**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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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-NYC firefighter, critically injured in attack by colleague, settles lawsuit for $3.75 million
Robert Walsh testified at his federal lawsuit trial that the attack on New Year's Eve in 2003 was the culmination of nearly two years of anti-gay slurs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-firefighter-fight,0,1723956.story
-Hillary Clinton looks to loyalists in building team to deal with crises foreign and domestic
For her team of foreign policy experts, the nation's third female secretary of state is expected to draw heavily from the staff of the first, Madeleine Albright, who was an early supporter of Clinton's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. [...] One notable name on the list is Michael Guest, one of only two openly gay ambassadors ever to represent the United States overseas. Guest resigned from the foreign service in mid-career last December to protest the State Department's treatment of same-sex partners of diplomats.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-clinton-state-department,0,4536109.story
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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Poll | Should a gay man have been cast as Harvey Milk?
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Miami: The truth about Peter Rauhofer's 'fundraiser'
'The Main Event' held in competition with The White Party; advertised as a fundraiser, but was it really?
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#22803
-Steamy new ad campaign says 'Come back to Key West'
Photo essay gives an eyeful of boys, boys, boys
Key West tourism officials want to bring back the crowds of gay men that used to flock to the island-but rather than ask politely, they have created an ad campaign filled with sin and skin. Ah, remember the good ol' days? If Key West always looked like this, I'm certain more people would pay a visit.
Look at the photos here:
http://www.fla-keys.com/returntokeywest/
-HX Gay Life Travel Expo: December 9
Check out the best GLBT travel trends
On December 9th, the HX Gay Life Travel Expo makes its stop in Fort Lauderdale at the Embassy Suites at 1100 S.E. 17th Street (17th Street Causeway). Whether you're an experienced traveler or just desire more information for a possible upcoming vacation, you don't want to miss this annual event, which criss-crosses the nation bringing travel ideas to thousands of gay and lesbians every year.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5356.cfm
-A lesbian in Obama's cabinet?
Speculation swirls around Maxwell for labor secretary
The Wall Street Journal reported that Obama was considering Mary Beth Maxwell, the founding executive director of American Rights at Work, to head the Labor Department. If nominated, and confirmed by the Senate, she would be the nation's first openly gay cabinet member. The Journal reported that other officials in consideration for the position were Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D).
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=22779
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-NC community supports gay marriage
The Carrboro city council has passed a resolution supporting gay marriage and sent copies of it off to the state and federal government.
http://www.365gay.com/news/nc-community-supports-gay-marriage/
-Moscow mayor: Gay Pride parades spread AIDS
LGBT rights advocates and AIDS workers are voicing shock at comments by Moscow's mayor linking gay visibility to the spread of HIV/AIDS.
http://www.365gay.com/news/moscow-mayor-gay-pride-parades-spread-aids/
-LGBT campaign after Prop 8 called a "campaign of violence"
The Becket Fund is releasing an ad calling the reaction to Prop 8 a "campaign of violence." Their lie facilitates the Becket Fund's tactic to always play the victim.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-lgbt-campaign-after-prop-8-called-a-campaign-of-violence/
-Survey examines role of economics, faith in Prop 8
Voters' economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in the Prop 8 vote
http://www.365gay.com/news/survey-examines-role-of-economics-faith-in-prop-8/
-New star-studded video protests Prop 8
Since Proposition 8 passed in California, much of Hollywood has been up in arms. Now, they are singing and dancing, too, in a new Web video called "Prop 8: The Musical.
http://www.365gay.com/news/new-star-studded-video-protests-prop-8/
-Making fun of the HRC
I try to keep any mocking of the Human Rights Campaign to a minimum. Not because I'm a fan (they sure do have a whole lot of parties), but mainly because it's a crowded market. There is no dearth of people taking shots, well deserved, at the HRC and its penchant for fund raising over serious political work.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/120408-hrc-barely-endorses-maxwell/
-Florida, adoption and why marriage isn't enough
One of the top LGBT stories in the past week has been the Florida court ruling that found the state ban on adoption by lesbian and gay people was unconstitutional. The decision means that the two boys fostered by plaintiff Frank Martin Gill for the last four years are now his legally adopted sons.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/rudolph-florida-adoption-and-why-marriage-isnt-enough/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Charges May Be Filed in Vicious Gay Beating in Utah
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67775.asp
-N.Y. Marriage Bill Possibly Back on Track
Now that the Democrats have established majorities in the state senate and assembly, a marriage-equality bill in New York looks like it may gain ground, but it will likely take a backseat to the state's record-setting budget deficit.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid67803.asp
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-"Morally Responsible" Investment Firm Goes Gay Bashing in Games
The Timothy Plan, a Florida investment firm which bills itself as "conservative Christian," is warning holiday-shopping parents away from what it calls the 30 "most offensive" video games. While the usual suspects (GTA IV, Saints Row 2, Blitz the League II) make the list, there are some surprises as well, including the T-rated Bully: Scholarship Edition and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. [...] In its game rankings, the organization displays an obvious anti-gay bias. While it evaluates titles for sex and nudity, a gay/lesbian rating is also included, meaning that a game with a gay sexual encounter might get a double whammy when compared to a game where the sex is of the straight variety. This effect, for instance, pushes Fable II onto the group's most offensive list. Along that line a report prepared by the Timothy Plan contains this rather bizarre comment: Army of Two: Homosexual Encounters: ...Somewhat homo-erotic undertones between the two main characters are present.
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/12/02/quotmorally-responsiblequot-investment-firm-goes-gay-bashing-games
-Harvey Milk's Legacy
Connecting the Dots from Past to Present
By Norm Kent - Publisher
"My name is Harvey Milk, and I am here to recruit you." Anyone who was alive then has to see this movie now. As 2008 comes to a close, the month of November has turned out to be a defining moment in the evolution of gay American history. Call it a collage of circumstance, but the past has met the present, and today it defines our future. It was November of 1978 when the first openly gay office holder in California, Harvey Milk, was slain by a disgruntled colleague on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. A chronicle of his life and death came last week to the big screen, a mainstream studio film starring a renowned actor, Sean Penn. Rapidly winning critical acclaim, the historically accurate film is riveting and compelling.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/view/columns/5338.cfm
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Second wind for marriage movement
Link: Bay Windows
Though the wounds from the passage of California's Proposition 8 are still fresh for LGBT people around the country, advocates in New England are confident that the next few years will bring some landmark wins in the fight for marriage equality. Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), in partnership with MassEquality and other regional marriage equality groups, announced its "6 by 12" campaign last month. The goal of the campaign is to secure equal civil marriage rights for same-sex couples in the four New England states that have yet to grant them: Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. GLAD Executive Director Lee Swislow said that if GLAD and its allies were successful they would show the rest of the country that the marriage equality movement still has momentum.
-The New Religious Right
Link: The Advocate
Mormons make up only 2% of California's population, so the fact that they played such an outsize role in the Yes on 8 campaign testifies to their rigid and efficient organization as a religious community. Because the church requests that members tithe 10% of their annual income, LDS leaders are able to gain an accurate picture p of how much their congregants earn. With this information in hand, bishops in local communities went from house to house in California asking for specific amounts of money for the Yes on 8 campaign -- an incredibly effective fund-raising tactic. Mormons boast high rates of involvement in church-related activities, including commitments that can be quite demanding, such as missionary work, whereby members spend up to two years proselyting, often in far-flung overseas locations.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Boy George convicted of false imprisonment
Pop star and DJ Boy George was found guilty of false imprisonment by a jury in London earlier today. He will be sentenced next month.
-Government will start to ask sexuality question in surveys
The Office for National Statistics has announced it will start to ask a question about sexual orientation on surveys from next year.
-Australia and US not signed up to UN decriminalisation declaration
Several nations with sizable gay communities have not signed up to a declaration on the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality to be presented at the UN this month.
-BBC confirms Graham Norton to replace Terry Wogan as host of Eurovision
Gay comic Graham Norton is to replace Sir Terry Wogan as the British host of Eurovision. The appointment comes just days after Norton attempted to quash rumours he would replace Sir Terry.
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Dear all, as you may know, the Vatican City will oppose the upcoming declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity which will be presented at UN. Monsignor Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer at the UN, claims the declaration could be used to force countries to recognise same-sex marriage. "If adopted, they would create new and implacable discriminations," he said. "For example, states which do not recognise same-sex unions as 'matrimony' will be pilloried and made an object of pressure." (read more...) In response of this attempt to oppose the abolition of legal penalties against LGBTQ people, many lgbt activists and groups in the world are promoting a FACEBOOK GLOBAL CAUSE to support the declaration.
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/167395
We welcome you joining the cause and publishing in this space any relevant news from your countries.
Best regards
Fabio (Arcigay - Italy)
www.arcigay.it
-In two weeks, for the first time ever, a declaration on this issue will be read in the General Assembly of the United Nations. It is a historical event. More than 50 countries have already signed the text. Could you please help us to get more signatures ? Here is the list of states which have already signed the text :
...Europe : the 27 of the European Union plus Andorra, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
...America : Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay, Canada
...Africa : Gabon, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau
...Oceania : New Zealand
...Asia : Armenia, Japan
Countries that would be worth approaching : USA, Australia, Monaco, San Marino, Albania and Moldova, Georgia, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Cuba, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, Haiti, South Africa, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, among others. If your government has not yet signed the text, and if you think it is relevant to ask them, you could then lobby the Foreign Ministry in your capital. Contact details for the Foreign Ministry of each country can be found at http://programs.ssrc.org/gsc/datasphere/ministries/. It might be also useful to copy any message to your country's Ambassador in New York. Contact details for the New York missions of each State can be found at:
http://www.un.org/members/missions.shtml
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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
-Creating Change News: Training Academy Registration Opens Next Tuesday, December 9th!
We look forward to seeing you in Denver Colorado, January28 - February 1, 2009 for the movement's organizing, training and strategy conference! Register for the Academy for Leadership and Action on Tuesday, December 9th by visiting
www.creatingchange.org
-Call girl allowed to retire at O-4
Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Dickinson has retired from the Navy with no reduction in rank, despite her admission that she moonlighted as a high-end prostitute for Washington powerbrokers while assigned to the Naval Academy, a Navy spokeswoman confirmed. In federal court in April, Dickinson testified about her stint as an escort at the trial of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, a California businesswoman known as the "D.C. Madam." Dickinson said she charged $275 for a 90-minute session, typically keeping $130 for herself and sending $145 to Palfrey. A Navy spokeswoman confirmed Dickinson's Oct. 31 retirement after it was first reported by the Web site militarycorruption.com
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/11/navy_dickinson_120808/
-Chicago Gay History: Dade County, U.S.A.
by John D'Emilio
It's a winter evening in 1977 and I'm clad only in a towel. I'm prowling the corridors of the Everard Baths in New York. The Everard is not one of those new bathhouses in tune with the spirit of gay liberation. It has no amenities. There are no pleasant lounges for sitting around and socializing; there's no entertainment to bring men together in easy camaraderie. The place is grungy, and its patrons get right to the point-which, of course, is sex.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=19887
-Queercents launches four short series packed with personal finance diversity
Queercents, founded in 2006 by Nina Smith, is a syndicate of personal finance writers serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Financial tips and insights are aggregated daily from the distinct voices of several money writers. You can learn more about us by reading this Introduction to Queercents for an overview of the site and its features or our In The News section for mentions elsewhere on the web and in print. Our contributing writers and links to their bios are listed below.
http://www.queercents.com/2007/05/21/introduction-to-queercents/
1. Navigating Grad School Finances
As a full-time grad student, Rachel Gollay writes from experience as she survives on a small stipend. In this series, she covers everything from the application process, to offer acceptance, the process of loan deferral and prospect of taking on more debt in pursuit of an advanced degree.
http://www.queercents.com/category/grad-school/
2. The Joys and Perils of a Luxe Life
When Michael Moy is not luxuriating, he runs a home or two. Moy deconstructs the ups and down of being a gay house husband in this postmodern version of Mad Men. Affluence, dependence and being gay create a new twist on the old role of homemaker.
http://www.queercents.com/category/luxe-life/
3. Recovering from Financial Infidelity
Self-identifying as queer with FTM leanings, Alex Taylor has been partnered for ten years with a post-transition MTF woman. Widely-divergent money management styles have given Taylor a unique understanding of the financial issues faced by LGBT families. Learn how this couple transitions from an act of "financial infidelity" by moving beyond the sneaking and lies that have challenged their relationship.
http://www.queercents.com/category/money-relationships/financial-infidelity-money-relationships/
4. How to be Financially Stress-Free during the Holidays.
Paula Gregorowicz, a life coach, explains how intentions are everything in this year's economy. Find out how gift givers, party goers and party throwers can save money without sacrifice by implementing a few simple steps. Eat, drink and budget accordingly!
http://www.queercents.com/author/paula/
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Gay City News
http://www.gaycitynews.com/
-NY: Shuttering Porn Shops, City Fakes Arrests
http://www.gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20213303&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
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Friday, December 05, 2008
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST December 05, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Jobless Rate at 14-Year High After October Losses
The American economy lost another 240,000 jobs in October, the government reported Friday, as cash-strapped consumers pulled back and businesses hunkered down, intensifying the distress gripping much of the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/business/economy/08econ.html?_r=1&sq=jobless%20rate&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1228488595-DQzIWXMnVOTUecKYdjHbKg
-Education: Who Will He Choose?
As in many other areas, the biggest education debates are happening within the Democratic Party. On the one hand, there are the reformers like Joel Klein and Michelle Rhee, who support merit pay for good teachers, charter schools and tough accountability standards. On the other hand, there are the teachers' unions and the members of the Ed School establishment, who emphasize greater funding, smaller class sizes and superficial reforms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/opinion/05brooks.html?ref=opinion
-Many Children Lack Stability Long After Storm
Last January, at the age of 15, Jermaine Howard stopped going to school. Attendance seemed pointless: Jermaine, living with his father and brother in the evacuee trailer park known as Renaissance Village since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, had not managed to earn a single credit in more than two years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05trailer.html?ref=us
-Alaska's New Senator Sees Change at Work
To get elected in Alaska to the United States Senate as a Democrat sometimes requires not acting like one. Talk up drilling for oil in wildlife refuges. Talk up gun rights. Insist that those liberals who control Congress will never push you around.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/politics/05begich.html?ref=us
-Attacks Traced to Two From Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Fresh evidence unearthed by investigators in India indicated that the Mumbai attacks were stage-managed from at least two Pakistani cities by top leaders of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/world/asia/06mumbai.html?ref=world
-Danish Navy Rescues Suspected Pirates
LONDON -- A Danish warship on patrol to thwart piracy in the Gulf of Aden ended up rescuing seven of its presumed prey when its crew found suspected Somali pirates adrift this week with a broken motor on their speedboat, the Danish Navy said on Friday. Danish sailors brought the hungry, thirsty Somalis on board their own ship, a naval official said. Then they sank the speedboat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/world/europe/06pirate.html?ref=world
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Regret-Me-Not
Remember that long-ago news conference when George W. Bush couldn't think of any mistakes he had made? Unbelievably, he still can't.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120402859.html
-Team of Heavyweights
President-elect Barack Obama has appointed an extraordinary team for national security policy. On its face, it violates certain maxims of conventional wisdom: that appointing to the Cabinet individuals with an autonomous constituency, and who therefore are difficult to fire, circumscribes presidential control; that appointing as national security adviser, secretary of state and secretary of defense individuals with established policy views may absorb the president's energies in settling disputes among strong-willed advisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120402863.html
-President Got-a-Buck?
Bill Clinton's secret fundraising for his presidential library was wrong -- and so is George W. Bush's.
