GLBT DIGEST - November 05, 2009

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

Republicans Bask in Glow of Victories in N.J. and Va.
By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and IAN URBINA
Savoring their victories in gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia, Republicans were trying on Wednesday morning to build momentum, in a time of economic concern, for a strong challenge to President Obama’s party in next year’s midterm Congressional elections. The White House insisted that the Republican victories in the two races for governor were not referendums on President Obama but rather the reflections of “very local issues that didn’t involve the president,” as Robert Gibbs, the chief administration spokesman, told reporters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/nyregion/05elect.html?_r=1&sq=gay&st=cse&scp=7&pagewanted=print/

Gay Rights Rebuke May Change Approach
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
They had far more money and volunteers, and geography was on their side, given that New England has been more accepting of same-sex marriage than any other region of the country. Yet gay rights supporters suffered a crushing loss when voters decided to repeal Maine’s new law allowing gay men and lesbians to wed, setting back a movement that had made remarkable progress nationally this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/us/05marriage.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/

A Setback in Maine for Gay Marriage, but Medical Marijuana Law Expands
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
In a stinging setback for the national gay-rights movement, Maine voters narrowly decided to repeal the state’s new law allowing same-sex marriage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/us/politics/05maine.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

POLITICS DIGEST
By Robert McCartney
It's payback time for Northern Virginia in the wake of governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell's extraordinary landslide victory. The region voted for the Republican on Tuesday, and although the margin was narrower than elsewhere in the state, it represented a major turnabout in Virginia's most populous area and ended a strong pro-Democratic trend that began more than a decade ago.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110404373.html/

Ask Amy
DEAR AMY: I'm a 24-year-old gay male. I have been "out" to my immediate family for about five years now. My family is very supportive and open about my sexual orientation when it's just the four of us, but I haven't told everyone in my extended family.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102601215.html/

Gay groups say loss won't alter strategy
By Ashley Surdin
Gay rights advocates across the country are regrouping after a crushing defeat at the ballot box in Maine, pledging to continue their state-by-state effort to promote marriage equality and to turn their attention to a federal court case in California.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110404822.html/

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

Gay leaders blame TV ads, Obama for loss in Maine
By LISA LEFF and DAVID CRARY, Associated Press
Stunned and angry, national gay rights leaders Wednesday blamed scare-mongering ads - and President Barack Obama's lack of engagement - for a bitter election setback in Maine that could alter the dynamics for both sides in the gay-marriage debate.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/gay-leaders-blame-tv-ads-obama-for-loss-in-maine.html/

‘L Word’ band BETTY to play Saturday at Sleepless Night’s gay Out in the Tropics preview
BY STEVE ROTHAUS
The "gay positive'' band BETTY performs on the edge, making its three performers the perfect headliners for Robbie Rosenberg's new festival project, Out in the Tropics.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/l-word-band-betty-to-play-saturday-at-sleepless-nights-gay-out-in-the-tropics-preview.html/

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

Gay couples: A close look at this modern family, parenting
By Sharon Jayson
So many gay couples today have kids that it has become a cultural phenomenon – there's even a new TV show about a modern family that includes a gay couple with an adopted baby.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-11-05-gayparents05_ST_N.htm?csp=34/

State lawmaker pushes for same-sex marriage in Michigan
Karen Bouffard / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
In the wake of Tuesday's passage of a gay rights ordinance in Kalamazoo, a state representative today introduced a plan to overturn Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage. Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, introduced a resolution to amend the state constitution to allow same-sex marriage. Voters instituted the ban in 2004, when they approved Proposal 2. http://www.detnews.com/article/20091104/POLITICS02/911040443/1022/rss10/

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

Charlie Crist in Conservative Crosshairs?
By Julie Bolcer
Following conservative Republicans’ efforts to oust a moderate candidate from an upstate New York congressional race, operatives appear to be targeting Florida governor Charlie Crist, who hopes to win his party’s nomination for a U.S. senate seat in 2010.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/05/Crist_in_Conservative_Crosshairs_/

Gay Voters Key to Atlanta Mayoral Runoff
By Julie Bolcer
In the runoff election for Atlanta mayor on December 1, candidates Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed may look toward the LGBT vote to tip the balance in their favor. Norwood, who could become the city’s first white mayor in 36 years, led voting on Tuesday with 46%, while state senator Reed received 36%. Each enjoys support from segments of the gay community, which is expected to turn out for other runoff elections of interest, like a city council seat in the sixth district, where a high concentration of LGBT live, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/05/Gay_Voters_Key_to_Atlanta_Mayoral_Runoff/

