**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ore. AG to investigate mayor's affair with teen
By WILLIAM McCALL
The state's attorney general agreed Wednesday to investigate claims made by the mayor of Portland that he lied to cover up a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old boy. Portland Mayor Sam Adams admitted this week that he lied to cover up his relationship with a teenage legislative intern because a potential mayoral candidate had spread rumors that Adams had sex with a minor.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103087.html
-Colorado group lobbies in Wyoming on gay marriage
By BEN NEARY
A national conservative Christian group has begun a telephone lobbying campaign in Wyoming in support of a gay-marriage ban in the state Senate. Focus on the Family Action, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is pushing to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would stop the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012102554.html
-Defense for Canada polygamists cites gay marriage
By JEREMY HAINSWORTH
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Canada's decision to legalize gay marriage has paved the way for polygamy to be legal as well, a defense lawyer said Wednesday as the two leaders of rival polygamous communities made their first court appearance. The case is the first to test Canada's polygamy laws.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012102167.html
-Online-Porn Law Is Allowed to Die
High Court Won't Hear Bush Appeal
By Robert Barnes
The Supreme Court yesterday ended Congress's most recent attempt to protect children from sexually explicit and other objectionable material on the Internet. The court without comment refused to hear the Bush administration's attempt to save the Child Online Protection Act, which has
been challenged as unconstitutional since its passage in 1998 and which has never taken effect.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012101330.html?hpid=sec-nation
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-New study claims 16% of Iranian men have had gay relationships
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
A sociologist at an Iranian university has presented a new study that shows high levels of homosexual experiences among the country's population.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10807.html
-Polish MP disciplined after asking if former Prime Minister is gay
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
A member of the ruling party in Poland is to be removed as the chair of a parliamentary committee after he publicly questioned if one of his political opponents is gay. Jaroslaw Kazcynski was Prime Minister from July 2006 until his Law and Justice party was defeated in the November 2007 election.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10817.html
-Court rules New Orleans can grant benefits to same-sex partners
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
A homophobic Christian group has failed in its attempt to stop the city of New Orleans granting health benefits to the domestic partners of employees. The Alliance Defence Fund, who claim to "aggressively defend religious liberty," had appealed an earlier court ruling in favour of the city.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10811.html
-Gay judge reveals homophobic interrogation on his way to the bench
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
The first High Court judge to be open about his homosexuality has revealed that he had to face questions about his sex life by a "special tribunal" of inquisitors when he applied to be a part-time recorder. "What followed was somewhat bizarre and depressing," Sir Adrian Fulford told a meeting about diversity in the law, The Times reports.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10810.html
-Amnesty highlights ongoing violence against trans people in Honduras
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk
A leading human rights group has said that transgender women who work as sex workers in Honduras are frequently attacked by clients or police officers. Three trans women have been killed in the last three months while working in the area of Comayagüela, near Palmira.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10809.html
-Advertising watchdog rejects investigation into whether God "probably" doesn't exist
By Tony Grew
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has said that an athiest bus poster campaign does not break the advertising code. The ASA comments follow complaints led by Christain Voice, an anti-gay evangelical movement that claim that the advert's claim that God "probably" doesn't exist was misleading.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10793.html
-Comment: Gay bishop's eyewitness account of Obama's inauguration
By Comment
Gene Robinson, the Anglican Bishop of New Hampshire, has returned to blogging after a break of several months to share his experiences of the inauguration celebrations in Washington DC. His latest entry on Canterbury Tales From The Fringe relates a short exchange with controversial preacher Rick Warren, the view from the Presidential Platform and where Oprah was sitting. Not to mention Aretha Franklin's hat.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10783.html
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Sexual Dishonesty on the Rise at Catholic Seminaries
Michael Airhart | Truth Wins Out
Under pressure from the Vatican to deny the existence of homosexuality and to expel same-sex-attracted aspirants, Catholic seminaries are now telling the Vatican what it wants to hear: that "difficulties" regarding seminarian "homosexual behavior" (whatever that is) have been "largely overcome." Meanwhile, the prevalence of sexual abuse among priests remains poorly surveyed, as the Vatican falsely believes that the expulsion of gay celibate seminarians and the suppression of gay celibate priests will somehow cure priests and seminarians who are attracted not to men or women, but to kids. The report by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education implies that more should be done to police seminarians' thoughts and routine daily behaviors, according to the National Catholic Reporter: Read more
-Why Do LGBT People Smoke Up to 200 Percent More than Straight People?
Michael A. Jones | Change.org
So we're a little more than three weeks into the New Year, and we imagine that a number of folks have "quit smoking" as one of their top resolutions for 2009. (Including, perhaps, our 44th President?) And though more and more locations are placing a ban on public smoking, cigarettes remain quite popular in LGBT circles. That's according to the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, which estimates that LGBT people smoke anywhere from 35 to 200 percent more cigarettes than straight people. Further, the group estimates that between 35-40 percent of LGBT people smoke nationwide. Why is that? Karyn Haney, the openly lesbian project coordinator for Chicago's Howard Brown Health Center's "It's a Bitch to Quit" program, has a theory. Read more
-Why Ret. Gen. Colin Powell Owes American Soldiers an Apology
Scott Cohen | Daily Illini
Back in 1993, when Tom Hanks won an Academy Award for portraying a homosexual in Philadelphia, Colin Powell designed Don't Ask Don't Tell. For fifteen years, this policy has dictated that soldiers cannot display sexualities other than heterosexual in any way. If their non-heterosexual orientations are vocalized or displayed, they are dishonorably discharged, as has been the case for more than ten thousand soldiers. Before I get into the logistics of why DADT has failed, it is important to know that many see this as an atrocity to America's "principles" of non-discrimination. The policy states concisely that any inclination toward homosexual behavior "would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability." This proves that, as many have argued, DADT is not about homosexuality. Rather, this policy seems to reflect the homophobia that has plagued America since the pilgrims plowed into Plymouth rock. American society has created a nation of people who are fearful of those who are - gasp - not attracted to members of the opposite sex! Read more
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Transgender model steals fashion show
By The Associated Press
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Rio closed its main fashion event of the year with less attention to the clothes than the model - a transgendered actress.
http://www.365gay.com/news/transgender-model-steals-fashion-show/
-Future of abstinence-only funding in limbo
By The Associated Press
With the exit of the Bush administration, critics of abstinence-only sex education will be making an aggressive push to cut off federal funding for what they consider an ineffective, sometimes harmful program.
http://www.365gay.com/news/future-of-abstinence-only-funding-in-limbo/
-Paper Trail: How to Come Out
While most publicists keep their clients in the closet, I've developed a reputation in Hollywood as the go-to guy for stars who decide to come out. The first celebrities I took out of the closet were Dick Sargent, Darren number 2 on Bewitched, and Sheila Kuehl, now an elected official in California and initially an actor on the 1960s TV sitcom The Loves and Lives of Dobie Gillis. Ironically, on a personal note, when I was 13, I came with my family to California for a cousin's wedding. Somehow my parents and I got in to see the filming of Bewitched, which was filmed without a live audience. It was just shot in a studio. The only Hollywood stars I met on that trip were Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, and Agnes Moorehead. Of those three, I ended up working with two of them, Montgomery and Sargent. Elizabeth always believed that Bewitched was the perfect metaphor for being in the closet. Anytime Samantha used her powers as a witch, she had to close the doors, pull the drapes, and make sure that no one could see what was happening. Today, Samantha might be able to come out of the closet herself and practice her witchcraft for all to see, but that's not how things were back then.
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid70585.asp
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Free the Senegal Nine
Senegal! Stop persecuting human rights defenders
On the 6 January 2009, nine men, most of them HIV/AIDS campaigners,were sentenced in Dakar, Senegal, to eight years imprisonment. They were charged with "indecent and unnatural acts" and "forming associations of criminals," following a late night police raid on the home of a HIV outreach worker on 19 December 2008. "The nine men received five years jail on mere suspicion of homosexuality," said Peter Tatchell of OutRage!
http://www.hrw.org/en/category/topic/lgbt-rights
-A new study by an Iranian University shows that 24% of Iranian women and 16% of Iranian men have had at least one homosexual experience. Parvaneh Abdul Maleki, a sociologist, who presented her findings in the "Third Conference on Well-being in the Family", also says that her research shows that 26% of women and 73% of men have admitted sexual self-satisfaction, an act that is considered a sin in Islam. This is the first time that the Iranian media have reported the occurrence of such a high percentage of sexual acts outside marriage. The media are usually not allowed to elaborate on sexuality, and the government imposes heavy punishments for any sexual relationship outside heterosexual marriage. The new research also shows the weak correlation between religiosity and sex outside marriage. According to the report, " 8.40% of those who masturbate, 4.16% of those who had same-sex relationships, 86.18% of those who had heterosexual relationships outside marriage, and 76.55% of those who have watched porn movies have said that they grew up in religiously conservative families.
http://www.ghatreh.com/news/?q=%D9%87%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%B3+%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%8A
-Transgender human rights defender (name known to Amnesty International) (f)
Killed: Cintia Nicole Moreno (f), transgender human rights defender JazmÃn Zelaya (f), transgender woman
Police officers are alleged to have beaten up a transgender woman, who is an HIV/AIDS campaigner and sex worker, after she refused to give them her money. They subsequently threatened her with death if she reported the incident. Her life is at risk. Three other transgender women, most recently Cintia Nicole Moreno on 8 January, have been killed in a nearby area in the last three months.
-Cary Alan Johnson Appointed as IGLHRC's New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Cary Alan Johnson as the organization's next Executive Director. He succeeds outgoing Executive Director, Paula Ettelbrick, whose six-year term ends March 1, 2009.
http://www.iglhrc.org
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Homosexuality, the animal kingdom, and same-sex marriage
A few weeks ago, I read an article about gay penguins at a zoo in Northern China that I thought was cute and meaningful. Apparently, the pair had been segregated from the colony for disturbing other couples during hatching time. They wanted to be parents so badly that they were trying to steal eggs from other couples by substituting them with rocks. Awww. /pat After protests from zoo visitors, they were given a chance to act as foster parents and were found to be the best parents out of the lot: In response, zookeepers gave the pair two eggs laid by an inexperienced first-time mother.
http://dotnetgoddess.blogspot.com/2009/01/homosexuality-animal-kingdom-and-same.html
-Stonewall Democrat Elected Highest-Ranking Democratic Official
Ray Buckle Elected Vice-Chair of DNC, President of State Party Chairs Today, the Stonewall Democrats congratulated board member and New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair, the Hon. Raymond Buckley, upon his election as President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs. With his election, Buckley also becomes a Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee and the highest-ranking openly-gay official within the national Democratic party. Elected with an overwhelming 72% of the vote, Buckley will serve as ASDC President for the next two years. "The election of Raymond Buckley elevates another strong voice for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans within the DemocraticParty," said Jon Hoadley, Executive Director of the Stonewall Democrats.
-The Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College
Conference (MBLGTACC) will hold its 17th annual conference Feb. 13-15, 2009 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
http://www.mblgtacc.org
=
From Kate Kendall
National Center for Lesbian Rights - NCLR
-Last brief filed in Prop 8 legal challenge
Our legal team has been working around the clock to meet the California Supreme Court's expedited briefing schedule in our Prop 8 legal challenge. We missed holidays, weekends, and plenty of sleep, but the hard work paid off and we just filed our final brief (pdf) in the case. Today's brief highlights the extraordinary breadth of support for our argument that Proposition 8 is invalid. Those supporting our argument represent the full gamut of California's and the nation's civil rights organizations and legal scholars, as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups. [...] Professors from the many universities and law schools in California and across the country authored briefs urging invalidation of Proposition 8, including scholars from Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, University of California (Berkeley, Los Angeles, Hastings, Davis, Irvine), University of Southern California, University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, University of San Francisco, Loyola Law School, Santa Clara Law School, Chapman University, and Pepperdine University. [...] Next, we wait for the Court to schedule oral argument, which could happen as soon as March. We are confident in our argument, humbled by the support of such powerful allies, and hopeful that the promise of California's constitution will protect all Californians. We would like to pause and thank our partner, Equality California, and co-counsel, Lambda Legal, the ACLU, the Law Office of David C. Codell, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.
www.nclrights.org/overturn8
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Thursday, January 22, 2009
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - January 22, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Kennedy Drops Bid for Clinton's Senate Seat, Citing Personal Reasons
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and DANNY HAKIM
Caroline Kennedy announced early Thursday that she was withdrawing from consideration for the vacant Senate seat in New York, startling the state's political world after weeks in which she was considered a top contender for the post.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/nyregion/22caroline.html?_r=1&hp
-The Guantanamo Docket: The Detainees
Of the 779 people who have been detained at the United States military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, 527 have been transferred and 247 remain remain, according to analysis by The New York Times of documents from the Department of Defense. In addition, five detainees died while in custody. This interactive database includes information about the detainees, thousands of pages of government documents and links to court records and news media reports.
http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo
-On Day One, Obama Sets a New Tone
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
President Obama moved swiftly on Wednesday to impose new rules on government transparency and ethics, using his first full day in office to freeze the salaries of his senior aides, mandate new limits on lobbyists and demand that the government disclose more information.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22obama.html?hp
-On Palestinian Question, Tough Choices for Obama
JERUSALEM - With the rule of Hamas in Gaza apparently unchallenged and its popularity growing in the West Bank, the new Obama administration faces an immediate policy choice: support a Palestinian unity government, as Egypt and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, want, or continue to isolate Hamas and concentrate on building up the West Bank as a political alternative to radical Islam.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/world/middleeast/22gaza.html?hp
-News Analysis: Scientists Welcome Obama's Words
By GARDINER HARRIS and WILLIAM J. BROAD
When he vowed in his Inaugural Address to "restore science to its rightful place," President Obama signaled an end to eight years of stark tension between science and government. But many of the Bush administration's restrictions on science, like those governing stem cell research, will take time to be removed. And whether the Obama administration entirely reverses its predecessor's strict controls over the government's main scientific agencies remains to be seen.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22science.html
-Taliban Fill NATO's Big Gaps in Afghan South
By DEXTER FILKINS
TSAPOWZAI, Afghanistan - The Taliban are everywhere the soldiers are not, the saying goes in the southern part of the country. And that is a lot of places.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/world/asia/22taliban.html?hp
-Death Sentences in Chinese Milk Case
By DAVID BARBOZA
BEIJING - A Chinese court sentenced two men to death and a top dairy company executive to life in prison on Thursday for endangering public safety in a tainted milk scandal that killed at least six children, according to state-run news media. Another man was given a suspended death sentence and eight other defendants received lengthy jail terms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/world/asia/23milk.html?hp
-Pakistan Seizes Terror Suspect
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani forces arrested a Saudi Arabian man believed to have been involved in the July 7, 2005, bombing attacks in London, two Pakistani officials said Thursday. The Saudi, Zabi al-Taifi, was arrested with six other men in Khyber Agency, one of the lawless tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan. It was not immediately known what Mr. Taifi's alleged role in the London bombings involved.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/world/asia/23pstan.html?hp
-In Texas, a Line in the Curriculum Revives Evolution Debate
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
AUSTIN, Tex. - The latest round in a long-running battle over how evolution should be taught in Texas schools began in earnest Wednesday as the State Board of Education heard impassioned testimony from scientists and social conservatives on revising the science curriculum.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/education/22texas.html
-Study Finds New Evidence of Warming in Antarctica
By KENNETH CHANG
Antarctica is warming. That is the conclusion of scientists analyzing half a century of temperatures on the continent, and the findings may help resolve a climate enigma at the bottom of the planet. Some regions of Antarctica, particularly the peninsula that stretches toward South America, have warmed rapidly in recent years, contributing to the disintegration of ice shelves and accelerating the sliding of glaciers. But weather stations in other locations, including the one at the South Pole, have recorded a cooling trend. That ran counter to the forecasts of computer climate models, and global warming skeptics have pointed to Antarctica in questioning the reliability of the models.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/science/earth/22climate.html
-Judge Voids Illinois Law on Silent Time in Schools
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the state law requiring a moment of silence in public schools across Illinois is unconstitutional, saying it crosses the line separating church and state. "The statute is a subtle effort to force students at impressionable ages to contemplate religion," the judge, Robert W. Gettleman, said in his ruling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/education/22illinois.html
-Op-Ed Contributor: Oaf of Office
By STEVEN PINKER
IN 1969, Neil Armstrong appeared to have omitted an indefinite article as he stepped onto the moon and left earthlings puzzled over the difference between "man" and "mankind." In 1980, Jimmy Carter, accepting his party's nomination, paid homage to a former vice president he called Hubert Horatio Hornblower. A year later, Diana Spencer reversed the first two names of her betrothed in her wedding vows, and thus, as Prince Charles Philip supposedly later joked, actually married his father.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22pinker.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Calling a Time Out
By George McGovern
As you settle into the Oval Office, Mr. President, may I offer a suggestion? Please do not try to put Afghanistan aright with the U.S. military. To send our troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan would be a near-perfect example of going from the frying pan into the fire. There is reason to believe some of our top military commanders privately share this view. And so does a broad and growing swath of your party and your supporters.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012102489.html
-By Switching Their Charters, Banks Skirt Supervision
By Binyamin Appelbaum
At least 30 banks since 2000 have escaped federal regulatory action by walking away from their federal regulators and moving under state supervision, taking advantage of a long-standing system that allows banks to choose between federal and state oversight, according to a Washington Post review of government records. The moves, known as charter conversions, highlight the tremendous leverage that banks hold in their relationships with government supervisors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012104267.html?hpid=topnews
-Born to Build Bridges
By David S. Broder
When Barack Obama declared in his inaugural address that a new era has begun and that "the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply," it sounded like empty rhetoric. Politicians always tend to inflate the historical importance of their own victories and forget that the large forces that shape our destiny are not subject to the whims of one election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103146.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
-With Ethiopian Pullout, Islamists Rise Again in Somalia
Moderates Seeking Power Face Challenges From Radical Militia, Others
By Stephanie McCrummen
NAIROBI -- The departure of the last Ethiopian tanks from Somalia's capital is ushering in a new phase of conflict in a nation known for clan warfare: a battle for power among militias flying Islamist banners.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103763.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Russian Tycoon Lebedev Buys London's Evening Standard
By Karla Adam
LONDON, Jan. 21 -- The Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev signed a deal Wednesday to acquire a majority stake in the Evening Standard newspaper, London's largest regional newspaper. The paper's parent company, the Daily Mail and General Trust, said in a statement that the sale price was "a nominal sum" -- reported widely in the British media as 1 pound.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103651.html?hpid=moreheadlines
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama and Guantanamo
Fighting terrorism is simpler when you're a candidate. Campaign promises are so much easier to adhere to when they're strictly hypothetical, as Barack Obama is discovering. The then-President-elect said 10 days ago on ABC that while he still plans to close Guantanamo, "it is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize" and that "many" of the enemy combatants are "very dangerous."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123258578172604569.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Religious group challenges school district policy
By The Associated Press
A Christian group has asked a judge to block a suburban Atlanta school district from charging religious organizations for the after-hours use of classrooms made available for free to other groups. Child Evangelism Fellowship has accused the Cobb County school system of violating the First Amendment because it is charging the group to hold after-school meetings in classrooms.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-rel-religion-briefs,0,5763014.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-3 news agencies refuse to distribute Obama photo
By DAVID BAUDER
Three news agencies refused to distribute White House-provided photos of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on Wednesday, arguing that access should have been provided to news photographers.
http://www.bradenton.com/439/story/1170902.html
-Poll: Inaugural boosts American hopes
By Susan Page
President Obama's inauguration has given a recession-battered nation a boost. By nearly 6-1, those surveyed Tuesday in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll say Obama's inauguration has made them feel more hopeful about the next four years, a far more positive response than the one President George W. Bush's swearing-in received in 2005.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-21-poll-_N.htm
-Dean Resigns; Kaine Is Now DNC Chair
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, five years ago a laughingstock after his infamous scream following his loss in the Iowa presidential primary, stepped down as chairman of the Democratic National Committee yesterday to thunderous applause as party members credited him with helping Democrats capture both houses of Congress and the White House during the past two election cycles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103474.html?hpid=topnews
-Holder confirmation hearing delayed a week
By Terry Frieden
The initial confirmation vote for Eric Holder, President Barack Obama's pick for attorney general, was postponed for a week Wednesday after a rancorous meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/21/justice.holder/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker
-Senate confirms Clinton 94-2
By Klaus Marre
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of State. The former first lady becomes the highest-profile member of President Obama's Cabinet. The two had battled for the Democratic nomination throughout the first half of the year but have since maintained that there is no bad blood remaining from the protracted primary.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senate-confirms-clinton-2009-01-21.html
-Clinton takes charges at State Department
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Hillary Rodham Clinton assumed her role as secretary of State on Thursday with a pledge to State Department employees that they would be at the leading edge of improving U.S. foreign relations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012200245.html
-IRAN: Wary Tehran press welcomes, warns Obama
The Iranian press voiced skepticism today about President Obama and his vow to change the way the U.S. does business in the Middle East. Typical were the sentiments of the conservative Jam-e-Jam daily, which praised the American people for their vote, but expressed doubt that anything would come of it. "The American people showed their true feelings by voting for Obama and have clearly announced that they want change," the paper said. "However, because of the nature of the political structures of America, it seems that Obama cannot do a lot."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/01/iran-wary-tehra.html
-Sources: Mitchell tapped for Mideast envoy
The Obama administration has asked former Sen. George Mitchell to be a special envoy to the Middle East, sources close to the administration and diplomats told CNN. In the final days of the transition, officials talked to Israeli, Palestinian and Arab diplomats about the choice, the sources said. Mitchell served as a Mideast envoy for the Bush administration, authoring a 2001 report that called for a halt to Israeli settlements and greater Palestinian efforts to crack down on terror. He also was a peace broker on Northern Ireland for President Bill Clinton. If named to the post, Mitchell would be one of several envoys who would work in the new administration. Sources say that Dennis Ross, a former Mideast peace envoy for several previous administrations, will be an envoy in charge of engaging Iran on a wide range of issues, including its nuclear program and its support for terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Former .N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who negotiated peace in the Balkans, is expected to become an envoy dealing with Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/21/sources-mitchell-tapped-for-mideast-envoy/#more-36772
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Kennedy Drops Bid for Clinton's Senate Seat, Citing Personal Reasons
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and DANNY HAKIM
Caroline Kennedy announced early Thursday that she was withdrawing from consideration for the vacant Senate seat in New York, startling the state's political world after weeks in which she was considered a top contender for the post.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/nyregion/22caroline.html?_r=1&hp
-The Guantanamo Docket: The Detainees
Of the 779 people who have been detained at the United States military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, 527 have been transferred and 247 remain remain, according to analysis by The New York Times of documents from the Department of Defense. In addition, five detainees died while in custody. This interactive database includes information about the detainees, thousands of pages of government documents and links to court records and news media reports.
http://projects.nytimes.com/guantanamo
-On Day One, Obama Sets a New Tone
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
President Obama moved swiftly on Wednesday to impose new rules on government transparency and ethics, using his first full day in office to freeze the salaries of his senior aides, mandate new limits on lobbyists and demand that the government disclose more information.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22obama.html?hp
-On Palestinian Question, Tough Choices for Obama
JERUSALEM - With the rule of Hamas in Gaza apparently unchallenged and its popularity growing in the West Bank, the new Obama administration faces an immediate policy choice: support a Palestinian unity government, as Egypt and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, want, or continue to isolate Hamas and concentrate on building up the West Bank as a political alternative to radical Islam.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/world/middleeast/22gaza.html?hp
-News Analysis: Scientists Welcome Obama's Words
By GARDINER HARRIS and WILLIAM J. BROAD
When he vowed in his Inaugural Address to "restore science to its rightful place," President Obama signaled an end to eight years of stark tension between science and government. But many of the Bush administration's restrictions on science, like those governing stem cell research, will take time to be removed. And whether the Obama administration entirely reverses its predecessor's strict controls over the government's main scientific agencies remains to be seen.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22science.html
-Taliban Fill NATO's Big Gaps in Afghan South
By DEXTER FILKINS
TSAPOWZAI, Afghanistan - The Taliban are everywhere the soldiers are not, the saying goes in the southern part of the country. And that is a lot of places.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/world/asia/22taliban.html?hp
-Death Sentences in Chinese Milk Case
By DAVID BARBOZA
BEIJING - A Chinese court sentenced two men to death and a top dairy company executive to life in prison on Thursday for endangering public safety in a tainted milk scandal that killed at least six children, according to state-run news media. Another man was given a suspended death sentence and eight other defendants received lengthy jail terms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/world/asia/23milk.html?hp
-Pakistan Seizes Terror Suspect
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani forces arrested a Saudi Arabian man believed to have been involved in the July 7, 2005, bombing attacks in London, two Pakistani officials said Thursday. The Saudi, Zabi al-Taifi, was arrested with six other men in Khyber Agency, one of the lawless tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan. It was not immediately known what Mr. Taifi's alleged role in the London bombings involved.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/world/asia/23pstan.html?hp
-In Texas, a Line in the Curriculum Revives Evolution Debate
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
AUSTIN, Tex. - The latest round in a long-running battle over how evolution should be taught in Texas schools began in earnest Wednesday as the State Board of Education heard impassioned testimony from scientists and social conservatives on revising the science curriculum.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/education/22texas.html
-Study Finds New Evidence of Warming in Antarctica
By KENNETH CHANG
Antarctica is warming. That is the conclusion of scientists analyzing half a century of temperatures on the continent, and the findings may help resolve a climate enigma at the bottom of the planet. Some regions of Antarctica, particularly the peninsula that stretches toward South America, have warmed rapidly in recent years, contributing to the disintegration of ice shelves and accelerating the sliding of glaciers. But weather stations in other locations, including the one at the South Pole, have recorded a cooling trend. That ran counter to the forecasts of computer climate models, and global warming skeptics have pointed to Antarctica in questioning the reliability of the models.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/science/earth/22climate.html
-Judge Voids Illinois Law on Silent Time in Schools
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the state law requiring a moment of silence in public schools across Illinois is unconstitutional, saying it crosses the line separating church and state. "The statute is a subtle effort to force students at impressionable ages to contemplate religion," the judge, Robert W. Gettleman, said in his ruling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/education/22illinois.html
-Op-Ed Contributor: Oaf of Office
By STEVEN PINKER
IN 1969, Neil Armstrong appeared to have omitted an indefinite article as he stepped onto the moon and left earthlings puzzled over the difference between "man" and "mankind." In 1980, Jimmy Carter, accepting his party's nomination, paid homage to a former vice president he called Hubert Horatio Hornblower. A year later, Diana Spencer reversed the first two names of her betrothed in her wedding vows, and thus, as Prince Charles Philip supposedly later joked, actually married his father.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22pinker.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Calling a Time Out
By George McGovern
As you settle into the Oval Office, Mr. President, may I offer a suggestion? Please do not try to put Afghanistan aright with the U.S. military. To send our troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan would be a near-perfect example of going from the frying pan into the fire. There is reason to believe some of our top military commanders privately share this view. And so does a broad and growing swath of your party and your supporters.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012102489.html
-By Switching Their Charters, Banks Skirt Supervision
By Binyamin Appelbaum
At least 30 banks since 2000 have escaped federal regulatory action by walking away from their federal regulators and moving under state supervision, taking advantage of a long-standing system that allows banks to choose between federal and state oversight, according to a Washington Post review of government records. The moves, known as charter conversions, highlight the tremendous leverage that banks hold in their relationships with government supervisors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012104267.html?hpid=topnews
-Born to Build Bridges
By David S. Broder
When Barack Obama declared in his inaugural address that a new era has begun and that "the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply," it sounded like empty rhetoric. Politicians always tend to inflate the historical importance of their own victories and forget that the large forces that shape our destiny are not subject to the whims of one election.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103146.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
-With Ethiopian Pullout, Islamists Rise Again in Somalia
Moderates Seeking Power Face Challenges From Radical Militia, Others
By Stephanie McCrummen
NAIROBI -- The departure of the last Ethiopian tanks from Somalia's capital is ushering in a new phase of conflict in a nation known for clan warfare: a battle for power among militias flying Islamist banners.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103763.html?hpid=moreheadlines
-Russian Tycoon Lebedev Buys London's Evening Standard
By Karla Adam
LONDON, Jan. 21 -- The Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev signed a deal Wednesday to acquire a majority stake in the Evening Standard newspaper, London's largest regional newspaper. The paper's parent company, the Daily Mail and General Trust, said in a statement that the sale price was "a nominal sum" -- reported widely in the British media as 1 pound.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103651.html?hpid=moreheadlines
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama and Guantanamo
Fighting terrorism is simpler when you're a candidate. Campaign promises are so much easier to adhere to when they're strictly hypothetical, as Barack Obama is discovering. The then-President-elect said 10 days ago on ABC that while he still plans to close Guantanamo, "it is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize" and that "many" of the enemy combatants are "very dangerous."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123258578172604569.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Religious group challenges school district policy
By The Associated Press
A Christian group has asked a judge to block a suburban Atlanta school district from charging religious organizations for the after-hours use of classrooms made available for free to other groups. Child Evangelism Fellowship has accused the Cobb County school system of violating the First Amendment because it is charging the group to hold after-school meetings in classrooms.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-rel-religion-briefs,0,5763014.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-3 news agencies refuse to distribute Obama photo
By DAVID BAUDER
Three news agencies refused to distribute White House-provided photos of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on Wednesday, arguing that access should have been provided to news photographers.
http://www.bradenton.com/439/story/1170902.html
-Poll: Inaugural boosts American hopes
By Susan Page
President Obama's inauguration has given a recession-battered nation a boost. By nearly 6-1, those surveyed Tuesday in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll say Obama's inauguration has made them feel more hopeful about the next four years, a far more positive response than the one President George W. Bush's swearing-in received in 2005.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-21-poll-_N.htm
-Dean Resigns; Kaine Is Now DNC Chair
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Former Vermont governor Howard Dean, five years ago a laughingstock after his infamous scream following his loss in the Iowa presidential primary, stepped down as chairman of the Democratic National Committee yesterday to thunderous applause as party members credited him with helping Democrats capture both houses of Congress and the White House during the past two election cycles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103474.html?hpid=topnews
-Holder confirmation hearing delayed a week
By Terry Frieden
The initial confirmation vote for Eric Holder, President Barack Obama's pick for attorney general, was postponed for a week Wednesday after a rancorous meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/21/justice.holder/index.html?eref=rss_politics&iref=polticker
-Senate confirms Clinton 94-2
By Klaus Marre
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of State. The former first lady becomes the highest-profile member of President Obama's Cabinet. The two had battled for the Democratic nomination throughout the first half of the year but have since maintained that there is no bad blood remaining from the protracted primary.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senate-confirms-clinton-2009-01-21.html
-Clinton takes charges at State Department
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Hillary Rodham Clinton assumed her role as secretary of State on Thursday with a pledge to State Department employees that they would be at the leading edge of improving U.S. foreign relations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/22/AR2009012200245.html
-IRAN: Wary Tehran press welcomes, warns Obama
The Iranian press voiced skepticism today about President Obama and his vow to change the way the U.S. does business in the Middle East. Typical were the sentiments of the conservative Jam-e-Jam daily, which praised the American people for their vote, but expressed doubt that anything would come of it. "The American people showed their true feelings by voting for Obama and have clearly announced that they want change," the paper said. "However, because of the nature of the political structures of America, it seems that Obama cannot do a lot."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/01/iran-wary-tehra.html
-Sources: Mitchell tapped for Mideast envoy
The Obama administration has asked former Sen. George Mitchell to be a special envoy to the Middle East, sources close to the administration and diplomats told CNN. In the final days of the transition, officials talked to Israeli, Palestinian and Arab diplomats about the choice, the sources said. Mitchell served as a Mideast envoy for the Bush administration, authoring a 2001 report that called for a halt to Israeli settlements and greater Palestinian efforts to crack down on terror. He also was a peace broker on Northern Ireland for President Bill Clinton. If named to the post, Mitchell would be one of several envoys who would work in the new administration. Sources say that Dennis Ross, a former Mideast peace envoy for several previous administrations, will be an envoy in charge of engaging Iran on a wide range of issues, including its nuclear program and its support for terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Former .N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who negotiated peace in the Balkans, is expected to become an envoy dealing with Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/21/sources-mitchell-tapped-for-mideast-envoy/#more-36772
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - January 22, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Most Floridians OK with gays and lesbians adopting
A majority of Floridians believe it is OK for gays and lesbians to adopt children.
