GLBT DIGEST - March 28, 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.

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

-Moran Endorsed by Ebbin, Young Dems
Del. Adam P. Ebbin, the highest-ranking openly gay elected official in Virginia and the only openly gay member of the General Assembly, endorsed Democrat Brian Moran for governor. Ebbin cited Moran's long-term commitment to fighting discrimination and his opposition to the Virginia marriage amendment, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman and was passed by voters in 2006.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/03/post_169.html


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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Singapore Lightens Up
The restrictive city-state relaxes some limits on theaters in a bid to become an arts hub
Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke stars in a production of Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale," staged here this week by British director Sam Mendes. Meanwhile, across town, the curtain is rising on Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," with an all-male, all-gay cast. These are the latest marquee productions in Singapore's ambitious bid to claim status as a global performing arts city on a par with London or New York -- even if it means relaxing some long-held taboos. Theaters here increasingly are allowed to take on risqué social and political themes, a sign this tightly controlled Southeast Asian city-state is starting to loosen up.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123819982120262149.html


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

-Washington Blade examines compensation paid to leaders of the LGBT rights movement
The Washington Blade has just published a great article about how much money is paid to the leaders of the nation's largest gay organizations: From Washington Blade staff reports Craig Shniderman, executive director of Food & Friends, which provides meals and nutritional services for homebound people with HIV/AIDS in the Washington, D.C. area, had the highest salary among the heads of the nation's most prominent LGBT advocacy groups and groups that provide AIDS-related services in Los Angeles, New York and D.C. A survey of the compensation paid to heads of 30 LGBT and AIDS organizations, conducted by the Washington Blade, shows that Shniderman had a total salary and benefits package of $382,200 in 2008, the latest period for which the organizations' salary and annual revenue data could be obtained for a completed fiscal year. Shniderman's earnings placed him ahead of Joe Solmonese, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT political advocacy group. Solmonese, who ranked second in the salary survey, received a total compensation package of $338,400 in 2008. To continue reading, click here.


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

- Blade Outs LGBT Leaders' Salaries
By Ross von Metzke
The Washington Blade has published a report of the country's most prominent LGBT leaders and their salaries, including bonuses and benefits packages -- and the results are somewhat surprising. Craig Shniderman, executive director of Food & Friends, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit providing meals and nutritional services for homebound people with HIV/AIDS, topped the list with a total salary and benefits package of $382,200 in 2008.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76640.asp

-John Berry Aces Confirmation Hearing
By Kerry Eleveld
John Berry, an openly gay man who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to head the Office of Personnel Management, encountered a friendly confirmation hearing Thursday.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76687.asp


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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Heroic welcome during Parade of Nations
World Outgames participants are going to get a heroic welcome to Copenhagen at the opening ceremony this summer on the 25th of July. In a break with the traditional stadium parade, World Outgames 2009 organizers, in cooperation with the city government, have planned a sensational tribute traditionally reserved for Danish royalty and national sports heroes at City Hall Square in the heart of the city.
http://www.copenhagen2009.org/

-On the road to Copenhagen: From sissy to ironman
"I was a sissy in high school, I had no athletic abilities at all," said Dabney Tompkins, a real estate broker from Portland, Oregon who will compete in the triathlon at World Outgames this summer.
http://www.copenhagen2009.org/

-Indonesia: Coming out for his rights
When he was an NGO worker involved in gender rights in farming communities, Hartoyo says he was greeted as a hero wherever he went. Today, in his more personal battle for gay rights in Indonesia, it's a much lonelier journey. "Fighting for gay rights is so different from other humanitarian causes such as education or helping the poor, even sex workers," says the 33-year-old, known as Toyo. "If we are working for gay rights, we're considered somebody who is totally amoral. I'm not out to be a hero, but we are not even given respect as a person trying to achieve something." He puts the stigma in blunt terms. "They think I am just fighting for penises and vaginas. That is the challenge for me."
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/27/hartoyo-coming-out-his-rights.html

-Uruguay: Investigate TV Discrimination
Stations Refused to Run Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Rights Public Service Spot
The Uruguay authorities should investigate whether a decision by private television stations not to run a public awareness commercial designed to reduce discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is lawful, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the Uruguayan minister of education and culture and the Communication Services Regulation Unit. Ovejas Negras, an LGBT human rights collective, opened a public awareness campaign, "A Kiss is a Kiss," on March 23, 2009. Using posters and television and radio spots, the campaign is designed to raise awareness about laws that protect against discrimination, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Two private television stations - that together have ratings indicating they are viewed by more than 70 percent of the viewing public - refused to run the commercials. A third television station agreed to broadcast it outside prime-time for a period of 10 days at the price of a prime-time transmission.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/03/27/letter-minister-education-and-culture-uruguay


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

-Turkey: Homophobic and transphobic violence doesn't stop: Assault in Eskisehir, murders in Bursa and Edirne!
A transsexual woman was attacked and beaten in Eskisehir. A transsexual woman was found her head cut in Bursa. A man has been killed by his friend on the claim that he asked for sexual intercourse. There is still no word from the authorities about the cases of Ahmet Yildiz who were shot to death on 15 July 2008 in Istanbul and Dilek Ince who were shot to death on 12 November 2008 in Ankara. While we were in grief after them, another transsexual woman Ebru Soykan was stabbed to death on 10 March 2009 in Istanbul. We continue to ask the same question again, "When are you going to stop watching?" The murderers, who are encouraged by the silence of the state, continue on their fearless attacks. The recent news from Bursa horrified the LGBTT community in Turkey. We are in great sorrow after these brutal attacks.

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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

-Poll: Voters reject same-sex marriage
Neither the election nor legal challenges over Proposition 8 has changed the majority of Californians' minds about same-sex marriage, a poll released Wednesday shows. Among likely voters, 45 percent favor same-sex marriage and 49 percent are opposed, according to a poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. In November, Proposition 8 stripped gays and lesbians of right to marry with 52 percent of the vote. In Riverside County, the measure passed by a greater margin - 64 percent.
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200903260300/NEWS0301/903260319

-Poll: Infidelity is common knowledge in the USA
By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY
More than half of Americans - 54% - know someone who has an unfaithful spouse, according to a nationwide USA TODAY/Gallup Poll of 1,025 adults. That's more than twice the rate in 1964, when 24% of those asked in a Harris Poll knew someone with a cheating spouse.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-18-infidelity-poll_N.htm

-Students Sue Prosecutor in Cellphone Photos Case
When a high school cheerleader in northeastern Pennsylvania learned that she might face criminal charges after investigators reported finding a nude photo of her on someone else's cellphone, she was more confused than frightened at being caught up in a case of "sexting": the increasingly popular phenomenon of nude or seminude photos sent over wireless phones. "They said they had a full-bodied naked picture of me, but I knew I'd never had any naked picture taken of me," the student, Marissa Miller, 15, recalled of the Feb. 10 telephone call to her mother as the two were having lunch together at Tunkhannock Area High School. Marissa is a freshman at the school, where her mother, MaryJo, works with special education students.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/26sextext.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y

-More view cohabitation as acceptable choice
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-08-cohabitation-study_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

-Gay donors propose omnibus rights bill
Organizers of 'new approach' say activists too timid with Congress
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2009/3-27/news/national/14285.cfm

-Male Circumcision Reduces Men's Risk of Contracting HPV, Herpes, Study Says
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=57690

-Gay wedding row at Queen Mother's castle
Published Date: 24 March 2009
TRUSTEES of the Castle of Mey, the Queen Mother's former Scottish home, are at the centre of a row after insisting only religious marriages will be permitted on the property, pulling up the drawbridge to civil ceremonies or gay partnerships. Management thought they could earn extra funds during the quiet winter months by promoting the late Queen Mother's beloved castle as "Scotland's latest romantic wedding venue". But the move has led to gay groups alleging discrimination and insisting the venue should be open to all. Under the plans, couples seeking a religious wedding can apply to have it in the surroundings of the castle, in Caithness.

-WHO Report: TB, HIV Coinfection Deaths Doubled
In recognition of World Tuberculosis Day, March 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new data showing that 1.4 million people living with HIV were newly infected with TB worldwide in 2007. About 456,000 HIV-positive people died from TB that year, which is twice as many as previously estimated. Though the spike resulted from improved data gathering techniques, it makes TB-an infectious disease that affects the lungs-the most common cause of death among HIV-positive people globally.
http://www.poz.com/articles/tb_hiv_coinfection_401_16365.shtml

-Meghan McCain and Steve Schmidt to Address Marriage Equality at National Convention
Log Cabin Republican National Convention Speakers Urge GOP to be More Welcoming of Gays
http://www.washingtonblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24683


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Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Spring 2009 Catholic Action
Now that the United States has signed on the United Nations Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity - a reversal of the Bush administration stance on the statement currently backed by 66 UN member states - renewed energy must focus on the Vatican's refusal to support the measure. This April we are asking the Vatican's ambassador to the United Nations, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, to work with us in doing just that. And we are excited to invite you to join with us in many ways. * You can add your or your organization's name to the growing list of people who have endorsed the statement of support. Text and contact information here.
http://www.soulforce.org/catholic-action-statement


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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Gay donors propose omnibus rights bill
Organizers of 'new approach' say activists too timid with Congress
by Lou Chibbaro Jr., Washington Blade Staff Writer
The leaders of a nonprofit LGBT donors group in Florida are calling on members of Congress to introduce a far-reaching omnibus LGBT rights bill that combines all of the gay- and transgender-related bills that have been pending before Congress, some for as long as 30 years. alled the Equality & Religious Freedom Act, the combined measure also includes new provisions, including a clause that requires the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships legalized by states.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2009/3-27/news/national/14285.cfm


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FLORIDA DIGEST - March 28, 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~~

Fundraiser for Gay American Heroes Foundation
Wine Tasting - Please join us Saturday April 4, 2009 From 4 to 7 pm at the Wine Warehouse - Located at 1301 E. Oakland Park Blvd. - Oakland Park - With special guest, Stuart Milk - Tickets $20. This event is a fundraiser for the Gay American Heroes Foundation. Please call Kevin at 954 465 8521 for Tickets or more information.


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-Tri-Rail considering raising fares, eliminating weekend service
Passengers could pay more to ride Tri-Rail starting in June. But looming larger this fall, there could be drastically fewer trains on weekdays and no service on weekends. Tri-Rail's board of directors will hold a public hearing April 24 to discuss raising fares by 25 percent, the first increase since 1995. If approved, one-way fares to travel the full 72 miles between Miami International Airport and Mangonia Park would rise from $5.50 to $6.90 on June 1. A monthly adult pass would cost $100. With the three counties it serves threatening budget cuts, Tri-Rail is trying to persuade the state Legislature to approve a new $2 rental car tax in South Florida. If no new dedicated revenue source is found, Executive Director Joseph Giulietti said Tri-Rail will reduce service from 50 to 30 trains on weekdays and no weekend service starting Oct. 5. - Michael Turnbell
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flbrail0328sbmar28,0,6212484.story


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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
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GLBT DIGEST - March 27, 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.


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

-Gay Marriage, Set Back in One State, Gains in a 2nd
By KATIE ZEZIMA
The New Hampshire House voted Thursday to legalize same-sex marriage, narrowly approving a bill that faces an uncertain future in the State Senate and, should it pass there, most likely a veto by Gov. John Lynch.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/us/27hampshire.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

-Britain Considering Abortion and Condom Ads
In an effort to reduce teen pregnancy rates, Britain may start allowing ads for abortion and condoms on both radio and prime-time TV, the AFP reports. The move is under consideration by the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee on Advertising Practice watchdog groups; right now only one channel is allowed to run condom ads after 7 p.m.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/health/27rounds.html?hpw

-States Moving Towards Legalizing Medical Marijuana
More states are moving toward legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, in response to the Obama Administration's decision to limit prosecution of distributors, USA Today reports. New Jersey, Illinois and Minnesota are among states considering new laws
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/health/27rounds.html?hpw

-Defeat and Some Success for Texas Evolution Foes
By MICHAEL BRICK
In an evenly split vote, the State Board of Education on Thursday upheld teaching evolution as accepted mainstream science.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/education/27texas.html?hpw


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

-Kansas Church Says It Will Protest at Whitman High in MoCo
By Anne Bartlett
A church based in Topeka, Kansas, is scheduled to demonstrate next month outside Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda because the school, which opened in 1962, is named for a man who may have been homosexual. Westboro Baptist Church has been drawing national attention for staging anti-homosexuality demonstrations at military funerals, on the theory that fallen troops are God's punishment for a country tolerant of homosexuals. The church Internet site says a picket is scheduled for the afternoon of April 24. A narrative on the event states that the school's name "certainly explains A LOT about Maryland." Whitman Principal Alan Goodwin sent a letter to parents Thursday pledging to hold a normal school day, even if protesters show up. "In his poetry, Whitman celebrates individual spirit, celebrates our nation as the center of democratic values, and celebrates nature," Goodwin wrote. "Unfortunately, there is a small group of persons who want to defile his name because Walt Whitman may have been homosexual." Goodwin notes the group announces protests all over the nation but "has rarely shown up." A church spokeswoman confirmed the planned protest in an e-mail, writing, "The children that attend that high school are taught Rebellion Against God 101 every day in every way."
-- Daniel de Vise
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2009/03/kansas_church_says_it_will_pro.html?hpid=sec-religion


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

-PrideFest of the Palm Beaches
March 28 and 29 in Lake Worth
By Dan Renzi
This weekend is PrideFest of the Palm Beaches-organized by Compass, the gay and lesbian community center of Palm Beach County. This 16th annual event is being held at Bryant Park in Lake Worth on March 28 and 29, and is open from noon to 6 pm. On Sunday, there will also be a parade prior to the festival opening, starting at L and Lucerne, 11:30 am. For more information, visit Compassglcc.com. Tickets $7 at the door.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#24707

-Winter Music Conference plays to gays
Official events at Twist, Score bring headliner DJs
By SHERI ELFMAN
Winter Music Conference continues with events all over Miami-and while the music festival has long been a major draw of the GLBT crowd, this year several events are programmed specifically at gay venues. On Thursday, March 26, head to Score for "Future Anthems 2009," which will feature Kim English, and deejays Pride, Joe Bermudez, Trevor Simpson and Manny Lehman. That same night, Twist has Alan T live with his song "I Smell Ass!" as deejays Craig Mitchell and Manny Ward will spin.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/3-26/news/localnews/5664.cfm

-McCain strategist endorses same-sex marriage
Schmidt urges GOP to be more welcoming of gays
By CHRIS JOHNSON
Steve Schmidt, chief strategist for U.S. Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign, came out in favor of marriage rights for same-sex couples in an interview with the Blade last week while urging the Republican Party to be more inclusive of gays and lesbians.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=24686

-Finding a place at the federal government's table
Time to start making changes for the GLBT community
By DAN RENZI
This issue of South Florida Blade features a story on Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a political watchdog organization fighting to eliminate the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" ban on openly gay or transgender people serving in the armed forces. Members of SLDN are holding a series of events in Fort Lauderdale to raise awareness about the implications of DADT, both in the military and for the community as a whole.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/3-26/view/editorial/5667.cfm


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

-Gay Service Weekend Scheduled During Mormon Conference
By Julie Bolcer
The LGBT community in Utah plans to sponsor a weekend of service projects in conjunction with the upcoming general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The "General Service Weekend" is scheduled for April 4 and 5.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76611.asp

-Resolution Honoring Gay Men's Chorus Rejected in Missouri
By Julie Bolcer
A resolution honoring a men's chorus in Missouri has been rejected by the state senate leadership because it mentions gay men and fighting homophobia, says its sponsor. Democratic Senator Jolie Justus, of Kansas City, planned to present the courtesy resolution to the Heartland Men's Chorus at a performance on Saturday.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76608.asp

-Teen Charged for Killing Gay Journalist
The teenage boy accused of stabbing a New York journalist pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and weapons charges on Thursday. Sixteen-year-old John Katehis, who was arraigned Wednesday night in Brooklyn, is being held without bail.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76541.asp


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

-Corvino: Why we need the Transgender Day of Visibility
By John Corvino, columnist, 365gay.com
March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. I'm supposed to participate in a panel that day. I'm a bit apprehensive.
http://www.365gay.com/news/corvino-why-we-need-the-transgender-day-of-visibility/

-Outsourced condom production could shut US factory
By The Associated Press
The last U.S.-based supplier of condoms for global HIV/AIDS prevention programs could be forced to shut its doors because the federal government sent the work to cheaper suppliers in Asia.
http://www.365gay.com/news/outsourced-condom-production-could-shut-us-factory/


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

-The Lancet: Pope 'distorted science' with condom comments
Respected medical journal The Lancet has criticised Pope Benedict XVI over his recent comments on condoms and AIDS and demanded he make a retraction.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11785.html

-'High number' of gay and bisexual domestic violence victims in Northern Ireland
The gay and bisexual community in Northern Ireland is suffering from disproportionate rates of domestic violence, an official report has claimed. The paper, published this week by the Northern Ireland Policing Board, concluded that a high percentage of those experiencing domestic violence are gay or bisexual men and women.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11786.html

-Melbourne Catholic Church to 'test' potential priests for homosexuality
Melbourne Catholic Church has confirmed it is following Vatican recommendations to test would-be priests to ensure they are not gay. The head of the Vatican committee which released the guidelines has also stated that celibate gays must also be banned because homosexuality is ''a type of deviation''
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11780.html

-Comment: I'm not hungry - Gay men and eating disorders
Omar Hassan examines eating disorders in the gay community and explores issues such as peer pressure, low self-esteem and how the gay press presents beauty.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11781.html

-HIV rates in gay men still at high levels
Around 7,370 new HIV diagnoses were made in the UK last year, according to latest figures from the Health Protection Agency. Thirty-eight per cent of all new diagnoses were probably acquired through sex with men.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11778.html


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

-Are Evangelicals Suffering from Buyer's Remorse with Obama?
Bill Berkowitz | Religion Dispatches
Are evangelicals who supported Obama or have agreed to work with his administration experiencing what religion writer David Gibson has termed "buyer's remorse," or are they getting what they expected out of Team Obama? Recently, some Christian evangelicals have expressed their disappointment in Obama's approach to the issue of abortion. In a USA Today column dated March 16 and titled "Mr. President, we need more than lip service," David P. Gushee wrote: Read more

-CA: San Diego Appeals Firefighter Gay Pride Ruling
365gay Newscenter Staff | 365gay.com
(San Diego, California) The city of San Diego will appeal a jury verdict that found four San Diego firefighters were sexually harassed for being ordered to participate in a gay pride parade and awarded them combined damages of $34,300. City Council voted 7-0 in a closed session to file the appeal. The firefighters - Alex Kane, Chad Allison, Capt. John Ghiotto and Capt. Jason Hewitt - claimed they were subjected to sexually charged conduct and lewd comments while riding a fire engine in the July 2007 parade, which drew about 150,000 spectators. The firefighters' attorney, Charles LiMandri, said during his closing argument that his clients were targets of vulgar gestures and catcalls while being forced to watch barely clothed men and women simulate sex acts and touch themselves and one another. Read more

-PCUSA Committee to Consider Removal of 'Homosexual Perversion' from Document
Lillian Kwon | Christian Post Reporter | Christian Post
Members of a committee in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will gather this week to consider proposed changes, including the removal of a negative reference to homosexual behavior, to a historic document. The General Assembly Special Committee on Correcting Translation Problems of the Heidelberg Catechism is scheduled to begin a two-day meeting on March 27. Last June, the General Assembly, which is the highest governing body of the denomination, approved a proposal to begin revising the Heidelberg Catechism - a document of the Reformed Christian faith that is part of the PC(USA)'s constitution. Presbyterians at the biennial meeting debated the current Miller-Osterhaven translation of the Heidelberg Catechism, which was adopted by the PC(USA) in 1967. Much of the controversy revolved around a reference to "homosexual perversion" among a list of sinful behaviors that is not found in the original German text. Read more

-Education Secretary Pledges Safe Schools for LGBT Students
Jennifer Vanasco | 365gay.com
(Washington) Education Secretary Arne Duncan has told a gay student advocacy group that he intends to make schools safe for every student, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Duncan made the pledge during a meeting with representatives of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and a delegation of students and teachers. It is the first time that a Secretary of Education has met with LGBT advocates. The Bush administration rejected calls to meet. "It was moving to witness these students and teachers sharing their personal stories of pain, rejection, resilience and hope with the nation's top education official," said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard who attended the meeting. Read more