Gay Mormons Petition Church Leaders
By Julie Bolcer
The Foundation for Reconciliation, a group that seeks to improve relations between gay people and the Mormon Church, marked the first anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8 on Wednesday by delivering a trunk filled with 2,000 petitions to church leaders in Salt Lake City.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/05/Gay_Mormons_Petitioned_Church/

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

NYC Cabbie kicks out gay couple for hugging
By 365gay Newswire
The New York Post reported today that a New York City taxi driver kicked a gay couple out of his vehicle after he saw them hugging in the backseat.
http://www.365gay.com/news/nyc-cabbie-kicks-out-gay-couple-for-hugging/

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

Jan Moir gets late nomination for Stonewall Bigot of the Year award
Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir has been added as a nominee for Stonewall's Bigot of the Year award. The journalist provoked outrage in October with an article that suggested Boyzone star Stephen Gately's death was "sleazy" and "unnatural".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/05/jan-moir-gets-late-nomination-for-stonewall-bigot-of-the-year-award/

Trans writer defends 'offensive' Jesus, Queen of Heaven play
A trans woman who wrote a play portraying Jesus as undergoing transition to become a woman has defended her work, saying that protests by angry Christians have no foundation in the Bible.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/05/trans-writer-defends-offensive-jesus-queen-of-heaven-play/

Push for rights reforms after Texas gay bar raid
A task force set up after a police raid on a Fort Worth, Texas, gay bar has recommended a drastic reform of gay and trans rights in the city.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/05/push-for-rights-reforms-after-texas-gay-bar-raid/

Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects challenge to gay domestic partnerships
Wisconsin's Supreme Court has thrown out a legal challenge to the state's domestic partnerships law. The law came into force on August 3rd, making Wisconsin the first mid-western state to pass such a law through legislation.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/05/wisconsin-supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-gay-domestic-partnerships/

British Museum hosts event for LGBT History Month
The British Museum is helping to kick off preparations for next year's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) History Month with a special event for teachers and youth workers and a reception.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/04/british-museum-hosts-event-for-lgbt-history-month/

Lesbian author Sarah Waters: 'Gay fiction is getting better'
Lesbian author Sarah Waters has said that the profiles of other female gay authors and their works are rising. In an interview with the Liverpool Daily Post, the Tipping the Velvet writer said the UK was currently seeing a trend for lesbian fiction.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/04/lesbian-author-sarah-waters-gay-fiction-is-getting-better/

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

Action Alert: Urge Congress to Deny Financial Aid to Uganda
Truth Wins Out today urged Congress to deny financial aid to Uganda if the country passes a draconian bill that would trample the fundamental rights of the nation’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009 threatens sexual minorities with cruel and usual punishment for simply existing.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11215/

DC FOR MARRIAGE ON MAINE REPEAL AND LOCAL FIGHT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cathy Renna, 917-757-6123, cathy@rennacommunications.com
Laura McGinnis, 202-596-0402, laura@rennacommunications.com
Statement from Michael Crawford, Co-Chair of D.C. for Marriage on the Repeal of Marriage Equality in Maine:
“DC for Marriage is saddened to see fear-based lies once again trump the truth about same-sex couples and our families. Our hearts go out to the thousands of individuals who worked on the No on 1 campaign in Maine.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11214/

LGBT Leaders Eye Changes for 2020 Census Count
Matthew S. Bajko \ Bay Area Reporter \ EDGE Boston
The 2010 census count has yet to begin but LGBT leaders and demographers are already pushing for changes to the 2020 census. LGBT advocates would like to see the next decennial count include questions about people’s sexual orientation and gender identity. There is also an effort under way to see that the federal population count breaks out figures on how many legally married same-sex couples there are in the U.S.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11213/

ACLU-NJ Helps Resolve Issue Between Black Police Officers Group and LGBT Community
New Jersey Newsroom
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) announced the resolution of a dispute involving two women who were turned away from a fundraising dance hosted by the organization. The women claimed they and their friends were excluded based on their sexual orientation or gender expression.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11211/

IL: GLBT Lecture at Lancaster Seminary
Daily Record/Sunday News
Dr. Kathryn Tanner of the University of Chicago Divinity School will give the annual LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) lecture at Lancaster Theological Seminary 11 a.m. Nov. 12 in the Santee Chapel. Her theme will be Unnatural Associations: Christianity as an Experiment in Human Community.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11210/

