Saturday, October 10, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - October 09, 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:

Sarkozy Popularity Dips Amid Minister Sex Scandal
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS (AP) -- The sex scandal surrounding France's culture minister has come at a bad time for President Nicolas Sarkozy whose popularity among voters took another dip, according to a poll published Friday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/09/world/AP-EU-France-Culture-Minister.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/

French Culture Minister Refuses to Resign Over Paid Sex Trysts
By Katrin Bernhold
The culture minister is facing growing calls for his ouster stemming from a 2005 autobiography in which he admitted to paying for sex with “young boys” in Thailand.
http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/world/europe/09france.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/

House Votes to Expand Hate Crimes Definition
By CARL HULSE
The House voted Thursday to expand the definition of violent federal hate crimes to those committed because of a victim’s sexual orientation, a step that would extend new protection to lesbian, gay and transgender people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/us/politics/09hate.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

Women more likely to be expelled under 'don't ask'
By LISA LEFF
Pentagon officials won't speculate why women in uniform are more likely to be discharged from the armed services under "don't ask, don't tell," but critics of the policy say that new figures reflect deep-seated sexism in the armed forces.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100900799.html/

Polanski's Character Witness
This might be too much even for Gallic sensibilities: "President Sarkozy's new Culture Minister, Frédéric Mitterrand, was struggling to save his name and possibly his job last night amid a storm over his past accounts of paying 'boys' for sex," the Times of London reports.
"The nephew of the late President Mitterrand, who is openly gay, was thrown on the defensive after opposition politicians homed in on a memoir in which he described his delight in visiting brothels in Bangkok. 'I got into the habit of paying for boys. . . . The profusion of young, very attractive and immediately available boys put me in a state of desire that I no longer needed to restrain or hide,' he wrote.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/09/AR2009100901521_pf.html/

Mr. Obama's Duty
President Obama's speech Saturday to the Human Rights Campaign will undoubtedly be well written, well delivered and inspirational. But if promises and platitudes are all he has to offer, he can expect a cool reception. Many of the thousands expected to march on Washington this Sunday voted for Mr. Obama because he vowed action on specific policies that impact the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and its supporters.
Mr. Obama's vision for the country presumably does not include the Defense of Marriage Act or the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. It is time for him to make that vision a reality. Promises are no longer enough.
SKIP PERRY
Washington
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100803910.html/

Mother Bears Scars Of Grief in Limelight She Never Wanted
By Petula Dvorak
She makes herself do it. Judy Shepard doesn't enjoy talking in front of people, living a public life, giving speeches.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100803758.html/

Film Fests: You Want It, They've Got It
By Lavanya Ramanathan
This month, film festivals are as ubiquitous as pumpkin patches and haunted houses. The Arabian Sights fest imports award-winning features from Egypt, Iraq and beyond. If it's scares you seek, Spooky Movie serves up carnage with a side of laughs. Noir City DC will thrill the classic cinema lover, Reel Affirmations will spotlight more than 100 films with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes, and the DC Labor FilmFest, with movies about work and workers, fetes the 10th anniversary of "Office Space." Grab the popcorn, here's the rundown:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100801239.html/

Who Will Be the Duke of URL?
By Al Kamen
Contest time! An item Wednesday noted that the Justice Department had rebranded its Web site and gone to a more logical, user-friendly address -- http://justice.gov instead of http://usdoj.gov.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804536.html/

