GLBT DIGEST - December 01, 2009

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Killer syndrome: The Aids denialists
Why does a small band of scientists and campaigners persist in denying the link between HIV and Aids, when the evidence that they are wrong is overwhelming? Rob Sharp reports
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/killer-syndrome-the-aids-denialists-1831610.html/

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Norm Kent

Why the Bush-Cheney Gang Shouldn't Leave the Jurisdiction
Stephen Green details the crimes that opened the Bush gang to arrest warrants and sealed indictments. Eamonn McCann describes how a secret state scheme saw 150,000 children “exported” to Australia to stock that continent with white Christians. No, Barack Obama isn’t the best guide to Saul Alinksy’s ideas on organizing. Mike Miller on movement building in the 1960s and today. Get your new edition today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and t-shirts make great presents.
http://www.counterpunch.org/kent11302009.html/

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

Argentina Halts 1st Latin American Gay Marriage
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- They had planned a wedding day like Latin America has never seen. But as Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre were being fitted for their tuxedos an Argentine judge issued an order late Monday blocking the continent's first gay marriage on Tuesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/01/world/AP-LT-Argentina-Gay-Marriage.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/

Rabbis, Heterosexuals Join NJ Gay Marriage Debate
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The leaders in the local large Orthodox Jewish community go to great lengths to keep out the outside world, discouraging nonbusiness use of the Internet and encouraging strict filters to keep the ungodly out when members must use the Web.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/01/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Orthodox-Jews.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/

Argentina: Ruling That Allowed Gay Couple to Wed Is Overturned
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Argentine judge overturned a ruling on Monday that would have allowed the first gay marriage in Latin America. The court’s Web site says that Judge Marta Gómez Alsina ordered the wedding blocked until the issue can be resolved by the Supreme Court. José María Di Bello and his partner, Alex Freyre, had been planning to wed Tuesday, based on another judge’s ruling. Their attorney, María Rachid, says the new ruling should not overturn the original decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/world/americas/01briefs-001.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:

A right to say 'I do'
By Richard Cohen
The truth is that if Maj. Nidal Hasan, the accused killer of 13 people at Fort Hood, had entered the officers club there with a nice handbag on his arm, perhaps a Gucci tote, he would have been out of the Army by the end of the week. Since he was merely antisocial, a misfit, an incompetent psychiatrist and a likely Islamic fanatic, he was retained and promoted. This says something about America. On the subject of gays, we are a tad nuts ourselves.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113003158.html/

Archbishop takes a reluctant turn in the spotlight
Tactics in same-sex marriage controversy concern D.C. Catholics
By Michelle Boorstein
When the D.C. Council votes Tuesday on a historic measure to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, one of the most visible faces of opposition will be an unlikely one: Catholic Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, a mild-mannered man known for compromise, pragmatism and working behind the scenes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113004046.html/

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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

China AIDS-Fighting Bar Gets Put On Ice
By Sky Canaves
China’s government has devoted heavy fanfare to the 22nd World AIDS Day, with state media devoting much of its reporting to the activities of top leaders to mark the occasion.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2009/12/01/china-aids-fighting-bar-gets-put-on-ice/

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

Judge won't keep Dillard High School student's statements out of murder trial
By Tonya Alanez
A Broward judge Tuesday denied a motion by Teah Wimberly's lawyer to keep a jury from hearing statements the Dillard High School student made to police after she allegedly killed a classmate.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-dillard-high-shooting-20091130,0,3881519.story/

California blogger takes satirical jab at gay marriage ban by trying to outlaw divorce
By Judy Lin
Til death do us part? The vow would really hold true in California if a Sacramento Web designer gets his way. In a movement that seems ripped from the pages of Comedy Channel writers, John Marcotte wants to put a measure on the ballot next year to ban divorce in California.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-banning-divorce,0,7256587.story/

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

Parents pay tribute to gay son who died of AIDS
Just got an email from Joanne Howard of Winter Park, Fla.:
Hi - 19 years ago our gay son, Tod, died from AIDS. He was a wonderful son, so kind and caring.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/parents-pay-tribute-to-gay-son-who-died-of-aids.html/

AIDS Action Council urges ‘Congress to include coverage for all people living with HIV/AIDS in the healthcare reform legislation’
News release from AIDS Action Council: Today, AIDS Action honors the millions of people lost to HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic in 1981 and commits to ending the scourge of HIV in the U.S. and the world. AIDS Action recognizes the legislative and administrative progress over the last year in the U.S., but there is a long way to go towards preventing new infections, ensuring treatment and care for all people living with HIV and creating a complete research portfolio.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/aids-action-council-urges-congress-to-include-coverage-for-all-people-living-with-hivaids-in-the-healthcare-reform-legislati.html/

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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