WHILE ATTENTION has focused on Bill Clinton's belated agreement to release the names of donors to his presidential library, the sitting president, unnoticed, has been raising money for his own. President Bush's secret fundraising is lawful, but it is no more acceptable than Mr. Clinton's was.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403658.html
-The Bushes Buy a Dallas House
President Bush and the first lady have purchased a house in the Preston
Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, which is where they will live after leaving the White House on Jan. 20, officials said today. The White House declined to release any details of the purchase, including an address or sales price, citing the fact that the couple have not moved in yet.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/04/the_bushes_buy_a_dallas_house.html?hpid=sec-politics
-Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates
Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403537.html?hpid=sec-health
-EPISCOPAL CHURCH: A Worldwide Anglican Melee
Conservative Revolt Expected to Roil International Communion
Episcopal Church experts and disaffected conservatives predicted yesterday that intense lobbying would soon begin over dissidents' plans to leave the church and create a new Anglican community in the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403851.html?hpid=sec-religion
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Use of 'N' word causes mistrial in landmark tobacco lawsuit
Racial slur causes Broward County mistrial of lawsuit over cigarettes A Broward Circuit Court judge declared a mistrial Thursday in a landmark tobacco case of a Cooper City widow suing cigarette maker Philip Morris on a wrongful-death claim. An expert witness, on the second day of trial, used a racist term - the N-word - while explaining his research into a project about racism in the tobacco industry, said Gary Paige, an attorney for Elaine Hess, the widow of Stuart Hess.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbtobacco1205sbdec05,0,6774620.story
-Progress in AIDS fight should inspire confidence, but not overconfidence
There's been significant progress across the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Countries where the disease is rampant are doing a far better job spreading awareness and providing effective treatments. And many people infected with the relentless HIV virus are living full, productive lives.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editajjaidspndec04,0,7777327.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-LEXICON: Abolish the N word
This column is sure to offend many of you -- at least that's what I'm hoping. Because it involves the use of a word we should universally find offensive, but don't: The N word. The media and social experts have been pondering whether we're about to enter a new era in race relations as a result of the recent presidential elections. I, for one, hope so. Race relations is rivaled only by education as a crucial issue that can determine the course of our society. If we're to make progress, then battling the N word, which has become acceptable to too many people when used within a certain context, must surely be on the agenda.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/800168.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ballot Boxed
by Ben Adler
Just because Obama won a landslide doesn't mean our voting system has been fixed. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, the hand-wringing over voting irregularities reached a fever pitch. Rolling Stone published a feature by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., warning that Republicans may have already stolen the election. The McCain campaign highlighted accusations that the civil rights group ACORN was trying to commit voter fraud by fabricating voter registrations. Voting rights groups sent nearly daily e-mail blasts to reporters obsessing over every state and local incident of voter intimidation or suppression. Even "The Simpsons" had a segment on possible electronic machine malfunctions.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=66c8b907-3673-4366-a68c-a1d4a75b7b49
-Bush's Pity Party
Even after all this time, Bush views the Iraq War with regret not over anything he did but rather, over something that was done to him.
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=bushs_pity_party
-Untold Story of Election 2008: The Death of the NRA
Last month, voters across the country took a cue from the late Charlton Heston and pried the assault weapon from the NRA's cold, dead hands. Although the gun group unleashed everything in its arsenal to defeat Barack Obama and dozens of down ticket gun-control candidates, it lost by a margin as historic as the war chest it opened in an attempt to convince voters that Democrats were mortal enemies of the Second Amendment. Despite expending nearly $7 million in a national fear campaign, NRA-endorsed candidates lost 80 percent of their races against gun-control candidates. More than 90 percent of candidates endorsed by the NRA's nemesis, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, won their races. If 2008 was, in the NRA's own words, "arguably the most important year in its history," then the election results suggest that the gun group is arguably the most overhyped and impotent special-interest lobby in the country. The NRA even got its chamber cleaned in its home state of Virginia.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/109841/untold_story_of_election_2008%3A_the_death_of_the_nra/
-Suit contesting Barack Obama's citizenship heads to U.S. Supreme Court today
Justices will decide whether to consider the case
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider today whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship, a continuation of a New Jersey case embraced by some opponents of Obama's election.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-birth-certificatedec04,0,664988.story
-Barack Obama campaign raised nearly $1 billion, shattering records
Fundraising outpaced combined total of Bush and Kerry in 2004 election, records show
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-moneydec05,0,6244688.story
-Chris Matthews Inches Toward Senate Run
Politico: MSNBC Host Advised To Quit Cable Channel Sooner Rather Than Later Chris Matthews is dead serious about running for the Senate in Pennsylvania - and shopping for a house in the state and privately discussing quitting MSNBC as proof of his intense interest, according to NBC colleagues, political operatives, and friends.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/04/politics/politico/main4647022.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_4647022
-Fidel Castro says Cuba open to talks with Obama
AVANA (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Thursday his country was open to talks with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, Havana's latest overture toward the incoming Democratic administration in Washington. "With Obama, talks could happen anywhere he wants," Castro, America's longtime Cold War enemy, wrote in the latest of a series of columns he has published in state-run media since falling ill in 2006.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2008/12/05/fidel_castro_says_cuba_open_to_talks_with_obama/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news
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From Southern Poverty Law Center
Tune in today at 2 p.m. Eastern - and hear about the recent court victory against the Imperial Klans of America.
Live Webcast - Imperial Klans of America Lawsuit
Date: Today, Dec. 5, 2008
Time: 2 - 2:30 p.m. Eastern
Morris Dees and the SPLC legal team just won a crushing $2.5 million verdict against Ron Edwards, leader of the Imperial Klans of America, and one of his chief lieutenants for the brutal beating of a Kentucky teenager. Our client is an American of Panamanian descent. But to the Klansmen who attacked him, he was nothing more than an "illegal spic." Morris and SPLC President Richard Cohen will discuss the challenges of holding hate groups and their leaders accountable for the actions of their members and the effect our trial strategy has had on the hate movement. They'll also discuss how the election of Barack Obama and the current economy are creating a perfect storm for white supremacist groups. You will have the opportunity to submit questions for Morris and Richard before and during the webcast. We look forward to your participation today! Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center. How to participate: Register here to join the webcast.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=349&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-120508
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Jobless Rate at 14-Year High After October Losses
The American economy lost another 240,000 jobs in October, the government reported Friday, as cash-strapped consumers pulled back and businesses hunkered down, intensifying the distress gripping much of the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/08/business/economy/08econ.html?_r=1&sq=jobless%20rate&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1228488595-DQzIWXMnVOTUecKYdjHbKg
-Education: Who Will He Choose?
As in many other areas, the biggest education debates are happening within the Democratic Party. On the one hand, there are the reformers like Joel Klein and Michelle Rhee, who support merit pay for good teachers, charter schools and tough accountability standards. On the other hand, there are the teachers' unions and the members of the Ed School establishment, who emphasize greater funding, smaller class sizes and superficial reforms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/opinion/05brooks.html?ref=opinion
-Many Children Lack Stability Long After Storm
Last January, at the age of 15, Jermaine Howard stopped going to school. Attendance seemed pointless: Jermaine, living with his father and brother in the evacuee trailer park known as Renaissance Village since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, had not managed to earn a single credit in more than two years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05trailer.html?ref=us
-Alaska's New Senator Sees Change at Work
To get elected in Alaska to the United States Senate as a Democrat sometimes requires not acting like one. Talk up drilling for oil in wildlife refuges. Talk up gun rights. Insist that those liberals who control Congress will never push you around.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/politics/05begich.html?ref=us
-Attacks Traced to Two From Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Fresh evidence unearthed by investigators in India indicated that the Mumbai attacks were stage-managed from at least two Pakistani cities by top leaders of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/world/asia/06mumbai.html?ref=world
-Danish Navy Rescues Suspected Pirates
LONDON -- A Danish warship on patrol to thwart piracy in the Gulf of Aden ended up rescuing seven of its presumed prey when its crew found suspected Somali pirates adrift this week with a broken motor on their speedboat, the Danish Navy said on Friday. Danish sailors brought the hungry, thirsty Somalis on board their own ship, a naval official said. Then they sank the speedboat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/world/europe/06pirate.html?ref=world
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Regret-Me-Not
Remember that long-ago news conference when George W. Bush couldn't think of any mistakes he had made? Unbelievably, he still can't.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120402859.html
-Team of Heavyweights
President-elect Barack Obama has appointed an extraordinary team for national security policy. On its face, it violates certain maxims of conventional wisdom: that appointing to the Cabinet individuals with an autonomous constituency, and who therefore are difficult to fire, circumscribes presidential control; that appointing as national security adviser, secretary of state and secretary of defense individuals with established policy views may absorb the president's energies in settling disputes among strong-willed advisers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120402863.html
-President Got-a-Buck?
Bill Clinton's secret fundraising for his presidential library was wrong -- and so is George W. Bush's.
WHILE ATTENTION has focused on Bill Clinton's belated agreement to release the names of donors to his presidential library, the sitting president, unnoticed, has been raising money for his own. President Bush's secret fundraising is lawful, but it is no more acceptable than Mr. Clinton's was.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403658.html
-The Bushes Buy a Dallas House
President Bush and the first lady have purchased a house in the Preston
Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, which is where they will live after leaving the White House on Jan. 20, officials said today. The White House declined to release any details of the purchase, including an address or sales price, citing the fact that the couple have not moved in yet.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/04/the_bushes_buy_a_dallas_house.html?hpid=sec-politics
-Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates
Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403537.html?hpid=sec-health
-EPISCOPAL CHURCH: A Worldwide Anglican Melee
Conservative Revolt Expected to Roil International Communion
Episcopal Church experts and disaffected conservatives predicted yesterday that intense lobbying would soon begin over dissidents' plans to leave the church and create a new Anglican community in the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403851.html?hpid=sec-religion
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Use of 'N' word causes mistrial in landmark tobacco lawsuit
Racial slur causes Broward County mistrial of lawsuit over cigarettes A Broward Circuit Court judge declared a mistrial Thursday in a landmark tobacco case of a Cooper City widow suing cigarette maker Philip Morris on a wrongful-death claim. An expert witness, on the second day of trial, used a racist term - the N-word - while explaining his research into a project about racism in the tobacco industry, said Gary Paige, an attorney for Elaine Hess, the widow of Stuart Hess.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbtobacco1205sbdec05,0,6774620.story
-Progress in AIDS fight should inspire confidence, but not overconfidence
There's been significant progress across the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Countries where the disease is rampant are doing a far better job spreading awareness and providing effective treatments. And many people infected with the relentless HIV virus are living full, productive lives.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-editajjaidspndec04,0,7777327.story
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-LEXICON: Abolish the N word
This column is sure to offend many of you -- at least that's what I'm hoping. Because it involves the use of a word we should universally find offensive, but don't: The N word. The media and social experts have been pondering whether we're about to enter a new era in race relations as a result of the recent presidential elections. I, for one, hope so. Race relations is rivaled only by education as a crucial issue that can determine the course of our society. If we're to make progress, then battling the N word, which has become acceptable to too many people when used within a certain context, must surely be on the agenda.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/800168.html
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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ballot Boxed
by Ben Adler
Just because Obama won a landslide doesn't mean our voting system has been fixed. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, the hand-wringing over voting irregularities reached a fever pitch. Rolling Stone published a feature by Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., warning that Republicans may have already stolen the election. The McCain campaign highlighted accusations that the civil rights group ACORN was trying to commit voter fraud by fabricating voter registrations. Voting rights groups sent nearly daily e-mail blasts to reporters obsessing over every state and local incident of voter intimidation or suppression. Even "The Simpsons" had a segment on possible electronic machine malfunctions.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=66c8b907-3673-4366-a68c-a1d4a75b7b49
-Bush's Pity Party
Even after all this time, Bush views the Iraq War with regret not over anything he did but rather, over something that was done to him.
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=bushs_pity_party
-Untold Story of Election 2008: The Death of the NRA
Last month, voters across the country took a cue from the late Charlton Heston and pried the assault weapon from the NRA's cold, dead hands. Although the gun group unleashed everything in its arsenal to defeat Barack Obama and dozens of down ticket gun-control candidates, it lost by a margin as historic as the war chest it opened in an attempt to convince voters that Democrats were mortal enemies of the Second Amendment. Despite expending nearly $7 million in a national fear campaign, NRA-endorsed candidates lost 80 percent of their races against gun-control candidates. More than 90 percent of candidates endorsed by the NRA's nemesis, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, won their races. If 2008 was, in the NRA's own words, "arguably the most important year in its history," then the election results suggest that the gun group is arguably the most overhyped and impotent special-interest lobby in the country. The NRA even got its chamber cleaned in its home state of Virginia.
http://www.alternet.org/rights/109841/untold_story_of_election_2008%3A_the_death_of_the_nra/
-Suit contesting Barack Obama's citizenship heads to U.S. Supreme Court today
Justices will decide whether to consider the case
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider today whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship, a continuation of a New Jersey case embraced by some opponents of Obama's election.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-birth-certificatedec04,0,664988.story
-Barack Obama campaign raised nearly $1 billion, shattering records
Fundraising outpaced combined total of Bush and Kerry in 2004 election, records show
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-moneydec05,0,6244688.story
-Chris Matthews Inches Toward Senate Run
Politico: MSNBC Host Advised To Quit Cable Channel Sooner Rather Than Later Chris Matthews is dead serious about running for the Senate in Pennsylvania - and shopping for a house in the state and privately discussing quitting MSNBC as proof of his intense interest, according to NBC colleagues, political operatives, and friends.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/04/politics/politico/main4647022.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_4647022
-Fidel Castro says Cuba open to talks with Obama
AVANA (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Thursday his country was open to talks with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, Havana's latest overture toward the incoming Democratic administration in Washington. "With Obama, talks could happen anywhere he wants," Castro, America's longtime Cold War enemy, wrote in the latest of a series of columns he has published in state-run media since falling ill in 2006.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2008/12/05/fidel_castro_says_cuba_open_to_talks_with_obama/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news
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From Southern Poverty Law Center
Tune in today at 2 p.m. Eastern - and hear about the recent court victory against the Imperial Klans of America.
Live Webcast - Imperial Klans of America Lawsuit
Date: Today, Dec. 5, 2008
Time: 2 - 2:30 p.m. Eastern
Morris Dees and the SPLC legal team just won a crushing $2.5 million verdict against Ron Edwards, leader of the Imperial Klans of America, and one of his chief lieutenants for the brutal beating of a Kentucky teenager. Our client is an American of Panamanian descent. But to the Klansmen who attacked him, he was nothing more than an "illegal spic." Morris and SPLC President Richard Cohen will discuss the challenges of holding hate groups and their leaders accountable for the actions of their members and the effect our trial strategy has had on the hate movement. They'll also discuss how the election of Barack Obama and the current economy are creating a perfect storm for white supremacist groups. You will have the opportunity to submit questions for Morris and Richard before and during the webcast. We look forward to your participation today! Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center. How to participate: Register here to join the webcast.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=349&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-120508
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST December 05, 2008
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Julie Carson appointed Wilton Manors City Commissioner
Becomes first openly lesbian to sit on City Commission Wilton Manors has a long tradition of GLBT firsts in politics and now another barrier has been broken with the appointment of Julie Carson as the first openly lesbian woman to sit on the Wilton Manors City Commission. When Gary Resnick was elected mayor of the city on November 4th, it left his former commission seat vacant; Julie Carson was unanimously appointed by the other city commissioners to fill that seat until the next election was held on February 10, 2009.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5335.cfm
-Massive AIDS quilt display in Lake Worth
Largest collection of panels in Florida
Lake Worth hosted the largest display of the AIDS Names Project Quilt in the state commemorating World AIDS Day. Organizers planned for the panels to be displayed outside on the church's lawn, but the threatening weather necessitated the move indoors-a good move it was, as many who passed through the sanctuary at Calgary First United Methodist Church commented that it looked as if the church was filled with the spirits of those represented on the panels.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5355.cfm
-Preachers protest adoption ruling
Conservative preachers upheld many of the same stereotypes that were refuted in trial
A group of conservative preachers representing the Christian Coalition said they support removing adopted children of gay parents from stable homes, rather than let a ruling stand that overturns the Florida's anti-gay adoption law. The group, led by Rev. Paul Carbalho, held a press conference at the Wayside Baptist Church in Kendall Wednesday to protest Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman's ruling that favored Frank Martin Gill, a gay man from North Miami who petitioned to adopt two half brothers he fostered since 2004. In a 53-page decision, Lederman said that there is no rational basis for the 30-year-old law, known to be the most restrictive adoption law in the nation. The Florida Attorney General's office filed notice to appeal Lederman's ruling. Carbalho was joined by the leaders of three other churches including Nathaniel Wilcox, among the most vociferous anti-gay agitators in Miami-Dade County. "We would like the adoption law to stay in position," Carbalho said. "We don't want to experiment with children, and [Gill's family] is an experimental family."