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The Petrelis Files
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Boycott Jamaica
The Bay Area Reporter's guest opinion column this week is my column about the boycott of Jamaica I'm helping to pull together. Hoping to see lots of friends and activists on Saturday, at noon, at Harvey Milk Plaza, for the official launch of San Francisco's contribution to the boycott Jamaica campaign.
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/03/bay-area-reporter-boycott-jamaica-bay.html

-Video of Jamaican tranny bashing
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/03/video-of-jamaican-tranny-bashing.html

-Official Jamaica Boycott Site
http://www.boycottjamaica.org/


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

-Serbian lawmakers pass anti-discrimination law
BELGRADE, Serbia: Serbian lawmakers narrowly gave final approval Thursday to an anti-discrimination law that is part of pro-Western reforms but was strongly opposed by the Serbian Orthodox Church and other conservatives. Parliament passed the bill with a slim majority of 127 votes in favor to 59 against - one more vote than was needed for passage in the 250-member parliament. The remaining deputies did not attend. The law bans any kind of discrimination, whether based on race, religion, sexual orientation or gender or other factors.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/26/europe/EU-Serbia-Human-Rights.php

-"MEPs congratulate France for the move to recognise foreign same-sex partnerships."
On 25 March the French Senate approved amendments recognising foreign same-sex partnerships in France. When the amendments pass the vote in National Assembly they will become law. "We congratulate the French Senate for finally moving forward to solve this unfair situation which is discriminatory on the grounds of nationality as well as a hindrance to freedom of movement within the EU," said Michael Cashman, President of the Intergroup. "We have been approached by many European citizens, especially British, who suffer discrimination because their same-sex partnership in not recognised in France. One man was forced to sell his house after his partner's death because he could not afford to pay 60% inheritance tax. Otherwise this tax is not applicable to same-sex married spouses or couples in a French partnership".
http://www.lgbt-ep.eu

-UKCP and Pink Therapy "gravely concerned" about research into curing gays
The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and Pink Therapy are deeply concerned about the research by Professor Michael King of University College Hospital which demonstrates that 17% of psychotherapists and counsellors have been willing to help gay and lesbian clients eliminate their homosexuality. Homosexuality is not an illness and therefore is not curable" said Tom Warnecke, vice chair of UKCP. "These alarming figures confirm our view that more training opportunities are needed to ensure that psychotherapists and counsellors can respond appropriately to people who are distressed about some aspect of their sexuality. We have invited Pink Therapy to hold a joint conference with UKCP on this subject in London on 15 and 16 May, which will explore the mental health difficulties and distress experienced by sexual minorities and propose ways to address the issues that sexual minority clients bring to therapy."
http://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/conferences_events.html

-Pix: Day against Xenophobia in Belarus
http://news.gay.by/news/2009-03-27-1767


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National Equality Rally - Philadelphia - May 3

-Don't Be Afraid to Let Them Show... Watch it Now!
Click here to view the video, rate it, embed it on your site and share it with friends.
http://www.nationalequalityrally.com/nationalequalityrally/NER_Video2.html

-National Equality Rally at Independence Hall Make History!
Visit www.nationalequalityrally.org


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

-Steps Toward Equality
Today the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs reviews the nomination of John Berry to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM. If confirmed, Berry would face an urgent human capital crisis, with almost half of the federal workforce reaching retirement age in the next 10 years. He could use a number of much-needed reforms at OPM to attract and retain skilled employees, but the Center for American Progress hopes that Congress will give him an essential tool in this effort by passing the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act. Berry would become the highest-ranking openly gay official in any administration, and his support for the act could significantly improve the federal workplace for lesbian, gay, and bisexual employees.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/03/berry_dp_benefits.html

-Spring 2009 issue of "mental health AIDS" now available
http://mentalhealthaids.samhsa.gov/index.asp

-Vermont: Douglas will veto gay marriage bill
Gov. Jim Douglas, calling the issue a distraction, declared Wednesday that he would veto the same-sex marriage bill working its way through the Legislature. "The speculation about my decision has added to the anxiety of the moment and further diverts attention from our most pressing issues, and I cannot allow that to happen," he said at an afternoon news conference. "I intend to veto this legislation when it reaches my desk." The move surprised many, as Douglas normally steadfastly refuses to comment on whether he will veto a bill until after it has made its way through the Legislature. The same-sex marriage bill passed the Senate this week, with a 26-4 vote, but the House Judiciary Committee had just started taking testimony Tuesday.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200903260415/NEWS03/90326003

-Scalia Uses The Language Of Sin To Describe His Ideological Opponents
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/23/opinion/courtwatch/main4883307.shtml

-The 2009 State of the States Report , published by the Federation and MAP, is the lgbt movement's guide to capacities and priorities of statewide lgbt advocacy organizations. Find Your State of Equality
http://www.equalityfederation.org/template.aspx?id=502

-URGENT -- CALLS NEEDED TO STOP ATTEMPTS TO FUND AB-ONLY
In a desperate attempt to extend the failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that the federal government's own evaluation found to be totally ineffective, Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) is expected to offer an amendment in the Senate Budget committee tomorrow that would provide an opportunity to fund these failed programs. We NEED your CALLS URGENTLY to the below friendly Democratic offices. Urge them to vote NO on Bunning's amendment to try and fund failed abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. These offices need to hear from us.
Kent Conrad (ND), 202.224.2043
Patty Murray (WA), 202.224.2621
Ron Wyden (OR), 202.224.5244
Russ Feingold (WI), 202.224.5323
Robert Byrd (WV), 202.224.3954
Bill Nelson (FL), 202.224.5274
Debbie Stabenow (MI), 202.224.4822
Robert Menendez (NJ), 202.224.4744
Benjamin Cardin (MD), 202.224.4524
Bernie Sanders (VT), 202.224.5141
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), 202.224.2921
Mark Warner (VA), 202.224.2023
Jeff Merkley (OR), 202.224.3753

-Canada: The Harper government is prepared to defend the constitutionality of Canada's criminal ban against polygamy, arguing the practice represents a "clear challenge" to Canadian values, newly released federal documents show. In January, the RCMP charged Winston Blackmore and Jim Oler, two prominent members of a fundamentalist Mormon sect in Bountiful, B.C., with practising polygamy.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1423616

-God vs. Gay
On the heels of learning the San Francisco Presbytery will allow her to move forward in the process toward being ordained a minister, out lesbian deacon Lisa Larges weighs in on the concept of god vs. gay.
By Lisa Larges
Like a colonoscopy or head lice, the word Christian is a conversation killer among LGBTs. So I will admit up front that whatever it is you're thinking right now about Christians -- hypocritical, antigay, anti-sex, anti-women, anti-choice -- you've got plenty of evidence to back you up. Let's also say, while we're still here in the first paragraph, that whatever the church or its representatives did to you -- whatever abuse, whatever violation of trust, whatever was said to make you believe that you were not a child of God in your whole beautiful queer self, whatever the silence in which you did not hear how infinitely and immeasurably God loves you -- whatever drove you out of the church is simply inexcusable. But unless our community changes the "God vs. Gays" paradigm, we will never achieve full equality. Nor will it be possible for so many of us to live out our truths. My truth, strange as it may be, is a calling to ministry. It's also the truth of a lot of fierce and beautiful gay people I know, whose stories aren't told often enough.
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid76397.asp


=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
http://www.pbchrc.org
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Gay donors propose omnibus rights bill
Organizers of 'new approach' say activists too timid with Congress
The leaders of a nonprofit LGBT donors group in Florida are calling on members of Congress to introduce a far-reaching omnibus LGBT rights bill that combines all of the gay- and transgender-related bills that have been pending before Congress, some for as long as 30 years. Called the Equality & Religious Freedom Act, the combined measure also includes new provisions, including a clause that requires the federal government to recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships legalized by states. "We decided that asking for our rights incrementally was not enough," said Juan Ahonen-Jover of Miami, a gay philanthropist and co-founder of eQualityGiving.org. "We feel the less you ask for, the less you get."
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2009/3-27/news/national/14285.cfm


=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Queer in Miami? Fear Not: There Are Three Places You Can Pee
When it comes to breaking the law in Miami, no place is sacred. The greasy claw of crime will dig its fingernails in anywhere. Churches and synagogues? Be damned. Schools and hospitals? Fair game. That apparently doesn't stop at the bathroom door. Our classy city's latest claim to fame: The least queer-friendly, most hate crime-prone public restrooms. According to safe2pee.org -- a site that maps secure spots for transgender folks to tinkle -- Miami has the fewest safe toilets of all major U.S. municipalities. On the Safe2pee homepage, the group calls "harassment, violence, and discrimination" in the loo "a very real problem facing many in our society." It allows users to post addresses of gender-bending potties, where GLBT ladies and gents can squat freely together. Some are not marked with girl/boy signs. Others are labeled unisex. And the 1950s would so not approve.


=

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#####

NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - March 27, 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:

-Pakistan and Afghan Taliban Close Ranks
By CARLOTTA GALL
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - After agreeing to bury their differences and unite forces, Taliban leaders based in Pakistan have closed ranks with their Afghan comrades to ready a new offensive in Afghanistan as the United States prepares to send 17,000 more troops there this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/world/asia/27taliban.html?_r=1&hp

-Obama Sets New Afghan Strategy
By PETER BAKER and THOM SHANKER
President Obama plans to further bolster American forces in Afghanistan and for the first time set benchmarks for progress in fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban there and in Pakistan, officials said Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/washington/27prexy.html?hp

-Aided by Safety Nets, Europe Resists Stimulus Push
By NICHOLAS KULISH
VIENENBURG, Germany - Last month Frank Koppe gathered together all 50 of his employees at Koppe-Apparatebau for coffee, cake and the kind of bad news that has lately become all too familiar. He told them the small company's business, designing and manufacturing custom equipment for industrial plants, had been sliced nearly in half.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/world/europe/27germany.html?hp

-Suicide Bomber Kills 48 in Pakistan
By ISMAIL KHAN and ALAN COWELL
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A suicide bomber brought the roof of a crowded mosque crashing down on worshipers in northwest Pakistan Friday, setting off explosives as a cleric intoned the holy prayers, killing scores of people in what was the bloodiest attack this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/world/asia/28pstan.html?hpw

-Obama Makes History in Live Internet Video Chat
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
The White House said more than 64,000 people watched President Obama answer questions on Thursday in the first live Internet video chat by an American president. But in declaring itself "Open for Questions," on the economy, the White House learned it must be careful what it wishes for.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/us/politics/27obama.html?hpw

-The Market Mystique
By PAUL KRUGMAN
On Monday, Lawrence Summers, the head of the National Economic Council, responded to criticisms of the Obama administration's plan to subsidize private purchases of toxic assets. "I don't know of any economist," he declared, "who doesn't believe that better functioning capital markets in which assets can be traded are a good idea."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/opinion/27krugman.html?ref=opinion

-The Winnable War
By DAVID BROOKS
Khyber Pass, Afghanistan: I came to Afghanistan skeptical of American efforts to transform this country. Afghanistan is one of the poorest, least-educated and most-corrupt nations on earth. It is an infinitely complex and fractured society. It has powerful enemies in Pakistan, Iran and the drug networks working hard to foment chaos. The ground is littered with the ruins of great powers that tried to change this place.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/opinion/27brooks.html?ref=opinion

-Being a Partner for Peace
As he prepares to take office as Israel's next prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is offering what sounds like a tantalizing commitment. He said that his government will be a "partner for peace."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/opinion/27fri1.html?ref=opinion


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

-North Korean Nuclear Test A Growing Possibility
By Blaine Harden
SEOUL -- North Korea moved a long-range missile to a launchpad this week and plans to send it into space in early April in defiance of repeated international warnings.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032600414.html?hpid=topnews

-Political Parties See Dramatic Decline in Fundraising
'08 Debts Linger As Recession Slows Giving
By Paul Kane and Chris Cillizza
In the wake of a recession, months of falling stock markets and a marathon campaign that endlessly taxed donors, political party committees find themselves racked by declining revenue and mounting debt.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603703.html?hpid=topnews

-Slow Boil Over Egg Roll Tickets on Web
By Timothy Wilson
Maybe we should go back to standing in line. The White House's Internet distribution of tickets to this year's Easter Egg Roll appears to have begun with a splat.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032602263.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-U.S., Mexico to Intensify Fight Against Violent Drug Gangs
By Mary Beth Sheridan
MONTERREY, Mexico, March 26 -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that Mexico and the United States had agreed to develop a "checklist" of tasks for both sides to intensify the fight against Mexican drug gangs engaged in a bloody turf war.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032600776.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-Sebelius faces hearing on HHS nomination
The Associated Press
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius faces a confirmation hearing next week in Washington on her nomination as U.S. secretary of health and human services.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603414.html?hpid=sec-health

-Vatican Archbishop Issues Apology
Comments on Abortion Are Being Used to Attack D.C., Arlington Dioceses' Leaders
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
A Catholic archbishop who believes abortion rights politicians should be denied Communion has apologized that his comments are being used as an attack on Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl and Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032602185.html?hpid=sec-religion

-Drugs, Guns and a Reality Check
By Eugene Robinson
It's an indictment of our fact-averse political culture that a statement of the blindingly obvious could sound so revolutionary. "Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters on her plane Wednesday as she flew to Mexico for an official visit. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border . . . causes the deaths of police, of soldiers and civilians."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603115.html

-Protection for Smokers
Why is the deadliest product sold legally in the United States free from federal oversight?
THERE HAS BEEN a flurry of outrage at the lax regulation that allowed contaminated peanuts to kill nine people and sicken close to 700. Yet it almost goes unnoticed that cigarettes, the deadliest products sold legally in the United States, are free from oversight. That's right: The Food and Drug Administration regulates almost everything Americans ingest, including nicotine gum, but not the product that makes that gum necessary. That allows cigarette makers to peddle a noxious mix of chemicals with impunity. Long-stalled legislation that would give the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products would change that. The House shouldn't hesitate to pass the measure, which could come up for a vote as early as Monday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603346.html


=
Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:

-Do U Txt?
Internet Typology: The Mobile Difference
Glance at any coffee shop or airport boarding gate, and it is easy to see that mobile access to the internet is taking root in our society. A new Pew Internet study divides users of communication technology into 10 groups ranging from "Digital Collaborators" and "Media Movers" to "Tech Indifferent" and "Off the Network." Read more

-What Kind of Tech User are You?
Find out which group you're in at pewinternet.org. Take our quiz
Middle Class Missed Out
Before the Great Recession, a Phantom Recovery
The eight-year period from 1999 through 2007 is the longest in modern U.S. economic history in which inflation-adjusted median household income failed to surpass an earlier peak. Read more

-Looking Ahead
Unusually Wide Gap in 'Satisfaction,' 'Right Direction' Measures
Americans' perception about the state and direction of the nation usually go hand-in-hand. However, big events, like last fall's election, can split these two indicators of the public's national outlook. Read more

-Obama's Euro Trip
Optimism and Obstacles in Europe
Polls suggest the president may receive a mostly -- but not entirely -- warm reception on his overseas trip with stops in Britain, France, Germany, Czech Republic and Turkey. Read more

-Policy Agenda Plus: Carbon Cap, Gays in the Military and Renewing U.S.-Cuba Ties
New polling finds the public favors setting limits on carbon emissions, allowing gays to serve openly in the military and re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. Read more

-Populist Pandering
For the Media, AIG Is All the Rage
The narrative for a complex economic crisis got much simpler: one corporate villain and one angry public. Read more

-AIG Taxes Broadly Supported
Most Americans found the media attention the AIG bonuses received appropriate and a majority supports Congress' plan for a heavy tax on the bonuses. Read more

-An End to Religion, Newspapers and the American Way of Life
Bloggers largely eschewed the parsing of economy-related details in the news for a more abstract and far-reaching discussion. Read more

-Daily Number
72% Decline - Capitol Beat
As the size of government has grown in recent decades, the Fourth Estate on Capitol Hill has shrunk by 72%; currently 160 outlets maintain reporters with Congressional credentials, down from 564 outlets in the mid-1980s. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more


=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-GOP offers budget outline with details to come
By Molly K. Hooper and Reid Wilson
House Republicans outlined their party's budget objectives, but not without Democrats accusing the GOP of skimping on the details.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-offers-budget-outline-with-details-to-come-2009-03-26.html

-The House GOP "Budget"
Posted by Ed Kilgore
In response to the president's taunt the other night that GOP critics of his budget haven't bothered to offer their own, the House GOP today made a big show of, well, confirming his point, for the time being at least.
http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org/strategist/2009/03/the_house_gop_budget.php

-Blacks, Latinos Take Hit On Jobs
By JESSE WASHINGTON
The ax fell without sound or shadow: Tatiana Gallego was called into human resources and laid off from her job as an admissions counselor for a fashion college.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/26/sp-blacks-latinos-take-hit-on-jobs/news-money/

-Media savvy making Obama the Ubiquitous President
BY TRENTON DANIEL
From social-networking sites to a bilingual speech on Univisión, Barack Obama has emerged as the Ubiquitous President. Chatting on late-night shows. Beaming bilingual messages via satellite. Even lingering in your Inbox. If the new president is anything, he's this: digital and ubiquitous.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/story/970051.html

-Cuomo Widens His A.I.G. Investigation
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said Thursday afternoon that he was widening his investigation of the American International Group to examine whether its trading counterparties improperly received billions of dollars in government money from the troubled insurer. Those counterparties include Goldman Sachs, which received $12.9 billion, as well as Société Générale of France and Deutsche Bank of Germany, which each received nearly $12 billion.
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/cuomo-widens-his-aig-investigation/?partner=rss&emc=rss

-Sources: GOP leaders split on budget "blueprint"
By Glenn Thrush
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) raised objections to an abbreviated alternative budget "blueprint" released today -- but were told by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) they needed to back the plan, according to several Republican sources.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0309/Aides_Cantor_Ryan_objected_to_GOPs_budget_blueprint.html

-THE PARTY OF NO (IDEAS).... About nine years ago, then-Gov. George W. Bush was asked about his budget experience. Bush said he was proud of what he'd put together: "It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it." Keep that quote in mind when considering the "budget" House Republicans unveiled this morning. Stung by their stereotyping as the "party of no," House Republicans eagerly promoted the unveiling of their alternative to President Obama's budget today -- but when they finished speaking, reporters had one big question: Where's the actual budget? You know, the numbers that show deficit projections and discretionary spending?
-Steve Benen 2:30
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_03/017463.php

-Where's the Plan, Wall Street?
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN
FOR the last several months, Americans have looked to Washington to lead them. But where's the leadership on Wall Street? There is an enormous opportunity for a C.E.O. to come forward with a plan to reform the financial system and pledge a change from business as usual. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase's chief executive, has been the most outspoken of his peers during the crisis - and has done an admirable job addressing the issues - but he has been more focused on helping instill confidence in the economy and the health of his own firm. John Mack, the chief executive of Morgan Stanley, has shown glimpses of public leadership, at one point apologizing for the crisis by saying, "We are sorry for it."
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/wheres-the-plan-wall-street/

-Obama on the World Stage: What Power Means
By Joe Klein
"Power is getting people or groups to do something they don't want to do," writes Leslie H. Gelb, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, in his new book, Power Rules. It seems an aggressively simplistic thought for a member of the foreign policy priesthood. But Gelb doesn't define power merely as the use or threat of force. (In fact, he argues, wars usually occur when the creative use of power has failed.) Power is a combination of factors - military, diplomatic, economic, moral - that give a country the ability to make its way in the world. Gelb believes that most recent Presidents have used power foolishly, squandering it - which is something Barack Obama should bear in mind as he goes forth to meet with the world's leaders in Europe the first week in April. The new President has shown a predilection for diplomacy, a subtle strategic sense of the world. But sometimes you have to throw your weight around - quietly, but firmly - and Gelb has raised an essential question: Will Obama know how, and whether, to react if diplomacy fails? (Read "Is Europe Falling Out of Love with Obama?")
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1887709,00.html


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - March 27, 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~~

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

-Gay rodeo in Davie to be protested Saturday by Florida animal-rights activists
1104184 This weekend is the fourth annual Sunshine Stampede gay rodeo at Bergeron Rodeo Grounds in Davie. The picture at right and those below are Miami Herald file photos from previous gay rodeos in Davie. (Click photos to enlarge.)
Ellie Brecher, our Crazy for Critters blogger, sent me this news release tonight about a planned protest on Saturday by Animal Rights Foundation of Florida:
The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida plans demonstration against the Gay Rodeo in Davie, FL
DATE: Saturday April 4, 2009
TIME: 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.
PLACE: Bergeron Rodeo Grounds, Davie, FL.
(Davie) - Rodeos are violent and encourage brutal treatment of animalsand insensitivity to animal suffering. It is common for the animals in rodeo events to suffer multiple physical injuries and to be psychologically scarred for life. The Gay Rodeo in Davie is no exception, and the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida will protest the cruel event on April 4, 2009 from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Steers are subjected to painful tail-twisting to make them run from chutes. Terrified baby calves are chased around the arena during the calf-roping* event, before being snapped to a halt by a lasso tightened around their necks. It is common for these animals to suffer multiple injuries.
In the "bronc riding" or "bull riding" events, the animals are physically provoked into displaying so-called "wild" behavior through the use of bucking straps or electric prods. Take away the cruel tail-twisting, the painful electro-shock prods and bucking straps, and you take away the rodeo.
"Unless you like to support extreme animal cruelty, the rodeo is not for you," said Brad King, ARFF volunteer. "It is true that cowboys, cowgirls and animals all risk injury in the rodeo, but the animals do not have a choice about whether or not to participate."
ARFF encourages people (including cowboys and cowgirls) who respect animals to stay clear of the Gay Rodeo and to join in ARFF's protest. Visit or call ARFF for more details:
http://animalrightsflorida.org/Calendar.html/ 954.727.2733.
Thank you!
*This event has recently been renamed "tie-down roping" by the rodeo to deflect criticism.

