in July after seeing the qualifications of those that had entered the race. I believe I have unique experiences and a background that will give the voters a clear and better alternative."
www.earlformayor.com
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From Gary Resnick for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
RESNICK RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS FROM BROWARD COUNTY AFL-CIO, QUALITY FLORIDA AND MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS,
Commissioner Gary Resnick, Candidate for Mayor of Wilton Manors, is pleased to announce the endorsements of Broward County AFL-CIO, Equality Florida Action PAC and many prominent local, county and state elected officials. Some of those supporting Resnick include State Senators Steven A. Geller and Nan Rich, State Senator Elect Chris Smith, State Representatives Perry Thurston, Jim Waldman and Martin Kiar, Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, Mayors Rae Carole Armstrong (Plantation), Lori Moseley (Miramar), Jack Brady (North Lauderdale), Beth Talabisco (Tamarac), Debby Eisenger (Cooper City), Joy Cooper (Hallandale Beach) and Frank Ortis (Pembroke Pines). Equality Florida, a statewide education and advocacy organization announced their endorsement of Gary Resnick for Mayor of Wilton Manors. Equality Florida works to eliminate all discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and class. Gary was first elected to the Wilton Manors City Commission in 1998 and was re-elected handily in 2002 and 2006. "I am honored to have so much community support for my campaign for Mayor of Wilton Manors. My grassroots campaign is focusing on walking door to door and listening to the residents of Wilton Manors. It is about putting WILTON MANORS FIRST," commented Resnick. Resnick also received the endorsement of the Island City News, the local Wilton Manors paper. Gary and his partner, Eric, live on Jenada Isle in Wilton Manors.
www.GaryResnick.com
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From Mark LaFontaine
Thank you all for so generously supporting me when I ran for office.
Although, we did not win, the outcome raised awareness and showed our true determination. I have another goal that I want to ask for your support on. For years now, I have wanted to participate in the Smart Ride. This bicycle ride is held annually to raise awareness that HIV/AIDS is still prevalent here in our community. The money raised from this 165 mile bike ride will go directly to local AIDS charities in combating this illness. As someone who has lived with HIV/AIDS for over 16 years since my diagnosis in June 2002, I am fully aware of the needs that infected people have regarding access to healthcare, medication, housing and employment. We need these organizations to ensure that our brothers and sisters are being cared for and that the youth are educated on the risks that exist. PLEASE consider sponsoring me by making a pledge at www.thesmartride.org/3/pledge/ . My rider number is 398. You need to put that into the form and then follow the directions as presented. I appreciate your continued support and look forward to serving the community in the near future.
Sincerely,
Mark LaFontaine
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From Scott Newton for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
Terry DeCarlo, Bill Huelsman & Chuck Williams
Invite You To A Pool Side Barbecue for the Re-Election Of Wilton Manors
Mayor Scott Newton
Oct. 18, 2008 - SATURDAY - 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
At the Home of Chuck Williams
609 NW 28 Street
Wilton Manors
RSVP: CHUCK 954-567-1566 or ArtsUnited1@aol.com
Please bring a friend or neighbor.
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Tonight! GLADD and ABSOLUT® presents: TGIF South Florida.
GLAAD and ABSOLUT® Vodka invite you to the second annual TGIF South Florida - a Friday evening happy hour event series held at Georgie's Alibi. The perfect opportunity to meet like-minded young professionals and support the work of the only LGBT media advocacy organization in the country, this event is also the perfect way to kick off your fall. Enjoy two hours of hosted ABSOLUT® cocktails with entry, win prizes from local businesses and feel good knowing your Friday plans support an important cause.
Event #2: Friday, October 17, 2008
Event #3: Friday, November 21, 2008
Time: 9 - 11 pm
Location: Georgie's Alibi
2266 Wilton Drive
Wilton Manors, FL
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Florida Red and Blue
www.sayno2.com
Tonight! Join us for the unveiling of a new work by acclaimed Miami Artist Xavier Cortada
"Justice Is An Action Verb"
This powerful work of art was created using the names of the first 1,000 donors to Florida Red & Blue.
Posters of the artwork will be donated to the first 1000 donors in attendance.
4500 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33137
October 16, 2008
6:30pm - 8:30pm
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-County charter questions: Just say no to more bureaucracy
Michael Mayo | News Columnist
Early voting starts Monday, and anyone who's looked at a sample ballot knows there's going to be some homework involved. Consider this a cheat sheet. Today, a rundown of the 10 Broward charter questions. The county Charter Review Commission meets every six years. As usual, the group of political appointees punted on any meaningful changes. An effort to let voters decide on a strong mayor failed. The current commission didn't want to see its power diluted.
Instead, Broward voters get to decide on these questions:
...1. Should we create a Metropolitan Transit Authority to coordinate transit improvements and initiatives? Estimated cost: $72,000 a year. We already have regional planning councils, and the county already has a Transportation Department. Let's use those more effectively. This could be more bureaucratic alphabet soup added to the mix. I'm voting NO.
...2. Should county commissioners be barred from interfering with county employees and deal mainly with the county administrator? This strengthens existing policy, and seems reasonable. YES.
...3. Should commissioners who recuse themselves from voting on an item because of conflicts also be banned from taking part in discussions about the item? Too many times, conflicted politicians try to sway fellow commissioners in debate, even though they can't vote. It's disgraceful, and this fix makes perfect sense. YES.
...4. Should we create a Broward Housing Council to coordinate issues such as affordable and workplace housing? Estimated cost: $185,000 a year. Here we go again, more bureaucracy. I say let's take the $185K every year, buy a foreclosed home and have an annual lottery for a starting teacher or cop. NO.
...5. Should the charter specify that the county has a duty to develop policies and programs with a county and regional focus? Well, duh, it is county government. This seems obvious, but if we need the charter to spell it out, I suppose it's harmless. YES.
...6. If the county wants to sell a park or change its land use, should it take 60 percent voter approval to authorize it? Hell YES.
...7. Should an environmental policy statement be added, clarifying the commission's duty to protect a sustainable environment? This seems like an easy yes, but I'm afraid the vague language could have unintended consequences with the port and airport. Call me an anti-greenie meanie, I say NO.
...8. Should we create a county Ethics Commission? Estimated cost: $73,000-$100,000. State ethics law and the state Ethics Commission are already toothless, do we really need another local bureaucracy to issue meaningless rebukes when a public official does something wrong? NO.
...9. Should we hire an independent consultant to study redistricting of commission seats? Estimated cost: $53,000-$184,000. In the past, redistricting has been handled in-house. It probably couldn't hurt to have outside eyes, but is there any such thing as an independent consultant? A reluctant YES.
...10. Should the Management and Efficiency Study Committee next meet in 2009 instead of 2010? Sounds like somebody has a big vacation lined up for 2010. What the heck, I'm flexible. YES. Coming Sunday: A look at the six proposed state constitutional amendments. Michael Mayo's column runs Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at mmayo@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4508.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-flbmayocol1016sboct16,0,1949144.column
-Mahoney's attorney defends pay to woman
He says congressman used his own money to pay an alleged lover U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney did not use campaign funds to buy the silence of a former aide with whom he is accused of having an affair, his attorney said Wednesday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpmahoney1016pnoct16,0,462535.story
-Hurricane Omar moves through northern Caribbean
Hurricane Omar was quickly moving away from the northern Leeward Islands early Thursday after passing through the area as a major Category 3 storm that caused little damage.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-hurricane-omar.5am,0,6326405.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Election Recommendations
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/recommendations/
-Gov. Crist: False voter registrations not big problem in Fla.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he doesn't believe false voter registrations are a serious problem in Florida. And the ACORN group said it is being set up.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/728095.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-How votes could go missing
Here's something for Republicans to chew on. In a recent court-sanctioned test, 102 ballots were fed through two Palm Beach County vote-counting machines. The first machine found 13 valid votes and 89 invalid votes. The other machine, counting the same ballots, found 90 valid votes and 12 invalid ones. It's hard to blame the ballots. Something isn't right with at least one of those two machines. So, if Barack Obama does what seemed impossible just a few short months ago and wins Florida, Republicans can blame the machines. They can rage about how the machines can't be trusted, how voters' votes are not being counted and how there must be an improved paper trail. In other words, they can sound like Democrats.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/10/16/a14a_engelhardtcol_1016.html
-Decision may haunt Democrats
David Lutrin can hardly hold back the "I told you so." Three years ago the schoolteacher and passionate anti-war activist from Palm Beach County was all set to run for Congress against then-U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. The 54-year-old husband and father opened up a campaign account, started stumping in the 16th Congressional District and thought he had won the blessing of national Democrats. But then, almost overnight, Lutrin said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began pressuring him to get out of the race and told him it was no longer backing him. Instead it was putting resources, including a check from then-DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel, behind a political newcomer: Tim Mahoney, a multimillionaire venture capitalist and former Republican, who was mostly unknown within state Democratic circles.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081016/ARTICLE/810160371/2076/news0105
-Outlook bleak for Florida budget
Dire economic circumstances call for severe responses, a fact reflected in contingency plans drawn up by state agencies as Gov. Charlie Crist begins his budget-building process. Crist asked his agencies to provide requests that included plans for a 10-percent cut. He's hoping that's not what's required when he presents his version of the state's spending plan in January, but his department heads have painted what it would look like if it were.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/CD/20081016/CAPITOLNEWS/810160338/-1/capitolnews
-Florida exports on pace for record
You wouldn't know Florida is in a recession based on the volume of the state's foreign trade. It will be another record-breaking year for Florida exports. Through August, they exceed last year's total by $7-billion, a gain of 24 percent. And the year isn't over. Here are a few details of this little-heralded success story: FERTILIZING INDIA: Two years ago India was Florida's 19th-biggest export destination. This year the country has moved up in rank to sixth. The reason? India's insatiable hunger for phosphates to grow grain. One main beneficiary has been the Mosaic Co., which runs phosphate mines east of Tampa. January through August 2007, Florida exported $400-million worth of goods to India. Through August this year, India had already imported $1.5-billion worth of Florida stuff.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/article856963.ece
-ACLU: Federal death row inmates denied health care
Death row inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute are routinely denied access to medical, dental and mental health care, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday in a letter to a governmental official. One diabetic prisoner showing symptoms of high blood sugar had to wait two hours to be treated with insulin, the ACLU said after a yearlong investigation. And some prisoners with dental problems chose simply to have all their teeth removed rather than suffer pain while waiting for complicated procedures, it said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081015/APA/810151587
-Registering to vote exposes Florida stalking victims
Dawn Streeter won't vote this year, even though she wants to. Streeter, who just moved out of Orange County to escape a neighbor who was stalking her, knows that registering to vote in the Nov. 4 election will make her new address in Central Florida a public record. So she opted against registering to preserve her privacy, though she's vowing to lobby for changes that would make stalking victims' addresses confidential on Florida voter rolls.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-votestalk1608oct16,0,2193969.story
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Democracy for America
Across the country a progressive tide is rising and nowhere is it more apparent than right here in South Florida. That's why DFA has me here in Miami for the rest of the campaign. I'm here to help you and other Democracy for America members make sure that Annette Taddeo, Joe Garcia and Raul Martinez are helping a President Obama in Washington next year. But time is short. So we're calling an all hands on deck emergency meeting for all local DFA members this Monday at 7 p.m. on the FIU campus -- and I need YOU to be there.
Emergency Meeting
FIU Campus, Graham University Center Room 140
Monday, October 20. Starts at 7 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/events/31473-dfa-emergency-volunteer-meeting
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Anti-gay church to speak at FIU debate on Amendment 2
Forum will focus on amendment to ban same-sex marriage
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flpwestboro1016pnoct16,0,1119087.story
-Boca church takes a stand against marriage amendment
Along with casting a vote for the next president of the United States on Nov. 4, Florida voters will decide if the state's definition of marriage needs revamping. One of six proposed amendments to the state constitution that will appear on ballots statewide, Amendment 2, the Florida marriage protection amendment, reads as follows: "This amendment protects marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/bocaraton/sfl-flbrfamendment1015brfoct15,0,7012641.story
-And yes, it does affect us
I don't know a lot of people who have a happier marriage than I have.
Correction: I don't know anybody who has a happier marriage than I have. So according to the backers of proposed Amendment 2 to the Florida Constitution, I not only shouldn't worry about the possibility of that amendment passing, I should embrace it.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flesbjaundiced1016esboct16,0,3526645.story
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video | Michael Schiavo: Vote No On 2
This is a web commercial from ProgressFlorida done by Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo, the comatose Florida woman at the center of a national end-of-life debate a few years ago. Michael Schiavo is campaigning against Florida's proposed marriage amendment.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-BSO forms task force to fight hate crimes
Includes protections of victims of GLBT bias
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#21748
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St. Petersburg Times
http://www.tampabay.com/
-Two wealthy Republicans fueling both sides in the fight over Amendment 2
Two wealthy Republicans are the financial fuel behind both sides of the ballot measure that would ban gay marriage in the Florida Constitution. Backing the measure is the patriarch who founded Amway Corp. On the other side is a little-known telecom multimillionaire.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article856986.ece
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From Anthony Niedwiecki for Oakland Park City Commission
www.Anthony09.com
City of Oakland Park Takes Stand Against Amendment 2
Commission Passes Resolution Opposing Amendment 2
Last night, the Oakland Park City Commission voted unanimously to approve a resolution opposing Amendment 2, Florida 's so called "Marriage Protection Amendment." The commission passed the resolution because of the "potential adverse impact that it causes on the existing rights and future rights of unmarried Floridians."
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GLBT Get Out the Vote Center - Saturday and Sunday!
-Tonight! Please join us at the GLBT Get Out The Vote Center
2040b N. Dixie Highway (back left corner of the new GLCC Campus)
1/3 mile south of "5-points" intersection Wilton Manors, FL 33305
(954) 630-VOTE (8683)
Friday, October 17th, 2008
6:00 pm
Wine and cheese served.