Rabbis, heterosexuals join NJ gay marriage debate
By GEOFF MULVIHILL
The leaders in the local large Orthodox Jewish community go to great lengths to keep out the outside world, discouraging nonbusiness use of the Internet and encouraging strict filters to keep the ungodly out when members must use the Web.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/1359394.html/

Basel on the beach: Containers give way to performance art
BY JORDAN LEVIN
Graphic designer Beat Muller sits in front of a sign that will be at Art Basel's free Oceanfront area in Collins Park.
New is necessary in the art world. And so this year the beachfront at Collins Park, which had been home to Art Basel Miami Beach's popular Art Containers exhibit of mini-galleries inside metal shipping containers, is bursting from its boxes.
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/arts/v-print/story/1358774.html/

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

Matthew Mitcham, Scantily Clad on Canvas
By Advocate.com Editors
Photos of Matthew Mitcham’s sleek diver’s body have drawn international eyeballs since the gay athlete nabbed Olympic gold in platform diving at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Courtesy of artist Ross Watson, he’s now been immortalized on canvas in a painting currently on exhibit at the Australian National Portrait Gallery.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Matthew_Mitcham,_Scantily_Clad_on_Canvas/

Opera’s New Trend: “Barihunks”
By Advocate.com Editors
The Los Angeles Times is reporting on a new trend in Opera: “barihunks” — men who are as well-known for their buff bods as they are for their singing chops.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Operas_New_Trend_Barihunks/

Michelle Obama Tops Carla Bruni
By Christopher Mangum
French Elle, a prominent fashion magazine, has declared that Michelle Obama is more stylish than France’s own first lady, Carla Bruni.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Michelle_Obama_Tops_Carla_Bruni/

Phelps’s Grandkid Digs Up Old Advocate
By Advocate.com Editors
Fred Phelps’s granddaughter Megan is on Twitter, and, presumably, is digging through the Phelps family archives. This afternoon, she tweeted a photo of the November 1993 issue of The Advocate, with Phelps and one of his many signs of the cover.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Fred_Phelps_Grandkid_Digs_Up_Old_Advocate/

Disney Doesn’t Want Another Lambert
By Christopher Mangum
The Walt Disney Co., which co-owns ABC TV, announced Monday that it will tighten its policy on live performances following Adam Lambert’s routine last week on the American Music Awards. Disney/ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney said the company will put requirements in artists' contracts to assure that shows resemble their rehearsals.
http://www.advocate.com/

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

The 11 most important AIDS stories of 2009
By Selena Watkins
Today is the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day, the international day that reflects on the global health epidemic . There are 33 million people infected with the virus worldwide, including 2.31 million in India alone.
http://www.365gay.com/news/the-11-most-important-aids-stories-of-2009/

Chinese government opens gay bar
By 365gay Newswire
The Advocate reported that the health department of Dali, China has opened a government-funded gay bar in an effort to reach out to China’s increasingly open gay community.
http://www.365gay.com/news/chinese-government-opens-gay-bar/

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

Tories to reward couples in marriages and civil partnerships
Conservative leader David Cameron signalled yesterday that civil partnerships would be rewarded in the same way as marriages. He said that the Tories would change the tax system in order to give benefits to those in relationships recognised by the state.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/tories-to-reward-couples-in-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/

Trial begins over gay man stabbed to death in London
The trial of a man accused of attacking a gay couple with a knife has begun. David Kilcullen, 46, is accused of the fatal stabbing of Gerry Edwards, 59, and the attack on his partner, 56-year-old Chris Bevan. The couple lived in Bromley, south-east London.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/trial-begins-over-gay-man-stabbed-to-death-in-london/

World AIDS Day: This year's biggest HIV and AIDS news stories
Today is World AIDS Day. The event is held to raise awareness of the disease, remember those who have died and support those living with it. PinkNews.co.uk has produced a round-up of the biggest HIV and AIDS news stories from the last year.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/world-aids-day-this-years-biggest-hiv-and-aids-news-stories/

Stephen Gately is hottest topic on Google's search list
Stephen Gately, the Boyzone star who died last month, was the hottest topic on Google's UK site this year. Google released its annual top search lists yesterday and Gately's death also featured ninth in the web company's top ten news search.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/stephen-gately-is-hottest-topic-on-googles-search-list/

Gay couples 'barred' from Top Gear audience
A gay couple have accused the BBC of discrimination after they were barred from attending a recording of Top Gear. Simon Reeves, 26, said he and his partner were barred because of bizarre rules that stipulate bookings must consist of equal numbers of men and women.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/gay-couples-barred-from-top-gear-audience/