-Congregation Etz Chaim reads love poetry from the Bible on April 10
From Jesse Monteagudo:
Congregation Etz Chaim, Wilton Manors' only synagogue, will hold a special service on Friday, April 10, at 8:00 p.m., when service leaders will be reading excerpts from the Song of Songs - a series of amazing Biblical love poems attributed to King Solomon. One might not think of the Bible as a repository of love poetry, but the text of the Song of Songs is exactly that. Jews all over the world read these wonderful romantic poems on the Sabbath that comes during the Passover holiday, which this year is on Friday, April 10. Congregation Etz Chaim is located at 1881 NE 26th St., Suite 100, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, Cong. Etz Chaim offers its members a variety of religious, educational and social events, as well as its Sisterhood and Men's Club. For more information about Cong. Etz Chaim phone 954-564-9232 or visit www.etzchaimflorida.org.


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

-Bottoms & Tops coming to Wilma again
Outlet store opening on Wilton Drive
By JAMES MICHAELS
Bottoms & Tops is moving their B & T outlet store from the Hub Plaza across from Searstown to Wilton Drive at the former space of Audace. Audace, which was a fashion fixture on Las Olas for over a decade, recently moved to The Drive late last year and recently closed their doors. "With the success of Sidelines and everything's that happening at that end of the street," said John Anderson, owner of Bottoms & Tops, we felt it would be wise to have a location there. Some people down there may not mosey on down to this end." The move to the new location has been delayed due to the heavy rains we have recently been having. "Thank God the roof caved in before we moved in.", said Anderson. The roof is currently under repair and remodeling of the space for the store will begin on Monday, March 30. Anderson expects the new store should open around April 10th.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/3-26/news/localnews/5665.cfm


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

From Kristin Jacobs
Broward County Commission District 2
From increasingly intense weather patterns to rising sea levels, we know that climate change is already impacting life on our planet. This Saturday, March 28, 2009, from 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm, Broward County will take part in Earth Hour-the world's largest global climate change event. By simply turning out all non-essential lighting for one hour in our own homes, we will join tens of millions of concerned citizens throughout the world in calling for action to save our planet for future generations. To read more about Broward County's participation visit: [...] This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger. In the US, cities large and small have said they'll participate including Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, San Francisco.with more signing up daily. They will join international cities such as Beijing, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Rome, and Toronto. To get a better sense of the magnitude and inspiring nature the event, take a moment to watch WWF's video about Earth Hour 2008 by visiting http://www.earthhourus.org/video.php. Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and absolutely free. To get more information for Earth Hour 2009, visit www.EarthHourUS.org. I hope you'll join us, and encourage people you know in our community to also take part. AND - Send me pictures of your before and after you turn out the lights- to share your experience!!!! Don't forget-Saturday, March 28th at 8:30 pm, turn out, take action!
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/miramar/story/959308.html


=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Crist Facing Conservative Rebellion
By WILLIAM MARCH
Florida Republican Party circles are hearing increasing talk of conservative dissatisfaction with Gov. Charlie Crist, and a possible primary challenge if he runs for the U.S. Senate next year.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/27/crist-facing-conservative-rebellion/news-politics/

-Former speaker of House weighs 2010 Senate bid
Staff Report
Former House Speaker John Thrasher said Thursday he likely will run in 2010 for a seat that will be vacated by state Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville. Thrasher, who served as speaker from 1998 to 2000 and has been an influential player in state Republican politics, would run in Senate District 8, which includes parts of Volusia, Flagler and three other counties. King cannot run in 2010 because of term limits.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Florida/flaSTAT01POLF032709.htm

-Florida losing an uncommon voice
Voters in this state are losing another valued ally with Common Cause's decision to shut down its Florida operations and lay off longtime state executive director Ben Wilcox. The cuts, part of the nonprofit government watchdog group's larger national response to falling contributions in the dour economy, come at a bad time for Floridians.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/opnOPN89032609.htm

-Shadow on the solar debate
Question of feed-in tariffs vs. credits deserves a fair hearing
The sun's daily rise is a predictable thing. A Florida legislative session, not so much. Bright, promising proposals sometimes never make it above the clouds of politics in the halls of the capital.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090327/OPINION/903271015/2213/NEWS?Title=Shadow-on-the-solar-debate

-Schools could get funds
Florida House proposal would use stimulus to shore up education
By BILL KACZOR
Florida House leaders ended speculation they might turn down stimulus dollars for education by putting about $1 billion in federal recovery cash into a preliminary public schools budget Thursday, but they may yet reject a big chunk of stimulus aid for the unemployed.
http://staugustine.com/stories/032709/state_032709_055.shtml


=
JustNews.com
http://www.justnews.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Postal Service Could Cut Jobs, Reduce Delivery Days
Postmaster General: Service Could Have $6B Deficit
Financial troubles could prompt the U.S. Postal Service to lay off some employees and close some offices. The U.S. Postal Service said it could be out of money by the end of the 2009.
http://www.justnews.com/news/19020295/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000103272009&ts=H


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - March 26, 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:

-Hawaii: Measure on Civil Unions Dies in Senate
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
An effort to force a vote on same-sex civil unions failed in the Senate, essentially killing the bill. Only six senators supported the effort, short of the nine votes required for a full Senate vote. About 18 senators have indicated they support civil unions, but they lacked the political willpower to go against the Senate president, Colleen Hanabusa. Ms. Hanabusa, a Democrat, has supported civil unions but said she did not want to override the lawmaking process by lifting the bill from its committee, where it stalled after a 3-to-3 vote. Brian T. Taniguchi, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said there was hope the bill could be revived.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/26brfs-MEASUREONCIV_BRF.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse

-Mayor Bloomberg urges New York State to pass bill to allow gay marriage
BY Adam Lisberg
Mayor Bloomberg said Wednesday night he stands ready to ask the Legislature to allow gay marriage in New York State, but doesn't know when the time will be right.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/03/25/2009-03-25_mayor_bloomberg_urges_new_york_state_to_-1.html

-Gay Marriage in Vermont Faces Veto by Governor
By ABBY GOODNOUGH
Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont said Wednesday that he would veto a same-sex marriage bill if it reached his desk, setting a new hurdle for a measure that had been moving swiftly through the legislature.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/26vermont.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

-Relief for Patients
Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that the federal government will no longer prosecute dispensers of medical marijuana if they comply with state law. That should bring relief to people who need marijuana for health reasons and free up law enforcement resources for more important work. There is considerable evidence that marijuana can be useful in treating pain, nausea, weight loss and other symptoms associated with chemotherapy and H.I.V. and other illnesses. Thirteen states, including California, have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, which remains illegal under federal law.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/opinion/26thu4.html?ref=opinion


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

-Clinton: U.S. Drug Policies Failed, Fueled Mexico's Drug War
By Mary Beth Sheridan
MEXICO CITY, March 25 -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Mexico on Wednesday with a blunt mea culpa, saying that decades of U.S. anti-narcotics policies have been a failure and have contributed to the explosion of drug violence south of the border.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032501034.html?hpid=topnews

-A Vaccine Debate Once Focused on Sex Shifts as Boys Join the Target Market
By Rob Stein
When a vaccine designed to protect girls against a sexually transmitted virus arrived three years ago, the debate centered on one question: Would the shots make young girls more likely to have sex?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032503682.html?hpid=topnews

-U.N. urged to reject bar on defamation of religion
By Robert Evans
GENEVA (Reuters) - Some 200 secular, religious and media groups from around the world on Wednesday urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to reject a call from Islamic countries for a global fight against "defamation of religion."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032501975.html?hpid=sec-religion

-He Dresses Michelle's Tresses
Chicagoan Shapes First Lady's Hair -- and Keeps the Details to Himself
By Avis Thomas-Lester
Johnny Wright met Michelle Obama two years ago, not long after Barack Obama announced his quest for the White House. The hairstylist, then popular in Chicago's Wicker Park area, was called in for an Essence magazine photo shoot -- not that he had to do much with the candidate's wife's hair, he says. Wright and Obama quickly hit it off.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032503789.html?hpid=topnews

-Vatican official criticizes US bishops on abortion
By RACHEL ZOLL
Archbishop Raymond Burke, the former St. Louis prelate who now leads the Vatican supreme court, said President Barack Obama "could be an agent of death" if his support for abortion rights becomes a model for leaders in other countries.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032502798.html?hpid=sec-religion



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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

-More Cities Target Teens With Daytime Curfews
By LESLIE EATON
This city is considering joining a rising number of others across the country that are imposing criminal penalties on kids who skip school to hang out at the mall or on local street corners. Such juvenile daytime curfews to combat truancy and crime are drawing protests from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and from the parents of homeschooled children who, along with some parents of public-school students, object on grounds that such laws in effect criminalize otherwise law-abiding kids who may have good reasons for not being in school.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123802404458842181.html


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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-The Petrelis Files
A handful of gays in San Francisco will launch a boycott of Jamaican products and tourism on March 28 at noon at Harvey Milk Plaza because of violence and human rights abuses suffered by GLBT people down there. I'll be sending out a release on the Saturday kick-off tomorrow. But today, I need your help evaluating three fine logos that all send the same message: Boycott Jamaica. Not sure which is the absolute best for our campaign, or if there should be only one official logo for us organizers to promote. Give them all a looking-over, then leave a comment about which you approve of the most.
http://mpetrelis.blogspot.com/2009/03/which-boycott-jamaica-logo-is-best-cast.html

-Box Turtle Bulletin
At the risk of sounding too alarmist, but our worst fears may soon be realized in Uganda. Three weeks ago, we reported on the three American anti-gay activists who spoke at a conference in Kampala, Uganda. They included Holocaust revisionist Scott Lively, Exodus board member Don Schmierer, and Richard Cohen protege Caleb Lee Brundidge. We (Truth Wins Out, Ex-Gay Watch and Box Turtle Bulletin) followed that with an open letter calling on Exodus President Alan Chambers to resign and for Exodus to drop Schmierer from the board and definitively denouce Scott Lively's revisionism which blames Nazi Germany on gay men. It now appears that the aftermath of that conference has now led to the possible start of a new campaign of anti-gay vigilantism, with a press conference in Uganda that has been picked up by Ugandan television stations and at least two newspapers so far. We will be monitoring the situation closely.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/03/23/10014

-One in six psychiatrists has tried to 'turn gays straight'
Therapists admit using harmful practices to 'cure' homosexuals despite evidence they do not work Psychotherapists are offering to help "cure" gays and lesbians of their homosexuality without any evidence that such treatment is beneficial or safe. One in six said they had tried to turn gays straight, or reduce their gay or lesbian feelings, even though the mainstream medical view is that this is impossible. The idea that homosexuality can be cured has a long and dubious history and the disclosure that a significant minority of therapists and doctors still think it is possible is "worrying", Professor Michael King, of the University College Medical School, said. "Heaven knows what they do. We didn't attempt to ask them because there is no evidence that anything works. We didn't expect it to be happening at this rate and we are really rather concerned. It ought to stop. It is distressing and harmful and there is absolutely no evidence it works," he said.
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/one-in-six-psychiatrists-has-tried-to-turn-gays-straight-1654273.html


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

-Serbia Debates Anti-Discrimination Law
Serbian parliament: Deputies in the Serbian Parliament last night adopted a controversial Anti-discrimination law and will consider amendments to the same law today. Deputies adopted the law around midnight, but without discussing all proposed amendments, after the time for the debate had expired. A total of 446 amendments were submitted to the draft law, of which the government adopted six. During the debate, Serb Radical Party and Democratic Party of Serbia MPs criticized the law, claiming that it did not safeguard the rights of all marginalized groups. During the four-hour discussion, the most heated debate centered on articles concerning sexual orientation. Opponents were outspoken in their criticism, indicating they would not vote for the law.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/17704/

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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

-NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM TOUR WILL CHALLENGE GENDER STEREOTYPING AND HOMOPHOBIA AMONG TEENS
Straightlaced, by Oscar-winner Debra Chasnoff, seeks to enhance gender justice by opening national dialogue among youth and adults San Francisco, CA, March 10, 2009http://groundspark.org/straightlaced


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From Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director
Family Equality Council
I have some exciting news. Just recently, President Obama's Administration reached out to Family Equality Council directly, encouraging us to encourage you, our supporters, to apply for tickets to this year's White House Easter Egg Roll! The Obama Administration knows Family Equality Council's history with the Egg Roll. As the first administration to publicly affirm our families' equal value, they want to take the opportunity provided by this year's Egg Roll to recognize the event's importance to us. I am so proud that the efforts of LGBT parents in their communities, in their schools and in their places of worship have brought us to a moment in history where the White House is reaching out to Family Equality Council to have LGBT-headed families included in the time-honored tradition that is the Egg Roll. This year, for the first time, Egg Roll tickets will be available online, not on the White House lawn. No more camping out overnight on the Ellipse to secure our spots! Tickets will be available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll/ starting Thursday, March 26th. This could mean midnight, 8:00am, or later, so if you're interested in applying for tickets I suggest you check the site starting at 12:00am tonight! The Egg Roll will take place Monday, April 13th.


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From Nancy Keenan
NARAL Pro-Choice America
Right now Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine is deciding whether to sign or veto a bill that could funnel thousands of dollars to fake clinics that mislead women about their options when faced with an unintended pregnancy. We need pro-choice Americans nationwide to call on Gov. Kaine, who also serves as chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), to veto this anti-choice bill. Please send him an email today.
https://secure.prochoiceamerica.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=3585&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr009=di7c2f2wz2.app28b


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

-Vermont's GOP governor says he'll veto gay marriage bill
By DAVE GRAM, Associated Press
Gov. Jim Douglas said Wednesday he will veto a gay-marriage proposal if it passes the Legislature, the first time he has signaled such an intent before final legislative action on a bill. Speaking at an afternoon news conference, the Republican governor said that he thought Vermont's first-in-the-nation civil unions law, passed in 2000, provided sufficient rights to same-sex couples and that he believed "marriage should remain between a man and woman." More . . .

-Actor Isaiah Washington and wife face eviction
Associated Press
Isaiah Washington's landlord has started an eviction procedure against the former "Grey's Anatomy" star, claiming he owes $100,000 in rent. Documents filed in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday claim that Washington and his wife have fallen behind on their $20,000 a month payments on a home in the Venice area of Los Angeles. The complaint filed by Sandalwood Properties states the Washingtons have not paid rent since November. More . . .

-Diva Elaine Lancaster invites you to 'The Blacks' Annual Gala' April 18 at Eden Roc [Miami]
From Elaine Lancaster: Saturday, April 18, 2009, join Lea and Roy Black for "The Blacks' Annual Gala" to celebrate the Power of Hope benefiting the Consequence Program and Bay Point Schools. More . . .

-Family Equality Council: Buy White House Egg Roll tickets online
An open letter from Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of Family Equality Council:
Dear Friends and Families,
I have some exciting news. Just recently, President Obama's Administration reached out to Family Equality Council directly, encouraging us to encourage you, our supporters, to apply for tickets to this year's White House Easter Egg Roll! More . . .


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

-Serbian lawmakers pass anti-discrimination law
The Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbian lawmakers have approved a law against discrimination due to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other factors despite opposition from the Serbian Orthodox Church. Parliament passed the bill Thursday 127 votes in favor to 59 against. Remaining deputies in the 250-member assembly did not attend.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/968573.html


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

-Out on Their Own
After decades of rocking out together, Indigo Girls shirk the big labels for a DIY venture.
By Karen Iris Tucker
When Amy Ray and Emily Saliers first offered up their guileless lyrics, braided harmonies, and fevered acoustic strums in Atlanta's Little Five Points pub in the mid '80s, the ladies in the audience appreciatively tossed bras and underwear at their feet. Pop culture has since had its fickle way with their careers, but Indigo Girls are nevertheless icons to a core of lesbian fans who through the years have comingled with frat boys and neo-hippies as they all pumped fists in the air at shows to the duo's signature song "Closer to Fine."
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid76254.asp

-Conservative Group Invites Anti-gay Leader to Speak
By Julie Bolcer
A local chapter of a California conservative group has invited a controversial anti-gay leader to speak at an upcoming meeting. The Murrieta Temecula Republican Assembly asked Scott Lively, whose work maintains that the Nazis were gay-friendly, to address its members in Riverside County. The initial meeting, scheduled for April 3 at the Temeku Hills Golf Course and Country Club, was cancelled by the club on Tuesday after threats of demonstrations against Lively.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76459.asp


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

-Barney Frank clarifies 'homophobe' comment
By Jennifer Vanasco, editor in chief, 365gay.com
Sen. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) hit the news circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday, explaining why he called Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia a homophobe in an interview with 365gay. "What a 'homophobe' means is someone who has prejudice about gay people," Frank told Boston radio station WBZ. Scalia, he said, "makes it very clear that he's angry, frankly, about the existence of gay people" in his written opinions.
http://www.365gay.com/news/barney-frank-clarifies-%e2%80%98homophobe%e2%80%99-comment/

-NH House to vote on gay marriage
By The Associated Press
The House is expected to vote today whether to make New Hampshire the third state allowing gays to marry. Two years ago, the Legislature approved civil unions for gays, but some proponents of joining Connecticut and Massachusetts in allowing marriage said the time isn't right in New Hampshire. Opponents argue same-sex marriage is morally wrong and would cheapen marriage.
http://www.365gay.com/news/nh-house-to-vote-on-gay-marriage/


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

-Nelson Mandela and Will Young among the gay icons to be showcased at National Portrait Gallery
Gay Icons, a photography exhibition held to celebrate the contribution of gay people to history and culture, will open at the National Portrait Gallery this summer.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11767.html

-BBC is "institutionally homophobic"
A PinkNews.co.uk survey has found that 69 per cent of gay respondents think Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles should be sacked over a "homophobic" imitation of gay singer Will Young. The figures come after Chris Smith, the former head of Ofcom, criticised the BBC for allowing Moyles to continue making anti-gay comments.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11751.html


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - March 26, 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:

-The Fierce Urgency of Peace
By ROGER COHEN
Pressure on President Obama to recast the failed American approach to Israel-Palestine is building from former senior officials whose counsel he respects. Following up on a letter dated Nov. 6, 2008, that was handed to Obama late last year by Paul Volcker, now a senior economic adviser to the president, these foreign policy mandarins have concluded a "Bipartisan Statement on U.S. Middle East Peacemaking" that should become an essential template.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/opinion/26cohen.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

-Cities Deal With a Surge in Shantytowns
By JESSE McKINLEY
As the operations manager of an outreach center for the homeless here, Paul Stack is used to seeing people down on their luck. What he had never seen before was people living in tents and lean-tos on the railroad lot across from the center.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/26tents.html?hp