-Campaign season is in full swing and voter turnout is expected to break all records! With early voting and vote-by-mail available, we're trying to help people make sure their votes are counted and educating them on these opportunities. The last thing we want on election day is a surprise that people weren't allowed to vote. We need your help. Please volunteer this weekend for two great events: The first is Bubba's Country Fair at Scandals Saloon in Wilton Manors Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, with shifts between 11 am and 7 pm. The second is the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day at the GLCC Friday, October 16 from 3 pm until ?? They're both going to be wonderful events and incredible opportunities for us to do an incredible thing for the community. If you are able to help, please email Chipwich00@hotmail.com. Let me know what day, time and event you would like to help with, along with your name, number and email, and I will make sure you get plugged into your favorite event. Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Chip Clapp
Outreach Coordinator
GLBT Get Out the Vote Center
Chipwich00@hotmail.com
(954) 701-2902
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Join Us For Our Statewide Day of Action!
Saturday, October 18 2:00-6:00pm
It's all hands on deck! Polls show that we are very close to defeating Amendment 2 and we have less than 3 weeks to reach millions of Florida voters- and the time has come for everyone to step up! This Saturday we'll be in your community and we need you to join us. Click here to join your local team. With less than 3 weeks until Election Day and early voting set to begin next Monday, Saturday is our best opportunity before November 4th to reach Florida voters with our message to vote NO on Amendment 2. Join the Vote No on 2 Campaign and hundreds of other volunteers as we go door-to-door to inform voters about the dangers of Amendment 2, the so-called "Marriage Protection" Amendment. Water, snacks and campaign materials will be provided. If you have a Vote No on 2 t-shirt, wear it! If not, please wear a plain white shirt and we will provide you with a sticker and/or pin. Click here to do your part!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/dayofaction/details.tcl
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Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
-Town Meeting on Amendment 2
The American Civil Liberties Union LGBT Advocacy Project, The Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, and The Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) Club at PBCC's Lake Worth Campus invite you to a Town Hall Forum regarding Amendment 2 (the so-called "Marriage Protection Amendment)
October 23, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.
STAGE WEST @ Duncan Theatre
Lake Worth Campus,Palm Beach Community College
While backers of proposed Amendment 2 claim they are only reaffirming marriage as one man and one woman, there are already several laws, including the Florida Defense of Marriage Act, that outlaw same sex marriage in the state.
RSVP to Jamie Ziegele. Call; (561) 868-3315 or e-mail ziegelej@pbcc.edu
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Gary Resnick for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
For information about Gary's campaign, please contact Gary at home at 954-566-0054, or via email, garyresnick@..., or visit his website, www.garyresnick.com
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From Steve GLASSMAN For Fort Lauderdale City Commission District 2 Campaign
Leadership for a Change
From Naugle and Rodstrom to a Majority Community-Friendly Commission Gay Leaders excited over the potential for change in the upcoming elections Even before a single vote is cast in this historic presidential election season, pro-community activists were looking ahead to Fort Lauderdale's municipal elections. Key leaders optimistic about the potential for change include important voices in Fort Lauderdale's community, political and neighborhood organizations such as Michael Albetta, president of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus and Waymon Hudson, founder of Fight Out Loud .Watching historic change coming to America and the White House, the local leaders sense opportunity for Fort Lauderdale and both have endorsed Steve Glassman's candidacy in the strongest terms. Albetta explained, " Naugle is termed out and so the Mayor's race is wide open. Cindi is departing so that's District 4. And so you have Rodstrom, whose silence on important issues and failure to live up to loudly stated campaign promises has been a slap in the face of the GLBT community." Hudson, who started Fight Out Loud after experiencing a Hate Crime, summed it up, " Look, the last Commission meeting was the latest example of intolerance from the dais that is just outrageous. Rodstrom was clapping after one pro Amendment 2 speaker for goodness sake. I am endorsing Steve Glassman because Rodstrom has become an obstacle to having a commission that is committed to all its citizens." Asked about the endorsements, Glassman embraced them, stating, "District 2 is the most diverse district in the City - racially, ethnically, economically, geographically. In many vibrant ways, our community is a microcosm of America and the city as a whole and who I am reflects the community. I am happy to see that recognized, especially by leaders who by their advocacy have earned everyone's respect." Regarding the opportunity to transition from a culture of division to one of inclusion, Glassman summed up everyone's
sentiment: "DREAM! HOPE! CHANGE!"
Steve@VoteGlassman.com
http://voteglassman.com/
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From Earl Rynerson for Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Campaign
MAYORAL CANDIDATE EARL RYNERSON TAKES THE LEAD IN CAMPAIGN FUNDING
Earl Rynerson, Mayoral Candidate for Fort Lauderdale, announced today that he has taken the lead in total Campaign Funding among the four Mayoral Candidates. Rynerson's total funding (at the end of Q3) totaled $90,307, compared to Jack Seiler's total of $74,130, Dean Trantalis' total of $16,192, and Steve Rossi's total of $2,844. "I made the decision that, in order to level the playing field against career politicians like Jack Seiler, I will need to inject some of my own funds into this campaign to ensure that I am able to get my message out to the voters. I am invested in Fort Lauderdale and investing in my campaign is a natural extension of that".
"We as voters need to have alternatives to career politicians and attorneys running our city. We will soon be ending 18 years with a career politician as Mayor of Fort Lauderdale. Do we really want another career politician as a replacement? I made the decision to enter this race in July after seeing the qualifications of those that had entered the race. I believe I have unique experiences and a background that will give the voters a clear and better alternative."
www.earlformayor.com
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From Gary Resnick for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
RESNICK RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS FROM BROWARD COUNTY AFL-CIO, QUALITY FLORIDA AND MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS,
Commissioner Gary Resnick, Candidate for Mayor of Wilton Manors, is pleased to announce the endorsements of Broward County AFL-CIO, Equality Florida Action PAC and many prominent local, county and state elected officials. Some of those supporting Resnick include State Senators Steven A. Geller and Nan Rich, State Senator Elect Chris Smith, State Representatives Perry Thurston, Jim Waldman and Martin Kiar, Broward County Commissioner Ken Keechl, Mayors Rae Carole Armstrong (Plantation), Lori Moseley (Miramar), Jack Brady (North Lauderdale), Beth Talabisco (Tamarac), Debby Eisenger (Cooper City), Joy Cooper (Hallandale Beach) and Frank Ortis (Pembroke Pines). Equality Florida, a statewide education and advocacy organization announced their endorsement of Gary Resnick for Mayor of Wilton Manors. Equality Florida works to eliminate all discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and class. Gary was first elected to the Wilton Manors City Commission in 1998 and was re-elected handily in 2002 and 2006. "I am honored to have so much community support for my campaign for Mayor of Wilton Manors. My grassroots campaign is focusing on walking door to door and listening to the residents of Wilton Manors. It is about putting WILTON MANORS FIRST," commented Resnick. Resnick also received the endorsement of the Island City News, the local Wilton Manors paper. Gary and his partner, Eric, live on Jenada Isle in Wilton Manors.
www.GaryResnick.com
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From Mark LaFontaine
Thank you all for so generously supporting me when I ran for office.
Although, we did not win, the outcome raised awareness and showed our true determination. I have another goal that I want to ask for your support on. For years now, I have wanted to participate in the Smart Ride. This bicycle ride is held annually to raise awareness that HIV/AIDS is still prevalent here in our community. The money raised from this 165 mile bike ride will go directly to local AIDS charities in combating this illness. As someone who has lived with HIV/AIDS for over 16 years since my diagnosis in June 2002, I am fully aware of the needs that infected people have regarding access to healthcare, medication, housing and employment. We need these organizations to ensure that our brothers and sisters are being cared for and that the youth are educated on the risks that exist. PLEASE consider sponsoring me by making a pledge at www.thesmartride.org/3/pledge/ . My rider number is 398. You need to put that into the form and then follow the directions as presented. I appreciate your continued support and look forward to serving the community in the near future.
Sincerely,
Mark LaFontaine
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From Scott Newton for Wilton Manors Mayor Campaign
Terry DeCarlo, Bill Huelsman & Chuck Williams
Invite You To A Pool Side Barbecue for the Re-Election Of Wilton Manors
Mayor Scott Newton
Oct. 18, 2008 - SATURDAY - 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
At the Home of Chuck Williams
609 NW 28 Street
Wilton Manors
RSVP: CHUCK 954-567-1566 or ArtsUnited1@aol.com
Please bring a friend or neighbor.
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Tonight! GLADD and ABSOLUT® presents: TGIF South Florida.
GLAAD and ABSOLUT® Vodka invite you to the second annual TGIF South Florida - a Friday evening happy hour event series held at Georgie's Alibi. The perfect opportunity to meet like-minded young professionals and support the work of the only LGBT media advocacy organization in the country, this event is also the perfect way to kick off your fall. Enjoy two hours of hosted ABSOLUT® cocktails with entry, win prizes from local businesses and feel good knowing your Friday plans support an important cause.
Event #2: Friday, October 17, 2008
Event #3: Friday, November 21, 2008
Time: 9 - 11 pm
Location: Georgie's Alibi
2266 Wilton Drive
Wilton Manors, FL
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Florida Red and Blue
www.sayno2.com
Tonight! Join us for the unveiling of a new work by acclaimed Miami Artist Xavier Cortada
"Justice Is An Action Verb"
This powerful work of art was created using the names of the first 1,000 donors to Florida Red & Blue.
Posters of the artwork will be donated to the first 1000 donors in attendance.
4500 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, FL 33137
October 16, 2008
6:30pm - 8:30pm
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-County charter questions: Just say no to more bureaucracy
Michael Mayo | News Columnist
Early voting starts Monday, and anyone who's looked at a sample ballot knows there's going to be some homework involved. Consider this a cheat sheet. Today, a rundown of the 10 Broward charter questions. The county Charter Review Commission meets every six years. As usual, the group of political appointees punted on any meaningful changes. An effort to let voters decide on a strong mayor failed. The current commission didn't want to see its power diluted.
Instead, Broward voters get to decide on these questions:
...1. Should we create a Metropolitan Transit Authority to coordinate transit improvements and initiatives? Estimated cost: $72,000 a year. We already have regional planning councils, and the county already has a Transportation Department. Let's use those more effectively. This could be more bureaucratic alphabet soup added to the mix. I'm voting NO.
...2. Should county commissioners be barred from interfering with county employees and deal mainly with the county administrator? This strengthens existing policy, and seems reasonable. YES.
...3. Should commissioners who recuse themselves from voting on an item because of conflicts also be banned from taking part in discussions about the item? Too many times, conflicted politicians try to sway fellow commissioners in debate, even though they can't vote. It's disgraceful, and this fix makes perfect sense. YES.
...4. Should we create a Broward Housing Council to coordinate issues such as affordable and workplace housing? Estimated cost: $185,000 a year. Here we go again, more bureaucracy. I say let's take the $185K every year, buy a foreclosed home and have an annual lottery for a starting teacher or cop. NO.
...5. Should the charter specify that the county has a duty to develop policies and programs with a county and regional focus? Well, duh, it is county government. This seems obvious, but if we need the charter to spell it out, I suppose it's harmless. YES.
...6. If the county wants to sell a park or change its land use, should it take 60 percent voter approval to authorize it? Hell YES.
...7. Should an environmental policy statement be added, clarifying the commission's duty to protect a sustainable environment? This seems like an easy yes, but I'm afraid the vague language could have unintended consequences with the port and airport. Call me an anti-greenie meanie, I say NO.
...8. Should we create a county Ethics Commission? Estimated cost: $73,000-$100,000. State ethics law and the state Ethics Commission are already toothless, do we really need another local bureaucracy to issue meaningless rebukes when a public official does something wrong? NO.
...9. Should we hire an independent consultant to study redistricting of commission seats? Estimated cost: $53,000-$184,000. In the past, redistricting has been handled in-house. It probably couldn't hurt to have outside eyes, but is there any such thing as an independent consultant? A reluctant YES.
...10. Should the Management and Efficiency Study Committee next meet in 2009 instead of 2010? Sounds like somebody has a big vacation lined up for 2010. What the heck, I'm flexible. YES. Coming Sunday: A look at the six proposed state constitutional amendments. Michael Mayo's column runs Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at mmayo@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4508.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-flbmayocol1016sboct16,0,1949144.column
-Mahoney's attorney defends pay to woman
He says congressman used his own money to pay an alleged lover U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney did not use campaign funds to buy the silence of a former aide with whom he is accused of having an affair, his attorney said Wednesday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpmahoney1016pnoct16,0,462535.story
-Hurricane Omar moves through northern Caribbean
Hurricane Omar was quickly moving away from the northern Leeward Islands early Thursday after passing through the area as a major Category 3 storm that caused little damage.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sfl-hurricane-omar.5am,0,6326405.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Election Recommendations
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/recommendations/
-Gov. Crist: False voter registrations not big problem in Fla.