A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,370 Floridians showed 55 percent favor doing away with a state law that prohibits gays from adopting compared to 39 percent who want to keep the ban. Democrats and independent voters were in the majority favoring of eliminating the ban while Republicans and white evangelical Christians supported the law. But only 27 percent said gays should be allowed to marry while 35 percent favored civil unions and 31 percent said there should be no legal recognition of gay unions. Quinnipiac's poll released Thursday has an error rate of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/866745.html
=
From GLCCSS - Ft. Lauderdale
-Florida AIDS Walk 2009
We're Team GLCC
On Sunday, March 15, we will participate in a 10-kilometer fundraising walkathon through Fort Lauderdale to address the AIDS crisis in our community. We'll be joined by thousands of others who understand that we need to take action now to halt the escalating spread of HIV/AIDS in south Florida.You can make a donation to our campaign right here. If you wish to make a donation by check, please send an email to our Team Captain, Rober Boo at rboo@glccsf.org so we can add you to our list of offline contributors. Your gift to this worthy cause is fully tax-deductible. Also, please bookmark this page below if you're interested in keeping track of our progress as we approach the March 15th fundraising deadline. We encourage you to browse the rest of this website so you can learn more about Florida AIDS Walk. Join Team GLCC
http://ahf.convio.net/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=2880&pg=team&fr_id=1060
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale mayoral candidate Earl Rynerson missing key word in campaign material, military says
By Brittany Wallman
Judging from the campaign signs dotting the landscape in Fort Lauderdale, voters might think there's an active-duty lieutenant colonel running for mayor. But there's not. Earl Rynerson, owner of CLAD Tile & Stone and a former San Francisco City Commissioner, remade his persona in his run for mayor. Following advice from his campaign manager, Mark Goodrich, Rynerson added his military title to campaign materials. "Lt. Colonel Earl Rynerson for mayor," his signs and literature read.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbcolonel0122sbjan22,0,4110629.story
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
From Scott Newton Campaign
Rally the Vote -20 days to election day
VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS - HOW ARE YOU RALLY'N THE VOTE?
Upcoming Scott appearances: TRY TO BE AT SOME OF THESE EVENTS!
...Today - Jan 22, 2009
Westside Association of Wilton Manors (WAWM) Quarterly Meeting and meet the Candidates
Pace Center for Girls - 2225 Andrews Avenue - 7:00 pm
...Jan 29, 2009 Eastside Meet & Greet -
Kiwanis Clubhouse - 2749 NE 14th Avenue - 7 - 9:00 pm
www.votenewton.com.
=
Howard Elfman
Candidate for Fort Lauderdale City Commission, District 2
You are invited!
Sunday, January 25- 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Pineapple Point Guesthouse & Resort
315 N.E. 16th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale
www.ElectHowardElfman.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Floridians like idea of increasing cigarette tax
Associated Press
More than seven of 10 Floridians say they want new taxes - at least on a pack of smokes. In a survey of 1,370 voters between Jan. 14-19, 71 percent told Quinnipiac University pollsters that they favored raising the tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack. Smokers, however, were against paying more by nearly 2-to-1, although half said they'd either quit or cut down if such an increase were approved.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0122poll,0,1140888.story
-Fresh vegetables from South Florida's fields to your dinner table
Here's where to get our area's flavorful harvest right out of the fields and how to make the most of it. Lucky you. You have more than an ocean and sandy beaches in your backyard. You have a vegetable garden that's filled dinner tables nationwide for decades. But now a national push toward eating locally grown produce is putting South Florida farmers in a starring role closer to home.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/sfl-fllocalfoodsbjan22,0,9606.story
-Guide to farmers' markets & u-pick farms around South Florida
Whether it's plucking tomatoes from the vine, picking strawberries from the fields or buying fresh produce from a stand, farmers' markets and u-pick farms remain a popular seasonal alternative to supermarkets in South Florida. Here are some popular farmers' markets and u-pick locations in our area. Many of these operate only during the winter season.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-farmersupick,0,5325042.story
-Ex-pastor pleads guilty to theft from Catholic church in Delray Beach
John Skehan pleads guilty to looting St. Vincent Ferrer; but his successor, Francis Guinan, chooses to go to trial Former Delray Beach pastor John Skehan pleaded guilty to stealing from his church, then sprinted away from reporters trying to question him Wednesday. His successor, the Rev. Francis Guinan, who also appeared in court Wednesday, plans to fight identical charges.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/delraybeach/sfl-flppriests0122pnjan22,0,4720043.story
-New Florida school grading system goes beyond FCAT
Broward, Palm school ratings dropped in test run
By Leslie Postal and Dave Weber
A tough new system to evaluate Florida's high schools could make it harder for them to earn good grades but may provide a more in-depth look at what is happening on their campuses.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flbgrades0122sbjan22,0,6452681.story
-Lawsuit alleges husband of Broward County mayor failed to repay $2 million in loans
Lawsuit was filed against spouse of Stacy Ritter
By Scott Wyman
A man at the center of a massive financial fraud case and his partner are claiming in a lawsuit that the husband of Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports Mayor Stacy Ritter failed to repay more than $2 million in loans.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbklenet0122sbjan22,0,7234528.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Meek & McCollum: most favored Senate candidates
By Michael C. Bender
The new Quinnipiac University poll out this morning shows Republican Gov. Charlie Crist (67 percent) and Democratic President Barack Obama (66 percent) with high approval ratings in the state, but more interesting is the initial ratings for potential U.S. Senate candidates. Among Democrats, 22 percent say they have a favorable opinion of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat, above left, and only major candidate to have declared his intention to run. Fellow U.S. Reps. Ron Klein of Boca Raton scored a 15 percent approval among his party faithful while Allen Boyd of Monticello scored 13 percent.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/01/21/meek_mccollum_most_favored_sen.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Political fight looms over legislative attempt to make Broward County sheriff nonpartisan
By Anthony Man
In a move that could boost Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti's chances of re-election in overwhelmingly Democratic Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports, state legislators are quietly attempting to make future elections for the office "nonpartisan," rather than Democratic vs. Republican contests. If proponents of the plan - led by state Rep. Jim Waldman, a Coconut Creek Democrat who supported Lamberti in last year's election - have their way, Broward voters would be asked in 2010 whether county sheriff's elections should be held without party affiliation starting in 2012.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbsheriff0122sbjan22,0,4012927.story
-Crist more popular than president?
Jim Ash
President Barack Obama should be pleased to know that a political honeymoon can last a long time. Just ask Gov. Charlie Crist. A poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University shows the Republican governor is still riding sky-high approval ratings, and is as popular or more so in Florida than the newly inaugurated president.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090122/NEWS01/901220308
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Most Floridians OK with gays and lesbians adopting
A majority of Floridians believe it is OK for gays and lesbians to adopt children.
A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,370 Floridians showed 55 percent favor doing away with a state law that prohibits gays from adopting compared to 39 percent who want to keep the ban. Democrats and independent voters were in the majority favoring of eliminating the ban while Republicans and white evangelical Christians supported the law. But only 27 percent said gays should be allowed to marry while 35 percent favored civil unions and 31 percent said there should be no legal recognition of gay unions. Quinnipiac's poll released Thursday has an error rate of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/866745.html
=
From GLCCSS - Ft. Lauderdale
-Florida AIDS Walk 2009
We're Team GLCC
On Sunday, March 15, we will participate in a 10-kilometer fundraising walkathon through Fort Lauderdale to address the AIDS crisis in our community. We'll be joined by thousands of others who understand that we need to take action now to halt the escalating spread of HIV/AIDS in south Florida.You can make a donation to our campaign right here. If you wish to make a donation by check, please send an email to our Team Captain, Rober Boo at rboo@glccsf.org so we can add you to our list of offline contributors. Your gift to this worthy cause is fully tax-deductible. Also, please bookmark this page below if you're interested in keeping track of our progress as we approach the March 15th fundraising deadline. We encourage you to browse the rest of this website so you can learn more about Florida AIDS Walk. Join Team GLCC
http://ahf.convio.net/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=2880&pg=team&fr_id=1060
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale mayoral candidate Earl Rynerson missing key word in campaign material, military says
By Brittany Wallman
Judging from the campaign signs dotting the landscape in Fort Lauderdale, voters might think there's an active-duty lieutenant colonel running for mayor. But there's not. Earl Rynerson, owner of CLAD Tile & Stone and a former San Francisco City Commissioner, remade his persona in his run for mayor. Following advice from his campaign manager, Mark Goodrich, Rynerson added his military title to campaign materials. "Lt. Colonel Earl Rynerson for mayor," his signs and literature read.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbcolonel0122sbjan22,0,4110629.story
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
From Scott Newton Campaign
Rally the Vote -20 days to election day
VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS - HOW ARE YOU RALLY'N THE VOTE?
Upcoming Scott appearances: TRY TO BE AT SOME OF THESE EVENTS!
...Today - Jan 22, 2009
Westside Association of Wilton Manors (WAWM) Quarterly Meeting and meet the Candidates
Pace Center for Girls - 2225 Andrews Avenue - 7:00 pm
...Jan 29, 2009 Eastside Meet & Greet -
Kiwanis Clubhouse - 2749 NE 14th Avenue - 7 - 9:00 pm
www.votenewton.com.
=
Howard Elfman
Candidate for Fort Lauderdale City Commission, District 2
You are invited!
Sunday, January 25- 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Pineapple Point Guesthouse & Resort
315 N.E. 16th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale
www.ElectHowardElfman.com
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Floridians like idea of increasing cigarette tax
Associated Press
More than seven of 10 Floridians say they want new taxes - at least on a pack of smokes. In a survey of 1,370 voters between Jan. 14-19, 71 percent told Quinnipiac University pollsters that they favored raising the tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack. Smokers, however, were against paying more by nearly 2-to-1, although half said they'd either quit or cut down if such an increase were approved.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0122poll,0,1140888.story
-Fresh vegetables from South Florida's fields to your dinner table
Here's where to get our area's flavorful harvest right out of the fields and how to make the most of it. Lucky you. You have more than an ocean and sandy beaches in your backyard. You have a vegetable garden that's filled dinner tables nationwide for decades. But now a national push toward eating locally grown produce is putting South Florida farmers in a starring role closer to home.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/food/sfl-fllocalfoodsbjan22,0,9606.story
-Guide to farmers' markets & u-pick farms around South Florida
Whether it's plucking tomatoes from the vine, picking strawberries from the fields or buying fresh produce from a stand, farmers' markets and u-pick farms remain a popular seasonal alternative to supermarkets in South Florida. Here are some popular farmers' markets and u-pick locations in our area. Many of these operate only during the winter season.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-farmersupick,0,5325042.story
-Ex-pastor pleads guilty to theft from Catholic church in Delray Beach
John Skehan pleads guilty to looting St. Vincent Ferrer; but his successor, Francis Guinan, chooses to go to trial Former Delray Beach pastor John Skehan pleaded guilty to stealing from his church, then sprinted away from reporters trying to question him Wednesday. His successor, the Rev. Francis Guinan, who also appeared in court Wednesday, plans to fight identical charges.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/delraybeach/sfl-flppriests0122pnjan22,0,4720043.story
-New Florida school grading system goes beyond FCAT
Broward, Palm school ratings dropped in test run
By Leslie Postal and Dave Weber
A tough new system to evaluate Florida's high schools could make it harder for them to earn good grades but may provide a more in-depth look at what is happening on their campuses.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flbgrades0122sbjan22,0,6452681.story
-Lawsuit alleges husband of Broward County mayor failed to repay $2 million in loans
Lawsuit was filed against spouse of Stacy Ritter
By Scott Wyman
A man at the center of a massive financial fraud case and his partner are claiming in a lawsuit that the husband of Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports Mayor Stacy Ritter failed to repay more than $2 million in loans.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbklenet0122sbjan22,0,7234528.story
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Meek & McCollum: most favored Senate candidates
By Michael C. Bender
The new Quinnipiac University poll out this morning shows Republican Gov. Charlie Crist (67 percent) and Democratic President Barack Obama (66 percent) with high approval ratings in the state, but more interesting is the initial ratings for potential U.S. Senate candidates. Among Democrats, 22 percent say they have a favorable opinion of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat, above left, and only major candidate to have declared his intention to run. Fellow U.S. Reps. Ron Klein of Boca Raton scored a 15 percent approval among his party faithful while Allen Boyd of Monticello scored 13 percent.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/palmbeach/floridapolitics/entries/2009/01/21/meek_mccollum_most_favored_sen.html?cxntfid=blogs_q_florida_politics
-Political fight looms over legislative attempt to make Broward County sheriff nonpartisan
By Anthony Man
In a move that could boost Republican Sheriff Al Lamberti's chances of re-election in overwhelmingly Democratic Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports, state legislators are quietly attempting to make future elections for the office "nonpartisan," rather than Democratic vs. Republican contests. If proponents of the plan - led by state Rep. Jim Waldman, a Coconut Creek Democrat who supported Lamberti in last year's election - have their way, Broward voters would be asked in 2010 whether county sheriff's elections should be held without party affiliation starting in 2012.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbsheriff0122sbjan22,0,4012927.story
-Crist more popular than president?
Jim Ash
President Barack Obama should be pleased to know that a political honeymoon can last a long time. Just ask Gov. Charlie Crist. A poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University shows the Republican governor is still riding sky-high approval ratings, and is as popular or more so in Florida than the newly inaugurated president.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090122/NEWS01/901220308
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
GLBT DIGEST - January 21, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-More Grins Than Grumbles at a Gay Ball
By Melena Ryzik
"I'm so tired of Rick Warren," Rufus Wainwright sang, tweaking the lyrics to his anthem "Going to a Town." ("I'm so tired of you, America.") "I'm so tired of California," he sang, earning a smattering of "woos" at the Human Rights Campaign's Out for Equality ball at the Mayflower Hotel on Tuesday night.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/more-grins-than-grumbles-at-a-gay-ball/?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Few Protesters at Inauguration
By JOHN M. BRODER
Protesters, a fixture of every inauguration since President Nixon's in 1973, were few and scattered on Tuesday as Barack Obama assumed the presidency. It appeared there were far more vendors looking to make a buck selling Inaugural Chocolate Bars and Obama Incense than protesters seeking to make a statement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21web-protests.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=GAY&st=cse
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Warren speaks of 'justice for all' at inauguration
No mention of marriage, gays made during invocation
By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Rev. Rick Warren spoke of "justice for all" but made no comment specific toward gay Americans during his invocation Tuesday at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Obama's choice of Warren for the inaugural invocation dismayed many gay advocates because Warren opposes gay marriage.
He backed Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in his home state of California.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23556
-Robinson looks forward to meeting Warren
Gay bishop will meet evangelical pastor today
After delivering a prayer at Sunday's inauguration concert in Washington, New Hampshire's Episcopal bishop is expected to meet the pastor who will give the invocation at the presidential swearing-in ceremony. Obama's choice of the Rev. Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation dismayed many gay advocates because Warren opposes gay marriage. The tables turned when Obama asked New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, to lead prayers at Sunday's kickoff concert. Robinson told Foster's Daily Democrat that he looks forward to meeting Warren on Tuesday.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23568
-Obama's gay plan for America
Within hours of taking office, Obama releases agenda for GLBT rights
By Dan Renzi
As the community questioned why Obama chose Rev. Rick Warren to speak at the inaugration-seemingly in conflict with his previous support of the gay community, as Warren is a noted homophobe-we thought it might have been a consolation to the religious right, in preparation for Obama's plans for GLBT equality.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#23575
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Local progress in California reminds us that National politics isn't always where it's at
By Emma Ruby-Sachs
I know today is the end of George Bush and the beginning of Barack Obama. I can't tell you how happy this transition makes me. Even if Obama is a huge disappointment, letting Bush retire to the plains of Texas warms my heart.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-local-progress-in-california-reminds-us-that-national-politics-isnt-always-where-its-at/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-HBO Blames Robinson Snub on Miscommunication Within Obama's Team
HBO's failure to broadcast the Reverend Gene Robinson's invocation at the pre-inaugural celebration for President Obama at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday was due to a miscommunication within the Presidential InauguralCommittee, according to the cable network.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid71271.asp
- Kennedy Collapses, Byrd Wheeled Out of Presidential Luncheon
Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy suffered a seizure at a 200-person luncheon honoring President Barack Obama. Paramedics arrived at the scene and escorted him out of the room. According to Fox News, Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of fellow Massachusetts senator John Kerry, helped Kennedy into a reclining chair. Last summer the senator was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Reverend Daniel Coughlin, who gave the benediction at the end of the luncheon, said Kennedy responded well to treatment and is being taken to the hospital.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid71270.asp
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Christian firefighter wins damages over refusal to work at Pride
A Roman Catholic firefighter has received damages and an apology from his employers after he was disciplined for refusing to work at a gay Pride event. Nine firefighers refused to work at Pride Scotia in Glasgow in June 2006 where they were supposed to be distributing fire safety leaflets.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10771.html
-Guatemalan trans rights advocate faces arrest warrant
A human rights group has questioned the decision of a public prosecutor in Guatemala to charge the director of transgender rights group with attempted murder. An arrest warrant has been issued for Jorge López.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10769.html
-MEPs demand end to foreign aid to Nigeria over gay marriage ban
The European Parliament's Intergroup on gay rights has responded to moves to criminalise same-sex marriage in Nigeria by calling for a suspension of EU aid.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10766.html
-Swedish MPs move to legalise gay marriage
A motion tabled in the Swedish parliament and backed by three of the four parties in the coalition government would legalise gay marriage.
"Regardless of sexual orientation, people in stable couple relationships have a need to manifest their feelings and their desire to live together," it reads.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10760.html
-Tom Hanks attacks Prop 8 Mormons as un-American
A Hollywood star who won an Oscar for his portayal of a gay man has hit out at opponents of same-sex marriage. Tom Hanks focused his comments on the Mormon church.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10758.html
-Four banned from football grounds for homophobic chants at Tottenham game
Eleven people have appeared at Portsmouth Magistrate's Court on charges of indecent chanting. The three accused under the age of 16 pleaded not guilty, along with four others.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10750.html
-Gay rights agenda now on White House website
By Tony Grew
The new administration in the United States has already posted a lengthy statement on gay rights on the White House website.
The redesigned site is intended to "serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world," said Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10751.html
-Malta's government accused of double standards on gay rights
By Tony Grew
An opposition MP in Malta has accused the government of ignoring the rights of gay people now they have been re-elected.
Evarist Bartolo of the Partit Laburista (Labour Party) said that at a pre-election meeting with Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) the government had said it was in favour of such an EU directive.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10734.html
=
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-New White House Statement on Civil Rights
THE WHITE HOUSE - PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights
THE AGENDA · CIVIL RIGHTS
"The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen - they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs.. We have more work to do."
Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
-Activist's 'Railroad' Helps Gay Iranians
Lesley Ciarula Taylor | IMMIGRATION REPORTER | The Star
Not quite three years ago, Arsham Parsi was an Iranian refugee in Turkey.
Today, he is executive director of the Iranian Queer Railroad, trying to help 200 people down the same road he took to Toronto. "Every day, people escape, people come here," he said yesterday in his downtown apartment.
"It's constant, like a railroad, always moving." On a recent trip to Turkey, he secured refugee status from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for 45 Iranian gays, but they are awaiting interviews at the Canadian and U.S. embassies. Parsi, 28, is lobbying on to get them out of Turkey where temporary residents must pay a $200 fee every six months. "People in Turkey say they're not homophobic and I say, `You've living in Istanbul. When you leave Istanbul, it's different.' Gays have been beaten on the streets in Turkey and the police do nothing." Read more
-HBO Adds Robinson to Re-Broadcast
Chris Crain | Citizen Crain
For all those who suspected some grand conspiracy between the Obama transition team and HBO to exclude openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson from the broadcast of the (ironically named) "We Are One" event, rest easy:
The cable network said that it had not been advised about what would go where in the two-hour live telecast. . The omission caused a pile of headaches for HBO and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which received an estimated $2 million to give HBO the exclusive rights to the concert.
Whew. And even double whew:
HBO said late Monday that it will include an opening prayer from an openly gay pastor in subsequent telecasts of the "We Are One" inaugural concert, whose original live telecast began after the pastor's invocation.
No doubt gay activists will be watching like hawks to make sure HBO follows through on its promise. Will they watch with the same level of scrutiny to make sure Obama and Congress move forwarrd on legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask Don't Tell, or enact federal civil unions? Link
-Separate is Not Equal According to the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission
JOANNA GROSSMAN | Findlaw
In December 2006, the New Jersey Legislature adopted a civil union law, permitting same-sex couples to enter into a legal alternative to marriage.
The legislature acted in the wake of a ruling from the New Jersey Supreme Court, holding that it did not violate the state constitution's guarantees of equal protection or due process for the state to exclude same-sex couples from marriage, as long as it offered them the benefits of marriage.
In its recently-released final report, however, the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission unanimously concluded that the alternative status is simply not as good. Rather, the report concludes, because the civil union alternative "invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children," the legislature and governor should change the law to permit same-sex couples to marry. Moreover, the Commission implored the state to act "expeditiously because any delay in marriage equality will harm all the people of New Jersey."
Though the national and international landscape on same-sex marriage is colorful, New Jersey provides a terrific case study of the many different stages, as well as the advances and setbacks for proponents, in the battle over same-sex marriage. Though the New Jersey Supreme Court has rejected same-sex marriage as a constitutional necessity, this latest development may set the stage, ultimately, for the legislative enactment of same-sex marriage in New Jersey. Read more
-Homosexual Portland Mayor Admits Past Relationship with Teen
Staff, Associated Press | CNSNews
Portland, Ore. (AP) - More than a year after denying it, the newly elected mayor of Portland has admitted having a sexual relationship with a male teenager in 2005.
Sam Adams, who is openly gay, acknowledged the relationship in a statement Monday, after the Willamette Week newspaper broke the story on its Web site.
In Washington, D.C., for the inauguration, Adams will cut his trip short to issue a public apology Tuesday afternoon in Portland, said Wade Nkrumah, his spokesman.
Adams, 45, said he and the teen were together in the summer of 2005, shortly after the teenager turned 18 in June, and when Adams was a city commissioner. The revelations come nearly a year and a half after Adams and the teen said rumors of a sexual relationship between them were false. Read more
-MI: Opponents of Kalamazoo City Ordiance are Fighting a Losing Battle Against Gay Rights
Julie Mack | MLive.com
The Kalamazoo City Commission has backed off, at least temporarily, on its new ordinance outlawing discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. But even if the commission doesn't come back with a reworked proposal any time soon, my sense is that ordinance opponents are on the wrong side of history.The tipping point has been reached on the issue of gay rights. Sure, California voters passed Prop 8 in November. Yes, President-elect Obama is hedging on supporting same-sex marriage. True, the American Family Association of Michigan was able to get 1,300 Kalamazoo residents to sign petitions protesting the new ordinance. Yet slowly but surely, in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back fashion, the pendulum in swinging in a direction favoring the gay-rights movement. Eighty-nine percent of Americans - 89! - believe gays should not face job discrimination, according to Gallup, the poll organization. Vice President Cheney's lesbian daughter bore a child in 2007 with little fanfare; truth be told, the pregnancy of Bristol Palin seemed far more scandalous. A local Methodist spoke in favor of the anti-discrimination ordinance Monday. The days are long gone when "homosexual" was just another word for deviant. Read more
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-More Grins Than Grumbles at a Gay Ball
By Melena Ryzik
"I'm so tired of Rick Warren," Rufus Wainwright sang, tweaking the lyrics to his anthem "Going to a Town." ("I'm so tired of you, America.") "I'm so tired of California," he sang, earning a smattering of "woos" at the Human Rights Campaign's Out for Equality ball at the Mayflower Hotel on Tuesday night.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/more-grins-than-grumbles-at-a-gay-ball/?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Few Protesters at Inauguration
By JOHN M. BRODER
Protesters, a fixture of every inauguration since President Nixon's in 1973, were few and scattered on Tuesday as Barack Obama assumed the presidency. It appeared there were far more vendors looking to make a buck selling Inaugural Chocolate Bars and Obama Incense than protesters seeking to make a statement.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21web-protests.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=GAY&st=cse
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Warren speaks of 'justice for all' at inauguration
No mention of marriage, gays made during invocation
By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Rev. Rick Warren spoke of "justice for all" but made no comment specific toward gay Americans during his invocation Tuesday at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Obama's choice of Warren for the inaugural invocation dismayed many gay advocates because Warren opposes gay marriage.
He backed Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in his home state of California.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23556
-Robinson looks forward to meeting Warren
Gay bishop will meet evangelical pastor today
After delivering a prayer at Sunday's inauguration concert in Washington, New Hampshire's Episcopal bishop is expected to meet the pastor who will give the invocation at the presidential swearing-in ceremony. Obama's choice of the Rev. Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation dismayed many gay advocates because Warren opposes gay marriage. The tables turned when Obama asked New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, to lead prayers at Sunday's kickoff concert. Robinson told Foster's Daily Democrat that he looks forward to meeting Warren on Tuesday.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23568
-Obama's gay plan for America
Within hours of taking office, Obama releases agenda for GLBT rights
By Dan Renzi
As the community questioned why Obama chose Rev. Rick Warren to speak at the inaugration-seemingly in conflict with his previous support of the gay community, as Warren is a noted homophobe-we thought it might have been a consolation to the religious right, in preparation for Obama's plans for GLBT equality.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#23575
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Local progress in California reminds us that National politics isn't always where it's at
By Emma Ruby-Sachs
I know today is the end of George Bush and the beginning of Barack Obama. I can't tell you how happy this transition makes me. Even if Obama is a huge disappointment, letting Bush retire to the plains of Texas warms my heart.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-local-progress-in-california-reminds-us-that-national-politics-isnt-always-where-its-at/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-HBO Blames Robinson Snub on Miscommunication Within Obama's Team
HBO's failure to broadcast the Reverend Gene Robinson's invocation at the pre-inaugural celebration for President Obama at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday was due to a miscommunication within the Presidential InauguralCommittee, according to the cable network.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid71271.asp
- Kennedy Collapses, Byrd Wheeled Out of Presidential Luncheon
Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy suffered a seizure at a 200-person luncheon honoring President Barack Obama. Paramedics arrived at the scene and escorted him out of the room. According to Fox News, Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of fellow Massachusetts senator John Kerry, helped Kennedy into a reclining chair. Last summer the senator was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Reverend Daniel Coughlin, who gave the benediction at the end of the luncheon, said Kennedy responded well to treatment and is being taken to the hospital.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid71270.asp
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Christian firefighter wins damages over refusal to work at Pride
A Roman Catholic firefighter has received damages and an apology from his employers after he was disciplined for refusing to work at a gay Pride event. Nine firefighers refused to work at Pride Scotia in Glasgow in June 2006 where they were supposed to be distributing fire safety leaflets.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10771.html
-Guatemalan trans rights advocate faces arrest warrant
A human rights group has questioned the decision of a public prosecutor in Guatemala to charge the director of transgender rights group with attempted murder. An arrest warrant has been issued for Jorge López.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10769.html
-MEPs demand end to foreign aid to Nigeria over gay marriage ban
The European Parliament's Intergroup on gay rights has responded to moves to criminalise same-sex marriage in Nigeria by calling for a suspension of EU aid.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10766.html
-Swedish MPs move to legalise gay marriage
A motion tabled in the Swedish parliament and backed by three of the four parties in the coalition government would legalise gay marriage.