-Could It Really Be Him? Yeah, Probably
By RACHEL L. SWARNS
WASHINGTON: IT has been only two months since the Obamas moved into the White House, but here in the nation's capital, some people are already asking: Have you bumped into your president and first lady yet? This is no idle question. During the Bush years, Washington got used to a homebody president who preferred bringing friends into the Executive Mansion to venturing outside it. But these days, President Obama and his wife, Michelle, are popping up all over this city.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/fashion/26washington.html?hp

-Geithner to Outline Major Overhaul of Finance Rules
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and LOUISE STORY
The Obama administration will detail on Thursday a wide-ranging plan to overhaul financial regulation by subjecting hedge funds and traders of exotic financial instruments, now among the biggest and most freewheeling players on Wall Street, to potentially strict new government supervision, officials said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/business/economy/26regulate.html?hp

-Afghan Strikes by Taliban Get Pakistan Help, U.S. Aides Say
By MARK MAZZETTI and ERIC SCHMITT
The Taliban's widening campaign in southern Afghanistan is made possible in part by direct support from operatives in Pakistan's military intelligence agency, despite Pakistani government promises to sever ties to militant groups fighting in Afghanistan, according to American government officials.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/world/asia/26tribal.html?hp

-Clinton Says U.S. Feeds Mexico Drug Trade
By MARK LANDLER
MEXICO CITY - Seeking to ease a cross-border relationship strained by drug trafficking, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived here Wednesday and offered the clearest acknowledgment yet from an Obama administration official of the role the United States plays in the violent narcotics trade in Mexico.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/world/americas/26mexico.html?hpw

-Paid Handsomely to Stay
By ERIC DASH and JONATHAN D. GLATER
Before the furor over pay at A.I.G., most Americans probably had never heard of a retention bonus. But like C.D.O. and credit-default swap, the term, a bit of sugar-coated corporate-speak, is quickly entering the popular lexicon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/business/26pay.html?hpw

-Optimism Grows in Congress for Retooled Budget's Prospects
By CARL HULSE and DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Congressional Democrats began advancing retooled versions of President Obama's budget on Wednesday as the president visited the Capitol to urge senators to preserve his initiatives on health care, energy and education.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/us/politics/26budget.html?hpw

-Extravagant Results of Nature's Arms Race
By NICHOLAS WADE
Nature is reputed to be red in tooth and claw, but many arms races across the animal kingdom are characterized by restraint rather than carnage. Competition among males is often expressed in the form of elaborate weapons made of bone, horn or chitin. The weapons often start off small and then, under the pressure of competition, may evolve to attain gigantic proportions. The Irish elk, now extinct, had antlers with a span of 12 feet. The drawback of this magnificent adornment, though, was that the poor beast had to carry more than 80 pounds of bone on its head.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/science/24armo.html?hpw

-Head Injuries: Looking for Signs and Acting Quickly
By LIZ ROBBINS
THE 18-year-old runner was rounding third base for home so fast that his batting helmet flew off. The infielder rifled the ball to the catcher, but it caught the runner instead, hitting his suddenly bare head. He scored, walked to the dugout, and five minutes later began to experience a violent headache.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/fashion/26helmet.html?hpw


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

-China criticizes new US report on its military
By TINI TRAN
BEIJING -- China slammed a newly released U.S. report on Beijing's growing military power as a "gross distortion," saying Thursday that it could damage military relations between the two countries.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032600365.html?hpid=topnews

-Obama Defends Push to Cut Tax Deductions for Charitable Gifts
By Philip Rucker
President Obama defends his proposal to cut the tax deductions that wealthy Americans can claim for their charitable donations by arguing that the shift would not have an adverse effect on giving, but two independent analyses concluded that the proposal could result in a drop of as much as $3.87 billion for the already reeling nonprofit sector.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032503103.html?hpid=topnews

-In Afghan War, U.S. Dominance Increasing
With More American Troops and Civilians On the Way, NATO Is Likely to Lose Clout
By Karen DeYoung and Rajiv Chandrasekaran
After years of often testy cooperation with NATO and resentment over unequal burden-sharing, the United States is taking unabashed ownership of the Afghan war.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032501452.html?hpid=topnews

-Re-emerging As an Emerging Market
By Desmond Lachman
Back in the spring of 1998, when Boris Yeltsin was still at Russia's helm, I led a group of global investors to Moscow to find out firsthand where the Russian economy was headed. My long career with the International Monetary Fund and on Wall Street had taken me to "emerging markets" throughout Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, and I thought I'd seen it all. Yet I still recall the shock I felt at a meeting in Russia's dingy Ministry of Finance, where I finally realized how a handful of young oligarchs were bringing Russia's economy to ruin in the pursuit of their own selfish interests, despite the supposed brilliance of Anatoly Chubais, Russia's economic czar at the time.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032502226.html

-Deficit Dodge Ball
Will Anyone Admit That Taxes Have to Rise?
By E.J. Dionne Jr.
The debate on the budget is phony, the howling on deficits a charade. Few politicians want to acknowledge that if you really are concerned about long-term deficits, you have to support tax increases.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032502801.html

-A Tax Break Fuels Middle East Friction
By David Ignatius
For many years, the United States has had a policy against spending aid money to fund Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which successive administrations have regarded as an obstacle to peace. Yet private organizations in the United States continue to raise tax-exempt contributions for the very activities that the government opposes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032502800.html

-Bite the Bullet?
Congress and the District don't have to accept a dire choice between voting rights and city gun laws. THE DEBATE about whether the District should accept the loosening of its gun laws as a condition for voting rights has centered on politics and strategy. Absent has been any real discussion of what it would mean for the nation's capital to go from having the country's most restrictive gun laws to perhaps the least restrictive. If Congress is so intent on taking over local governance, it should -- at the very least -- have the sense to hear from experts about the impact of this radical rewriting of gun laws on public safety and homeland security.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032502902.html

-Pakistan hopes for U.S. re-think on missiles
By Alamgir Bitani
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan wants the United States to reconsider its use of pilotless drones to attack militants, a government spokesman said on Thursday, hours after 11 people were killed in two missile attacks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032600260.html?hpid=moreheadlines


=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us

-Gasoline Prices Creep Upward Along With Demand
By ANA CAMPOY
Gasoline prices have been relatively steady in the past month, but a jump in oil prices and tightening gas supplies could lead to higher prices at the pump heading into the summer driving season. U.S. efforts to stimulate the economy fueled expectations that a recovery might materialize sooner than anticipated, lifting oil-future prices earlier this week above $53 a barrel -- a level not seen since November.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123802213410541833.html

-IBM to Cut U.S. Jobs, Expand in India
International Business Machines Corp. plans to lay off about 5,000 U.S. employees, with many of the jobs being transferred to India, according to people familiar with the situation. The technology giant has been steadily building its work force in India and other locations while reducing the number of workers based in the U.S. Foreign workers accounted for 71% of Big Blue's nearly 400,000 employees at the start of the year, up from about 65% in 2006. The latest round of cuts target the company's global business-services unit, which does everything from running corporate data centers to managing human resources for ...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123799610031239341.html

-China and the Dollar
Markets don't like Treasury talking down the dollar's status. As if the dollar didn't have enough problems, Timothy Geithner took China's bait yesterday and said he was "quite open" to its suggestion this week to displace the greenback with an "international reserve currency." The dollar promptly fell and stocks followed, before the Treasury Secretary re-emerged to say "the dollar remains the world's dominant reserve currency. I think that's likely to continue for a long time."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123802521198942455.html

-Democrats Bid Business Adieu
henninger@wsj.com
Barack Obama meets with a flock of nervous bankers at the White House tomorrow to reassure them he understands their interests. Good luck. There has always been tension between the Democratic Party and the private sector. That tension is over. With its vote in the House of Representatives to punish corporate bonus payments, the national Democratic Party has disconnected itself entirely from the private sector.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123802494190542403.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Do the Secret Bush Memos Amount to Treason?
Top Constitutional Scholar Says Yes
By Naomi Wolf
In early March, more shocking details emerged about George W. Bush legal
counsel John Yoo's memos outlining the destruction of the republic. The memos lay the legal groundwork for the president to send the military to wage war against U.S. citizens; take them from their homes to Navy brigs without trial and keep them forever; close down the First Amendment; and invade whatever country he chooses without regard to any treaty or objection by Congress.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=28da8518-fd4d-4332-b482-7ca31b581e04

-With friends like these, who needs Republicans?
After a successful press conference, the president works a tougher crowd -- congressional Democrats.
By Mike Madden
Apparently the easy part was bumping "American Idol" off the air and battling CNN's Ed Henry on live TV. For President Barack Obama, the hard part of selling his budget might turn out to be persuading conservative Democrats not to get in the way.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/03/26/obama_budget_dems/

-What Constitutional Rights Should Schoolchildren Have? Two Recent Cases Underscore the Ways in Which Children Are Not Simply Miniature Adults
By MICHAEL C. DORF
Two 2008 federal appeals court rulings-one that may be on its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and another that is already there-raise thorny questions of the extent to which schoolchildren enjoy the protections afforded by the Constitution to adults.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20090323.html


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - March 26, 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~~

Sunshine Cathedral - Ft. Lauderdale
...Good Friday - Join us on April 10th at 7:30 PM for our annual Good Friday concert here at Sunshine Cathedral.
...Easter Sunday - Join us here at Sunshine Cathedral on Easter Sunday at our special Easter times: 8 AM, 9:30 AM, or 11 AM. Our regular evening service will be offered at 6 PM.
Reverend Durrell Watkins, Senior Pastor
Sunshine Cathedral
1480 SW Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL


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Stonewall Library and Archives Event

-Psychotherapist Dr. Ann Mody Lewis to speak about her just released book Me, Again
Saturday, March 28 - 2PM
On Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 2:00 pm, Stonewall will host a lecture by psychotherapist and writer Dr. Ann Mody Lewis. Dr. Lewis will be speaking about her new book Me, Again: The Untold Story of Every Woman's Life. Dr. Lewis insightful book offers a fresh look at the role gender plays in the lives of women. Her work leads women on a journey to inner peace and self-liberation. [...] Please join us on Saturday, March 28 at 2:00 PM for this chance to meet Dr. Lewis. The author will be available after the presentation for book signing. The event will include light refreshments and is free and open to the public. For further information, please call 954-763-8565.Stonewall Library & Archives is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL.



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

-Let gays adopt
We thank The Miami Herald for its March 19 editorial Lift Florida's gay adoption ban. The National Association of Social Workers believes that the best interest of the child should be the standard for a judge to use in approving an adoption. There is no credible evidence indicating that gay prospective adoptive parents pose any risk to the foster children considered for adoption. Florida already approves gay and lesbian foster placements. Adoption would be a welcomed extension of a long-standing practice by the state. Florida must act to help the thousands of children who find themselves in foster care each year. As professional social workers we urge lawmakers to enact laws that enable as many foster children as possible to be adopted into the best homes available.
SUSAN MANKITA, NATASHA NALLS, co-chairs, Miami-Dade Unit,
National Association of Social Workers, Palmetto Bay
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/968153.html


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-Gov. Charlie Crist to downsize Everglades-U.S. Sugar deal
BY CURTIS MORGAN AND MARY ELLEN KLAS
Version No. 3 of the governor's Big Sugar buy is expected to net less than half the land for Everglades restoration but cut taxpayer costs by about $800 million. His hand forced by a failing economy, Gov. Charlie Crist is poised to dramatically downsize his proposed Big Sugar buyout -- and his vision for Everglades restoration.
http://www.miamiherald.com/457/story/968142.html


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Palm Beach Post
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Lawmakers might reject stimulus money for jobless benefits
By DARA KAM
Florida House leaders want to turn down $444 million in federal stimulus money that would expand the number of people eligible for unemployment benefits by 40,000. House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, is skeptical about taking the money because he says it will cause unemployment taxes for state businesses to go up.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/state/epaper/2009/03/25/a5a_xgrjobs_0326.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=0


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

-Pull Up Pants Day at Plantation High
Gregory Lewis
Students who show up at Plantation High today with their underwear showing will get a belt. Not a smack on the bottom, but the kind of belt that secures trousers. It's Pull Up Your Pants Day.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0326pull-up-pants,0,2524087.story-


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

-Gainesville keeps LGBT discrimination protections
LGBT campaigners in Gainesville, Florida, are celebrating after voters opted against stripping the city's anti-discrimination provisions. Fifty-eight per cent of residents voted against cancelling the anti-discrimination protections Gainesville extends to gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people in order to conform to the Florida Civil Rights Act.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11758.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-State Senate budget leaders count on support for new taxes
By Mary Ellen Klas, Marc Caputo and Alex Leary,
Florida Senate budget writers sent a message to the House and governor Wednesday: It's time to start talking about new taxes. They are prepared to increase cigarette taxes, eliminate sales tax exemptions and even ask voters to raise the state sales tax a penny to pay for public education.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article987192.ece

-He Won't Back Down
Tim Fernholz
Last night's briefing showed one thing for sure -- the Obama administration isn't afraid of the scale of its ambitions. The most important question at last night's prime-time press conference, only the second of President Barack Obama's 64-day-old administration, wasn't even asked. Of the dozen reporters called on, not one inquired about the controversial new financial-stability plan the administration rolled out the day before. It was not, it turns out, a night for news making.
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=he_wont_back_down

-Teddy's Bear
by Suzy Khimm
Orrin Hatch, health care reform's stealth champion. If Senator Orrin Hatch is a liberal-friendly health care reformer, he's working under some pretty deep cover. Just two months ago, Hatch voted against the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), protesting the inclusion of legal immigrants and higher-income children as a "partisan exercise." When President Obama released his budget proposal, Hatch warned that health care reform under his administration's watch could be a nightmare. "[T]his reckless budget will swamp Americans in a morass of debt and mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren," the Utah senator thundered in a press statement. Hatch's remarks echoed his scathing criticism of the stimulus bill, whose health provisions he denounced on the Senate floor as the "Socialized Health Care for All Act of 2009."
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=6dcdfab6-f57c-41a9-b772-ac09bf45caba

-Senate leaders want to combine sales tax increase, class size changes
By Amy Hollyfield,
State Senate leaders are crafting a plan to combine a proposed class-size amendment with a penny sales tax increase for education and to put the issue before voters as soon as this fall. The deal is designed to bridge the divide between Republicans and Democrats on the two major education issues of this year's legislative session. Republicans would get the class-size modification they seek, and Democrats would get the penny sales tax they have been hoping for as money dedicated to public education.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article987185.ece

-Clear the air on Crist's jet flights
Gov. Charlie Crist insisted once again Tuesday that he follows the letter of the law in determining whether the cost of his airplane flights are paid by the state, the Republican Party or out of his own pocket. That's good. But a governor who prides himself on transparency and public openness should go further and disclose the names of the wealthy donors and special interests who own the private jets he relies upon for political travel.
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article986764.ece


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JustNews.com
http://www.justnews.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-SunPass-Only Lanes To Open On Turnpike
New Lanes To Open Monday
The new SunPass-only express lanes on the northbound side of Florida's Turnpike are scheduled to open at the Okeechobee toll plaza on Monday. According to a news release by the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, the new lanes should be open on the northbound side before the start of the morning commute. The express lanes opened in the southbound lanes in September. With the new lanes, drivers with a SunPass should stay in the left or center lanes to use the open-road toll. People who wish to pay with either cash or a SunPass also can use one of the five tollbooths at the plaza. These drivers should stay right as they approach the tolls, officials said. Turnpike officials said the right-hand toll lane at the northbound Okeechobee toll plaza will become a SunPass-only lane starting Thursday morning. Signs will warn drivers of the change, officials said. If cash customers accidentally end up in the open-toll, SunPass-only lanes, officials said they should keep going in order to avoid a crash. When they reach their destinations, these drivers can call SunPass customer service 1-888-TOLL-FLA and inquire about paying the toll, according to the news release.
http://www.justnews.com/traffic/19012243/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_7am&tmi=mia_7am_1_06000103262009&ts=H


=

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - March 25, 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.


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

-Human Rights Campaign Applauds Vote to Uphold Non-Discrimination Laws in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville Voters Defeated Ballot Measure Seeking to Repeal Protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender People
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, issued the following release regarding voting in a city election in Gainesville, Florida today, where voters rejected a proposed amendment to the city charter that would have repealed existing laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Amendment 1, which would have repealed ordinances prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, was defeated 58 percent to 42 percent.

-Task Force, HRC laud Gainesville voters for gay-rights win on Tuesday
Here are official statements regarding the gay-rights victory in Gainesville from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Human Rights Campaign:
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund lauds defeat of Gainesville's Charter Amendment 1 Measure sought to enshrine discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the city charter for years to come The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund hails the defeat of Charter Amendment 1 in Gainesville, Fla. The referendum would have effectively eliminated the nondiscrimination protections that Gainesville extends lesbian, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people by requiring the city's nondiscrimination ordinance to conform to the state's nondiscrimination laws, which do not cover sexual orientation or gender identity.

-Gay etiquette columnist asked:
Can boyfriends (or girlfriends) make out in public?
My colleague, Steven Petrow, has begun writing a new column for IndyWeek.com called Queeries. (Petrow also keeps a blog on Huffington Post.) The monthly column "offers advice to LGBT community members and their straight allies on etiquette and social interaction." Here are this month's questions:
Public displays of affection
Q: Can a gay or lesbian couple kiss in public? On the cheek or on the lips?
How about holding hands? -Touchy Feely


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

-There is no 'cure' for a nation's hate
By LEONARD PITTS JR.
lpitts@miamiherald.com
There are now 926 hate groups in this country. Take a second and consider that number. It represents an increase of more than 50 percent since 2000. And by ''hate groups,'' I don't mean guys in their bathrobes who go online and pretend their followers are legion. No, I mean actual Klan cells, Neo-Nazi sects, gay-bashing ''churches,'' cliques of black separatists, white nationalists, nativists, racist skinheads and other merchants of venom who meet, plot and recruit in all 48 contiguous states (Alaska and Hawaii have no known hate groups). Nine hundred twenty-six of them. The number is a record.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/leonard-pitts/story/966216.html


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

-Sexual Resolution
COMMENTARY: The Obama administration's decision to support the U.N. declaration to decriminalize homosexuality is cause to celebrate -- and cause for gay rights activists to hold the new president accountable for real change.
By James Kirchick
The hosannas are flying in response to news that the United States will sign
onto a United Nations General Assembly declaration urging all of its member states to decriminalize homosexuality. "The Administration's leadership on this issue is a rebuke of an earlier Bush administration position that sought to deny the universal application of human rights protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals," said Mark Bromley of the Council for Global Equality. Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign applauded the State Department's decision as "a welcome step forward as it signals to the world that, after years of a hostile administration, the United States recognizes the humanity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people at home and abroad."
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid76224.asp

-Revival Unlikely for Hawaii Civil Unions Bill
By Julie Bolcer
Lack of support from a key senator makes it unlikely that a civil unions bill will be revived in the Hawaii legislature today, according to the Honolulu Advertiser.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76330.asp

-Gay Clubs: No Bachelorettes Allowed
Gay bar patrons in Chicago -- and across the country -- have decided they don't want the fact that they can't marry rubbed in their faces on a Friday night. In her column in the Chicago Tribune, writer Dawn Turner Trice says that she's been to a handful of bachelorette parties in Chicago that take place in gay bars so that creepy straight men won't try to flirt with the bride and her posse. By the end of the night and a few drinks, however, the demure bridesmaids turn into "pelvis-trusting vamps."
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76274.asp


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

-Morocco clamps down on gays, Shiites
By The Associated Press
(Rabat) Morocco's government is clamping down on homosexuality and alleged Shiite propaganda, saying it will tackle any group that threatens moral and religious values in the Sunni Arab kingdom.
http://www.365gay.com/news/morocco-clamps-down-on-gays-shiites/


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

-Surey: Should the BBC have punished Chris Moyles over "anti-gay" broadcast?
On Monday, the media regulator Ofcom has found the BBC in breach of the Broadcasting Code following complaints by members of the public of that Chris Moyles displayed homophobia towards the gay singer Will Young during his BBC Radio 1 Breakfast programme. But the BBC have not disciplined or sacked the star. Give us your views on whether the BBC should have taken tougher action and if you belive them to be institionally homophobic?
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/bbc-homophobia-survey

-Queen Mother's castle does U-turn on civil partnerships
By Staff Writer
The Castle of Mey, formerly owned by the Queen Mother, has done a U-turn and announced it will considering hosting civil partnerships for gay couples. After gay rights groups protested, manager of the castle's trust James Murray said the castle was prepared to apply for a licence to conduct the ceremonies.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11746.html