Gov. Charlie Crist said he doesn't believe false voter registrations are a serious problem in Florida. And the ACORN group said it is being set up.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/728095.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-How votes could go missing
Here's something for Republicans to chew on. In a recent court-sanctioned test, 102 ballots were fed through two Palm Beach County vote-counting machines. The first machine found 13 valid votes and 89 invalid votes. The other machine, counting the same ballots, found 90 valid votes and 12 invalid ones. It's hard to blame the ballots. Something isn't right with at least one of those two machines. So, if Barack Obama does what seemed impossible just a few short months ago and wins Florida, Republicans can blame the machines. They can rage about how the machines can't be trusted, how voters' votes are not being counted and how there must be an improved paper trail. In other words, they can sound like Democrats.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/10/16/a14a_engelhardtcol_1016.html
-Decision may haunt Democrats
David Lutrin can hardly hold back the "I told you so." Three years ago the schoolteacher and passionate anti-war activist from Palm Beach County was all set to run for Congress against then-U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. The 54-year-old husband and father opened up a campaign account, started stumping in the 16th Congressional District and thought he had won the blessing of national Democrats. But then, almost overnight, Lutrin said the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began pressuring him to get out of the race and told him it was no longer backing him. Instead it was putting resources, including a check from then-DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel, behind a political newcomer: Tim Mahoney, a multimillionaire venture capitalist and former Republican, who was mostly unknown within state Democratic circles.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081016/ARTICLE/810160371/2076/news0105
-Outlook bleak for Florida budget
Dire economic circumstances call for severe responses, a fact reflected in contingency plans drawn up by state agencies as Gov. Charlie Crist begins his budget-building process. Crist asked his agencies to provide requests that included plans for a 10-percent cut. He's hoping that's not what's required when he presents his version of the state's spending plan in January, but his department heads have painted what it would look like if it were.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/CD/20081016/CAPITOLNEWS/810160338/-1/capitolnews
-Florida exports on pace for record
You wouldn't know Florida is in a recession based on the volume of the state's foreign trade. It will be another record-breaking year for Florida exports. Through August, they exceed last year's total by $7-billion, a gain of 24 percent. And the year isn't over. Here are a few details of this little-heralded success story: FERTILIZING INDIA: Two years ago India was Florida's 19th-biggest export destination. This year the country has moved up in rank to sixth. The reason? India's insatiable hunger for phosphates to grow grain. One main beneficiary has been the Mosaic Co., which runs phosphate mines east of Tampa. January through August 2007, Florida exported $400-million worth of goods to India. Through August this year, India had already imported $1.5-billion worth of Florida stuff.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/article856963.ece
-ACLU: Federal death row inmates denied health care
Death row inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute are routinely denied access to medical, dental and mental health care, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday in a letter to a governmental official. One diabetic prisoner showing symptoms of high blood sugar had to wait two hours to be treated with insulin, the ACLU said after a yearlong investigation. And some prisoners with dental problems chose simply to have all their teeth removed rather than suffer pain while waiting for complicated procedures, it said.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081015/APA/810151587
-Registering to vote exposes Florida stalking victims
Dawn Streeter won't vote this year, even though she wants to. Streeter, who just moved out of Orange County to escape a neighbor who was stalking her, knows that registering to vote in the Nov. 4 election will make her new address in Central Florida a public record. So she opted against registering to preserve her privacy, though she's vowing to lobby for changes that would make stalking victims' addresses confidential on Florida voter rolls.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-votestalk1608oct16,0,2193969.story
=
Democracy for America
Across the country a progressive tide is rising and nowhere is it more apparent than right here in South Florida. That's why DFA has me here in Miami for the rest of the campaign. I'm here to help you and other Democracy for America members make sure that Annette Taddeo, Joe Garcia and Raul Martinez are helping a President Obama in Washington next year. But time is short. So we're calling an all hands on deck emergency meeting for all local DFA members this Monday at 7 p.m. on the FIU campus -- and I need YOU to be there.
Emergency Meeting
FIU Campus, Graham University Center Room 140
Monday, October 20. Starts at 7 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/events/31473-dfa-emergency-volunteer-meeting
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Monday, October 13, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - October 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.
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ex-Minn. legislator Allan Spear, gay pioneer, dies
Allan H. Spear, a former Minnesota state senator who was one of the nation's first openly gay legislators, has died. He was 71. He died Saturday of complications after heart surgery performed Thursday, said Don Jorovsky, a longtime friend who used to work for Spear.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201933.html
-In Africa, Pregnancy's Dangers
In Sierra Leone, Every Pregnancy Is a 'Chance of Dying
Sierra Leone has one of the world's highest fertility rates, yet women rely on poorly trained midwives.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201886.html?hpid=topnews
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Being gay is a choice? Not that again
So one of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's best friends is gay. Her pal ''happens to have made a choice that isn't a choice that I have made,'' Palin told Katie Couric recently. That language resurfaced in the vice-presidential debate, when Palin insisted that she was ''tolerant'' of Americans ``choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/721517.html
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-In 2007 the UK government deported 63,140 migrants. Airline companies are a key link in the deportation industry. Without them it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for the state to implement this aspect of the migration regime and there can be no migration controls without deportations. People who are being deported are often handcuffed on the flight and there have been a number reports of physical assaults on deportees by the security personnel who escort them.
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2008/10/shut-down-bmi-airlines-day.html
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Survey: Most Finns Would Accept Openly Gay Editor-in-Chief
A majority of Finns would have no objection to an openly gay person being the editor-in-chief of a newspaper. Only the question of either a gay president or pastor divides opinions. Most residents of Finnish Lapland would accept an openly lesbian editor-in-chief. According to a survey commissioned from pollster Taloustutkimus by the syndicated newspaper supplement Sunnuntaisuomalainen, 93% of those asked in the province of Lapland would be happy with an openly lesbian editor-in-chief. Nationwide the figure stands at 85%
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id104302.html
-People are dying because gay men can't give blood
One HIV-positive blood donation will slip through every 5,769 years. When I was a student, I went along with a group of my friends to give blood, clutching my arm nervously. All summer, increasingly desperate adverts had been warning that NHS blood banks were on the brink of drying up, and I felt I had a debt to repay: a few months before, my grandmother had been hit by a car, and quarts of blood from anonymous donors saved her life. The posters said: "Anyone with a heart can give blood." As we waited for the jab, we all filled in a questionnaire. My friends were led in one-by-one to donate - but I was taken aside and told: we don't want your blood. You're gay. The rules state: "You should never give blood if you are a man who has had sex with another man, even 'safe sex' using a condom." If you have ever had gay sex, the NHS considers your blood contaminated for life. But a court case unfolding in Australia has exposed the bad science behind this ban - and shown that it endangers all of us, gay and straight. The defenders of the ban have a superficially plausible case. All donated blood is obviously tested carefully - but it can take a few months for the HIV virus to show up.
www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-people-are-dying-because-gay-men-cant-give-blood-959316.html
=
Gay.com
http://www.gay.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Op-ed: Keep Same-Sex Marriage OUT of Election
Much attention has been recently paid to the scant amount of attention both McCain and Obama are paying to gay issues. Indeed,with same-sex marriage amendments pending in three states (California, Florida and Arizona), the two candidates have been, for the most part, surprisingly mum.
http://hottopics.gay.com/2008/09/lets-keep-the-g.html
=
HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Liberty University At It Again;
HeartStrong Invokes Outreach Effort
Dean of Liberty University School of Law Gets Away with Gay Bashing; Welfare of Persecuted GLBT Students at Liberty Once Again a National Concern In a serious instance of religious school leadership openly attempting to create a culture of religion-based fear self-hatred for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, Mat Staver, the Dean of the Liberty University School of Law and head of the Liberty Counsel, stated that Washington Mutual, Wachovia Bank, and even Kmart, "both of which actively promoted the homosexual agenda, have come to realize that anti-family policies will bankrupt the bottom line." As a former student and employee of Liberty University, I can tell you faith-based anti-GLBT bullying and persecution is nothing new coming from religious leadership at this place. For more than a decade, HeartStrong has spent countless hours and hundreds of thousands of miles not just providing support to GLBT students who are subjected to faith-based GLBT bullying and persecution at religious educational institutions but also educating the public about what goes on in these schools. Specifically, HeartStrong has made a great effort to make sure the public understands the reality of what students are being fed when it comes to leadership making anti-GLBT comments and positioning them as truth that must be accepted and respected.
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Marriage ruling not end to debate in Conn.
Now that the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled same-sex couples have the right to wed, opponents of gay marriage are pinning their hopes on an infrequent ballot question in a longshot bid to block the unions.
http://www.365gay.com/news/marriage-ruling-not-end-to-debate-in-conn/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Will A Wealthy Social Conservative Have His Way With California Voters Again?
Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr., has put $900,000 of his own money into passing California's gay marriage ban, but it's not the first time the flush ascetic has injected his religious views into politics. From stemming affirmative action to stoking unrest within the Episcopal Church, Ahmanson has been one of the most influential political donors in the country.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63608.asp
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Colombia: Senate rejects same-sex partnership bill AGAIN
Link: Blabbeando: Colombia: Senate rejects same-sex partnership bill AGAIN; gay-friendly Notary Public shot to death in Bogota
Without much fanfare, a Colombian Senate committee rejected a bill on Wednesday that would have brought the legislative branch of the Colombian government up to speed with several Constitutional Court rulings determining that same-sex couples should be granted access to limited partnership benefits. According to a statement released by Senator Gloria Inés RamÃrez, the bill would have addressed what the country's top court identified as a legislative "deficit of protection" for same-sex couples. It would also have extended all the legal rights and protections already afforded to heterosexual couples in a common-law unions or long-term partnerships to same-sex couples.
-Bush the last president to run against gay rights?
Link: Countdown to Crawford blog - Los Angeles Times
For more than four years, the Bush White House has run against any changes in the law that would allow gay Americans -- even his vice president's daughter -- to marry. Under the guidance of political maestro Karl Rove, George W. Bush even ran against gay rights in his 2004 reelection bid. The strategy: push a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman and thereby stir the base of evangelicals to the polls. It worked.
-Mass. Archdiocese at odds with marriage foes
Link: Boston Globe - Articles of Faith blog
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, although staunchly opposed to gay marriage, is declining to support an effort to gather signatures at Masses for a referendum that would bar out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts. The controversy apparently began last weekend, when Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, at the annual Walk for Life event, signed a petition supporting the referendum. Then the organization supporting the referendum, MassResistance, wrote to parishes, citing O'Malley's support and asking priests to gather signatures. That prompted the following e-mail from the archdiocese to pastors:
-CA: Class surprises lesbian teacher on wedding day
Link: San Francisco Chronicle
A group of San Francisco first-graders took an unusual field trip to City Hall on Friday to toss rose petals on their just-married lesbian teacher - putting the public school children at the center of a fierce election battle over the fate of same-sex marriage. The 18 Creative Arts Charter School students took a Muni bus and walked a block at noon to toss rose petals and blow bubbles on their just-married teacher Erin Carder and her wife Kerri McCoy, giggling and squealing as they mobbed their teacher with hugs.
-CA: County clerks furious at changes in marriage form
Link: San Jose Mercury News
County clerks across California are up in arms about the state's recent decision to rush through a change allowing couples to once again mark "bride'' and "groom'' on marriage licenses instead of "Party A" and "Party B.'' The clerks say they're angry because state officials made the change without their advice after some heterosexual couples complained about having to use the gender-neutral terms on California's new marriage license - necessitated by May's Supreme Court decision giving gays and lesbians the right to marry. Clerks and other county officials say they support the decision to give couples the option of identifying themselves as bride and groom. But the clerks say they're short-staffed and that changing the forms will be time-consuming as they prepare for the Nov. 4 election. Besides, they say, the forms were scheduled to change after Jan. 1 anyway to address a new state law.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-George Michael cut from Brits following drug arrest
Pop star George Michael has been dropped from the Brit Awards 2009 due to his recent arrest for drugs offences. The singer, 45, was reportedly going to be honoured with the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, but organisers of the awards ceremony are now said to be searching for a different candidate to give the award to.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9279.html
-US celebs tell straight teens to stop saying 'that's so gay'
A new campaign that aims to raise awareness among straight teenagers about the consequences of homophobic language in American schools has been launched. The new ads are being distributed to 33,000 media stations across the US and will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9285.html
-New justice minister rejects Sharia courts in UK
A government minister has said that "very concerned" about Sharia courts operating in the UK. Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim, was promoted to a junior post in the Ministry of Justice earlier this month.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9284.html
-Trans woman gains acceptance as geisha in Japan
A pre-op trans woman claims she became the first ever transsexual geisha after a visit to Kyoto. Mary Murdoch, 68, from Greenwich, said that it was her ambition to dress up as a geisha. She told News Shopper:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9283.html
-Gay marriage supporters attack Proposition 102 campaign
Gay rights activists in Arizona have vandalised billboards urging people to vote against same sex marriages. In November, residents of Arizona will vote on Proposition 102 of that state's constitution. The amendment says that only marriage between one man and one woman will be recognised in Arizona law.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9282.html
-Students win compensation from school board for gay bullying
Two former high school students have won $300,000 (£172,550) damages after they were subjected to relentless harassment for being gay. In a unanimous decision the California Court of Appeal upheld a jury decision that found Poway Unified School District officials took no action to stop the verbal and physical homophobic attacks on two Poway High School students, Megan Donovan and Joey Ramelli.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9281.html
-Ban on gays in home countries not enough to claim asylum, says immigration boss
Lin Homer, chief executive of the Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA), has caused a furore by amongst human rights groups. Ms Homer said at a conference organised by the Scottish Refugee Council in Glasgow that judges consider the "practical consequences" of sending gay asylum seekers back to their country of origin, and not that country's social or legal views on homosexuality.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9280.html
=
Forwarded from Gay Asylum - UK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/messages?o=1
Go to this link for the following articles:
-OH: Citizen Patrols, Cameras Proposed in Bar Areas
by Eric Sever | Gay People's Chronicle
Cleveland-In response to several attacks on gay men during the summer, members of City Council and the Cleveland Police Department met with more than 60 citizens to discuss the safety of the city's LGBT community. The October 7 town hall meeting, hosted by the Cleveland LGBT Center and the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization, brought together Cleveland councilors Joe Cimperman, Zachary Reed, Jay Westbrook, Matt Zone, and Lakewood's Nickie Antonio, as well as representatives from the mayor's office and local business owners.
-Goodbye to the GLBT Movement
by Dale Carpenter | Independent Gay Forum
First published in the Bay Area Reporter on October 9, 2008
Not long ago columnist Wayne Besen wrote that gay Republicans have "no place" in the "GLBT movement." Because they support John McCain this year, he charged they are "shamefully in cahoots" with anti-gay forces. He claimed they have a "suicidal tendency" they must overcome. The only thing missing was the tired analogy to Jewish Nazis. Besen is no kook. He's a widely read gay writer who fits squarely in the mainstream of the GLBT movement. It's safe to say he was only expressing openly what many people, especially leaders and activists, within the movement privately think about gay conservatives. In fact, Besen's column was only the latest in a barrage of attacks against gay conservatives this election season. Time and again gay conservatives have been called self-hating, treasonous, and selfish. It's the worst vitriol against gay conservatives I've seen in fifteen years in this movement.