A Right to Have and to Hold
The D.C. Council takes a major step toward legalizing same-sex marriage.
BY INTRODUCING the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009, D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At-Large) has started the District's long-awaited effort to permit same-sex marriage. The bill is short on pages, but its impact on the lives of gays and lesbians, and on the advancement of civil rights generally, is immeasurable.
Think of this as part two of a considered strategy by Mr. Catania and the council. The first was passage of a law earlier this year that recognized same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. An effort to nullify the measure before it took effect in the spring failed when the Board of Elections and Ethics ruled that a referendum on the subject could not go on the ballot because it violated the District human rights law's prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation. A similar fate most likely awaits a proposed ballot initiative that would "provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized" in the District. As D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles wrote to the board this week, "asking voters to distinguish between same-sex and opposite-sex marriages, which are legally indistinguishable in the jurisdictions where the marriages were performed, authorizes, or has the effect of authorizing, discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation."
Ten of 13 council members, including Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray, are sponsoring the bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District. The legislation would honor the Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom by stating that no member of the clergy or official of a nonprofit religious group would be required to solemnize any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. The District's domestic partnership registry would sunset on Jan. 1, 2011. Those who are currently domestic partners would be able to apply for and receive a marriage license free of charge.
A public hearing will be held on Oct. 26. A vote of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary is expected next month, with a full vote of the council possible by mid-December. Then, as with all District laws, Congress has to review the same-sex marriage statute. If we're to believe the Capitol Hill chatter, Congress is unlikely to thwart its implementation. We hope that proves true. Same-sex marriage is legal in four states -- Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. New Hampshire's law goes into effect Jan. 10. If the District's elected representatives want it to join their ranks, as it should, Congress should not interfere.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100803637_pf.html/

Rights Still to Be Won
By Julian Bond
The civil rights struggle for legal equality in America today is no less necessary, nor worthy, than a similar struggle fought by blacks several decades ago. Now, as then, Americans are denied rights simply because of who they are. When lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans gather in Washington on Sunday for the National Equality March, they will invoke the unfulfilled promise in our Constitution that they, too, are due equal protection under the law.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100803292.html/

For Gay Marriage, the Maine Event Is Low-Key
By Jason Horowitz
Canvassers are knocking on the doors of saltbox houses and slogans are pinned to yellow slickers. But outside the Pine Tree State, next month's referendum on gay marriage is the vote that dare not speak its name.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100804152.html/

Saved by the Blog
Divorced and unemployed, Jayne Lytel created sexy, sharp-witted 'Ann Powers.' Now it looks as if her alter ego is here to stay.
By Ylan Q. Mui
Rocker Adam Lambert is getting a lot of press for losing the top job on American Idol. He's featured on the current cover of US Weekly above a headline that blares, "I'm Gay." Thank you US for pointing that out, but I think we all knew that given Adam paints his nails black, and that's a dead giveaway. I wish everyone else got as much attention for losing their jobs as Adam. Our headline would read, "I'm F--'d." ... To honor us common folk, US should start a new publication, Dumped Weekly, at least its subscriber base is growing compared to other publications in trouble.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100204237_pf.html/

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

A Search for a Surrogate Leads to India
By MARGOT COHEN
On their third trip to India, Rhonda and Gerry Wile finally heard a sound they thought they might never hear: the heartbeat of their unborn child. Four nerve-racking months after that joyful ultrasound moment, their son arrived on Aug. 26 at 10:22 p.m. weighing 2.7 kilograms and sporting wisps of dark hair. They named him Blaze Xennon Wile, the middle name chosen from a book of baby names that gave its meaning as "from a foreign or faraway land."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704252004574459003279407832.html/

WIRE WATCH: Further Deliberations on Afghanistan, Push for Financial Protection Agency, Obama Addresses Gay Group, Clinton Heads to Moscow
By Susan Davis
Third Verse, Same as the First: President Barack Obama will hold another meeting today with his national security team to discuss strategies for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates forwarded a request for as many as 40,000 more troops to the president on Wednesday.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/10/09/wire-watch-further-deliberations-on-afghanistan-push-for-consumer-protection-agency-obama-addresses-gay-community-clinton-heads-to-moscow/

House Expands Hate Crimes Law To Protect Gay Victims
By Nathan Koppel
Congress appears on the verge of some major law making, as the House yesterday passed legislation that would make it a crime to assault people because of their sexual orientation.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/10/09/house-expands-hate-crimes-law-to-protect-gay-victims/

