GLBT DIGEST - March 12, 2009

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

-Religious Leaders Battle Abuse Bill in New York
By PAUL VITELLO
Roman Catholic and Orthodox Jewish officials in New York are mounting an intense lobbying effort to block a bill before the State Legislature that would temporarily lift the statute of limitations for lawsuits alleging the sexual abuse of children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/nyregion/12abuse.html?hp


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

-RNC Chairman Steele Is Under Fire for Abortion Comments
By Susan Davis
Call it baptism by fire. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, elected in January, has had a rocky six weeks on the job. Just as the dust was starting to settle on his very public dispute with conservative talker Rush Limbaugh, the chairman gave an interview to GQ magazine in which he made comments about abortion that have ruffled some conservative feathers.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/03/12/rnc-chairman-steele-is-under-fire-for-abortion-comments/


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

-Judge approves injunction for gay club at Florida high school
Associated Press
A federal judge has ordered the Nassau County School Board to allow a club promoting tolerance of gays to meet at Yulee High School. U.S. District Judge Henry Adams issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday in the case ordering the district to grant official recognition of the Gay-Straight Alliance and afford it the same privileges as any other student organization.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-031209-gayclub,0,233593.story

-Our goofy Legislature: Bestiality still legal, gay adoption not
Posted by Michael Mayo
She's tried before, and Democratic state senator Nan Rich of Weston is trying again: Rich wants to make it legal for gays to adopt and illegal for Floridians to have sex with animals. You'd have thought by now, in the year 2009, the law would be the other way around.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/mayo/blog/2009/03/our_goofy_legislature_bestiali.html


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Steve Rothaus
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-GayAgenda.com: Congressman John Lewis Speaks OUT!
From James Hipps of GayAgenda.com:
I recently had the honor and pleasure of speaking with Congressman Lewis and had the opportunity to ask his thought on Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, and equality for all U.S. citizens. Congressman Lewis feels strongly that all persons, regardless of sexual orientation should be entitled to equality, and the same rights, as all other citizens.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/

-Tyra Banks, Suze Orman & Phil Donahue to be honored at 2009 GLAAD Media Awards
GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has announced honorees and presenters at this year's media awards. Tyra Banks, Suze Orman and Phil Donahue are special award winners. Among the presenters: Clay Aiken and T.R. Knight.


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

-Jury begins deliberations in gay porn murder case
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
The jury in the Bryan Kocis murder case began deliberating Thursday the fate of 27-year-old Harlow Cuadra. If found guilty, Cuadra could receive the death penalty.
http://www.365gay.com/news/jury-begins-deliberations-in-gay-porn-murder-case/

-Trial begins for teen in NYC gay hate murder
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
The trial has begun for the alleged killer of a 20-year-old gay Brooklyn man, who was murdered because another man thought he was flirting with him.
http://www.365gay.com/news/trial-begins-for-teen-in-nyc-gay-hate-murder/

-Judge tosses confession of man accused of killing transwoman
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
The confession of a Colorado man who is accused of fatally battering a sex partner with a fire extinguisher after discovering she was a transgender woman, cannot be presented into evidence, a district court judge has ruled.
http://www.365gay.com/news/judge-tosses-confession-of-man-accused-of-killing-transwoman/


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

-Blood ban on gay men to be reviewed
By Jessica Geen
A review of blood donation policy in the UK will be carried out following the publication of new research. The latest review, in January 2007, recommended that the policy of banning gay and bisexual men from donating blood should be continued.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11581.html

-Medical advice 'puts lesbians at risk of cervical cancer'
Research has suggested that government guidelines should be revised to ensure more lesbian women are screened for cervical cancer. Currently, NHS advice states that women who have never been sexually active with a man have a very low risk of the disease, suggesting these women may decline to attend cervical smear tests.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11582.html

-2010 US census 'will not include gays'
The next US census, to be carried out next year, will not ask about sexual orientation or recognise gay marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships. If two men or two women who live together list themselves as husband and husband, or wife and wife, they will be counted as unmarried partners.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11585.html

-Research group to address training in LGBT issues for medical staff
A group of students from the Stanford Uninersity School of Medicine are working on increasing training for medical students on LGBT healthcare concern
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11589.html

-Family Guy provokes anger over gay orgy scene
Animated TV show Family Guy has come under fire from a parents' group over a recent episode that showed a gay orgy. In the episode, screened in the US on March 8th, storylines included a gay orgy featuring 11 men, a baby eating horse semen and bestiality.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11587.html


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

-Cayman Islands: Ensure Equality for All
Restore Broad Anti-Discrimination Protections in Draft Constitution
The Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, should revise a draft constitution that will be submitted to voters on May 20, 2009, to ensure that it gives full protections to all against unequal treatment, and the British government should ensure that this happens, Human Rights Watch said today in letters to the Cayman governor, Stuart Jack, and the British foreign secretary, David Miliband. The draft constitution is being revised by the Cayman Islands government and will eliminate a free-standing guarantee of equality before the law and limit anti-discrimination protections only to rights expressly included in the constitution. This means that large and critically important areas of daily life would not be covered, including access to jobs, housing, and medical treatment. Reportedly, the government succumbed to pressure from religious groups, and the action was apparently intended to deny protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/11/letter-governor-cayman-islands

