GLBT DIGEST - June 06, 2009

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

Challenging Sex Taboos, With Help From the Koran
By ROBERT F. WORTH
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
WEDAD LOOTAH does not look like a sexual activist. A Muslim and a native Emirati, she wears a full-length black niqab — with only her brown eyes showing through narrow slits — and sprinkles her conversation with quotes from the Koran.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/world/middleeast/06dubai.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse


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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Cheney Supports Gay Marriage
Former vice president Dick Cheney this week voiced his support for same-sex marriage, as long as it is handled by the states and not the federal government. Cheney, whose daughter has a longtime female partner, said at the National Press Club that "people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/05/AR2009060503423.html

The Last Act
By Amanda Long
His death was unexpected. So was my unusual eulogy. I killed at my best friend's funeral. Everyone was still in shock over John's sudden death. At 38, he had just run a marathon and received a job promotion. His naughty, hilarious e-mails were still in our inboxes. Some who knew John were angry that they'd lost touch with him. Others grappled with fears that it was suicide. (It wasn't: Word of his heart condition came later.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/29/AR2009052901622.html


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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
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Judicial 'Activism' Isn't the Issue
By JEFF ROWES
Liberals and conservatives both show too much deference to Congress. The growing dispute between conservatives and liberals over the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor obscures a more troubling point of agreement: The government should almost always win.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124425367341590989.html


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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
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Companies pull advertising after Calif. radio hosts refer to transgender people as 'freaks'
Bank of America, Verizon, Chipotle and other companies have pulled advertising from a Sacramento radio station after talk show hosts referred to transgender people as "freaks" with mental disorders.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-radio-station-transgender,0,1815731.story


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

Video | Hulk Hogan interrogates Glenn Douglas Packard: On the 1 to 10 gay scale, where are you at?
The naked truth about Brooke Hogan’s roomie, dancer-choreographer Glenn Douglas Packard
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/video-the-interrogation-of-glenn-douglas-packard-hulk-hogan-keeps-an-eye-out-on-brooke.html

Gay-straight West Point alliance to Obama: Don’t expel Dan Choi and other gay/lesbian soldiers
KNIGHTS OUT CALLS FOR PRESIDENT TO ISSUE STOP-LOSS ORDER
The following statement was released today from Knights Out: Knights Out, an organization of 400 straight and gay West Point graduates, former staff and faculty, and allies, respectfully calls on our President to sign a stop-loss order immediately to allow Lieutenant Dan Choi, and all other gay and lesbian soldiers, to continue to serve without risk of expulsion under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/06/gay-straight-west-point-alliance-to-obama-dont-expel-dan-choi-and-other-gaylesbian-soldiers.html


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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

U.S. grants asylum to gay Cuban
HIV immigrant ban stalled approval
By LOU CHIBBARO JR.
U.S. immigration officials have granted political asylum to a gay man from Cuba who said he would face anti-gay persecution and internment in an AIDS sanatorium because of his HIV-positive status if forced to return to his homeland.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/national/5929.cfm

Florida: Students protest in Weston over teacher’s anti-gay remarks
Cypress Bay High School students learn real-life lesson in activism
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
A group of approximately 30 students took to the suburban streets of Weston in protest of GLBT rights, calling attention to anti-gay comments made public at Cypress Bay High School.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/news/localnews/5908.cfm

South Florida must take a step forward in activism
By TONY ADAMS
During a recent trip to New York City, I attended a rally to protest the California court decision to uphold Prop 8, and I got into a lively discussion about religion with the men carrying the “Dignity” banner. When the parade reached Union Square, I jostled for photo-op positioning, inside a circle of well-pierced goth girls debating Obama: friend or foe? Later, I was part of a large group of gay bloggers weighing the merits of a march on Washington. Daily, I sift through hundreds of email messages parsing the term “Civil Rights” in terms of comparing the black struggle with the gay struggle. The fine points of the dissemination of the President’s proclamation were presented to me as possible evidence of our low rung status in his administration.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/view/editorial/5914.cfm

Oh What a Riot!
Can we talk about the 2009 Stonewall Street Festival, please?
By Marc A. Hansen
40 years ago, under the trials and turbulence of the end of the 60’s, Judy Garland passed away and a large group of Drag Queens & Lesbians after morning her passing went to a little bar called The Stonewall Inn. The police raided that gay bar.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/6-4/view/columns/5912.cfm


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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
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BofA, Verizon Ax Ads From KRXQ
By Michelle Garcia
Eight companies have pulled advertising from a Sacramento, Calif., radio station after the hosts of a morning talk show encouraged violence against transgender kids.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88535.asp

Virtual Gays Say "I Do"
By Amita Parashar
Gays and lesbians can now get married all over the world -- the virtual world, at least. After playing The Sims 3 for a week, Lyle Masaki at AfterElton.com discovered that gay couples can now marry. Earlier versions of the game only allowed same-sex couples to move in together and declare unions.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88531.asp