Last-minute ruling halts first Latin American gay wedding
A gay couple in Buenos Aires, Argentina, have had their wedding halted after a judge intervened at the last minute. Jose Maria Di Bello and partner Alex Freyre planned to marry today on World AIDS Day after Judge Gabriela Seijas ruled last month that the ban on gay marriage violated Argentina's constitution.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/last-minute-ruling-halts-first-latin-american-gay-wedding/

Chinese city opens gay bar to tackle HIV
The Chinese city government of Dali has opened a state-funded gay bar to tackle HIV infections. The city, in the southwestern Yunnan province, is one of the ten Chinese cities most affected by HIV and sex between men is thought to account for one third of transmissions.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/chinese-city-opens-gay-bar-to-tackle-hiv/

Tatchell calls for an end to the blood ban on gay men
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has called for the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood to be abolished. Speaking ahead of World AIDS Day, which is tomorrow, Tatchell said the lifetime ban was based on "stereotyped, irrational, unscientific and homophobic assumptions".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/tatchell-calls-for-an-end-to-the-blood-ban-on-gay-men/

Trans recognition laws to come before Irish parliament
New laws to give greater legal recognition to trans people will come before the Irish parliament (Dail) next year. They have been proposed by the Green Party, who say that people should be able to chose which gender they want to be legally recognised by.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/trans-recognition-laws-to-come-before-irish-parliament/

Australian teacher accused of lesbian affair with pupil
An Australian music teacher has pleaded not guilty to repeatedly counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a female pupil.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/australian-teacher-accused-of-lesbian-affair-with-pupil/

One in five people with HIV harassed or threatened
A survey into stigma around HIV has found that one in five people living with the disease has been harassed or threatened in the last year. It also found that a similar number had been refused medical treatment.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/one-in-five-people-with-hiv-harassed-or-threatened/

Christian relationship counsellor loses appeal over gay couples
A Christian relationship counsellor who refused to work with gay couples has lost his appeal for unfair dismissal. Gary McFarlane was sacked by Relate last year after saying he would not "encourage sin" in gay and lesbian couples.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/christian-counsellor-loses-appeal-over-gay-couples/

Rupert Everett vows to leave Britain if Cameron becomes prime minister
Gay actor Rupert Everett has said he will leave the UK if the Tories win the next general election because they are too posh.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/rupert-everett-vows-to-leave-britain-if-cameron-becomes-prime-minister/

Liverpool police release CCTV images of boys wanted for homophobic assault
Merseyside Police have released CCTV images of four teenage boys wanted in connection with a homophobic assault on a gay student. The 19-year-old was attacked on Wednesday, November 18th on Lord Street near James Street Station.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/liverpool-police-release-cctv-images-of-boys-wanted-for-homophobic-assault/

Comment: Trans deaths must not be forgotten
London's Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil was attended by the friends and family of two trans women murdered in the UK in the last month. Sarah Brown argues that more attention should be given to transphobia and its victims.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/25/comment-trans-deaths-must-not-be-forgotten/

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

D.C. gov’t official linked to trans bias complaint
Posted on 24 November 2009 by Lou Chibbaro Jr.
The Montgomery County, Md., Ethics Commission — which is headed by a D.C. government attorney working in an unofficial, volunteer capacity — violated the county’s human rights law by waging a “blatant political attack” against a transgender woman based solely on her gender identity, according to a discrimination complaint filed last week.
http://dcagenda.com/2009/11/24/d-c-gov%E2%80%99t-official-linked-to-trans-bias-complaint/

Monserrate Marriage Vote Rejected
Stonewall Dems join push for Peralta over disgraced Queens state senator
BY ANDY HUMM
The Stonewall Democrats of New York are not just calling for the removal of State Senator Hiram Monserrate, a Queens Democrat, due to his domestic violence conviction, they don’t want his vote on the marriage equality bill that Senate leaders have pledged to bring to the floor before the end of the year.
http://chelseanow.com/articles/2009/11/30/gay_city_news/news//doc4b0d55c5ab2e3044020105.txt/

Marriage in Mass., Argentina; World AIDS Day
by Matt Comer
Argentine marriage
After a city judge found a same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional, it seemed Alex Freyre and Jose Maria di Bello would become Latin America’s first gay couple to wed. Another judge in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has put an injunction on the union until a further review can be held. CNN has more… (and so does The Advocate…)
Marriage in Massachusetts
The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the legal battle over interstate marriage in Massachusetts, where federal courts will take up the question of whether Congress must treat all state marriages equally, and whether the Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional. Gay and lesbian couples are joined in the fight by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and are arguing that the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause requires U.S. states to recognize marriages issued by other states. The Obama Administration is defending the Defense of Marriage Act, although they are calling it “wrongheaded.” Read more…
http://dailyqueernews.com/94/marriage-in-mass-argentina-world-aids-day/

