GLBT DIGEST - January 03, 2009

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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
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-Editorial: Mr. Bush's Health Care Legacy
This page has criticized the Bush administration's weak performance on many important health care matters: its failure to address the problem of millions of uninsured Americans or stem the rising costs of health care, its refusal to expand eligibility for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, its devious maneuvers to cut Medicaid spending, its support of unjustified subsidies for private health plans, to name a few.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/opinion/03sat1.html?scp=2&sq=Gay&st=cse


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
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-UN battles over sex and rights
The Gleaner - Jamaica
Shirley Richards, Contributor
Much has been made of the Declaration on Human Rights and Sexual Orientation, which was tabled on December 18, 2008 at the United Nations.
This declaration, which was sponsored by France, had the support of approximately 65 countries, including western and eastern European states, Latin America, the Central African Republic and Cuba. Essentially, the declaration, a non-binding document, sought to expand the existing human rights concept to include 'sexual orientation'. What is less known is that a counter-declaration sponsored by Egypt and Uganda and supported by approximately 60 countries was presented to the United Nations at the same time. Support came from the Islamic countries, many African countries and St Lucia.
Serious concern. This declaration expressed serious concern at the "attempt to introduce to the United Nations, notions that have no legal foundation in any international human rights instrument". Reference was made in the counter-declaration to Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms the right of member states to enact laws that meet "the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society". Concern was also expressed over "the attempts to create 'new rights' or 'new standards' by misinterpreting the Universal Declaration and international treaties to include such notions that were never articulated nor agreed by the general membership". Along with these 60 or so countries, Russia, Belarus and the Holy See also made statements critical to the French-led declaration.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090102/cleisure/cleisure3.html


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
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-French UN "Sexual Orientation" Push Linked to Radical Yogyakarta Principles
Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute
By Piero A. Tozzi, J.D.
A statement promoted by the government of France and issued jointly in December by 66 United Nations (UN) member states on "sexual orientation and gender identity" advances an agenda set forth in a highly controversial 2006 document called the "Yogyakarta Principles." The Yogyakarta Principles claim to govern "application of international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity." Proponents assert the Yogyakarta Principles bind States to new legal standards even though the Yogyakarta document is the creature not of governmental agreement but of homosexual pressure groups and UN bureaucrats. European delegates told the Friday Fax that the original draft of the French statement debated internally among European Union (EU) nations explicitly referenced the Yogyakarta Principles, but that Ireland, Malta and Poland insisted the reference be removed.
http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.954/pub_detail.asp


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Forwarded from Michael Emanuel Rajner
merajner@gmail.com
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-The Obama-Biden Transition Team has organized a conference call for Tuesday evening, January 6th with AIDS advocates throughout the nation in order to educate them on President-elect Obama's plan to combat HIV/AIDS globally, and nationally. You may have received an invitation to join the call, if you did not and have any specific questions or concerns to be asked of the next Presidential Administration, please e-mail me your questions and I will attempt to have them answered on your behalf. Participating on the call from the Presidential Transition Team will be:
* Liz Engel, Agency Review Team Lead for U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
* Karen Richardson, Public Liaison for Health Care
* Parag Mehta, Public Liaison for LGBT Americans
According to the transition team, the conference call will be recorded and made available to the public. To learn more about President-elect Obama's plan, visit:
http://change.gov/agenda/the_obama_biden_plan_to_combat_global_hiv_aids/


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