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5332.cfm
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Dolphin Democrats Annual Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 10 - 7:30-9:30 pm
Wilton Station Clubhouse
2605 NE 14th Ave
Wilton Manors FL
Donation $10 - Free with your paid renewal or 2009 membership
www.dophindems.org
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From Sunshine Cathedral
http://sunshinecathedral.org/
-Our Sunshine Cathedral Music Ministry will present "tonight, heaven touches earth" on Sunday, December 7th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available in Simply Divine Books and Things, from any choir member or online by clicking here. A special treat for the evening will be a live nativity starting at 6:00 pm in front of the Cathedral on 9th Ave.
-Lambda Chorale to deliver holiday 'Fruit and Nuts'
The South Florida Lambda Chorale's Wednesday, December 10th, concert at Fort Lauderdale's Sunshine Cathedral MCC promises to be a beautiful, nostalgic and fun-filled mixture of holiday music - hence its name, "Fruit and Nuts". The concert will begin at 8:00 pm, Wednesday, December 10th, at the Sunshine Cathedral MCC, 1480 SW 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets - at just $15 each - for "Fruit and Nuts" are available in advance through chorale members, by calling 1-888-WE-SING-4-U (1-888-937-4644), or online at www.lambdachorale.com. They will also be available at the door on the day of the performance.
-Kevin Brown, Rose Patterson, and Sonia Mitchell ask that you sign up to adopt a child for Christmas. Go to the Social Hall after worship and select a child's name, and then bring your unwrapped gift to the church to make a child's holiday joyous. Kevin, Rose, and Sonia will be working with Jack and Jill Day Care, Kids in Distress, and other local organizations to make sure children will have a smile on their faces at Christmas. For additional information, speak with someone after worship in the Social Hall or contact Kevin Brown, kevin@sunshinecathedral.org.
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From Anthony Niedwiecki Campaign for Oakland Park City Commission Campaign
Come to a Holiday Homes Tour After-Party!
Oakland Park Main Street is hosting a "Holiday Homes Tour" this Saturday, December 6. The tour will feature homes around the City of Oakland Park that are decorated for the Holiday Season. After the tour, Anthony will open his house for a campaign fundraiser to celebrate the holidays with friends, neighbors, and supporters.
Saturday December 6, 2008 - 6:00-8:00 pm
At the home of Anthony Niedwiecki and Waymon Hudson
5280 NE 1st Terrace
Oakland Park, FL 33334
(Suggested donation between $20 and $250)
Come enjoy food, drinks, and Holiday Cheer! We will be collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to a local food bank for the holiday season. Please bring what you can.
RSVP at (954) 319-5249 or email anthony@anthony09.com
Visit www.Anthony09.com for more details!
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida Steps in Early, and Troubled Teenagers Respond
Sarah Cooksey, 30, and her husband, Tom, are firefighters, and Sarah is an emergency medical technician as well. "I run into burning buildings and help people in the deepest crises," she said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05teen.html?ref=us
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Underage girl is second to sue Palm Beach billionaire
Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, serving time in jail for soliciting erotic massages and sexual acts from underage girls, had another lawsuit filed against him for the same allegations. The suit filed this week by Palm Beach Gardens attorney Spencer Kuvin is the seventh such suit against the investment banker and registered sex offender. It is the second one Kuvin filed against him.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpepstein1205pndec05,0,4263602.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-TRAFFIC: Tolls on I-95 off to good start, FHP says
After months of preparation by state troopers and traffic engineers, a new toll system is up and running for special northbound lanes on Interstate 95.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/800594.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CAMPAIGN 2010 | U.S. SENATE: Alex Sink may face Jeb Bush in Senate race
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said she might run for U.S. Senate seat, even if former Gov. Jeb Bush runs.
http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/800127.html
-Will Broward Democrats Ditch Mitch?
Supporters of former Congressman Peter Deutsch's efforts to take over Broward's Democratic Party from Mitch Ceasar wore ''Ditch Mitch'' buttons at Deutsch's town hall meeting at an AFL-CIO office in Plantation tonight. About 100 showed up to hear Deutsch Thursday -- most of them appeared to support replacing Ceasar after 12 years at the helm.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2008/12/will-broward-de.html
-Man Friday: Run, Jeb, Run
The GOP needs that Bush in the Senate. In January 2007, when Jeb Bush stepped down after two terms as governor of Florida, he had cut taxes, enacted the most extensive public school reform in any state, restructured health care and, after dealing with some three dozen hurricanes and tropical storms, earned high marks for crisis management. In a state in which Democrats outnumber Republicans, Bush held an approval rating of an astonishing 63%.
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/12/04/jeb-bush-senate-oped-cx_pr_1205robinson.htmleter
-Florida Elections Commission rules Dania's Evan Jenne violated donation limits
Each gave $500 more than is allowed by law
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/dania_beach/sfl-flfjenne1205sbdec05,0,5680094.story
-GOP boots a supremacist
No one person - especially an obnoxious person who ignores the rules - is bigger than a political party. That's the lesson Derek Black, son of former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black of West Palm Beach, got Wednesday night when the Republican Party of Palm Beach County refused to seat Mr. Black and nine others on the executive committee. Though the 10 won seats in the Aug. 26 primary, each failed to sign a partisan loyalty oath on time.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/12/05/a16a_black_edit_1205.html
-Fla. rep. hung up Obama's call twice Republican thought the calls were radio show pranks
First she hung up on President-elect Barack Obama - twice. Now Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is fielding calls from angry constituents who think she did it on purpose. The Miami congresswoman says she and the Democrat had a good laugh Wednesday after she apologized profusely for assuming his calls were a prank. "I was just flabbergasted," Ros-Lehtinen said Thursday.
"I just hung up on the most powerful man on earth - twice."
http://www.bradenton.com/331/story/1076795.html
-Miami-Dade makes lenders maintain vacant foreclosures
Miami-Dade passed new local laws this week to rein in rot on abandoned homes and protect buyers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/800110.html
-Florida drops four spots to No. 45 in America's Health Rankings survey
Florida received its health report card from America's Health Rankings, and the news is not good. The Sunshine State came in at No. 45 in the annual survey released Wednesday.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20081205/NEWS/812051007/1002/NEWS01?Title=Florida_drops_four_spots_to_No__45__in_America_s_Health_Rankings_survey
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Local10.com
http://www.Local10.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Shred-A-Thon Keeps Dumpster Divers At Bay
Let's face it, paperwork piles up. Sometimes shredding seems like such a time consuming job. There's so much to fit through a tiny slot. If you don't do it, though, who knows what will happen. "It ends up in the trash. You get a dumpster diver and the next thing you know, you bought a car on the west coast of the county or something," said Scott Boynton with Unishred. Boynton said there is a free and easy alternative to shredding by hand. Unishred and the Broward County Sheriff's Department are pairing up on Saturday Dec. 6 at the Lauderdale Lakes City Hall, 4300 N.W. 36th St., to host a shred-a-thon. The event will run from 9 a.m. until noon. You can bring your boxes, stick them in a locked container and watch your stuff dissolve into bits and pieces through a monitor. "The objective is that the material -- once it gets into the locked container -- it's not touched. It remains in the locked container until it's shredded," said Boynton. It takes minutes to do and deputies said it can save you years of hassle if your identity is stolen. It's also good for the environment. "The next time this paper comes back around it's gonna be a paper towel, or a napkin, or a household product," said Boynton.
http://www.local10.com/print/18209864/detail.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Julie Carson appointed Wilton Manors City Commissioner
Becomes first openly lesbian to sit on City Commission Wilton Manors has a long tradition of GLBT firsts in politics and now another barrier has been broken with the appointment of Julie Carson as the first openly lesbian woman to sit on the Wilton Manors City Commission. When Gary Resnick was elected mayor of the city on November 4th, it left his former commission seat vacant; Julie Carson was unanimously appointed by the other city commissioners to fill that seat until the next election was held on February 10, 2009.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5335.cfm
-Massive AIDS quilt display in Lake Worth
Largest collection of panels in Florida
Lake Worth hosted the largest display of the AIDS Names Project Quilt in the state commemorating World AIDS Day. Organizers planned for the panels to be displayed outside on the church's lawn, but the threatening weather necessitated the move indoors-a good move it was, as many who passed through the sanctuary at Calgary First United Methodist Church commented that it looked as if the church was filled with the spirits of those represented on the panels.
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5355.cfm
-Preachers protest adoption ruling
Conservative preachers upheld many of the same stereotypes that were refuted in trial
A group of conservative preachers representing the Christian Coalition said they support removing adopted children of gay parents from stable homes, rather than let a ruling stand that overturns the Florida's anti-gay adoption law. The group, led by Rev. Paul Carbalho, held a press conference at the Wayside Baptist Church in Kendall Wednesday to protest Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman's ruling that favored Frank Martin Gill, a gay man from North Miami who petitioned to adopt two half brothers he fostered since 2004. In a 53-page decision, Lederman said that there is no rational basis for the 30-year-old law, known to be the most restrictive adoption law in the nation. The Florida Attorney General's office filed notice to appeal Lederman's ruling. Carbalho was joined by the leaders of three other churches including Nathaniel Wilcox, among the most vociferous anti-gay agitators in Miami-Dade County. "We would like the adoption law to stay in position," Carbalho said. "We don't want to experiment with children, and [Gill's family] is an experimental family."
http://www.floridablade.com/2008/12-4/news/localnews/5332.cfm
=
Dolphin Democrats Annual Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 10 - 7:30-9:30 pm
Wilton Station Clubhouse
2605 NE 14th Ave
Wilton Manors FL
Donation $10 - Free with your paid renewal or 2009 membership
www.dophindems.org
=
From Sunshine Cathedral
http://sunshinecathedral.org/
-Our Sunshine Cathedral Music Ministry will present "tonight, heaven touches earth" on Sunday, December 7th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and are available in Simply Divine Books and Things, from any choir member or online by clicking here. A special treat for the evening will be a live nativity starting at 6:00 pm in front of the Cathedral on 9th Ave.
-Lambda Chorale to deliver holiday 'Fruit and Nuts'
The South Florida Lambda Chorale's Wednesday, December 10th, concert at Fort Lauderdale's Sunshine Cathedral MCC promises to be a beautiful, nostalgic and fun-filled mixture of holiday music - hence its name, "Fruit and Nuts". The concert will begin at 8:00 pm, Wednesday, December 10th, at the Sunshine Cathedral MCC, 1480 SW 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets - at just $15 each - for "Fruit and Nuts" are available in advance through chorale members, by calling 1-888-WE-SING-4-U (1-888-937-4644), or online at www.lambdachorale.com. They will also be available at the door on the day of the performance.
-Kevin Brown, Rose Patterson, and Sonia Mitchell ask that you sign up to adopt a child for Christmas. Go to the Social Hall after worship and select a child's name, and then bring your unwrapped gift to the church to make a child's holiday joyous. Kevin, Rose, and Sonia will be working with Jack and Jill Day Care, Kids in Distress, and other local organizations to make sure children will have a smile on their faces at Christmas. For additional information, speak with someone after worship in the Social Hall or contact Kevin Brown, kevin@sunshinecathedral.org.
=
From Anthony Niedwiecki Campaign for Oakland Park City Commission Campaign
Come to a Holiday Homes Tour After-Party!
Oakland Park Main Street is hosting a "Holiday Homes Tour" this Saturday, December 6. The tour will feature homes around the City of Oakland Park that are decorated for the Holiday Season. After the tour, Anthony will open his house for a campaign fundraiser to celebrate the holidays with friends, neighbors, and supporters.
Saturday December 6, 2008 - 6:00-8:00 pm
At the home of Anthony Niedwiecki and Waymon Hudson
5280 NE 1st Terrace
Oakland Park, FL 33334
(Suggested donation between $20 and $250)
Come enjoy food, drinks, and Holiday Cheer! We will be collecting non-perishable food items to be donated to a local food bank for the holiday season. Please bring what you can.
RSVP at (954) 319-5249 or email anthony@anthony09.com
Visit www.Anthony09.com for more details!
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Florida Steps in Early, and Troubled Teenagers Respond
Sarah Cooksey, 30, and her husband, Tom, are firefighters, and Sarah is an emergency medical technician as well. "I run into burning buildings and help people in the deepest crises," she said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/us/05teen.html?ref=us
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Underage girl is second to sue Palm Beach billionaire
Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, serving time in jail for soliciting erotic massages and sexual acts from underage girls, had another lawsuit filed against him for the same allegations. The suit filed this week by Palm Beach Gardens attorney Spencer Kuvin is the seventh such suit against the investment banker and registered sex offender. It is the second one Kuvin filed against him.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpepstein1205pndec05,0,4263602.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-TRAFFIC: Tolls on I-95 off to good start, FHP says
After months of preparation by state troopers and traffic engineers, a new toll system is up and running for special northbound lanes on Interstate 95.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/800594.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CAMPAIGN 2010 | U.S. SENATE: Alex Sink may face Jeb Bush in Senate race
Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said she might run for U.S. Senate seat, even if former Gov. Jeb Bush runs.
http://www.miamiherald.com/486/story/800127.html
-Will Broward Democrats Ditch Mitch?
Supporters of former Congressman Peter Deutsch's efforts to take over Broward's Democratic Party from Mitch Ceasar wore ''Ditch Mitch'' buttons at Deutsch's town hall meeting at an AFL-CIO office in Plantation tonight. About 100 showed up to hear Deutsch Thursday -- most of them appeared to support replacing Ceasar after 12 years at the helm.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2008/12/will-broward-de.html
-Man Friday: Run, Jeb, Run
The GOP needs that Bush in the Senate. In January 2007, when Jeb Bush stepped down after two terms as governor of Florida, he had cut taxes, enacted the most extensive public school reform in any state, restructured health care and, after dealing with some three dozen hurricanes and tropical storms, earned high marks for crisis management. In a state in which Democrats outnumber Republicans, Bush held an approval rating of an astonishing 63%.
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/12/04/jeb-bush-senate-oped-cx_pr_1205robinson.htmleter
-Florida Elections Commission rules Dania's Evan Jenne violated donation limits
Each gave $500 more than is allowed by law
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/dania_beach/sfl-flfjenne1205sbdec05,0,5680094.story
-GOP boots a supremacist
No one person - especially an obnoxious person who ignores the rules - is bigger than a political party. That's the lesson Derek Black, son of former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black of West Palm Beach, got Wednesday night when the Republican Party of Palm Beach County refused to seat Mr. Black and nine others on the executive committee. Though the 10 won seats in the Aug. 26 primary, each failed to sign a partisan loyalty oath on time.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2008/12/05/a16a_black_edit_1205.html
-Fla. rep. hung up Obama's call twice Republican thought the calls were radio show pranks
First she hung up on President-elect Barack Obama - twice. Now Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is fielding calls from angry constituents who think she did it on purpose. The Miami congresswoman says she and the Democrat had a good laugh Wednesday after she apologized profusely for assuming his calls were a prank. "I was just flabbergasted," Ros-Lehtinen said Thursday.