"Regardless of sexual orientation, people in stable couple relationships have a need to manifest their feelings and their desire to live together," it reads.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10760.html
-Tom Hanks attacks Prop 8 Mormons as un-American
A Hollywood star who won an Oscar for his portayal of a gay man has hit out at opponents of same-sex marriage. Tom Hanks focused his comments on the Mormon church.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10758.html
-Four banned from football grounds for homophobic chants at Tottenham game
Eleven people have appeared at Portsmouth Magistrate's Court on charges of indecent chanting. The three accused under the age of 16 pleaded not guilty, along with four others.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10750.html
-Gay rights agenda now on White House website
By Tony Grew
The new administration in the United States has already posted a lengthy statement on gay rights on the White House website.
The redesigned site is intended to "serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world," said Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10751.html
-Malta's government accused of double standards on gay rights
By Tony Grew
An opposition MP in Malta has accused the government of ignoring the rights of gay people now they have been re-elected.
Evarist Bartolo of the Partit Laburista (Labour Party) said that at a pre-election meeting with Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) the government had said it was in favour of such an EU directive.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10734.html
=
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-New White House Statement on Civil Rights
THE WHITE HOUSE - PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights
THE AGENDA · CIVIL RIGHTS
"The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen - they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs.. We have more work to do."
Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
-Activist's 'Railroad' Helps Gay Iranians
Lesley Ciarula Taylor | IMMIGRATION REPORTER | The Star
Not quite three years ago, Arsham Parsi was an Iranian refugee in Turkey.
Today, he is executive director of the Iranian Queer Railroad, trying to help 200 people down the same road he took to Toronto. "Every day, people escape, people come here," he said yesterday in his downtown apartment.
"It's constant, like a railroad, always moving." On a recent trip to Turkey, he secured refugee status from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for 45 Iranian gays, but they are awaiting interviews at the Canadian and U.S. embassies. Parsi, 28, is lobbying on to get them out of Turkey where temporary residents must pay a $200 fee every six months. "People in Turkey say they're not homophobic and I say, `You've living in Istanbul. When you leave Istanbul, it's different.' Gays have been beaten on the streets in Turkey and the police do nothing." Read more
-HBO Adds Robinson to Re-Broadcast
Chris Crain | Citizen Crain
For all those who suspected some grand conspiracy between the Obama transition team and HBO to exclude openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson from the broadcast of the (ironically named) "We Are One" event, rest easy:
The cable network said that it had not been advised about what would go where in the two-hour live telecast. . The omission caused a pile of headaches for HBO and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which received an estimated $2 million to give HBO the exclusive rights to the concert.
Whew. And even double whew:
HBO said late Monday that it will include an opening prayer from an openly gay pastor in subsequent telecasts of the "We Are One" inaugural concert, whose original live telecast began after the pastor's invocation.
No doubt gay activists will be watching like hawks to make sure HBO follows through on its promise. Will they watch with the same level of scrutiny to make sure Obama and Congress move forwarrd on legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask Don't Tell, or enact federal civil unions? Link
-Separate is Not Equal According to the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission
JOANNA GROSSMAN | Findlaw
In December 2006, the New Jersey Legislature adopted a civil union law, permitting same-sex couples to enter into a legal alternative to marriage.
The legislature acted in the wake of a ruling from the New Jersey Supreme Court, holding that it did not violate the state constitution's guarantees of equal protection or due process for the state to exclude same-sex couples from marriage, as long as it offered them the benefits of marriage.
In its recently-released final report, however, the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission unanimously concluded that the alternative status is simply not as good. Rather, the report concludes, because the civil union alternative "invites and encourages unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children," the legislature and governor should change the law to permit same-sex couples to marry. Moreover, the Commission implored the state to act "expeditiously because any delay in marriage equality will harm all the people of New Jersey."
Though the national and international landscape on same-sex marriage is colorful, New Jersey provides a terrific case study of the many different stages, as well as the advances and setbacks for proponents, in the battle over same-sex marriage. Though the New Jersey Supreme Court has rejected same-sex marriage as a constitutional necessity, this latest development may set the stage, ultimately, for the legislative enactment of same-sex marriage in New Jersey. Read more
-Homosexual Portland Mayor Admits Past Relationship with Teen
Staff, Associated Press | CNSNews
Portland, Ore. (AP) - More than a year after denying it, the newly elected mayor of Portland has admitted having a sexual relationship with a male teenager in 2005.
Sam Adams, who is openly gay, acknowledged the relationship in a statement Monday, after the Willamette Week newspaper broke the story on its Web site.
In Washington, D.C., for the inauguration, Adams will cut his trip short to issue a public apology Tuesday afternoon in Portland, said Wade Nkrumah, his spokesman.
Adams, 45, said he and the teen were together in the summer of 2005, shortly after the teenager turned 18 in June, and when Adams was a city commissioner. The revelations come nearly a year and a half after Adams and the teen said rumors of a sexual relationship between them were false. Read more
-MI: Opponents of Kalamazoo City Ordiance are Fighting a Losing Battle Against Gay Rights
Julie Mack | MLive.com
The Kalamazoo City Commission has backed off, at least temporarily, on its new ordinance outlawing discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender individuals. But even if the commission doesn't come back with a reworked proposal any time soon, my sense is that ordinance opponents are on the wrong side of history.The tipping point has been reached on the issue of gay rights. Sure, California voters passed Prop 8 in November. Yes, President-elect Obama is hedging on supporting same-sex marriage. True, the American Family Association of Michigan was able to get 1,300 Kalamazoo residents to sign petitions protesting the new ordinance. Yet slowly but surely, in a two-steps-forward, one-step-back fashion, the pendulum in swinging in a direction favoring the gay-rights movement. Eighty-nine percent of Americans - 89! - believe gays should not face job discrimination, according to Gallup, the poll organization. Vice President Cheney's lesbian daughter bore a child in 2007 with little fanfare; truth be told, the pregnancy of Bristol Palin seemed far more scandalous. A local Methodist spoke in favor of the anti-discrimination ordinance Monday. The days are long gone when "homosexual" was just another word for deviant. Read more
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - January 21, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Kennedy 'Feeling Well' After Seizure
By SCOTT SHANE
In a frightening moment on a day of celebration, Senator Edward M. Kennedy suffered a seizure Tuesday at a Congressional luncheon honoring President Barack Obama after his inauguration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21kennedy.html?hp
-Op-Ed Columnist: Radical in the White House
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
For one day, for one hour, let us take a bow as a country. Nearly 233 years after our founding, 144 years after the close of our Civil War and 46 years after Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, this crazy quilt of immigrants called Americans finally elected a black man, Barack Hussein Obama, as president. Walking back from the inauguration, I saw an African-American street vendor wearing a home-stenciled T-shirt that pretty well captured the moment - and then some. It said: "Mission Accomplished."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/opinion/21friedman.html?ref=opinion
-Editorial: The (Now Silent) Guns of January
We are relieved that the guns and rockets are finally silent in Gaza. As President Obama was being inaugurated on Tuesday, Israel was withdrawing its troops after a 23-day assault intended to weaken Hamas and halt its rocket fire; Gazans were trying to come to terms with the overwhelming devastation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/opinion/21wed2.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama takes power, urges unity vs. 'raging storms'
By JENNIFER LOVEN
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012000174.html
-Hard Truths at the Outset
By David Ignatius
The great danger for Barack Obama, with his natural charm and grace, is that he will try to please everyone. But he began his presidency with no glad hands -- avoiding the easy applause lines and instead telling people things they might not want to hear.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003500.html
-Courting Common Sense
Will the White House and Congress find a better way to nominate and confirm judges? MIGHT A NEW administration and Congress bring a new approach to the handling of judicial nominations? Might pettiness give way to rationality and fair-mindedness? Don't count on it. But in such a week, we can hope.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003554.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Tax Issue Won't Derail Geithner
Senators Are More Concerned With How Treasury Nominee Will Help Fix Economy
By DEBORAH SOLOMON
Timothy Geithner will call for a comprehensive and aggressive approach to tackling the U.S. financial crisis when he appears Wednesday at hearings on his confirmation as Treasury secretary, while also trying to assure lawmakers that he simply erred by failing to pay some payroll taxes earlier this decade.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123249640035200279.html
-U.S. Stocks Set to Bounce
By STEVE GOLDSTEIN
U.S. stock-index futures pointed to a recovery from the previous day's selloff, with a flurry of earnings releases battling banking-sector woes for investors' attention.
Less than two hours before the start of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 91 points higher at 8036. The S&P 500 futures gained 8.7 to 814.7, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 4.25 to 1151.75. Changes in futures do not always accurately predict early market moves after the opening bell.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123253762172302111.html
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-America celebrates Obama, but reinvention is nothing new
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.
It begins before the sun does. Not yet 5 a.m. and there is at a suburban Metro station a line of people going out of the station and up the escalator and around the corner and down to the far, far end of the parking lot. In town, it's worse.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/obama/story/863628.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Kennedy 'Feeling Well' After Seizure
By SCOTT SHANE
In a frightening moment on a day of celebration, Senator Edward M. Kennedy suffered a seizure Tuesday at a Congressional luncheon honoring President Barack Obama after his inauguration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21kennedy.html?hp
-Op-Ed Columnist: Radical in the White House
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
For one day, for one hour, let us take a bow as a country. Nearly 233 years after our founding, 144 years after the close of our Civil War and 46 years after Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, this crazy quilt of immigrants called Americans finally elected a black man, Barack Hussein Obama, as president. Walking back from the inauguration, I saw an African-American street vendor wearing a home-stenciled T-shirt that pretty well captured the moment - and then some. It said: "Mission Accomplished."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/opinion/21friedman.html?ref=opinion
-Editorial: The (Now Silent) Guns of January
We are relieved that the guns and rockets are finally silent in Gaza. As President Obama was being inaugurated on Tuesday, Israel was withdrawing its troops after a 23-day assault intended to weaken Hamas and halt its rocket fire; Gazans were trying to come to terms with the overwhelming devastation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/opinion/21wed2.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama takes power, urges unity vs. 'raging storms'
By JENNIFER LOVEN
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012000174.html
-Hard Truths at the Outset
By David Ignatius
The great danger for Barack Obama, with his natural charm and grace, is that he will try to please everyone. But he began his presidency with no glad hands -- avoiding the easy applause lines and instead telling people things they might not want to hear.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003500.html
-Courting Common Sense
Will the White House and Congress find a better way to nominate and confirm judges? MIGHT A NEW administration and Congress bring a new approach to the handling of judicial nominations? Might pettiness give way to rationality and fair-mindedness? Don't count on it. But in such a week, we can hope.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012003554.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Tax Issue Won't Derail Geithner
Senators Are More Concerned With How Treasury Nominee Will Help Fix Economy
By DEBORAH SOLOMON
Timothy Geithner will call for a comprehensive and aggressive approach to tackling the U.S. financial crisis when he appears Wednesday at hearings on his confirmation as Treasury secretary, while also trying to assure lawmakers that he simply erred by failing to pay some payroll taxes earlier this decade.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123249640035200279.html
-U.S. Stocks Set to Bounce
By STEVE GOLDSTEIN
U.S. stock-index futures pointed to a recovery from the previous day's selloff, with a flurry of earnings releases battling banking-sector woes for investors' attention.
Less than two hours before the start of trading, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were 91 points higher at 8036. The S&P 500 futures gained 8.7 to 814.7, and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 4.25 to 1151.75. Changes in futures do not always accurately predict early market moves after the opening bell.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123253762172302111.html
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-America celebrates Obama, but reinvention is nothing new
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.
It begins before the sun does. Not yet 5 a.m. and there is at a suburban Metro station a line of people going out of the station and up the escalator and around the corner and down to the far, far end of the parking lot. In town, it's worse.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/obama/story/863628.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - January 21, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-PFLAG opens in Fort Lauderdale
New chapter reaches out to large GLBT community in Broward Co. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, PFLAG, has announced a new Fort Lauderdale chapter of the organization. Fort Lauderdale has been without a chapter of this international organization for a year despite there being active chapters in both Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties. "The now-defunct Fort Lauderdale chapter met in the Unitarian Universalist Church," said George Betts, PFLAG's Broward County Representative. "People stopped showing up and that chapter closed. This new chapter replaces the previous chapter." The new chapter will meet at the Sunshine Cathedral/MCC complex, 1480 S W 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale on the first floor of the meeting room building adjacent to the church. Meetings will be held monthly on the second Thursday of each month starting Jan. 15 from 7 to 9:00 p.m. and is open to all GLBT individuals along with their family, friends and allies. PFLAG's South Florida Coordinator, Carole Benowitz will be facilitating this first meeting,
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-14/news/localnews/5450.cfm
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poll: Gov. Charlie Crist still has fans; U.S. Senate race a toss-up
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
Florida's economy may be in the tank and its state budget in tatters but Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is still as popular as ever and the U.S. Senate race is a scramble among the barely-knowns, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Crist's approval rating is as high as President Barack Obama's, the Quinnipiac University poll of 1,370 voters found. The poll was conducted Jan. 14-19, just after the Florida Legislature completed its special budget-cutting session and stripped another $1.2 billion from the state budget to close the deficit.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/864809.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-PFLAG opens in Fort Lauderdale
New chapter reaches out to large GLBT community in Broward Co. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, PFLAG, has announced a new Fort Lauderdale chapter of the organization. Fort Lauderdale has been without a chapter of this international organization for a year despite there being active chapters in both Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties. "The now-defunct Fort Lauderdale chapter met in the Unitarian Universalist Church," said George Betts, PFLAG's Broward County Representative. "People stopped showing up and that chapter closed. This new chapter replaces the previous chapter." The new chapter will meet at the Sunshine Cathedral/MCC complex, 1480 S W 9th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale on the first floor of the meeting room building adjacent to the church. Meetings will be held monthly on the second Thursday of each month starting Jan. 15 from 7 to 9:00 p.m. and is open to all GLBT individuals along with their family, friends and allies. PFLAG's South Florida Coordinator, Carole Benowitz will be facilitating this first meeting,
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-14/news/localnews/5450.cfm
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Poll: Gov. Charlie Crist still has fans; U.S. Senate race a toss-up
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
Florida's economy may be in the tank and its state budget in tatters but Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is still as popular as ever and the U.S. Senate race is a scramble among the barely-knowns, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Crist's approval rating is as high as President Barack Obama's, the Quinnipiac University poll of 1,370 voters found. The poll was conducted Jan. 14-19, just after the Florida Legislature completed its special budget-cutting session and stripped another $1.2 billion from the state budget to close the deficit.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/864809.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
GLBT DIGEST - January 20, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-After Hookups, E-Cards That Warn, 'Get Checked'
By DAVID TULLER
Steve, a health care worker in his 30s, had been told more than once that he had been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection. So when it happened again, he was not upset - even though this time he learned about it through an anonymous online postcard, e-mailed by a man with whom he had had sex.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/20partners.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse
-Global Update
In Senegal, Where AIDS Efforts Are Often Praised, Prison for Counselors Is a Surprise
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Human rights organizations, health groups and some foreign governments have united in condemning Senegal for imprisoning nine local AIDS activists.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/20glob.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pastor Rick's Evolution
By Sally Quinn
Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration has been characterized as -- at best -- a giant blunder. But it might turn out to be just another canny move from this supremely confident politician.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902374.html
-Portland mayor admits past relationship with teen
More than a year after denying it, the newly elected mayor of Portland has admitted having a sexual relationship with a male teenager in 2005. Sam Adams, who is openly gay, acknowledged the relationship in a statement Monday, after the Willamette Week newspaper broke the story on its Web site.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012000054.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-Obama Has Chance to Shape U.S. Courts
Vacancies of Appellate Judges, Makeup in Congress Should Give New President
Sway Over How Laws Will Be Interpreted
By ASHBY JONES
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is expected to have a speedy and significant impact on a number of federal courts of appeal, with the potential to lessen the conservative influence that several of these courts now wield. Given significant vacancies in some the nation's 13 federal appellate courts, Mr. Obama's appointments may shape the ways laws are interpreted across the country. "He really has an enormous opportunity," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia and expert on the federal judiciary. "At least initially, I don't see him having much trouble getting his seats filled."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123241772578496517.html
-Party Politics: An Impresario Hustles to Stage the Inaugural
Clumsy Eagle, Pesky Celebs Put Mr. Beliveau To the Test; Running Short of 'Chum'
By MONICA LANGLEY
Barack Obama was the least of Emmett Beliveau's worries on the eve of the biggest inaugural ever held. Five thousand portable toilets were on his mind.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123241676427996557.html
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-MSPs hear objections to new homophobic hate crimes proposal
By Tony Grew
The Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee has heard evidence on proposed legislation that allows courts to impose tougher sentences for offences aggravated by the victim's disability, gender identity or sexualorientation. The Sentencing of Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Bill was proposed by Patrick Harvie, a Scottish Green MSP.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10729.html
-Obama looks to Lincoln in his inauguration address
By Tony Grew
An inauguration speech is the set piece of the American system of government. The new President, surrounded by the House, the Senate, military leaders, diplomats and watched by hundreds of millions of people on television, sets the tone for his administration.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10728.html
-Martin Luther King's dream "comes a step closer" with Obama
By Tony Grew
America's largest LGBT civil rights organisation marked the birthday of civil rights activist Martin Luther King yesterday with a message of hope for Barack Obama's administration.
Dr King's birthday is a federal holiday, a mark of his unique importance in modern American history.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10726.html
-Obama team "regrets" that gay bishop's prayer was not broadcast
By Tony Grew
A spokesman for the US Presidential Inauguration Committee has confirmed that a prayer by Bishop Gene Robinson was supposed to be televised as part of a celebration concert on Sunday.
Broadcaster HBO had been criticised for excluding the invocation by Bishop Robinson, who is one of the most prominent LGBT people in America.
There were accusations that he had been censored, as HBO began transmitting live from the We Are One concert ten minutes after the prayer.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10715.html
-Anger as gay bishop's inauguration prayer is left out of broadcast
By Tony Grew
A US broadcaster has been criticised for starting their live coverage of a concert in Washington DC celebrating the inauguration of Barack Obama after the opening prayer led by an openly gay bishop. HBO's coverage started after Gene Robinson, Anglican Bishop of New Hampshire, had addressed the crowd of 500,000 in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10700.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-After Hookups, E-Cards That Warn, 'Get Checked'
By DAVID TULLER
Steve, a health care worker in his 30s, had been told more than once that he had been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection. So when it happened again, he was not upset - even though this time he learned about it through an anonymous online postcard, e-mailed by a man with whom he had had sex.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/20partners.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse
-Global Update
In Senegal, Where AIDS Efforts Are Often Praised, Prison for Counselors Is a Surprise
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Human rights organizations, health groups and some foreign governments have united in condemning Senegal for imprisoning nine local AIDS activists.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/20/health/20glob.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pastor Rick's Evolution
By Sally Quinn
Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration has been characterized as -- at best -- a giant blunder. But it might turn out to be just another canny move from this supremely confident politician.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902374.html
-Portland mayor admits past relationship with teen
More than a year after denying it, the newly elected mayor of Portland has admitted having a sexual relationship with a male teenager in 2005. Sam Adams, who is openly gay, acknowledged the relationship in a statement Monday, after the Willamette Week newspaper broke the story on its Web site.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012000054.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-Obama Has Chance to Shape U.S. Courts
Vacancies of Appellate Judges, Makeup in Congress Should Give New President
Sway Over How Laws Will Be Interpreted
By ASHBY JONES
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is expected to have a speedy and significant impact on a number of federal courts of appeal, with the potential to lessen the conservative influence that several of these courts now wield. Given significant vacancies in some the nation's 13 federal appellate courts, Mr. Obama's appointments may shape the ways laws are interpreted across the country. "He really has an enormous opportunity," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia and expert on the federal judiciary. "At least initially, I don't see him having much trouble getting his seats filled."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123241772578496517.html
-Party Politics: An Impresario Hustles to Stage the Inaugural
Clumsy Eagle, Pesky Celebs Put Mr. Beliveau To the Test; Running Short of 'Chum'
By MONICA LANGLEY
Barack Obama was the least of Emmett Beliveau's worries on the eve of the biggest inaugural ever held. Five thousand portable toilets were on his mind.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123241676427996557.html
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-MSPs hear objections to new homophobic hate crimes proposal
By Tony Grew
The Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee has heard evidence on proposed legislation that allows courts to impose tougher sentences for offences aggravated by the victim's disability, gender identity or sexualorientation. The Sentencing of Offences Aggravated by Prejudice (Scotland) Bill was proposed by Patrick Harvie, a Scottish Green MSP.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10729.html
-Obama looks to Lincoln in his inauguration address
By Tony Grew
An inauguration speech is the set piece of the American system of government. The new President, surrounded by the House, the Senate, military leaders, diplomats and watched by hundreds of millions of people on television, sets the tone for his administration.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10728.html
-Martin Luther King's dream "comes a step closer" with Obama
By Tony Grew
America's largest LGBT civil rights organisation marked the birthday of civil rights activist Martin Luther King yesterday with a message of hope for Barack Obama's administration.
Dr King's birthday is a federal holiday, a mark of his unique importance in modern American history.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10726.html
-Obama team "regrets" that gay bishop's prayer was not broadcast
By Tony Grew
A spokesman for the US Presidential Inauguration Committee has confirmed that a prayer by Bishop Gene Robinson was supposed to be televised as part of a celebration concert on Sunday.
Broadcaster HBO had been criticised for excluding the invocation by Bishop Robinson, who is one of the most prominent LGBT people in America.
There were accusations that he had been censored, as HBO began transmitting live from the We Are One concert ten minutes after the prayer.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10715.html
-Anger as gay bishop's inauguration prayer is left out of broadcast
By Tony Grew
A US broadcaster has been criticised for starting their live coverage of a concert in Washington DC celebrating the inauguration of Barack Obama after the opening prayer led by an openly gay bishop. HBO's coverage started after Gene Robinson, Anglican Bishop of New Hampshire, had addressed the crowd of 500,000 in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10700.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - January 20, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-More Moscow Murder
Two critics of Vladimir Putin take bullets in the head. ANOTHER RUSSIAN fighting for human rights and the rule of law has been murdered in Vladimir Putin's Moscow. Stanislav Markelov, a lawyer who defended Chechens brutalized by Russian troops and journalists who wrote about the abuses, was shot in the head yesterday by a masked man carrying a silencer-equipped pistol. An opposition journalist who tried to intervene, Anastasia Baburova, was also fatally shot in the head. This occurred in broad daylight, on a busy street in central Moscow less than half a mile from the Kremlin. It was another demonstration that assassinations are a dominating feature of political life under Mr. Putin's regime.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902604.html
-On First Full Day, Obama Will Dive Into Foreign Policy
By Michael D. Shear and Karen DeYoung
President-elect Barack Obama will plunge into foreign policy on his first full day in office tomorrow, finally freed from the constraints of tradition that has forced him and his staff to remain muzzled about world affairs during the 78-day transition.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902726.html?hpid=topnews
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Plans to close Gitmo anger 9/11 victims' families
By BEN FOX
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- Plans to close Guantanamo are not sitting well with the Sept. 11 victims' relatives who sat stunned while two alleged terrorists declared they were proud of their role in the plot.
The U.S. military brought relatives of three Sept. 11 victims to Guantanamo to observe pretrial hearings in the case of five men charged in the plot who could get the death penalty if convicted.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/862098.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-More Moscow Murder
Two critics of Vladimir Putin take bullets in the head. ANOTHER RUSSIAN fighting for human rights and the rule of law has been murdered in Vladimir Putin's Moscow. Stanislav Markelov, a lawyer who defended Chechens brutalized by Russian troops and journalists who wrote about the abuses, was shot in the head yesterday by a masked man carrying a silencer-equipped pistol. An opposition journalist who tried to intervene, Anastasia Baburova, was also fatally shot in the head. This occurred in broad daylight, on a busy street in central Moscow less than half a mile from the Kremlin. It was another demonstration that assassinations are a dominating feature of political life under Mr. Putin's regime.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902604.html
-On First Full Day, Obama Will Dive Into Foreign Policy
By Michael D. Shear and Karen DeYoung
President-elect Barack Obama will plunge into foreign policy on his first full day in office tomorrow, finally freed from the constraints of tradition that has forced him and his staff to remain muzzled about world affairs during the 78-day transition.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902726.html?hpid=topnews
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Plans to close Gitmo anger 9/11 victims' families
By BEN FOX
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- Plans to close Guantanamo are not sitting well with the Sept. 11 victims' relatives who sat stunned while two alleged terrorists declared they were proud of their role in the plot.
The U.S. military brought relatives of three Sept. 11 victims to Guantanamo to observe pretrial hearings in the case of five men charged in the plot who could get the death penalty if convicted.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/862098.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - January 20, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CORAL RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
New Coral Ridge pastor vows to take politics out of pulpit
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, has been asked to take the helm at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.
BY JAWEED KALEEM
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/861948.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-CORAL RIDGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
New Coral Ridge pastor vows to take politics out of pulpit
William Graham Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, has been asked to take the helm at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.
BY JAWEED KALEEM
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/861948.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Monday, January 19, 2009
GLBT DIGEST - January 19, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Marriage Ban Donors Feel Exposed by List
By JESSE McKINLEY
In many ways it is a typical map, showing states, highways, cities and streets. But also dotting the online display are thousands of red arrows, marking spots from Bryn Mawr, Pa., to Jamacha, Calif., identifying the addresses of donors who supported Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage in California.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/us/19prop8.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay rights advocates protest outside Warren church
Gay rights supporters marched outside the church of evangelical pastor Rick Warren, protesting his selection as an inauguration speaker.
About 100 protesters waved rainbow flags Sunday and voiced their displeasure at Warren for his opposition to gay marriage and at President-elect Barack Obama for choosing him to give the invocation at Tuesday's ceremony.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011900778.html
-The Stars Align, With Egos in Check
Celebrity-Studded Concert Offers Heady Mix of History & Hollywood
By Richard Leiby and DeNeen L. Brown
Some things we learned yesterday at the "We Are One" concert, the official welcoming celebration for Barack Obama at the Lincoln Memorial: Jamie Foxx does a pretty spot-on Obama impersonation; wiseacre Jack Black can look completely serious when he's paying homage to Theodore Roosevelt's conservation achievements; Garth Brooks can somehow pull off a medley of "American Pie," "Shout" and "We Shall Be Free"; and musical superstars seem okay with singing in trios -- at least in the case of Usher, Shakira and Stevie Wonder, who did a rousing version of "Higher Ground" that had the president-elect and his wife, Michelle, on their feet and dancing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/18/AR2009011802447.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pastor who opposes gay marriage urges crowd to follow example of Martin Luther King
By ERRIN HAINES
The impending inauguration of the nation's first black president is a huge step toward realizing Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of racial equality, but there is still work to be done, King's nephew told a large crowd Monday at the church where the civil rights leader once preached.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-king-holiday-atlanta,0,3702638.story
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay men's chorus sings at Inaugural opening concert
Backed by The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, Josh Groban performs with Heather Headley, right, during the We Are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Sunday.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-California Dems push gay rights in wake of Prop. 8 vote
By Aurelio Rojas
Democratic lawmakers are moving forward with legislation expanding rights and recognition for gays and lesbians in California while the state Supreme Court considers the fate of same-sex marriage. Assembly Bill 103 by Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, would allow two people, including same-sex couples, who co-own a home to avoid having their property tax reassessed and raised when one dies.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/860688.html
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Google takes a stand for gay marriage
Company files legal brief, to support keeping marriages legal
By Dan Renzi
From the site vnunet.com, which we have no idea how we found but we're glad we did: Google has filed an amicus brief in several legal challenges to Proposition 8, which make gay marriage illegal in California.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#23533
-'Error' caused gay bishop's TV blackout
Robinson's inaugural prayer came before broadcast began
By LOU CHIBBARO JR
Gay Episcopal Bishop Eugene Robinson's opening prayer at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural celebration Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial was not televised due to an unspecified "error," according to a spokesperson for the inaugural committee.
"We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson's invocation to be included in the televised portion of the program," Josh Earnest, director of communications for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, said in a statement.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23545
-Where was Gene Robinson?
By Rebecca Armendariz
Complaints that openly gay bishop Gene Robinson's speech was cut out of broadcasts of the We Are One concert abound on the gay blogosphere today.
AfterElton.com reached out to HBO for comment, and HBO responded that the Obama team is responsible for the edit, and not the network.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=23535
-Gay band refines performance for inauguration
LGBA members practice marching, songs
By CHRIS JOHNSONMembers of the Lesbian & Gay Band Association practiced playing their instruments and marching in lockstep Monday in an effort to refine their performance for their parade appearance on Inauguration Day.
The band, which is slated to be the first gay contingent to march in a presidential inaugural parade, had its dress rehearsal at St. Elizabeth's, a federally operated psychiatric hospital, and marched around the facility's grounds.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23552
-Black pastor asks gays to 'move beyond' Prop 8 furor
Forbes says dialogue more important than blame
By AMY CAVANAUGHIn the aftermath of last year's vote to ban gay marriage in California, Rev. James Forbes Jr. is calling for an end to the hunt for "somebody to blame" for the passage of Proposition 8. Forbes, a senior minister emeritus of the interdenominational Riverside Church in Manhattan, said that "society seems always to need somebody to blame," but people should resist that urge.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23550
-Frank talks gay rights at inauguration event
Wins award Sunday at People's 'Gayla'
By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Adorned in tuxedoes and cocktail dresses, a few hundred people laughed and danced their way toward equality Sunday at the People's Inaugural LGBT Gayla.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23541
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-The celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
By Jennifer Vanasco
One thing that Obama's people have always done well is using spectacle to impart a sense of myth. They certainly did that today with the kickoff ceremony - really a concert - at the Lincoln Memorial.
There were Marines. Gospel choirs. Two (two!) live bald eagles. A lot of songs about America. And a wall of American flags that parted over and over again to reveal blockbuster musical artists like Mary J. Blige, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks (one of the best performances of the afternoon - even the press corps was dancing) and Beyonce.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/vanasco-the-celebration-at-the-lincoln-memorial/
-Bye, bye, Bush
By Lisa Neff
Time to say bye, bye to George W. Bush. As he leaves for Texas, do you think he's thinking, "Mission accomplished"?
