GLBT DIGEST - December 03, 2009

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

New York State Lawmakers Reject Gay Marriage Bill
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a bill that would have made their state the sixth to allow gay marriage, stunning advocates who suffered a similar decision by Maine voters just last month.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/03/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NY.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/

Gay-Marriage Opponents Welcome NY Bill's Defeat
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A bill that would have allowed same-sex marriage was rejected by New York lawmakers, a bruising outcome for national advocates in a state that was the site of one of the gay rights movement's defining moments four decades ago, and a huge victory for opponents who said it could influence votes elsewhere.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/03/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/

From the Floor and the Heart, Senators Make an Issue Personal
By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Ruth Hassell-Thompson was a young girl decades ago when her older brother, a gay man, vanished from her deeply religious family, moving away to escape their disapproving father.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/nyregion/03personal.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/

Amid Small Wins, Advocates Lose Marquee Battles
By KATE ZERNIKE
Just a few months ago, gay marriage looked as if it was on an inexorable path to approval in the liberal redoubt of the Northeast.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/nyregion/03analysis.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/

New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill
By JEREMY W. PETERS
The New York State Senate decisively rejected a bill on Wednesday that would have allowed gay couples to wed, providing a major victory for those who oppose same-sex marriage and underscoring the deep and passionate divisions surrounding the issue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/nyregion/03marriage.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:

In Va. Senate race, Democrats get another chance
For all you Northern Virginia Democrats who've been insisting that last month's Republican landslide was a fluke, here's your chance to prove it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120203828.html/

Washington Times cuts in staff, coverage cue new era
By Howard Kurtz
The Washington Times, which gained a strong foothold in a politically obsessed city as a conservative alternative to much of the mainstream media, is about to become a drastically smaller newspaper.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120203295.html/

Eye Opener: Immunity for gay service members?
By Ed O'Keefe
Happy Thursday! Lawmakers want to give immunity to gay military service members that agree to testify at Congressional hearings about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/12/eye_opener_immunity_for_gay_se.html/

Ex-Seminarian wants gay priests out of the closet
By Michelle Boorstein
Looks like the activist tradition of pulling gay celebs out of the closet is moving to the parish. Angry over the Catholic Church's work against same-sex marriage efforts in Maine and Washington D.C., a former seminarian turned netroots organizer has launched a campaign to gather names and information about closeted gay priests (as well as straight priests who engage in heterosexual affairs) "to combat the hypocrisy of their silence."
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2009/12/wanted_gay_priests.html/

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

National study: Coral Springs safest in state
By Lisa Huriash
Coral Springs is the safest city in Florida, according to "City Crime Rankings 2009-2010: Crime in Metropolitan America," a new report put together by criminologists based on 2008 data. "Hopefully this can give everybody some level of comfort," said Mayor Scott Brook.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/coral-springs/fl-coral-springs-crime-20091202,0,4181670.story/

Water managers admit they violated agreement to keep polluted water out of Everglades
They tell a federal judge they need more time to reduce phosphorus levels in water flowing off farms and pastures
By Curtis Morgan
Water managers and environmental regulators have acknowledged the state is in violation of a landmark legal agreement requiring Florida to halt the flow of polluted water into the Everglades. At the same time, however, they're urging a federal judge overseeing the progress not to declare them in violation or, in fact, do anything at all.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-everglades-violation-20091202,0,2130635.story/

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

Witness immunity sought for gay service members
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings introduces ‘Honest and Open Testimony Act’ regarding Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press
Gay service members who reveal their sexual orientations during congressional testimony would be immune from forced discharges under a bill introduced Wednesday, as lawmakers prepare to consider repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/witness-immunity-sought-for-gay-service-members.html/

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings introduces ‘Honest and Open Testimony Act’ regarding Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
News release from U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar: Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) introduced the Honest and Open Testimony Act, a bill that would help provide for an honest and open discussion regarding Don't Ask, Don't Tell by allowing active-duty members of the Armed Forces, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) members, to openly testify in Congressional hearings without fear of retribution.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/us-rep-alcee-hastings-introduces-honest-and-open-testimony-act-regarding-dont-ask-dont-tell.html/