-How 25 Years of Gay Activism in Hollywood Has Paid Off
Robert Knight | Free Republic
If you're noticing your TV screen turning pink, it's not just your imagination. The new broadcast TV season includes 22 series featuring a total of 35 openly gay characters, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). GLAAD, which rides herd over all Hollywood scripts dealing with homosexuality, says the number of series with homosexual characters is a record. These series are on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the CW networks. The total figure does not include shows on cable, like The L Word on Showtime, or MTV's all-gay LOGO network. A new Eye on Culture report from the Culture and Media Institute, "Lavender Propaganda," reveals the depth and breadth of the current media campaign to promote homosexuality to average Americans. But Hollywood became a uniformly pro-gay industry well before Will & Grace or the slew of 2008-9 network shows.
-India a Hot Spot for Gay Couples Keen on Babies
The Times of India
MUMBAI: They don't make a traditional family portrait, but there is steady stream of gay couples coming to the city for infertility treatment to have babies. The ongoing debate in court on Article 377 notwithstanding, India is being seen as an affordable haven for gay couples, whether married or not, who want to be parents. In fact, in the last week of September, city's infertility specialist Dr Gautam Allahabadia spoke at the fourth world congress of the World Association of Reproductive Medicine in Mexico about his Bandra clinic's experience with 12 gay couples. "From 2005 to 2007, 12 same-sex gay couples were treated with a total of 16 oocyte retrieval cycles," he told the audience, which included the creator of Dolly, the cloned sheep, Dr K H S Campbell.
-Overcoming Bigotry
Andoni | Citizen Crain
I'm back from my Greek island. Of note is that when I arrived in Greece I had to pay 1.5 dollars for one Euro. When I left, I got back merely 1.2 dollars for every Euro. As I said in "The view from Europe," although the Europeans were at first gloating over our economic woes, they soon realized that it would affect them too - that we are all linked together. As a result many are moving their money to dollars as a safe haven - and making the dollar rise in value. To view our presidential election from outside the United States was fascinating. I speak Greek, so I was able to get unfiltered views directly from the locals. One interesting observation was that a great many people referred to our two candidates as "the old an" and "the black man." A few actually knew McCain's name, so it was "McCain" versus "the lack man." It's telling that Obama was almost always "the black man." Greece could never be called bastion of racial equal opportunity (or religious equal opportunity, for that matter). Greeks are not a tolerant people with respect to race. The country is nearly 100% white and any other color really tands out as a visitor or student - and these people are not accepted as intellectually or socially equal. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama Voters May Scuttle Same-Sex Marriage Efforts
Same-sex marriage advocates in Florida, Arizona, and California may face their toughest opponents in the wave of new, minority voters set to hit the polls next month. Initiatives on those states' Nov. 4 ballots would define marriage as being between one man and one woman, thereby prohibiting same-sex marriage.
http://www.newsmax.com/lowell_ponte/same_sex_marriage/2008/10/12/139767.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:
-Ex-Minn. legislator Allan Spear, gay pioneer, dies
Allan H. Spear, a former Minnesota state senator who was one of the nation's first openly gay legislators, has died. He was 71. He died Saturday of complications after heart surgery performed Thursday, said Don Jorovsky, a longtime friend who used to work for Spear.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201933.html
-In Africa, Pregnancy's Dangers
In Sierra Leone, Every Pregnancy Is a 'Chance of Dying
Sierra Leone has one of the world's highest fertility rates, yet women rely on poorly trained midwives.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201886.html?hpid=topnews
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Being gay is a choice? Not that again
So one of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's best friends is gay. Her pal ''happens to have made a choice that isn't a choice that I have made,'' Palin told Katie Couric recently. That language resurfaced in the vice-presidential debate, when Palin insisted that she was ''tolerant'' of Americans ``choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/721517.html
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-In 2007 the UK government deported 63,140 migrants. Airline companies are a key link in the deportation industry. Without them it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for the state to implement this aspect of the migration regime and there can be no migration controls without deportations. People who are being deported are often handcuffed on the flight and there have been a number reports of physical assaults on deportees by the security personnel who escort them.
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2008/10/shut-down-bmi-airlines-day.html
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Survey: Most Finns Would Accept Openly Gay Editor-in-Chief
A majority of Finns would have no objection to an openly gay person being the editor-in-chief of a newspaper. Only the question of either a gay president or pastor divides opinions. Most residents of Finnish Lapland would accept an openly lesbian editor-in-chief. According to a survey commissioned from pollster Taloustutkimus by the syndicated newspaper supplement Sunnuntaisuomalainen, 93% of those asked in the province of Lapland would be happy with an openly lesbian editor-in-chief. Nationwide the figure stands at 85%
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id104302.html
-People are dying because gay men can't give blood
One HIV-positive blood donation will slip through every 5,769 years. When I was a student, I went along with a group of my friends to give blood, clutching my arm nervously. All summer, increasingly desperate adverts had been warning that NHS blood banks were on the brink of drying up, and I felt I had a debt to repay: a few months before, my grandmother had been hit by a car, and quarts of blood from anonymous donors saved her life. The posters said: "Anyone with a heart can give blood." As we waited for the jab, we all filled in a questionnaire. My friends were led in one-by-one to donate - but I was taken aside and told: we don't want your blood. You're gay. The rules state: "You should never give blood if you are a man who has had sex with another man, even 'safe sex' using a condom." If you have ever had gay sex, the NHS considers your blood contaminated for life. But a court case unfolding in Australia has exposed the bad science behind this ban - and shown that it endangers all of us, gay and straight. The defenders of the ban have a superficially plausible case. All donated blood is obviously tested carefully - but it can take a few months for the HIV virus to show up.
www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-people-are-dying-because-gay-men-cant-give-blood-959316.html
=
Gay.com
http://www.gay.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Op-ed: Keep Same-Sex Marriage OUT of Election
Much attention has been recently paid to the scant amount of attention both McCain and Obama are paying to gay issues. Indeed,with same-sex marriage amendments pending in three states (California, Florida and Arizona), the two candidates have been, for the most part, surprisingly mum.
http://hottopics.gay.com/2008/09/lets-keep-the-g.html
=
HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Liberty University At It Again;
HeartStrong Invokes Outreach Effort
Dean of Liberty University School of Law Gets Away with Gay Bashing; Welfare of Persecuted GLBT Students at Liberty Once Again a National Concern In a serious instance of religious school leadership openly attempting to create a culture of religion-based fear self-hatred for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, Mat Staver, the Dean of the Liberty University School of Law and head of the Liberty Counsel, stated that Washington Mutual, Wachovia Bank, and even Kmart, "both of which actively promoted the homosexual agenda, have come to realize that anti-family policies will bankrupt the bottom line." As a former student and employee of Liberty University, I can tell you faith-based anti-GLBT bullying and persecution is nothing new coming from religious leadership at this place. For more than a decade, HeartStrong has spent countless hours and hundreds of thousands of miles not just providing support to GLBT students who are subjected to faith-based GLBT bullying and persecution at religious educational institutions but also educating the public about what goes on in these schools. Specifically, HeartStrong has made a great effort to make sure the public understands the reality of what students are being fed when it comes to leadership making anti-GLBT comments and positioning them as truth that must be accepted and respected.
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Marriage ruling not end to debate in Conn.
Now that the Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled same-sex couples have the right to wed, opponents of gay marriage are pinning their hopes on an infrequent ballot question in a longshot bid to block the unions.
http://www.365gay.com/news/marriage-ruling-not-end-to-debate-in-conn/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Will A Wealthy Social Conservative Have His Way With California Voters Again?
Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr., has put $900,000 of his own money into passing California's gay marriage ban, but it's not the first time the flush ascetic has injected his religious views into politics. From stemming affirmative action to stoking unrest within the Episcopal Church, Ahmanson has been one of the most influential political donors in the country.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid63608.asp
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Colombia: Senate rejects same-sex partnership bill AGAIN
Link: Blabbeando: Colombia: Senate rejects same-sex partnership bill AGAIN; gay-friendly Notary Public shot to death in Bogota
Without much fanfare, a Colombian Senate committee rejected a bill on Wednesday that would have brought the legislative branch of the Colombian government up to speed with several Constitutional Court rulings determining that same-sex couples should be granted access to limited partnership benefits. According to a statement released by Senator Gloria Inés RamÃrez, the bill would have addressed what the country's top court identified as a legislative "deficit of protection" for same-sex couples. It would also have extended all the legal rights and protections already afforded to heterosexual couples in a common-law unions or long-term partnerships to same-sex couples.
-Bush the last president to run against gay rights?
Link: Countdown to Crawford blog - Los Angeles Times
For more than four years, the Bush White House has run against any changes in the law that would allow gay Americans -- even his vice president's daughter -- to marry. Under the guidance of political maestro Karl Rove, George W. Bush even ran against gay rights in his 2004 reelection bid. The strategy: push a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman and thereby stir the base of evangelicals to the polls. It worked.
-Mass. Archdiocese at odds with marriage foes
Link: Boston Globe - Articles of Faith blog
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, although staunchly opposed to gay marriage, is declining to support an effort to gather signatures at Masses for a referendum that would bar out-of-state same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts. The controversy apparently began last weekend, when Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, at the annual Walk for Life event, signed a petition supporting the referendum. Then the organization supporting the referendum, MassResistance, wrote to parishes, citing O'Malley's support and asking priests to gather signatures. That prompted the following e-mail from the archdiocese to pastors:
-CA: Class surprises lesbian teacher on wedding day
Link: San Francisco Chronicle
A group of San Francisco first-graders took an unusual field trip to City Hall on Friday to toss rose petals on their just-married lesbian teacher - putting the public school children at the center of a fierce election battle over the fate of same-sex marriage. The 18 Creative Arts Charter School students took a Muni bus and walked a block at noon to toss rose petals and blow bubbles on their just-married teacher Erin Carder and her wife Kerri McCoy, giggling and squealing as they mobbed their teacher with hugs.
-CA: County clerks furious at changes in marriage form
Link: San Jose Mercury News
County clerks across California are up in arms about the state's recent decision to rush through a change allowing couples to once again mark "bride'' and "groom'' on marriage licenses instead of "Party A" and "Party B.'' The clerks say they're angry because state officials made the change without their advice after some heterosexual couples complained about having to use the gender-neutral terms on California's new marriage license - necessitated by May's Supreme Court decision giving gays and lesbians the right to marry. Clerks and other county officials say they support the decision to give couples the option of identifying themselves as bride and groom. But the clerks say they're short-staffed and that changing the forms will be time-consuming as they prepare for the Nov. 4 election. Besides, they say, the forms were scheduled to change after Jan. 1 anyway to address a new state law.
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-George Michael cut from Brits following drug arrest
Pop star George Michael has been dropped from the Brit Awards 2009 due to his recent arrest for drugs offences. The singer, 45, was reportedly going to be honoured with the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, but organisers of the awards ceremony are now said to be searching for a different candidate to give the award to.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9279.html
-US celebs tell straight teens to stop saying 'that's so gay'
A new campaign that aims to raise awareness among straight teenagers about the consequences of homophobic language in American schools has been launched. The new ads are being distributed to 33,000 media stations across the US and will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9285.html
-New justice minister rejects Sharia courts in UK
A government minister has said that "very concerned" about Sharia courts operating in the UK. Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim, was promoted to a junior post in the Ministry of Justice earlier this month.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9284.html
-Trans woman gains acceptance as geisha in Japan
A pre-op trans woman claims she became the first ever transsexual geisha after a visit to Kyoto. Mary Murdoch, 68, from Greenwich, said that it was her ambition to dress up as a geisha. She told News Shopper:
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9283.html
-Gay marriage supporters attack Proposition 102 campaign
Gay rights activists in Arizona have vandalised billboards urging people to vote against same sex marriages. In November, residents of Arizona will vote on Proposition 102 of that state's constitution. The amendment says that only marriage between one man and one woman will be recognised in Arizona law.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9282.html
-Students win compensation from school board for gay bullying
Two former high school students have won $300,000 (£172,550) damages after they were subjected to relentless harassment for being gay. In a unanimous decision the California Court of Appeal upheld a jury decision that found Poway Unified School District officials took no action to stop the verbal and physical homophobic attacks on two Poway High School students, Megan Donovan and Joey Ramelli.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9281.html
-Ban on gays in home countries not enough to claim asylum, says immigration boss
Lin Homer, chief executive of the Borders and Immigration Agency (BIA), has caused a furore by amongst human rights groups. Ms Homer said at a conference organised by the Scottish Refugee Council in Glasgow that judges consider the "practical consequences" of sending gay asylum seekers back to their country of origin, and not that country's social or legal views on homosexuality.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9280.html
=
Forwarded from Gay Asylum - UK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gayasylum/messages?o=1
Go to this link for the following articles:
-OH: Citizen Patrols, Cameras Proposed in Bar Areas
by Eric Sever | Gay People's Chronicle
Cleveland-In response to several attacks on gay men during the summer, members of City Council and the Cleveland Police Department met with more than 60 citizens to discuss the safety of the city's LGBT community. The October 7 town hall meeting, hosted by the Cleveland LGBT Center and the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization, brought together Cleveland councilors Joe Cimperman, Zachary Reed, Jay Westbrook, Matt Zone, and Lakewood's Nickie Antonio, as well as representatives from the mayor's office and local business owners.
-Goodbye to the GLBT Movement
by Dale Carpenter | Independent Gay Forum
First published in the Bay Area Reporter on October 9, 2008
Not long ago columnist Wayne Besen wrote that gay Republicans have "no place" in the "GLBT movement." Because they support John McCain this year, he charged they are "shamefully in cahoots" with anti-gay forces. He claimed they have a "suicidal tendency" they must overcome. The only thing missing was the tired analogy to Jewish Nazis. Besen is no kook. He's a widely read gay writer who fits squarely in the mainstream of the GLBT movement. It's safe to say he was only expressing openly what many people, especially leaders and activists, within the movement privately think about gay conservatives. In fact, Besen's column was only the latest in a barrage of attacks against gay conservatives this election season. Time and again gay conservatives have been called self-hating, treasonous, and selfish. It's the worst vitriol against gay conservatives I've seen in fifteen years in this movement.