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/neff-bye-bye-bush-2/
-Will Obama Prosecute?
By Emma Ruby-Sachs
Today and tomorrow it is all about hope. Still, there has been a lot of chatter about the not so inspiring past. And many, including Speaker Pelosi, are hoping for a little retribution.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-will-obama-prosecute/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Bishop Robinson Talks Obama on Rachel Maddow
Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday night and discussed President-elect Obama, the Rick Warren controversy, and other topics with the MSNBC host. Robinson, the gay bishop of New Hampshire, will give the opening invocation at Obama's inaugural festivities this Sunday and said -- once again -- that he's disappointed in the incoming president's selection of Warren to conduct a prayer on Inauguration Day.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70846.asp
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Lesbian Congresswoman to serve as honorary inauguration co-chair
By Tony Grew
President-elect Barack Obama has named the only out lesbian in Congress as one of 16 honorary co-chairs for his inauguration tomorrow.
Tammy Baldwin will be seated "in the Obama family-and-friends box across from the White House during the parade, along with her partner Lauren Azar, a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission," reports WisPolitics.com.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10694.html
-Corporations and trade unions condemn California's ban on gay marriage
Major corporations and groups representing Mexican-Americans, Christians, and African-Americans have filed friend of the court briefs in California in support of gay marriage.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10693.html
-Gene Robinson: God, we give you thanks for your child Barack
By Staff Writer
Yesterday Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, led prayers at the start of a free outdoor celebration concert in Washington DC.
The opening Inaugural event was held at the Lincoln Memorial, and international stars such as U2 and Beyonce took part. Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States when he takes the oath of office tomorrow at noon.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10648.html
-Nigerian MPs vote to ban "immoral" gay marriages
By Tony Grew
The House of Representatives in Nigeria has voted unanimously in favour of a new legislation banning same-sex marriage.
The bill "prohibits marriage between persons of same gender, solemnisation of same and other matters related therewith."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10640.html
-Analysis: Obama's comprehensive support for gay equality
By Tony Grew
What can lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Americans expect from the new President of the United States?
Barack Obama, who will take the oath of office tomorrow afternoon at noon (5pm GMT), is the most gay-friendly politician to lead America.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10636.html
-South African gay couple plan legal action after wedding refusal
By Felicity Baker
A gay couple in South Africa were allegedly told they could not get married because their relationship was "not normal," it has been reported.
Alexander Bruce, 25, and Jaco van der Walt, 19, had decided to marry after being together for a year and had gone to the Home Affairs office for an initial appointment on December 17th.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10633.html
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Rick Warren's African Allies Tied to Massacres, Sex-Slavery, Forced Labor, Concentration Camps
Bruce Wilson | Talk 2 Action
Critics of Barack Obama's choice to include Rick Warren in the upcoming January 20, 2008 presidential inauguration ceremony have focused on the celebrity evangelist's religious beliefs and at least one report has traced his ties to reactionary African religious leaders. Media coverage of Rick Warren has failed to note, however, his friendship and alliance with two African presidents accused of perpetrating terrorism and massive human rights violations including massacres and assassinations, mass-rape, slave labor, sex slavery, large scale concentration camps, and the use of child soldiers.
A December 12, 2008 UN report charges Warren's African allies, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Uganda's President Youwerie Museveni, with continuing to fuel the conflict in the Congo by supporting the renegade army of Laurent Nkunda, whose recent military offensive has created hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Rwanda and Uganda have been indicted, in a series of consecutive United Nations reports presented to the UN Security Council, released between 2001 and 2003 [see this UN page for all 5 reports], for repeatedly invading and violating the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of The Congo, and supporting renegade armies in that country, in order to loot the Congo's immense natural wealth. The more than one decade long running conflict has claimed an estimated 5.4 million civilian lives. Read more
-UT: Good Proposals for Gay Rights?
Daily Herald | Herald Extra
A group called Equality Utah, an advocate for gay rights, is pushing a series of legislative measures under what it calls its Common Ground Initiative. The group says the proposals will provide fairer treatment for gays, transgendered people and others.
. One measure calls for a change in state policy to allow state employees to add another adult to their health care coverage. Advocates say this will ease the health care crisis by allowing more people to get health insurance.
It's an administrative change, so it doesn't need an act by the Legislature, though of course lawmakers must approve anything that would impact the budget. And this year, elected officials may be leery of adding any expenses.
. In the Legislature, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck and Sen. Scott McCoy, both D-Salt Lake, are backing the Support Forever Homes for All Children Act. It would allow unmarried couples, gay or straight, to be considered for adoption.
The measure would give priority to married couples, but would allow authorities to consider an unmarried couple of any orientation. Advocates say this measure would give children a chance of being adopted by a couple if no married couples are available. Read more
-Gay Marriage Still Linchpin Issue for Evangelicals
James Kirchick / Politico.com | Detroit News
Last month, the National Association of Evangelicals fired the Rev. Richard Cizik as its vice president for governmental affairs. As one of the Christian right's top lobbyists in Washington, Cizik promoted the cultural conservative position on issues ranging from abortion to prayer in school.
He's been one of the most prominent figures in the religious right since its ascendance as a national political force three decades ago, and the reason for his firing from the umbrella organization representing some 45,000 churches portends much about the "culture wars."
In a post-election interview with Terry Gross on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air," Cizik stated his support for gay civil unions. "I'm shifting, I have to admit," he said when asked about same-sex marriage. "In other words, I would willingly say I believe in civil unions. I don't officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition, I don't think."
Cizik's couching of his support for civil unions - a position shared by at least half of the American electorate, including an increasing number of evangelicals - within his opposition to gay marriage was not a sufficient hedge to save his skin. "He no longer represents the view of evangelicalism," concluded Tom Minnery, a senior vice president of Focus on the Family. Try as Minnery might to make it sound as though evangelicals speak with one voice on a range of issues, serious fissures are beginning to emerge among this vital electoral constituency. Read more
-Warren Taps Right-Wing Lawyer for Inaugural Defense
Kyle | Right Wing Watch
We've written a few posts about the lawsuit brought by Michael Newdow, the American Humanist Association, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and others seeking to remove the phrase "so help me God" from the oath of office during the Inauguration. Among the defendants in the case are Chief Justice John Roberts, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Major General Richard J. Rowe Jr., the Reverend Rick Warren and the Reverend Joe Lowery.
Now it looks like Warren has tapped a lawyer to represent him in court - a lawyer from the right-wing Pacific Justice Institute:
Kevin Snider, Chief Counsel of Pacific Justice Institute, will appear in federal court Thursday in Washington, D.C. to defend Pastor Rick Warren against a lawsuit seeking to halt prayers at the inauguration of Barack Obama . At his request, PJI Chief Counsel Kevin Snider will appear in court tomorrow and ask a federal judge to allow the time-honored inaugural prayer to proceed.
If you are not familiar with the Pacific Justice Institute, maybe you are familiar with this video of PJI President Brad Dacus proclaiming that failure to pass Prop 8 was akin to failing to stand up to the Nazis: Read more
-Mike Huckabee: Affably Anti-Gay
Kyle | Right Wing Watch
A.J. Jacobs has a interesting profile of Mike Huckabee in Esquire on how this funny and seemingly nice former presidential candidate is, at heart, a militantly anti-gay culture warrior.
Jacobs reports that Huckabee is utterly charming and the "most likable politician I've ever met" . until he joins Huckabee for a book-signing and fundraiser for the right-wing New Jersey Family Policy Council where the theme is "no compromise on gay marriage" and Huckabee proclaims that gays getting married will lead to polygamy and bestiality and likens homosexuality to alcoholism:
We say the Pledge of Allegiance. We eat our chicken and baby carrots. We listen to a series of speeches with phrases like "swamp of moral decay" and "assault on the sacred institution of marriage." One man says that given the choice between winning the White House and winning the three anti-gay-marriage propositions, he'd choose to lose the White House . more.
-Jim Carrey's Hot Gay Role!
PlanetOut
In the aftermath of all those Mormon dollars supporting Prop 8, the Utah-based 2009 Sundance Film Festival was in the queer spotlight last month after calls by some in the gay community for a boycott of the uber queer-friendly event.
That boycott message was countered by immediate and effusive objections, and expressions of Sundance support, from such venerable queer film luminaries as: producer Christine Vachon, distributor Marcus Hu and director Gregg Araki (see Araki's eloquent piece in the current print issue of The Advocate) or, since that isn't available online, you could read my Bay Area Reporter Guest Opinion piece, "Yes On Sundance."
With the festival getting underway from January 15 - 25 in Park City, Utah there are bound to be some picketers outside the Cinemark-owned Holiday Village Cinema (one of the main venues at Sundance). But community leaders -including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and Outfest who both made official announcements of support for Sundance - seem to have moved on towards focusing on the films themselves and embracing the festival for being the longtime champion of LGBT cinema that it is. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Effort to surmount polarizing debates backfires on pastor
Rick Warren arrives in Washington this week in the midst of the culture war he has spent years trying to transcend.
The California pastor, who wrote the best-selling hardcover book in US history and built up from scratch one of the largest churches in the nation, is widely considered the most visible and successful champion of a new form of political engagement for evangelicals, one that is less partisan, and concerned about more issues, than the abortion-and-gays-focused religious right associated with Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/01/19/warren_scrutiny_suggests_culture_war_hasnt_disappeared/
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-HUMANISTS PROTEST ABOUT RELIGIOUS-BASED ANTI-GAY LEGISLATION IN NIGERIA
Humanists in Nigeria have condemned the vote by the country's House of Representatives banning same sex marriage.
The Bill "for an Act to prohibit marriage between persons of the same gender, solemnization of same and other matters related therewith" has been passed unanimously by the Lower House of the country's Parliament. All the members who spoke in favour of the Bill condemned such marriage, saying that it was immoral, against African tradition and God's design for human beings. One noted that this was a sign of moral decadence in any given society and went against God's purpose of creating the institution of marriage. He stressed that such acts as stated in both the Islamic and Christian religions were ungodly. Another member argued "it is against my faith to have same sex marriage. It is against our penal code to even engage in activities between man and man, as well as woman and woman. It is time for us at to think back and look at the scourge of HIV/AIDS. The greatest means of transmitting this disease is through the act of sodomy".
http://www.pinktriangle.org.uk/
=
Truth Wins Out - TWO
by Wayne Besen
http://www.truthwinsout.org/
-TWO Urges Team Obama To Explain Why Bishop Gene Robinson Was Bumped From
HBO's Inauguration Broadcast
Warren Gets Prime Time, Robinson Gets No Time, Says TWO Truth Wins Out today urged the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) to explain why openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was excluded from a Home Box Office airing of inauguration festivities. He gave his sermon on Sunday, but HBO did not air it, leaving America wondering why he was bumped from the broadcast. Additionally, Robinson's microphone wasn't turned on until his prayer was nearly over, so the crowd was also unable to hear him.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/why-ws-bishop-gene-robinsonbumped-from-hbo%E2%80%99s-inauguration-broadcast/
-Dr. Phil's Poison Pill
In 38 years, I've only once dressed in drag. It was my senior year of high school and my friend Alex's father was out of town. While gone, he placed Alex in charge of his clothing shop, which was in a small hotel mini-mall. I swung by one evening to keep him company. Business was slow and we were looking for creative ways to pass the time. [...] I'm confused as to why people are still "confused" about transgender Americans. For years, they have said that the birth sex on the outside does not match the opposite sex they believe is on the inside. Modern science confirms that sexuality has as much to do with what is inside our heads as what is between our legs. This concept is not rocket science, nor is it difficult to understand. There is nothing homogeneous about our species, and this includes sexuality and gender. Unfortunately, talk show hosts are still using this issue for cheap laughs or to boost ratings. The latest example is the annoying and supremely talentless Dr. Phil. The talking (very large) head had an opportunity to educate the public by presenting the latest science.
http://www.waynebesen.com/2009/01/dr-phils-poison-pill.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Marriage Ban Donors Feel Exposed by List
By JESSE McKINLEY
In many ways it is a typical map, showing states, highways, cities and streets. But also dotting the online display are thousands of red arrows, marking spots from Bryn Mawr, Pa., to Jamacha, Calif., identifying the addresses of donors who supported Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage in California.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/us/19prop8.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Gay rights advocates protest outside Warren church
Gay rights supporters marched outside the church of evangelical pastor Rick Warren, protesting his selection as an inauguration speaker.
About 100 protesters waved rainbow flags Sunday and voiced their displeasure at Warren for his opposition to gay marriage and at President-elect Barack Obama for choosing him to give the invocation at Tuesday's ceremony.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011900778.html
-The Stars Align, With Egos in Check
Celebrity-Studded Concert Offers Heady Mix of History & Hollywood
By Richard Leiby and DeNeen L. Brown
Some things we learned yesterday at the "We Are One" concert, the official welcoming celebration for Barack Obama at the Lincoln Memorial: Jamie Foxx does a pretty spot-on Obama impersonation; wiseacre Jack Black can look completely serious when he's paying homage to Theodore Roosevelt's conservation achievements; Garth Brooks can somehow pull off a medley of "American Pie," "Shout" and "We Shall Be Free"; and musical superstars seem okay with singing in trios -- at least in the case of Usher, Shakira and Stevie Wonder, who did a rousing version of "Higher Ground" that had the president-elect and his wife, Michelle, on their feet and dancing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/18/AR2009011802447.html
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Pastor who opposes gay marriage urges crowd to follow example of Martin Luther King
By ERRIN HAINES
The impending inauguration of the nation's first black president is a huge step toward realizing Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of racial equality, but there is still work to be done, King's nephew told a large crowd Monday at the church where the civil rights leader once preached.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-king-holiday-atlanta,0,3702638.story
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Gay men's chorus sings at Inaugural opening concert
Backed by The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, Josh Groban performs with Heather Headley, right, during the We Are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on Sunday.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-California Dems push gay rights in wake of Prop. 8 vote
By Aurelio Rojas
Democratic lawmakers are moving forward with legislation expanding rights and recognition for gays and lesbians in California while the state Supreme Court considers the fate of same-sex marriage. Assembly Bill 103 by Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, would allow two people, including same-sex couples, who co-own a home to avoid having their property tax reassessed and raised when one dies.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/860688.html
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Google takes a stand for gay marriage
Company files legal brief, to support keeping marriages legal
By Dan Renzi
From the site vnunet.com, which we have no idea how we found but we're glad we did: Google has filed an amicus brief in several legal challenges to Proposition 8, which make gay marriage illegal in California.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#23533
-'Error' caused gay bishop's TV blackout
Robinson's inaugural prayer came before broadcast began
By LOU CHIBBARO JR
Gay Episcopal Bishop Eugene Robinson's opening prayer at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural celebration Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial was not televised due to an unspecified "error," according to a spokesperson for the inaugural committee.
"We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson's invocation to be included in the televised portion of the program," Josh Earnest, director of communications for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, said in a statement.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23545
-Where was Gene Robinson?
By Rebecca Armendariz
Complaints that openly gay bishop Gene Robinson's speech was cut out of broadcasts of the We Are One concert abound on the gay blogosphere today.
AfterElton.com reached out to HBO for comment, and HBO responded that the Obama team is responsible for the edit, and not the network.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=23535
-Gay band refines performance for inauguration
LGBA members practice marching, songs
By CHRIS JOHNSONMembers of the Lesbian & Gay Band Association practiced playing their instruments and marching in lockstep Monday in an effort to refine their performance for their parade appearance on Inauguration Day.
The band, which is slated to be the first gay contingent to march in a presidential inaugural parade, had its dress rehearsal at St. Elizabeth's, a federally operated psychiatric hospital, and marched around the facility's grounds.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23552
-Black pastor asks gays to 'move beyond' Prop 8 furor
Forbes says dialogue more important than blame
By AMY CAVANAUGHIn the aftermath of last year's vote to ban gay marriage in California, Rev. James Forbes Jr. is calling for an end to the hunt for "somebody to blame" for the passage of Proposition 8. Forbes, a senior minister emeritus of the interdenominational Riverside Church in Manhattan, said that "society seems always to need somebody to blame," but people should resist that urge.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23550
-Frank talks gay rights at inauguration event
Wins award Sunday at People's 'Gayla'
By JOSHUA LYNSEN
Adorned in tuxedoes and cocktail dresses, a few hundred people laughed and danced their way toward equality Sunday at the People's Inaugural LGBT Gayla.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23541
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-The celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
By Jennifer Vanasco
One thing that Obama's people have always done well is using spectacle to impart a sense of myth. They certainly did that today with the kickoff ceremony - really a concert - at the Lincoln Memorial.
There were Marines. Gospel choirs. Two (two!) live bald eagles. A lot of songs about America. And a wall of American flags that parted over and over again to reveal blockbuster musical artists like Mary J. Blige, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks (one of the best performances of the afternoon - even the press corps was dancing) and Beyonce.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/vanasco-the-celebration-at-the-lincoln-memorial/
-Bye, bye, Bush
By Lisa Neff
Time to say bye, bye to George W. Bush. As he leaves for Texas, do you think he's thinking, "Mission accomplished"?
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/neff-bye-bye-bush-2/
-Will Obama Prosecute?
By Emma Ruby-Sachs
Today and tomorrow it is all about hope. Still, there has been a lot of chatter about the not so inspiring past. And many, including Speaker Pelosi, are hoping for a little retribution.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-will-obama-prosecute/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Bishop Robinson Talks Obama on Rachel Maddow
Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday night and discussed President-elect Obama, the Rick Warren controversy, and other topics with the MSNBC host. Robinson, the gay bishop of New Hampshire, will give the opening invocation at Obama's inaugural festivities this Sunday and said -- once again -- that he's disappointed in the incoming president's selection of Warren to conduct a prayer on Inauguration Day.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70846.asp
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Lesbian Congresswoman to serve as honorary inauguration co-chair
By Tony Grew
President-elect Barack Obama has named the only out lesbian in Congress as one of 16 honorary co-chairs for his inauguration tomorrow.
Tammy Baldwin will be seated "in the Obama family-and-friends box across from the White House during the parade, along with her partner Lauren Azar, a member of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission," reports WisPolitics.com.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10694.html
-Corporations and trade unions condemn California's ban on gay marriage
Major corporations and groups representing Mexican-Americans, Christians, and African-Americans have filed friend of the court briefs in California in support of gay marriage.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10693.html
-Gene Robinson: God, we give you thanks for your child Barack
By Staff Writer
Yesterday Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, led prayers at the start of a free outdoor celebration concert in Washington DC.
The opening Inaugural event was held at the Lincoln Memorial, and international stars such as U2 and Beyonce took part. Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States when he takes the oath of office tomorrow at noon.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10648.html
-Nigerian MPs vote to ban "immoral" gay marriages
By Tony Grew
The House of Representatives in Nigeria has voted unanimously in favour of a new legislation banning same-sex marriage.
The bill "prohibits marriage between persons of same gender, solemnisation of same and other matters related therewith."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10640.html
-Analysis: Obama's comprehensive support for gay equality
By Tony Grew
What can lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Americans expect from the new President of the United States?
Barack Obama, who will take the oath of office tomorrow afternoon at noon (5pm GMT), is the most gay-friendly politician to lead America.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10636.html
-South African gay couple plan legal action after wedding refusal
By Felicity Baker
A gay couple in South Africa were allegedly told they could not get married because their relationship was "not normal," it has been reported.
Alexander Bruce, 25, and Jaco van der Walt, 19, had decided to marry after being together for a year and had gone to the Home Affairs office for an initial appointment on December 17th.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10633.html
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Rick Warren's African Allies Tied to Massacres, Sex-Slavery, Forced Labor, Concentration Camps
Bruce Wilson | Talk 2 Action
Critics of Barack Obama's choice to include Rick Warren in the upcoming January 20, 2008 presidential inauguration ceremony have focused on the celebrity evangelist's religious beliefs and at least one report has traced his ties to reactionary African religious leaders. Media coverage of Rick Warren has failed to note, however, his friendship and alliance with two African presidents accused of perpetrating terrorism and massive human rights violations including massacres and assassinations, mass-rape, slave labor, sex slavery, large scale concentration camps, and the use of child soldiers.
A December 12, 2008 UN report charges Warren's African allies, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Uganda's President Youwerie Museveni, with continuing to fuel the conflict in the Congo by supporting the renegade army of Laurent Nkunda, whose recent military offensive has created hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Rwanda and Uganda have been indicted, in a series of consecutive United Nations reports presented to the UN Security Council, released between 2001 and 2003 [see this UN page for all 5 reports], for repeatedly invading and violating the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of The Congo, and supporting renegade armies in that country, in order to loot the Congo's immense natural wealth. The more than one decade long running conflict has claimed an estimated 5.4 million civilian lives. Read more
-UT: Good Proposals for Gay Rights?
Daily Herald | Herald Extra
A group called Equality Utah, an advocate for gay rights, is pushing a series of legislative measures under what it calls its Common Ground Initiative. The group says the proposals will provide fairer treatment for gays, transgendered people and others.
. One measure calls for a change in state policy to allow state employees to add another adult to their health care coverage. Advocates say this will ease the health care crisis by allowing more people to get health insurance.
It's an administrative change, so it doesn't need an act by the Legislature, though of course lawmakers must approve anything that would impact the budget. And this year, elected officials may be leery of adding any expenses.
. In the Legislature, Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck and Sen. Scott McCoy, both D-Salt Lake, are backing the Support Forever Homes for All Children Act. It would allow unmarried couples, gay or straight, to be considered for adoption.
The measure would give priority to married couples, but would allow authorities to consider an unmarried couple of any orientation. Advocates say this measure would give children a chance of being adopted by a couple if no married couples are available. Read more
-Gay Marriage Still Linchpin Issue for Evangelicals
James Kirchick / Politico.com | Detroit News
Last month, the National Association of Evangelicals fired the Rev. Richard Cizik as its vice president for governmental affairs. As one of the Christian right's top lobbyists in Washington, Cizik promoted the cultural conservative position on issues ranging from abortion to prayer in school.
He's been one of the most prominent figures in the religious right since its ascendance as a national political force three decades ago, and the reason for his firing from the umbrella organization representing some 45,000 churches portends much about the "culture wars."
In a post-election interview with Terry Gross on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air," Cizik stated his support for gay civil unions. "I'm shifting, I have to admit," he said when asked about same-sex marriage. "In other words, I would willingly say I believe in civil unions. I don't officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition, I don't think."
Cizik's couching of his support for civil unions - a position shared by at least half of the American electorate, including an increasing number of evangelicals - within his opposition to gay marriage was not a sufficient hedge to save his skin. "He no longer represents the view of evangelicalism," concluded Tom Minnery, a senior vice president of Focus on the Family. Try as Minnery might to make it sound as though evangelicals speak with one voice on a range of issues, serious fissures are beginning to emerge among this vital electoral constituency. Read more
-Warren Taps Right-Wing Lawyer for Inaugural Defense
Kyle | Right Wing Watch
We've written a few posts about the lawsuit brought by Michael Newdow, the American Humanist Association, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and others seeking to remove the phrase "so help me God" from the oath of office during the Inauguration. Among the defendants in the case are Chief Justice John Roberts, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Major General Richard J. Rowe Jr., the Reverend Rick Warren and the Reverend Joe Lowery.
Now it looks like Warren has tapped a lawyer to represent him in court - a lawyer from the right-wing Pacific Justice Institute:
Kevin Snider, Chief Counsel of Pacific Justice Institute, will appear in federal court Thursday in Washington, D.C. to defend Pastor Rick Warren against a lawsuit seeking to halt prayers at the inauguration of Barack Obama . At his request, PJI Chief Counsel Kevin Snider will appear in court tomorrow and ask a federal judge to allow the time-honored inaugural prayer to proceed.
If you are not familiar with the Pacific Justice Institute, maybe you are familiar with this video of PJI President Brad Dacus proclaiming that failure to pass Prop 8 was akin to failing to stand up to the Nazis: Read more
-Mike Huckabee: Affably Anti-Gay
Kyle | Right Wing Watch
A.J. Jacobs has a interesting profile of Mike Huckabee in Esquire on how this funny and seemingly nice former presidential candidate is, at heart, a militantly anti-gay culture warrior.
Jacobs reports that Huckabee is utterly charming and the "most likable politician I've ever met" . until he joins Huckabee for a book-signing and fundraiser for the right-wing New Jersey Family Policy Council where the theme is "no compromise on gay marriage" and Huckabee proclaims that gays getting married will lead to polygamy and bestiality and likens homosexuality to alcoholism:
We say the Pledge of Allegiance. We eat our chicken and baby carrots. We listen to a series of speeches with phrases like "swamp of moral decay" and "assault on the sacred institution of marriage." One man says that given the choice between winning the White House and winning the three anti-gay-marriage propositions, he'd choose to lose the White House . more.
-Jim Carrey's Hot Gay Role!
PlanetOut
In the aftermath of all those Mormon dollars supporting Prop 8, the Utah-based 2009 Sundance Film Festival was in the queer spotlight last month after calls by some in the gay community for a boycott of the uber queer-friendly event.
That boycott message was countered by immediate and effusive objections, and expressions of Sundance support, from such venerable queer film luminaries as: producer Christine Vachon, distributor Marcus Hu and director Gregg Araki (see Araki's eloquent piece in the current print issue of The Advocate) or, since that isn't available online, you could read my Bay Area Reporter Guest Opinion piece, "Yes On Sundance."
With the festival getting underway from January 15 - 25 in Park City, Utah there are bound to be some picketers outside the Cinemark-owned Holiday Village Cinema (one of the main venues at Sundance). But community leaders -including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and Outfest who both made official announcements of support for Sundance - seem to have moved on towards focusing on the films themselves and embracing the festival for being the longtime champion of LGBT cinema that it is. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Effort to surmount polarizing debates backfires on pastor
Rick Warren arrives in Washington this week in the midst of the culture war he has spent years trying to transcend.
The California pastor, who wrote the best-selling hardcover book in US history and built up from scratch one of the largest churches in the nation, is widely considered the most visible and successful champion of a new form of political engagement for evangelicals, one that is less partisan, and concerned about more issues, than the abortion-and-gays-focused religious right associated with Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/01/19/warren_scrutiny_suggests_culture_war_hasnt_disappeared/
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-HUMANISTS PROTEST ABOUT RELIGIOUS-BASED ANTI-GAY LEGISLATION IN NIGERIA
Humanists in Nigeria have condemned the vote by the country's House of Representatives banning same sex marriage.
The Bill "for an Act to prohibit marriage between persons of the same gender, solemnization of same and other matters related therewith" has been passed unanimously by the Lower House of the country's Parliament. All the members who spoke in favour of the Bill condemned such marriage, saying that it was immoral, against African tradition and God's design for human beings. One noted that this was a sign of moral decadence in any given society and went against God's purpose of creating the institution of marriage. He stressed that such acts as stated in both the Islamic and Christian religions were ungodly. Another member argued "it is against my faith to have same sex marriage. It is against our penal code to even engage in activities between man and man, as well as woman and woman. It is time for us at to think back and look at the scourge of HIV/AIDS. The greatest means of transmitting this disease is through the act of sodomy".
http://www.pinktriangle.org.uk/
=
Truth Wins Out - TWO
by Wayne Besen
http://www.truthwinsout.org/
-TWO Urges Team Obama To Explain Why Bishop Gene Robinson Was Bumped From
HBO's Inauguration Broadcast
Warren Gets Prime Time, Robinson Gets No Time, Says TWO Truth Wins Out today urged the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) to explain why openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson was excluded from a Home Box Office airing of inauguration festivities. He gave his sermon on Sunday, but HBO did not air it, leaving America wondering why he was bumped from the broadcast. Additionally, Robinson's microphone wasn't turned on until his prayer was nearly over, so the crowd was also unable to hear him.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/why-ws-bishop-gene-robinsonbumped-from-hbo%E2%80%99s-inauguration-broadcast/
-Dr. Phil's Poison Pill
In 38 years, I've only once dressed in drag. It was my senior year of high school and my friend Alex's father was out of town. While gone, he placed Alex in charge of his clothing shop, which was in a small hotel mini-mall. I swung by one evening to keep him company. Business was slow and we were looking for creative ways to pass the time. [...] I'm confused as to why people are still "confused" about transgender Americans. For years, they have said that the birth sex on the outside does not match the opposite sex they believe is on the inside. Modern science confirms that sexuality has as much to do with what is inside our heads as what is between our legs. This concept is not rocket science, nor is it difficult to understand. There is nothing homogeneous about our species, and this includes sexuality and gender. Unfortunately, talk show hosts are still using this issue for cheap laughs or to boost ratings. The latest example is the annoying and supremely talentless Dr. Phil. The talking (very large) head had an opportunity to educate the public by presenting the latest science.
http://www.waynebesen.com/2009/01/dr-phils-poison-pill.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - January 19, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Bush's legacy is America's shame
Although Americans would be wary of admitting it to others, we know the wreckage left behind by the outgoing administration
Michael Tomasky
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/18/usa-georgebush-obama
-Obama's Daunting Task in Afghanistan
By Aryn Baker / Kabul
Suddenly in Kabul, DJs are in demand. Ball gowns are being brushed off and red, white and blue outfits picked out. American expatriates are debating the relative merits of competing inaugural balls, one hosted by Democrats Abroad, another by the U.S. embassy. Tickets for both are sold out, and for those who are neither Democrats nor American, viewing parties have been planned across the capital. Afghans with access to satellite television are charging car batteries to ensure that not one minute of the inaugural festivities will be lost to the city's chronic power outages. Not even Saturday's suicide car bombing in the capital, which killed four Afghans and one American, has dimmed hopes that Barack Obama's campaign slogan, "Change We Can Believe In," applies just as much in Afghanistan.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1872563,00.html
-Saudi King to Donate $1B to Rebuild Gaza
By AP/DIANA ELIAS
The Saudi king said Monday his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive and told Israel that an Arab initiative offering peace will not remain on the table forever.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1872560,00.html
-U.S. gets weak marks on global relations: poll
By Ellen Wulfhorst
The United States is viewed favorably by the majority in only two of 21 other countries with large economies, according to a survey released on Sunday, and it draws the harshest criticism for its foreign policy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE50I2OH20090119
-Alcee Hastings expresses irritation with how Pelosi's running the House
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, is among the members of Congress who were willing to go on the record for an article in The Hill newspaper that raised concerns about the amount of power being taken by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.In the article, Senior House Democrats have a message for their Speaker: We're mad as hell, and we're only taking it this one last time, the Hill wrote: As congressional Democrats take the lead in responding to the sinking economy, subcommittee and even some full-committee chairmen - who normally wield significant influence in writing legislation - have been forced to wait on the sidelines as monumental bills are written in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office. more. . . .