"I just hung up on the most powerful man on earth - twice."
http://www.bradenton.com/331/story/1076795.html
-Miami-Dade makes lenders maintain vacant foreclosures
Miami-Dade passed new local laws this week to rein in rot on abandoned homes and protect buyers.
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/800110.html
-Florida drops four spots to No. 45 in America's Health Rankings survey
Florida received its health report card from America's Health Rankings, and the news is not good. The Sunshine State came in at No. 45 in the annual survey released Wednesday.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20081205/NEWS/812051007/1002/NEWS01?Title=Florida_drops_four_spots_to_No__45__in_America_s_Health_Rankings_survey
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Local10.com
http://www.Local10.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Shred-A-Thon Keeps Dumpster Divers At Bay
Let's face it, paperwork piles up. Sometimes shredding seems like such a time consuming job. There's so much to fit through a tiny slot. If you don't do it, though, who knows what will happen. "It ends up in the trash. You get a dumpster diver and the next thing you know, you bought a car on the west coast of the county or something," said Scott Boynton with Unishred. Boynton said there is a free and easy alternative to shredding by hand. Unishred and the Broward County Sheriff's Department are pairing up on Saturday Dec. 6 at the Lauderdale Lakes City Hall, 4300 N.W. 36th St., to host a shred-a-thon. The event will run from 9 a.m. until noon. You can bring your boxes, stick them in a locked container and watch your stuff dissolve into bits and pieces through a monitor. "The objective is that the material -- once it gets into the locked container -- it's not touched. It remains in the locked container until it's shredded," said Boynton. It takes minutes to do and deputies said it can save you years of hassle if your identity is stolen. It's also good for the environment. "The next time this paper comes back around it's gonna be a paper towel, or a napkin, or a household product," said Boynton.
http://www.local10.com/print/18209864/detail.html
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Thursday, December 04, 2008
GLBT DIGEST December 04, 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:
-Episcopal Split as Conservatives Form New Group
Conservatives alienated from the Episcopal Church announced on Wednesday that they were founding their own rival denomination, the biggest challenge yet to the authority of the Episcopal Church since it ordained an openly gay bishop five years ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/us/04episcopal.html?sq=Gay&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=2&adxnnlx=1228413818-rujsu+Ev6PVgBC0vR3Jz+g
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poll: Calif. gay marriage ban driven by religion
Voters' economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California, a new poll shows.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120400304.html
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poll: Calif. gay marriage ban driven by religion
Voters' economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California, a new poll shows.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/798815.html
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Sean Penn hopes 'Milk' will help gay movement
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gays, Asians seek visibility in Obama Cabinet
Barack Obama, soon to be the first black U.S. president, is on the road to making good his pledge to have a Cabinet and White House staff that are among most diverse ever, although some supporters are asking him to go even further. He added to the minority representation at the top of his administration Wednesday when he named New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Hispanic, as Commerce Secretary.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gays-asians-seek-visibility-in-obama-cabinet/
-Besen: Is NY backtracking on gay marriage?
It turns out that a few Democrats in the New York state senate are floating the idea of backtracking on marriage equality. All I can say is "forget about it."
Last year, the State Assembly voted 85-61 in favor of marriage equality.
Under the control of Republicans, the Senate refused to act. Democratic Gov. David Patterson said that he would sign marriage equality into law if it reached his desk.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-is-ny-backtracking-on-gay-marriage/
-Florida, adoption and why marriage isn't enough
by Diana Rudolph
One of the top LGBT stories in the past week has been the Florida court ruling that found the state ban on adoption by lesbian and gay people was unconstitutional. The decision means that the two boys fostered by plaintiff Frank Martin Gill for the last four years are now his legally adopted sons.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/rudolph-florida-adoption-and-why-marriage-isnt-enough/
-Another Bush mulls move on Washington
Still popular in Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday that he's interested in the seat Sen. Mel Martinez is giving up, and the field of possible candidates could quickly narrow to make way for the president's younger brother.
http://www.365gay.com/news/another-bush-mulls-move-on-washington/
-Iraqi journalist sent to prison for writing about homosexuality
(Sulaimaniyah, Iraq) International media watchdog groups called Wednesday for the release of a freelance journalist jailed in northern Iraq for violating a public decency law by writing a story about homosexuality.
http://www.365gay.com/news/iraqi-journalist-sent-to-prison-for-writing-about- homosexuality/
-UK: Anti-Gay ad violated standards
(London) Britain's advertising watchdog has banned the re-publication of an ad that condemns homosexuality.
http://www.365gay.com/news/uk-anti-gay-ad-violated-standards/
-Conservative Christian university official busted in gay sex sting
The chief financial officer of Cincinnati Christian University has pleaded not guilty to prostitution charges.
http://www.365gay.com/news/conservative-christian-university-official-busted-in-gay-sex-sting/
-Poll: Majority support gay couple rights
The first national survey on LGBT rights since the passage of Proposition 8 in California shows that three-quarters of Americans favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
http://www.365gay.com/news/poll-majority-support-gay-couple-rights/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Do or Die for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Gay rights activist with an actor-model-author hyphenate, Reichen Lehmkuhl kicks off his Advocate.com column with a blunt look at the state of "don't ask, don't tell," promises made by President-elect Obama, and why gay Americans can't let the passing of Prop. 8 distract us from continuing to fight to overturn the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid67721.asp
-Lesbian Activist Short-listed for Position of Labor Secretary
Mary Beth Maxwell could become America's first openly gay cabinet member if chosen to lead the Department of Labor in Barack Obama's administration. Maxwell is the founding executive director of the labor organization American Rights at Work, established in 2003. Before that she was a national field director at Jobs With Justice and the deputy field director of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67693.asp
-Kalamazoo, Mich., Adopts Antidiscrimination Ordinance
The city of Kalamazoo, Mich., passed a measure Monday banning discrimination against gay people in housing, public accommodations, and employment. All seven members of the city commission voted in favor of the ordinance, and nothing but support was voiced during the public-comment portion of the meeting, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67668.asp
-People of the Year Extended: Amy Balliett
It started as one of those great ideas people have when they can't sleep -- set up some domain names and galvanize the gay community to come together and fight for equality. Five months later, after the passing of Prop. 8, Amy Balliet put JointheImpact.com to use -- and managed to rally a million people at protests around the world in the process.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid67752.asp
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Catholic adoption agency tells Cardinal that Jesus taught love without prejudice
The leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics has resigned as chairman of an adoption agency because it plans to comply with the law.
-Homophobic preacher stands by Leviticus quote in banned advert
The leader of Sandown Free Presbyterian Church has claimed that a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority interferes with religious freedom.
-Gay humanists condemn Vatican's stance on universal decriminalisation
The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has condemned the Vatican's opposition to a declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
-EU framework for tackling racism could lead to recognition of homophobic crime
The new Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia has been adopted by the European Council of Ministers, exactly seven years after it was first presented by the European Commission.
-Moscow's gay-bashing Mayor pledges continued intolerance
The Mayor of Moscow has said he will continue to ban gay "propaganda." Moscow Pride organisers have been denied the right to hold an event in May for three years running.
-Police investigation into Iris Robinson's homophobic comments is "active"
Serious crime officers from the Northern Ireland Police Service are involved in "active inquiries" into whether an MP broke the law when she spoke out against homosexuality.
-Kurdish doctor jailed for writing about homosexual sex
A leading press freedom organisation has called for the release from prison of a doctor sentenced to six months by a Kurdish judge for writing an article about homosexual sex.
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Opposing Views: Fight Against Gay Marriage Will Lead GOP Over a Cliff
By Patrick Sammon | Fox News
President, Log Cabin Republicans
Republicans are making a huge mistake if they use results from California's Proposition 8 to justify a lurch to the right on social issues. Voters narrowly passed the proposition that rolled back marriage equality for gay and lesbian Californians. Prop 8 passed because the "Yes" campaign changed the subject and scared voters with false information. It alleged threats to religious freedom and school curricula, despite the facts that no church would be required to marry a gay couple and each local school district controls its own curriculum. By distorting the truth, the "Yes" campaign played to decades-old fears that gay and lesbian people seek to "convert" children and are hostile to religious freedom. Funding by the Mormon Church is the main reason Prop 8 passed. News reports say members of the LDS church provided at least $20 million of the "Yes" campaign's $35 million, helping sway 70 percent of African-Americans to vote "Yes," compared with 53 percent of Latinos, and 49 percent support from whites. It's painfully ironic that a religious denomination that faced terrible discrimination spent $20 million to promote discrimination against gay and lesbian families. Read more
-Many Duos Overlooked in Same-sex Ruling
QUENTIN CASEY | TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Geraldine and Connie Barry are life partners in almost every sense of the word. Twin sisters, Connie, left, and Geraldine Barry, and a photograph taken when they were nine months old. The Rothesay siblings have lived together their entire life, but won't benefit from proposed changes to the provincial legislation governing same-sex benefits. The identical twins, 86, have lived together their whole lives, including the past 35 years where it's been just the two of them. Over the years, the Rothesay sisters have shared much: possessions, income and the pleasure of the other's company. More . . .
-Let Gays Adopt; Kids Need Them
News Press
Even people who don't want same-sex unions recognized legally as marriage ought to see the sense in a Miami judge's decision last week that the Florida law banning adoption of children by gay people has no legal or scientific basis. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said the law - the last of its kind in the United States - violates the equal protection rights of children and their prospective gay parents, noting that gays are allowed to be foster parents in the state, a wild inconsistency. Lederman rightly rejected the state's claim of "a supposed dark cloud hovering over homes of homosexuals and their children." For the sake of religious and social tradition, many people want to see "marriage" keep its traditional definition: one man, one woman. But Florida's ban on gay adoption is different. It is based on the idea that gays make bad parents, presumably that their lives are intrinsically immoral and damaging to the health and welfare of children in their charge. This is demonstrably false. Read more
-'Confession' of a Gay Catholic
Boston Globe
Blocks from his former church in Downtown Crossing, Scott Pomfret takes a deep breath and confesses his literary sins. "My real sin was not having the proper amount of discretion," says Pomfret, a Boston attorney who recently wrote a gay Catholic memoir called "Since My Last Confession," which has ruffled some frocks at St. Anthony Shrine. Pomfret served as a lector at the church for eight years before officials there let him go in September because of his other role as an erotica fiction writer. "I do feel like I've lost my spiritual home," says Pomfret, 40, an enforcement attorney who fights fraud cases with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Referring to his spiritual work, he adds, "I know the good work that I've done." The church's executive director, the Rev. David Convertino, told the Globe and other local media that some people had concerns about Pomfret's role at the church. Read more
-Pride at Work Backs Candidacy of Mary Beth Maxwell for Secretary of Labor
Pride at Work
Pride at Work is proud to support the candidacy of Mary Beth Maxwell, Executive Director of American Rights at Work, for Secretary of Labor in the forthcoming Obama Administration. "Mary Beth Maxwell has been a strong voice for both labor and the LGBT community in Washington for years," said Jeremy Bishop, Executive Director of Pride at Work, the LGBT constituency group of the labor movement. "We believe that she would be an excellent choice for Secretary of Labor." If she is appointed to the position, Maxwell would be the first out LGBT person to serve as a federal Cabinet secretary. She has the strong support of former Representative David Bonior, a key labor adviser in the Obama campaign. More . . . . .
-Mormon Homophobia: Up Close and Personal
by Sheldon Rampton | Daily Kos
Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 09:24:12 AM PST
As a former Mormon missionary and someone who studies the public relations industry, I've been following with interest the PR nightmare facing the Mormon Church as a result of the prominent role it played this year promoting Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage in California. At the urging of church leaders, Mormons spent about $20 million on the effort, which probably provided the margin that enabled the proposition to pass. There is some irony in the fact that Mormon pollster Gary Lawrence, who led the Proposition 8 grassroots campaign for the church in California, has a gay son, Matthew, who publicly resigned from the church to protest its anti-gay campaign. Matthew says that after his father's participation in "two anti-gay initiatives in eight years, it's impossible not to feel attacked." More . . . .
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Burundi: Assembly Abolishes Death Penalty, Criminalizes Torture
Amendments Needed on Homosexual Conduct, Spousal Violence, Abuse of Authority
The Burundian National Assembly adopted important human rights advances in a penal code voted in on November 22, 2008, including abolishing the death penalty and making torture, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity punishable under Burundian law, Human Rights Watch said today. But three changes to the code are detrimental to human rights. These changes would make consensual homosexual conduct a criminal offense, decriminalize arbitrary detention by state agents, and limit the responsibility of the state to address spousal violence. To become law, the code must be approved by the Senate and signed by the president. "We applaud the National Assembly for its positive steps," said Alison Des Forges, senior advisor to the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. "But we look to the Senate to retain the strong advances in the new penal code while amending the negative provisions concerning homosexual activity, spousal violence, and abuse of power by state agents."
http://www.hrw.org/en/africa/burundi
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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
-Tell Congress: it's time to repeal DOMA.
It's time for some real change we can believe in. It's time for the federal government to stop punishing loving same-sex couples. It's time to repeal DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act). President-elect Obama says he supports the repeal. Take action right now to make sure Congress sends him the legislation. Dear Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi, It's time to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). At this moment of change and progress, it's time to undo a serious mistake made by Congress 12 years ago. The federal government has no business discriminating against loving families by selectively withholding the 1,300 or so legal protections that only legal civil marriage affords. It's time for Congress to show leadership on this issue and send President-elect Obama legislation repealing DOMA which he has said he would sign.
https://secure.pfaw.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=dump_doma&autologin=true
-Lambda 10 Project aims to "Begin the Conversation"
by releasing the first of its kind Fraternity and Sorority Transgender Resource Guide
Release of Guide to be unveiled at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Fraternity Advisors in Denver, CO When theAssociation of Fraternity Advisors Annual National Meeting starts tomorrow in Denver, the nations fraternity and sorority professionals will be discussing a topic that, formany of them, will be Greek. Though fraternities and sororities oftenconjure up ideas about stereotypical gender roles, for the first time ever fraternities and sororities will be beginning theconversation about transgender members.During the conference, Greek Lifeleaders will receive a copy of the transgender fraternity andsorority resource guide titled "Beginning the Conversation." The guide was published by the Lambda 10 Project, an educational initiative of Campus Pride, and is also available online at www.lambda10.org/transgender.
-Britain is among casual sex capitals of the Western world, research claims
The UK comes out ahead of Australia, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the United States when it comes to one-night stands, attitudes to casual sex and the number of sexual partners, it is claimed. Researchers said Britain's position on the international index may be linked to increasing social acceptance of promiscuity among women as well as men.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/global/2008/12/01/noindex/sex.xml&source=EMC-exp_01122008
-Action Alert: UN Joint Statement on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
In mid-December 2008, States from every region of the world will join together to deliver a statement recognizing human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity at the United Nations General Assembly.
The statement deals with human rights abuses, directed against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, including violence, criminal sanctions, torture, threats against human rights defenders and discrimination in accessing economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health. Ø December 2008 marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this historic occasion, the joint statement will affirm that human rights truly are the birthright of all human beings, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Ø
Initiated by France, the joint statement is being coordinated by a cross-regional core group of States, including representatives from all 5 UN regions (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, France, Gabon, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Ukraine). Ø These States are seeking to send a powerful message by delivering the statement on behalf of as many States from different regions as possible. It has already attracted over 50 signatories. This initiative builds upon a previous joint statement delivered in 2006 at the UN Human Rights Council by Norway on behalf of 54 States. With your help, we would like to encourage as many countries as possible to join the statement, making it the largest-ever UN statement addressing human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It will also be the first to be delivered at the UN General Assembly, the UN's highest political body.