-New York newsreader killed in 'gay slaying'
The death of a New York radio newsreader has been described by authorities as a "gay slaying", according to reports. George Weber, 47, who worked for ABC, was found stabbed to death in his Brooklyn apartment on Sunday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11747.html

-Government wins House of Commons vote on anti-gay hate speech
The government has defeated an amendment in the House of Commons that would have created a defence of "free speech" in a bill that is designed to criminalise incitement of hatred in relation to sexual orientation.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11732.html

-Opinion: Why anti-gay hate laws are necessary
This week, actors Rowan Atkinson and Christopher Biggins attacked proposals to remove a free speech clause from anti-gay hate laws, saying it will stifle free speech and criminalise the work of comedians. But logic suggests that anyone could claim free speech as a defense for the most offensive and inflammatory remarks.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11725.html

-Gays and lesbians face 'double stigma' over mental health
Gay, lesbian and bisexual people in Wales face a double prejudice in terms of mental health, a survey has suggested. The report, from Stonewall Cymru, states that mental health provision in Wales is "under-resourced and ill-equipped" to cope with LGB mental health issues.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11731.html

-Complaint may block young gay minister from preaching
A meeting is to be held to discuss whether a young gay minister should be allowed to work at a Aberdeen church. Rev Scott Rennie, 36, was appointed to Queen's Cross Church in January. However, 12 members of the Aberdeen Presbytery objected to the decision because they do not approve of his lifestyle.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11729.html

-Dolly Parton brushes off lesbian rumours
Country legend Dolly Parton has shaken off rumours she may be gay. The star has been romantically linked with friend Judy Ogle before but told AARP magazine: "We're absolutely, totally honest, open, and comfortable with each other.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11728.html

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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Luring gays as tourism destination
KATHMANDU, March 24 - Life's pretty rough on gays and lesbians, more so while travelling. Even on a simple occasion like eating out, more often than not they are subjected to discrimination. For instance, waiters get nosy about their appearance and may even ask them about their sexual identity. Fortunately, thanks to Nepal's tourism and service industry, foreign gays and lesbians do not have to suffer like in other countries. In a break from the traditional mindset, some of the country's tour operators have now geared up to lure foreign gay and lesbian tourists. Earlier, this kind of travel used to be closeted.
http://www.ekantipur.com/kolnews.php?&nid=186089

-Fight for free abortion and gay marriage in Portugal
The struggle for the right to free abortion started after the dictatorship had been overthrown in 1974. After the election of 1995, a majority of MP's voted in fabour of legalization. But the Social Democratic Prime Minister, Antonio Guterres, listened to the protests from the Catholic Church, and announced a referendum. The church mobilized, and managed to win the referendum by on percent. But after several trials against doctors and nurses who had helped pregnant women to get abortion, a new referendum was announced in 2005. It was won by the abortion advocators by around 60 percent! Now, Portugal has almost the same abortion rights as most European countries.
http://www.dn.se/fordjupning/europa2009/homoaktenskap-nasta-strid-1.829462

-The Russian Week Against Homophobia began on March 23rd and will go on till March 31st. It continues the tradition of yearly educational events, which grew out of the European Week Against Homophobia (March 2007). The events of the Week take place in Saint-Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Arkhangelsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Naberezhnye Chelny, Moscow and other cities. http://rwaho.lgbtnet.ru [in Russian]

-Coalition of Christian Congregations in Riga Calls for Ban of Gay, Lesbian March
The Coalition of Christian congregations in Riga has called for a ban of the gay and lesbian march that is planned for May of this year, the LETA news agency was informed by Inga Virbule, an assistant to the deputy mayor of Riga, Almers Ludviks. Ludviks and the coalition, which is made up of Latvia's largest Christian denominations, has written to Riga Mayor Janis Birks and the city's executive director, Andris Grinbergs, asking them to ban the "Baltic Pride" gay and lesbian march planned for May 16 of this year in Riga.
www.ilga-europe.org

-There was significant attention paid to sexual orientation and gender identity issues at the UN Human Rights Council today, with a number of States and NGOs taking the floor to affirm their support for the GA joint statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity. In particular:
--- Argentina indicated that it had been "honoured" to deliver the GA joint statement on behalf of 66 States from all regional groups, including 21 Members of the Human Rights Council.
--- The Czech Republic delivered a statement on behalf of the EU and associated countries, affirming the joint statement, commending the High Commissioner for her video address, and reiterating the request for the President of the Council to "provide a special opportunity for a more in-depth discussion of this important human rights issue."
--- The Czech statement was joined not only by the 27 EU Member States, but also by: "The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and Armenia". Significantly, Turkey and Ukraine did not join the GA statement in December, but were willing to align themselves with today's EU intervention affirming the GA statement.
--- The United States of America announced that "the United States is proud to join the 66 other United Nations Member States that support the UN Statement on 'Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity'. We share the document's condemnation of human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity and welcome its call for an end to criminalization on the basis of sexual orientation." This represents the first time that the US has announced its support for the GA statement in an official UN forum.
--- Denmark then delivered a joint statement on behalf of the Nordic States Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland, expressing concern at the "shameful silence" surrounding human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and calling upon the Human Rights Council to address these issues as a matter of priority.
--- Colombia also took the floor, powerfully affirming its support for the GA statement, and pledging its commitment to continuing to address these issues at both the international and national levels.
--- Finally, I was able to deliver a statement by ILGA Europe on behalf of 10 ECOSOC-accredited NGOs, and a number of non-ECOSOC NGOs. The full text of the statement is copied below. It is encouraging to see the continuation of UN attention to these issues, and the willingness of States which did not join the GA statement in December, such as the US, Turkey and Ukraine, to associate themselves with interventions affirming the joint statement.


=
Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

-FYI Radio - for the Queer & Alternative LGBT Youth Community
FYI Radio presents its first ever live broadcast: Breeding Gays Queer alternative youth station FYI Radio's next show is Breeding Gays, taking place on Tuesday 31st March at 7pm at The Edge, Soho. Presented in front of a live audience, this is the first of FYI Radio's podcasts to be broadcast live over the internet during the recording. The show will focus on family. What is it like to be the parent of a gay son or daughter? What challenges might a gay parent face whilst bringing up their child? What's great about gay families, and are they really that different to their straight counterparts? [...] For more details on how to get involved in this project or other FYI Radio initiatives, please visit www.fyiradio.net, email info@fyiradio.net

-ILGA-Europe launches "Be Bothered" campaign on the European Parliament elections 2009
Today ILGA-Europe launches its campaign on the European Parliament elections which are taking place on 4-7 June 2009. The motto of this campaign is "Be Bothered. Vote for a human rights friendly European Parliament".The aim of ILGA-Europe's campaign is two fold. Firstly, we want to ensure that the candidates for the next European Parliament express their determination, if elected, to continue the Parliament's commitment to human rights and equality generally and the rights of LGBT people in particular. As a sign of their commitment, ILGA-Europe and its members will be approaching the candidates and inviting them to sign our 10 points Pledge. The Pledge summarises the key issues that ILGA-Europe wants to see advanced at the EU level over the next five years. The candidate will be able to sign our Pledge on our website.
www.ilga-europe.org


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Soulforce
http://www.soulforce.org/
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article

-Sundays of Solidarity
Between May 17 and June 28, 2009, groups of LGBTQ and allied people around the country will attend worship services at a church of their choice - a church that is not welcoming and affirming of openly LGBTQ members and guests. Each group will wear a lapel button that reads "gay? fine by me." For less formal churches we also have a t-shirt with this message. The lapel button (or t-shirt) serves as a conversation starter - opening dialogue with people in the church about faith, sexual orientation, and gender identity. When that visible act of courage is paired with adequate training, then transforming hearts and minds becomes a bona fide possibility. That's why we've designed a three-part teleconference course and a resource webpage that covers the essentials of nonviolent communication, media talking points, and what both the Bible and science really say about homosexuality. Training teleconferences will be held on April 19, April 26, and May 3 at 4pm CST. For more information and to find out how to register for these trainings, go to www.soulforce.org/sos. Once you've registered, you'll receive a confirmation email that includes the teleconference number and access code. We hope you will consider organizing a Sundays of Solidarity (SOS) project in your area. It simply involves choosing a church that could benefit from an SOS visit, using your contact list to recruit others to join you, attending the teleconference training sessions, and then organizing your group to take action on one of the Sundays between May 17 and June 28, 2009. Please go to www.soulforce.org/sos to sign up!


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Announcing "OUTlet: Plugging Young Women into the Arts" new electric sponsors! "The Anti-defamation League" and" Equality Florida!"
A national social justice organization with a local South Florida chapter has signed on as sponsor of a powerful one day conference in south Broward County for tricounty young lbtq women and their allies. "OUTlet: Plugging Young Women into the Arts - A Conference for and by Young Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning Women and Their Allies" is welcoming support from The Anti-Defamation League, a well established social justice organization whose mission is to stop the defamation of Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike. Marcie Shaunessey, Program Director for The Anti-defamation League said, "The Outlet for Young Women's Conference is an important and needed event. As society works together to ensure that all people, especially sexual minority young women, are empowered and valued, OUTlet for Young Women Arts Event is a great way to celebrate the strengths of our diversity." The electric OUTlet: Plugging Young Women into the Arts First Ever Conference" is absolutely free to all participants ages 15 to young adult in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. In order to attend you must register on line at: www.outlet4youngwomen.com


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#####

NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - March 25, 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:

-In a Volatile Time, Obama Strikes a New Tone
By PETER BAKER and ADAM NAGOURNEY
For just under an hour on Tuesday night, Americans saw not the fiery and inspirational speaker who riveted the nation in his address to Congress last month, or the conversational president who warmly engaged Americans in talks across the country, or even the jaunty and jokey president who turned up on Jay Leno. Instead, in his second prime-time news conference from the White House, it was Barack Obama the lecturer, a familiar character from early in the campaign. Placid and unsmiling, he was the professor in chief, offering familiar arguments in long paragraphs - often introduced with the phrase, "as I said before" - sounding like the teacher speaking in the stillness of a classroom where students are restlessly waiting for the ring of the bell.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/us/politics/25obama.html?hp

-As Clinton Visits Mexico, Strains Show in Relations
By MARC LACEY and GINGER THOMPSON
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's economy is being dragged down by the recession to the north. American addicts have turned Mexico into a drug superhighway, and its police and soldiers are under assault from American guns. Nafta promised 15 years ago that Mexican trucks would be allowed on American roads, but Congress said they were unsafe. United States-Mexican relations are in the midst of what can be described as a neighborly feud, one that stretches along a lengthy shared fence. That border fence, which has become a wall in some places, is another irritant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/025/worldamericas/25/mexico/html?hp

-Justices Seem Skeptical of Scope of Campaign Law
By ADAM LIPTAK
A quirky case about a slashing documentary attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton would not seem to be the most obvious vehicle for a fundamental re-examination of the interplay between the First Amendment and campaign finance laws. But by the end of an exceptionally lively argument at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, it seemed at least possible that five justices were prepared to overturn or significantly limit parts of the court's 2003 decision upholding the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, which regulates the role of money in politics.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/washington/25scotus.html?hp

-Secrets of a Pollster
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Stan Greenberg, one of America's most experienced pollsters, sums up the key lesson he learned polling for Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Ehud Barak and Tony Blair: "Bold leaders in tumultuous times always have at least one crash."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25friedman.html?ref=opinion

-Watershed Moment on Nuclear Arms
During the 2008 campaign, President Obama promised to deal with one of the world's great scourges - thousands of nuclear weapons still in the American and Russian arsenals. He said he would resume arms-control negotiations -
the sort that former President George W. Bush disdained - and seek deep cuts in pursuit of an eventual nuclear-free world. There is no time to waste.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25wed1.html?ref=opinion

-Broader Access to Morning-After Pills
A federal judge in New York has added his weight to contentions that the Bush administration delayed easy, nonprescription access to the morning-after pill for political and ideological reasons, not from a desire to protect the public's health. Judge Edward R. Korman wisely ordered the Food and Drug Administration to make the pill available without prescription to women as young as 17 and to consider approving it for girls of any age, as major medical groups have long advocated.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25wed2.html?ref=opinion

-Dear A.I.G., I Quit!
The following is a letter sent on Tuesday by Jake DeSantis, an executive vice president of the American International Group's financial products unit, to Edward M. Liddy, the chief executive of A.I.G.
DEAR Mr. Liddy,
It is with deep regret that I submit my notice of resignation from A.I.G.
Financial Products. I hope you take the time to read this entire letter.
Before describing the details of my decision, I want to offer some context:
I am proud of everything I have done for the commodity and equity divisions of A.I.G.-F.P. I was in no way involved in - or responsible for - the credit default swap transactions that have hamstrung A.I.G. Nor were more than a handful of the 400 current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. Most of those responsible have left the company and have conspicuously escaped the public outrage.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?ref=opinion

-Netanyahu Promises Peace Effort
By ISABEL KERSHNER and ALAN COWELL
JERUSALEM - Israel's prime minister-designate, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Wednesday that the coalition he is forming would be a "partner for peace," offering a pledge that seemed designed to reshape his reputation as a foe of the peace process with the Palestinians.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/world/middleeast/26mideast.html?hp

-Vandals Hit Home of Ex-Chief of Bank
By JULIA WERDIGIER
LONDON - The house of Fred Goodwin, the former chief executive of ailing Royal Bank of Scotland, was vandalized early Wednesday and windows of his car were smashed. Mr. Goodwin attracted criticism for keeping his £703,000, or $1 million, pension despite a string of ill-timed acquisitions under his reign that brought the bank under government control and calls from Prime Minister Gordon Brown to surrender the payment.
tp://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/business/worldbusiness/26rbs.html?hp

-U.S. Weighs Sharif as Partner in Pakistan
By JANE PERLEZ
LAHORE, Pakistan - The opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, sealed his place as the most popular politician in Pakistan this month when he defied his house detention and led a triumphant protest that forced the government to restore the country's chief justice.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/world/asia/25sharif.html?hpw

-To Cut Costs, States Relax Prison Policies
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
For nearly three decades, most states have dealt with lawbreakers in two ways: lock more of them up for longer periods, and build more prisons to hold them. Now many governments, out of money and buried under mounting prison costs, are reversing those policies and practices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/us/25prisons.html?hpw


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

-'Strengths and Weaknesses'
Will the Texas board of education evolve backward?
IF YOU THOUGHT the fight over teaching evolution in public schools had been settled, you haven't heard about what's taking place in Texas this week. Starting today, the state's board of education will consider whether the phrase "strengths and weaknesses" should remain deleted from the state's science standards. Debating strengths and weaknesses of various scientific theories might sound reasonable until you learn that those are supportive buzzwords for people who doubt evolution and want creationism taught in the classroom. A final vote is expected Friday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032403356.html

-Hope in the Mountains
By Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Yesterday was a great day for the people of Appalachia and for all of America. In a bold departure from Bush-era energy policy, the Obama administration suspended a coal company's permit to dump debris from its proposed mountaintop mining operation into a West Virginia valley and stream. In addition, the administration promised to carefully review upward of 200 such permits awaiting approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402657.html

-Another McCain Throws Down a Challenge
By Kathleen Parker
The GOP's identity crisis just got more interesting with the media splash of Meghan McCain, daughter of the senator who did not become president. Young McCain, who began blogging during her father's presidential campaign, recently made waves at the Daily Beast when she picked a fight with conservative media mavens Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402465.html

-Building Bridges on The Hill
By Evan Bayh, Tom Carper and Blanche Lincoln
Last week, the three of us announced the formation of a moderate Democratic working group in the U.S. Senate. Even though the White House and Senate leadership praised the group's formation, some commentators reacted by reporting signs of a rift and a power struggle within the Democratic Party. Others accused the 16 members of our group of trying to obstruct the president's agenda.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402461.html

-A Killer Forces A Choice in Darfur
By Michael Gerson
For years, the Sudanese regime, headed by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, has acted the part of a terrorist gang, holding millions of refugees in Darfur camps hostage and warning the world not to make any sudden or aggressive moves. Now the world faces a question: What do we do when the captors begin killing their captives?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032402466.html

-President Points To Progress on Economic Efforts
He Says Budget Is Key to Recovery
By Michael D. Shear and Scott Wilson
President Obama sought to reassure Americans last night that his administration has made progress in reviving the economy and said his $3.6 trillion budget is "inseparable from this recovery."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032403207.html?hpid=topnews

-Handling Of 'State Secrets' At Issue
Like Predecessor, New Justice Dept. Claiming Privilege
By Carrie Johnson
Civil liberties advocates are accusing the Obama administration of forsaking campaign rhetoric and adopting the same expansive arguments that his predecessor used to cloak some of the most sensitive intelligence-gathering programs of the Bush White House.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032403501.html?hpid=topnews

-Despite Warrant, Egypt Welcomes Sudanese President
By MAGGIE MICHAEL
CAIRO -- Egypt, one of the strongest U.S. allies in the Middle East, welcomed Sudan's president on Wednesday despite an international warrant seeking his arrest on charges of war crimes in Darfur.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032500603.html?hpid=moreheadlines

-US takes steps to deport alleged Nazi to Germany
By M.R. KROPKO
The U.S. government said Tuesday it is asking German officials for travel documents needed to deport accused World War II Nazi guard John Demjanjuk, who is charged in Europe with 29,000 counts of accessory to murder. Immigration and Customs Enforcement provided an e-mail to The Associated Press showing that it has contacted the German government in its effort to deport Demjanjuk, once accused but ultimately cleared of being a notorious guard at the Treblinka concentration camp in occupied Poland.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032401311.html?hpid=sec-nation

-Bishop to skip Notre Dame commencement over Obama
By KEN KUSMER
The Roman Catholic bishop whose diocese includes the University of Notre Dame says he will boycott President Barack Obama's commencement speech at the Catholic school because Obama's policies on stem cell research and abortion run counter to church teaching.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032401734.html?hpid=sec-religion


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

-FACT CHECK: Obama's plea for patience not a perfect fit with his bullish budget
CALVIN WOODWARD
President Barack Obama's plea Tuesday for patience in the economic turmoil fits with the view of most economists that a turnaround will take some time. It doesn't fit quite so neatly with his bullish budget. The president's spending plans and deficit projections rest on the assumption that the economy will post solid growth next year after a mild, further decline this year. Many economists think that's too rosy.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-fact-check-obama,0,248728.story


=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Ten Radical Remedies America Needs
Obama must use his leadership to make necessary radical ideas mainstream. These changes are essential if we are to build an economy of broad prosperity.
Robert Kuttner
This is one of those eras of national crisis when the effective solutions to national problems are still far outside mainstream debate. Only a president can bring radical ideas into the mainstream. Under Abraham Lincoln, abolition of slavery went from unthinkable to inevitable. Thanks to Lyndon B. Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the White House embraced a radical social movement for civil rights. What will Barack Obama do to shift the political center of gravity?
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=ten_radical_remedies_america_needs

-The Big Takeover
The global economic crisis isn't about money - it's about power. How Wall Street insiders are using the bailout to stage a revolution
MATT TAIBBI
It's over - we're officially, royally fucked. no empire can survive being rendered a permanent laughingstock, which is what happened as of a few weeks ago, when the buffoons who have been running things in this country finally went one step too far. It happened when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was forced to admit that he was once again going to have to stuff billions of taxpayer dollars into a dying insurance giant called AIG, itself a profound symbol of our national decline - a corporation that got rich insuring the concrete and steel of American industry in the country's heyday, only to destroy itself chasing phantom fortunes at the Wall Street card tables, like a dissolute nobleman gambling away the family estate in the waning days of the British Empire.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/26793903/the_big_takeover

-Five Lessons from the AIG Bonus Blowup
By Jay Newton-Small
Last week, outlets reported that "the clock was ticking" for "embattled" Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, with a few members of Congress openly calling for his ousting. His boss, President Barack Obama, was criticized for not engaging in the congressional furor over the $165 million in bonuses paid out to top executives at AIG - the insurance giant that has received more than $180 billion in federal money. This week Obama remains relatively untouched in the polls, and Geithner is basking in his best week of media coverage yet. How did their fortunes shift so suddenly? To some degree, they were helped by the fact that New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Monday night that he has already managed to get AIG employees to give back $50 million of the bonuses. But much of the credit still has to go to the Obama Administration for its handling of the AIG fracas. With that in mind, here are five lessons of the latest Beltway blowup. (Read "The AIG Bonuses: Getting Mad and Getting Even.")
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1887466,00.html