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

Gay-rights pioneer's nephew to lead Orlando pride parade
By Jeff Kunerth
When he was 9 and did not yet know he was gay, Stuart Milk was given a book by his uncle, who inscribed it with a Native American saying: "You are the medicine the world needs. It's your individuality that the world needs and that is very powerful medicine." The book was a present. The message was a gift that lived on long after his uncle, Harvey Milk, was killed in 1978.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/orl-gay-pride-parade-100909,0,2534235.story/

Orlando gay rights group to hear from Obama official
The Associated Press
A day before President Obama is set to address the nation's largest gay rights group, the highest-ranking openly gay official in his administration is talking to advocates of workplace equality in Orlando.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-orlando-gay-rights-bn100909,0,2408888.story/

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

Nineteen-year-old Levi Johnston, father of Sarah Palin's grandson, to pose for Playgirl
By RACHEL D'ORO, Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Levi Johnston is going for the ultimate exposure - the 19-year-old father of Sarah Palin's grandchild will pose nude for Playgirl, his attorney said Wednesday.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/nineteen-year-old-levi-johnston-father-of-sarah-palins-grandson-to-pose-for-playgirl.html/

TGIF -- Thank GLAAD It’s Friday -- begins Oct. 23 at Eden Roc hotel in Miami Beach
From GLAAD:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), launches its 2009 “Thank GLAAD It’s Friday” (TGIF) series in South Florida, starting October 23rd at the magnificent Eden Roc Resort & Spa in Miami. The TGIF program, which takes place in premier venues across the country, is a vital component in GLAAD’s efforts to change cultural attitudes and build the public support necessary to achieve full and lasting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. As expected of Eden Roc and Miami, there will be celebrities, fashionistas, luxury raffle prizes, complimentary cocktails from sponsor Absolut Vodka and delectable Flori-bean cuisine from the resort’s extraordinary outdoor restaurant. Equally important, TGIF Series Pass holders will receive a one-year membership to GLAAD, and hear updates on how GLAAD is working to amplify the voice of the LGBT community and raise awareness of LGBT issues. For more information, you can visit www.glaad.org/tgifsouthflorida1.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/tgif----thank-glaad-its-friday----begins-oct-23-at-eden-roc-hotel-in-miami-beach.html/

Pet Project for Pets launches Craig Cohen Animal Advocacy Project (CCAAP) in memory of slain Oakland Park man
BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Deidra Bergmann of Pet Project for Pets sent me this very sad final photo of Craig Cohen and his beloved pet dog, Eddie. . . . .
A candlelight vigil will be held for Cohen on Oct. 15 in Wilton Manors. Here’s a message from Bergmann:
Dear Friends & Businesses
As a collaborative action, the Pet Project for Pets/CCAAP and Gay American Heroes along with other local groups and business are planning a candle light vigil and walk in Wilton Manors on Thursday Oct 15, 2009 starting 6:30pm. We will meet in the parking lot of Georgie’s Alibi 2266 Wilton Drive. Wilton Manors, FL 33305 There will be a short presentation with Craig’s family, co-workers and community leaders, followed by candle light walk down Wilton Dr, starting in Georgie’s Alibi parking lot. We invite you to join us.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/pet-project-for-pets-launches-craig-cohen-animal-advocacy-project-ccaap-in-memory-of-slain-oakland-park-man.html/

Screen Actors Guild members, staff support National Equality March in Washington, D.C.
News release from Screen Actors Guild:
Los Angeles (October 9, 2009) - Screen Actors Guild announced today that members of the Guild, SAG's National LGBT Actors Committee, and SAG staff will join grassroots activists from around the country in Washington D.C. October 10-11, 2009. Thousands of fair-minded Americans are expected to come together in our nation's capital this weekend for Equality Across America's National Equality March.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/screen-actors-guild-members-staff-support-national-equality-march-in-washington-dc.html/