-Sex workers in fight for civil rights, too
http://www.theolympian.com/758/story/678603.html
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HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Raise Money for HeartStrong & Get Great Gifts!
Here's a great way to help raise money for HeartStrong! Window Books is offering a special selection of social justice and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender books, dvds and magnets for sale especially to benefit HeartStrong. 15% of all sales will go directly to HeartStrong. This is a great opportunities to purchase gifts for yourself and other and help HeartStrong get much needed funds. It's simple to do. Just click on the link below and order from those special pages. That's it!
http://windowbooksonline.com/wbo/WindowBooksHelpsHeartStrong.html
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Episcopal Split as Conservatives Form New Group
Conservatives alienated from the Episcopal Church announced on Wednesday that they were founding their own rival denomination, the biggest challenge yet to the authority of the Episcopal Church since it ordained an openly gay bishop five years ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/us/04episcopal.html?sq=Gay&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=2&adxnnlx=1228413818-rujsu+Ev6PVgBC0vR3Jz+g
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poll: Calif. gay marriage ban driven by religion
Voters' economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California, a new poll shows.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120400304.html
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poll: Calif. gay marriage ban driven by religion
Voters' economic status and religious convictions played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage in California, a new poll shows.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/798815.html
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Steve Rothaus
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Sean Penn hopes 'Milk' will help gay movement
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gays, Asians seek visibility in Obama Cabinet
Barack Obama, soon to be the first black U.S. president, is on the road to making good his pledge to have a Cabinet and White House staff that are among most diverse ever, although some supporters are asking him to go even further. He added to the minority representation at the top of his administration Wednesday when he named New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Hispanic, as Commerce Secretary.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gays-asians-seek-visibility-in-obama-cabinet/
-Besen: Is NY backtracking on gay marriage?
It turns out that a few Democrats in the New York state senate are floating the idea of backtracking on marriage equality. All I can say is "forget about it."
Last year, the State Assembly voted 85-61 in favor of marriage equality.
Under the control of Republicans, the Senate refused to act. Democratic Gov. David Patterson said that he would sign marriage equality into law if it reached his desk.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/besen-is-ny-backtracking-on-gay-marriage/
-Florida, adoption and why marriage isn't enough
by Diana Rudolph
One of the top LGBT stories in the past week has been the Florida court ruling that found the state ban on adoption by lesbian and gay people was unconstitutional. The decision means that the two boys fostered by plaintiff Frank Martin Gill for the last four years are now his legally adopted sons.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/rudolph-florida-adoption-and-why-marriage-isnt-enough/
-Another Bush mulls move on Washington
Still popular in Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday that he's interested in the seat Sen. Mel Martinez is giving up, and the field of possible candidates could quickly narrow to make way for the president's younger brother.
http://www.365gay.com/news/another-bush-mulls-move-on-washington/
-Iraqi journalist sent to prison for writing about homosexuality
(Sulaimaniyah, Iraq) International media watchdog groups called Wednesday for the release of a freelance journalist jailed in northern Iraq for violating a public decency law by writing a story about homosexuality.
http://www.365gay.com/news/iraqi-journalist-sent-to-prison-for-writing-about- homosexuality/
-UK: Anti-Gay ad violated standards
(London) Britain's advertising watchdog has banned the re-publication of an ad that condemns homosexuality.
http://www.365gay.com/news/uk-anti-gay-ad-violated-standards/
-Conservative Christian university official busted in gay sex sting
The chief financial officer of Cincinnati Christian University has pleaded not guilty to prostitution charges.
http://www.365gay.com/news/conservative-christian-university-official-busted-in-gay-sex-sting/
-Poll: Majority support gay couple rights
The first national survey on LGBT rights since the passage of Proposition 8 in California shows that three-quarters of Americans favor either marriage or domestic partnerships/civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.
http://www.365gay.com/news/poll-majority-support-gay-couple-rights/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Do or Die for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Gay rights activist with an actor-model-author hyphenate, Reichen Lehmkuhl kicks off his Advocate.com column with a blunt look at the state of "don't ask, don't tell," promises made by President-elect Obama, and why gay Americans can't let the passing of Prop. 8 distract us from continuing to fight to overturn the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid67721.asp
-Lesbian Activist Short-listed for Position of Labor Secretary
Mary Beth Maxwell could become America's first openly gay cabinet member if chosen to lead the Department of Labor in Barack Obama's administration. Maxwell is the founding executive director of the labor organization American Rights at Work, established in 2003. Before that she was a national field director at Jobs With Justice and the deputy field director of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67693.asp
-Kalamazoo, Mich., Adopts Antidiscrimination Ordinance
The city of Kalamazoo, Mich., passed a measure Monday banning discrimination against gay people in housing, public accommodations, and employment. All seven members of the city commission voted in favor of the ordinance, and nothing but support was voiced during the public-comment portion of the meeting, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67668.asp
-People of the Year Extended: Amy Balliett
It started as one of those great ideas people have when they can't sleep -- set up some domain names and galvanize the gay community to come together and fight for equality. Five months later, after the passing of Prop. 8, Amy Balliet put JointheImpact.com to use -- and managed to rally a million people at protests around the world in the process.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid67752.asp
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Catholic adoption agency tells Cardinal that Jesus taught love without prejudice
The leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics has resigned as chairman of an adoption agency because it plans to comply with the law.
-Homophobic preacher stands by Leviticus quote in banned advert
The leader of Sandown Free Presbyterian Church has claimed that a ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority interferes with religious freedom.
-Gay humanists condemn Vatican's stance on universal decriminalisation
The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) has condemned the Vatican's opposition to a declaration against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
-EU framework for tackling racism could lead to recognition of homophobic crime
The new Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia has been adopted by the European Council of Ministers, exactly seven years after it was first presented by the European Commission.
-Moscow's gay-bashing Mayor pledges continued intolerance
The Mayor of Moscow has said he will continue to ban gay "propaganda." Moscow Pride organisers have been denied the right to hold an event in May for three years running.
-Police investigation into Iris Robinson's homophobic comments is "active"
Serious crime officers from the Northern Ireland Police Service are involved in "active inquiries" into whether an MP broke the law when she spoke out against homosexuality.
-Kurdish doctor jailed for writing about homosexual sex
A leading press freedom organisation has called for the release from prison of a doctor sentenced to six months by a Kurdish judge for writing an article about homosexual sex.
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Opposing Views: Fight Against Gay Marriage Will Lead GOP Over a Cliff
By Patrick Sammon | Fox News
President, Log Cabin Republicans
Republicans are making a huge mistake if they use results from California's Proposition 8 to justify a lurch to the right on social issues. Voters narrowly passed the proposition that rolled back marriage equality for gay and lesbian Californians. Prop 8 passed because the "Yes" campaign changed the subject and scared voters with false information. It alleged threats to religious freedom and school curricula, despite the facts that no church would be required to marry a gay couple and each local school district controls its own curriculum. By distorting the truth, the "Yes" campaign played to decades-old fears that gay and lesbian people seek to "convert" children and are hostile to religious freedom. Funding by the Mormon Church is the main reason Prop 8 passed. News reports say members of the LDS church provided at least $20 million of the "Yes" campaign's $35 million, helping sway 70 percent of African-Americans to vote "Yes," compared with 53 percent of Latinos, and 49 percent support from whites. It's painfully ironic that a religious denomination that faced terrible discrimination spent $20 million to promote discrimination against gay and lesbian families. Read more
-Many Duos Overlooked in Same-sex Ruling
QUENTIN CASEY | TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Geraldine and Connie Barry are life partners in almost every sense of the word. Twin sisters, Connie, left, and Geraldine Barry, and a photograph taken when they were nine months old. The Rothesay siblings have lived together their entire life, but won't benefit from proposed changes to the provincial legislation governing same-sex benefits. The identical twins, 86, have lived together their whole lives, including the past 35 years where it's been just the two of them. Over the years, the Rothesay sisters have shared much: possessions, income and the pleasure of the other's company. More . . .
-Let Gays Adopt; Kids Need Them
News Press
Even people who don't want same-sex unions recognized legally as marriage ought to see the sense in a Miami judge's decision last week that the Florida law banning adoption of children by gay people has no legal or scientific basis. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman said the law - the last of its kind in the United States - violates the equal protection rights of children and their prospective gay parents, noting that gays are allowed to be foster parents in the state, a wild inconsistency. Lederman rightly rejected the state's claim of "a supposed dark cloud hovering over homes of homosexuals and their children." For the sake of religious and social tradition, many people want to see "marriage" keep its traditional definition: one man, one woman. But Florida's ban on gay adoption is different. It is based on the idea that gays make bad parents, presumably that their lives are intrinsically immoral and damaging to the health and welfare of children in their charge. This is demonstrably false. Read more
-'Confession' of a Gay Catholic
Boston Globe
Blocks from his former church in Downtown Crossing, Scott Pomfret takes a deep breath and confesses his literary sins. "My real sin was not having the proper amount of discretion," says Pomfret, a Boston attorney who recently wrote a gay Catholic memoir called "Since My Last Confession," which has ruffled some frocks at St. Anthony Shrine. Pomfret served as a lector at the church for eight years before officials there let him go in September because of his other role as an erotica fiction writer. "I do feel like I've lost my spiritual home," says Pomfret, 40, an enforcement attorney who fights fraud cases with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Referring to his spiritual work, he adds, "I know the good work that I've done." The church's executive director, the Rev. David Convertino, told the Globe and other local media that some people had concerns about Pomfret's role at the church. Read more
-Pride at Work Backs Candidacy of Mary Beth Maxwell for Secretary of Labor
Pride at Work
Pride at Work is proud to support the candidacy of Mary Beth Maxwell, Executive Director of American Rights at Work, for Secretary of Labor in the forthcoming Obama Administration. "Mary Beth Maxwell has been a strong voice for both labor and the LGBT community in Washington for years," said Jeremy Bishop, Executive Director of Pride at Work, the LGBT constituency group of the labor movement. "We believe that she would be an excellent choice for Secretary of Labor." If she is appointed to the position, Maxwell would be the first out LGBT person to serve as a federal Cabinet secretary. She has the strong support of former Representative David Bonior, a key labor adviser in the Obama campaign. More . . . . .
-Mormon Homophobia: Up Close and Personal
by Sheldon Rampton | Daily Kos
Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 09:24:12 AM PST
As a former Mormon missionary and someone who studies the public relations industry, I've been following with interest the PR nightmare facing the Mormon Church as a result of the prominent role it played this year promoting Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage in California. At the urging of church leaders, Mormons spent about $20 million on the effort, which probably provided the margin that enabled the proposition to pass. There is some irony in the fact that Mormon pollster Gary Lawrence, who led the Proposition 8 grassroots campaign for the church in California, has a gay son, Matthew, who publicly resigned from the church to protest its anti-gay campaign. Matthew says that after his father's participation in "two anti-gay initiatives in eight years, it's impossible not to feel attacked." More . . . .
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-Burundi: Assembly Abolishes Death Penalty, Criminalizes Torture
Amendments Needed on Homosexual Conduct, Spousal Violence, Abuse of Authority
The Burundian National Assembly adopted important human rights advances in a penal code voted in on November 22, 2008, including abolishing the death penalty and making torture, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity punishable under Burundian law, Human Rights Watch said today. But three changes to the code are detrimental to human rights. These changes would make consensual homosexual conduct a criminal offense, decriminalize arbitrary detention by state agents, and limit the responsibility of the state to address spousal violence. To become law, the code must be approved by the Senate and signed by the president. "We applaud the National Assembly for its positive steps," said Alison Des Forges, senior advisor to the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. "But we look to the Senate to retain the strong advances in the new penal code while amending the negative provisions concerning homosexual activity, spousal violence, and abuse of power by state agents."
http://www.hrw.org/en/africa/burundi
=
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
-Tell Congress: it's time to repeal DOMA.
It's time for some real change we can believe in. It's time for the federal government to stop punishing loving same-sex couples. It's time to repeal DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act). President-elect Obama says he supports the repeal. Take action right now to make sure Congress sends him the legislation. Dear Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi, It's time to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). At this moment of change and progress, it's time to undo a serious mistake made by Congress 12 years ago. The federal government has no business discriminating against loving families by selectively withholding the 1,300 or so legal protections that only legal civil marriage affords. It's time for Congress to show leadership on this issue and send President-elect Obama legislation repealing DOMA which he has said he would sign.
https://secure.pfaw.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=dump_doma&autologin=true
-Lambda 10 Project aims to "Begin the Conversation"
by releasing the first of its kind Fraternity and Sorority Transgender Resource Guide
Release of Guide to be unveiled at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Fraternity Advisors in Denver, CO When theAssociation of Fraternity Advisors Annual National Meeting starts tomorrow in Denver, the nations fraternity and sorority professionals will be discussing a topic that, formany of them, will be Greek. Though fraternities and sororities oftenconjure up ideas about stereotypical gender roles, for the first time ever fraternities and sororities will be beginning theconversation about transgender members.During the conference, Greek Lifeleaders will receive a copy of the transgender fraternity andsorority resource guide titled "Beginning the Conversation." The guide was published by the Lambda 10 Project, an educational initiative of Campus Pride, and is also available online at www.lambda10.org/transgender.
-Britain is among casual sex capitals of the Western world, research claims
The UK comes out ahead of Australia, France, the Netherlands, Italy and the United States when it comes to one-night stands, attitudes to casual sex and the number of sexual partners, it is claimed. Researchers said Britain's position on the international index may be linked to increasing social acceptance of promiscuity among women as well as men.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/global/2008/12/01/noindex/sex.xml&source=EMC-exp_01122008
-Action Alert: UN Joint Statement on Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
In mid-December 2008, States from every region of the world will join together to deliver a statement recognizing human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity at the United Nations General Assembly.
The statement deals with human rights abuses, directed against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, including violence, criminal sanctions, torture, threats against human rights defenders and discrimination in accessing economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health. Ø December 2008 marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this historic occasion, the joint statement will affirm that human rights truly are the birthright of all human beings, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Ø
Initiated by France, the joint statement is being coordinated by a cross-regional core group of States, including representatives from all 5 UN regions (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, France, Gabon, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Ukraine). Ø These States are seeking to send a powerful message by delivering the statement on behalf of as many States from different regions as possible. It has already attracted over 50 signatories. This initiative builds upon a previous joint statement delivered in 2006 at the UN Human Rights Council by Norway on behalf of 54 States. With your help, we would like to encourage as many countries as possible to join the statement, making it the largest-ever UN statement addressing human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It will also be the first to be delivered at the UN General Assembly, the UN's highest political body.
-Sex workers in fight for civil rights, too
http://www.theolympian.com/758/story/678603.html
=
HeartStrong
http://www.heartstrong.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Raise Money for HeartStrong & Get Great Gifts!
Here's a great way to help raise money for HeartStrong! Window Books is offering a special selection of social justice and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender books, dvds and magnets for sale especially to benefit HeartStrong. 15% of all sales will go directly to HeartStrong. This is a great opportunities to purchase gifts for yourself and other and help HeartStrong get much needed funds. It's simple to do. Just click on the link below and order from those special pages. That's it!
http://windowbooksonline.com/wbo/WindowBooksHelpsHeartStrong.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST December 04, 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:
-More Mumbai Links to Pakistan and Signs of Hostage Abuse
The Mumbai police identified a second Pakistani terrorist as an engineer of the attacks, as gruesome new evidence emerged of mistreatment of hostages.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/world/asia/05mumbai.html?hp
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Strapped GOP Governors Face Tough Call on Taxes
Widening state budget deficits are causing big headaches for the governors who met with President-elect Barack Obama this week, especially those Republicans who hope to emerge as the new leaders of their party. In the wake of a dreary election for Republicans, the quest to find their new leaders is on, and the party's governors think they can fill the void. The problem is their states are heading for budget difficulties that may compel the governors to swallow hard and either propose or accept tax increases.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122834915410777451.html
-Is Bush the Worst President in the Last 50 Years?