-GOP's rising star runs into a rough patch
By Molly K. Hooper
A rising star in the Republican Party has dimmed over the past week. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), a politically shrewd up-and-comer in the GOP, has broken with his party on two high-profile issues. And the defections on last week's AIG bonus tax bill and the Obama administration's troubled assets plan have exasperated some members in the GOP conference.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gops-rising-star-runs-into-a-rough-patch-2009-03-24.html

-President expects backing on broader authority
By Sam Youngman
Timothy Geithner's request for more authority over non-bank entities like AIG will likely receive broad support from Congress and the public, President Obama said. In his second primetime press conference, Obama said that because of the lack of that broader authority, "the AIG situation has gotten worse."
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/obama-expects-support-for-increased-authority-over-non-banks-2009-03-24.html

-President Cool faces the nation
Andrew Leonard
Early on in his press conference, President Obama proved that he could take a bad question and turn it into a good answer. A question from the AP's Jennifer Loven asking why the American people should grant the administration new powers to regulate was flipped into an explanation of why the lack of regulatory authority had contributed to the government's inability to properly manage the AIG debacle. Next, NBC's Chuck Todd asked why Obama wasn't asking the American people to sacrifice more in the "war" on the economy. Obama looked mildly surprised,
http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2009/03/24/obama_press_conference/

-Key Senator Won't Support Union Bill
By KRIS MAHER
Republican Sen. Arlen Specter dealt a blow to organized labor's top legislative priority by announcing that he wouldn't support a bill to make it easier to unionize workplaces. The AFL-CIO and the bill's Democratic sponsors had been counting on Sen. Specter's vote to reach the 60 needed in the Senate to avoid a Republican-led filibuster. In 2007, Sen. Specter voted for cloture on the bill, or to cut off debate, but he said he could not do so now, especially given the recession and the weak economy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123792023652828061.html

-At news conference, Obama is salesman-in-chief
By Steve Holland - Analysis
Ronald Reagan was known as the "great communicator." George W. Bush was the self-styled "decider." President Barack Obama could easily be called the "salesman-in-chief." Obama used a nationally televised news conference on Tuesday night to try to sell Americans on his $3.55 trillion budget proposal and a bank bailout plan, and convince U.S. allies of the need to stimulate the global economy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52O0ME20090325?virtualBrandChannel=10112

-Human rights advocate named State Department's top lawyer
Donald Stampfli
Harold Hongju Koh's selection continues Obama's pattern of filling legal posts with liberals. Harold Hongju Koh, dean at the Yale Law School, has been one of the most vocal critics of the Bush administration's approach to the detention and trial of terrorism suspects.
By Paul Richter
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-na-justice-koh25-2009mar25,0,33354.story?track=rss


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - March 25, 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~~

Hurrah! Antidiscrimination Repeal Fails in Gainesville
Gainesville's Amendment 1 - which, if passed, would have repealed a number of antidiscrimination protections for LGBT residents in the college town - failed at the polls Tuesday. With the majority of precincts reporting, results have the amendment failing with 61% voting no and 39% voting yes. The repeal movement began last year after the city commission revised the antidiscrimination law to include protections for transgender people in employment, housing, and public accommodations -- including restrooms. Opponents using scare tactics about mixed-sex public bathrooms gathered enough signatures to place a referendum of the protections on the ballot. Charter Amendment 1 would have eliminated not only transgender protections but also protections for gays and lesbians in the North Florida city. It would also forbid the city to add protected categories that are not included in the Florida Civil Rights Act, which does not recognize sexual orientation and gender identity.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76275.asp


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

-Gainesville voters keep anti-discrimination laws
The Associated Press
Voters have turned down a measure that could have stripped Gainesville government's anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the vote from Tuesday's referendum was 58 percent against changing the law.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0325transgender,0,2985175.story


=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
www.pbchrc.org
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Record Number Sponsor Florida Gay Rights Bills
(Tallahassee) Forty Florida legislators are working to enact a statewide law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in employment, housing and public accommodations. At the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, state senator Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and state representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) have introduced legislation (SB 2012/HB 397) to expand the protected classes in both the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida's Fair Housing Act. he Council is a non-profit organization that has been in the forefront of Florida's gay rights movement since 1988. "For the first time in history, 25 percent of our state lawmakers are on record supporting legislation to ensure that gay, lesbian and transgender individuals have the same rights as all other Floridians," said Council president Rand Hoch. [...] More than 90% of the Fortune 500 companies have written policies prohibiting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and a quarter of them also prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. Joining Deutch as co-sponsors of the civil rights bill are state senators Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach), Arthenia Joyner (D-Tampa), Charlie Justice (D-St. Petersbeurg), Nan Rich (D-Weston), Jeremy Ring (D-Margate), Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale) and Eleanor Sobel (D-Hallandale Beach). The thirty co-sponsors of Skidmore's bill include Representatives Joseph Abruzzo (D-Wellington), Mary Brandenburg (D-West Palm Beach), Ronald Brisé (D-North Miami), Dwight Bullard (D-Miami), Chuck Chestnut (D-Gainesville), Gwyn Clarke-Reed (D-Deerfield Beach), Keith Fitzgerald (D-Sarasota), Luis Garcia (D-Miami Beach), Joe Gibbons (D-Hallandale Beach), Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville), Bill Heller (D-St. Petersburg) Evan Jenne (D-Dania Beach), Marty Kiar (D-Davie), Rick Kriseman (D-St. Petersburg), Janet Long (D-Seminole), Mark Pafford (D-West Palm Beach), Ari Porth (D-Coral Springs), Kevin Rader (D-Delray Beach), Scott Randolph (D-Orlando), Betty Reed (D-Tampa), Michelle Rehnwinkel Vasilinda (D-Tallahassee), Yolly Roberson (D-Miami), Maria Sachs (D-Delray Beach), Franklin Sands (D-Weston), Ron Saunders (D-Key West), Elaine Schwartz (D-Hollywood), Darren Soto (D-Orlando), Richard Steinberg (D-Miami Beach), Priscilla Taylor (D-West Palm Beach) and Jim Waldman (D-Coconut Creek).



~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

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

-No guaranteed raises for Broward teachers
By Kathy Bushouse and Robert Nolin
Shortly after a rally by 1,000 angry teachers, Broward School Board members Tuesday night rejected guaranteed raises for the upcoming school year. Several board members, however, said they would be willing to talk raises soon. Board members voted 8-1 in favor of Superintendent James Notter's recommendation that the board not approve raises for the 2009-2010 year. Board member Phyllis Hope voted against it.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-flbteachers0325sbmar25205015,0,6358034.story



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

-Broward commissioners agree to oppose Seminole gaming pact
BY DAN CHRISTENSEN
Broward commissioners agreed Tuesday to oppose the Seminole Tribe's efforts to negotiate a gambling compact with Florida -- unless Broward gets a cut of a proposed revenue sharing pact. At the same time, they agreed to adopt new procedures suggested by the county auditor to ensure Broward is getting its accurate share of slot machine profits from local racetracks. Broward Administrator Bertha Henry suggested commissioners oppose the revenue sharing proposal for Seminole casinos submitted to Gov. Charlie Crist's office by Coconut Creek City Manager David J. Rivera.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/965608.html

-Bill strengthening Florida auto emissions rules unlikely to pass
A bill to toughen emission standards gathered steam in the Senate, but is going nowhere in the House.
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
As Gov. Charlie Crist savored one victory Tuesday in his goal of revamping Florida's energy policy, he also suffered a major defeat. In the Senate, the Environmental Preservation Committee unanimously passed a bill to require Florida cars to meet tougher greenhouse gas emission standards beginning in 2011, steamrolling a lineup of opponents from the state's business and automobile lobbyists in the process.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/florida/story/966155.html


=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-CFO Alex Sink's recent moves make gubernatorial run look likely
By Adam C. Smith
Most of the political world in Tallahassee is convinced Charlie Crist will give up his governor's seat to run for the U.S. Senate, so what about Alex Sink?
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article986807.ece

-Legislature may reject $1.1 billion in stimulus funds
Gary Fineout
Florida may forfeit more than $1.1 billion in federal stimulus aid unless the GOP-controlled Legislature agrees to increase the number of out-of-work people eligible for help.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090324/BREAKING/903249936/2062/NEWS?Title=Legislature-may-reject-1-1-billion-in-stimulus-funds

-Obama shoots back and scores
With a sharp retort about AIG, the president was on his game with the press, weaving through questions and driving home his economic plan.
By Mike Madden
The defining moment in President Obama's prime-time news conference Tuesday night came about midway through. Nearly all the questions up to then had dealt with the ragged economy and the administration's plans to turn it around. So when a reporter asked Obama -- who, as you may have heard, is the nation's first black president -- to talk about how race has affected the first couple months of his time in office, it wasn't entirely clear how he would answer.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/03/25/obama_press_conference/index.html

-Crist remains coy on possible Senate run
By Jim Ash
"Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate" update number 1,317. The perpetually optimistic governor, who said he will decide at the end of the legislative session whether he will run for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Orlando, remains firmly on the fence.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20090324/NEWS01/90324061/1002

-Floridians are slow to sign up for new health-care coverage
Anika Myers Palm
Despite a high-profile launch and attempts to make the program appealing to low-income Floridians, the state's new health-insurance program hasn't attracted many participants during its first two months.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-biz-cover-fla-032509,0,1482006.story?track=rss


=

[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####

GLBT DIGEST - March 24, 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:

-Most of the Seventh Grade Will Be at the Commitment Ceremony
By SUSAN DOMINUS
Sometimes the best news is that a story makes no news. In the fall of 2008, the supporters of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative meant to ban gay marriage in the state of California, fell on a lucky break: video of first graders whose class parents had arranged for them a trip to city hall, where they celebrated their female teacher's marriage to another woman, a ceremony over which the mayor of San Francisco presided. Gay-marriage opponents cried indoctrination, and the ensuing controversy provoked so much outrage that it has been considered important in squashing opposition to the ban. (The California Supreme Court is currently weighing the constitutionality of the proposition.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/nyregion/23bigcity.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse


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

-Tonight: Finale of 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
Big hopes for hometown [Miami] girl Rebecca Glasscock
By Dan Renzi
We'll be in front of our TVs tonight (or setting our TiVos) to cheer on Rebecca Glasscock, the Fort Lauderdale contestant on LOGO's "RuPaul's Drag Race," the reality competition pitting drag performers against each other in a battle to the death. They don't actually die, of course, but losing this battle is almost as sorrowful.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#24618


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

-Christian Hotel Owners Sued for Anti-gay Discrimination
A gay couple in England filed a lawsuit against Christian hotel proprietors who refused to let the men stay together in the same room. Martyn Hall and his civil partner Steven Preddy are seeking £5,000 in damages for "direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation," according to the Daily Mail.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76101.asp

-Gay Marriage and Transgender Rights Take Spotlight in New Hampshire
By Julie Bolcer
Bills to legalize gay marriage and to expand nondiscrimination laws to include transgender individuals are expected to be the emotional focus of the New Hampshire legislature this week. The House Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 10-10, on voting for both bills last week. The split votes mean that each bill will reach the full chamber floor without a recommendation.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76094.asp


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

-Video: Portia de Rossi says sorry for 'selfish' gay marriage
Lesbian actress Portia de Rossi has appeared in a short clip to send up opponents of gay marriage. When she appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show last Friday, the star, who married Ellen Degeneres last August, offered up a tongue-in-cheek public service announcement.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11709.html

-Muslim preacher calls for gays to be stoned to death
Hate preacher Anjem Choudary launched a vitrolic attack on gays last week in which he said that they should be stoned to death. The former lawyer added that this would include gay business secretary Lord Peter Mandelson.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11708.html

-Spanish trans man pregnant with twins
A Spanish man who was born female has said he is pregnant with twins after a course of fertility treatment. Ruben Noe Coronado, 25, plans to bring up the babies with his partner Esperanza Ruiz, 43.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11704.html


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

-Barney Frank: Antonin Scalia is a 'Homophobe'
Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer | CNSNews
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said in an interview Friday on 365gay.com that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a "homophobe." "At some point, [the Defense of Marriage Act] is going to have to go to the United States Supreme Court," Frank said. "I wouldn't want it to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court." Frank also said in the interview that he thinks President Barack Obama will reverse the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. military. "Absolutely," Frank said, concerning the policy. Read more

-Ayslum Judge: Gay Man "Was Never Physically Harmed" By Rape
Jim Burroway | Box Turtle Bulletin
How many women's groups would remain silent over a case like this? Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who married an American citizen in Massachusetts and was later forced to return to Brazil. The man, Genesio Oliveira, has been separated from his husband, Tim Coco, since August 2007, when he left the country after his request for asylum and an appeal were denied. Mr. Oliveira asked for asylum in 2002, saying he was raped and attacked by a physician as a teenager in Brazil and feared persecution because of his sexuality. The Associated Press does not typically name rape victims, but Mr. Oliveira has spoken openly about his case. In a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Mr. Kerry said that Immigration Judge Francis L. Cramer had found Mr. Oliveira's testimony to be credible and his fear of living in Brazil genuine. However, the judge denied the asylum claim, saying he "was never physically harmed" by the rape, the letter said. Mr. Kerry called the ruling "outrageous." Genesio now lives in a small apartment in Brazil, just blocks away from the man who raped him. He mostly stays in the apartment, afraid to go out. Read more

-A Battle Hymn for Gay Marriage
D. Allan Kerr | Sea Coast Online
There's a segment of our society that would suggest homosexuals are my enemy; this same segment tells homosexuals I do not believe in their cause. These are individuals who believe other people should be prevented from exercising the same rights they themselves enjoy - even if these other people pay their taxes, contribute to society, and obey the laws of the land. A bill recently introduced into the Maine Legislature would allow residents to marry someone of the same sex, presumably if they are both consenting adults. Now those supporting and opposing the measure are each marshalling their forces for battle in the months ahead - the battle for your heart, your mind and your vote. Both sides will claim to speak for the majority, but in the end you will most likely have the opportunity to speak for yourself. I have nothing to gain from this proposal. I am euphorically heterosexual, married to a partner who is quite literally the woman of my dreams. We have three strong sons and a little girl with the twinkling face of an angel who will celebrate her first birthday this very weekend. Read more

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

-Gallery | Capacity crowd screens 'Pedro,' MTV biopic of Miami AIDS activist
Pedro Zamora (1972-1994)
Previously: Years after his death, AIDS activist Pedro Zamora is celebrated on film -"Love is unconditional and God created Pedro for a reason" - ister Mily Zamora to the audience after a screening Sunday night of the film Pedro at the Colony Theater, Miami. Pedro will be simulcast at 8 p.m. April 1 on MTV, MTV TR3S, mtvU and LOGO with an introduction by former President Bill Clinton. It will be released June 9 on DVD. Here's a gallery of photos before and after the screening.

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Iranian Queer Organization News [IRQO]
http://www.irqo.org/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-New bill in the Iranian Parliament affecting LGBT bloggers.
Last year, a new by-law was introduced in the Iranian parliament which states that bloggers that spread atheism and prostitution in their weblogs will be executed. This bill is dangerous for LGBT bloggers who communicate about their homosexual identity and their rights as a homosexual and simply express their ideas through their weblogs. In the eyes of the law this is considered inappropriate and comparable to prostitution and will cause unfair persecutions on LGBT bloggers. If this bill is passed a judge can rule capital punishment, without consulting a higher court. In March 2009, government media in Iran reported the arrest of a number of bloggers who were accused of conducting a "velvet" revolution (activity conducted by a group that promotes their agenda in a peaceful manner). This arouses deep concern for gay bloggers who are not protected or supported by any group including human rights groups in Iran.
http://www.irqo.org/PDFs/IRQOnewsletter0309.pdf

-Europe still refuses to believe in "honor killing."
In Turkey, UNHCR lawyers are familiar with the concept of honor killing, however in Germany a judge refused to believe that a person's own family could kill him because of being an LGBT. An Iranian LGBT refugee when faced with deportation explained to the judge that he would be killed by his own uncle, but the judge did not believe him. This means that European judges and immigration authorities are unfamiliar with Iranian culture and Sharia law.
http://www.irqo.org/PDFs/IRQOnewsletter0309.pdf

-Campaigners in over 50 countries are gearing up to mark the 5th
International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17th. Amongst events and initiatives already announced in the UK are the launch of a major international campaign against transphobia, and "the largest, organised same sex hand-holding event in the world". The IDAHO committee in conjunction with "Transgender Europe" and "Gender Dynamix" have launched an international appeal "to reject transphobia and respect gender identity" and there is an on-line petition to sign. Derek Lennard, IDAHO-UK Campaigner explained "In the UK, we will focus on human rights and violations against trans people around the world, and work with other campaigners to publicise and celebrate the services which do exist , and identify the many gaps in service provision". Professor Stephen Whittle commented "Press for Change welcomes the IDAHO campaign and we will be working closely with them". (Details of the campaign can be seen on www.idahomophobia.org. If you support the aims of this campaign, please indicate your support on www.idaho.org.uk.)
Details of IDAHO-UK events can be found on www.idaho.org.uk


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

-Time for movement to look inward
Coping with and surviving recession should be our top priority right now.
By JOAN GARRY
LAST WEEK I was interviewed for the Pride month episode of "In The Life." We talked specifics and we talked strategy. The last question posed was, "What is the most important issue you think will affect our community in the next few years?" There are a number of ways to answer this question, many of which place the ball in someone else's court: How will the Obama administration move on our issues? Will the LGBT people on the inside of the administration help move us forward? Will donors continue to support our organizations in this time of economic crisis? But now it's time to look inward - at the decisions we can actually control - and, more specifically, at the decisions the organizations that represent us can control.
http://www.washblade.com/2009/3-20/view/columns/14258.cfm

-European Union Pressures Serbia to Adopt "Gender Identity" Legislation
Serbia's legislature has just passed a law providing for "freedom of expression of sexual orientation and gender identity" under pressure from the European Union (EU) and non-governmental organizations advocating homosexual rights. Passage of the legislation is understood to be a precondition for further Serbian reintegration with Europe, including the right to participate in an EU-wide visa waiver program allowing Serbs to travel freely among EU member states. Proponents claim that the law, which also contains an array of human rights protections for minority groups like gypsies (or "Roma"), would help Serbia meet the "Copenhagen Criteria" - a checklist for EU membership that includes stable democratic institutions and human rights guarantees.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032014.html

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#####

NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - March 24, 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:

-Strip-Search of Girl Tests Limit of School Policy
By ADAM LIPTAK
Savana Redding still remembers the clothes she had on - black stretch pants with butterfly patches and a pink T-shirt - the day school officials here forced her to strip six years ago. She was 13 and in eighth grade. An assistant principal, enforcing the school's antidrug policies, suspected her of having brought prescription-strength ibuprofen pills to school. One of the pills is as strong as two Advils.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/us/24savana.html?_r=1&hp

-Hail to the Chief - in Public, That Is
By Richard Reeves
President Obama must have been a bit surprised when, on his 54th day in office, the former vice president, Richard Cheney, decided to go on television and brand him a danger to the Republic. " "He is," said Cheney, "making some choices that, in my mind, will, in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack."
http://100days.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/hail-to-the-chief-in-public-at-least/?ref=opinion

-Combat and Community
By DAVID BROOKS
Wardak Province, Afghanistan:
You drive up to the forward operating base in Wardak Province in an armored Humvee, with the machine-gunner sticking up through the roof and his butt swinging on a little perch just by your head. Outside there's a scraggly downtown, with ragamuffin Afghan children, almost no old people (the median life expectancy is 45) and dust everywhere. The dust of Afghanistan piles up in front of the storefronts and covers the ruins of the buildings destroyed during the Soviet period, or during the civil war or during some lost conflict from centuries past.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/opinion/24brooks.html?ref=opinion

-Obama Flinches on Immigration
In a little-noticed act of political faintheartedness, the Obama administration has pulled back from nominating Thomas Saenz, a highly regarded civil-rights lawyer and counsel to the mayor of Los Angeles, to run the Justice Department's civil rights division.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/opinion/24tue3.html?ref=opinion

-Nominate and Wait
By PAUL C. LIGHT
ROBERT C. BYRD, the Democratic senator from West Virginia, chastised the Obama administration last month for using White House policy czars to undermine the president's own cabinet. "At the worst," he wrote to President Obama, "White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/opinion/24light.html?ref=opinion