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/01/alcee_hastings_expresses_irrit_1.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Bush's legacy is America's shame
Although Americans would be wary of admitting it to others, we know the wreckage left behind by the outgoing administration
Michael Tomasky
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/18/usa-georgebush-obama
-Obama's Daunting Task in Afghanistan
By Aryn Baker / Kabul
Suddenly in Kabul, DJs are in demand. Ball gowns are being brushed off and red, white and blue outfits picked out. American expatriates are debating the relative merits of competing inaugural balls, one hosted by Democrats Abroad, another by the U.S. embassy. Tickets for both are sold out, and for those who are neither Democrats nor American, viewing parties have been planned across the capital. Afghans with access to satellite television are charging car batteries to ensure that not one minute of the inaugural festivities will be lost to the city's chronic power outages. Not even Saturday's suicide car bombing in the capital, which killed four Afghans and one American, has dimmed hopes that Barack Obama's campaign slogan, "Change We Can Believe In," applies just as much in Afghanistan.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1872563,00.html
-Saudi King to Donate $1B to Rebuild Gaza
By AP/DIANA ELIAS
The Saudi king said Monday his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive and told Israel that an Arab initiative offering peace will not remain on the table forever.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1872560,00.html
-U.S. gets weak marks on global relations: poll
By Ellen Wulfhorst
The United States is viewed favorably by the majority in only two of 21 other countries with large economies, according to a survey released on Sunday, and it draws the harshest criticism for its foreign policy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE50I2OH20090119
-Alcee Hastings expresses irritation with how Pelosi's running the House
U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, is among the members of Congress who were willing to go on the record for an article in The Hill newspaper that raised concerns about the amount of power being taken by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.In the article, Senior House Democrats have a message for their Speaker: We're mad as hell, and we're only taking it this one last time, the Hill wrote: As congressional Democrats take the lead in responding to the sinking economy, subcommittee and even some full-committee chairmen - who normally wield significant influence in writing legislation - have been forced to wait on the sidelines as monumental bills are written in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office. more. . . .
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/01/alcee_hastings_expresses_irrit_1.html
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - January 19, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Lesbian poet Staceyann Chin to read at Speak Out event in Miami
Lesbian poet shares her many identities at event.
By Georgia East
Who could forget Staceyann Chin? The nationally renowned lesbian poet delivered verses like daggers on HBO's Def Poetry Jam - addressing life's contradictions with anger and wit.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-aa19pplchinsbjan19,0,586757.story
=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Representative Kelly Skidmore has again filed legislation to amend Florida's civil rights laws to protect members of the LGBT community from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The Council has prepared these talking points which may help when you ask your state legislators to support the Skidmore Civil Rights Bill. Please feel free to pass this information on to other LGBT and allied activists.
www.pbchrc.org
=
ABC Webservice - Wilton Manors
Join us for the Inaugural Celebration of our 44th President on Tuesday, January 20th starting at 5:00 pm at our office in Wilton Manors. Come have a glass of wine and a snack while we celebrate the start of Barack Obama's Presidency. Everyone is welcome, invite a friend. To RSVP Click Here
http://civic.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=88457
ABC Web Service
2419 N Dixie Highway
Wilton Manors, Florida 33305
954-564-3300
=
Steve Glassman for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Campaign
It is down to the home stretch and Steve needs everyone's help to cross the finish line first! During the past 7 months, residents in every neighborhood in District 2 have met with Steve and have learned why he has led his neighborhood association for the past six years - it is because of his leadership, reason, and judgment. Now, friends from Steve's neighborhood want to thank him for all of his years of service and caring! Join our hosts Cindy and Peter Galiette, Steve Crombe and Will Rubino for a poolside Beach Bash. It doesn't matter where you live in District 2; everyone is invited. We are all in this together and we need to change direction!
When: Friday, January 30th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Where: La Rive, 715 Bayshore Drive .
RSVP: call 954-638-8461 or e-mail: steve@voteglassman.com by Tuesday,
January 27th.
=
Inaugural Bash in Wilton Manors
Can you make it tomorrow?
Wilton Manors Yes We Did! aka Goodbye Bush Bash!!
Where: Rosie's Bar and Grill - Wilton Drive
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-SoBe Party Cruise on Sunday, Jan. 25, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Join us for the first SoBe Party Cruise on Sunday, January 25th 5pm to 9pm aboard the beautiful yacht, Midnight Sun.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-Photos from 'Dinner with Edmund White' at Stonewall Library
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Fred Phelps a no-show
Counter-protestors still hold pro-gay demonstration at Rising Action Theatre
By Dan Renzi
Fred Phelps' infamous Fort Lauderdale protest was a bust.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#23528
=
Ft. Lauderdale: Sunshine Cathedral: Light University Presents
The Future of Peace in the Middle East
Free Lecture Series - Israelis, Palestinians and Terrorism: Armageddon or Armistic
Light University, the religious education ministry of the Sunshine Cathedral, is proud to present this free lecture series in an attempt to help build bridges within our community through sharing, listen and learning about various perspectives on the war in the Middle East. Some of the questions that will be addressed are: Is the turmoil between Israel and its Arab neighbors 60 years old, or is this a problem of biblical origin?; Has there ever been a period of peace between Moslems and Jews?; Is there a difference between "terrorism", "armed resistance", or "military reprisals" that describe responses used by each side in this conflict?; How far should each side go in the form of compromise in the name of peace?; What are the minimum demands each side requires before being willing to accept peace with the opposing side?; Is it anti-Semitic to say the Jewish Lobby in Washington dictates Mideast policy? and much more. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about events happening internationally that affects us locally.
You don't want to miss this opportunity.
Presenters
Pat Mathis, PhD, JD Rev. Dr. Laura Kraus
Public Theologian Florida Center for Theological
Studies
February 4th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM March 18th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Rabbi Eliot Pearlson Rev. Durrell Watkins
Rabbi, Temple Menorah Senior Pastor, Sunshine Cathedral
February 11th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM April 1st - 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Altaf Ali
Executive Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations
March 4th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM
The series will take place on the campus of Sunshine Cathedral in the Dr. Robert Graham/Paul Fasana Chapel located at 1480 SW 9th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL. For more information please contact Reverend Robert Griffin at 954.462.2004 ext. 206. Although this event is FREE, please register your attendance by sending an email to Robert@SunshineCathedral.org.
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Study: South Florida could lose 84,800 jobs in 2009
BY SCOTT ANDRON
South Florida will lose more jobs this year than any American metropolitan area except New York and Los Angeles, according to a study released this weekend by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties will lose a total of 84,800 jobs by the end of 2009, according to the study, which was conducted by the consulting firm Global Insight. That would be a 3.6 percent drop from the end of 2008.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/861245.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ballot questions may return
By MARK LANE
Last week saw a remarkable number of announcements, near announcements and announcements about upcoming announcements about who will and won't run for U.S. Senate in 2010. It makes one want to double-check the calendar. Yup, it's still January 2009.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Columnists/Footnote/colFOOT011809.htm
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Lesbian poet Staceyann Chin to read at Speak Out event in Miami
Lesbian poet shares her many identities at event.
By Georgia East
Who could forget Staceyann Chin? The nationally renowned lesbian poet delivered verses like daggers on HBO's Def Poetry Jam - addressing life's contradictions with anger and wit.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-aa19pplchinsbjan19,0,586757.story
=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Representative Kelly Skidmore has again filed legislation to amend Florida's civil rights laws to protect members of the LGBT community from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The Council has prepared these talking points which may help when you ask your state legislators to support the Skidmore Civil Rights Bill. Please feel free to pass this information on to other LGBT and allied activists.
www.pbchrc.org
=
ABC Webservice - Wilton Manors
Join us for the Inaugural Celebration of our 44th President on Tuesday, January 20th starting at 5:00 pm at our office in Wilton Manors. Come have a glass of wine and a snack while we celebrate the start of Barack Obama's Presidency. Everyone is welcome, invite a friend. To RSVP Click Here
http://civic.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=88457
ABC Web Service
2419 N Dixie Highway
Wilton Manors, Florida 33305
954-564-3300
=
Steve Glassman for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Campaign
It is down to the home stretch and Steve needs everyone's help to cross the finish line first! During the past 7 months, residents in every neighborhood in District 2 have met with Steve and have learned why he has led his neighborhood association for the past six years - it is because of his leadership, reason, and judgment. Now, friends from Steve's neighborhood want to thank him for all of his years of service and caring! Join our hosts Cindy and Peter Galiette, Steve Crombe and Will Rubino for a poolside Beach Bash. It doesn't matter where you live in District 2; everyone is invited. We are all in this together and we need to change direction!
When: Friday, January 30th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Where: La Rive, 715 Bayshore Drive .
RSVP: call 954-638-8461 or e-mail: steve@voteglassman.com by Tuesday,
January 27th.
=
Inaugural Bash in Wilton Manors
Can you make it tomorrow?
Wilton Manors Yes We Did! aka Goodbye Bush Bash!!
Where: Rosie's Bar and Grill - Wilton Drive
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM
=
Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-SoBe Party Cruise on Sunday, Jan. 25, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Join us for the first SoBe Party Cruise on Sunday, January 25th 5pm to 9pm aboard the beautiful yacht, Midnight Sun.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
-Photos from 'Dinner with Edmund White' at Stonewall Library
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Fred Phelps a no-show
Counter-protestors still hold pro-gay demonstration at Rising Action Theatre
By Dan Renzi
Fred Phelps' infamous Fort Lauderdale protest was a bust.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#23528
=
Ft. Lauderdale: Sunshine Cathedral: Light University Presents
The Future of Peace in the Middle East
Free Lecture Series - Israelis, Palestinians and Terrorism: Armageddon or Armistic
Light University, the religious education ministry of the Sunshine Cathedral, is proud to present this free lecture series in an attempt to help build bridges within our community through sharing, listen and learning about various perspectives on the war in the Middle East. Some of the questions that will be addressed are: Is the turmoil between Israel and its Arab neighbors 60 years old, or is this a problem of biblical origin?; Has there ever been a period of peace between Moslems and Jews?; Is there a difference between "terrorism", "armed resistance", or "military reprisals" that describe responses used by each side in this conflict?; How far should each side go in the form of compromise in the name of peace?; What are the minimum demands each side requires before being willing to accept peace with the opposing side?; Is it anti-Semitic to say the Jewish Lobby in Washington dictates Mideast policy? and much more. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about events happening internationally that affects us locally.
You don't want to miss this opportunity.
Presenters
Pat Mathis, PhD, JD Rev. Dr. Laura Kraus
Public Theologian Florida Center for Theological
Studies
February 4th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM March 18th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Rabbi Eliot Pearlson Rev. Durrell Watkins
Rabbi, Temple Menorah Senior Pastor, Sunshine Cathedral
February 11th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM April 1st - 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Altaf Ali
Executive Director
Council on American-Islamic Relations
March 4th - 7:00 - 8:00 PM
The series will take place on the campus of Sunshine Cathedral in the Dr. Robert Graham/Paul Fasana Chapel located at 1480 SW 9th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL. For more information please contact Reverend Robert Griffin at 954.462.2004 ext. 206. Although this event is FREE, please register your attendance by sending an email to Robert@SunshineCathedral.org.
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Study: South Florida could lose 84,800 jobs in 2009
BY SCOTT ANDRON
South Florida will lose more jobs this year than any American metropolitan area except New York and Los Angeles, according to a study released this weekend by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties will lose a total of 84,800 jobs by the end of 2009, according to the study, which was conducted by the consulting firm Global Insight. That would be a 3.6 percent drop from the end of 2008.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/861245.html
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ballot questions may return
By MARK LANE
Last week saw a remarkable number of announcements, near announcements and announcements about upcoming announcements about who will and won't run for U.S. Senate in 2010. It makes one want to double-check the calendar. Yup, it's still January 2009.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Columnists/Footnote/colFOOT011809.htm
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Sunday, January 18, 2009
GLBT DIGEST - January 18, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop to Deliver Invocation at Lincoln Memorial
By Laurie Goodstein
President-elect Barack Obama has asked Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopal bishop who helped advise him on gay rights issues during the campaign, to deliver the invocation at a kickoff inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, two days before the inauguration itself.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/openly-gay-episcopal-bishop-to-deliver-invocation-at-lincoln-memorial/?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Op-Contributor: Gay but Equal?
By MARY FRANCES BERRY
Philadelphia: AS the country prepares to enter the Obama era, anxiety over the legal status and rights of gays and lesbians is growing. Barack Obama's invitation to the Rev. Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor who opposes same-sex marriage, to give the invocation at his inauguration comes just as the hit movie "Milk" reminds us of the gay rights activism of the 1970s. Supporters of gay rights wonder if the California Supreme Court might soon confirm the legitimacy of Proposition 8, passed by state voters in November, which declares same-sex marriage illegal - leaving them no alternative but to take to the streets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/opinion/16mfberry.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Rick Warren Chooses Silence
By Laurie Goodstein
The Rev. Rick Warren, the megachurch pastor who became a lightning rod for controversy when he was anointed by President-elect Barack Obama to give the premier prayer at the inauguration, has decided to let his prayer speak for him.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/rick-warren-chooses-silence/?scp=4&sq=GAY&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama's Path to Faith Was Eclectic
President-Elect Will Reach Out to Diverse Set of Religious Leaders for Advice
By Eli Saslow
The presidential inauguration ceremony on Tuesday will begin and end with prayers from two men whom Barack Obama considers role models, advisers and dear friends. One, Joseph Lowery, is an 87-year-old black liberal Methodist from the Deep South who spent his career fighting for civil rights. The other, Rick Warren,9 is a 54-year-old white conservative evangelical from Southern California who fights same-sex unions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702601.html
-Transition Signals A Centrist Approach In Obama White House
Weeks Since Election Saw Minimal 'Drama'
By Anne E. Kornblut
If history is any guide, the 77-day transition period between the election and Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president provides an early road map to what the Obama presidency will look like, in both style and substance.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702690.html
-Religion Briefing: EVANGELICAL AND LIBERAL ALLIANCE
Coalition Agrees on Social Issues
A coalition of moderate evangelical Christians and progressives said this week that they have come to an agreement on several social issues that have traditionally divided them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604265.html
=
Truth Wins Out - TWO
by Wayne Besen
http://www.truthwinsout.org/
-Tonight - Sunday!
Truth Wins Out's Founding Executive Director, Wayne Besen, will be on the O'Reilly Factor this evening debating anti-gay Bishop Harry Jackson. The show will discuss Revs. Gene Robinson and Rick Warren, who will both offer prayers at Obama's inauguration. Air time for the FOX inauguration special
is 5:30 PM.
-God TV To Broadcast Focus On The Family's 'Ex-Gay' Conference To Millions Deal With Focus on the Family During GOD TV's Creepy 'End Times' Month Truth Wins Out (TWO) today expressed its dismay over a deal between GOD TV and Focus on the Family to air the group's "ex-gay" Love Won Out conference. Focus on the Family claims they will now reach millions of people with their anti-gay propaganda and distorted science. The agreement comes at a time when GOD TV is airing a solid month of spooky End-Times programming.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/focus-on-the-family-to-broadcast-ex-gay-love-won-out-conference-to-millions-on-god-tv/
-Disgraceful Show Elevates Fringe Anti-Gay Activists To 'Expert' Status, Says TWO
Truth Wins Out (TWO) harshly condemned the Dr. Phil Show today, claiming that it exploited Toni, the mother of a transgender child, and placed her in a psychologically abusive situation - which nearly drove her to tears. The episode, "Little Boy Lost," also falsely portrayed notorious anti-gay activists, Glenn Stanton and Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, as "experts" on gender and homosexuality, says TWO.
Dr. Phil damaged his reputation by choosing sensationalism over professionalism and he ought to be ashamed. Instead of exploring this issue in-depth, Dr. Phil sunk to new depths. He exploited a loving mother by ambushing her with disreputable anti-gay activists well known for theories far outside mainstream psychology.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/two-upset-that-dr-phil-exploited-mother-of-transgender-child/
-One RNC Nominee, Kenneth Blackwell, Compares Gay People to 'Arsonists' and Claims They Can 'Change'
Truth Wins Out (TWO) expressed unease today over the slate of extreme candidates running for chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). The organization is particularly concerned that former Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, is under consideration for the job. Blackwell has built his career on bashing gay and lesbian Ohioans and if chosen would likely bring his anti-gay agenda to the national stage, says TWO.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/truth-wins-out-expresses-concern-over-republican-national-committee-election/
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Vatican office: US seminaries doing good job stopping 'homosexual behavior' in the schools
By RACHEL ZOLL
A Vatican evaluation of U.S. Roman Catholic seminaries in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal concluded that administrators have largely been effective in rooting out "homosexual behavior" in the schools, although the agency said it persists.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-rel-catholic-seminaries,0,3716440.story
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Sharpton decries churches pushing Prop. 8
Atlanta alliance forms to counter anti-gay religious rhetoric
By MATT SCHAFER
From the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church on Sunday, Rev. Al Sharpton called out the Mormon Church and other conservative faiths for mobilizing to support Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California while refusing to be as involved in any other social concerns.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23441
-Religious group attempts to halt leather 'play party'
Americans for Truth urges members to bombard DC's Doubletree
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
A religious group that believes homosexuality is "evil" is trying to keep a leather S&M party from happening this weekend at Doubletree Hotel near Washington in Arlington, Va.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23516
-Boy George sentenced to 15 months
Guilty of 'gratuitous violence'
LONDON (AP)
Singer Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in jail on Friday after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall in a London apartment. British Judge David Radford said the 47-year-old former Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was guilty of "gratuitous violence."
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23506
-DNC, gay staffer settle lawsuit
Hitchcock 'had hoped for more'
Washington Blade staff reports
The Democratic National Committee and its former gay outreach director have reached a settlement in a bitter lawsuit, ending all legal proceedings between them, according to a joint statement released early Friday morning.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23504
-Gay Republicans in debt
GLBT Log Cabin Republicans start 2009 in the red
By WAYNE BESEN
The gay Log Cabin Republicans are broke and their party is seriously broken. The group's $100,000 debt comes at a time when the GOP is indebted more than ever to extremists. Instead of learning from Election Day, the party is pandering to those who believe in the "End of Days," which will only expedite the party's political apocalypse.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-15/view/editorial/5457.cfm
-'Out of Annapolis'
By Rebecca Armendariz
'Out of Annapolis,' a documentary film featuring 35 gay alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy, has almost been completed. The filmmakers, an organization called USNA Out, are hoping to get it shown at festivals come summer 2009. A preliminary trailer has been released:
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=23522
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Riding for equality
By Allison Steinberg
What do you get when you unload a bus of LGBT folks onto the most homophobic college campuses around the country? That's exactly what you'll find out when you catch Equality U, a documentary airing this weekend as the seventh season premiere of Real Momentum, Logo's documentary series.
http://www.365gay.com/living/riding-for-equality/
-Gay in the Army? You Betcha
Yesterday, Fox News reported that the Obama administration is going to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. In a direct and open move, incoming press secretary Gibbs gave a video response to a question posed on Change.gov where he assured Americans that DADT was on the way out.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-gay-in-the-army-you-betcha/
-Louisiana may reopen gay adoption ruling
The state of Louisiana has asked a federal judge to reconsider a ruling that both names of a gay couple must appear on the birth certificate of their adopted son.
http://www.365gay.com/news/louisiana-may-reopen-gay-adoption-ruling/
-California bar associations join call to invalidate Prop 8
Forty bar associations and legal groups across the country - including the San Francisco and Los Angeles County Bar Associations - have called on the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8, the voter approved measure that bans same-sex marriage in the state.
http://www.365gay.com/news/california-bar-associations-join-call-to-invalidate-prop-8/
-Gays of color at highest risk in schools
A study of LGBT students in the nation's schools has found that students of color are the most vulnerable.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gays-of-color-at-highest-risk-in-schools/
-54 federal bench vacancies await Obama decision
By Jennifer Vanasco
When Barrack Obama is sworn in on Tuesday one of his first tasks will be filling 54 vacancies in federal courts.
http://www.365gay.com/news/54-federal-bench-vacancies-await-obama-decision/
-Corvino: Opponents on our butts
By John Corvino
Why are our opponents so obsessed with butt sex? I've personally pondered this question more times than is probably healthy. It occurred to me a few weeks ago when a poster on a conservative blog complained that gays "expect us to approve of butt sex and call it marriage."
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-opponents-on-our-butts/
-Sculpture shows priests raising rainbow flag
(Brussels) Is it a joke? A very expensive hoax? A sly, shockingly satirical look at the 27 nations that make up the European Union?
http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/sculpture-shows-priests-raising-rainbow-flag/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Map of Pro-Prop. 8 Donors Causes Controversy
An interactive map that allows one to locate where people who contributed money to pass Proposition 8 live and work is causing a stir. One of Andrew Sullivan's gay Atlantic readers who was raised Mormon wrote that finding out one of his aunts in California donated to the cause was like "a gut punch." "And that is surely one useful element of the map," Sullivan writes in response. "It helps one see whom to engage. And I don't get the fear. If Prop. 8 supporters truly feel that barring equality for gay couples is vital for saving civilization, shouldn't they be proud of their financial support? Why don't they actually have posters advertising their support for discriminating against gay people -- as a matter of pride?" (Advocate.com)
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70949.asp
-Obama Site Posts Video of LGBT Meeting
The Obama transition website posted a four-minute video Wednesday of a meeting that took place December 10 between LGBT leaders and members of the transition team in Washington D.C.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70852.asp
-Rev. V. Gene Robinson's Big Moment
Advocate.com's James Hatori sits down on camera with Rev. V Gene Robinson on the eve on his pre-inauguration invocation for Presdient-elect Barack Obama.
By Ross von Metzke
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid71055.asp
-Same Fight, Different Approach
Prop. 8 opponents Gloria Allred and Jerry Brown don't quite see eye to eye on the next step in the fight for marriage equality.
By Julie Bolcer
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid70684.asp
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- John Berry to be Highest-Ranking Openly Gay Appointee
President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, will be the highest-ranking openly gay official in US history upon confirmation. Berry will head oversee more than 5,000 employees and a $1.5 billion annual budget, reported the Bay Area Reporter.
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=11472
-Lesbian and Gay Band Association Chooses
Inspiring Music for Inaugural Parade
The Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA), a musical organization comprising marching and concert bands from across the United States and around the world, is proud to announce the five musical selections that it will perform during the parade for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009. LGBA is the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group in history to be invited to march in a Presidential Inaugural Parade.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4354/173/
- Maine gay marriage law proposed
Hancock County senator to sponsor same-sex marriage bill
By Judy Harrison
A state senator from Hancock County is sponsoring a bill to allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine.
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/97129.html
-Shock at Senegal gay jail terms
The jailing in Senegal of nine gay men for eight years over "indecent conduct and unnatural acts" has been condemned by an international gay rights group. Homosexual acts are illegal in Senegal but the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) told the BBC it was "shocked by the ruling".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7817100.stm
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Australian HIV-positive man jailed for deliberately infecting partners
An HIV-positive grandfather from Melbourne who preyed on "vulnerable" gay men when he tried to infect them with the virus has been sentenced to nearly two decades years in jail.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10610.html
-Police investigating homophobic MP Iris Robinson seek advice about prosecution
By Tony Grew
The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland has confirmed that it has received a request for prosecutorial advice from police investigating whether a local MP's homophobic statements broke the law.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10609.html
-Ad standards body to rule on "no God" campaign next week
By Tony Grew
The Advertising Standards Authority will decide next week whether to investigate complaints that a series of adverts on public transport which claim there is no God have breached the code of conduct.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10607.html
-Obama urged to consider gay rights when appointing federal judges
By Tony Grew
A legal organisation that fights for the civil rights of lesbians and gay men has urged the President-elect of the United States and the Senate to appoint judges who will treat the LGBT community fairly.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10599.html
-Inquest rules on gay teen goaded to suicide by baying Derby mob
By Felicity Baker
A gay student jumped to his death after being jeered at by members of the public, an inquest has heard. Shaun Dykes, 17, died instantly after throwing himself off the top ofWestfield Shopping Centre car park in Derby on September 27th last year.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10596.html
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Academics Debate Whether New Media Helps, Hurts GLBT Culture
Kilian Melloy | EDGE Contributor | EDGE Boston
Academics are divided on the question of whether or not so-called "New Media" like Reality TV and the Internet are a help or a hindrance when it comes to full social and legal equality for America's GLBT citizens.
Part of the divergence in opinion are differing views of what constitutes gay culture, versus that of the "hetero-normative." A Jan. 14 article at Campus Report Online.net details that two conflicting points of view were aired on the subject at the recent annual convention of the Modern Language Association. Kent State University Ph.D. candidate Robin Bellinson offered the view that while so-called "Reality TV" might be fostering acceptance in America of GLBT people, that might come at the expense of the GLBT community losing its unique cultural characteristics, rather than acting to alter "the cultural and economic landscape of the reality it purports to represent," in Bellinson's words. Read more
-Bad Economy May Fuel Hate Groups, Experts Warn
Carrie Johnson | Washington Post Staff Writer | Washington Post
For 20 years, Bart McIntyre has tracked white supremacist movements, even spending two years undercover in Alabama to penetrate a violent young band of criminals who called themselves the Confederate Hammerskins.
Away from his wife and young daughter, McIntyre took the alias "Mark," attended Ku Klux Klan rallies and educated himself in racist propaganda. He and a law enforcement partner ultimately helped build criminal cases that sent more than 10 men to prison for their involvement in the murder and vicious beatings of black men in the Birmingham area in the early 1990s.
Now, as McIntyre prepares to retire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he and other analysts are warning that the threat from hate groups and splinter organizations connected to the Klan should not be underestimated, especially at a time of economic unrest.
"In society, you have a very small number of people who are going to push the envelope and take it to the next step," said McIntyre, the resident ATF agent in charge in Roanoke. Read more
-OH: Six Gays and Lesbians Passed Over for Council
Eric Resnick | Gay People's Chronicle
Columbus-City Council passed over qualified gay and lesbian applicants to fill vacancies this week, for the second time in two years. The body's January 13 appointments may raise the ire of the LGBT community, as it did two years ago. Sixty-five people applied for two seats that became vacant when Maryellen O'Shaughnessy was elected Franklin County Clerk of Courts and Kevin Boyce was appointed state treasurer. Among the applicants were six gays and lesbians: Marc Conte, Jeff Knoll, Shawn Dingus, Terry J. Brown, Karla Rothan and Steve Farrell. The list was narrowed to 16 finalists, including Conte, Dingus, Rothan and Farrell. Conte is the research director for the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. Dingus is an attorney who ran for Franklin County Common Pleas Court last year. Rothan is the director of Stonewall Columbus. Farrell is a lobbyist for the United Way and Columbus City Schools. He also sought appointment to a vacant council seat in 2007 and was passed over.
This outraged the LGBT community and, later that year, many LGBT Democrats voted for gay Republican Bill Brownson in protest. Lesbian Democratic Party activist Lynn Greer recorded an automated phone "robo-call," asking people to support Brownson. Read more
-Justices Won't Expand Ohio Marriage Ban Amendment
Eric Resnick | Gay People's Chronicle
Columbus-After ruling two years ago that the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages applies only to those and civil unions, the Ohio Supreme Court last week turned away an attempt to use the measure to void a child custody agreement. The court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court decision upholding the agreement, between former partners Denise Marie Fairchild and Therese Marie Fairchild, now Therese Marie Leach. The women split up in 2001 after nine years together, and five years after Denise Fairchild gave birth to a son, now 13, by artificial insemination from an anonymous donor. Six months before they broke up, the couple signed a joint parenting plan for their child, whom they were raising together. Read more
-TX: Equality Texas Fears Anti-Gay Backlash
Tammye Nash | Senior Editor | Dallas Voice
The Texas Legislature opened its 81st session this week with a moderate Republican at the helm as speaker of the House, but with the Senate in an uproar as Republicans there try to circumvent filibuster rules. Randall Terrell, political director for the LGBT advocacy organization Equality Texas, said Wednesday, Jan. 14, that new leadership in the House could be advantageous for LGBT people in the Lone Star State. But it could also bring up new challenges, as well. "I am a little more hopeful now that [San Antonio Republican Rep. Joe]
Straus is peaker of the House, but that cuts both ways," Terrell said. The speaker of the House controls the agenda there, determining which bills can come to the floor for a vote. Straus is not expected to push the kind of socially conservative agenda that former Speaker Tom Craddick backed. But Craddick still has supporters in the House, and they are likely to test the new speaker on those issues with anti-gay amendments to other bills, Terrell said. Read more
-TX: Commissioners Overturn Ban on Condoms
John Wright | News Editor | Dallas Voice
In June 1995, three Republican Dallas County commissioners drafted a letter to 43 area doctors urging them to support the county's recently enacted ban on the distribution of free condoms in high-risk neighborhoods by public health workers to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. The letter, signed by Commissioners Kenneth Mayfield, Mike Cantrell and Jim Jackson, called homosexuality unacceptable and compared it to drug abuse and prostitution.
"We don't want anyone, especially anyone in authority, telling our children or future grandchildren that it's an approved or acceptable lifestyle to be a homosexual, a prostitute or a drug user," the letter stated. "And, we don't intend to be the vehicle through which others are given this message." Fourteen years later, Mayfield and Cantrell remain on the Commissioners Court, and their position on the condom ban hasn't changed.