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

When did Tiger Woods have time to golf?
OUT & PROUD
The Family Ties mom has come out. ``I am a lesbian, and it was a later-in-life recognition of that fact,'' Meredith Baxter said in an interview Wednesday on NBC television.
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/people/story/1362877.html/

Teen's attorney lays basis for insanity plea
The attorney for Teah Wimberly didn't deny that his client shot a friend to death in school. He blamed it on abuse she had received throughout her childhood.
BY TONYA ALANEZ
In the 24 hours before she gunned down a sophomore she was obsessed with, high school classmate Teah Wimberly messaged friends saying she would be jailed because she was going to ``blow somebody away.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1362884.html/

Our security is at risk if we don't improve our educational system, provide universal healthcare, treat gays as equals, protect our environment and enact gun control.
These are the realities that put our security at risk, not a war miles away where we are killing thousands of innocent people.
BERNARDO GUTIERREZ, Miami
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/1362874.html/

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

Nate Berkus Sues Over Bad Caulk Job
By Christopher Mangum
Nate Berkus, known widely as Oprah Winfrey’s resident design guru, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday for the poor construction of his office roof.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Nate_Berkus_Sues_Over_Bad_Caulk_Job/

True Blood Casts Gay Vampire
By Christopher Mangum
True Blood has cast two new characters, including the boyfriend of vampire king Russell Edington, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hollywood newcomer Theo Alexander will join the cast as Talbot, an “intensely beautiful” vampire who loves to cook.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/True_Blood_Casts_Gay_Vampire/

Walters Finds Lambert, Gaga, Palin Fascinating
By Christopher Mangum
ABC announced nine of the ten individuals selected to be included in Barbara Walter’s annual 10 Most Fascinating People special.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Walters_Finds_Lambert_Gaga_Palin_Fascinating/

Escape to Canada
American lesbian soldier Skyler James was harassed in the military — and so she fled to Canada, where she is applying for refugee status. Now James tells her story to Advocate.com
By Matthew Hays
Skyler James doesn’t hold back in her praise for Canada. “It’s awesome, I love this place,” she says. “It’s so much gayer than the U.S. OK, I take that back. It’s just a lot more open-minded.”
http://www.advocate.com/Politics/Military/Escape_to_Canada/

Abuser Confesses to Precious Director
By Christopher Mangum
Out director Lee Daniels revealed on Tuesday that a man confessed to abusing his daughter following a screening of his film Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which deals with abuse between a father and daughter.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Abuser_Confesses_to_Precious_Director/

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

Rally Thurs. night in Union Square for gay marriage
By Jennifer Vanasco
From Marriage Equality NY: MARRIAGE EQUALITY VOTE PROTEST RALLY – Union Square (north side) – to show that our voices WILL be heard!
http://www.365gay.com/news/rally-thurs-night-in-union-square-for-gay-marriage/

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

Vatican distances itself from cardinal's homophobic comments
The Vatican has issued an indirect rebuke to a Catholic cardinal who said gays and trans people could not enter heaven. Javier Lozano Barragan, a leading Catholic cardinal, said gay people are not born that way and were "an insult to God".
Peter Tatchell: The Equality Bill is less than equal
Way back in 1983, when I stood as the Labour candidate in the Bermondsey by-election, I proposed the idea of a single, comprehensive anti-discrimination law, to guarantee equal treatment and protection for everyone. At the time, this proposal was dismissed as "ultra left," as too radical and daring. Three decades later, however, it is close to reality.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/03/vatican-distances-itself-from-cardinals-homophobic-comments/

US bill could see witness immunity for gay soldiers
A bill has been introduced to allow gay and lesbian servicemembers the right to immunity when appearing before congress to give evidence on the current military gay ban.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/03/us-bill-could-see-witness-immunity-for-gay-soldiers/