-How 25 Years of Gay Activism in Hollywood Has Paid Off
Robert Knight | Free Republic
If you're noticing your TV screen turning pink, it's not just your imagination. The new broadcast TV season includes 22 series featuring a total of 35 openly gay characters, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). GLAAD, which rides herd over all Hollywood scripts dealing with homosexuality, says the number of series with homosexual characters is a record. These series are on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and the CW networks. The total figure does not include shows on cable, like The L Word on Showtime, or MTV's all-gay LOGO network. A new Eye on Culture report from the Culture and Media Institute, "Lavender Propaganda," reveals the depth and breadth of the current media campaign to promote homosexuality to average Americans. But Hollywood became a uniformly pro-gay industry well before Will & Grace or the slew of 2008-9 network shows.
-India a Hot Spot for Gay Couples Keen on Babies
The Times of India
MUMBAI: They don't make a traditional family portrait, but there is steady stream of gay couples coming to the city for infertility treatment to have babies. The ongoing debate in court on Article 377 notwithstanding, India is being seen as an affordable haven for gay couples, whether married or not, who want to be parents. In fact, in the last week of September, city's infertility specialist Dr Gautam Allahabadia spoke at the fourth world congress of the World Association of Reproductive Medicine in Mexico about his Bandra clinic's experience with 12 gay couples. "From 2005 to 2007, 12 same-sex gay couples were treated with a total of 16 oocyte retrieval cycles," he told the audience, which included the creator of Dolly, the cloned sheep, Dr K H S Campbell.
-Overcoming Bigotry
Andoni | Citizen Crain
I'm back from my Greek island. Of note is that when I arrived in Greece I had to pay 1.5 dollars for one Euro. When I left, I got back merely 1.2 dollars for every Euro. As I said in "The view from Europe," although the Europeans were at first gloating over our economic woes, they soon realized that it would affect them too - that we are all linked together. As a result many are moving their money to dollars as a safe haven - and making the dollar rise in value. To view our presidential election from outside the United States was fascinating. I speak Greek, so I was able to get unfiltered views directly from the locals. One interesting observation was that a great many people referred to our two candidates as "the old an" and "the black man." A few actually knew McCain's name, so it was "McCain" versus "the lack man." It's telling that Obama was almost always "the black man." Greece could never be called bastion of racial equal opportunity (or religious equal opportunity, for that matter). Greeks are not a tolerant people with respect to race. The country is nearly 100% white and any other color really tands out as a visitor or student - and these people are not accepted as intellectually or socially equal. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama Voters May Scuttle Same-Sex Marriage Efforts
Same-sex marriage advocates in Florida, Arizona, and California may face their toughest opponents in the wave of new, minority voters set to hit the polls next month. Initiatives on those states' Nov. 4 ballots would define marriage as being between one man and one woman, thereby prohibiting same-sex marriage.
http://www.newsmax.com/lowell_ponte/same_sex_marriage/2008/10/12/139767.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 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:
-Under 'No Child' Law, Solid Schools Faltering
Fawzia Keval, the principal of Prairie Elementary in Sacramento, which had not missed a testing target since the No Child Left Behind law took effect. Until now. [...] But this year, California schools were required to make what experts call a gigantic leap, increasing the students proficient in every group by 11 percentage points. For the first time, Prairie, and hundreds of other California schools, fell short, a failure that results in probation and, unless reversed, federal sanctions within a year. "And they're asking for another 11 percent increase next year and the next, and that's where I'm saying I just don't know how," Fawzia Keval, the school's principal, said. "I'm spending sleepless nights."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/education/13child.html?hp
-The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama
Andy Martin, credited with starting a whisper campaign about Barack Obama, has been thrust into the spotlight. [...] But an appearance in a documentary-style program on the Fox News Channel watched by three million people last week thrust the man, Andy Martin, and his past into the foreground. The program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?hp
-Abortion Rights on the Ballot, Again
The measures that South Dakota, Colorado and California have taken to end or limit abortion rights have much larger implications.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/13mon1.html?ref=opinion
-UK's Gordon Does Good
PAUL KRUGMAN
With stunning speed, the British government defined the character of the worldwide rescue effort. Now other wealthy nations have to catch-up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/13krugman.html?ref=opinion
-Paul Krugman Wins Economics Nobel
Paul Krugman, a professor at Princeton University and an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday. "It's been an extremely weird day, but weird in a positive way," Mr. Krugman said in an interview on his way to a Washington meeting for the Group of Thirty, an international body from the public and private sectors that discusses international economics. He said he was mostly "preoccupied with the hassles" of trying to make all his scheduled meetings today and answer a constantly-ringing cell phone. Mr. Krugman received the award for his work on international trade and economic geography. In particular, the prize committee lauded his work for "having shown the effects of economies of scale on trade patterns and on the location of economic activity." [...] Mr. Krugman has been an Op-Ed columnist at the New York Times since 1999.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/paul-krugman-wins-economics-nobel/?hp
-Buttons and Bows
Campaign buttons are a staple of any political season, but this year they are also central to yet another dispute about the rights of classroom teachers. The dispute has both a K-12 and a college version. In New York City, Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein announced that his administration would enforce a longstanding policy prohibiting teachers from wearing campaign buttons when they are at work. In Illinois, the state university ethics office stated in its newsletter that faculty are barred not only from wearing campaign buttons in the classroom, but also from placing political bumper stickers on their cars and attending political rallies on campus. [...] Mr. Krugman was the only winner of the award, which includes a prize of about $1.4 million.
http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/buttons-and-bows/?ref=opinion
-Italy's Attacks on Migrants Fuel Debate on Racism
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world/europe/13italy.html?hp
-GM Shares Rebound After Detroit Merger Reports
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-us-gm.html
-Economy: U.S. Missteps Are Evident, but Europe Is Implicated
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/business/worldbusiness/13euro.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama Up by 10 Points as McCain Favorability Ratings Fall
With just over three weeks until Election Day, the two presidential nominees appear to be on opposite trajectories, with Sen. Barack Obama gaining momentum and Sen. John McCain stalled or losing ground on a range of issues and personal traits, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Overall, Obama is leading 53 percent to 43 percent among likely voters, and for the first time in the general-election campaign, voters gave the Democrat a clear edge on tax policy and providing strong leadership.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101202333.html?hpid=topnews
-The Crisis's Silver Lining
Fareed Zakaria
Amid the financial chaos and economic uncertainty that has rocked world markets, I can see one silver lining. This crisis has forced the United States to confront the bad habits it developed over the past few decades. If we can kick those habits, today's pain will translate into gains in the long run. Since the 1980s, Americans have consumed more than they produced and have made up the difference by borrowing. Two decades of easy money and innovative financial products meant that virtually anyone could borrow any amount for any purpose. Household debt ballooned from $680 billion in 1974 to $14 trillion today. The average household has 13 credit cards, and 40 percent of these carry a balance, up from 6 percent in 1970. But the average American's behavior was virtuous compared with government behavior.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/fareed_zakaria/2008/10/the_crisiss_silver_lining.html
-Alaska's Family Feud
Meddlesome Sarah Palin does not come off well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201626.html
-The World Vote
Barack Obama is almost universally favored over John McCain outside the United States. Should that matter to Americans? BY NOW it is well known that if the rest of the world had a vote, Barack Obama would be the next U.S. president. Polls and studies by the Pew foundation, BBC and the Gallup organization have shown that Europeans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians not only favor Mr. Obama overwhelmingly over John McCain but believe he will improve U.S. relations with the rest of the world. Americans seem to be attracted by such findings; polls here show that many voters are concerned about the deterioration of U.S. prestige during the Bush administration and want the next president to restore it. This invites a question: If Mr. Obama were elected, how likely would he be to fulfill those high expectations? And could he really deliver results that are beyond the grasp of Mr. McCain? The answer is not as obvious as the survey results suggest.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201624.html
-GOP Head Compares Obama to Bin Laden
Va. Party Leader Criticized, Including By McCain Team
The chairman of the Virginia Republican Party has compared Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden because of the Illinois senator's past association with Bill Ayers, who has confessed to domestic bombings as a member of the Vietnam War-era Weather Underground.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201956.html
-Atlanta Jews remember 'bomb that healed'
The bombing of a prominent Atlanta synagogue in 1958 claimed no lives, but the community outrage that it prompted helped galvanize the city's nervous Jewish community to embrace the civil rights movement. Members of The Temple gathered Sunday for the blast's 50th anniversary, recalling its terrifying aftermath and the way it changed their congregation's mission to promote racial equality.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201258.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.splcenter.org/
-Morris Dees on Discovery Channel and National Geographic this week
As we near the first presidential election with an African-American candidate, Ted Koppel and SPLC founder Morris Dees discuss race in America for a Discovery Channel special that airs tonight. The program features three Americans whose lives were "profoundly affected by incidents of hatred and racism" and examines an historic Southern Poverty Law Center lawsuit that destroyed one of the nation's most violent Klan groups for the 1981 lynching of Michael Donald. The National Geographic Channel interviewed Morris Dees and Intelligence Report editor Mark Potok about today's Ku Klux Klan. The program looks at the violent tactics of these groups and how the immigration issue is sparking a resurgence.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=339&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-101308
-Kentucky Klan trial begins next month
Our legal team is preparing for the November trial of our case against the Imperial Klans of America, whose members viciously beat teenager Jordan Gruver while on a recruiting mission at a county fair in Meade County, Kentucky. We hope to win justice for Jordan in court and put another violent hate group out of business.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=312&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-101308
-Fox's Cavuto blames mortgage crisis on minorities
We awarded our first Dobbsy Award to Neil Cavuto of Fox News. The host recently blamed poor minority borrowers for the subprime mortgage meltdown. In doing so, Cavuto exemplified what it means to be a Dobbsy winner. Send us your own Dobbsy Award nomination.
http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2008/10/06/cavuto-mortgage-dobbsy/?splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-101308
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Barack's Cool Pop
He spent months trying to find the right economic voice. And his steady, understated, optimistic populism arrived just in time. In presidential politics, nothing tells you more about a candidate's strategy-and his campaign's perception of his standing in the race-than his schedule. So it spoke volumes when, on the morning after the second debate between John McCain and Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee flew straight from Nashville to a rally in Indianapolis. As Senator Evan Bayh reminded the 21,000 Obamaphiles assembled on a drizzly weekday at the state fairgrounds, no Democrat has carried Indiana since 1964. George W. Bush trounced John Kerry there by a whopping 21 points. And yet most recent statewide polls show Obama running neck and neck with McCain. The Republican National Committee is pumping cash into Hoosier country to stave off an upset.
http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/51166/
-Obama Gains as New South Trumps Old Race Card: Albert R. Hunt
Harvey Gantt is exuberant over Barack Obama's prospects of carrying Gantt's home state of North Carolina: ``This state has changed.''
http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aLQTM7OfObyA&refer=politics
-Obama to unveil economic rescue plan
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will give a "major" speech outlining his economic rescue plan at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) on Monday, his campaign said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/13/AR2008101300337.html
-Study: Many cancer patients forgoing care because of cost
At a time when they're already fighting for their lives, more cancer patients are now struggling to pay for their medicines. One in eight people with advanced cancer turned down recommended care because of the cost, according to a new analysis from Thomson Reuters, which provides news and business information. Among patients with incomes under $40,000, one in four in advanced stages of the disease refused treatment.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-12-cancer-costs_N.htm
-4,550 Appeal Benefit Cuts For Florida's Disabled
More than three-fourths of the 7,500 developmentally disabled people scheduled to lose benefits this month have appealed the cuts, said a spokeswoman with the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The volume of appeals is extraordinary, spokeswoman Melanie Etters said.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/13/na-4550-appeal-benefit-cuts-for-disabled/news-metro/
=
[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:
-Under 'No Child' Law, Solid Schools Faltering
Fawzia Keval, the principal of Prairie Elementary in Sacramento, which had not missed a testing target since the No Child Left Behind law took effect. Until now. [...] But this year, California schools were required to make what experts call a gigantic leap, increasing the students proficient in every group by 11 percentage points. For the first time, Prairie, and hundreds of other California schools, fell short, a failure that results in probation and, unless reversed, federal sanctions within a year. "And they're asking for another 11 percent increase next year and the next, and that's where I'm saying I just don't know how," Fawzia Keval, the school's principal, said. "I'm spending sleepless nights."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/education/13child.html?hp
-The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama
Andy Martin, credited with starting a whisper campaign about Barack Obama, has been thrust into the spotlight. [...] But an appearance in a documentary-style program on the Fox News Channel watched by three million people last week thrust the man, Andy Martin, and his past into the foreground. The program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?hp
-Abortion Rights on the Ballot, Again
The measures that South Dakota, Colorado and California have taken to end or limit abortion rights have much larger implications.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/13mon1.html?ref=opinion
-UK's Gordon Does Good
PAUL KRUGMAN
With stunning speed, the British government defined the character of the worldwide rescue effort. Now other wealthy nations have to catch-up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/opinion/13krugman.html?ref=opinion
-Paul Krugman Wins Economics Nobel
Paul Krugman, a professor at Princeton University and an Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday. "It's been an extremely weird day, but weird in a positive way," Mr. Krugman said in an interview on his way to a Washington meeting for the Group of Thirty, an international body from the public and private sectors that discusses international economics. He said he was mostly "preoccupied with the hassles" of trying to make all his scheduled meetings today and answer a constantly-ringing cell phone. Mr. Krugman received the award for his work on international trade and economic geography. In particular, the prize committee lauded his work for "having shown the effects of economies of scale on trade patterns and on the location of economic activity." [...] Mr. Krugman has been an Op-Ed columnist at the New York Times since 1999.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/paul-krugman-wins-economics-nobel/?hp
-Buttons and Bows
Campaign buttons are a staple of any political season, but this year they are also central to yet another dispute about the rights of classroom teachers. The dispute has both a K-12 and a college version. In New York City, Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein announced that his administration would enforce a longstanding policy prohibiting teachers from wearing campaign buttons when they are at work. In Illinois, the state university ethics office stated in its newsletter that faculty are barred not only from wearing campaign buttons in the classroom, but also from placing political bumper stickers on their cars and attending political rallies on campus. [...] Mr. Krugman was the only winner of the award, which includes a prize of about $1.4 million.