Missouri Hate Crime
By 365gay Newswire
KSDK reported that three gay men were attacked early Saturday morning when leaving The Complex Nightclub in St. Louis.
http://www.365gay.com/news/missouri-hate-crime/

Why Is Chase Bank Willing to Give NOM Some Of Its $5 Million Charity Prize?
Would you like to donate cash to the National Organization for Marriage Educational Fund, which NOM describes as "engaged solely in pro-marriage education and research"? Great news! You can still support it without giving up any of your hard earned cash. Because JPMorgan Chase, which reported $3.6 billion in profit last quarter, is willing to do it for you.
http://www.queerty.com/why-is-chase-bank-willing-to-give-nom-some-of-its-5-million-charity-prize-20091130/

Tom Petty Opens Up About Abusive Father
by John D. Luerssen
Tom Petty has come clean about his upbringing and says he still has nightmares about his violent father. According to Petty, his old man didn't understand his love of the arts and thought he was homosexual because he had no interest in playing football or baseball. Petty also says he loathed joining his dad, an outdoorsman, on hunting trips.
http://www.spinner.com/2009/11/30/tom-petty-violent-dad/

Ebony magazine puts out lesbian on the cover
by: Alvin McEwen
For the first time that I can remember, Ebony magazine has placed an out-of-the-closet lesbian on the cover. Comedian Wanda Sykes has graced the cover of the magazine as a part of its Power 150 list.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14309/ebony-magazine-puts-out-lesbian-on-the-cover/

Sec. Clinton: U.S should 'stand against efforts to marginalize and criminalize' LGBTs worldwide'
by: Pam Spaulding
Hypocrite megachurch pastor Rick "I never take sides" Warren bleats away about how he can't weigh in on the morality of Uganda's "execute homos" legislation -- a sentiment echoed by and large by Ambassador Eric Goosby, the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Yet, Hillary Clinton weighed in on what should not be a difficult thing for anyone to say about eliminationist govenance by a nation that accepts U.S. taxpayer dollars. (The Advocate):
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14304/sec-clinton-us-should-stand-against-efforts-to-marginalize-and-criminalize-lgbts-worldwide/

Don't pass out - Little Green Footballs post: Why I Parted Ways With the Right
by: Pam Spaulding
It's not April Fool's Day, is it? One of the stalwart go-to blogs on the right -- competing up there with rants at Freeperland several years ago was Charles Johnson's Little Green Footballs. Even LGF has had enough of the lunacy coming out of the teabagger/birther/fundie wing. Enough to write this:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14305/dont-pass-out-little-green-footballs-post-why-i-parted-ways-with-the-right/

Cleveland, Ohio: Trans Civil Rights Protections Win Unanimous Passage
by: Autumn Sandeen
A push to outlaw transgender discrimination is likely to pass at tonight's City Council meeting. For months, transgender rights advocates have been lobbying council members to support the measure, which Councilman Joe Santiago introduced more than a year ago.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14307/cleveland-ohio-trans-civil-rights-protections-win-unanimous-passage/

Grief Is a Sword
Filed by: Dana Rudolph
"We queers of Revelation hill...died of the greed of power, because we were expendable. If you mean to visit any of us, it had better be to make you strong to fight that power. Take your languor and easy tears somewhere else. Above all, don't pretty us up. Tell yourself: None of this ever had to happen. And then go make it stop, with whatever breath you have left. Grief is a sword, or it is nothing."
--Paul Monette, who lost his partner Roger Horwitz to AIDS
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/grief_is_a_sword.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/

One Cheer for Obama’s Afghanistan Troop Decision
(with more possible pending tonight’s speech)
Posted by B. Daniel Blatt
While I have faulted the President in private conversations for his “dithering” on Afghanistan, I have barely touched on the subject on this blog. It’s not that I don’t think the issue is important, it’s just that I think pundits and other bloggers have pretty much said all that needs to be said.
http://www.gaypatriot.net/2009/12/01/one-cheer-for-obamas-afghanistan-decisionwith-more-possible-pending-tonights-speech/

By Palin-haters’ logic, Obama’s a liar
Posted by B. Daniel Blatt
Google “Palin lie ‘bridge to nowhere’” and you get tens of thousands of hits, many to left-wing blogs (and even a few “news” articles) telling us that that good woman lied when she said “Thanks, but no thanks” to the “bridge to nowhere.” You see, while campaigning for Governor of the Last Frontier, that Republican supported the bridge. But, she, like many of us, from time to time, changed her mind. And did so long before she spoke that line at the Republican National Convention in September 2008. Indeed, the Alaska Democratic Party credited that reformed-minded Republican for killing the bridge.
http://www.gaypatriot.net/2009/12/01/by-palin-haterss-logic-obama-is-a-liar/

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