GLBT DIGEST - January 29, 2009

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

-The Great Gay Hope [Portland Mayor]
by Timothy Egan
The politician was in his 40s, a rising star, a man with the pilot light of ambition burning bright. The intern was just 17, sorting through emotions about his sexuality, a boy who said he needed someone to mentor him in the political world.
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/the-great-gay-hope/

-Television Review: Trials of Ted Haggard
Exiled Preacher Joins the Crowd in the Virtual Confession Box
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
Shamelessness - or at least the shameless pursuit of television redemption - seems to be a contemporary affliction, an epidemic that could only be spread by cathode ray. [...] HBO, Thursday night at 8, Eastern and Pacific times; 7, Central time.
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/arts/television/29tria.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse


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

-Same-sex rights could be expanded in Wash. state
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Adrienne Purcella's life has changed a lot in the past year: She got a job as a police officer and officially entered a domestic partnership with Libby Cope. The Seattle couple joined other gay and lesbian couples Wednesday as lawmakers announced a move they hope leads to another milestone: The expansion of the state's domestic partnership law to offer same-sex couples all the rights and benefits given to heterosexual married couples.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012900946.html

-As National Party Chairman, Kaine's Attention Is Close to Home
By Tim Craig
RICHMOND: Moments after he was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) left no doubt that the 2009 Virginia governor's race would become his top political priority. "The two big races in 2009 are the New Jersey governorship and the Virginia governorship," Kaine told a group of reporters at the DNC meeting. "So it just happens . . . one of the most important races is right here in Virginia."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/27/AR2009012703846.html


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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

-Islamist Contortions: Why are Indonesian clerics bent out of shape over yoga?
By SADANAND DHUME
For those who wonder what problems corruption-ridden and disaster-plagued Indonesia must tackle most urgently, the Indonesian Council of Ulema has the answer: yoga. On Monday, the Council, a quasi-official grouping of 700 Islamic clerics, decreed that Muslims should shun the ancient Indian practice. The clerics worry that Hindu-influenced chants and invocations might weaken Muslim believers' faith. The decree, though not legally binding, carries the force of moral authority, and, as is not uncommon in the Muslim world, the unspoken threat of enforcement by vigilantes.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123315945310924601.html

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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

-I'm not gay, Australian swimming star Ian Thorpe insists
Thorpe SWIMMING hero Ian Thorpe has rubbished continuing speculation about his sexual orientation by insisting: I am not gay. The five-time Olympic gold medallist was responding after being snapped playing in the surf with swimmer pal and long-time housemate Daniel Mendes in Brazil last week.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/


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

-Julianne Moore Reaches Out to Kids, Gay Families
Advocate.com talks to four-time Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore about Save the Children, gay families, and Valentine's Day.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid71947.asp


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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Wyoming Moves to Ban Gay Marriage
On Top Magazine
Wyoming lawmakers introduced a bill in the House Monday that aims to define marriage as a heterosexual union in the state's constitution. The new bill would let Wyoming voters decide on an amendment to the state constitution that would deny recognition of gay marriages performed in other states. There are currently only two states in the United States - Massachusetts and Connecticut - that grant gay couples the benefits found in marriage. But bills in four states - Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont - and two expected state Supreme Court decisions in Iowa and California appear likely to increase that number this year. Read more


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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Russian Gay Activists Send Their Sixth Application to the European Court of Human Rights
Moscow Pride organisers seek 100,000 euros compensation for banned picketing Organisers of Moscow Gay Pride yesterday sent their sixth complaint to the European Court of Human Rights concerning the denial by the Moscow authorities of the right to demonstrate and freedom of assembly. This latest application to the Strasbourg-based court is over the ban of a picket that was scheduled to take place last year on May 17 - International Day Against Homophobia.
http://ukgaynews.org.uk/latest.htm

-Queers for Palestine?
By James Kirchick
Of all the slogans chanted and displayed at anti-Israel rallies over the past month, surely "Queers for Palestine" ranks as the most oxymoronic. It is the motto of the San Francisco-based Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT), a group advocating financial divestment from the Jewish State. QUIT contends that Zionism is racism, regularly demonstrates at gay pride marches, organizes with far-right Muslim organizations, and successfully lobbied the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission to boycott the 2006 World Pride Conference due to its location that year in Jerusalem. What makes QUIT oxymoronic is that their affinity for Palestine isn't reciprocated. There may be queers for Palestine, but Palestine certainly isn't for queers, either in the livable or empathetic sense. Like all Islamic polities, the Palestinian Authority systematically harasses gay people.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid71844.asp


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

- "16 MEPs request the EU to act in protection of transgender people in Honduras."
On 29 November sixteen Members of the European Parliament sent a Parliamentary Question to the European Commission and the European Council expressing their concerns about recent murders of transgender people in Honduras and particularly the human rights defender Cynthia Nicole Moreno. "Has the European Commission discussed or have the intention to discuss the on-going violence against transgender people with Honduras´ authorities?" asked MEPs in the Question. Members of the European Parliament noted the fact that police in Honduras have been very reluctant to investigate murders and violence against transgender people. Three transgender women have been killed in recent month, but police have not found any of the perpetrators and NGOs working in the field states that there is a great risk that the perpetrators will never be found because of the negligence of the police.
www.lgbt-ep.eu


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Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/

-We are thrilled to announce that our founder, the Rev. Dr. Mel White, will compete in the 14th addition of the CBS program, The Amazing Race! Mel and his son, Mike, a successful screenwriter whose writing credits include the feature films Nacho Libre and School of Rock, joined together to participate in this once in a lifetime experience -- spanning 40,000 miles and nine countries in just 22 days! The Amazing Race premiers on CBS on Sunday, February 15, at 8pm ET/PT. Tell your friends and mark your calendars! Go Team Soulforce! For more information, go to www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race

-Watch the video of Mel and Mike:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/video.php?cid=1008376745&pid=6Ux3RjxebIRCfESPGS4ukqY6Tr5x2VH8&category=recent&play=true


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