http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/buttons-and-bows/?ref=opinion
-Italy's Attacks on Migrants Fuel Debate on Racism
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world/europe/13italy.html?hp
-GM Shares Rebound After Detroit Merger Reports
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-us-gm.html
-Economy: U.S. Missteps Are Evident, but Europe Is Implicated
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/business/worldbusiness/13euro.html
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama Up by 10 Points as McCain Favorability Ratings Fall
With just over three weeks until Election Day, the two presidential nominees appear to be on opposite trajectories, with Sen. Barack Obama gaining momentum and Sen. John McCain stalled or losing ground on a range of issues and personal traits, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Overall, Obama is leading 53 percent to 43 percent among likely voters, and for the first time in the general-election campaign, voters gave the Democrat a clear edge on tax policy and providing strong leadership.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101202333.html?hpid=topnews
-The Crisis's Silver Lining
Fareed Zakaria
Amid the financial chaos and economic uncertainty that has rocked world markets, I can see one silver lining. This crisis has forced the United States to confront the bad habits it developed over the past few decades. If we can kick those habits, today's pain will translate into gains in the long run. Since the 1980s, Americans have consumed more than they produced and have made up the difference by borrowing. Two decades of easy money and innovative financial products meant that virtually anyone could borrow any amount for any purpose. Household debt ballooned from $680 billion in 1974 to $14 trillion today. The average household has 13 credit cards, and 40 percent of these carry a balance, up from 6 percent in 1970. But the average American's behavior was virtuous compared with government behavior.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/fareed_zakaria/2008/10/the_crisiss_silver_lining.html
-Alaska's Family Feud
Meddlesome Sarah Palin does not come off well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201626.html
-The World Vote
Barack Obama is almost universally favored over John McCain outside the United States. Should that matter to Americans? BY NOW it is well known that if the rest of the world had a vote, Barack Obama would be the next U.S. president. Polls and studies by the Pew foundation, BBC and the Gallup organization have shown that Europeans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians not only favor Mr. Obama overwhelmingly over John McCain but believe he will improve U.S. relations with the rest of the world. Americans seem to be attracted by such findings; polls here show that many voters are concerned about the deterioration of U.S. prestige during the Bush administration and want the next president to restore it. This invites a question: If Mr. Obama were elected, how likely would he be to fulfill those high expectations? And could he really deliver results that are beyond the grasp of Mr. McCain? The answer is not as obvious as the survey results suggest.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201624.html
-GOP Head Compares Obama to Bin Laden
Va. Party Leader Criticized, Including By McCain Team
The chairman of the Virginia Republican Party has compared Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden because of the Illinois senator's past association with Bill Ayers, who has confessed to domestic bombings as a member of the Vietnam War-era Weather Underground.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201956.html
-Atlanta Jews remember 'bomb that healed'
The bombing of a prominent Atlanta synagogue in 1958 claimed no lives, but the community outrage that it prompted helped galvanize the city's nervous Jewish community to embrace the civil rights movement. Members of The Temple gathered Sunday for the blast's 50th anniversary, recalling its terrifying aftermath and the way it changed their congregation's mission to promote racial equality.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201258.html?hpid=sec-religion
=
Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.splcenter.org/
-Morris Dees on Discovery Channel and National Geographic this week
As we near the first presidential election with an African-American candidate, Ted Koppel and SPLC founder Morris Dees discuss race in America for a Discovery Channel special that airs tonight. The program features three Americans whose lives were "profoundly affected by incidents of hatred and racism" and examines an historic Southern Poverty Law Center lawsuit that destroyed one of the nation's most violent Klan groups for the 1981 lynching of Michael Donald. The National Geographic Channel interviewed Morris Dees and Intelligence Report editor Mark Potok about today's Ku Klux Klan. The program looks at the violent tactics of these groups and how the immigration issue is sparking a resurgence.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=339&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-101308
-Kentucky Klan trial begins next month
Our legal team is preparing for the November trial of our case against the Imperial Klans of America, whose members viciously beat teenager Jordan Gruver while on a recruiting mission at a county fair in Meade County, Kentucky. We hope to win justice for Jordan in court and put another violent hate group out of business.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=312&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-101308
-Fox's Cavuto blames mortgage crisis on minorities
We awarded our first Dobbsy Award to Neil Cavuto of Fox News. The host recently blamed poor minority borrowers for the subprime mortgage meltdown. In doing so, Cavuto exemplified what it means to be a Dobbsy winner. Send us your own Dobbsy Award nomination.
http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2008/10/06/cavuto-mortgage-dobbsy/?splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-101308
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Barack's Cool Pop
He spent months trying to find the right economic voice. And his steady, understated, optimistic populism arrived just in time. In presidential politics, nothing tells you more about a candidate's strategy-and his campaign's perception of his standing in the race-than his schedule. So it spoke volumes when, on the morning after the second debate between John McCain and Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee flew straight from Nashville to a rally in Indianapolis. As Senator Evan Bayh reminded the 21,000 Obamaphiles assembled on a drizzly weekday at the state fairgrounds, no Democrat has carried Indiana since 1964. George W. Bush trounced John Kerry there by a whopping 21 points. And yet most recent statewide polls show Obama running neck and neck with McCain. The Republican National Committee is pumping cash into Hoosier country to stave off an upset.
http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/51166/
-Obama Gains as New South Trumps Old Race Card: Albert R. Hunt
Harvey Gantt is exuberant over Barack Obama's prospects of carrying Gantt's home state of North Carolina: ``This state has changed.''
http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aLQTM7OfObyA&refer=politics
-Obama to unveil economic rescue plan
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will give a "major" speech outlining his economic rescue plan at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) on Monday, his campaign said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/13/AR2008101300337.html
-Study: Many cancer patients forgoing care because of cost
At a time when they're already fighting for their lives, more cancer patients are now struggling to pay for their medicines. One in eight people with advanced cancer turned down recommended care because of the cost, according to a new analysis from Thomson Reuters, which provides news and business information. Among patients with incomes under $40,000, one in four in advanced stages of the disease refused treatment.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-12-cancer-costs_N.htm
-4,550 Appeal Benefit Cuts For Florida's Disabled
More than three-fourths of the 7,500 developmentally disabled people scheduled to lose benefits this month have appealed the cuts, said a spokeswoman with the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The volume of appeals is extraordinary, spokeswoman Melanie Etters said.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/13/na-4550-appeal-benefit-cuts-for-disabled/news-metro/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - October 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.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
You are invited! [Tuesday]
Dean Trantalis for Mayor of Fort Lauderdale
Grand Opening Campaign Headquarters
2597 N Federal Hwy. (Corner of 26th Street)
Tuesday, October 14 - 6-8pm
www.deanformayor.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay, lesbian advocates' 'Equality Ride' to stop by Palm Beach Atlantic University
Group urging schools to support gay, lesbian students
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flpride1012pnoct13,0,239380.story
-Broward County prosecutor accuses judge of improper behavior
Affidavit claims dinner, jokes tainted case
A Broward County prosecutor has accused a sitting judge of improper behavior during a capital case, saying the judge and the prosecutor met over dinner during the trial and joked about the case. The prosecutor, who is also a Sunrise city commissioner, said Broward Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner and former Broward prosecutor Howard Scheinberg laughed about the victim's and defendant's sexual orientation - both were gay - and talked about a juror fainting over grisly crime-scene photos days before Omar Loureiro's March 27, 2007 conviction for first-degree murder. Such a contact between a judge and a lawyer is considered highly improper, and could be cited as grounds for an appeal of Loureiro's conviction and death sentence.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbappeal1013sboct13,0,4421078.story
=
From HRC
Get Out the Vote Canvass Sunday, October 19
Mills Pond Park, 2201 NW 9th Ave., 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Wilton Drive Businesses, 2449 Wilton Manors Dr., 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, October 19, HRC South Florida will be canvassing the softball fields at Mills Pond Park to encourage people to vote early and to recruit volunteers to help defeat Amendment 2. Please meet at the front gates of the softball fields at 12:30 p.m. if you can help. Later that afternoon, we will be doing the same along Wilton Drive. We'll meet at Rosie's Bar and Grill at 3:30 p.m. and canvas businesses along the drive until 5:30 p.m.
Dress comfortably - HRC t-shirt will be available.
http://southflorida.hrc.org
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gallery | Gay Freedom Democrats fundraiser featuring Daniel O'Donnell
Jon Schwenzer, South Florida chapter president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, shot these pictures at Saturday night's gay Freedom Democrats fundraiser. Rosie O'Donnell's brother, Daniel O'Donnell, a New York assemblyman, was guest speaker, along with South Florida Democratic candidates and gay activists
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-FIU law school Amendment 2 symposium on Oct. 25
Florida International University's Stonewall Legal Alliance is presenting a symposium on Amendment 2, the state's marriage amendment on November's ballot. Here are the details.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
The Florida Times-Union
http://www.jacksonville.com/
-Polls: Vote close for traditional marriage
Supporters want constitutional strength behind marriage law. Florida law already recognizes marriage as joining only a man and a woman, but supporters say a marriage protection amendment to the state constitution is necessary to leave no room for judicial interpretation.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101308/met_343292043.shtml
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gas under $3? Find it in your neighborhood
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-gasprices-htmlpage,0,826131.htmlpage
-Giant Confederate flag gets bigger
A giant Confederate battle flag that has been raised several times at the crossroads of two major highways near Tampa has been replaced with an even bigger flag. The Sons of Confederate Veterans hoisted the new 30-by-60-foot flag Sunday near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Interstate 4. A spokeswoman for the club says the original flag, which measured 30 feet by 50 feet, will be cut up and sold on eBay. The group hopes to raise about $30,000 to finish a memorial park at the flag site.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1012-confederate,0,42903.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Two tropical systems loom in Atlantic
As far as menacing storm names, Nana just doesn't seem to have the bite of a killer hurricane. So perhaps it's fitting that Tropical Storm Nana -- the 14th named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season -- is expected to fizzle out at sea Monday, a day after it formed off the west coast of Africa. The disorganized storm had maximum 40-mph winds early Monday as it wobbled slowly to the west. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Nana would continue to disintegrate Monday, lose its tropical storm status and become a low-pressure system. But forecasters are watching another system, this one in the Caribbean, that could form into the season's 15th named storm later Monday.
http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/724076.html
-Recommendation - Elections
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/recommendations/
-Ileana Ros-Lehtinen rising above party's ills
A longtime congresswoman known for her personal touch, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is expected to fare better than others from her party at the polls.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/723798.html
-Broward County Charter Changes
Voters will have chance to detail Broward County charter on several topics Broward County voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to approve 10 changes to the county charter. They are at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbcharter1006sboct06,0,3947410.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls
John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/722731.html
-Poll: Floridians unsure about new amendments
Floridians in November will decide on six proposed constitutional amendments. Less than a month before the election, most voters don't know much about them.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/CD/20081013/CAPITOLNEWS/810130311/-1/capitolnews
-Comparing the Presidential Candidates: Education
Florida has spent much of the past decade debating the best way to improve its public schools. Parents, teachers and students have grappled each year with the high-stakes Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and then waited anxiously to find out their school grades. Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, groups have fought in the Legislature and in the Supreme Court about whether taxpayers should help pay for children to attend private schools.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Politics/Headlines/polHEAD02101308.htm
-Aggressive rivals, residency flap muddy Wexler's path to reelection
When Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler announced in July that he would begin renting an apartment in his congressional district, it was a rare indication that at least some of the ordinary forces of politics apply to the six-term incumbent.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/local_news/epaper/2008/10/12/us19_1013.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
You are invited! [Tuesday]
Dean Trantalis for Mayor of Fort Lauderdale
Grand Opening Campaign Headquarters
2597 N Federal Hwy. (Corner of 26th Street)
Tuesday, October 14 - 6-8pm
www.deanformayor.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay, lesbian advocates' 'Equality Ride' to stop by Palm Beach Atlantic University
Group urging schools to support gay, lesbian students
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flpride1012pnoct13,0,239380.story
-Broward County prosecutor accuses judge of improper behavior
Affidavit claims dinner, jokes tainted case
A Broward County prosecutor has accused a sitting judge of improper behavior during a capital case, saying the judge and the prosecutor met over dinner during the trial and joked about the case. The prosecutor, who is also a Sunrise city commissioner, said Broward Circuit Judge Ana Gardiner and former Broward prosecutor Howard Scheinberg laughed about the victim's and defendant's sexual orientation - both were gay - and talked about a juror fainting over grisly crime-scene photos days before Omar Loureiro's March 27, 2007 conviction for first-degree murder. Such a contact between a judge and a lawyer is considered highly improper, and could be cited as grounds for an appeal of Loureiro's conviction and death sentence.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbappeal1013sboct13,0,4421078.story
=
From HRC
Get Out the Vote Canvass Sunday, October 19
Mills Pond Park, 2201 NW 9th Ave., 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Wilton Drive Businesses, 2449 Wilton Manors Dr., 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, October 19, HRC South Florida will be canvassing the softball fields at Mills Pond Park to encourage people to vote early and to recruit volunteers to help defeat Amendment 2. Please meet at the front gates of the softball fields at 12:30 p.m. if you can help. Later that afternoon, we will be doing the same along Wilton Drive. We'll meet at Rosie's Bar and Grill at 3:30 p.m. and canvas businesses along the drive until 5:30 p.m.