-Gay Pride Parade in Chiang Mai Broken Up by Red-Shirted Thugs
By STEVE AULT
More than two hundred red-shirted followers of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra introduced homophobia for the first time into Thailand's festering political scene when on Saturday, February 21, they forced cancellation of a lawful and peaceful gay pride parade and rally in Chiang Mai. The disruption was organized by Rak Chiang Mai 51, the local faction of Thaksin-supported United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). Despite reassurances by local authorities that the parade would be allowed, the police made no effort to provide a buffer separating the disrupters from the marchers. Many of the disrupters wore red masks to avoid being recognized. About two hours before the parade was to begin, spoilers blockaded a compound where organizers had come earlier to prepare for the event. Later, thugs yelling homophobic insults prevented other parade organizers from entering the site. Also, 30 violence-threatening spoilers forced organizers of the concluding rally to dismantle a stage set up at the rally site.

-30 Years of CEDAW: Achievements & Continuing Challenges Towards The Realization of Women's Human Rights
International women's human rights activists gathered in New York on Monday, March 9, 2009, to observe the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Organized by the Kuala Lumpur-based International Women's Rights Action Watch-Asia Pacific and New Jersey-based the Center for Women's Global Leadership, the event featured a panel on the theme: Celebrating 30 Years of CEDAW:
Achievements and Continuing Challenges Towards the Realization of Women's Human Rights. Featured speakers traced the origins of CEDAW and described its achievements, which occurred despite its "step-child" status in the United Nations system-denied the support, credibility and resources given to other treaty monitoring bodies. Speakers also addressed the impact the Convention has had on challenging governments and improving commitments to respect, defend and promote women's human rights.


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

-Top Task Force staffer attends today's White House signing of executive order creating White House Council on Women and Girls
President Barack Obama signed an executive order today creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. The council is designed to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronting women and girls, and to ensure that all cabinet and cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Deputy Executive Director Darlene Nipper attended today's signing at the White House. "The highest echelons of government need to be aware of and actively engaged in finding solutions to critical issues affecting women and girls - issues like pay equity, threat of violence, work-life balance for working women, and access to affordable health care and child care. Women and their families are particularly vulnerable on all these counts during an economic downturn. Lesbian, bisexual and transgender women face additional obstacles because they are unprotected by most nondiscrimination employment laws and family recognition laws. This new council will hopefully ensure the voices of women and girls are heard and that these issues remain front and center in the White House."
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=mmKXJeM2IpJZJlL&s=eiKPK4MNLgJNI6MNKqF&m=cfILKXPAJgKTF

-2009 Transgender Leadership Summit!
We want to see you at the 4th Annual Transgender Leadership Summit! The 2009 Summit will be held at UC San Diego from March 27 - 29, 2009. The cost of this event is $25 and is open to individuals of all skill levels who are involved or interested in advancing civil rights for transgender people in California. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. We look forward to seeing you there!
www.transgenderlawcenter.org

-Please find more on Serbia and human rights in the report published today
by the Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Hammarberg:
https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1417013&Site=CommDH&BackColorInternet=FEC65B&BackColorIntranet=FEC65B&BackColorLogged=FFC679

-Increase In Anal Intercourse Involving At-Risk Teens And Young Adults
A new study by researchers at the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center suggests that the incidence of heterosexual anal sex is increasing among teens and young adults - particularly those who have recently had unprotected vaginal sex. These findings mirror recent data that show anal sex rates among adults doubled between the years 1995 and 2004. The study, published online by the American Journal of Public Health, is among the first to report on the little-known factors associated with heterosexual anal intercourse among adolescents and young adults.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/130181.php

-Still need volunteers to participate in a study on dating violence among college students in same-sex relationships -Password : Butterfly007
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=UcpSW4UYDgnVDXzbYG3Hkw_3d_3d

-We are writing to ask for your participation in Campus Pride's
National LGBT College Climate Survey - GO ONLINE
http://www.campuspride.org/research and register to WIN A FREE RSVP CRUISE
or $500 CASH!


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Southern Poverty Law Center
Live webcast: Hate group count rises
Join SPLC President Richard Cohen and Intelligence Project director Mark Potok as they discuss the growing number of hate groups in the United States. We've documented 926 hate groups in the U.S. - an increase of more than 50 percent since 2000. Hate groups are trying to swell their ranks by exploiting the election of President Obama, the struggling economy and immigration fears. Listeners will be able to submit questions before and during the event. The webcast will be Wednesday, March 18 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register today.
http://www.splcenter.org/news/item.jsp?aid=368&splcnewsletter=dnewsgen-031109


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Truth Wins Out - TWO
by Wayne Besen
http://www.truthwinsout.org/

-Watchdog Groups Demand 'Ex-Gay' Organization Dismiss Leader, Alan Chambers,
After Exodus International Participates In Ugandan Anti-Gay Hate Conference
Exodus Under Fire After Group Remains Silent As Speakers At Ugandan Event
Seek To 'Wipe Out' Homosexuality And Imprison Gays
NEW YORK - The three leading watchdog organizations that monitor "ex-gay" ministries today called on the largest such group, Exodus International, to fire its leader, Alan Chambers. The coalition charged in a letter to Bob Ragan, chair of the Exodus Board of Directors, that Chambers allowed the organization to be used and give credibility to a conference that promoted human rights abuses against gay and lesbian people.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/open-letter-to-the-exodus-international-board-of-directors/


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