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

-Consider This: NPR Achieves Record Ratings
By Paul Farhi
At a time when newspapers, magazines and TV news continue to lose readers and viewers, at least one part of the traditional media has continued to grow robustly: National Public Radio.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032302972.html?hpid=topnews

-Geithner Asks Congress for Broad Power to Seize Firms
Goal Is to Limit Risk to Broader Economy
By Binyamin Appelbaum, David Cho and Debbi Wilgoren
Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner today told Congress the administration will seek unprecedented power to seize non-bank financial companies whose collapse could jeopardize the economy, a move Geithner said would have allowed the government to bail out insurance giant American International Group at a far lower cost to taxpayers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032400847.html?hpid=topnews

-AIG Employees to Repay $50 Million in Bonuses
Executives at Troubled Unit Vow to Give Up Payments, Staving Off Cuomo
Threat to Release Names
By Brady Dennis
The e-mail went out at 6:46 p.m. on Friday.
It had been a brutal week inside AIG Financial Products. News that the firm had doled out more than $165 million in retention payments over the past week had angered the country and sent lawmakers into fits of rage. American International Group's president, Edward M. Liddy, had asked that the unit's employees consider returning some, if not all, of the money. New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo had subpoenaed AIG for a list of Financial Products employees and how much money each had received.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032302162.html?hpid=topnews

-Community Policing Defines Nominee to Lead Drug Office
As Seattle Police Chief, Kerlikowske Is Known for Pragmatism
By Amy Goldstein
Ten months after R. Gil Kerlikowske became Seattle's police chief, two of his officers arrived at the home of JoAnna McKee, where she ran a co-op giving medical marijuana to patients and teaching them to grow their own. Neighbors, the police told her, had been complaining. Soon, a "cease and desist" order was tacked to her door.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032302861.html?hpid=topnews

-Churchill takes stand in lawsuit to reclaim job
By IVAN MORENO
A former University of Colorado professor, assailed for likening Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader and fired for alleged plagiarism, testified in court Monday that the 2001 terrorist attacks were "perfectly predictable." Ward Churchill took the stand in his lawsuit seeking to get his job back at the university, where he was a tenured professor of ethnic studies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032302319.html?hpid=sec-nation

-Saudis awaiting change from religious police
By DONNA ABU-NASR
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Visitors to a women's job training center heard terrified screams _ and rushed to see an agent of the religious police dragging a woman by her hair down the stairs of the building.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301216.html?hpid=sec-religion

-The End of Dollar Dominance?
By John Pomfret
Are the Chinese just worried about the sagging value of the $1.4 trillion in U.S. Treasuries they hold or are they really on to something? That's the big question now that China's central banker, Zhou Xiaochuan, has called for the greenback to be jettisoned as the world's dominant currency and replaced by a new type of benchmark controlled by the International Monetary Fund.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301782.html

-The Repairman's Burden
By Eugene Robinson
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is a repairman, not a revolutionary. Contrary to the impression he sometimes gives, he does understand why the Sun King excesses of Wall Street's pampered executives make people so angry. Essentially, though, he blames the players, not the game.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301978.html


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

-Madoff Trustee Locates Assets of $75 Million
By CHAD BRAY
A lawyer for the court-appointed trustee liquidating Bernard Madoff's firm confirmed they have located an additional $75 million in Madoff assets -- a figure that would put the total above $1 billion. A lawyer for the court-appointed trustee also said Monday that French authorities are moving to seize Mr. Madoff's residence in France, to satisfy claims by victims in that country. The residence in Cap d'Antibes, France, was valued at about $1 million, according to a statement of Madoff's assets as of Dec. 31, 2008.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123784325783017823.html

-Bill Would Limit Corporate Campaign Fund Raising
By ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON
Democratic leaders, riding public sentiment against corporate influence in Washington, will attempt to rein in the role of corporations and lobbyists in fund raising for congressional elections. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat, is set to introduce a bipartisan bill this week that would give congressional candidates the option of financing their campaigns partly through a public fund, in exchange for limiting their funding from corporate political-action committees.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123785115127819203.html

-Message to Iran Shows Strategy Shift
Write to Gerald F. Seib at jerry.seib@wsj.com
When President Barack Obama sent a video message to Iran marking the Persian New Year last week, it ran to just 556 words. But that brief message spoke volumes about the strategy that lies behind his oft-repeated pledge to reach out to Tehran.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123783781669516971.html

-Three Companies to Back Proposal on Union Bill
By KRIS MAHER
Three big retailers are expected to back an alternative proposal next week on a hotly contested bill that would make it easier to unionize workplaces, a move some experts said would bolster the legislation's chance of passage. Costco Wholesale Corp., Starbucks Corp. and Whole Foods Market Inc. are supporting the alternative proposal, according to someone familiar with the effort. Ray Krupin, a management labor lawyer in Washington said the most likely compromise would allow employees to unionize if 70% of them sign union-authorization cards, as opposed to 50% as currently proposed in the Employee Free Choice Act.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123759435215100809.html


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

-Why Iran is angry
Most Americans vilify Iran and somehow don't know or have forgotten that, in 1953, the United States toppled a democratically elected government there and installed the shah to get a better deal on -- and control of -- its oil. The shah spent decades terrorizing and killing his own people using state police trained by the CIA. That is why there was so much anger toward the United States when Iranians took our diplomats hostage. During the most recent Bush administration, a huge U.S. armada was positioned off Iran, and there was a formidable military build-up. Is Iran not supposed to feel threatened? Iran has not attacked a country in 400 years. Can the United States or Israel claim that they haven't attacked anyone in the past 10? Once again, too many Americans have been trained to hate an entire people that has suffered from our actions. I am glad that President Obama is reaching out. He needs to take concrete action, such as withdrawing the armada and not unconditionally backing Israel. JOHN A. STARNES JR., Tampa
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/964579.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Go back into hiding, GOP begs Dick Cheney
By Molly K. Hooper
Congressional Republicans are telling Dick Cheney to go back to his undisclosed location and leave them alone to rebuild the Republican Party without his input. Displeased with the former vice-president's recent media appearances, Republican lawmakers say he's hurting GOP efforts to reinvent itself after back-to-back electoral drubbings.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/go-back-into-hiding-gop-begs-dick-cheney--please-2009-03-23.html

-No Retreat, No Surrender
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Obama's reeling a bit, but the larger challenge is to take on those who would indefinitely delay health care reform, energy conservation, and the expansion of educational opportunities. President Obama's biggest task at his news conference on Tuesday will not be to defend Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner or to push aside the administration's bungling of the AIG bonus imbroglio. It will be to challenge Washington's habit of evading substantive issues by transforming them into procedural questions.
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=45f9beca-37fe-48f4-9748-1595bd4091ee

-EPA says global warming a public danger
By H. JOSEF HEBERT
The White House is reviewing a proposed finding by the U.S. environmental agency that global warming is a threat to public health and welfare.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090323/BREAKINGNEWS/90323053/1006/NEWS01


=

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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - March 24, 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~~

Dolphin Democrats

-This weekend at the Pridefest, the Dolphin Democrats got 300 voters (exactly) to take the Pledge for Obama. This is the most pledges at one event in the state of Florida this weekend according to Organizing for America State Leader John Bivona. We also got 112 voters to sign the Fair Districts Florida petitions to end gerrymandering. The Dolphins would like to express our heartfelt thanks for the many members who gave freely of their time to put us at the forefront of the state. Now we need to do it again at the Pridefest of the Palm Beaches next week! Please contact Tim Ross at browdempartyP4@bellsouth.net if you can help us next weekend from Noon to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday. We would like to get close to 450 pledges next weekend.

-Gainesville City Commission amended its Human Rights Ordinance to include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity - just like 8 other cities or counties have done around the state of Florida. Now the far right is trying to take those rights away -- and there's a vote on March 24 that could do just that! If they do it in Gainesville, WHERE ELSE IN FLORIDA IS NEXT? Please help us make call from the GLCC in Ft. Lauderdale monday March 23 evening this week from 5:45pm to 9pm Call JD Camp at (954) 802-2202 in advance to schedule. Time is running out and we really do need your help. A couple of hours can make a world of difference to protect the few advances made here in Florida for the GLBT community. Tuesday, March 24th --Election Day in Gainesville -- could be D-Day. We have one day left to take action. Will you help

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Florida GLBT Democrats - SAVE THE DATES
July 17 thru July 19, 2009
The summer conference of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus will be held in fabulous Key West, Florida.
We will make our first return to the city where we began the revitalization of the Caucus. Please watch the website for information.
www.floridaglbtdemocrats.org

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A message from Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
A little more than a year ago, after I found a lump in my breast while doing a routine self-exam, my doctor diagnosed me with breast cancer. After my diagnosis, it seemed like there were a million different decisions I had to make. My doctor's initial recommendation, because I found the lump so early and it was less than a half centimeter, was to simply have the cancer removed, followed by radiation. However, after sitting down with a nurse educator who asked me many, many questions about my personal and family health history, I also decided to have a blood test that would show whether I had a genetic alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Although I have no immediate familial history with cancer I was informed that, as a woman of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, I was in a category of at-risk populations for the gene mutation. I learned that there is an 85 percent lifetime risk for a woman who doesn't have breast cancer, but tests positive for this genetic mutation. For a woman who tests positive and already has breast cancer, there is a 65 percent risk that cancer will affect the healthy breast. Because I was young and diagnosed with breast cancer, there was an indication I might carry the gene, although it was again thought unlikely. Several weeks after the successful removal of the tumor, my doctor advised me that I carry the BRCA2 genetic marker that suggests a greater susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancers. After careful consideration, and further consultation with my doctors and my husband, I decided to have a double mastectomy and have my ovaries removed, to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of cancer. As any breast cancer patient will tell you, it is a time when you feel you have very little control. I chose to manage my breast cancer and get through the last year privately, with my family and close friends around me. I also chose to wait to tell my young children until recently. After consulting with my doctors, I knew that I could get through the surgeries and procedures and make it very unlikely that I would have a recurrence. I wanted to be able to tell my children with a clear conscience that their Mommy would be okay. This week in Washington, with a clean bill of health and cancer-free, I plan to introduce the EARLY Act, which seeks to educate young women on the risk factors for breast cancer, why certain populations are more likely to be at risk, and ways that young women can be proactive in lowering their risks. The legislation also seeks to help young women diagnosed with breast cancer deal with the issues unique to their fertility, and the social ramifications young women face. Some people might say I was lucky. While I certainly was fortunate enough to have access to good health care, I didn't find my tumor early because of luck. I found my tumor early because of knowledge and awareness. I knew that I should perform breast self-exams, and I was aware of what my body was supposed to feel like. We need to ensure that every young woman in America can rely on more than luck. Their survival depends on it.
Sincerely, Debbie

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Lambda Legal in Fort Lauderdale
2009 Annual Reception honoring Tony Timiraos and featuring Janice Langbehn
Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 5:00 - 7:30 pm
Join fellow Lambda Legal supporters alonside Executive Director Kevin Cathcart for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at the historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens - 900 North Birch Road - Fort Lauderdale. This event has limited capacity. To ensure your admission, please reply as soon as possible to Rick Hill at 786-473-6126 or purchase tickets online. All reservations will be held at the door.
http://ga4.org/lambdalegal/events/fortlauderdale09/details.tcl


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

-Updated: Women In Network's 14th annual charity golf tournament to be April 25 - Men are welcome at this event.
Please join us for the Women In Network's 14th Annual Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Gilda's Club of S. Florida Pace Center for Girls Broward and Palm Beach Counties Alzheimer's Family Center, Margate, FL on April 25, 2009. We will have a great day of golf at the beautiful Palm-Aire Country Club & Resort in Pompano Beach, FL (www.palmairecountryclub.com). The event will include a 4-person scramble, Buffet and awards receptions following the golf. Register now and remember to invite your friends to play. Just click on "Tell a Friend" and you can send them a link to this site automatically. Thank you for your support of the Gilda's Club of S. Florida Pace Center for Girls Broward and Palm Beach Counties Alzheimer's Family Center, Margate - April 25, 2009 -1:00 pm
Palm-Aire Country Club & Resort


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

-De Rossi talks 'Ted,' Ellen and babies
BY SCOTT COLLINS
As half of one of the most famous gay couples in the country, Portia de Rossi is still working to decipher the mixed messages American culture is sending her way. On one hand, the actress' marriage to talk-show queen Ellen DeGeneres has won enough popular acceptance that tabloids speculate about whether De Rossi will soon bear the couple's first child through in-vitro fertilization.
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/tv/story/960318.html


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

JustNews.com
http://www.justnews.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Fla. Law Interferes With Cuba Travel Regulations
A Florida law that would make it more expensive for travel agents to book trips to Cuba interferes with existing federal regulation of travel to the communist island, according to a report by the U.S. Justice Department. In the 35-page opinion issued Friday, the Justice Department said the Sellers of Travel Act also interferes "with the federal government's ability to speak for the United States with one voice in foreign affairs."
http://www.justnews.com/news/18987430/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000203232009&ts=H

=

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#####

NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - March 23, 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:

-Most of the Seventh Grade Will Be at the Commitment Ceremony
By SUSAN DOMINUS
Sometimes the best news is that a story makes no news. In the fall of 2008, the supporters of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative meant to ban gay marriage in the state of California, fell on a lucky break: video of first graders whose class parents had arranged for them a trip to city hall, where they celebrated their female teacher's marriage to another woman, a ceremony over which the mayor of San Francisco presided. Gay-marriage opponents cried indoctrination, and the ensuing controversy provoked so much outrage that it has been considered important in squashing opposition to the ban. (The California Supreme Court is currently weighing the constitutionality of the proposition.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/nyregion/23bigcity.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse


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

-Tonight: Finale of 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
Big hopes for hometown [Miami] girl Rebecca Glasscock
By Dan Renzi
We'll be in front of our TVs tonight (or setting our TiVos) to cheer on Rebecca Glasscock, the Fort Lauderdale contestant on LOGO's "RuPaul's Drag Race," the reality competition pitting drag performers against each other in a battle to the death. They don't actually die, of course, but losing this battle is almost as sorrowful.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#24618


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

-Christian Hotel Owners Sued for Anti-gay Discrimination
A gay couple in England filed a lawsuit against Christian hotel proprietors who refused to let the men stay together in the same room. Martyn Hall and his civil partner Steven Preddy are seeking £5,000 in damages for "direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation," according to the Daily Mail.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76101.asp

-Gay Marriage and Transgender Rights Take Spotlight in New Hampshire
By Julie Bolcer
Bills to legalize gay marriage and to expand nondiscrimination laws to include transgender individuals are expected to be the emotional focus of the New Hampshire legislature this week. The House Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 10-10, on voting for both bills last week. The split votes mean that each bill will reach the full chamber floor without a recommendation.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid76094.asp


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

-Video: Portia de Rossi says sorry for 'selfish' gay marriage
Lesbian actress Portia de Rossi has appeared in a short clip to send up opponents of gay marriage. When she appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show last Friday, the star, who married Ellen Degeneres last August, offered up a tongue-in-cheek public service announcement.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11709.html

-Muslim preacher calls for gays to be stoned to death
Hate preacher Anjem Choudary launched a vitrolic attack on gays last week in which he said that they should be stoned to death. The former lawyer added that this would include gay business secretary Lord Peter Mandelson.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11708.html

-Spanish trans man pregnant with twins
A Spanish man who was born female has said he is pregnant with twins after a course of fertility treatment. Ruben Noe Coronado, 25, plans to bring up the babies with his partner Esperanza Ruiz, 43.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11704.html


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

-Barney Frank: Antonin Scalia is a 'Homophobe'
Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer | CNSNews
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said in an interview Friday on 365gay.com that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a "homophobe." "At some point, [the Defense of Marriage Act] is going to have to go to the United States Supreme Court," Frank said. "I wouldn't want it to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court." Frank also said in the interview that he thinks President Barack Obama will reverse the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. military. "Absolutely," Frank said, concerning the policy. Read more

-Ayslum Judge: Gay Man "Was Never Physically Harmed" By Rape
Jim Burroway | Box Turtle Bulletin
How many women's groups would remain silent over a case like this? Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who married an American citizen in Massachusetts and was later forced to return to Brazil. The man, Genesio Oliveira, has been separated from his husband, Tim Coco, since August 2007, when he left the country after his request for asylum and an appeal were denied. Mr. Oliveira asked for asylum in 2002, saying he was raped and attacked by a physician as a teenager in Brazil and feared persecution because of his sexuality. The Associated Press does not typically name rape victims, but Mr. Oliveira has spoken openly about his case. In a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Mr. Kerry said that Immigration Judge Francis L. Cramer had found Mr. Oliveira's testimony to be credible and his fear of living in Brazil genuine. However, the judge denied the asylum claim, saying he "was never physically harmed" by the rape, the letter said. Mr. Kerry called the ruling "outrageous." Genesio now lives in a small apartment in Brazil, just blocks away from the man who raped him. He mostly stays in the apartment, afraid to go out. Read more

-A Battle Hymn for Gay Marriage
D. Allan Kerr | Sea Coast Online
There's a segment of our society that would suggest homosexuals are my enemy; this same segment tells homosexuals I do not believe in their cause. These are individuals who believe other people should be prevented from exercising the same rights they themselves enjoy - even if these other people pay their taxes, contribute to society, and obey the laws of the land. A bill recently introduced into the Maine Legislature would allow residents to marry someone of the same sex, presumably if they are both consenting adults. Now those supporting and opposing the measure are each marshalling their forces for battle in the months ahead - the battle for your heart, your mind and your vote. Both sides will claim to speak for the majority, but in the end you will most likely have the opportunity to speak for yourself. I have nothing to gain from this proposal. I am euphorically heterosexual, married to a partner who is quite literally the woman of my dreams. We have three strong sons and a little girl with the twinkling face of an angel who will celebrate her first birthday this very weekend. Read more

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

-Gallery | Capacity crowd screens 'Pedro,' MTV biopic of Miami AIDS activist Pedro Zamora (1972-1994)
Previously: Years after his death, AIDS activist Pedro Zamora is celebrated on film -"Love is unconditional and God created Pedro for a reason" -
sister Mily
Zamora to the audience after a screening Sunday night of the film Pedro at the Colony Theater, Miami.
Pedro will be simulcast at 8 p.m. April 1 on MTV, MTV TR3S, mtvU and LOGO with an introduction by former President Bill Clinton. It will be released June 9 on DVD. Here's a gallery of photos before and after the screening.