Dress comfortably - HRC t-shirt will be available.
http://southflorida.hrc.org
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gallery | Gay Freedom Democrats fundraiser featuring Daniel O'Donnell
Jon Schwenzer, South Florida chapter president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, shot these pictures at Saturday night's gay Freedom Democrats fundraiser. Rosie O'Donnell's brother, Daniel O'Donnell, a New York assemblyman, was guest speaker, along with South Florida Democratic candidates and gay activists
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-FIU law school Amendment 2 symposium on Oct. 25
Florida International University's Stonewall Legal Alliance is presenting a symposium on Amendment 2, the state's marriage amendment on November's ballot. Here are the details.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
The Florida Times-Union
http://www.jacksonville.com/
-Polls: Vote close for traditional marriage
Supporters want constitutional strength behind marriage law. Florida law already recognizes marriage as joining only a man and a woman, but supporters say a marriage protection amendment to the state constitution is necessary to leave no room for judicial interpretation.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/101308/met_343292043.shtml
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gas under $3? Find it in your neighborhood
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-gasprices-htmlpage,0,826131.htmlpage
-Giant Confederate flag gets bigger
A giant Confederate battle flag that has been raised several times at the crossroads of two major highways near Tampa has been replaced with an even bigger flag. The Sons of Confederate Veterans hoisted the new 30-by-60-foot flag Sunday near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Interstate 4. A spokeswoman for the club says the original flag, which measured 30 feet by 50 feet, will be cut up and sold on eBay. The group hopes to raise about $30,000 to finish a memorial park at the flag site.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1012-confederate,0,42903.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Two tropical systems loom in Atlantic
As far as menacing storm names, Nana just doesn't seem to have the bite of a killer hurricane. So perhaps it's fitting that Tropical Storm Nana -- the 14th named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season -- is expected to fizzle out at sea Monday, a day after it formed off the west coast of Africa. The disorganized storm had maximum 40-mph winds early Monday as it wobbled slowly to the west. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said Nana would continue to disintegrate Monday, lose its tropical storm status and become a low-pressure system. But forecasters are watching another system, this one in the Caribbean, that could form into the season's 15th named storm later Monday.
http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/724076.html
-Recommendation - Elections
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/recommendations/
-Ileana Ros-Lehtinen rising above party's ills
A longtime congresswoman known for her personal touch, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is expected to fare better than others from her party at the polls.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/723798.html
-Broward County Charter Changes
Voters will have chance to detail Broward County charter on several topics Broward County voters will decide Nov. 4 whether to approve 10 changes to the county charter. They are at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbcharter1006sboct06,0,3947410.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls
John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/722731.html
-Poll: Floridians unsure about new amendments
Floridians in November will decide on six proposed constitutional amendments. Less than a month before the election, most voters don't know much about them.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/CD/20081013/CAPITOLNEWS/810130311/-1/capitolnews
-Comparing the Presidential Candidates: Education
Florida has spent much of the past decade debating the best way to improve its public schools. Parents, teachers and students have grappled each year with the high-stakes Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and then waited anxiously to find out their school grades. Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, groups have fought in the Legislature and in the Supreme Court about whether taxpayers should help pay for children to attend private schools.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Politics/Headlines/polHEAD02101308.htm
-Aggressive rivals, residency flap muddy Wexler's path to reelection
When Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler announced in July that he would begin renting an apartment in his congressional district, it was a rare indication that at least some of the ordinary forces of politics apply to the six-term incumbent.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/politics/content/local_news/epaper/2008/10/12/us19_1013.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Sunday, October 12, 2008
GLBT DIGEST - October 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.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Using Biology, Not Religion, to Argue Against Same-Sex Marriage
Patricia and Wesley Galloway could not have children of their own. Yet for them, the essence of marriage is rooted in procreation. "It takes a man and a woman to create children and thus create a family," Mrs. Galloway, 60, told a legislative panel in Connecticut last year as it was considering a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/nyregion/12marriage.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay adoption not wrong
Responding to the letter on Tuesday, Oct. 7, "Gay adoption ban a moral must," it's difficult to know where to begin. There are undesirables in every group of people, and to think that every loving, committed, gay person falls into that category is beyond absurd. The problem with uninformed people is that they view homosexuality only as a sex act. What if it were two unmarried brothers, or two old maid aunts, rearing an orphaned child of a family member? Because two parents are of the same sex is totally irrelevant to their ability to rear a child in a happy, healthy environment. Not allowing a couple to offer a stable, loving, home, to an unwanted child is so shortsighted.If you feel gay adoption is wrong, how do you feel about child abuse? There are so many children who need care.
Meredith Lane, Wilton Manors
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-brmail985sboct12,0,1670811.story
=
Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video | National Coming Out Day with Perez Hilton - From HRC:
Perez Hilton and other notable LGBT people discuss the importance of living openly and honestly.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-The head of the British Army has made military history by addressing a conference on homosexuality, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the chief of the general staff, told members of the Army-sponsored Fourth Joint Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Matters that homosexuals were welcome to serve in the Army. In a speech to the conference in London on Thursday, - the first of its kind by any Army chief - Gen Sir Richard said that respect for gays, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-sexual officers and soldiers was now "a command responsibility" and was vital for "operational effectiveness".
http://tinyurl.com/3p2vrd
=
[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:
-Using Biology, Not Religion, to Argue Against Same-Sex Marriage
Patricia and Wesley Galloway could not have children of their own. Yet for them, the essence of marriage is rooted in procreation. "It takes a man and a woman to create children and thus create a family," Mrs. Galloway, 60, told a legislative panel in Connecticut last year as it was considering a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/nyregion/12marriage.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse&oref=slogin
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay adoption not wrong
Responding to the letter on Tuesday, Oct. 7, "Gay adoption ban a moral must," it's difficult to know where to begin. There are undesirables in every group of people, and to think that every loving, committed, gay person falls into that category is beyond absurd. The problem with uninformed people is that they view homosexuality only as a sex act. What if it were two unmarried brothers, or two old maid aunts, rearing an orphaned child of a family member? Because two parents are of the same sex is totally irrelevant to their ability to rear a child in a happy, healthy environment. Not allowing a couple to offer a stable, loving, home, to an unwanted child is so shortsighted.If you feel gay adoption is wrong, how do you feel about child abuse? There are so many children who need care.
Meredith Lane, Wilton Manors
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-brmail985sboct12,0,1670811.story
=
Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Video | National Coming Out Day with Perez Hilton - From HRC:
Perez Hilton and other notable LGBT people discuss the importance of living openly and honestly.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-The head of the British Army has made military history by addressing a conference on homosexuality, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the chief of the general staff, told members of the Army-sponsored Fourth Joint Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Matters that homosexuals were welcome to serve in the Army. In a speech to the conference in London on Thursday, - the first of its kind by any Army chief - Gen Sir Richard said that respect for gays, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-sexual officers and soldiers was now "a command responsibility" and was vital for "operational effectiveness".
http://tinyurl.com/3p2vrd
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - October 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.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Post-Binge World
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The market is re-evaluating and re-pricing every asset in the world, without mercy. It is going to do whatever it's going to do - whichever way greed and fear tug it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-North Korea Is Off Terror List After Deal With U.S.
North Korea on Sunday welcomed the move and said that it would resume disabling its nuclear weapons facilities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world/asia/13terror.html?hp
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sarah Six-Pack is getting a bit stale
LEONARD PITTS JR.
Maybe you remember Dave. It was a 1993 movie starring Kevin Kline as Dave Kovic, an everyday guy who happens to be a dead ringer for the president. When the chief executive is stricken, his aides secretly recruit Dave to fill in for him. Problem is, Dave quickly begins to lose himself in the role. There's a wonderful scene where, trying to find money in the federal budget to fund a homeless shelter, Dave turns to his friend Murray, an accountant, for help. [...] The ''g'' droppin', moose shootin', eye-winkin' hockey mom has plenty of antecedents. But there's a difference. Those antecedents were smart, wonkish people pretending to be one of us. Sarah Palin is one of us. And by ''us,'' I don't mean you, necessarily, or me. I mean the lowest common denominator us, the us of myth and narrative, the us of simple mind, the reactionary, ill-informed, impatient with complexity, utterly shallow us.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/721465.html
=
ACORN's response to Sen. McCain's smear
ACORN President Maude Hurd released the following statement today in response to the McCain campaign's new ad claiming that, among other things, ACORN is responsible for the mortgage crisis: "For almost a decade, ACORN, a community organization of 400,000 families in neighborhoods across the country, has been fighting against the predatory lending practices that have robbed our members of their homes, destabilized neighborhoods, and roiled the global economy. "In his newest ad, John McCain's campaign bizarrely claims that 'ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans, the same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today.' Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, ACORN has worked successfully to help working class families get good home loans on fair terms from legitimate banks and has fought vigorously against predatory lenders who have ripped off families in our communities. These predatory loans caused the crisis.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/36798
=
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
- American Legal Conservatives Oppose the Citation of Foreign Law, But What
About the Hallowed Practice of Citing to Blackstone?
It is an article of faith among legal conservatives that American courts should not cite foreign sources of law. Foreign courts, these conservatives argue, just don't get it, and we don't need their cosmopolitan ideas corrupting the minds of our judges on subjects like homosexuality or the death penalty. The debate over the use of foreign law had been mostly confined to law reviews and legal blogs. Recently, however, it spilled into the mainstream media with a New York Times article about the declining international influence of U.S. Supreme Court rulings. One reason for this sinking global esteem, according to the Times: our Justices' own disdain for the work of their foreign colleagues.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary/20081010_sanders.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-US lawmaker slams McCain camp for stoking hatred
Democratic lawmaker John Lewis on Saturday said Republican White House contender John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin were "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" with incendiary rhetoric against rival Barack Obama. "As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Senator McCain and (Alaska) Governor Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all," Lewis said in a statement on Politico.com a day after McCain tried to tone down his campaign's attacks against his rival.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/US_lawmaker_slams_McCain_camp_for_1011.html
-The right bashes ties of Obama, ACORN
ACORN, whose voter- registration drive produced two dozen forms flagged as potentially fraudulent in Brevard County, says it is cooperating with a probe of five cases it brought to authorities' attention.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081012/COLUMNISTS0207/810120331/1179/COLUMNISTS0207
-Obama opens 6-point lead over McCain
Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 6-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the U.S. presidential race, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Sunday. Obama leads McCain by 49 percent to 43 percent among likely U.S. voters in the latest four-day tracking poll, his widest lead since the poll was started on Tuesday. It was up from a 4-point lead on Saturday. The poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/10/12/obama_opens_6_point_lead_over_mccain/
-10 years in, MoveOn gaining in strength
Five days after Senator John McCain named Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, co-workers Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston e-mailed 40 female friends, inviting them to outline the reasons they were upset with his choice. It elicited such a huge response - from friends of friends and utter strangers - that they created a blog called Women Against Sarah Palin. In less than a month, it has become one of the largest hubs of online opposition to Palin, receiving more than 160,000 e-mails.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/10/12/10_years_in_moveon_gaining_in_strength/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
=
[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:
-The Post-Binge World
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
The market is re-evaluating and re-pricing every asset in the world, without mercy. It is going to do whatever it's going to do - whichever way greed and fear tug it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
-North Korea Is Off Terror List After Deal With U.S.
North Korea on Sunday welcomed the move and said that it would resume disabling its nuclear weapons facilities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/world/asia/13terror.html?hp
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sarah Six-Pack is getting a bit stale
LEONARD PITTS JR.
Maybe you remember Dave. It was a 1993 movie starring Kevin Kline as Dave Kovic, an everyday guy who happens to be a dead ringer for the president. When the chief executive is stricken, his aides secretly recruit Dave to fill in for him. Problem is, Dave quickly begins to lose himself in the role. There's a wonderful scene where, trying to find money in the federal budget to fund a homeless shelter, Dave turns to his friend Murray, an accountant, for help. [...] The ''g'' droppin', moose shootin', eye-winkin' hockey mom has plenty of antecedents. But there's a difference. Those antecedents were smart, wonkish people pretending to be one of us. Sarah Palin is one of us. And by ''us,'' I don't mean you, necessarily, or me. I mean the lowest common denominator us, the us of myth and narrative, the us of simple mind, the reactionary, ill-informed, impatient with complexity, utterly shallow us.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/721465.html
=
ACORN's response to Sen. McCain's smear
ACORN President Maude Hurd released the following statement today in response to the McCain campaign's new ad claiming that, among other things, ACORN is responsible for the mortgage crisis: "For almost a decade, ACORN, a community organization of 400,000 families in neighborhoods across the country, has been fighting against the predatory lending practices that have robbed our members of their homes, destabilized neighborhoods, and roiled the global economy. "In his newest ad, John McCain's campaign bizarrely claims that 'ACORN forced banks to issue risky home loans, the same types of loans that caused the financial crisis we're in today.' Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, ACORN has worked successfully to help working class families get good home loans on fair terms from legitimate banks and has fought vigorously against predatory lenders who have ripped off families in our communities. These predatory loans caused the crisis.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/36798
=
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
- American Legal Conservatives Oppose the Citation of Foreign Law, But What
About the Hallowed Practice of Citing to Blackstone?