Pew Research poll: Majority continues to support civil unions, most still oppose same-sex marriage
News release from Pew Research Center (scroll to bottom to read full report):
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report based on a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that a clear majority of Americans favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples, a status commonly known as civil unions. This finding marks a slight uptick in support for civil unions and appears to continue a significant long-term trend since the question was first asked in Pew Research Center surveys in 2003, when support for civil unions stood at 45%.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/pew-research-poll-majority-continues-to-support-civil-unions-most-still-oppose-same-sex-marriage.html/

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

Big-name Dems are no-shows to race for NYC mayor
Prominent Democrats have been noticeably absent in this year's New York City mayoral race, with no real interest in trying to compete with Michael Bloomberg.
BY SARA KUGLER
A Democrat is struggling to unseat the mayor of the nation's largest city, but top party leaders are staying on the sidelines.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/story/1273686.html/

Rights still to be won
BY JULIAN BOND
The civil rights struggle for legal equality in America today is no less necessary, nor worthy, than a similar struggle fought by blacks several decades ago. Now, as then, Americans are denied rights simply because of who they are. When lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans gather in Washington Sunday for the National Equality March, they will invoke the unfulfilled promise in our Constitution that they, too, are due equal protection under the law.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/inbox/story/1274378.html/

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

American Veterans for Equal Rights
Convention Oct. 14-18 in FTL
By STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
On Oct. 14-18, the national convention for AVER, the American Veterans for Equal Rights, will take place in Fort Lauderdale. AVER is a non-profit, national organization of active members and veterans of our armed forces who work to bring full and equal rights and treatment to all present and past members of the U.S. military regardless of sexual orientation.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/10-8/news/localnews/6349.cfm/

Broward House fights for city funding
Secures $4.5 million contract for services from Fort Lauderdale
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
One of South Florida’s largest HIV/AIDS service providers has secured a $4.5 million contract from the city of Fort Lauderdale after a long-fought process that brought out a lot of anger, emotions and success stories from the community.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/10-8/news/localnews/6348.cfm/


WilMa Arts Walk under new management
Stores and galleries plan activities for events
By BOB KECSEMETY
411 Magazine, Copy This and Trapezoid will together be sponsoring a new series of arts and crafts events along The Drive they are tentatively calling “Arts Walk.” These are planned replace what were known as the Island City Art Walk.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/10-8/news/localnews/6353.cfm/

No gay reggae in the MIA
GLBT activists protest concert
By DMITRY RASHNITSOV
In 1988 as a 15-year-old up and coming reggae singer, Buju Banton wrote a song titled, “Boom Boom Bye,” in which his lyrics told gay men he would like to, “burn him up bad like an old tire wheel,” or shoot them with an Uzi or an automatic weapon.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/10-8/news/localnews/6350.cfm/

We march because ...
Congress has been negligent in its responsibility to enact laws that would end anti-gay bias
By Robert York & Ilona Kadar
ON SUNDAY OCT. 11, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from across the United States will be joined by family and friends in Washington D.C., for the National Equality March.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/10-8/view/editorial/6355.cfm/

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

Montana Court Stands up for Gays
By Neal Broverman
The Montana supreme court has ruled in favor of a lesbian who sued her former partner for parental rights of the children they helped raise together. The 6-1 decision came down Tuesday granting parental rights to Michelle Kulstad of Missoula, who helped raise a boy and a girl with Barbara Maniaci during their 10-year relationship. After the relationship ended in 2006, Kulstad sued to maintain parental rights to the children. Maniaci, the legally adoptive parent of the children, is now married to a man.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/08/Montana_Court_Stands_Up_for_Gays/

These Precious Things
Monster’s Ball producer Lee Daniels mines the shadows for cinematic gems in his second directorial effort, and even Oprah Winfrey is a fan.
By Lisa Kennedy
“Do you think I can direct happy movies?” asks filmmaker Lee Daniels. It’s a heartfelt question for this master of painful, redemptive cinema.
http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Film/These_Precious_Things/