Election Coverage: The World’s First ‘Civil Likes’ Movement
Wayne Besen \ Truth Wins Out
Instead of validating marriage for same-sex couples, Maine voters cruelly voted 52.75 percent to 47.25 percent (87 percent of precincts reporting) to strip away this most basic right and leave gay families and their children legally unprotected and vulnerable. According to journalist Rex Wockner, “it was the 31st time that same-sex marriage has lost at the ballot box in a U.S. state. It has never won.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11209/

Maine’s Same-Sex Marriage Opponents Claim Victory
Sarah Pulliam Bailey \ Christianity Today
Early exit polls show Maine heading towards a repeal of a state law that would have allowed same-sex marriage. The Legislature passed the law in May, but the election offered voters the chance to repeal the measure.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11208/

A Different Shade of Queer: Race, Sexuality and Marginalizing by the Marginalized
Chong-suk Han \ Bad Subjects
By now, two things are bitterly clear about our “shared” American experiences. One, a shared history of oppression rarely leads to coalition building among those who have been systematically denied their rights. More devastatingly, such shared experiences of oppression rarely lead to sympathy for others who are also marginalized, traumatized, and minimized by the dominant society. Rather, all too miserably, those who should naturally join in fighting discrimination find it more comforting to join their oppressors in oppressing others. As a gay man of color, I see this on a routine basis – whether it be racism in the gay community or homophobia in communities of color. And it pisses me off.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11207/

LGBT Racism Prevalent
Doug Spearman \ ILLVox
Most people have seen the rainbow flag of the gay community. The multiple stripes that are supposed to symbolize the various differences, in gender, nationality, race, and even proclivity, that make up the vibrancy of the LGBT community. Let me call your attention to something – the lines between the colors are sharp and clearly defined. They do not blend or run into one another. They’re still separate.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11206/

Election Night Brings Mixed Results
Lambda Legal
Last night advocates for LGBT equality were served a mixed bag of results.
Hopes for a historic electoral victory in favor of marriage rights were disappointed when Maine voters approved Question 1 by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent. Voters blocked the bill ending marriage discrimination which legislators and the governor approved in May, dashing, for the moment, the dreams of thousands of couples in the state.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11205/

SLDN Announces Keynote for 2010 National Dinner
SLDN proudly welcomes Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) - a fearless champion of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal - as the keynote speaker for our 18th Annual National Dinner. The event will take place Saturday, March 20, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Register today: www.sldn.org/NationalDinner2010
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11204/

Maine Vote Signals Continued Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage
“Placed in historical context, same-sex marriage is an aberration embraced by a small fraction of the world’s population, not an inevitability as proponents suggest.” — IRD Vice President Alan Wisdom
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /Christian Newswire/ — On Tuesday, voters in Maine made the state the 31st to uphold traditional marriage by popular vote. Passage of Question 1, the ballot referendum that repealed the state legislature’s same- sex marriage law, received wide support from Maine churches.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11203/

Chuck Wolfe: About Last Night
Gay Politics
It was tough to watch what happened in Maine, but that painful loss is not the whole story of last night. We’re winning Referendum 71 right now in Washington state, and voters in Kalamazoo overwhelmingly embraced equality in their city. And of the 79 openly LGBT candidates the Victory Fund endorsed for 2009, 50 are winning their races as of this morning and another six have advanced to runoff elections. (We’ll have a full Election Scorecard up soon.)
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11202/

Election 2009: Gay Candidates Score Visibility and Victories in Key Southern Races
Southern Studies
No big lessons or grand narratives emerged from yesterday’s off-year elections — but there were lots of interesting local stories that reveal the conflicted reality of the Purple South and country. Some updates and themes from the key races Facing South reported on yesterday and more:
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11201/

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Bigotry in Maine
Michael A. Jones \ Change.org
Despite the fact that same-sex marriage supporters led the campaign of their life to preserve marriage rights for gays and lesbians in Maine, the state narrowly voted to overturn a marriage equality law in yesterday’s ballot. It’s a bit of deja vu all over again this year, as activists still reeling over the 2008 loss in California with Proposition 8 now have to cope with a second straight loss for marriage equality, this time in Maine.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11200/

TX: Fort Worth Panel Urges Expansion of Gay Rights
MIKE LEE \ mikelee@star-telegram.com \ Star Telegram
FORT WORTH — A task force formed in the wake of the arrests at the Rainbow Lounge recommended a series of reforms Tuesday designed to give gay and lesbian residents equal treatment at City Hall.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11199/

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