But this time, they found themselves in the minority, as the five-member court voted 3-2 Tuesday, Jan. 13, to overturn the ban. Read more
-Honduran Transgender Community Terrified After Third Murder On Top Magazine
The violent murder of a prominent transgender rights activist in Honduras has left the transgender community stunned and terrified. Cynthia Nicole, a prominent transgender rights activist, was fatally wounded by three shots in the chest and one in the head in a violent drive-by shooting in the district of Barrio Guaserique in Comayaguela during the early hours of January 9. Her death comes on the heels of two additional killings against transgender sex workers in the Central American country. Yasmin was attacked and killed on November 20, and Noelia was stabbed to death on December 17. Human Rights Watch, a group dedicated to defending the rights of racial, economic and sexual minorities around the world, is calling on Honduran anchorites to fully investigate these murders. Read more
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-The Truth About Rick Warren in Africa
by Max Blumenthal
Team Obama likes to cite Warren's work on AIDS in Africa to combat criticism about the controversial pastor. But how does burning condoms in the name of Jesus save lives?
Once hailed by Time magazine as "America's Pastor," California mega-church leader and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren now finds himself on the defensive. President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Warren to deliver the inaugural prayer has generated intense scrutiny of the pastor's beliefs on social issues, from his vocal support for Prop 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California, to his comparison of homosexuality to pedophilia, incest and bestiality. Many of Obama's supporters have demanded that he withdraw the invitation.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-07/the-truth-about-rick-warren-in-africa/
-Prince Harry not homophobic
Third in line to the throne kisses soldier mate
Commenting on the race row over Prince Harry's "Paki" comments during his army video diary, and the lack of a similar furore over his use of the word "queer", gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of OutRage! said: "I cannot see anything offensive about the context and manner in which Harry used the word queer.
"It wasn't said with hate, aggression or malice. "Later in his video diary the prince mouths to another soldier 'I love you' before kissing him on the cheek and licking his face. Kissing another bloke in front of his mates and putting it on film doesn't seem very homophobic to me. On the contrary, Harry comes across as quite gay-friendly. "We should kick up a fuss about real homophobia, not imagined prejudice. For details of Harrys' queer escapades, see this News of the World report:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/123700/Watch-Prince-Harrys-racist-outbursts-on-video.html
-A hidden camera catches an Iranian cleric committing adultery, and the video rockets around the blogosphere, where a new generation can finally skirt state censorship. A video scandal has hit the Iranian Internet scene. Like many online scandals in the West, it involves a model. Not Paris Hilton, but a supposed model of virtue: a cleric. In the video - for weeks voted the top story on Balatarin.com (an Iranian version of Digg.com) - a robed cleric is caught on a hidden camera in a private room. He walks to the door to let a chador-clad woman enter. "Nobody saw you come in, did they?" he asks her lightheartedly. As she removes her chador, he continues in the same tone: "Want to do some Nasnas?" Iranians know Nasnas as a mythological monster. What the cleric means by "do some Nasnas" is clarified by what happens next in the clip. Americans have a similar expression: the beast with two backs.
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/01/irans-hottest-porn-video.html
-TEHRAN, Iran (CAP) - President Bush today signed off on a plan to send analysts from the Department of Homeland Security to Iran for several weeks to assist in the implementation of a color-coded advisory system. While the United States uses such a system to alert its citizens to potential terrorist threats, the Iranians will be utilizing the technology for a different purpose. "As you can see, right now it is on Green, or Low. And you can see right underneath it says No gays present. It is just as President Ahmadinejad said," explained Iranian Cultural Affairs Secretary Ahmed Dabashi as he pointed to a large, color-coded graph behind him. "If the Great Satan Bush were to have his soldiers penetrate a gay man over our borders, we would know, and the level would rise to Blue/Guarded, or One gay detected," said Dabashi. "We would then take appropriate action. Gas a village, that sort of thing."
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/01/iran-guards-against-gay-invasion.html
-Gays Fuck God: God Hates Fags church granted permission to protest at Obama inauguration
Westboro Baptist Church picket a funeral
A small religious community that has become world-famous for protesting at the funerals of American soldiers killed in action will have a presence at the inauguration ceremonies in Washington DC later this month. Westboro Baptist Church is led by Rev Fred Phelps. The church members, who are mostly his relations, regularly picket funerals claiming the deaths are God's punishment for the country's support of homosexuals. They have caused so much distress picketing funerals that it has been restricted from doing so in 22 states.
The group is notorious for also picketing the funerals of homosexual victims of murder.
http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/
-Gay Rights in Russia: European Parliament says Human Rights Integral to EU-Russia Relations
A resolution from the Parliament calls for EU institutions to give practical support.
-Dead Palestinian kids : images the IDF doesn't want you to see
http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/dead-palestinian-kids-images-idf-doesnt.html
-A photo essay on Indonesia's waria (male-to-female transgenders) on the BBC World website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/asia_pac_indonesia0s_waria/html/1.stm
-An Open Letter to President Barack Obama
On the occasion of his inauguration, 20 January 2009
From Peter Tatchell, British LGBTI human rights campaigner
Dear President Barack Obama,
Congratulations on the occasion of your inauguration. On this special day, the hopes of billions of people across our precious planet are vested in your presidency. They look to you to show practical and moral leadership in resolving the great challenges that face humanity.
www.petertatchell.net
-The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Verhagen (Christian Democratic Party) criticized recent opinions ventilated by the Pope ("Mankind should be protected against self destruction caused by homosexuality"). He requested the papal nuntius Bacque to come to the Ministry of FA and told him that these opinions do not contribute to a respectful discussion about homosexuality. Minister Verhagen also objected to the Holy See's negative approach towards the statement on sexual orientation and gender identity, presented last December by 66 countries at the General Assembly of the UN.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-MEPs to vote on proposal that 'would guarantee gay marriage and abortion rights across EU'
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1114366/MEPs-vote-laws-guarantee-gay-marriage-abortion-rights-EU.html
-Maltese MEPs oppose move promoting abortion and same-sex marriages
The five Maltese MEPs declared their opposition to same-sex marriages and abortion in the European Parliament, refusing to support a non-legally-binding resolution on harmonising fundamental human rights laws in Europe.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090117/local/maltese-meps-oppose-move-promoting-abortion-and-same-sex-marriages
-Honduras: Investigate Murder of Transgender Activist
Authorities Should Act Against Increasing Violence
(New York, January 12, 2009) - the Honduran authorities should fully investigate the murder of Cynthia Nicole, a leading Honduras transgender rights defender, and other attacks on the transgender community, Human Rights Watch said today. Nicole's killing is the latest in a series of violent attacks against transgender people in Honduras.
-World Report 2009: Obama Should Emphasize Human Rights
Stop Abusive States From Playing System to Avert Criticism
(Washington, DC, January 14, 2009) - The incoming Obama administration will need to put human rights at the heart of foreign, domestic, and security policy if it is to undo the enormous damage of the Bush years, Human Rights Watch said today in issuing its World Report 2009.
http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2009
-"European Parliament urges Member States to protect LGBT people against violence, hatred and grant mutual recognition for same-sex couples." On 14 January the European Parliament adopted a report on the "Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union 2004-2008", drafted by Italian MEP Giusto Catania.
The report asks Member States and the European Institutions to adopt recommendations made by the Fundamental Rights Agency on homophobia as a matter of urgency. In addition, the Parliament called on the European Commission to propose legislation which would introduce criminal offences for homophobic behaviour. "This report endorses the rights of every European citizen", said Michael Cashman, President of the LGBT Intergroup. "I particularly welcome the call for mutual recognition of same-sex partnerships and marriages by EU member states alongside the call for the Commission propose legislation which guarantees the right of free movement for same-sex couples."
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Military bows to ACLU demand against preaching
Americans entering the military often receive Bibles, courtesy of the Gideons International. But the Gideons have been told that while they can leave complimentary Bibles at most military induction stations, they cannot stay there to proselytize or preach to the recruits.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=387568
-One year shy of the 70th anniversary of African-American contralto Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial, out gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson will deliver an invocation at a January 18 pre-inaugural celebration there.
http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20243097&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6
-Obama White House taps 3 more LGBT appointees
http://washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23455
-Book still suspended from Crook County classrooms
But the disputed work will be in the library
PRINEVILLE - The award-winning book that was suspended from a Crook County High School classroom last month after a parent complained it was offensive, will remain out of the classroom until the school district can revamp its policies. About 60 people turned out Monday night to the Crook County School Board meeting and about 15 testified about the book. The board then voted 4-1 to continue the temporary suspension, while making the book available to students in the library. [...] A New York Times best-seller and a National Book Award winner, the book was written by Sherman Alexie and is about a boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation who decides to attend an all-white school. The protagonist in Alexie's book discusses masturbation.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/NEWS0107/901130420/1097/PODCASTS
-Today, IGLYO and ILGA launch the LGBT Youth World List - the first international network of its kind.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer young people from all over the world can sign up to send and receive messages with other activists. Members will be encouraged to share their experiences, ideas and expertise, and to work together to solve problems and run projects. The working languages of the list are English, Spanish and French.
http://www.iglyo.com/content/index.html
-Lawmaker wants to put sex back into sex education
A South Florida senator wants Florida public schools to ditch the wait-until-marriage message that's long been the basis of many sex-education classes. Instead, state Sen. Ted Deutch, D- Delray Beach, has filed legislation that would require schools to teach kids about condoms and other contraceptive methods starting in the sixth grade. Meanwhile, two other lawmakers have introduced bills meant to discourage teachers from touting the benefits of sex within a monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-sexed1609jan16,0,808404.story
-Teen Charged With Sending Nude Pics of Herself
Girl Faces Felony Charges After Allegedly Sending Photos of Herself to Classmates
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5995084&page=1
-Teens send nude pics to one other, face kiddie porn charges
There are a number of reasons to think twice (or three times, or four times, or fifty times) before sending a nude photo of yourself to someone electronically. But, if you're under the age of 18, there's at least one big, glaring, serious reason: you and the recipient could be charged with trafficking child pornography. If you think this sounds crazy, it is exactly what happened in Greensburg, Pennsylvania after two teenage girls send nude photos to some teenage boys.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090114-teens-send-nude-pics-to-one-other-face-kiddie-porn-charges.html?utm_source=microblogging
-Ecuador: Action Alert - Transgender Activists Dismissed from their Jobs
http://www.iglhrc.org/
-Never Ask a Gay Man for Directions
Because studies show homosexual males navigate like women
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=never-ask-a-gay-man-for-directions&SID=mail&sc=emailfriend
-Today, the Stonewall Democrats congratulated Laura Calvo upon her election as Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon. Calvo, a seasoned Democratic operative, becomes the first openly-transgender officer of a state Democratic party.
http://stonewalldemocrats.org/node/480
-Just how many gay marriage skeletons does Barack Obama have hiding in the closet? Eighteen months after we first learned the president- elect had given conflicting answers about the Defense of Marriage Act in candidate questionnaires back in 2003 and 2004, a new, even bigger bombshell has come to light. Just one week before Obama takes the oath of office, a gay newspaper in Chicago is reporting that the president-elect vowed to support marriage equality for same-sex couples when he was a candidate for the Illinois state Senate way back in 1996.
http://citizenchris.typepad.com/citizenchris/2009/01/obamas-gay-marriage-closet.html
-A high-profile task force concluded that the sexual solicitation of children online is not a significant problem.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/technology/internet/14cyberweb.html?emc=eta1
-Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp
Finally the camp you have been waiting for! Campus Pride organizes the only Summer Leadership Camp for LGBT and Ally college students -- YOU. The five-day camp experience works to develop stronger undergraduate student leaders and safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.
Participants have the opportunity to learn valuable campus organizing skills, coalition building and strategies for creating change at colleges and universities.
http://www.campuspride.org/camp.asp
-Sexploration: Toeing the legal line with fetishes
By Brian Alexander
Is it legal to hire a dominatrix as long as you don't actually have sex?
Q: Paying for sex is illegal in most of America, but what about paying for fetish services? Can you legally hire a dominatrix or escort for any of the countless things besides intercourse? Where is the line drawn?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27846842/
-Playboy's list of the most important people in sex from the past 55 years-and, no, Hef isn't No. 1-reminds the author why we still need America's smartest smut. And not just for the articles.
This month, on the occasion of its 55th anniversary, Playboy published a list of the 55 most important people in sex from the past 55 years. Number three on the list is the magazine's founder, Hugh Hefner. Number eight is Timothy Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web. Both men irrevocably changed the modern experience of sex, one intentionally and meticulously, the other inadvertently and chaotically. The half-century between the two marks a profound cultural shift that has for all intents and purposes doomed Hefner's magazine-even as Playboy, or an updated version of it, has become more necessary than ever.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-13/the-biggest-names-in-sex-1/3/
-The Supreme Court is slated to give a final review
Friday in a case that probes the legal boundaries between stalking and sexual harassment.
Dawn V. Martin v. Howard University, et al., has serious implications for workplace safety nationwide, according to legal advocates, and spotlights the lack of any federal protections for victims of stalking who face retaliation from their employers when they complain about it.
-Get over it: Talk to kids about sex
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/ana-veciana-suarez/story/844885.html
-"The US Drug Enforcement Administration has rejected the bid of a researcher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who wants to create the second laboratory in the nation authorized to grow marijuana for medical research."
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/01/13/umass_loses_marijuana_lab_bid/?s_campaign=8315
-Voting for the freedom to marry does not hurt politicians, new study confirms
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/press_center/new_study_shows_pro-marriage_legislators_win.php
-Since the Obama administration announced that CNN's Sanjay Gupta, one of People magazine's "sexiest men alive [1]" in 2003, might be the next surgeon general, reactions have ranged from indifferent to outraged. Although Gupta is a neurosurgeon and has been in the public eye for years - he started his "House Call" show on CNN in 2004 - many have been scrambling to figure out what this man stands for. Two separate controversies have already risen since Gupta's name has publicly been floated as the next surgeon general. First, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman lambasted [2] Gupta's critique of Michael Moore's 2007 film Sicko, saying that Gupta's accusation that Moore "fudged the facts" was, well, just plain wrong. Then Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) wrote a letter [3] to his fellow Democrats urging them to oppose Gupta as surgeon general. Conyers claimed that Gupta would face a "credibility problem," given his lack of experience in the National Health Service Corp and that "it is not in the best interests of the nation to have someone ... who lacks the requisite experience needed to oversee the federal agency that provides crucial health care assistance to some of the poorest and most underserved communities in America."
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/08/but-can-he-talk-about-sex
-Fired For Being Gay In Nashville
It's not uncommon that employees get fired for being gay. In this case however, the owner of a Nashville area hotel has made his reasons for terminating David Hill public. Of course, as you know already, gays and lesbians are not a protected class, and therefore, the law is not on our side.
http://www.wsmv.com/news/18442419/detail.html
-Study: Religious Teens More Likely to Abstain from Sex
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475306,00.html
-Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds
Teenagers Who Make Such Promises Are Just as Likely to Have Sex, and Less Likely to Use Protection, the Data Indicate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801588.html?hpid=topnews
-Elena Kagan, Obama's SG, on pornography
Earlier this week President-Elect Obama announced he would nominate Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan to be Solicitor General. There is much to like about the choice. Kagan is an accomplished scholar and much-lauded dean who has often been discussed as a potential Supreme Court nominee. She is also a liberal, a feminist and a former clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, and would be the first female appointed to the position often referred to as "the tenth Justice" and "America's lawyer." (For non-lawyers, the SG supervises government involvement in appellate litigation and represents the government in the Supreme Court.)
http://polyperversity.blogspot.com/2009/01/elena-kagan-obamas-sg-on-pornography.html
-In what may be a legit need, or just a way to yank Congress' chain, Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt has asked the government for a $5 billion dollar bailout package for the adult entertainment industry since magazine and DVD sales are down.
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.firedoglake.com//118065/
-Transition white paper on GLBT and Reproductive Rights Issues
Both links below are to white papers written for the "Change for America" book prepared by the Center for American Progress (John Podesta's think tank, which is now the de facto idea factory for the transition). While they are not going to appear in the published edition of the book, they provide some helpful insight into how Obama's team will view these issues.
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/changeforamerica/pdf/glbt.pdf
-College students say suggestive dancing, too many male guests are signs of danger
College students believe that suggestive dancing and too many male guests are more accurate signs of a potentially dangerous party than the amount of alcohol consumed, a new study from Ball State University indicates. A survey of about 300 students from Midwestern colleges and universities found male and female college students identified different signals that a particular party may be potentially dangerous, but drinking was not one of them.
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1898,7273-962-60778,00.html
-Hook-up site not liable for connecting man with minor
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a suit by a man who blamed hook-up site SexSearch.com for connecting him with a minor (PDF), thereby leading to his arrest for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
http://polyperversity.blogspot.com/2008/12/hook-up-site-not-liable-for-connecting.html
-Nude dancing and the First Amendment: A history
Fraser Sherman
During a recent meeting between City Manager Greg Kisela and several Destin pastors, the question came up of how a strip club can claim protection under the First Amendment. "Many people do not understand why the removal of clothes by a dancer is a form of protected expression," legal writer David Hudson says on the firstamendmentcenter.org Web site, "but in fact the First Amendment protects many forms of controversial expression." Hudson said courts have extended freedom of speech principles to nude dancing because the First Amendment:
http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/amendment_7437___article.html/first_kisela.html
-British Bill To Ban 'Extreme' Porn Infuriates Critics
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/30/british-bill-to-ban-extre_n_154343.html
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Field Organizer - Transgender Equality
Company Name: Equality Maryland
Job Location: Silver Spring, MD
Equality Maryland, the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, is hiring a full-time contractual (for a six month period) Field Organizer to help expand the infrastructure to educate the public, LGBTA organizations, community organizations, opinion leaders and others about transgender people in Maryland the lack of legal protections and how this effects their lives. More information about Equality Maryland is available at www.EqualityMaryland.org.
-A Truly Stupid Example of Transphobia
Gainesville, Florida, has an ordinance allowing transgender persons to select whichever bathroom they find most appropriate. The haters and the fools have come up with a campaign to overturn this ordinance and to require transgendered persons to. well, I'm not sure exactly. This is the television ad they are running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10vo0jaGjsc
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop to Deliver Invocation at Lincoln Memorial
By Laurie Goodstein
President-elect Barack Obama has asked Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopal bishop who helped advise him on gay rights issues during the campaign, to deliver the invocation at a kickoff inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, two days before the inauguration itself.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/openly-gay-episcopal-bishop-to-deliver-invocation-at-lincoln-memorial/?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Op-Contributor: Gay but Equal?
By MARY FRANCES BERRY
Philadelphia: AS the country prepares to enter the Obama era, anxiety over the legal status and rights of gays and lesbians is growing. Barack Obama's invitation to the Rev. Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor who opposes same-sex marriage, to give the invocation at his inauguration comes just as the hit movie "Milk" reminds us of the gay rights activism of the 1970s. Supporters of gay rights wonder if the California Supreme Court might soon confirm the legitimacy of Proposition 8, passed by state voters in November, which declares same-sex marriage illegal - leaving them no alternative but to take to the streets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/opinion/16mfberry.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Rick Warren Chooses Silence
By Laurie Goodstein
The Rev. Rick Warren, the megachurch pastor who became a lightning rod for controversy when he was anointed by President-elect Barack Obama to give the premier prayer at the inauguration, has decided to let his prayer speak for him.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/rick-warren-chooses-silence/?scp=4&sq=GAY&st=cse
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama's Path to Faith Was Eclectic
President-Elect Will Reach Out to Diverse Set of Religious Leaders for Advice
By Eli Saslow
The presidential inauguration ceremony on Tuesday will begin and end with prayers from two men whom Barack Obama considers role models, advisers and dear friends. One, Joseph Lowery, is an 87-year-old black liberal Methodist from the Deep South who spent his career fighting for civil rights. The other, Rick Warren,9 is a 54-year-old white conservative evangelical from Southern California who fights same-sex unions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702601.html
-Transition Signals A Centrist Approach In Obama White House
Weeks Since Election Saw Minimal 'Drama'
By Anne E. Kornblut
If history is any guide, the 77-day transition period between the election and Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president provides an early road map to what the Obama presidency will look like, in both style and substance.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702690.html
-Religion Briefing: EVANGELICAL AND LIBERAL ALLIANCE
Coalition Agrees on Social Issues
A coalition of moderate evangelical Christians and progressives said this week that they have come to an agreement on several social issues that have traditionally divided them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604265.html
=
Truth Wins Out - TWO
by Wayne Besen
http://www.truthwinsout.org/
-Tonight - Sunday!
Truth Wins Out's Founding Executive Director, Wayne Besen, will be on the O'Reilly Factor this evening debating anti-gay Bishop Harry Jackson. The show will discuss Revs. Gene Robinson and Rick Warren, who will both offer prayers at Obama's inauguration. Air time for the FOX inauguration special
is 5:30 PM.
-God TV To Broadcast Focus On The Family's 'Ex-Gay' Conference To Millions Deal With Focus on the Family During GOD TV's Creepy 'End Times' Month Truth Wins Out (TWO) today expressed its dismay over a deal between GOD TV and Focus on the Family to air the group's "ex-gay" Love Won Out conference. Focus on the Family claims they will now reach millions of people with their anti-gay propaganda and distorted science. The agreement comes at a time when GOD TV is airing a solid month of spooky End-Times programming.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/focus-on-the-family-to-broadcast-ex-gay-love-won-out-conference-to-millions-on-god-tv/
-Disgraceful Show Elevates Fringe Anti-Gay Activists To 'Expert' Status, Says TWO
Truth Wins Out (TWO) harshly condemned the Dr. Phil Show today, claiming that it exploited Toni, the mother of a transgender child, and placed her in a psychologically abusive situation - which nearly drove her to tears. The episode, "Little Boy Lost," also falsely portrayed notorious anti-gay activists, Glenn Stanton and Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, as "experts" on gender and homosexuality, says TWO.
Dr. Phil damaged his reputation by choosing sensationalism over professionalism and he ought to be ashamed. Instead of exploring this issue in-depth, Dr. Phil sunk to new depths. He exploited a loving mother by ambushing her with disreputable anti-gay activists well known for theories far outside mainstream psychology.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/two-upset-that-dr-phil-exploited-mother-of-transgender-child/
-One RNC Nominee, Kenneth Blackwell, Compares Gay People to 'Arsonists' and Claims They Can 'Change'
Truth Wins Out (TWO) expressed unease today over the slate of extreme candidates running for chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). The organization is particularly concerned that former Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, is under consideration for the job. Blackwell has built his career on bashing gay and lesbian Ohioans and if chosen would likely bring his anti-gay agenda to the national stage, says TWO.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/truth-wins-out-expresses-concern-over-republican-national-committee-election/
=
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Vatican office: US seminaries doing good job stopping 'homosexual behavior' in the schools
By RACHEL ZOLL
A Vatican evaluation of U.S. Roman Catholic seminaries in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal concluded that administrators have largely been effective in rooting out "homosexual behavior" in the schools, although the agency said it persists.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-rel-catholic-seminaries,0,3716440.story
=
South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Sharpton decries churches pushing Prop. 8
Atlanta alliance forms to counter anti-gay religious rhetoric
By MATT SCHAFER
From the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church on Sunday, Rev. Al Sharpton called out the Mormon Church and other conservative faiths for mobilizing to support Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California while refusing to be as involved in any other social concerns.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23441
-Religious group attempts to halt leather 'play party'
Americans for Truth urges members to bombard DC's Doubletree
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
A religious group that believes homosexuality is "evil" is trying to keep a leather S&M party from happening this weekend at Doubletree Hotel near Washington in Arlington, Va.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23516
-Boy George sentenced to 15 months
Guilty of 'gratuitous violence'
LONDON (AP)
Singer Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in jail on Friday after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall in a London apartment. British Judge David Radford said the 47-year-old former Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was guilty of "gratuitous violence."
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23506
-DNC, gay staffer settle lawsuit
Hitchcock 'had hoped for more'
Washington Blade staff reports
The Democratic National Committee and its former gay outreach director have reached a settlement in a bitter lawsuit, ending all legal proceedings between them, according to a joint statement released early Friday morning.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23504
-Gay Republicans in debt
GLBT Log Cabin Republicans start 2009 in the red
By WAYNE BESEN
The gay Log Cabin Republicans are broke and their party is seriously broken. The group's $100,000 debt comes at a time when the GOP is indebted more than ever to extremists. Instead of learning from Election Day, the party is pandering to those who believe in the "End of Days," which will only expedite the party's political apocalypse.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-15/view/editorial/5457.cfm
-'Out of Annapolis'
By Rebecca Armendariz
'Out of Annapolis,' a documentary film featuring 35 gay alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy, has almost been completed. The filmmakers, an organization called USNA Out, are hoping to get it shown at festivals come summer 2009. A preliminary trailer has been released:
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=23522
=
365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Riding for equality
By Allison Steinberg
What do you get when you unload a bus of LGBT folks onto the most homophobic college campuses around the country? That's exactly what you'll find out when you catch Equality U, a documentary airing this weekend as the seventh season premiere of Real Momentum, Logo's documentary series.
http://www.365gay.com/living/riding-for-equality/
-Gay in the Army? You Betcha
Yesterday, Fox News reported that the Obama administration is going to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. In a direct and open move, incoming press secretary Gibbs gave a video response to a question posed on Change.gov where he assured Americans that DADT was on the way out.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-gay-in-the-army-you-betcha/
-Louisiana may reopen gay adoption ruling
The state of Louisiana has asked a federal judge to reconsider a ruling that both names of a gay couple must appear on the birth certificate of their adopted son.
http://www.365gay.com/news/louisiana-may-reopen-gay-adoption-ruling/
-California bar associations join call to invalidate Prop 8
Forty bar associations and legal groups across the country - including the San Francisco and Los Angeles County Bar Associations - have called on the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8, the voter approved measure that bans same-sex marriage in the state.
http://www.365gay.com/news/california-bar-associations-join-call-to-invalidate-prop-8/
-Gays of color at highest risk in schools
A study of LGBT students in the nation's schools has found that students of color are the most vulnerable.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gays-of-color-at-highest-risk-in-schools/
-54 federal bench vacancies await Obama decision
By Jennifer Vanasco
When Barrack Obama is sworn in on Tuesday one of his first tasks will be filling 54 vacancies in federal courts.
http://www.365gay.com/news/54-federal-bench-vacancies-await-obama-decision/
-Corvino: Opponents on our butts
By John Corvino
Why are our opponents so obsessed with butt sex? I've personally pondered this question more times than is probably healthy. It occurred to me a few weeks ago when a poster on a conservative blog complained that gays "expect us to approve of butt sex and call it marriage."
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-opponents-on-our-butts/
-Sculpture shows priests raising rainbow flag
(Brussels) Is it a joke? A very expensive hoax? A sly, shockingly satirical look at the 27 nations that make up the European Union?
http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/sculpture-shows-priests-raising-rainbow-flag/
=
The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Map of Pro-Prop. 8 Donors Causes Controversy
An interactive map that allows one to locate where people who contributed money to pass Proposition 8 live and work is causing a stir. One of Andrew Sullivan's gay Atlantic readers who was raised Mormon wrote that finding out one of his aunts in California donated to the cause was like "a gut punch." "And that is surely one useful element of the map," Sullivan writes in response. "It helps one see whom to engage. And I don't get the fear. If Prop. 8 supporters truly feel that barring equality for gay couples is vital for saving civilization, shouldn't they be proud of their financial support? Why don't they actually have posters advertising their support for discriminating against gay people -- as a matter of pride?" (Advocate.com)
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70949.asp
-Obama Site Posts Video of LGBT Meeting
The Obama transition website posted a four-minute video Wednesday of a meeting that took place December 10 between LGBT leaders and members of the transition team in Washington D.C.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70852.asp
-Rev. V. Gene Robinson's Big Moment
Advocate.com's James Hatori sits down on camera with Rev. V Gene Robinson on the eve on his pre-inauguration invocation for Presdient-elect Barack Obama.
By Ross von Metzke
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid71055.asp
-Same Fight, Different Approach
Prop. 8 opponents Gloria Allred and Jerry Brown don't quite see eye to eye on the next step in the fight for marriage equality.
By Julie Bolcer
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid70684.asp
=
National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- John Berry to be Highest-Ranking Openly Gay Appointee
President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, will be the highest-ranking openly gay official in US history upon confirmation. Berry will head oversee more than 5,000 employees and a $1.5 billion annual budget, reported the Bay Area Reporter.
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=11472
-Lesbian and Gay Band Association Chooses
Inspiring Music for Inaugural Parade
The Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA), a musical organization comprising marching and concert bands from across the United States and around the world, is proud to announce the five musical selections that it will perform during the parade for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009. LGBA is the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group in history to be invited to march in a Presidential Inaugural Parade.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4354/173/
- Maine gay marriage law proposed
Hancock County senator to sponsor same-sex marriage bill
By Judy Harrison
A state senator from Hancock County is sponsoring a bill to allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine.