Four Teens Charged as Adults in Locker Room Sex Assault
Four Tampa, Fla., teens charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy in a locker room multiple times over a two-month period will be tried as adults.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid88510.asp


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

New England may see long-term boost from gay marriage
By 365gay Newswire
New England might attract a new, young, “creative class” - thanks to marriage equality in every state but Rhode Island.
http://www.365gay.com/news/new-england-may-see-long-term-boost-from-gay-marriage/

San Angelo mayor resigns to be with gay partner
By 365gay Newswire
San Angelo, Texas residents were surprised this past week when Mayor J.W. Lown resigned from his office to be with his partner in Mexico. Lown, who was re-elected for a fourth term by a landslide vote, is helping his partner, a non-U.S. citizen, get a visa.
http://www.365gay.com/news/san-angelo-mayor-resigns-to-be-with-gay-partner/


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

Parents complain over school assembly on gay issues
By Jessica Geen
A number of parents at a Kent school have complained after gay relationships were mentioned at an assembly. Children at Bromstone Primary listened to a song by Elton John and were told what being gay means as part of an assembly on bullying.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12733.html

Gordon Brown's reshuffle results in three openly gay cabinet figures
By Jessica Geen
Openly gay MP Ben Bradshaw has been appointed as the new culture secretary, replacing Andy Burnham, who is to take over his role as health secretary. The latest reshuffle means that there will be three openly gay figures in the cabinet, as Peter Mandelson is currently the business secretary and Nick Brown is the chief whip.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12734.html

LGBT group claims Iraq is waging a 'campaign of violence and murder' against gays
An Iraqi gay group has said it has evidence the Iraqi government is involved with militia groups advocating violence and murder towards gays. Iraqi LGBT also described a statement from the Baghdad US Embassy as "offensive and insulting".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12729.html

Comment: Is Obama all talk and no action on gay issues?
Impatience is growing amongst the USA’s gay and lesbian community over President Barack Obama’s slow approach to tackling the LGBT issues he promised to address.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12743.html

Southwark votes in first openly gay mayor
The first openly gay mayor of Southwark, south-east London, has been elected. Councillor Jeff Hook, whose full title will be The Worshipful The Mayor of Southwark, will take on the role for the 2009-10 period with his civil partner as his official consort.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12731.html

Scottish parliament passes hate crime law to protect gays
Members of the Scottish Parliament have voted to pass legislation to protect gay, trans and disabled people from hate crime. The new law means targeting victims because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or disability will become an aggravating factor and is likely to lead to heavier sentences.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12732.html

Former Mr Gay Newcastle among contestants on Big Brother
A former Mr Gay Newcastle is among the gay contestants on this year's Big Brother. Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Drummond describes himself as "camp as Christmas".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12727.html


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Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:

Arizona Lawmakers Move to End Domestic Partner Benefits
Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services | Tucson, Arizona | The Arizona Daily Star
State lawmakers are moving to strip the domestic partners of state and university employees of the health insurance coverage they gained just a year ago. A provision in the state budget would legally define “dependents” of state employees who are entitled to coverage as a spouse or a child younger than 19 — or younger than 23 if a full-time student. Changing the law would override regulations adopted last year that added domestic partners and their children to the list.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7905/

Gay Youths Coming Out of the Closet and Onto the Web
Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah | Tribune reporter | Chicago Tribune
Moments before Isaiah Freeman-Schub left three years ago to study abroad in Paris, he picked up his laptop computer and wrote a life-changing blog entry. “I must disclose that I am a Martha Stewart-watching, fashion-abiding, flower-arranging, boxer-brief- wearing, hair-styling, … Rachel Ray recipe-cooking, vodka-drinking, nail-filing, exfoliated, pec-toning, pocket square-sporting, football-abhorring, Queer-as-Folk- viewing, Kelly-Clarkson- listening, accessory-coordinat ing, fitness-obsessed, Boystown-going, candle-lighting, fruit fly-leading, necktie-tying, pinky-extending, mirror-looking, GQ-reading, Jake Gyllenhaal-lusting, blow-drying, man-loving FAIRY.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7904/

Nice Try, Dick
By Mark Morford | SF Gate Columnist | San Francisco Chronicle
Sorry, Dick. You can’t have it. You can’t have even a moment of credit, a glimpse of sympathy, any sort of merciful forgiveness just because you sort of, kind of half-assedly came out in support of gay marriage, again, even though you actually didn’t. Here’s what you do get: a sidelong look of momentary disbelief, a quick glance in your direction as you sit in your puddle of sour irrelevance on the sidelines of modern culture, as the rest of the thoughtful, open-hearted human race leaves you in the embittered dust. Hey, you made your bed of nails, Dick. You get to impale yourself on it.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7903/

Gay Marriage Dominates Online, Ignored Offline
On Top Magazine
Coverage of gay marriage continues to dominate the conversation online but is being roundly ignored by traditional offline media sources, according to newly released New Media Index figures by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/7900/


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