In Debate Over Bush Legacy, Karl Rove Defends Old Boss but Contradicts Him on WMD
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/President44/story?id=6378032&page=1
-Obama: The GOP is wishing him success because there's a good chance that if he
fails, we all go down together.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-12-01/why-republicans-are-gushing-about-obama/
-Suit contesting Barack Obama's citizenship heads to U.S. Supreme Court Friday
Justices will decide whether to consider the case
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-birth-certificatedec04,0,664988.story
-Group says estate tax affects few, should be kept
Fewer than 1 percent of deaths result in estate tax liabilities, and President-elect Barack Obama's proposal to keep the tax alive after it is slated to expire in 2010 is too generous to the wealthy, a tax policy advocacy group said Wednesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120400772.html
-What will Arnold Schwarzenegger's next role be?
With Arnold Schwarzenegger's governorship entering its final years and his ability to attract the spotlight intact, one question is arising more frequently: What will Arnold do?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/04/what_will_arnold_schwarzeneggers_next_role_be/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news
-A bitter brew for Kerry
SENATOR John Kerry's fate illustrates the new political order under President-elect Barack Obama: Reward your enemies, not necessarily your friends.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/04/a_bitter_brew_for_kerry/
-New Bush rule could hit poor, rural women the hardest
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/New_Bush_rules_limit_womens_reproductive_1203.html
-Insurers propose universal, centralized healthcare
Several consumer groups criticize the early bid by America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group that fought an overhaul in the 1990s, to take an active role in Obama's effort to revamp the system.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-healthcare4-2008dec04,0,7843753.story?track=rss
=
[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:
-More Mumbai Links to Pakistan and Signs of Hostage Abuse
The Mumbai police identified a second Pakistani terrorist as an engineer of the attacks, as gruesome new evidence emerged of mistreatment of hostages.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/world/asia/05mumbai.html?hp
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Strapped GOP Governors Face Tough Call on Taxes
Widening state budget deficits are causing big headaches for the governors who met with President-elect Barack Obama this week, especially those Republicans who hope to emerge as the new leaders of their party. In the wake of a dreary election for Republicans, the quest to find their new leaders is on, and the party's governors think they can fill the void. The problem is their states are heading for budget difficulties that may compel the governors to swallow hard and either propose or accept tax increases.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122834915410777451.html
-Is Bush the Worst President in the Last 50 Years?
In Debate Over Bush Legacy, Karl Rove Defends Old Boss but Contradicts Him on WMD
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/President44/story?id=6378032&page=1
-Obama: The GOP is wishing him success because there's a good chance that if he
fails, we all go down together.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-12-01/why-republicans-are-gushing-about-obama/
-Suit contesting Barack Obama's citizenship heads to U.S. Supreme Court Friday
Justices will decide whether to consider the case
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-birth-certificatedec04,0,664988.story
-Group says estate tax affects few, should be kept
Fewer than 1 percent of deaths result in estate tax liabilities, and President-elect Barack Obama's proposal to keep the tax alive after it is slated to expire in 2010 is too generous to the wealthy, a tax policy advocacy group said Wednesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120400772.html
-What will Arnold Schwarzenegger's next role be?
With Arnold Schwarzenegger's governorship entering its final years and his ability to attract the spotlight intact, one question is arising more frequently: What will Arnold do?
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/04/what_will_arnold_schwarzeneggers_next_role_be/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news
-A bitter brew for Kerry
SENATOR John Kerry's fate illustrates the new political order under President-elect Barack Obama: Reward your enemies, not necessarily your friends.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/04/a_bitter_brew_for_kerry/
-New Bush rule could hit poor, rural women the hardest
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/New_Bush_rules_limit_womens_reproductive_1203.html
-Insurers propose universal, centralized healthcare
Several consumer groups criticize the early bid by America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group that fought an overhaul in the 1990s, to take an active role in Obama's effort to revamp the system.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-healthcare4-2008dec04,0,7843753.story?track=rss
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST December 04, 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~~
Survey: Florida not in step with America on gay issues
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/03/survey-florida-not-step-america-gay-issues/
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GLCC SOUTH FLORIDA
www.glccsf.org
-"STARS OF THE RAINBOW" NOMINATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is accepting honoree nominations for "Stars of the Rainbow". The event will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2009! This year's gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six which is located at 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. Nomination of honorees is available December 1 thru December 31, 2008. Honorees will be announced January 10, 2009. Please submit your nomination(s) in following categories:
(1) Volunteer or Activist Star of the Year
Honoring individuals who exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and/or activism, and who have also been a benefit to the GLCC and/or the LGBT community.
(2) Community Star of the Year
Honoring individuals or groups that represent the LGBT community in a positive light; have supported the Center and/or community, have shown the true sense of community and who are true STARS!
(3) Business, Corporate, Media or Government Star of the Year This category honors a business, corporation, agency, media/publication or government entity that has supported the efforts of the Center and the LGBT community.
Nomination Forms are available at the GLCC or can be submitted online at
www.StarsoftheRainbow.com or www.StarsoftheRainbow.org . You can also print a form and fax or mail it to the GLCC at 954-764-6522 or PO BOX 70518, Fort Lauderdale 33307 - Attn: Robert Boo. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, volunteering or more information please contact Robert Boo, Development Director at 954-463-9005 or via email at rboo@glccsf.org.
-LAVENDER EVENTS FOR WOMEN AT THE GLCC SPONSORS
HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE
New and unwrapped toys can be donated at the following locations:
Gay and Lesbian Community Center -1717 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
One Tea Lounge - 2037 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors
Best Buy - 2829 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale
Office Depot - 900 N. Federal Hwy (Park Plaza on the Curve), Fort Lauderdale
Sports Authority - 1901 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale
-COMMUNITY NONVIOLENT WORKSHOP - DECEMBER 4, 5:30 PM at the GLCC
The City of Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence Join Forces Promoting Nonviolent Conflict Resolution in our community Fort Lauderdale, FL - The City of Fort Lauderdale forges ahead with community outreach in partnership with the Florida Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence. Now more than ever, in these times of uncertainty across the nation, communities can benefit from the teachings of nonviolent conflict resolution. The City of Fort Lauderdale is working to stay ahead of the negative affects of a suffering national economy by being a catalyst for members of our community to come together and have open and honest discussion. [...] The outcome of this briefing was to offer nonviolence classes across Fort Lauderdale, addressing the diverse communities that make up our City. The first workshop will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at the GLCC, located at 1717 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 beginning at 5:30 pm. For more information, call 954.828.4742. Space is limited: to RSVP for the class, please call 954.828.4758.
What: Community Nonviolent Workshop
When: Thursday, December 4, 2008 - 5:30 pm
Where: GLCC
1717 N. Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
RSVP: 954.828.4758
-South Florida Family Pride
2008 ANNUAL HOLIDAY BASH!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Parents, wann-be paretns, family and friends ALL are welcome
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Floirda
1717 N. Andrews Ave (just South of Oakland Park Blvd. on west side)
www.GLCCSF.org
International buffet, dessert extravaganze, our Famour holiday Crafts table for the kids, Santa, Hanukkah Harry and so much more. Bring a dish to share, Appetizer, Entree, Side or Dessert. Every parent MUST bring 1 labeled gift for each of their children (under $10.00) Labeled and wrapped. please. If you are willing and able to help with other items that are needed, please contact mikeyt75@aol.com for a list of options; ie: coolers, ice, soda, set ups, docorations ... And lots more!
- Gay & Lesbian Domestic Violence Coalition presents ...
An LGBT Community Forum on Dating and Domestic Violence
Who: Adults, Youth & Agencies who serve the LGBT Community
When: December 16th beginning at 6:15 pm
Where: The Gay & Lesbian Community Center, located at
1717 N Andrews Ave., Ft Lauderdale, FL 33311
RSVP: LWintz@legalaid.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. 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. Just visit our on-line store at:
www.shoptoearn.net/glcc
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pine Crest swim coach pleads not guilty to possessing child pornography
A popular Broward County swim coach pleaded not guilty today to charges he possessed and transmitted pornographic images of young boys. Roberto Caragol, 35, of Plantation surrendered to federal authorities last month after admitting, according to prosecutors, that he traded child pornography online and had had sexual contact with minors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-1204pine-crest-caragol,0,1552480.story
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Crist comes away from Obama meeting "very impressed"
Gov. Charlie Crist came away from yesterday's meeting with President-Elect Barack Obama in Philadelphia "very impressed."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2008/12/03/crist_comes_away_from_obama_me.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Florida panel adopts California emission rules for new cars
A state commission is giving its approval to toughen emissions standards for new cars sold in Florida.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/796744.html
-Charles Canady sworn in to Florida Supreme Court
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/legislature/sfl-flfjustice1204sbdec04,0,3841670.story
-Sour Economy Means More Fla. Child Abuse Calls
http://www.theledger.com/article/20081203/VIDEO/812030321/1003/NEWS00?Title=Sour_Economy_Means_More_Fla__Child_Abuse_Calls
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Survey: Florida not in step with America on gay issues
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/03/survey-florida-not-step-america-gay-issues/
=
GLCC SOUTH FLORIDA
www.glccsf.org
-"STARS OF THE RAINBOW" NOMINATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is accepting honoree nominations for "Stars of the Rainbow". The event will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2009! This year's gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty Six which is located at 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. Nomination of honorees is available December 1 thru December 31, 2008. Honorees will be announced January 10, 2009. Please submit your nomination(s) in following categories:
(1) Volunteer or Activist Star of the Year
Honoring individuals who exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and/or activism, and who have also been a benefit to the GLCC and/or the LGBT community.
(2) Community Star of the Year
Honoring individuals or groups that represent the LGBT community in a positive light; have supported the Center and/or community, have shown the true sense of community and who are true STARS!
(3) Business, Corporate, Media or Government Star of the Year This category honors a business, corporation, agency, media/publication or government entity that has supported the efforts of the Center and the LGBT community.
Nomination Forms are available at the GLCC or can be submitted online at
www.StarsoftheRainbow.com or www.StarsoftheRainbow.org . You can also print a form and fax or mail it to the GLCC at 954-764-6522 or PO BOX 70518, Fort Lauderdale 33307 - Attn: Robert Boo. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, volunteering or more information please contact Robert Boo, Development Director at 954-463-9005 or via email at rboo@glccsf.org.
-LAVENDER EVENTS FOR WOMEN AT THE GLCC SPONSORS
HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE
New and unwrapped toys can be donated at the following locations:
Gay and Lesbian Community Center -1717 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
One Tea Lounge - 2037 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors
Best Buy - 2829 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale
Office Depot - 900 N. Federal Hwy (Park Plaza on the Curve), Fort Lauderdale
Sports Authority - 1901 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale
-COMMUNITY NONVIOLENT WORKSHOP - DECEMBER 4, 5:30 PM at the GLCC
The City of Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Nonviolence Join Forces Promoting Nonviolent Conflict Resolution in our community Fort Lauderdale, FL - The City of Fort Lauderdale forges ahead with community outreach in partnership with the Florida Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence. Now more than ever, in these times of uncertainty across the nation, communities can benefit from the teachings of nonviolent conflict resolution. The City of Fort Lauderdale is working to stay ahead of the negative affects of a suffering national economy by being a catalyst for members of our community to come together and have open and honest discussion. [...] The outcome of this briefing was to offer nonviolence classes across Fort Lauderdale, addressing the diverse communities that make up our City. The first workshop will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at the GLCC, located at 1717 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 beginning at 5:30 pm. For more information, call 954.828.4742. Space is limited: to RSVP for the class, please call 954.828.4758.
What: Community Nonviolent Workshop
When: Thursday, December 4, 2008 - 5:30 pm
Where: GLCC
1717 N. Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311
RSVP: 954.828.4758
-South Florida Family Pride
2008 ANNUAL HOLIDAY BASH!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Parents, wann-be paretns, family and friends ALL are welcome
Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Floirda
1717 N. Andrews Ave (just South of Oakland Park Blvd. on west side)
www.GLCCSF.org
International buffet, dessert extravaganze, our Famour holiday Crafts table for the kids, Santa, Hanukkah Harry and so much more. Bring a dish to share, Appetizer, Entree, Side or Dessert. Every parent MUST bring 1 labeled gift for each of their children (under $10.00) Labeled and wrapped. please. If you are willing and able to help with other items that are needed, please contact mikeyt75@aol.com for a list of options; ie: coolers, ice, soda, set ups, docorations ... And lots more!
- Gay & Lesbian Domestic Violence Coalition presents ...
An LGBT Community Forum on Dating and Domestic Violence
Who: Adults, Youth & Agencies who serve the LGBT Community
When: December 16th beginning at 6:15 pm
Where: The Gay & Lesbian Community Center, located at
1717 N Andrews Ave., Ft Lauderdale, FL 33311
RSVP: LWintz@legalaid.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. 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. Just visit our on-line store at:
www.shoptoearn.net/glcc
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pine Crest swim coach pleads not guilty to possessing child pornography
A popular Broward County swim coach pleaded not guilty today to charges he possessed and transmitted pornographic images of young boys. Roberto Caragol, 35, of Plantation surrendered to federal authorities last month after admitting, according to prosecutors, that he traded child pornography online and had had sexual contact with minors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-1204pine-crest-caragol,0,1552480.story
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Crist comes away from Obama meeting "very impressed"
Gov. Charlie Crist came away from yesterday's meeting with President-Elect Barack Obama in Philadelphia "very impressed."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2008/12/03/crist_comes_away_from_obama_me.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Florida panel adopts California emission rules for new cars
A state commission is giving its approval to toughen emissions standards for new cars sold in Florida.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/796744.html
-Charles Canady sworn in to Florida Supreme Court
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/legislature/sfl-flfjustice1204sbdec04,0,3841670.story
-Sour Economy Means More Fla. Child Abuse Calls
http://www.theledger.com/article/20081203/VIDEO/812030321/1003/NEWS00?Title=Sour_Economy_Means_More_Fla__Child_Abuse_Calls
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
GLBT DIGEST December 02, 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:
-Vatican attacked for opposing gay decriminalization
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalize homosexuality.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120200817.html
-Univ. of Toledo official fired over column sues
The firing of a college administrator over her criticism of gay rights has sparked a debate about free speech and whether universities have the right to regulate what employees say outside of their jobs. Crystal Dixon filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court seeking to be reinstated to her University of Toledo job, which she lost after writing in a newspaper column that gay rights can't be compared to civil rights because homosexuality is a choice.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120202386.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Most Americans favor gay adoptions, survey says
Floridians seem out of step with most Americans, three-quarters of whom favor marriage or civil unions for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, according to a new national survey by Harris Interactive. The Pulse of Equality survey, commissioned by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and released today, shows a majority of Americans favors a broad range of policies and protections for gays, as well as supporting them as adoptive parents.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/local/sfl-flbgay1203sbdec03,0,2429620.story
-Despite Milk movie, gays still seek rights
Dianne Feinstein is not sure she'll ever be able to watch the movie Milk, even though she's in it. There is 1978 footage of a stricken Feinstein in the opening minutes of the new Gus Van Sant biopic of Harvey Milk, her colleague on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the first openly gay elected official in U.S. history. "I was the one who found his body," the California senator told me last week. "To get a pulse, I put my finger in a bullet hole. It was a terrible, terrible time in the city's history."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-02dowdsbdec02,0,3862157.story
-Gay adoption ruling favors good parenting over sexual orientation
I would like to take a moment to let Attorney General Bill McCollum know how one Florida family feels about the ruling last week regarding the two foster children and their dads in Miami. As a parent myself, all I can do (and it is not enough) is commend Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman for a fair and just ruling, which put the welfare of those two boys first. The idea for me, that there are children whose birth parents are unwilling, or unable, to care and provide and nurture them, is just sad. Sadder still is the idea that the great state of Florida would deny these same children a loving, supportive, stable environment in which to live.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-gayadoption02forumpndec02,0,1147881.story
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Resolution Opposing Prop. 8 Introduced in California Legislature
Members of California's senate and assembly introduced a resolution Tuesday, the second day of the 2009-2010 session, opposing the passage of Proposition 8. With the resolution, sponsors Sen. Mark Leno and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, both San Francisco Democrats, suggest that Proposition 8 represents an improper revision of the state constitution. They maintain that both houses of the California legislature must approve any proposed revision to the constitution by a two-thirds vote before it can even go on the ballot, which was not the case with Prop. 8.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67623.asp
-Vatican: Gays Don't Need Protection Laws
The Vatican has come out against a United Nations resolution that calls on all governments to decriminalize homosexuality. The resolution, Archbishop Celestino Migliore said, would "add new categories of those protected from discrimination" and could lead to the decline of heterosexual marriage, Reuters reported Tuesday.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67608.asp
-Seattle Rallies for Marriage Equality
The massive protest rally and march for marriage equality in Seattle began Saturday morning with a moment of silence at 11 a.m. to observe the "extinguishment of our freedom to marry in California." An impassioned lineup of speakers followed, including Washington State senator Ed Murray, state senator Joe McDermott, King County executive Ron Sims, and Seattle mayor Greg Nickels.
http://election2008.advocate.com/2008/11/seattle-rallies.html
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Marriage Debate Returns To Two States
It was on the day of August 31, 2007 when Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan, a pair of Iowa State University undergraduates, became the only gay couple to legally wed in Iowa. Their union was blessed by a First Unitarian Church of Des Moines pastor after an Iowa District Court judge ruled the state's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. But the opportunity to gay marry quickly evaporated when a Polk County attorney filed an appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court.