It is an article of faith among legal conservatives that American courts should not cite foreign sources of law. Foreign courts, these conservatives argue, just don't get it, and we don't need their cosmopolitan ideas corrupting the minds of our judges on subjects like homosexuality or the death penalty. The debate over the use of foreign law had been mostly confined to law reviews and legal blogs. Recently, however, it spilled into the mainstream media with a
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary/20081010_sanders.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-US lawmaker slams McCain camp for stoking hatred
Democratic lawmaker John Lewis on Saturday said Republican White House contender John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin were "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" with incendiary rhetoric against rival Barack Obama. "As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Senator McCain and (Alaska) Governor Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all," Lewis said in a statement on Politico.com a day after McCain tried to tone down his campaign's attacks against his rival.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/US_lawmaker_slams_McCain_camp_for_1011.html
-The right bashes ties of Obama, ACORN
ACORN, whose voter- registration drive produced two dozen forms flagged as potentially fraudulent in Brevard County, says it is cooperating with a probe of five cases it brought to authorities' attention.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081012/COLUMNISTS0207/810120331/1179/COLUMNISTS0207
-Obama opens 6-point lead over McCain
Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 6-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the U.S. presidential race, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Sunday. Obama leads McCain by 49 percent to 43 percent among likely U.S. voters in the latest four-day tracking poll, his widest lead since the poll was started on Tuesday. It was up from a 4-point lead on Saturday. The poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/10/12/obama_opens_6_point_lead_over_mccain/
-10 years in, MoveOn gaining in strength
Five days after Senator John McCain named Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, co-workers Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston e-mailed 40 female friends, inviting them to outline the reasons they were upset with his choice. It elicited such a huge response - from friends of friends and utter strangers - that they created a blog called Women Against Sarah Palin. In less than a month, it has become one of the largest hubs of online opposition to Palin, receiving more than 160,000 e-mails.
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/10/12/10_years_in_moveon_gaining_in_strength/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - October 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.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Amendment 2: Frivolous distraction should be rejected
Our economy is in the tank. Floridians are losing homes and jobs in record numbers. Our standing in the world is kaput. So what choice will Florida voters be given on Nov. 4 to solve our mountain of problems? Nada! No plan for universal health care, no equivalent of a domestic Marshall Plan to revive our economic fortunes, no guarantees that seniors can live out their lives in dignity. No improvement for ailing public education.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/columnists/sfl-sgcol12sboct12,0,7701452.column
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Delete gay, marriage
The headline Gay-marriage ban (Metro section, Oct. 9) is misleading and biased because it leads people to believe that Amendment 2 is just a gay issue, which it is not. The amendment would take away from all committed relationships the same rights and privileges that are given to married couples. Couples who will lose these constitutionally guaranteed rights may be gay, heterosexual or senior citizens who wish to live out their lives in the companionship of another. They just wish to visit one another when they are sick in the hospital and share in the joys as well as the sorrows of life -- the same as any married couple. All compassionate people who understand the law and who read this amendment in full -- not just The Miami Herald headlines -- should vote No on Amendment 2.
BILL SILVER, Coral Gables
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/721462.html
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Erotic Art Exhibit-served with martinis straight up
Art goes sexy tonight, at Matty's On The Drive
What happens when you mix "erotic art" and a round of martinis? You get the ArtsUnited's annual Erotic Art Exhibit and reception, at Matty's On The Drive (2426 Wilton Drive). Dozens of male and female erotic art pieces will be on display and for sale during the one-night- only exhibit. A $10 donation at the door benefits ArtsUnited and its many programs. And there will be delicious nibbles for everyone, provided by Galanga! From 6-8 p.m.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#21663
=
AFL-CIO Endorses Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission
Wilton Manors City Commission candidate Justin Flippen has been endorsed by the Broward County AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO's endorsement of Justin adds to that of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz; State Representatives Kelly Skidmore, Martin Kiar, and Ari Porth; County Commissioners Ken Keechl, Stacy Ritter, Diana Wasserman-Rubin, and Sue Gunzburger; County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish; School Board Members Robin Bartleman, Jennifer Gottlieb, and Beverly Gallagher; Former Wilton Manors Mayors Jim Stork and Tracy Stafford; Former Wilton Manors Vice Mayor Sue Olson; Former Wilton Manors City Commissioner Joe Angelo; and many other Broward County city officials. Come celebrate the ongoing success of Justin's city commission campaign TODAY [Sunday] from 4 to 6 PM at George's Alibi located at 2266 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors.
www.JustinFlippen.com
=
Gary Resnick candidate for Wilton Manors Mayor
You are invited! Wednesday, October 15th
GOTV Office - 2040 Dixie Hwy., Suite B
Wilton Manors, FL
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
For more information about Gary's campaign, please contact Gary at home at 954-566-0054, or via email, garyresnick@aol.com, or visit his website, www.garyresnick.com
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-It's party vs. power in Broward County sheriff's race
Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti exploits the advantages of incumbency. He holds news conferences seemingly every other day. His name has been plastered on billboards and gas pumps for public service campaigns. He appears in uniform, leaning on a Broward Sheriff's Office cruiser, in a political advertisement that hit the airwaves last week.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-flbmayocol1012sboct12,0,7589833.column
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Miami Herald recommends
On state constitutional amendments
The annual ritual of adding amendments to Florida's Constitution is fraught
with danger. It has been used for good and ill, from mandating education standards for schools to requiring pens for pregnant pigs. State lawmakers often resort to amendments as a way to duck politically sensitive issues, passing the buck to the voters instead of using the legislative process. Fewer amendments would be better. Herewith, we offer our recommendations for amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/721468.html=
-Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls
John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/722731.html
=
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, FADP
http://www.fadp.org/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Next Florida Execution Stayed Until November 18, 2008
Florida is preparing for the killing of another prisoner. Gov. Charlie Crist scheduled the execution of Wayne Tompkins for October 28, but the Florida Supreme Court issued a stay until November 18. Tompkins is to be put to death for the killing of Lisa DeCarr, twenty five years ago. Gov. Crist appears to be making good on his threat to send more condemned prisoners into the Death Chamber. At the current rate, Florida will soon be second only to Texas as the nation's busiest executioner. With 387 people awaiting execution, Florida has the second largest Death Row in the Western Hemisphere. Please TAKE ACTION! Write or call Gov. Crist and ask him to STOP signing Death Warrants and order a thorough review and assessment of Florida's Death Penalty program. He has the authority to make this decision.
ADDRESS:
Gov. Charlie Crist
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
PHONE:
850-488-7146
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-In Democratic stronghold, a reluctant tilt to Obama
This may be a Democratic stronghold, but folks aren't shy about ticking off what bugs them about Barack Obama. ¶ He seems a bit smug. He was never in the same league as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, then added insult to injury by passing her over for VP. And there's the rumors, false, that Obama is a Muslim. Plus his earlier refusal to wear an American flag pin. "He said it was a fashion statement, wearing the flag," Trish Votaw , a 40-something divorcee, said as she smoked Marlboros on her front porch while waiting for her teenage boys to get home from school. "But who cares if it is a fashion statement? It's the American way. Especially with our troops over there. He should have the flag on."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article848558.ece
-Gay-rights wedge issue fading away?
For more than four years, the Bush White House has run against any changes in the law that would allow gay Americans -- even his vice president's daughter -- to marry. Under the guidance of political maestro Karl Rove, George W. Bush even ran against gay rights in his 2004 re-election bid. The strategy: push a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman and thereby stir the base of evangelicals to the polls. It worked.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/gayrights_wedge_issue_fading_a.html
-Time to evict Jim Crow
We like to fool ourselves that Florida is this progressive, modern state showing Americans the way into the new millennium. But we all know better. About the time Floridians start thinking they are taking a great stride forward, something ridiculous happens to remind the entire world that this is a state staggering into the future like a drunken spring-breaker.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/10/12/a16a_moffettcol_1012.html
-State ban on gay marriage? You decide
Proposed amendment on next month's ballot causing controversy
For better or for worse. For richer or poorer. For man and . . . husband? Florida's proposed constitutional Amendment 2 is probably the most talked-about initiative you'll find on a busy ballot this fall. Five other amendments ask voters to weigh in on ineligible aliens' property rights, tax breaks and conserving sensitive lands, but none is as controversial as the proposed ban on gay marriage.
http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/story/948360.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Amendment 2: Frivolous distraction should be rejected
Our economy is in the tank. Floridians are losing homes and jobs in record numbers. Our standing in the world is kaput. So what choice will Florida voters be given on Nov. 4 to solve our mountain of problems? Nada! No plan for universal health care, no equivalent of a domestic Marshall Plan to revive our economic fortunes, no guarantees that seniors can live out their lives in dignity. No improvement for ailing public education.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/columnists/sfl-sgcol12sboct12,0,7701452.column
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Delete gay, marriage
The headline Gay-marriage ban (Metro section, Oct. 9) is misleading and biased because it leads people to believe that Amendment 2 is just a gay issue, which it is not. The amendment would take away from all committed relationships the same rights and privileges that are given to married couples. Couples who will lose these constitutionally guaranteed rights may be gay, heterosexual or senior citizens who wish to live out their lives in the companionship of another. They just wish to visit one another when they are sick in the hospital and share in the joys as well as the sorrows of life -- the same as any married couple. All compassionate people who understand the law and who read this amendment in full -- not just The Miami Herald headlines -- should vote No on Amendment 2.
BILL SILVER, Coral Gables
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/721462.html
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Erotic Art Exhibit-served with martinis straight up
Art goes sexy tonight, at Matty's On The Drive
What happens when you mix "erotic art" and a round of martinis? You get the ArtsUnited's annual Erotic Art Exhibit and reception, at Matty's On The Drive (2426 Wilton Drive). Dozens of male and female erotic art pieces will be on display and for sale during the one-night- only exhibit. A $10 donation at the door benefits ArtsUnited and its many programs. And there will be delicious nibbles for everyone, provided by Galanga! From 6-8 p.m.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#21663
=
AFL-CIO Endorses Justin Flippen for Wilton Manors City Commission
Wilton Manors City Commission candidate Justin Flippen has been endorsed by the Broward County AFL-CIO. The AFL-CIO's endorsement of Justin adds to that of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz; State Representatives Kelly Skidmore, Martin Kiar, and Ari Porth; County Commissioners Ken Keechl, Stacy Ritter, Diana Wasserman-Rubin, and Sue Gunzburger; County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish; School Board Members Robin Bartleman, Jennifer Gottlieb, and Beverly Gallagher; Former Wilton Manors Mayors Jim Stork and Tracy Stafford; Former Wilton Manors Vice Mayor Sue Olson; Former Wilton Manors City Commissioner Joe Angelo; and many other Broward County city officials. Come celebrate the ongoing success of Justin's city commission campaign TODAY [Sunday] from 4 to 6 PM at George's Alibi located at 2266 Wilton Drive in Wilton Manors.
www.JustinFlippen.com
=
Gary Resnick candidate for Wilton Manors Mayor
You are invited! Wednesday, October 15th
GOTV Office - 2040 Dixie Hwy., Suite B
Wilton Manors, FL
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
For more information about Gary's campaign, please contact Gary at home at 954-566-0054, or via email, garyresnick@aol.com, or visit his website, www.garyresnick.com
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-It's party vs. power in Broward County sheriff's race
Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti exploits the advantages of incumbency. He holds news conferences seemingly every other day. His name has been plastered on billboards and gas pumps for public service campaigns. He appears in uniform, leaning on a Broward Sheriff's Office cruiser, in a political advertisement that hit the airwaves last week.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/sfl-flbmayocol1012sboct12,0,7589833.column
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-The Miami Herald recommends
On state constitutional amendments
The annual ritual of adding amendments to Florida's Constitution is fraught
with danger. It has been used for good and ill, from mandating education standards for schools to requiring pens for pregnant pigs. State lawmakers often resort to amendments as a way to duck politically sensitive issues, passing the buck to the voters instead of using the legislative process. Fewer amendments would be better. Herewith, we offer our recommendations for amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/721468.html=
-Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls
John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/722731.html
=
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, FADP
http://www.fadp.org/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Next Florida Execution Stayed Until November 18, 2008
Florida is preparing for the killing of another prisoner. Gov. Charlie Crist scheduled the execution of Wayne Tompkins for October 28, but the Florida Supreme Court issued a stay until November 18. Tompkins is to be put to death for the killing of Lisa DeCarr, twenty five years ago. Gov. Crist appears to be making good on his threat to send more condemned prisoners into the Death Chamber. At the current rate, Florida will soon be second only to Texas as the nation's busiest executioner. With 387 people awaiting execution, Florida has the second largest Death Row in the Western Hemisphere. Please TAKE ACTION! Write or call Gov. Crist and ask him to STOP signing Death Warrants and order a thorough review and assessment of Florida's Death Penalty program. He has the authority to make this decision.
ADDRESS:
Gov. Charlie Crist
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399
PHONE:
850-488-7146
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-In Democratic stronghold, a reluctant tilt to Obama
This may be a Democratic stronghold, but folks aren't shy about ticking off what bugs them about Barack Obama. ¶ He seems a bit smug. He was never in the same league as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, then added insult to injury by passing her over for VP. And there's the rumors, false, that Obama is a Muslim. Plus his earlier refusal to wear an American flag pin. "He said it was a fashion statement, wearing the flag," Trish Votaw , a 40-something divorcee, said as she smoked Marlboros on her front porch while waiting for her teenage boys to get home from school. "But who cares if it is a fashion statement? It's the American way. Especially with our troops over there. He should have the flag on."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/article848558.ece
-Gay-rights wedge issue fading away?
For more than four years, the Bush White House has run against any changes in the law that would allow gay Americans -- even his vice president's daughter -- to marry. Under the guidance of political maestro Karl Rove, George W. Bush even ran against gay rights in his 2004 re-election bid. The strategy: push a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman and thereby stir the base of evangelicals to the polls. It worked.
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/gayrights_wedge_issue_fading_a.html
-Time to evict Jim Crow
We like to fool ourselves that Florida is this progressive, modern state showing Americans the way into the new millennium. But we all know better. About the time Floridians start thinking they are taking a great stride forward, something ridiculous happens to remind the entire world that this is a state staggering into the future like a drunken spring-breaker.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/10/12/a16a_moffettcol_1012.html
-State ban on gay marriage? You decide
Proposed amendment on next month's ballot causing controversy
For better or for worse. For richer or poorer. For man and . . . husband? Florida's proposed constitutional Amendment 2 is probably the most talked-about initiative you'll find on a busy ballot this fall. Five other amendments ask voters to weigh in on ineligible aliens' property rights, tax breaks and conserving sensitive lands, but none is as controversial as the proposed ban on gay marriage.
http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/story/948360.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
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