Louisiana Fights to Keep Gay Dads off Birth Certificate
By Andrew Harmon
Two gay dads who successfully sued the state of Louisiana for refusing to put both fathers' names on the birth certificate of their adopted son are now fighting an appeal by the state to overturn the ruling.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/08/Louisiana_Fights_to_Bar_Gay_Dads_off_Birth_Certificate/

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

Bisexual visibility on National Coming Out Day
By 365gay Newswire
The Bisexual Index, a network of activists, will honor National Coming out Day with badges that can be posted on blogs and social networking sites.
http://www.365gay.com/news/bisexual-visibility-on-national-coming-out-day/

House passes defense authorization report, including hate crimes
By 365gay Newswire
From an HRC press release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the conference report for the FY 2010 Defense Authorization bill by a vote of 281 to 146, bringing critical hate crimes protections closer to becoming law than ever before.
http://www.365gay.com/news/house-passes-defense-authorization-report-including-hate-crimes/

FDA panel backs expanded use of Pfizer HIV drug
By The Associated Press
Federal health advisers said Thursday that Pfizer’s HIV drug Selzentry should be approved for use by patients who have not already taken other drugs to combat the virus.
http://www.365gay.com/news/fda-panel-backs-expanded-use-of-pfizer-hiv-drug/

Letter from Atlanta: What’s happened since the gay bar raid
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
In the month since the Sept. 10 raid on the Eagle Atlanta, it is now clear the raid was not only homophobic in nature, but a violation of patrons’ Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Over 20 formal complaints have been filed with the Atlanta Police Department and an equal number are expected to be filed with the Atlanta Citizen Review Board over the next weeks.
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/letter-from-atlanta-whats-happened-since-the-gay-bar-raid/

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

Turkey blocks access to gay websites
Turkey has blocked two of its largest LGBT websites. Users of sites such as hadigayri.com and gabile.com are finding that instead of regular homepages, they are seeing messages stating that the site has been blocked by the Telecommunication Directorate.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/09/turkey-blocks-access-to-gay-websites/

Student creates new gay gaming survey
Two years after the first 'Gaymer' survey, a student has released a new version to find out more about what lesbian, gay and bisexual players want from their video games.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/09/student-creates-new-gay-gaming-survey/

US House approves Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill
The US House has agreed to approve a bill that would include LGBT people in federal hate crime laws. It is named the Matthew Shepard Bill after the murdered gay teenager.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/09/us-house-approves-matthew-shepard-hate-crimes-bill/

Gay hand-holding campaigner wins award at Downing Street
The founder of A Day in Hand, which encourages LGBT people to hold hands in public, has been honoured with an award at Downing Street.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/09/women-make-up-disproportionate-amount-of-gay-military-firings/

Stephen Fry's drama Kingdom axed by ITV
Gay broadcaster Stephen Fry has had his ITV drama series axed. Kingdom, which is screened on Sunday evenings, was dropped as part of cost-cutting measures. The last series ended in July.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/09/stephen-frys-drama-kingdom-axed-by-itv/

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

CA: Action Alert: Urge Governor to sign LGBT bills
With only six days left to sign or veto legislation, extreme right-wing groups have launched a new round of attacks on legislation to protect LGBT Californians.
Randy Thomasson and his group, Campaign for Children and Families, just sent out an urgent appeal to their members seeking funds to make nearly a quarter million phone calls. In their words, “it’s now or never.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10517/

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Representative to Cosponsor the Safe Schools Improvement Act, H.R. 2262
The Safe Schools Improvement Act currently has 80 bipartisan
cosponsors in the House of Representatives. HR 2262 will amend the
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, which supports
programs that prevent violence and drug use in and around schools in
order to foster a safe and drug-free learning environment that
supports student academic achievement.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10515/