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=2817&MediaType=1&Category=26
-AIDS Monument Dedication NYC 2008
On November 30, 2008, the eve of World AIDS Day, a small group gathered at Pier 49 on the Hudson River walk to dedicate the AIDS Monument. The project of the AIDS Monument Committee took 14 years to come to fruition. Located on the Hudson River Park at Bank Street, the memorial is a 42-foot long, 2-foot tall, 12-inch deep curved granite bench. An inscription on the side facing the river says: I can sail without wind, I can row without oars, but I cannot part from my friend without tears. For more information go to http://www.aidsmonumentcommittee.com
-Collective Denial
"I felt lost as a queer artist in the world," laments Smitty Amabilis. "I didn't feel like I had any mentors." To combat the "erasure" marginalized artists face, Amabilis founded the Portland, Oregon art cooperative Collective of Geniuses (CoG), which is premiering their latest work, Denial of Self this first week of December. CoG aims to empower artists to create economically sustainable art and challenge hierarchies of class, gender and privilege.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4299/175/
-World AIDS Day 2008: Much accomplished, much to do
When we commemorated the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988, we had little to celebrate. The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States was nearing 80,000 and rising rapidly. Untold thousands more in this country were living with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Globally, AIDS cases already had been reported from more than 135 countries. An AIDS tsunami clearly was looming, but we had few defenses at our disposal.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/12/01/fauci.world.aids.day/index.html
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Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Day Without Gays Protests California's Gay Marriage Ban
Link: The Philadelphia Inquirer
The nationwide movement, alternatively called "Day Without a Gay" and "No Gays for a Day" on the Internet, is another backlash from California voters' decision to support Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage. "We need to keep educating people that just because you don't think it's OK to be gay doesn't mean gays don't deserve to have equal rights," said Brandi Fitzgerald, who plans to take the day off Dec. 10. Last month she helped pull together a post-Prop 8 protest march at City Hall that drew 6,000 people. She expected 200. "It's just a matter of time before it becomes an issue for every state." With no one organization leading the charge, "Day Without a Gay" is very much a grassroots movement - or "grass Web," says Sean Hetherington, who with his partner created the Web site www.daywithoutagay.org. The two-week-old site has garnered thousands of hits and international attention. The site urges people not only to call in gay but to use the day, which is also International Human Rights Day, to make a positive difference by doing volunteer work.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-New bill announced in Queen's Speech will "drive forward equality"
The government will introduce a new Equality Bill in the coming session of Parliament, the Queen has confirmed. In a speech from the Throne in the House of Lords Her Majesty set out the legislative programme for next year, a total of 13 Bills.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9743.html
-Boy George declines to give evidence at his trail
Pop singer and DJ Boy George will not to give evidence at his trial for allegedly imprisoning a male prostitute at his London flat. The star, real name George O'Dowd, denies the charges against him.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9742.html
-Time runs out for Catholic adoption agencies over gay couples
The Charity Commission has told two Roman Catholic-run adoption agencies they cannot change the purpose for which they were created in order to avoid dealing with homosexual couples.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9736.html
-THT rejects Tatchell criticism and reveals work with blood service
A leading sexual health charity has said it is working with the National Blood Service on the current ban on men who have had sex with men donating blood. Terrence Higgins Trust has been accused of colluding with "stereotyped and prejudiced assumptions" that bar gay men from giving blood by campaigner Peter Tatchell. The NBS claims that it targets sexual behaviour and not sexual orientation, but there is a lifetime ban on donations from men who have had sex with men.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9738.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-LGBT Groups Unite to Support EFCA
Pride At Work
A broad coalition of national lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender organizations is gearing up to push for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would remove obstacles for workers who want union representation. The LGBT organizations supporting the bill include some of the community's largest and most influential. They are: the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), Pride at Work, AFL-CIO, National Stonewall Democrats and, most recently, the Human Rights Campaign.
-NH: Representative Hopes for Same-sex Marriage
By LAUREN R. DORGAN | Monitor staff | Concord Monitor
The lawmaker who sponsored New Hampshire's civil union bill will push next year to bring same-sex marriage to the state. Meanwhile, though opposition to civil unions has been muted since last year, legislators who opposed the law are vowing to at least pare it down. Rep. Jim Splaine, a Portsmouth Democrat who sponsored the civil union bill that passed in 2007, says that civil unions give same-sex couples about 90 percent of the benefits and obligations that heterosexual couples get through marriage. This year, he said, he's filing a bill for same-sex marriage, which he sees as the only way for same-sex couples to attain full equality. More
-CT: Same-sex Partners of State Workers Could Lose Benefits Next Year
Republican America
Same-sex partners of state employees and their dependent children are losing pension and health benefits because gay marriage is now legal in Connecticut. An arbitration award that established the benefits eight years ago was conditioned on same-sex marriage remaining illegal here. Read more
-President-elect Obama Commemorates World AIDS Day
Official statement from the Obama-Biden Transition Team to mark the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is a day of both commemoration and promise for the many millions of people around the world who are affected by HIV/AIDS. This year's theme, Leadership, is a particular reminder to me that World AIDS Day cannot be confined to a single day of the year. For that reason, I have committed my administration to developing and implementing a comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy to reduce HIV infections, increase access to treatment and care and reduce HIV/AIDS-related health disparities.
-A Glance at Iranian Queer Asylum Seeker's Life in England
Translated by Ava | Iranian Queer Railroad
At 2 am on Saturday 15th November, Saeed attempted suicide by swallowing many pills. He was taken to the emergency room at the hospital. He was in critical condition and in a coma. Due to his comatose state the doctor did not wash out his stomach. They could not give him a vomit-inducing agent because of the potential danger. The deep coma could prevent him from vomiting. Since he had overdosed and the amount of pills he had taken was so large they did not want to take any risks. They transferred Saeed to ICU so he could be placed in intensive care. They attached an oxygen mask to him until Sunday morning close to noontime when he gained consciousness. The risk of side effects to the kidney and lungs was high so they kept him under treatment and monitoring. He was given antibiotics to prevent infection.
-FL: Action Alert: Gay Rights Protest Planned for Gov. Crist's Wedding
Catherine Dolinski | The Tampa Tribune | TampaBayOnline.com
TALLAHASSEE - Gay rights activists plan to demonstrate outside Gov. Charlie Crist's wedding to Carole Rome this month. The group Impact-Florida has called on its members to gather in pink T-shirts outside First United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg on Dec.12 to "congratulate" Crist and Rome while their wedding takes place inside. The demonstration will continue outside the wedding reception at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in downtown St. Petersburg. "After the positive congratulatory observance, there will be a candlelight vigil close to the [Vinoy] in downtown St. Pete to mourn the loss of gays right to get married," the group's Web site states, referring to a gay marriage ban that passed by ballot initiative in November. Crist endorsed Amendment 2 prior to its passage by 61.9 percent of state voters; it needed 60 percent to become part of the state Constitution.
-More Non Sequitur Arguments from the Christian Right's Dogma of Duplicity
By Mel Seesholtz, Ph.D. | Online Journal Contributing Writer | Online Journal
The "Yes on 8" campaign in California that, for the time being, succeeded in revoking some citizens' basic civil right to a civil marriage used scare tactics and non sequitur arguments based on misrepresentations, distortions, and deceptions. And they're still at it.
The "Yes on 8" campaign - funded primarily by the Mormon Church
($20,000,000), the Catholic Church ($1,300,000 from the Knights of Columbus and "priceless" pulpit politicking by Catholic priests) as well as the minions of the Protestant Christian Right, such as James Dobson's Focus on the Family ($622,000 in monetary and non-monetary contributions) and Don Wildmon's American Family Association ($500,000) - flooded Californians' television screens with ads claiming that if the Prop 8 failed, kindergarten children would have to be taught about homosexuality and gay marriage. They were misrepresenting, distorting, and deceiving:
-Neglected Children Deserve Loving Homes
Deb Price | Creators
Martin Gill and his partner, licensed foster parents in Florida, were planning to move, so they told a state child-placement official it wasn't a good time for them to take in two needy boys. They put out the welcome mat, though, after the official begged them to give baby "James" and his 4-year-old brother, "John," a special Christmas. When the brothers arrived, the couple were heartbroken at the confirmation of the "neglect" designation. James had a terrible ear infection, and his medicine was spoiled. John had such awful ringworm that he looked bald. Traumatized and silent, little John had been his infant brother's caretaker. One of the first orders of business for his new foster parents was teaching him that it was their job - not his - to change James' diapers.
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Bloody bigots
The National Blood Service claims it wants to protect patients from HIV, but its indiscriminate ban on gay donors is flawed.
Oddly, this ban is supported by gay-led HIV charities in the UK, such as the Terrence Higgins Trust and Gay Men Fighting Aids. Disappointing or shameful?
By Peter Tatchell
The Guardian It is World AIDS Day and many gay people overseas are donating blood. Encouraged to donate by their national blood services, they are doing their civic duty, alongside their heterosexual families and friends, to help ensure that there are plentiful blood supplies for patients and accident victims who need emergency transfusions. But this is not happening in the UK. Gay blood has been officially declared queer, tainted and a menace to the health of the nation. Gay and bisexual men are banned as blood donors by the National Blood Service (NBS). We all now carry the mark of the HIV 'Anti-Christ'. Every single same-sexer in Britain is categorised by the NBS as a potential purveyor of death and destruction.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/01/gay-blood-donors
-A new leaflet produced by the Catholic Church in England and Wales urges priests and churchgoers to be respectful and welcoming towards lesbian and gay people. It also acknowledges and rejects the "oppression" suffered by homosexuals; and suggests that Catholics "express appreciation for the gifts that homosexual Catholics bring to their faith community." Catholic traditionalists have condemned the leaflet's liberal message and accused the English and Welsh Church of defying Vatican orthodoxy. "This leaflet is a welcome, positive initiative which will bring great comfort to gay Catholics and their families. Its sympathetic, understanding message is a big improvement on the stern, uncompromising homophobia of most Vatican pronouncements on homosexuality," said Peter Tatchell of OutRage!, the UK lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights campaign. See a copy of the leaflet here:
http://www.everybodyswelcome.org.uk/docs/gay.pdf
-No Discrimination Against the Discriminators: The Compassionate Christianity of Papa Ratz
This is not exactly the freshest news in the world: For at least two years, France has been considering a proposal to the United Nations requiring the decriminalization of homosexuality in member countries. As early as November 2006, French activist Louis-George Tin announced his intention to present the UN with a draft resolution to that effect. In September 2008, just slightly less than two years later, the French Junior Human Rights Minister, Rama Yade, told a conference of NGOs at UNESCO that she would submit such a resolution to the UN General Assembly in December, with the aim of effecting universal decriminalization of homosexuality. In the meantime, every single country in the European Union has signed on to France's draft declaration, which will be presented officially on December 10, the sixtieth anniversary of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights.
http://vitavagabonda.blogspot.com/2008/12/no-discrimination-against.html
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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
-Atlanta's Intersex Police Officer Seeks Awareness
As the Atlanta Police Department's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Liaison, Officer Darlene Harris has served as a symbol assuring fair treatment and greater protection since 2005, when she was appointed to this post. When she disclosed she is intersex in July 2008, Harris garnered attention for her bravery and for drawing focus on the subject of intersex identity and experience.
http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0406.html
-GAY MEN'S RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR LINKED TO FEELING UNDESIRABLE, December 01
Gay men who are not considered sexually desirable are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior according to new research out of the University of Toronto. They may also develop psychological problems as a consequence of feeling undesirable.
http://www.physorg.com/news147359860.html
-Marriage, yes; benefits, no.
Ruling to cost state workers' same-sex partners health coverage
Same-sex partners of state employees are losing pension and health benefits because gay marriage is now legal in Connecticut. An arbitration award that established the benefits eight years ago was conditioned upon same-sex marriage remaining illegal here. The state Supreme Court's recent recognition of same-sex marriage means the state government no longer must provide this coverage to same-sex partners and their dependent children. State Comptroller Nancy Wyman notified the heads of all state agencies on Friday that the benefits will cease Nov. 30, 2009, unless the partners marry or enter into a civil union. Under federal law, unmarried partners and dependent children may continue coverage at the group rate for 18 months, and possibly longer under certain conditions. There was no immediate reaction from Love Makes A Family, a gay rights group that led the efforts to legalize same-sex marriages through the state courts and the legislature. Executive Director Anne Stanback didn't return telephone calls seeking comment on Friday.
www.rep-am.com
-Study says HIV could be eliminated in a decade
LONDON (AP) - The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are
regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model. It is an intriguing solution to end the AIDS epidemic. But it is based on assumptions rather than data, and is riddled with logistical problems. The research was published online Tuesday in the medical journal, The Lancet.