California groups 'committed' to 2010 gay marriage vote
A coalition of Californian gay rights groups have said they are determined to get gay marriage back on the ballot next year. City gay rights activist Harvey Milk, they said he did not wait for research while campaigning for equality.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/02/california-groups-committed-to-2010-gay-marriage-vote/

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

Tiger Woods’ prenup, gay marriage and the law
I was going to avoid commenting on the Tiger Woods scandal. But this story about Tiger’s prenup, combined with yesterday’s rejection of gay marriage in New York, made me reconsider.
Seriously. Get a load of the prenup: The Daily Beast has learned exclusively that the beleaguered golfer is negotiating an immediate $5 million payout to his wife—and revising her prenup to give her as much as $55 million more to stay with him two more years.
http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/politics/2009/12/03/tiger-woods-prenup-gay-marriage-and-the-law/

Marriage is under attack from many angles
By Kent Bush
It is often said that two things that should not be discussed in polite company are politics and religion. I hope no polite people are reading this column since I'll probably hit both targets with one arrow.
http://www.augustagazette.com/opinions/columnists/x1792921759/Marriage-is-under-attack-from-many-angles/

D.C. marriage: Reaction from the street
by Matt Comer
Scrambled, or over-easy? Your Morning Blend below…
Carlos in DC takes his camera and heads out to get the voices of the common men and women of Washington, D.C., and their reactions to the city council’s first affirmative vote on marriage equality. Watch the video here…
http://dailyqueernews.com/156/d-c-marriage-reaction-from-the-street/

Go Ahead. Step Over That Line.
Filed by: Father Tony
Dear FT,
About 10 years ago I met a guy. He was in on business from another state and asked me out. We went out a few times before he went home, and we had incredible chemistry. Things didn't work out, and he broke it off with me. I can't help it, but I still think of him from time to time. I got married to another man, and had 2 children. I love my husband, but I feel I am falling out of love with him. It's lack of communication, and everytime we do talk, it escalates into an argument. I always feel I have to walk on eggshells around him.
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/go_ahead_step_over_that_line.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/

Why isn't there a strong, ideological left in America?
Filed by: Alex Blaze
Linda Hirshman has an interesting post up at Salon about what the women's reproductive freedom movement can learn from teh gayz. I'm not going to blockquote it, just summarize it, so feel free to go read the whole thing and come back. (While you over there, ignore the title and photo, as something tells me Hirshman probably wasn't responsible for that. It's annoying, isn't it?)
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/talking_strategy_between_lgbts_and_women.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/

Rick Warren continues to lose integrity over proposed Ugandan anti-gay bill
by: Alvin McEwen
Rick Warren continues to compound the error of his ignorance.
According to ThinkProgress:
In recent days, Pastor Rick Warren has come under fire for refusing to condemn an Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda that would make some homosexual acts punishable by death. “[I]t is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations,” said Warren. On his Twitter feed, Warren is now trying to change the subject, claiming that “no one” cared when 146,000 Christians died last year (so why should he now care about gay men and women in Africa?):
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14336/rick-warren-continues-to-lose-integrity-over-proposed-ugandan-antigay-bill/

Cardinal: 'gays and transvestites will never enter the reign of God'
by: Pam Spaulding
Can we go just one flipping week without an ignorant bigot eruption from one of Papa Ratzi's boyz? Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, a Mexican cardinal and emeritus president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health (1996-2009), has said in an interview with Pontifex, that homosexuals and transvestites "will never enter into the reign of God," appealing to St. Paul. "[T]rans e omosessuali non entreranno mai nel Regno dei Cieli, e non lo dico io, ma San Paolo." Later in the interview he says that he believes homosexuals are not born that way but become that.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14335/cardinal-gays-and-transvestites-will-never-enter-the-reign-of-god/

Larry Sinclair Is Running For Congress
Larry Sinclair, the gay multiple felon who wrote a book in which he claimed to have had oral sex and snorted cocaine with Barack Obama, is running for Congress in Florida's 24th District. In his announcement, Sinclair boldly lists his felony convictions and his dozen food service job.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/larry-sinclair-is-running-for-congress.html/

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