IL: Activist Score Victory as Police Powers Removed from Anti-Gay Cop
For Immediate Release: Thursday, October 8, 2009
For Information: Andy Thayer, co-founder, Gay Liberation Network, 773.209.1187, LGBTliberation@aol.com
Activists Score Victory
As Police Powers Removed
From Anti-Gay Cop
CHICAGO — Late yesterday activists with the Gay Liberation Network (GLN) learned that Town Hall District Police Officer Richard Fiorito had been placed on desk duty pending the resolution of numerous charges against him.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10514/

A Step in Faith
Brent Childers | Newsweek Web Exclusive \ Newsweek
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans are a diverse, extraordinary, resilient, and passionate group of forgiving men and women. I wouldn’t be standing beside them demanding full and equal treatment under the law and speaking out against the harm caused by religion-based bigotry at the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11 if I thought they were not created in God’s image the same as myself, same as my family, as we all are—we are all God’s children.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10513/

Protests Against Human Rights Coalition and National Equality March: Homosexual Marriage, Sin, and Redemption
“The Homosexual Marriage Movement and the Child-killing movement are the ‘Cultural Axis of Evil,’ and must be defeated. President Obama is again showing his contempt for his Christianity.” Randall Terry, Director, Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /Christian Newswire/ — The following is submitted by Randall Terry, Director, Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10510/

TWO’s Wayne Besen Appears On FOX’s O’Reilly Factor
Wayne Besen \ Truth Wins Out
Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen appeared on FOX news channel’s O’Reilly Factor to discuss Obama’s upcoming Big Gay Speech at the Human Rights Campaign dinner. See Video
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10509/

US Census Bureau Reaches Out to GLBT Community
Rick Braatz \ Staff Reporter \ Gay & Lesbian Times
Published Thursday, 08-Oct-2009 in issue 1137
Representatives for the U.S. Census Bureau hosted an outreach forum to inform the GLBT community about its upcoming 2010 count, last Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10508/

Our Single Demand
Gay & Lesbian Times
As President Barack Obama plans to address the Human Rights Campaign fundraising dinner gala Saturday in an effort to appease an uneasy Democratic constituency frustrated with the White House’s slow pace, we urge him to listen to the thousands of men and women who will be marching and rallying just outside his doorstep.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10507/

Three LGBTTIQQ25 Groups Join Forces to Shatter Communication and Cultural Barriers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Three LGBTTIQQ2S groups join forces to shatter communication and cultural barriers
(October 8, 2009 TORONTO) The rainbow flag is a coveted symbol that celebrates diversity, but for many people who are Deaf, deaf, deafened or hard of hearing and for new Canadians, cultural and communication barriers within the LGBTTIQQ2S community can be remarkably isolating.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10506/

=

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

Thursday, October 08, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - October 08, 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:

Field Poll: Brown Has Big Lead in Calif Gov's Race
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A new Field Poll shows California Attorney General Jerry Brown with a strong lead in next year's race for governor, even before he's declared himself a candidate and despite months of campaigning by his Democratic rival and three Republicans vying for their party's nomination.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/08/us/AP-US-California-Governors-Race.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=gay&st=cse

Sarkozy Aide Defends Minister Over Gay Sex Tourism
PARIS (Reuters) - A senior aide to French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday defended Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, who is facing calls for his resignation for having written about paying boys for sex in Thailand.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/10/08/world/international-uk-france-mitterand-sex.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse

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

No Laughing Matter
By Howard Kurtz
Call it the Fred Armisen effect. I don't think he does a very good Obama impersonation; a flat affect seems to be the only comedic arrow in his quiver. But "Saturday Night Live" is a good cultural bellwether.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100801022.html