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Vatican attacked for opposing gay decriminalization
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Gay rights groups and newspaper editorials on Tuesday condemned the Vatican for its decision to oppose a proposed U.N. resolution calling on governments worldwide to de-criminalize homosexuality.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120200817.html
-Univ. of Toledo official fired over column sues
The firing of a college administrator over her criticism of gay rights has sparked a debate about free speech and whether universities have the right to regulate what employees say outside of their jobs. Crystal Dixon filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court seeking to be reinstated to her University of Toledo job, which she lost after writing in a newspaper column that gay rights can't be compared to civil rights because homosexuality is a choice.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120202386.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Most Americans favor gay adoptions, survey says
Floridians seem out of step with most Americans, three-quarters of whom favor marriage or civil unions for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, according to a new national survey by Harris Interactive. The Pulse of Equality survey, commissioned by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and released today, shows a majority of Americans favors a broad range of policies and protections for gays, as well as supporting them as adoptive parents.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/local/sfl-flbgay1203sbdec03,0,2429620.story
-Despite Milk movie, gays still seek rights
Dianne Feinstein is not sure she'll ever be able to watch the movie Milk, even though she's in it. There is 1978 footage of a stricken Feinstein in the opening minutes of the new Gus Van Sant biopic of Harvey Milk, her colleague on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the first openly gay elected official in U.S. history. "I was the one who found his body," the California senator told me last week. "To get a pulse, I put my finger in a bullet hole. It was a terrible, terrible time in the city's history."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-02dowdsbdec02,0,3862157.story
-Gay adoption ruling favors good parenting over sexual orientation
I would like to take a moment to let Attorney General Bill McCollum know how one Florida family feels about the ruling last week regarding the two foster children and their dads in Miami. As a parent myself, all I can do (and it is not enough) is commend Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman for a fair and just ruling, which put the welfare of those two boys first. The idea for me, that there are children whose birth parents are unwilling, or unable, to care and provide and nurture them, is just sad. Sadder still is the idea that the great state of Florida would deny these same children a loving, supportive, stable environment in which to live.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-gayadoption02forumpndec02,0,1147881.story
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Resolution Opposing Prop. 8 Introduced in California Legislature
Members of California's senate and assembly introduced a resolution Tuesday, the second day of the 2009-2010 session, opposing the passage of Proposition 8. With the resolution, sponsors Sen. Mark Leno and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, both San Francisco Democrats, suggest that Proposition 8 represents an improper revision of the state constitution. They maintain that both houses of the California legislature must approve any proposed revision to the constitution by a two-thirds vote before it can even go on the ballot, which was not the case with Prop. 8.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67623.asp
-Vatican: Gays Don't Need Protection Laws
The Vatican has come out against a United Nations resolution that calls on all governments to decriminalize homosexuality. The resolution, Archbishop Celestino Migliore said, would "add new categories of those protected from discrimination" and could lead to the decline of heterosexual marriage, Reuters reported Tuesday.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid67608.asp
-Seattle Rallies for Marriage Equality
The massive protest rally and march for marriage equality in Seattle began Saturday morning with a moment of silence at 11 a.m. to observe the "extinguishment of our freedom to marry in California." An impassioned lineup of speakers followed, including Washington State senator Ed Murray, state senator Joe McDermott, King County executive Ron Sims, and Seattle mayor Greg Nickels.
http://election2008.advocate.com/2008/11/seattle-rallies.html
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay Marriage Debate Returns To Two States
It was on the day of August 31, 2007 when Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan, a pair of Iowa State University undergraduates, became the only gay couple to legally wed in Iowa. Their union was blessed by a First Unitarian Church of Des Moines pastor after an Iowa District Court judge ruled the state's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. But the opportunity to gay marry quickly evaporated when a Polk County attorney filed an appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court.
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=2817&MediaType=1&Category=26
-AIDS Monument Dedication NYC 2008
On November 30, 2008, the eve of World AIDS Day, a small group gathered at Pier 49 on the Hudson River walk to dedicate the AIDS Monument. The project of the AIDS Monument Committee took 14 years to come to fruition. Located on the Hudson River Park at Bank Street, the memorial is a 42-foot long, 2-foot tall, 12-inch deep curved granite bench. An inscription on the side facing the river says: I can sail without wind, I can row without oars, but I cannot part from my friend without tears. For more information go to http://www.aidsmonumentcommittee.com
-Collective Denial
"I felt lost as a queer artist in the world," laments Smitty Amabilis. "I didn't feel like I had any mentors." To combat the "erasure" marginalized artists face, Amabilis founded the Portland, Oregon art cooperative Collective of Geniuses (CoG), which is premiering their latest work, Denial of Self this first week of December. CoG aims to empower artists to create economically sustainable art and challenge hierarchies of class, gender and privilege.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4299/175/
-World AIDS Day 2008: Much accomplished, much to do
When we commemorated the first World AIDS Day on December 1, 1988, we had little to celebrate. The number of reported AIDS cases in the United States was nearing 80,000 and rising rapidly. Untold thousands more in this country were living with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Globally, AIDS cases already had been reported from more than 135 countries. An AIDS tsunami clearly was looming, but we had few defenses at our disposal.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/12/01/fauci.world.aids.day/index.html
=
Marriage Equality News
http://samesexmarriage.typepad.com/weblog/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Day Without Gays Protests California's Gay Marriage Ban
Link: The Philadelphia Inquirer
The nationwide movement, alternatively called "Day Without a Gay" and "No Gays for a Day" on the Internet, is another backlash from California voters' decision to support Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage. "We need to keep educating people that just because you don't think it's OK to be gay doesn't mean gays don't deserve to have equal rights," said Brandi Fitzgerald, who plans to take the day off Dec. 10. Last month she helped pull together a post-Prop 8 protest march at City Hall that drew 6,000 people. She expected 200. "It's just a matter of time before it becomes an issue for every state." With no one organization leading the charge, "Day Without a Gay" is very much a grassroots movement - or "grass Web," says Sean Hetherington, who with his partner created the Web site www.daywithoutagay.org. The two-week-old site has garnered thousands of hits and international attention. The site urges people not only to call in gay but to use the day, which is also International Human Rights Day, to make a positive difference by doing volunteer work.
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-New bill announced in Queen's Speech will "drive forward equality"
The government will introduce a new Equality Bill in the coming session of Parliament, the Queen has confirmed. In a speech from the Throne in the House of Lords Her Majesty set out the legislative programme for next year, a total of 13 Bills.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9743.html
-Boy George declines to give evidence at his trail
Pop singer and DJ Boy George will not to give evidence at his trial for allegedly imprisoning a male prostitute at his London flat. The star, real name George O'Dowd, denies the charges against him.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9742.html
-Time runs out for Catholic adoption agencies over gay couples
The Charity Commission has told two Roman Catholic-run adoption agencies they cannot change the purpose for which they were created in order to avoid dealing with homosexual couples.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9736.html
-THT rejects Tatchell criticism and reveals work with blood service
A leading sexual health charity has said it is working with the National Blood Service on the current ban on men who have had sex with men donating blood. Terrence Higgins Trust has been accused of colluding with "stereotyped and prejudiced assumptions" that bar gay men from giving blood by campaigner Peter Tatchell. The NBS claims that it targets sexual behaviour and not sexual orientation, but there is a lifetime ban on donations from men who have had sex with men.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9738.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-LGBT Groups Unite to Support EFCA
Pride At Work
A broad coalition of national lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender organizations is gearing up to push for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would remove obstacles for workers who want union representation. The LGBT organizations supporting the bill include some of the community's largest and most influential. They are: the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), Pride at Work, AFL-CIO, National Stonewall Democrats and, most recently, the Human Rights Campaign.
-NH: Representative Hopes for Same-sex Marriage
By LAUREN R. DORGAN | Monitor staff | Concord Monitor
The lawmaker who sponsored New Hampshire's civil union bill will push next year to bring same-sex marriage to the state. Meanwhile, though opposition to civil unions has been muted since last year, legislators who opposed the law are vowing to at least pare it down. Rep. Jim Splaine, a Portsmouth Democrat who sponsored the civil union bill that passed in 2007, says that civil unions give same-sex couples about 90 percent of the benefits and obligations that heterosexual couples get through marriage. This year, he said, he's filing a bill for same-sex marriage, which he sees as the only way for same-sex couples to attain full equality. More
-CT: Same-sex Partners of State Workers Could Lose Benefits Next Year
Republican America
Same-sex partners of state employees and their dependent children are losing pension and health benefits because gay marriage is now legal in Connecticut. An arbitration award that established the benefits eight years ago was conditioned on same-sex marriage remaining illegal here. Read more
-President-elect Obama Commemorates World AIDS Day
Official statement from the Obama-Biden Transition Team to mark the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is a day of both commemoration and promise for the many millions of people around the world who are affected by HIV/AIDS. This year's theme, Leadership, is a particular reminder to me that World AIDS Day cannot be confined to a single day of the year. For that reason, I have committed my administration to developing and implementing a comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy to reduce HIV infections, increase access to treatment and care and reduce HIV/AIDS-related health disparities.
-A Glance at Iranian Queer Asylum Seeker's Life in England
Translated by Ava | Iranian Queer Railroad
At 2 am on Saturday 15th November, Saeed attempted suicide by swallowing many pills. He was taken to the emergency room at the hospital. He was in critical condition and in a coma. Due to his comatose state the doctor did not wash out his stomach. They could not give him a vomit-inducing agent because of the potential danger. The deep coma could prevent him from vomiting. Since he had overdosed and the amount of pills he had taken was so large they did not want to take any risks. They transferred Saeed to ICU so he could be placed in intensive care. They attached an oxygen mask to him until Sunday morning close to noontime when he gained consciousness. The risk of side effects to the kidney and lungs was high so they kept him under treatment and monitoring. He was given antibiotics to prevent infection.
-FL: Action Alert: Gay Rights Protest Planned for Gov. Crist's Wedding
Catherine Dolinski | The Tampa Tribune | TampaBayOnline.com
TALLAHASSEE - Gay rights activists plan to demonstrate outside Gov. Charlie Crist's wedding to Carole Rome this month. The group Impact-Florida has called on its members to gather in pink T-shirts outside First United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg on Dec.12 to "congratulate" Crist and Rome while their wedding takes place inside. The demonstration will continue outside the wedding reception at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in downtown St. Petersburg. "After the positive congratulatory observance, there will be a candlelight vigil close to the [Vinoy] in downtown St. Pete to mourn the loss of gays right to get married," the group's Web site states, referring to a gay marriage ban that passed by ballot initiative in November. Crist endorsed Amendment 2 prior to its passage by 61.9 percent of state voters; it needed 60 percent to become part of the state Constitution.
-More Non Sequitur Arguments from the Christian Right's Dogma of Duplicity
By Mel Seesholtz, Ph.D. | Online Journal Contributing Writer | Online Journal
The "Yes on 8" campaign in California that, for the time being, succeeded in revoking some citizens' basic civil right to a civil marriage used scare tactics and non sequitur arguments based on misrepresentations, distortions, and deceptions. And they're still at it.
The "Yes on 8" campaign - funded primarily by the Mormon Church
($20,000,000), the Catholic Church ($1,300,000 from the Knights of Columbus and "priceless" pulpit politicking by Catholic priests) as well as the minions of the Protestant Christian Right, such as James Dobson's Focus on the Family ($622,000 in monetary and non-monetary contributions) and Don Wildmon's American Family Association ($500,000) - flooded Californians' television screens with ads claiming that if the Prop 8 failed, kindergarten children would have to be taught about homosexuality and gay marriage. They were misrepresenting, distorting, and deceiving:
-Neglected Children Deserve Loving Homes
Deb Price | Creators
Martin Gill and his partner, licensed foster parents in Florida, were planning to move, so they told a state child-placement official it wasn't a good time for them to take in two needy boys. They put out the welcome mat, though, after the official begged them to give baby "James" and his 4-year-old brother, "John," a special Christmas. When the brothers arrived, the couple were heartbroken at the confirmation of the "neglect" designation. James had a terrible ear infection, and his medicine was spoiled. John had such awful ringworm that he looked bald. Traumatized and silent, little John had been his infant brother's caretaker. One of the first orders of business for his new foster parents was teaching him that it was their job - not his - to change James' diapers.
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Bloody bigots
The National Blood Service claims it wants to protect patients from HIV, but its indiscriminate ban on gay donors is flawed.
Oddly, this ban is supported by gay-led HIV charities in the UK, such as the Terrence Higgins Trust and Gay Men Fighting Aids. Disappointing or shameful?
By Peter Tatchell
The Guardian It is World AIDS Day and many gay people overseas are donating blood. Encouraged to donate by their national blood services, they are doing their civic duty, alongside their heterosexual families and friends, to help ensure that there are plentiful blood supplies for patients and accident victims who need emergency transfusions. But this is not happening in the UK. Gay blood has been officially declared queer, tainted and a menace to the health of the nation. Gay and bisexual men are banned as blood donors by the National Blood Service (NBS). We all now carry the mark of the HIV 'Anti-Christ'. Every single same-sexer in Britain is categorised by the NBS as a potential purveyor of death and destruction.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/01/gay-blood-donors
-A new leaflet produced by the Catholic Church in England and Wales urges priests and churchgoers to be respectful and welcoming towards lesbian and gay people. It also acknowledges and rejects the "oppression" suffered by homosexuals; and suggests that Catholics "express appreciation for the gifts that homosexual Catholics bring to their faith community." Catholic traditionalists have condemned the leaflet's liberal message and accused the English and Welsh Church of defying Vatican orthodoxy. "This leaflet is a welcome, positive initiative which will bring great comfort to gay Catholics and their families. Its sympathetic, understanding message is a big improvement on the stern, uncompromising homophobia of most Vatican pronouncements on homosexuality," said Peter Tatchell of OutRage!, the UK lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights campaign. See a copy of the leaflet here:
http://www.everybodyswelcome.org.uk/docs/gay.pdf
-No Discrimination Against the Discriminators: The Compassionate Christianity of Papa Ratz
This is not exactly the freshest news in the world: For at least two years, France has been considering a proposal to the United Nations requiring the decriminalization of homosexuality in member countries. As early as November 2006, French activist Louis-George Tin announced his intention to present the UN with a draft resolution to that effect. In September 2008, just slightly less than two years later, the French Junior Human Rights Minister, Rama Yade, told a conference of NGOs at UNESCO that she would submit such a resolution to the UN General Assembly in December, with the aim of effecting universal decriminalization of homosexuality. In the meantime, every single country in the European Union has signed on to France's draft declaration, which will be presented officially on December 10, the sixtieth anniversary of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights.
http://vitavagabonda.blogspot.com/2008/12/no-discrimination-against.html
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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
-Atlanta's Intersex Police Officer Seeks Awareness
As the Atlanta Police Department's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Liaison, Officer Darlene Harris has served as a symbol assuring fair treatment and greater protection since 2005, when she was appointed to this post. When she disclosed she is intersex in July 2008, Harris garnered attention for her bravery and for drawing focus on the subject of intersex identity and experience.
http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/news/0406.html
-GAY MEN'S RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR LINKED TO FEELING UNDESIRABLE, December 01
Gay men who are not considered sexually desirable are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior according to new research out of the University of Toronto. They may also develop psychological problems as a consequence of feeling undesirable.
http://www.physorg.com/news147359860.html
-Marriage, yes; benefits, no.
Ruling to cost state workers' same-sex partners health coverage
Same-sex partners of state employees are losing pension and health benefits because gay marriage is now legal in Connecticut. An arbitration award that established the benefits eight years ago was conditioned upon same-sex marriage remaining illegal here. The state Supreme Court's recent recognition of same-sex marriage means the state government no longer must provide this coverage to same-sex partners and their dependent children. State Comptroller Nancy Wyman notified the heads of all state agencies on Friday that the benefits will cease Nov. 30, 2009, unless the partners marry or enter into a civil union. Under federal law, unmarried partners and dependent children may continue coverage at the group rate for 18 months, and possibly longer under certain conditions. There was no immediate reaction from Love Makes A Family, a gay rights group that led the efforts to legalize same-sex marriages through the state courts and the legislature. Executive Director Anne Stanback didn't return telephone calls seeking comment on Friday.
www.rep-am.com
-Study says HIV could be eliminated in a decade
LONDON (AP) - The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are
regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model. It is an intriguing solution to end the AIDS epidemic. But it is based on assumptions rather than data, and is riddled with logistical problems. The research was published online Tuesday in the medical journal, The Lancet.
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