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/97129.html
-Shock at Senegal gay jail terms
The jailing in Senegal of nine gay men for eight years over "indecent conduct and unnatural acts" has been condemned by an international gay rights group. Homosexual acts are illegal in Senegal but the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) told the BBC it was "shocked by the ruling".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7817100.stm
=
Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Australian HIV-positive man jailed for deliberately infecting partners
An HIV-positive grandfather from Melbourne who preyed on "vulnerable" gay men when he tried to infect them with the virus has been sentenced to nearly two decades years in jail.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10610.html
-Police investigating homophobic MP Iris Robinson seek advice about prosecution
By Tony Grew
The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland has confirmed that it has received a request for prosecutorial advice from police investigating whether a local MP's homophobic statements broke the law.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10609.html
-Ad standards body to rule on "no God" campaign next week
By Tony Grew
The Advertising Standards Authority will decide next week whether to investigate complaints that a series of adverts on public transport which claim there is no God have breached the code of conduct.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10607.html
-Obama urged to consider gay rights when appointing federal judges
By Tony Grew
A legal organisation that fights for the civil rights of lesbians and gay men has urged the President-elect of the United States and the Senate to appoint judges who will treat the LGBT community fairly.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10599.html
-Inquest rules on gay teen goaded to suicide by baying Derby mob
By Felicity Baker
A gay student jumped to his death after being jeered at by members of the public, an inquest has heard. Shaun Dykes, 17, died instantly after throwing himself off the top ofWestfield Shopping Centre car park in Derby on September 27th last year.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10596.html
=
Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Academics Debate Whether New Media Helps, Hurts GLBT Culture
Kilian Melloy | EDGE Contributor | EDGE Boston
Academics are divided on the question of whether or not so-called "New Media" like Reality TV and the Internet are a help or a hindrance when it comes to full social and legal equality for America's GLBT citizens.
Part of the divergence in opinion are differing views of what constitutes gay culture, versus that of the "hetero-normative." A Jan. 14 article at Campus Report Online.net details that two conflicting points of view were aired on the subject at the recent annual convention of the Modern Language Association. Kent State University Ph.D. candidate Robin Bellinson offered the view that while so-called "Reality TV" might be fostering acceptance in America of GLBT people, that might come at the expense of the GLBT community losing its unique cultural characteristics, rather than acting to alter "the cultural and economic landscape of the reality it purports to represent," in Bellinson's words. Read more
-Bad Economy May Fuel Hate Groups, Experts Warn
Carrie Johnson | Washington Post Staff Writer | Washington Post
For 20 years, Bart McIntyre has tracked white supremacist movements, even spending two years undercover in Alabama to penetrate a violent young band of criminals who called themselves the Confederate Hammerskins.
Away from his wife and young daughter, McIntyre took the alias "Mark," attended Ku Klux Klan rallies and educated himself in racist propaganda. He and a law enforcement partner ultimately helped build criminal cases that sent more than 10 men to prison for their involvement in the murder and vicious beatings of black men in the Birmingham area in the early 1990s.
Now, as McIntyre prepares to retire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he and other analysts are warning that the threat from hate groups and splinter organizations connected to the Klan should not be underestimated, especially at a time of economic unrest.
"In society, you have a very small number of people who are going to push the envelope and take it to the next step," said McIntyre, the resident ATF agent in charge in Roanoke. Read more
-OH: Six Gays and Lesbians Passed Over for Council
Eric Resnick | Gay People's Chronicle
Columbus-City Council passed over qualified gay and lesbian applicants to fill vacancies this week, for the second time in two years. The body's January 13 appointments may raise the ire of the LGBT community, as it did two years ago. Sixty-five people applied for two seats that became vacant when Maryellen O'Shaughnessy was elected Franklin County Clerk of Courts and Kevin Boyce was appointed state treasurer. Among the applicants were six gays and lesbians: Marc Conte, Jeff Knoll, Shawn Dingus, Terry J. Brown, Karla Rothan and Steve Farrell. The list was narrowed to 16 finalists, including Conte, Dingus, Rothan and Farrell. Conte is the research director for the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. Dingus is an attorney who ran for Franklin County Common Pleas Court last year. Rothan is the director of Stonewall Columbus. Farrell is a lobbyist for the United Way and Columbus City Schools. He also sought appointment to a vacant council seat in 2007 and was passed over.
This outraged the LGBT community and, later that year, many LGBT Democrats voted for gay Republican Bill Brownson in protest. Lesbian Democratic Party activist Lynn Greer recorded an automated phone "robo-call," asking people to support Brownson. Read more
-Justices Won't Expand Ohio Marriage Ban Amendment
Eric Resnick | Gay People's Chronicle
Columbus-After ruling two years ago that the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages applies only to those and civil unions, the Ohio Supreme Court last week turned away an attempt to use the measure to void a child custody agreement. The court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court decision upholding the agreement, between former partners Denise Marie Fairchild and Therese Marie Fairchild, now Therese Marie Leach. The women split up in 2001 after nine years together, and five years after Denise Fairchild gave birth to a son, now 13, by artificial insemination from an anonymous donor. Six months before they broke up, the couple signed a joint parenting plan for their child, whom they were raising together. Read more
-TX: Equality Texas Fears Anti-Gay Backlash
Tammye Nash | Senior Editor | Dallas Voice
The Texas Legislature opened its 81st session this week with a moderate Republican at the helm as speaker of the House, but with the Senate in an uproar as Republicans there try to circumvent filibuster rules. Randall Terrell, political director for the LGBT advocacy organization Equality Texas, said Wednesday, Jan. 14, that new leadership in the House could be advantageous for LGBT people in the Lone Star State. But it could also bring up new challenges, as well. "I am a little more hopeful now that [San Antonio Republican Rep. Joe]
Straus is peaker of the House, but that cuts both ways," Terrell said. The speaker of the House controls the agenda there, determining which bills can come to the floor for a vote. Straus is not expected to push the kind of socially conservative agenda that former Speaker Tom Craddick backed. But Craddick still has supporters in the House, and they are likely to test the new speaker on those issues with anti-gay amendments to other bills, Terrell said. Read more
-TX: Commissioners Overturn Ban on Condoms
John Wright | News Editor | Dallas Voice
In June 1995, three Republican Dallas County commissioners drafted a letter to 43 area doctors urging them to support the county's recently enacted ban on the distribution of free condoms in high-risk neighborhoods by public health workers to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. The letter, signed by Commissioners Kenneth Mayfield, Mike Cantrell and Jim Jackson, called homosexuality unacceptable and compared it to drug abuse and prostitution.
"We don't want anyone, especially anyone in authority, telling our children or future grandchildren that it's an approved or acceptable lifestyle to be a homosexual, a prostitute or a drug user," the letter stated. "And, we don't intend to be the vehicle through which others are given this message." Fourteen years later, Mayfield and Cantrell remain on the Commissioners Court, and their position on the condom ban hasn't changed.
But this time, they found themselves in the minority, as the five-member court voted 3-2 Tuesday, Jan. 13, to overturn the ban. Read more
-Honduran Transgender Community Terrified After Third Murder On Top Magazine
The violent murder of a prominent transgender rights activist in Honduras has left the transgender community stunned and terrified. Cynthia Nicole, a prominent transgender rights activist, was fatally wounded by three shots in the chest and one in the head in a violent drive-by shooting in the district of Barrio Guaserique in Comayaguela during the early hours of January 9. Her death comes on the heels of two additional killings against transgender sex workers in the Central American country. Yasmin was attacked and killed on November 20, and Noelia was stabbed to death on December 17. Human Rights Watch, a group dedicated to defending the rights of racial, economic and sexual minorities around the world, is calling on Honduran anchorites to fully investigate these murders. Read more
=
Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-The Truth About Rick Warren in Africa
by Max Blumenthal
Team Obama likes to cite Warren's work on AIDS in Africa to combat criticism about the controversial pastor. But how does burning condoms in the name of Jesus save lives?
Once hailed by Time magazine as "America's Pastor," California mega-church leader and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren now finds himself on the defensive. President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Warren to deliver the inaugural prayer has generated intense scrutiny of the pastor's beliefs on social issues, from his vocal support for Prop 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California, to his comparison of homosexuality to pedophilia, incest and bestiality. Many of Obama's supporters have demanded that he withdraw the invitation.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-07/the-truth-about-rick-warren-in-africa/
-Prince Harry not homophobic
Third in line to the throne kisses soldier mate
Commenting on the race row over Prince Harry's "Paki" comments during his army video diary, and the lack of a similar furore over his use of the word "queer", gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of OutRage! said: "I cannot see anything offensive about the context and manner in which Harry used the word queer.
"It wasn't said with hate, aggression or malice. "Later in his video diary the prince mouths to another soldier 'I love you' before kissing him on the cheek and licking his face. Kissing another bloke in front of his mates and putting it on film doesn't seem very homophobic to me. On the contrary, Harry comes across as quite gay-friendly. "We should kick up a fuss about real homophobia, not imagined prejudice. For details of Harrys' queer escapades, see this News of the World report:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/123700/Watch-Prince-Harrys-racist-outbursts-on-video.html
-A hidden camera catches an Iranian cleric committing adultery, and the video rockets around the blogosphere, where a new generation can finally skirt state censorship. A video scandal has hit the Iranian Internet scene. Like many online scandals in the West, it involves a model. Not Paris Hilton, but a supposed model of virtue: a cleric. In the video - for weeks voted the top story on Balatarin.com (an Iranian version of Digg.com) - a robed cleric is caught on a hidden camera in a private room. He walks to the door to let a chador-clad woman enter. "Nobody saw you come in, did they?" he asks her lightheartedly. As she removes her chador, he continues in the same tone: "Want to do some Nasnas?" Iranians know Nasnas as a mythological monster. What the cleric means by "do some Nasnas" is clarified by what happens next in the clip. Americans have a similar expression: the beast with two backs.
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/01/irans-hottest-porn-video.html
-TEHRAN, Iran (CAP) - President Bush today signed off on a plan to send analysts from the Department of Homeland Security to Iran for several weeks to assist in the implementation of a color-coded advisory system. While the United States uses such a system to alert its citizens to potential terrorist threats, the Iranians will be utilizing the technology for a different purpose. "As you can see, right now it is on Green, or Low. And you can see right underneath it says No gays present. It is just as President Ahmadinejad said," explained Iranian Cultural Affairs Secretary Ahmed Dabashi as he pointed to a large, color-coded graph behind him. "If the Great Satan Bush were to have his soldiers penetrate a gay man over our borders, we would know, and the level would rise to Blue/Guarded, or One gay detected," said Dabashi. "We would then take appropriate action. Gas a village, that sort of thing."
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/01/iran-guards-against-gay-invasion.html
-Gays Fuck God: God Hates Fags church granted permission to protest at Obama inauguration
Westboro Baptist Church picket a funeral
A small religious community that has become world-famous for protesting at the funerals of American soldiers killed in action will have a presence at the inauguration ceremonies in Washington DC later this month. Westboro Baptist Church is led by Rev Fred Phelps. The church members, who are mostly his relations, regularly picket funerals claiming the deaths are God's punishment for the country's support of homosexuals. They have caused so much distress picketing funerals that it has been restricted from doing so in 22 states.
The group is notorious for also picketing the funerals of homosexual victims of murder.
http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/
-Gay Rights in Russia: European Parliament says Human Rights Integral to EU-Russia Relations
A resolution from the Parliament calls for EU institutions to give practical support.
-Dead Palestinian kids : images the IDF doesn't want you to see
http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/dead-palestinian-kids-images-idf-doesnt.html
-A photo essay on Indonesia's waria (male-to-female transgenders) on the BBC World website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/asia_pac_indonesia0s_waria/html/1.stm
-An Open Letter to President Barack Obama
On the occasion of his inauguration, 20 January 2009
From Peter Tatchell, British LGBTI human rights campaigner
Dear President Barack Obama,
Congratulations on the occasion of your inauguration. On this special day, the hopes of billions of people across our precious planet are vested in your presidency. They look to you to show practical and moral leadership in resolving the great challenges that face humanity.
www.petertatchell.net
-The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Verhagen (Christian Democratic Party) criticized recent opinions ventilated by the Pope ("Mankind should be protected against self destruction caused by homosexuality"). He requested the papal nuntius Bacque to come to the Ministry of FA and told him that these opinions do not contribute to a respectful discussion about homosexuality. Minister Verhagen also objected to the Holy See's negative approach towards the statement on sexual orientation and gender identity, presented last December by 66 countries at the General Assembly of the UN.
=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-MEPs to vote on proposal that 'would guarantee gay marriage and abortion rights across EU'
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1114366/MEPs-vote-laws-guarantee-gay-marriage-abortion-rights-EU.html
-Maltese MEPs oppose move promoting abortion and same-sex marriages
The five Maltese MEPs declared their opposition to same-sex marriages and abortion in the European Parliament, refusing to support a non-legally-binding resolution on harmonising fundamental human rights laws in Europe.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090117/local/maltese-meps-oppose-move-promoting-abortion-and-same-sex-marriages
-Honduras: Investigate Murder of Transgender Activist
Authorities Should Act Against Increasing Violence
(New York, January 12, 2009) - the Honduran authorities should fully investigate the murder of Cynthia Nicole, a leading Honduras transgender rights defender, and other attacks on the transgender community, Human Rights Watch said today. Nicole's killing is the latest in a series of violent attacks against transgender people in Honduras.
-World Report 2009: Obama Should Emphasize Human Rights
Stop Abusive States From Playing System to Avert Criticism
(Washington, DC, January 14, 2009) - The incoming Obama administration will need to put human rights at the heart of foreign, domestic, and security policy if it is to undo the enormous damage of the Bush years, Human Rights Watch said today in issuing its World Report 2009.
http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2009
-"European Parliament urges Member States to protect LGBT people against violence, hatred and grant mutual recognition for same-sex couples." On 14 January the European Parliament adopted a report on the "Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union 2004-2008", drafted by Italian MEP Giusto Catania.
The report asks Member States and the European Institutions to adopt recommendations made by the Fundamental Rights Agency on homophobia as a matter of urgency. In addition, the Parliament called on the European Commission to propose legislation which would introduce criminal offences for homophobic behaviour. "This report endorses the rights of every European citizen", said Michael Cashman, President of the LGBT Intergroup. "I particularly welcome the call for mutual recognition of same-sex partnerships and marriages by EU member states alongside the call for the Commission propose legislation which guarantees the right of free movement for same-sex couples."
=
Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Military bows to ACLU demand against preaching
Americans entering the military often receive Bibles, courtesy of the Gideons International. But the Gideons have been told that while they can leave complimentary Bibles at most military induction stations, they cannot stay there to proselytize or preach to the recruits.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=387568
-One year shy of the 70th anniversary of African-American contralto Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial, out gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson will deliver an invocation at a January 18 pre-inaugural celebration there.
http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20243097&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6
-Obama White House taps 3 more LGBT appointees
http://washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23455
-Book still suspended from Crook County classrooms
But the disputed work will be in the library
PRINEVILLE - The award-winning book that was suspended from a Crook County High School classroom last month after a parent complained it was offensive, will remain out of the classroom until the school district can revamp its policies. About 60 people turned out Monday night to the Crook County School Board meeting and about 15 testified about the book. The board then voted 4-1 to continue the temporary suspension, while making the book available to students in the library. [...] A New York Times best-seller and a National Book Award winner, the book was written by Sherman Alexie and is about a boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation who decides to attend an all-white school. The protagonist in Alexie's book discusses masturbation.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/NEWS0107/901130420/1097/PODCASTS
-Today, IGLYO and ILGA launch the LGBT Youth World List - the first international network of its kind.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer young people from all over the world can sign up to send and receive messages with other activists. Members will be encouraged to share their experiences, ideas and expertise, and to work together to solve problems and run projects. The working languages of the list are English, Spanish and French.
http://www.iglyo.com/content/index.html
-Lawmaker wants to put sex back into sex education
A South Florida senator wants Florida public schools to ditch the wait-until-marriage message that's long been the basis of many sex-education classes. Instead, state Sen. Ted Deutch, D- Delray Beach, has filed legislation that would require schools to teach kids about condoms and other contraceptive methods starting in the sixth grade. Meanwhile, two other lawmakers have introduced bills meant to discourage teachers from touting the benefits of sex within a monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-sexed1609jan16,0,808404.story
-Teen Charged With Sending Nude Pics of Herself
Girl Faces Felony Charges After Allegedly Sending Photos of Herself to Classmates
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5995084&page=1
-Teens send nude pics to one other, face kiddie porn charges
There are a number of reasons to think twice (or three times, or four times, or fifty times) before sending a nude photo of yourself to someone electronically. But, if you're under the age of 18, there's at least one big, glaring, serious reason: you and the recipient could be charged with trafficking child pornography. If you think this sounds crazy, it is exactly what happened in Greensburg, Pennsylvania after two teenage girls send nude photos to some teenage boys.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090114-teens-send-nude-pics-to-one-other-face-kiddie-porn-charges.html?utm_source=microblogging
-Ecuador: Action Alert - Transgender Activists Dismissed from their Jobs
http://www.iglhrc.org/
-Never Ask a Gay Man for Directions
Because studies show homosexual males navigate like women
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=never-ask-a-gay-man-for-directions&SID=mail&sc=emailfriend
-Today, the Stonewall Democrats congratulated Laura Calvo upon her election as Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon. Calvo, a seasoned Democratic operative, becomes the first openly-transgender officer of a state Democratic party.
http://stonewalldemocrats.org/node/480
-Just how many gay marriage skeletons does Barack Obama have hiding in the closet? Eighteen months after we first learned the president- elect had given conflicting answers about the Defense of Marriage Act in candidate questionnaires back in 2003 and 2004, a new, even bigger bombshell has come to light. Just one week before Obama takes the oath of office, a gay newspaper in Chicago is reporting that the president-elect vowed to support marriage equality for same-sex couples when he was a candidate for the Illinois state Senate way back in 1996.
http://citizenchris.typepad.com/citizenchris/2009/01/obamas-gay-marriage-closet.html
-A high-profile task force concluded that the sexual solicitation of children online is not a significant problem.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/technology/internet/14cyberweb.html?emc=eta1
-Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp
Finally the camp you have been waiting for! Campus Pride organizes the only Summer Leadership Camp for LGBT and Ally college students -- YOU. The five-day camp experience works to develop stronger undergraduate student leaders and safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.
Participants have the opportunity to learn valuable campus organizing skills, coalition building and strategies for creating change at colleges and universities.
http://www.campuspride.org/camp.asp
-Sexploration: Toeing the legal line with fetishes
By Brian Alexander
Is it legal to hire a dominatrix as long as you don't actually have sex?
Q: Paying for sex is illegal in most of America, but what about paying for fetish services? Can you legally hire a dominatrix or escort for any of the countless things besides intercourse? Where is the line drawn?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27846842/
-Playboy's list of the most important people in sex from the past 55 years-and, no, Hef isn't No. 1-reminds the author why we still need America's smartest smut. And not just for the articles.
This month, on the occasion of its 55th anniversary, Playboy published a list of the 55 most important people in sex from the past 55 years. Number three on the list is the magazine's founder, Hugh Hefner. Number eight is Timothy Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web. Both men irrevocably changed the modern experience of sex, one intentionally and meticulously, the other inadvertently and chaotically. The half-century between the two marks a profound cultural shift that has for all intents and purposes doomed Hefner's magazine-even as Playboy, or an updated version of it, has become more necessary than ever.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-13/the-biggest-names-in-sex-1/3/
-The Supreme Court is slated to give a final review
Friday in a case that probes the legal boundaries between stalking and sexual harassment.
Dawn V. Martin v. Howard University, et al., has serious implications for workplace safety nationwide, according to legal advocates, and spotlights the lack of any federal protections for victims of stalking who face retaliation from their employers when they complain about it.
-Get over it: Talk to kids about sex
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/ana-veciana-suarez/story/844885.html
-"The US Drug Enforcement Administration has rejected the bid of a researcher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who wants to create the second laboratory in the nation authorized to grow marijuana for medical research."
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/01/13/umass_loses_marijuana_lab_bid/?s_campaign=8315
-Voting for the freedom to marry does not hurt politicians, new study confirms
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/press_center/new_study_shows_pro-marriage_legislators_win.php
-Since the Obama administration announced that CNN's Sanjay Gupta, one of People magazine's "sexiest men alive [1]" in 2003, might be the next surgeon general, reactions have ranged from indifferent to outraged. Although Gupta is a neurosurgeon and has been in the public eye for years - he started his "House Call" show on CNN in 2004 - many have been scrambling to figure out what this man stands for. Two separate controversies have already risen since Gupta's name has publicly been floated as the next surgeon general. First, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman lambasted [2] Gupta's critique of Michael Moore's 2007 film Sicko, saying that Gupta's accusation that Moore "fudged the facts" was, well, just plain wrong. Then Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) wrote a letter [3] to his fellow Democrats urging them to oppose Gupta as surgeon general. Conyers claimed that Gupta would face a "credibility problem," given his lack of experience in the National Health Service Corp and that "it is not in the best interests of the nation to have someone ... who lacks the requisite experience needed to oversee the federal agency that provides crucial health care assistance to some of the poorest and most underserved communities in America."
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/08/but-can-he-talk-about-sex
-Fired For Being Gay In Nashville
It's not uncommon that employees get fired for being gay. In this case however, the owner of a Nashville area hotel has made his reasons for terminating David Hill public. Of course, as you know already, gays and lesbians are not a protected class, and therefore, the law is not on our side.
http://www.wsmv.com/news/18442419/detail.html
-Study: Religious Teens More Likely to Abstain from Sex
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475306,00.html
-Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds
Teenagers Who Make Such Promises Are Just as Likely to Have Sex, and Less Likely to Use Protection, the Data Indicate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801588.html?hpid=topnews
-Elena Kagan, Obama's SG, on pornography
Earlier this week President-Elect Obama announced he would nominate Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan to be Solicitor General. There is much to like about the choice. Kagan is an accomplished scholar and much-lauded dean who has often been discussed as a potential Supreme Court nominee. She is also a liberal, a feminist and a former clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, and would be the first female appointed to the position often referred to as "the tenth Justice" and "America's lawyer." (For non-lawyers, the SG supervises government involvement in appellate litigation and represents the government in the Supreme Court.)
http://polyperversity.blogspot.com/2009/01/elena-kagan-obamas-sg-on-pornography.html
-In what may be a legit need, or just a way to yank Congress' chain, Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt has asked the government for a $5 billion dollar bailout package for the adult entertainment industry since magazine and DVD sales are down.
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.firedoglake.com//118065/
-Transition white paper on GLBT and Reproductive Rights Issues
Both links below are to white papers written for the "Change for America" book prepared by the Center for American Progress (John Podesta's think tank, which is now the de facto idea factory for the transition). While they are not going to appear in the published edition of the book, they provide some helpful insight into how Obama's team will view these issues.
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/changeforamerica/pdf/glbt.pdf
-College students say suggestive dancing, too many male guests are signs of danger
College students believe that suggestive dancing and too many male guests are more accurate signs of a potentially dangerous party than the amount of alcohol consumed, a new study from Ball State University indicates. A survey of about 300 students from Midwestern colleges and universities found male and female college students identified different signals that a particular party may be potentially dangerous, but drinking was not one of them.
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1898,7273-962-60778,00.html
-Hook-up site not liable for connecting man with minor
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a suit by a man who blamed hook-up site SexSearch.com for connecting him with a minor (PDF), thereby leading to his arrest for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
http://polyperversity.blogspot.com/2008/12/hook-up-site-not-liable-for-connecting.html
-Nude dancing and the First Amendment: A history
Fraser Sherman
During a recent meeting between City Manager Greg Kisela and several Destin pastors, the question came up of how a strip club can claim protection under the First Amendment. "Many people do not understand why the removal of clothes by a dancer is a form of protected expression," legal writer David Hudson says on the firstamendmentcenter.org Web site, "but in fact the First Amendment protects many forms of controversial expression." Hudson said courts have extended freedom of speech principles to nude dancing because the First Amendment:
http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/amendment_7437___article.html/first_kisela.html
-British Bill To Ban 'Extreme' Porn Infuriates Critics
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/30/british-bill-to-ban-extre_n_154343.html
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Field Organizer - Transgender Equality
Company Name: Equality Maryland
Job Location: Silver Spring, MD
Equality Maryland, the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, is hiring a full-time contractual (for a six month period) Field Organizer to help expand the infrastructure to educate the public, LGBTA organizations, community organizations, opinion leaders and others about transgender people in Maryland the lack of legal protections and how this effects their lives. More information about Equality Maryland is available at www.EqualityMaryland.org.
-A Truly Stupid Example of Transphobia
Gainesville, Florida, has an ordinance allowing transgender persons to select whichever bathroom they find most appropriate. The haters and the fools have come up with a campaign to overturn this ordinance and to require transgendered persons to. well, I'm not sure exactly. This is the television ad they are running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10vo0jaGjsc
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - January 18, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
=
44 U.S. Presidents - Interesting Slide Show Backed by Ravel's Bolero
http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.htm
=
The Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush The Worst President Ever
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/17/bush-43-worst/
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: Closing Guantánamo
In a long series of valedictory speeches and interviews, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have been crowing about Guantánamo Bay, secret prisons and abusive interrogations, claiming they met the highest legal standards and that no prisoner had been tortured. Fortunately, the truth broke through the noise, in the words of some of the very people ordered to carry out the policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/opinion/18sun1.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Latin Opportunity
Why Mexico's president is counting on Barack Obama
AS HE TOOK office eight years ago, George W. Bush promised to make relations with Latin America a priority. The president's first foreign trip was to the ranch of Mexican President Vicente Fox, where Mr. Bush expansively promised "to boldly seize the unprecedented opportunity before us." There was no compelling reason for this hemispheric focus, other than the fact that Mr. Bush had been governor of Texas and was more familiar with Latin America than other parts of the world. That may explain why Latin America quickly dropped from the top of the administration's agenda after Sept. 11, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702400.html
-Beyond Gaza
The trust that Barack Obama wants to rebuild will require sending some early messages.
BARACK OBAMA is not yet president, but he is already having a gravitational effect on the conflict in Gaza. Egypt, the Bush administration and, above all, Israel appear eager to bring the fighting to a conclusion before Tuesday. Yesterday Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni flew to Washington to sign a showy -- if somewhat vague -- agreement with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the interdiction of future arms smuggling to Gaza. Israel may sign a similar deal with Egypt over the weekend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604319.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-The Power of Prayer
As the U.S. grows more diverse, the inaugural prayer has become less inclusive. Steven Waldman on why the ceremony has gone from pluralistic to solely Protestant.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215076308292139.html
=
Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-War in the Middle East
Before Israel's Invasion, Hamas Popularity Was Waning Among Its Neighbors -- Even in Gaza Itself
Before the current Middle East conflict, Hamas hardly enjoyed universal popularity among Muslims, and among some key Arab publics, its support had been waning. Read more
-Mideast Competes -- but Still Loses -- to Economy and Obama in Public
Interest Public interest in the Middle East conflict is on par with other recent foreign news stories, but is lower than in the Israel-Hezbollah war in August 2006. A slightly greater percentage say the media have not been critical enough of Hamas than say the same about coverage of Israel. Read more
-War in Gaza Quickly Shifts News
A bloody new chapter in the Israel/Palestinian conflict dramatically shifted the media agenda from domestic to foreign crises, dominating the news in a busy week. Furthermore, the media themselves became another front in the Middle East war. Read more
-American Progress Report
Gains Seen On Minority Discrimination -- But Little Else
As Obama prepares to take office, majorities say the country is losing ground on many key issues, especially economic ones. Read more
-Recession Ramifications
Hispanics and the Economic Downturn: Housing Woes and Remittance Cuts Latinos, especially the foreign-born, are feeling the sting of the economic downturn and, in some respects, even more so than the general population. Read more
-American Gospel: Religion, Race -- and Obama
A religious scholar discusses the president-elect's place in the nation's historical tension between religion and politics and examines the role of black churches as well as the controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Read more
-Daily Number: 13% - National Satisfaction
As President George W. Bush prepares to leave office, the level of satisfaction Americans feel towards the state of their country is in sharp contrast to where it was when he began his term. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
-Inaugural Address
America's Obama Optimism
Public confidence in Barack Obama to deal with the nation's most pressing problems is high and many Americans not only see the president-elect as a problem-solver, but as a "uniter" as well. Read more
-Hispanics and the New Administration: Immigration Slips as a Priority
Latinos, who heavily supported Obama in the November election, rate such issues as the economy, health care and education as the more important issues facing the country. Also, Hispanics were more likely to be first time voters than the general public. Read more
-Ask Not ...
Since John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address, the word "sacrifice" has become a rarity in the lexicon of politicians -- and of pollsters too. Read more
-Friending Mom and Dad
The Growth of Social Networks
The share of adult internet users who have a profile on a social networking site has more than quadrupled in the past four years. Read more
-Russian Roulette
European Worries About Reliance on Russian Energy Were Already High
Just as concern about energy dependence has become widespread, so too have unfavorable views of Russia and its Prime Minister Putin. Read more
-Transition Watch
Media Shift from War to Washington
Even as the fighting in Gaza continued to generate major coverage, the storyline shifted back to the daunting tasks confronting president-elect Barack Obama. Read more
-Obama Cabinet Appointees Highly Visible
Much of the increased awareness of the president-elect's high-level personnel selections has to do with his choice of Hillary Clinton to serve as secretary of state. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama tries to seduce Republicans
By JONATHAN MARTIN
It's no secret Barack Obama is trying to seduce Republicans these days. But his conservative courting runs much deeper and wider than is publicly known.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17532.html
-US moves 6 Gitmo detainees, rejects hearing delays
By BEN FOX
GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - The U.S. Department of Defense announced Saturday that it transferred six detainees out of Guantanamo, leaving about 245 at the offshore prison as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-15/1232245768101710.xml&storylist=topstories
-US welcomes Israel's ceasefire declaration
By MATTHEW LEE
The Bush administration on Saturday welcomed Israel's decision to declare a unilateral ceasefire in its military operations against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and urged both sides to end attacks immediately.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-16/1232231070280610.xml&storylist=topstories
-"Every kid gets a trophy"
Joan Walsh
I can't believe President Bush's approval ratings have climbed as he edges to the end of his tragic term. Except I sort of understand it; I felt sorry for him tonight during his farewell address, which was utterly self-indulgent and delusional. It's hard to see someone leave the presidency so shamed
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/misc/2009/01/16/bush_farewell/
-Gaza invasion: Powered by the U.S.
Taxpayers are spending over $1 billion to send refined fuel to the Israeli military -- at a time when Israel doesn't need it and America does.
Editor's note: Generous support for this article was provided by the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute.