DEAR AMY
I read with interest the letter from the parents who think their son could be gay. They don't know how to approach him about his sexuality. I may be better qualified to advise them than you.To the couple, I would say: Do nothing. Say nothing.
Your son is either gay or he is not gay. Eventually he will tell you in his own way, either by introducing a companion or in another manner.
A man who is young and gay has enough stress to deal with without added family disapproval. Keep in mind that he did not choose his sexuality, and you two did nothing to influence it -- except that the genes you passed on to him dictated it.
Clasp him firmly in the family bosom and give him all the love you have; he will need it.
Extend that love to his companion, if he chooses one. Remember, they will be as dear to each other as you two are.
I speak from long experience. I am 85 years old and have been with my chosen companion for nearly 50 years.
I live in a community where there are many gay couples that have been together from 15 to 60 years. We lead fairly happy lives for people of our age. It is a good life. -- Been There
DEAR BEEN THERE: I often hear from people on both sides of this challenging issue. There is no one or easy way to make a disclosure about sexuality, and parents don't always know how to handle the news.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/28/AR2009092802662_2.html

Gay Marriage Bill Introduced in District
Dozens of Activists on Both Sides of Same-Sex Marriage Debate Crammed Into D.C. Council Chambers
By Tim Craig
Washington Post staff writer Tim Craig will be online Thursday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the gay marriage bill to allow same-sex couples to wed in the District, which was introduced by City Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) on Tuesday
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/10/07/DI2009100703040.html

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

Virginia's Race Now a Page-Turner
By COREY DADE
RICHMOND, Va. -- Mimi Herrington hosted a dozen women at her home recently for what might have appeared to be a neighborhood book club. But this was more of a literary clobbering: It was designed to pound Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell for a graduate-school thesis in which he criticized career women and encouraged government discrimination against homosexuals.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125496002194772107.html/

A Search for a Surrogate Leads to India
By MARGOT COHEN
On their third trip to India, Rhonda and Gerry Wile finally heard a sound they thought they might never hear: the heartbeat of their unborn child. Four nerve-racking months after that joyful ultrasound moment, their son arrived on Aug. 26 at 10:22 p.m. weighing 2.7 kilograms and sporting wisps of dark hair. They named him Blaze Xennon Wile, the middle name chosen from a book of baby names that gave its meaning as "from a foreign or faraway land."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704252004574459003279407832.html/

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

Man dies six months after attack outside Oakland Park diner
Craig Cohen, 47, was beaten by two men who stole his cell phone
By Joel Marino
A man severely beaten near an Oakland Park diner six months ago died Wednesday, never having regained consciousness, his friends and co-workers said.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/oakland-park/sfl-diner-robbery-death-b100709,0,5904072.story/

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

Gay activist-donor Charles Merrill calls for cancellation of National Equality March, says organizers have socialist ties
News release from Charles Merrill:
Protesting Socialist Ties, Merrill Calls for Cancellation of National Equality March
He originally donated thousands of dollars in support of the National Equality March on Washington, D.C., coming up on Oct. 11, 2009, but today, artist, gay activist and author Charles Merrill (http://www.merrillcharles.com) is calling upon the gay community to cancel the march.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/gay-activist-donor-charles-merrill-calls-for-cancellation-of-national-equality-march-says-organizers-have-socialist-ties.html

Going to the National Equality March this weekend? Please send me an e-mail about your plans
If you’re going to the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., this weekend, please send me an e-mail and let me know your plans. Thanks!
srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Look forward to hearing from you!
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/going-to-the-national-equality-march-this-weekend-please-send-me-an-e-mail-about-your-plans.html/

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

Levi Johnston to Pose Nude for Playgirl
By Julie Bolcer
Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin’s grandson, will pose nude for Playgirl, his attorney said on Wednesday. Details of the arrangement remain to be fleshed out, according to the Associated Press.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/08/Levi_Johnston_to_Pose_Nude_for_Playgirl/

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

Results of Utah gov. meeting with gay rights groups
By The Associated Press
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert met with gay rights advocacy groups Tuesday for the first time since saying he opposes providing legal protections for gay and transgender people.
http://www.365gay.com/news/results-of-utah-gov-meeting-with-gay-rights-groups/