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Iranian Queer Organization News [IRQO]
http://www.irqo.org/

-New bill in the Iranian Parliament affecting LGBT bloggers.
Last year, a new by-law was introduced in the Iranian parliament which states that bloggers that spread atheism and prostitution in their weblogs will be executed. This bill is dangerous for LGBT bloggers who communicate about their homosexual identity and their rights as a homosexual and simply express their ideas through their weblogs. In the eyes of the law this is considered inappropriate and comparable to prostitution and will cause unfair persecutions on LGBT bloggers. If this bill is passed a judge can rule capital punishment, without consulting a higher court. In March 2009, government media in Iran reported the arrest of a number of bloggers who were accused of conducting a "velvet" revolution (activity conducted by a group that promotes their agenda in a peaceful manner). This arouses deep concern for gay bloggers who are not protected or supported by any group including human rights groups in Iran.
http://www.irqo.org/PDFs/IRQOnewsletter0309.pdf

-Europe still refuses to believe in "honor killing."
In Turkey, UNHCR lawyers are familiar with the concept of honor killing, however in Germany a judge refused to believe that a person's own family could kill him because of being an LGBT. An Iranian LGBT refugee when faced with deportation explained to the judge that he would be killed by his own uncle, but the judge did not believe him. This means that European judges and immigration authorities are unfamiliar with Iranian culture and Sharia law.
http://www.irqo.org/PDFs/IRQOnewsletter0309.pdf

-Campaigners in over 50 countries are gearing up to mark the 5th International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17th. Amongst events and initiatives already announced in the UK are the launch of a major international campaign against transphobia, and "the largest, organised same sex hand-holding event in the world". The IDAHO committee in conjunction with "Transgender Europe" and "Gender Dynamix" have launched an international appeal "to reject transphobia and respect gender identity" and there is an on-line petition to sign. Derek Lennard, IDAHO-UK Campaigner explained "In the UK, we will focus on human rights and violations against trans people around the world, and work with other campaigners to publicise and celebrate the services which do exist , and identify the many gaps in service provision". Professor Stephen Whittle commented "Press for Change welcomes the IDAHO campaign and we will be working closely with them". (Details of the campaign can be seen on www.idahomophobia.org. If you support the aims of this campaign, please indicate your support on www.idaho.org.uk.) Details of IDAHO-UK events can be found on www.idaho.org.uk


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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if you can't access the article

-Time for movement to look inward
Coping with and surviving recession should be our top priority right now.
By JOAN GARRY
LAST WEEK I was interviewed for the Pride month episode of "In The Life." We talked specifics and we talked strategy. The last question posed was, "What is the most important issue you think will affect our community in the next few years?" There are a number of ways to answer this question, many of which place the ball in someone else's court: How will the Obama administration move on our issues? Will the LGBT people on the inside of the administration help move us forward? Will donors continue to support our organizations in this time of economic crisis? But now it's time to look inward - at the decisions we can actually control - and, more specifically, at the decisions the organizations that represent us can control.
http://www.washblade.com/2009/3-20/view/columns/14258.cfm

-European Union Pressures Serbia to Adopt "Gender Identity" Legislation
Serbia's legislature has just passed a law providing for "freedom of expression of sexual orientation and gender identity" under pressure from the European Union (EU) and non-governmental organizations advocating homosexual rights. Passage of the legislation is understood to be a precondition for further Serbian reintegration with Europe, including the right to participate in an EU-wide visa waiver program allowing Serbs to travel freely among EU member states. Proponents claim that the law, which also contains an array of human rights protections for minority groups like gypsies (or "Roma"), would help Serbia meet the "Copenhagen Criteria" - a checklist for EU membership that includes stable democratic institutions and human rights guarantees.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032014.html


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FLORIDA DIGEST - March 23, 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~~

Dolphin Democrats

-This weekend at the Pridefest, the Dolphin Democrats got 300 voters (exactly) to take the Pledge for Obama. This is the most pledges at one event in the state of Florida this weekend according to Organizing for America State Leader John Bivona. We also got 112 voters to sign the Fair Districts Florida petitions to end gerrymandering. The Dolphins would like to express our heartfelt thanks for the many members who gave freely of their time to put us at the forefront of the state. Now we need to do it again at the Pridefest of the Palm Beaches next week! Please contact Tim Ross at browdempartyP4@bellsouth.net if you can help us next weekend from Noon to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday. We would like to get close to 450 pledges next weekend.

-Gainesville City Commission amended its Human Rights Ordinance to include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity - just like 8 other cities or counties have done around the state of Florida. Now the far right is trying to take those rights away -- and there's a vote on March 24 that could do just that! If they do it in Gainesville, WHERE ELSE IN FLORIDA IS NEXT? Please help us make call from the GLCC in Ft. Lauderdale monday March 23 evening this week from 5:45pm to 9pm Call JD Camp at (954) 802-2202 in advance to schedule. Time is running out and we really do need your help. A couple of hours can make a world of difference to protect the few advances made here in Florida for the GLBT community. Tuesday, March 24th --Election Day in Gainesville -- could be D-Day. We have one day left to take action. Will you help

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Florida GLBT Democrats - SAVE THE DATES
July 17 thru July 19, 2009
The summer conference of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus will be held in fabulous Key West, Florida. We will make our first return to the city where we began the revitalization of the Caucus. Please watch the website for information.
www.floridaglbtdemocrats.org


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A message from Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
A little more than a year ago, after I found a lump in my breast while doing a routine self-exam, my doctor diagnosed me with breast cancer. After my diagnosis, it seemed like there were a million different decisions I had to make. My doctor's initial recommendation, because I found the lump so early and it was less than a half centimeter, was to simply have the cancer removed, followed by radiation. However, after sitting down with a nurse educator who asked me many, many questions about my personal and family health history, I also decided to have a blood test that would show whether I had a genetic alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Although I have no immediate familial history with cancer I was informed that, as a woman of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, I was in a category of at-risk populations for the gene mutation. I learned that there is an 85 percent lifetime risk for a woman who doesn't have breast cancer, but tests positive for this genetic mutation. For a woman who tests positive and already has breast cancer, there is a 65 percent risk that cancer will affect the healthy breast. Because I was young and diagnosed with breast cancer, there was an indication I might carry the gene, although it was again thought unlikely. Several weeks after the successful removal of the tumor, my doctor advised me that I carry the BRCA2 genetic marker that suggests a greater susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancers. After careful consideration, and further consultation with my doctors and my husband, I decided to have a double mastectomy and have my ovaries removed, to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence of cancer. As any breast cancer patient will tell you, it is a time when you feel you have very little control. I chose to manage my breast cancer and get through the last year privately, with my family and close friends around me. I also chose to wait to tell my young children until recently. After consulting with my doctors, I knew that I could get through the surgeries and procedures and make it very unlikely that I would have a recurrence. I wanted to be able to tell my children with a clear conscience that their Mommy would be okay. This week in Washington, with a clean bill of health and cancer-free, I plan to introduce the EARLY Act, which seeks to educate young women on the risk factors for breast cancer, why certain populations are more likely to be at risk, and ways that young women can be proactive in lowering their risks. The legislation also seeks to help young women diagnosed with breast cancer deal with the issues unique to their fertility, and the social ramifications young women face. Some people might say I was lucky. While I certainly was fortunate enough to have access to good health care, I didn't find my tumor early because of luck. I found my tumor early because of knowledge and awareness. I knew that I should perform breast self-exams, and I was aware of what my body was supposed to feel like. We need to ensure that every young woman in America can rely on more than luck. Their survival depends on it.
Sincerely, Debbie

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Lambda Legal in Fort Lauderdale
2009 Annual Reception honoring Tony Timiraos and featuring Janice Langbehn
Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 5:00 - 7:30 pm
Join fellow Lambda Legal supporters alonside Executive Director Kevin Cathcart for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at the historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens - 900 North Birch Road - Fort Lauderdale. This event has limited capacity. To ensure your admission, please reply as soon as possible to Rick Hill at 786-473-6126 or purchase tickets online. All reservations will be held at the door.
http://ga4.org/lambdalegal/events/fortlauderdale09/details.tcl


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

-Updated: Women In Network's 14th annual charity golf tournament to be April 25 - Men are welcome at this event.
Please join us for the Women In Network's 14th Annual Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Gilda's Club of S. Florida Pace Center for Girls Broward and Palm Beach Counties Alzheimer's Family Center, Margate, FL on April 25, 2009. We will have a great day of golf at the beautiful Palm-Aire Country Club & Resort in Pompano Beach, FL (www.palmairecountryclub.com). The event will include a 4-person scramble, Buffet and awards receptions following the golf. Register now and remember to invite your friends to play. Just click on "Tell a Friend" and you can send them a link to this site automatically. Thank you for your support of the Gilda's Club of S. Florida Pace Center for Girls Broward and Palm Beach Counties Alzheimer's Family Center, Margate - April 25, 2009 -1:00 pm Palm-Aire Country Club & Resort


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

-De Rossi talks 'Ted,' Ellen and babies
BY SCOTT COLLINS
As half of one of the most famous gay couples in the country, Portia de Rossi is still working to decipher the mixed messages American culture is sending her way. On one hand, the actress' marriage to talk-show queen Ellen DeGeneres has won enough popular acceptance that tabloids speculate about whether De Rossi will soon bear the couple's first child through in-vitro fertilization.
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/tv/story/960318.html


~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~

JustNews.com
http://www.justnews.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Fla. Law Interferes With Cuba Travel Regulations
A Florida law that would make it more expensive for travel agents to book trips to Cuba interferes with existing federal regulation of travel to the communist island, according to a report by the U.S. Justice Department. In the 35-page opinion issued Friday, the Justice Department said the Sellers of Travel Act also interferes "with the federal government's ability to speak for the United States with one voice in foreign affairs."
http://www.justnews.com/news/18987430/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000203232009&ts=H


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#####

GLBT DIGEST - March 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.


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

-Kerry Requests Asylum in Case of Gay Man
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, has asked the Obama administration to grant asylum to a gay man who married an American citizen in Massachusetts and was later forced to return to Brazil.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/us/politics/22asylum.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse


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

-'Pedro' tells story of Miami AIDS activist Pedro Zamora
By Steve Rothaus
Fifteen years after Miami's Pedro Zamora became a national symbol for living with HIV - and dying of AIDS - a new drama about his life will soon debut on the network that made him a reality TV star. Pedro, a film written by Dustin Lance Black, who won an original-screenplay Oscar for Milk, will be simulcast April 1 on four MTV networks. The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival will screen the film Sunday night at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-li22-pedro-reviewsbmar22,0,4057906.story

-Sneak peek at the choreography session of RuPaul's Drag Race
Courtesy of LOGO
Watch as Fort Lauderdale native Javier (Rebecca Glasscock) tries to learn a routine. He's the one wearing the green scarf.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/custom/offbeat/sfl-032209-drag-race-video,0,6811379.story


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

-One-third of HIV sufferers 'face discrimination'
A survey has suggested that one-third of people living with HIV experienced discrimination relating to their status in the last year. It also found that discrimination was compounded by homophobia, racism or asylum and immigration-related prejudice.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11687.html


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

-Bishop T.D. Jakes Sexuality Back in the Spotlight
Rev. Irene Monroe | Windy City Times
When preachers pontificate too much from on High about the sins of homosexual sex, the cautionary tale is to be careful of what you say, because your words invariable will come back to bite you, as we have seen with fallen evangelical star the Rev. Ted Haggard. For Bishop T. D. Jakes, the internationally known African-American evangelical star dubbed as the Black Billy Graham, his rantings against homosexuality have come back to bite him in the form of his oldest son's recent arrest. On Jan. 3, Jermaine Jakes was arrested in a sex sting for openly soliciting gay sex from an undercover vice detective in a public park just a few blocks from his father's church, The Potter's House, a 30,000-member megachurch in Dallas, Texas. The arrest warrant affidavit filed by Dallas police detectives on Jermaine Jakes stated the following: Read more

-Pastor John Hagee's Re-Branding
Bill Berkowitz | Buzz Flash
It may not be as fascinating, macabre or downright titillating as Michael Jackson's upcoming comeback tour, nor as carefully crafted, and all-consuming, as Richard Nixon's efforts to rehab his image with the public, nevertheless Pastor John Hagee's upcoming sojourn to the nation's capital is geared toward drawing crowds and headlines as well as providing a redemptive opportunity of a sort. While Jackson will be trying to moonwalk his way back into the hearts of his fans, Hagee's comeback revolves around re-stating his support for Israel while at the same time hoping that the mainstream media has forgotten about his outrageous remarks stating that God sent Hitler as a way of expediting the return of the Jews to Israel. And in the hopes of creating a theatrical moment, Hagee, who presides over the 19,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, is the chief executive officer of the non-profit corporation Global Evangelism Television (GETV), the president of John Hagee Ministries, and is a best-selling author, plans to deliver something called "The Israel Pledge" "to our newly elected leaders in Washington, D.C." when he arrives in the nation's capital next week. A recent e-mail from Strang Publications - the publisher of a host of conservative evangelical publications including Charisma News Online, Strang Report, Power Up, New Mane Magazine, The Ministry Today Report - urged its readers to support Hagee by signing on to something being called "The Israel Pledge." The "Pledge," according to Hagee, "provides you with the opportunity to express your support for Israel's right to exist and to defend itself from terrorism. Your signature will help send a strong message that American Christians are standing with Israel at this critical juncture": Read more

-Marriage Push in Maryland
Yusef Najafi | Metro Weekly
Michael Lacey used to be a private person. On Wednesday, March 11, speaking in front of a crowd of about 30 people in a meeting room of the Lowe House Office Building near the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, Lacey explained how his life has changed since August when his partner of nearly 24 years, Ira Kaye, died as the result of an automobile injury. "I always felt . that as a citizen of Maryland that I had greater rights and equality than I certainly had in the state of Virginia. But with Ira's passing . I really came to understand that it just really is not enough." Lacey shared his story during a press conference in support of legislation to secure marriage equality in Maryland. Read more

-Pulling Out the PFLAG Stops
Will O'Bryan | Metro Weekly
Washington is home to many national GLBT organizations working for equality on nearly every front. When you look at the lineup for one organization's upcoming gala - with Broadway and TV's Cheyenne Jackson, Alan Cumming of Hollywood and stages on either side of the Atlantic, and West Hollywood City Council member and Mayor John Duran who will serve as emcee - it seems as though it must be one of those national organizations. But no. This March 21 fete is a local affair. Granted, it is for the world's largest chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), but it's exclusively the baby of Metro-D.C. PFLAG, working locally for GLBT equality, from schoolyards to Senate halls. "We certainly have more star power this year," says executive director Lindy Garnette, adding there will be greater opportunity to mix and mingle with the celebrities, what with the VIP reception happening after the gala rather than prior. Read more

-Will Gay Couples' Marriage Vows Survive California Court Review?
GEOFFREY A. FOWLER | Wall Street Journal
The California Supreme Court is weighing an incendiary question: Should it recognize the gay couples who married last year, when same-sex marriage was briefly legal? Within the next 10 weeks, the court is expected to rule on a petition to overturn the state's voter-mandated gay marriage ban, called Proposition 8. Legal scholars and even many gay-marriage advocates say the justices' questions during a March 5 hearing leave little doubt that the court will allow the ban to stay, partly out of respect for California's voter initiative process. Read more


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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:

-European Union Pressures Serbia to Adopt "Gender Identity" Legislation
Serbia's legislature has just passed a law providing for "freedom of expression of sexual orientation and gender identity" under pressure from the European Union (EU) and non-governmental organizations advocating homosexual rights. Passage of the legislation is understood to be a precondition for further Serbian reintegration with Europe, including the right to participate in an EU-wide visa waiver program allowing Serbs to travel freely among EU member states.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032014.html


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#####

NATIONAL & WORLD NEWS - March 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:

-Mr. Obama and the Rule of Law
As much as it needs to happen, we never expected President Obama to immediately reverse every one of President George W. Bush's misguided and dangerous policies on terrorism, prisoners, the rule of law and government secrecy. Fixing this calamitous mess will take time and care - and Mr. Obama has taken important steps in that direction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/opinion/22sun1.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

-Obama Responds to Criticism From Cheney
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
President Obama has hit back at former Vice President Dick Cheney, calling Bush administration policy on detainees at the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, "unsustainable."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/us/politics/22obama.html?hp

-Chávez Trims Budget to Offset Low Oil Revenues
By SIMON ROMERO
CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chávez announced a series of economic measures Saturday night, including a reduction in this year's federal budget and a modest increase in the value-added tax, that are aimed at offsetting a recent plunge in the government's oil revenues.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/world/americas/22venez.html?hp

-Sudan Scholars Urge President to Stay Home
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- Sudan's Islamic scholars have issued a religious edict calling on the president not to travel to an Arab summit because of the international warrant against him on war crimes charges, state media reported Sunday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/03/22/world/AP-ML-Sudan.html

-Despair over financial policy
by Paul Krugman
The Geithner plan has now been leaked in detail. It's exactly the plan that was widely analyzed - and found wanting - a couple of weeks ago. The zombie ideas have won.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/despair-over-financial-policy/

-A Religious War in Israel's Army
By ETHAN BRONNER
JERUSALEM - The publication late last week of eyewitness accounts by Israeli soldiers alleging acute mistreatment of Palestinian civilians in the recent Gaza fighting highlights a debate here about the rules of war. But it also exposes something else: the clash between secular liberals and religious nationalists for control over the army and society.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/weekinreview/22BRONNER.html?hp


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

-Obama's Campaign Army on Road Again
Volunteers Rally Support for Budget Plan
By Peter Slevin and Michael Laris
As she headed into the morning sunshine to talk up President Obama's $3.6 trillion budget proposal, Althea Thomas counted herself a citizen and a partisan picking up where she left off Nov. 4, backing the president she helped elect. "It's the change we all voted on," said Thomas, one of about 40 volunteers who fanned out from the Democratic Party headquarters here with clipboards, pledge cards and a sense of mission that flowed from their support of Obama when he was a candidate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/AR2009032102249.html?hpid=topnews

-5 Myths on Nuclear Power
By TODD TUCKER
Thirty years ago this week, a chain of errors and equipment malfunctions triggered the defining event in the history of American nuclear power: the accident at Three Mile Island. Although no one died and the health consequences were insignificant, the mishap was vivid confirmation that things could go wrong with a nuclear reactor. It almost instantly galvanized popular opposition to this form of power, giving rise to lingering misconceptions about one of our nation's largest sources of electricity. 1. Three Mile Island killed the idea of nuclear power in the United States.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032001781.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

-To: Detroit, From: Pittsburgh
By John G. Craig Jr.
The bottom was falling out of this city's economy in 1979, but you'd never have known it from the face we presented to the world. The Pirates were singing "We. Are. Famil-ee" and winning the World Series. Three months later, the Steelers beat the Rams in Pasadena to take a fourth Super Bowl. And what had been "The Steel Capital of the World" started calling itself the "City of Champions" instead.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/12/AR2009031202480.html

-Women Ensnared By Iran
By Haleh Bakhash
To celebrate the Persian New Year, President Obama sent a videotaped message to the people of Iran. But his references to a "new day" for relations between Washington and Tehran may not be heard by many women there. Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old Iranian American freelance journalist from Fargo, N.D., has been in the infamous Evin prison for more than a month. The regime announced two weeks ago that it had completed its investigation of Saberi and reportedly planned to release her in "a few days." Saberi's arrest and delayed release are the latest twists in a frightening pattern of harassment and detainment of women and dual nationals by Iran's Intelligence Ministry, whose clout and reach have expanded under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The ministry is behind a stepped-up campaign to silence female writers, journalists and peaceful activists.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/20/AR2009032003000.html


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Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-Irony Board
How many ways can Senate Republicans show intellectual hypocrisy?
By Dahlia Lithwick
Let's stipulate: You hate our nominees, and we hate yours. Our nominees are all godless baby killers and terrorist lovers. Yours are all God-crazed rights suppressors and misogynists. Fine. But isn't it also the case that when you reverse, rewrite, or undermine every rule and standard you've ever laid out for measuring the fitness of a presidential nominee, you become ridiculous-period?
http://www.slate.com/id/2214233/

-The virtues of public anger and the need for more
GGreenwald@salon.com
With lightning speed and lockstep unanimity, opinion-making elites jointly embraced and are now delivering the same message about the public rage triggered this week by the AIG bonus scandal: This scandal is insignificant. It's just a distraction. And, most important of all, public anger is unhelpful and must be contained or, failing that, ignored.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/03/21/anger/

-What's Behind Dick Cheney's New Attacks?
By Bobby Ghosh
Dick Cheney has never had any qualms about defending the Bush Administration's war on terrorism or criticizing Democrats' alternative approaches to national security. But the former Vice President's vitriol-spewing turn on CNN last Sunday has left many in Washington wondering if it was about more than just protecting his legacy.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1886603,00.html

-Misplaced outrage won't solve economic crisis
By Steven Pearlstein
We're angry. We're frustrated. We feel cheated and abused. We're not going to take it anymore. But then again, we don't have much choice, do we? Sure, we can demand that a few more heads roll on Wall Street or at the Treasury, or that a few hundred million are clawed back from financiers who never deserved it. But the reality is that no matter what we do now, tens of trillions of dollars in wealth have been lost. All that's left is simply an elaborate exercise in settling up the accounts.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/markets/article985767.ece


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#####

FLORIDA DIGEST - March 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 GENERAL NEWS~~

Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:

-As Florida shifts to solar, a fight looms
By Zac Anderson
Billions of dollars are at stake in a battle under way in Florida over who profits from the pending expansion of solar energy: Big energy companies or individuals and businesses with extra roof space. Solar power is poised to hit the big time in Florida with the expected passage next month of a new energy law requiring power companies to generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, including the sun, by 2020. The mandate should provide a huge boost to Florida's nascent renewable energy industry.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090322/ARTICLE/903221081/0/SPORTS0501

-Imagine . . . the terrible result of not attending to the needs of Florida's community colleges
By E. Ann McGee, Chuck Mojock and Sandy Shugart
Imagine two new state universities suddenly surfacing in Florida over the past year, without any state support. Inconceivable? That's essentially what has happened throughout Florida's community college system. Over the past 12 months, our state's 28 community colleges have found a way to serve nearly 100,000 new students at the same time our budgets have been reduced.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpmyword22colleges032209mar22,0,3310354.story


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