By Robert Bryce
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/01/16/gaza_invasion/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
44 U.S. Presidents - Interesting Slide Show Backed by Ravel's Bolero
http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.htm
=
The Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush The Worst President Ever
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/17/bush-43-worst/
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: Closing Guantánamo
In a long series of valedictory speeches and interviews, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have been crowing about Guantánamo Bay, secret prisons and abusive interrogations, claiming they met the highest legal standards and that no prisoner had been tortured. Fortunately, the truth broke through the noise, in the words of some of the very people ordered to carry out the policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/opinion/18sun1.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Latin Opportunity
Why Mexico's president is counting on Barack Obama
AS HE TOOK office eight years ago, George W. Bush promised to make relations with Latin America a priority. The president's first foreign trip was to the ranch of Mexican President Vicente Fox, where Mr. Bush expansively promised "to boldly seize the unprecedented opportunity before us." There was no compelling reason for this hemispheric focus, other than the fact that Mr. Bush had been governor of Texas and was more familiar with Latin America than other parts of the world. That may explain why Latin America quickly dropped from the top of the administration's agenda after Sept. 11, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702400.html
-Beyond Gaza
The trust that Barack Obama wants to rebuild will require sending some early messages.
BARACK OBAMA is not yet president, but he is already having a gravitational effect on the conflict in Gaza. Egypt, the Bush administration and, above all, Israel appear eager to bring the fighting to a conclusion before Tuesday. Yesterday Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni flew to Washington to sign a showy -- if somewhat vague -- agreement with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the interdiction of future arms smuggling to Gaza. Israel may sign a similar deal with Egypt over the weekend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604319.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-The Power of Prayer
As the U.S. grows more diverse, the inaugural prayer has become less inclusive. Steven Waldman on why the ceremony has gone from pluralistic to solely Protestant.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215076308292139.html
=
Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-War in the Middle East
Before Israel's Invasion, Hamas Popularity Was Waning Among Its Neighbors -- Even in Gaza Itself
Before the current Middle East conflict, Hamas hardly enjoyed universal popularity among Muslims, and among some key Arab publics, its support had been waning. Read more
-Mideast Competes -- but Still Loses -- to Economy and Obama in Public
Interest Public interest in the Middle East conflict is on par with other recent foreign news stories, but is lower than in the Israel-Hezbollah war in August 2006. A slightly greater percentage say the media have not been critical enough of Hamas than say the same about coverage of Israel. Read more
-War in Gaza Quickly Shifts News
A bloody new chapter in the Israel/Palestinian conflict dramatically shifted the media agenda from domestic to foreign crises, dominating the news in a busy week. Furthermore, the media themselves became another front in the Middle East war. Read more
-American Progress Report
Gains Seen On Minority Discrimination -- But Little Else
As Obama prepares to take office, majorities say the country is losing ground on many key issues, especially economic ones. Read more
-Recession Ramifications
Hispanics and the Economic Downturn: Housing Woes and Remittance Cuts Latinos, especially the foreign-born, are feeling the sting of the economic downturn and, in some respects, even more so than the general population. Read more
-American Gospel: Religion, Race -- and Obama
A religious scholar discusses the president-elect's place in the nation's historical tension between religion and politics and examines the role of black churches as well as the controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Read more
-Daily Number: 13% - National Satisfaction
As President George W. Bush prepares to leave office, the level of satisfaction Americans feel towards the state of their country is in sharp contrast to where it was when he began his term. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
-Inaugural Address
America's Obama Optimism
Public confidence in Barack Obama to deal with the nation's most pressing problems is high and many Americans not only see the president-elect as a problem-solver, but as a "uniter" as well. Read more
-Hispanics and the New Administration: Immigration Slips as a Priority
Latinos, who heavily supported Obama in the November election, rate such issues as the economy, health care and education as the more important issues facing the country. Also, Hispanics were more likely to be first time voters than the general public. Read more
-Ask Not ...
Since John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address, the word "sacrifice" has become a rarity in the lexicon of politicians -- and of pollsters too. Read more
-Friending Mom and Dad
The Growth of Social Networks
The share of adult internet users who have a profile on a social networking site has more than quadrupled in the past four years. Read more
-Russian Roulette
European Worries About Reliance on Russian Energy Were Already High
Just as concern about energy dependence has become widespread, so too have unfavorable views of Russia and its Prime Minister Putin. Read more
-Transition Watch
Media Shift from War to Washington
Even as the fighting in Gaza continued to generate major coverage, the storyline shifted back to the daunting tasks confronting president-elect Barack Obama. Read more
-Obama Cabinet Appointees Highly Visible
Much of the increased awareness of the president-elect's high-level personnel selections has to do with his choice of Hillary Clinton to serve as secretary of state. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama tries to seduce Republicans
By JONATHAN MARTIN
It's no secret Barack Obama is trying to seduce Republicans these days. But his conservative courting runs much deeper and wider than is publicly known.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17532.html
-US moves 6 Gitmo detainees, rejects hearing delays
By BEN FOX
GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - The U.S. Department of Defense announced Saturday that it transferred six detainees out of Guantanamo, leaving about 245 at the offshore prison as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-15/1232245768101710.xml&storylist=topstories
-US welcomes Israel's ceasefire declaration
By MATTHEW LEE
The Bush administration on Saturday welcomed Israel's decision to declare a unilateral ceasefire in its military operations against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and urged both sides to end attacks immediately.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-16/1232231070280610.xml&storylist=topstories
-"Every kid gets a trophy"
Joan Walsh
I can't believe President Bush's approval ratings have climbed as he edges to the end of his tragic term. Except I sort of understand it; I felt sorry for him tonight during his farewell address, which was utterly self-indulgent and delusional. It's hard to see someone leave the presidency so shamed
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/misc/2009/01/16/bush_farewell/
-Gaza invasion: Powered by the U.S.
Taxpayers are spending over $1 billion to send refined fuel to the Israeli military -- at a time when Israel doesn't need it and America does.
Editor's note: Generous support for this article was provided by the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute.
By Robert Bryce
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/01/16/gaza_invasion/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - January 18, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale candidate fighting for his reputation
By Brittany Wallman
You might call Earl Rynerson the wild card in the mayor's race. A political
newcomer who didn't even vote in the last city elections, Rynerson suddenly emerged on Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here.'s political scene last fall, saying he wanted the top elective post.
Rynerson has quickly jumped from anonymity to controversy, and Thursday he talked about his campaign's ups and downs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbrynerson0116sbjan16,0,5922673.story
-Broward's first openly gay mayor
By Gregory Lewis
John Fiore became the first openly gay elected official in Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports when he won a seat on the Wilton Manors City Council in 1988. He achieved another first in 2000 when he was elected mayor.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0114firstgaymayor,0,26403.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-By the numbers: the first 'gay census'
Leaders try to get detailed assessment of Broward's GLBT community
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
To any seasoned political strategist, demographic information is power. For any marginalized group that lives on the fringe of society, like many in the transgender community, visibility is more than acknowledgment. It's a gateway to change.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-14/news/localnews/5451.cfm
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-From Shane Gunderson
Transgender People and Broward County Homeless Shelters
I want to commend Broward County's Office of Equal Opportunity Internal Investigations and Oversight Division because they recently emailed these attachments to homeless providers with the message, "Attached find a Copy of "A Guide To Making Homeless Shelters Safe For Transgender People" prepared by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless. I think you will find this guide very helpful in providing guidance on how to comply with the County's non-discrimination policy/ordinance. This guide provides guidance on issues such as intake; bathroom, showering and sleeping arrangements; dress code; confidentiality; safety; harassment; what constitutes gender identity and expression discrimination, etc. Also attached is the County Administrator's Reaffirmation memorandum of the County's Equal Opportunity Policy. [Trainingopportunities can also be arranged.]"
=
Ft. Lauderdale: Rodstrom/Glassman Horserace Neck and Neck
Now this one looks close!
It pits City Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, wife of County Commissioner John Rodstrom, against the Central Beach Alliance President Steven Glassman.
A third candidate, businessman Howard Elfman is trailing somewhere back in the pack. The ironic thing about this race is that Glassman was instrumental in Rodstrom's triumph to the Commission seat just three years ago. In that race, Glassman and other beach activists turned out an enormous beach vote for Rodstrom and she came from behind to beat Jon Albee in the General Election. Glassman now says "he was wrong". In his campaign appearances, he says that Rodstrom is ineffective and divisive, and says she needs to go.
=
Congregation Etz Chaim, Wilton Manor's only synagogue, will hold its fifth annual Winter Wonderland Dance on Saturday, January 24, from 7 to 11 p.m., at Temple Beth El, 1351 South 14th Avenue in Hollywood. The Winter Wonderland Dance is for both guys and gals and features the music of D.J. Donna. The Dance is "BYOB," and set-ups and soft drinks will be available.
Admission to the Dance is $20 in advance or $22 at the door. Make checks payable to Congregation Etz Chaim and mail them with a self addressed stamped envelope to Congregation Etz Chaim, 1881 N.E. 26 Street # 100, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. For more information call Joyce at 954-718-5800.
Cong. Etz Chaim, which is currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary, holds Sabbath Services Friday nights at 8 at 1881 N.E. 26 Street in Wilton Manors.
=
GLCC "Stars of the Rainbow 2009" Honorees Announced
-Fort Lauderdale - The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is proud to announce their 2009 Stars of the Rainbow Honorees to be showcased at this year's annual Stars of the Rainbow fundraising event.
2009 marks the Center's 16th anniversary of providing valued services and programs to the community. The Stars of the Rainbow 2009 Gala & Celebration will be held on Sunday, March 1st hosted by the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. The schedule for the evening will be:
...5:00 - 6:30 PM - VIP Reception at the Hyatt Regency Pier Top Lounge, known for its dazzling 360-degree views. Complimentary valet parking is available at the main entrance of the Hyatt Regency. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and entertainment will be enjoyed during this intimate gathering of friends. At the end of the VIP Reception, guests will be escorted into the Crystal Atrium to enjoy the evening's festivities.
...6:00 - 7:00 PM - A Reception will take place in the Crystal Atrium where the
Silent Auction and entertainment will take place while cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
are served.
...7:00 - 10:00 PM - A sit-down dinner will be served while guests enjoy the Honoree Recognition Video Presentation. There will be special entertainment including a live performance by Jody Watley. Music and dancing will continue throughout the evening as everyone celebrates the honorees accomplishments.
...Tickets are $225 for VIP Tickets or $150 for Gala Tickets. Underwriting and Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Robert Boo, Director of Development at 954.463.9005 or email rboo@glccsf.org. Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.glccsf.org or www.starsoftherainbow.com.
...Business, Organization & Media -
Hotspots Magazine
Window Media (South Florida Blade & 411 Magazine)
...Community Star
Terry DeCarlo - Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Broward House
Nadine Smith - Executive Director, Equality Florida,
...Fundraising Board Member
Dale Russell, President
...Volunteer
Tyler Healis, former GLCC Board member
Lucille Marino and Corinne Wyatt - President and Vice-President of Women In Network (WIN)
...Alan Schubert Humanitarian Award
Glen Weinzimer - Smart Ride Founder
http://www.glccsf.org
=
SpeakOut with Staceyann Chin
Nationally recognized New York-based Jamaican lesbian spoken word poet and performer Staceyann Chin comes to Miami for a week-long residency as part of Tigertail's SpeakOut project for GLBT youth, with events for people of all ages! Chin's poetry is a bracing, no-holds-barred yet tender examination of her own life and the world around her that locates itself at the complex intersection of sexual, gender and racial identities. She co-wrote and performed in the Tony Award-nominated Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam, presented her own one-woman shows Off-Broadway, and is published in numerous anthologies.
"With poems that combine hilarious one-liners with a refusal to conform Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world." -
The Advocate
Staceyann Chin events include.......
...Monday, January 19, 7:30 pm
Race, Sex & Identity
A Conversation in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community
Don't miss this free panel discussion on the night of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Staceyann Chin, noted Latina lesbian performance artist and comic Marga Gomez, and others, moderated by South Florida African-American lesbian activist and performer Bishop S.F. Makalani-MaHee. Miami Light Project, 3000 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 100, Miami Co-presented with Miami Light Project
...Thursday, January 22, 6:00 pm
Gay & Lesbian Youth Open Mic & Slam
Hosted by Staceyann Chin & Teo Castellanos
Each participant (21 and under please) gets a chance to arouse, provoke and inspire with spoken word poetry! Material needs to be gay friendly. Free and open to all teens with no reservations needed. Sign- in at the event at 5:30 pm, Open Mic 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Slam 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach (just off of Collins Avenue)
...Friday, January 23, 7:30 pm
Reading & performance with Staceyann Chin
Come experience Chin's electrifying spoken word poetry. Free and open to all! Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables
=
Innaugural Bashes - Tuesday!
Got plans on Tuesday night?
I hope not, because you've been cordially invited to an Inaugural Bash in Fort Lauderdale. Well, a few of them actually. Hundreds of thousands of us are getting together from coast to coast to celebrate this historic event together-and there are a few parties happening right near you in Fort Lauderdale. There are all different types of Inaugural Bashes. Some people are holding potlucks in their homes, some are getting together in local bars and restaurants, and some are throwing black-tie Inaugural Balls. You can check out all the parties in your area to find one that's your speed. You don't need a tux or a gown-all you need to do is show up. Can you make it?
Here are some of the parties near you:
Wilton Manors Yes We Did! aka Goodbye Bush Bash!!
Where: Rosie's Bar and Grill (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=90927&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
ABC Web Service Inaugural Bash
Where: Near 5 Points in Wilton Manors (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 5:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=88457&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
Gather for a Celebration of Change for us all
Where: Sunrise Blvd. and Andrews Ave. (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 10:00 AM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=91170&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
To see other Inaugural Bashes near you, click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/inauguralbash/?id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=5
No matter which Inaugural Bash you choose, the important thing is that you'll be gathering with other progressives in your community who are fired up about Barack Obama's inauguration and ready to help get the change we elected Obama to deliver. The grassroots energy that powered Obama's campaign isn't fading away. But we'll get back to the hard work of changing our country on Wednesday. On Tuesday, we're going to celebrate all we've achieved together.
=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER GAY RIGHTS BILL
Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) has filed legislation to update Florida's laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, familial status or marital status. "All Floridians should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families without fear of being unfairly fired or denied housing for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or their ability to maintain a home," said Skidmore. For the third consecutive year, Skidmore filed her bill at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
www.pbchrc.org
=
Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-We're excited to get 2009 off to a strong start. That's why Equality
Florida is partnering with allies across the state for a Rally in Tally for LGBT Equality on Monday, March 16. The rally will mark the start of our annual Equality Florida Lobby Week. Come join us in Tallahassee for the rally, then stay for all or part of the week and tell legislators that it is time to protect our rights and our families. Calendar - March 16th 2009 Rally in Tally!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/rallytally/details.tcl
=
From Steve Glassman for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Campaign
It is down to the home stretch and Steve needs everyone's help to cross the finish line first! During the past 7 months, residents in every neighborhood in District 2 have met with Steve and have learned why he has led his neighborhood association for the past six years - it is because of his leadership, reason, and judgment. Now, friends from Steve's neighborhood want to thank him for all of his years of service and caring! Join our hosts Cindy and Peter Galiette, Steve Crombe and Will Rubino for a poolside Beach Bash. It doesn't matter where you live in District 2; everyone is invited. We are all in this together and we need to change direction!
When: Friday, January 30th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Where: La Rive, 715 Bayshore Drive.
RSVP: call 954-638-8461 or e-mail: steve@voteglassman.com by Tuesday,
January 27th.
=
Florida - OUT!
An organizing committee in formation, made up of leaders from around the state, is in the process of creating and launching a statewide federation of local organizations: Organizations United Together, Inc. ("OUT").
OUT's mission will be to connect and empower local organizations to share resources, skills and information in order to forge statewide strength in the pursuit of equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians. OUT intends to work hand-in-hand with other state and national organizations that share similar goals. A first meeting of local leaders from around the state will be hosted by OUT in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2009. Check-in is at 10 a.m., and the meeting will start promptly at 10:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Kevin Burns, Miami-Dade - North Miami Mayor
Tom Dempsey, Escambia - Gay Grass Roots of NW Florida
Karen Doering, Pinellas - Organizations United Together
Terry Fleming, Alachua - Organizations United Together
Stephen Gaskill, Broward - Organizations United Together
Rand Hoch, Palm Beach - Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Ted Howard, Hillsborough - Organizations United Together
Paul Hyman, Broward - Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
Cathy James, Hillsborough - Tampa Bay Family Pride
Michael Kenny, Broward - Organizations United Together
Lorraine Langlois, Pinellas - Metro Center in Pinellas and Hillsborough
Lisa Livezey Comingore, Leon - Impact Tallahassee
Rev Joe McMurray, Monroe - MCC Key West
C.J. Ortuno, Miami-Dade - SAVE Dade
John Ruffier, Orange - Central Florida HRC Steering Committee
Heddy Pena, Miami-Dade - Organizations United Together
Gary Resnick, Broward - Wilton Manors Mayor
Bill Robinson, Orange - DEC Chair
Scott Saraga, Duval - PFLAG of Jacksonville
Patty Sheehan, Orange - Orlando City Commissioner
Michael Shelton, Sarasota - Sarasota Equality Project
Herb Sosa, Miami-Dade - Unity Coalition/Coalicion Unida
www.outfl.org
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama-Meek comparisons go only so far
BY BETH REINHARD
Flanked by an attractive lawyer-wife and two children, a young black politician announces an audacious bid for higher office. Sounds familiar.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/858146.html
-Sink's withdrawal opens up Florida's Senate field
By Adam C. Smith
With Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink out of the running for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic primary could hardly be more unpredictable, with no one widely known. Let's take a quick glance at the plusses and minuses of the prospective field.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article968490.ece
-Broward County Republicans say goodbye to President Bush
Supporters of President Bush demonstrate to show their appreciation
Rachel Hatzipanagos
Fort Lauderdale - Car horns blared from both supporters and critics of President George W. Bush on Saturday at a rally held by 25 Republicans to bid farewell to the commander in chief.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbbush0118sbjan18,0,2369920.story
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale candidate fighting for his reputation
By Brittany Wallman
You might call Earl Rynerson the wild card in the mayor's race. A political
newcomer who didn't even vote in the last city elections, Rynerson suddenly emerged on Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here.'s political scene last fall, saying he wanted the top elective post.
Rynerson has quickly jumped from anonymity to controversy, and Thursday he talked about his campaign's ups and downs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbrynerson0116sbjan16,0,5922673.story
-Broward's first openly gay mayor
By Gregory Lewis
John Fiore became the first openly gay elected official in Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports when he won a seat on the Wilton Manors City Council in 1988. He achieved another first in 2000 when he was elected mayor.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0114firstgaymayor,0,26403.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-By the numbers: the first 'gay census'
Leaders try to get detailed assessment of Broward's GLBT community
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
To any seasoned political strategist, demographic information is power. For any marginalized group that lives on the fringe of society, like many in the transgender community, visibility is more than acknowledgment. It's a gateway to change.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-14/news/localnews/5451.cfm
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-From Shane Gunderson
Transgender People and Broward County Homeless Shelters
I want to commend Broward County's Office of Equal Opportunity Internal Investigations and Oversight Division because they recently emailed these attachments to homeless providers with the message, "Attached find a Copy of "A Guide To Making Homeless Shelters Safe For Transgender People" prepared by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless. I think you will find this guide very helpful in providing guidance on how to comply with the County's non-discrimination policy/ordinance. This guide provides guidance on issues such as intake; bathroom, showering and sleeping arrangements; dress code; confidentiality; safety; harassment; what constitutes gender identity and expression discrimination, etc. Also attached is the County Administrator's Reaffirmation memorandum of the County's Equal Opportunity Policy. [Trainingopportunities can also be arranged.]"
=
Ft. Lauderdale: Rodstrom/Glassman Horserace Neck and Neck
Now this one looks close!
It pits City Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, wife of County Commissioner John Rodstrom, against the Central Beach Alliance President Steven Glassman.
A third candidate, businessman Howard Elfman is trailing somewhere back in the pack. The ironic thing about this race is that Glassman was instrumental in Rodstrom's triumph to the Commission seat just three years ago. In that race, Glassman and other beach activists turned out an enormous beach vote for Rodstrom and she came from behind to beat Jon Albee in the General Election. Glassman now says "he was wrong". In his campaign appearances, he says that Rodstrom is ineffective and divisive, and says she needs to go.
=
Congregation Etz Chaim, Wilton Manor's only synagogue, will hold its fifth annual Winter Wonderland Dance on Saturday, January 24, from 7 to 11 p.m., at Temple Beth El, 1351 South 14th Avenue in Hollywood. The Winter Wonderland Dance is for both guys and gals and features the music of D.J. Donna. The Dance is "BYOB," and set-ups and soft drinks will be available.
Admission to the Dance is $20 in advance or $22 at the door. Make checks payable to Congregation Etz Chaim and mail them with a self addressed stamped envelope to Congregation Etz Chaim, 1881 N.E. 26 Street # 100, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. For more information call Joyce at 954-718-5800.
Cong. Etz Chaim, which is currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary, holds Sabbath Services Friday nights at 8 at 1881 N.E. 26 Street in Wilton Manors.
=
GLCC "Stars of the Rainbow 2009" Honorees Announced
-Fort Lauderdale - The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is proud to announce their 2009 Stars of the Rainbow Honorees to be showcased at this year's annual Stars of the Rainbow fundraising event.
2009 marks the Center's 16th anniversary of providing valued services and programs to the community. The Stars of the Rainbow 2009 Gala & Celebration will be held on Sunday, March 1st hosted by the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. The schedule for the evening will be:
...5:00 - 6:30 PM - VIP Reception at the Hyatt Regency Pier Top Lounge, known for its dazzling 360-degree views. Complimentary valet parking is available at the main entrance of the Hyatt Regency. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and entertainment will be enjoyed during this intimate gathering of friends. At the end of the VIP Reception, guests will be escorted into the Crystal Atrium to enjoy the evening's festivities.
...6:00 - 7:00 PM - A Reception will take place in the Crystal Atrium where the
Silent Auction and entertainment will take place while cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
are served.
...7:00 - 10:00 PM - A sit-down dinner will be served while guests enjoy the Honoree Recognition Video Presentation. There will be special entertainment including a live performance by Jody Watley. Music and dancing will continue throughout the evening as everyone celebrates the honorees accomplishments.
...Tickets are $225 for VIP Tickets or $150 for Gala Tickets. Underwriting and Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Robert Boo, Director of Development at 954.463.9005 or email rboo@glccsf.org. Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.glccsf.org or www.starsoftherainbow.com.
...Business, Organization & Media -
Hotspots Magazine
Window Media (South Florida Blade & 411 Magazine)
...Community Star
Terry DeCarlo - Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Broward House
Nadine Smith - Executive Director, Equality Florida,
...Fundraising Board Member
Dale Russell, President
...Volunteer
Tyler Healis, former GLCC Board member
Lucille Marino and Corinne Wyatt - President and Vice-President of Women In Network (WIN)
...Alan Schubert Humanitarian Award
Glen Weinzimer - Smart Ride Founder
http://www.glccsf.org
=
SpeakOut with Staceyann Chin
Nationally recognized New York-based Jamaican lesbian spoken word poet and performer Staceyann Chin comes to Miami for a week-long residency as part of Tigertail's SpeakOut project for GLBT youth, with events for people of all ages! Chin's poetry is a bracing, no-holds-barred yet tender examination of her own life and the world around her that locates itself at the complex intersection of sexual, gender and racial identities. She co-wrote and performed in the Tony Award-nominated Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam, presented her own one-woman shows Off-Broadway, and is published in numerous anthologies.
"With poems that combine hilarious one-liners with a refusal to conform Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world." -
The Advocate
Staceyann Chin events include.......
...Monday, January 19, 7:30 pm
Race, Sex & Identity
A Conversation in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community
Don't miss this free panel discussion on the night of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Staceyann Chin, noted Latina lesbian performance artist and comic Marga Gomez, and others, moderated by South Florida African-American lesbian activist and performer Bishop S.F. Makalani-MaHee. Miami Light Project, 3000 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 100, Miami Co-presented with Miami Light Project
...Thursday, January 22, 6:00 pm
Gay & Lesbian Youth Open Mic & Slam
Hosted by Staceyann Chin & Teo Castellanos
Each participant (21 and under please) gets a chance to arouse, provoke and inspire with spoken word poetry! Material needs to be gay friendly. Free and open to all teens with no reservations needed. Sign- in at the event at 5:30 pm, Open Mic 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Slam 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach (just off of Collins Avenue)
...Friday, January 23, 7:30 pm
Reading & performance with Staceyann Chin
Come experience Chin's electrifying spoken word poetry. Free and open to all! Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables
=
Innaugural Bashes - Tuesday!
Got plans on Tuesday night?
I hope not, because you've been cordially invited to an Inaugural Bash in Fort Lauderdale. Well, a few of them actually. Hundreds of thousands of us are getting together from coast to coast to celebrate this historic event together-and there are a few parties happening right near you in Fort Lauderdale. There are all different types of Inaugural Bashes. Some people are holding potlucks in their homes, some are getting together in local bars and restaurants, and some are throwing black-tie Inaugural Balls. You can check out all the parties in your area to find one that's your speed. You don't need a tux or a gown-all you need to do is show up. Can you make it?
Here are some of the parties near you:
Wilton Manors Yes We Did! aka Goodbye Bush Bash!!
Where: Rosie's Bar and Grill (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=90927&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
ABC Web Service Inaugural Bash
Where: Near 5 Points in Wilton Manors (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 5:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=88457&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
Gather for a Celebration of Change for us all
Where: Sunrise Blvd. and Andrews Ave. (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 10:00 AM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=91170&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
To see other Inaugural Bashes near you, click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/inauguralbash/?id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=5
No matter which Inaugural Bash you choose, the important thing is that you'll be gathering with other progressives in your community who are fired up about Barack Obama's inauguration and ready to help get the change we elected Obama to deliver. The grassroots energy that powered Obama's campaign isn't fading away. But we'll get back to the hard work of changing our country on Wednesday. On Tuesday, we're going to celebrate all we've achieved together.
=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER GAY RIGHTS BILL
Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) has filed legislation to update Florida's laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, familial status or marital status. "All Floridians should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families without fear of being unfairly fired or denied housing for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or their ability to maintain a home," said Skidmore. For the third consecutive year, Skidmore filed her bill at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
www.pbchrc.org
=
Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-We're excited to get 2009 off to a strong start. That's why Equality
Florida is partnering with allies across the state for a Rally in Tally for LGBT Equality on Monday, March 16. The rally will mark the start of our annual Equality Florida Lobby Week. Come join us in Tallahassee for the rally, then stay for all or part of the week and tell legislators that it is time to protect our rights and our families. Calendar - March 16th 2009 Rally in Tally!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/rallytally/details.tcl
=
From Steve Glassman for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Campaign
It is down to the home stretch and Steve needs everyone's help to cross the finish line first! During the past 7 months, residents in every neighborhood in District 2 have met with Steve and have learned why he has led his neighborhood association for the past six years - it is because of his leadership, reason, and judgment. Now, friends from Steve's neighborhood want to thank him for all of his years of service and caring! Join our hosts Cindy and Peter Galiette, Steve Crombe and Will Rubino for a poolside Beach Bash. It doesn't matter where you live in District 2; everyone is invited. We are all in this together and we need to change direction!
When: Friday, January 30th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Where: La Rive, 715 Bayshore Drive.
RSVP: call 954-638-8461 or e-mail: steve@voteglassman.com by Tuesday,
January 27th.
=
Florida - OUT!
An organizing committee in formation, made up of leaders from around the state, is in the process of creating and launching a statewide federation of local organizations: Organizations United Together, Inc. ("OUT").
OUT's mission will be to connect and empower local organizations to share resources, skills and information in order to forge statewide strength in the pursuit of equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians. OUT intends to work hand-in-hand with other state and national organizations that share similar goals. A first meeting of local leaders from around the state will be hosted by OUT in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2009. Check-in is at 10 a.m., and the meeting will start promptly at 10:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Kevin Burns, Miami-Dade - North Miami Mayor
Tom Dempsey, Escambia - Gay Grass Roots of NW Florida
Karen Doering, Pinellas - Organizations United Together
Terry Fleming, Alachua - Organizations United Together
Stephen Gaskill, Broward - Organizations United Together
Rand Hoch, Palm Beach - Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Ted Howard, Hillsborough - Organizations United Together
Paul Hyman, Broward - Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
Cathy James, Hillsborough - Tampa Bay Family Pride
Michael Kenny, Broward - Organizations United Together
Lorraine Langlois, Pinellas - Metro Center in Pinellas and Hillsborough
Lisa Livezey Comingore, Leon - Impact Tallahassee
Rev Joe McMurray, Monroe - MCC Key West
C.J. Ortuno, Miami-Dade - SAVE Dade
John Ruffier, Orange - Central Florida HRC Steering Committee
Heddy Pena, Miami-Dade - Organizations United Together
Gary Resnick, Broward - Wilton Manors Mayor
Bill Robinson, Orange - DEC Chair
Scott Saraga, Duval - PFLAG of Jacksonville
Patty Sheehan, Orange - Orlando City Commissioner
Michael Shelton, Sarasota - Sarasota Equality Project
Herb Sosa, Miami-Dade - Unity Coalition/Coalicion Unida
www.outfl.org
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama-Meek comparisons go only so far
BY BETH REINHARD
Flanked by an attractive lawyer-wife and two children, a young black politician announces an audacious bid for higher office. Sounds familiar.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/858146.html
-Sink's withdrawal opens up Florida's Senate field
By Adam C. Smith
With Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink out of the running for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic primary could hardly be more unpredictable, with no one widely known. Let's take a quick glance at the plusses and minuses of the prospective field.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article968490.ece
-Broward County Republicans say goodbye to President Bush
Supporters of President Bush demonstrate to show their appreciation
Rachel Hatzipanagos
Fort Lauderdale - Car horns blared from both supporters and critics of President George W. Bush on Saturday at a rally held by 25 Republicans to bid farewell to the commander in chief.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbbush0118sbjan18,0,2369920.story
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)