Obama picks openly gay lawyer for ambassadorship
By The Associated Press
President Barack Obama said Wednesday he planned to nominate an openly gay lawyer as the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa. If confirmed by the Senate, David Huebner would become the third openly gay ambassador in U.S. history and the first pick by this administration. In a statement released from the White House, Obama said he looked forward to working with Huebner and is confident he will represent the United States well in the Pacific
http://www.365gay.com/news/obama-picks-openly-gay-lawyer-for-ambassadorship/

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

Cameron praises civil partnerships but prepares to put Iain Duncan Smith in charge of families
Tory leader David Cameron has cited civil partnerships for gay couples as a good thing. However, he said that former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith would lead the way in mending "broken society".
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/08/cameron-civil-partnerships-a-good-thing/

PinkNews.co.uk poll: Will you vote Conservative?
Following David Cameron's speech this afternoon at the Conservative Party Conference, we want to know how our readers feel about the party.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/08/pinknews.co.uk-poll-will-you-vote-conservative/

Police release CCTV images of homophobic attack suspects
Police have released images of two women they are seeking in connection with a homophobic attack in Trafalgar Square last month. A 62-year-old man is still in hospital with serious head injuries.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/07/police-release-cctv-images-of-homophobic-attack-suspects/

French culture minister urged to resign over sex with boys
Frederic Mitterrand, the French culture minister, is facing calls for his resignation after writing in a 2005 autobiography about paying boys for sex.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/08/french-culture-minister-urged-to-resign-over-sex-with-boys/

Gay man admits trying to poison lesbian neighbours
A gay man who gave his lesbian neighbours a curry laced with slug pellets was involved in a long-running feud with them. Gary Stewart, 37, told magistrates in Manchester that he had attempted to poison Marie Walton and Beverley Sales but denied making threats to kill.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/08/gay-man-admits-trying-to-poison-lesbian-neighbours/

Gay businessman is frontrunner for ITV boss
Sir Michael Bishop, the openly gay businessman, has been tipped as the next chairman of ITV. The former head of airline BMI is now in pole position to take over Michael Grade's role after Sir Crispin Davis announced he was withdrawing from the race.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/08/gay-businessman-is-frontrunner-for-itv-boss/

Mary Cheney pregnant with second child
Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of former US vice-president Dick Cheney, is pregnant with her second child. She had her first baby, Samuel David, in 2007.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/07/mary-cheney-pregnant-with-second-child/

Stonewall chief Ben Summerskill says Tories are monitoring Polish allies' homophobia
Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill has said he has been reassured by the Conservative Party that it is checking past statements made by its European allies for homophobia. He also denied he had been "used" by Labour when he pulled out of a gay Tory event last night.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/07/stonewall-chief-ben-summerskill-says-tories-are-checking-polish-allies-homophobia/

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

The High Cost of Queer
Jennifer Vanasco \ Independent Gay Forum
It is expensive to be gay. How expensive? We didn’t know. We did know that committed gay couples had fewer rights than committed straight ones. We knew this meant we paid more for health insurance, that we couldn’t share our partner’s social security benefits, that we had to pay estate taxes that straight couples didn’t.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10476/

Marriage Licenses Now Available in NH for Gays
Associated Press \ Boston Herald
Gay couples can now apply for marriage licenses in New Hampshire — though the unions can’t be performed until Jan. 1 when the state’s law legalizing the unions takes effect.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10475/

Gov. Schwarzenegger Urged to Veto Bill Honoring Homosexual Activist
The Christian Post \ Dakota Voice
Lawrence D. Jones
Christian Post Reporter
Social conservatives are calling upon Christians in California to rally against a bill that – if passed – would pressure schools into honoring the late Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in a major city.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10474/

Georgia High School Boots Student for Crossdressing
Queers United
Jonathan Escobar, 16 of Georgia’s North Cobb High School in Kennesaw has been kicked out due to the fact that he wears female attire. Jonathan maintains the school originally had no problem with the fact that he cross dresses but only told him to stop after a student harassed him. The school then said he was in violation of their dress code and that the outfits were “causing a disruption and that he needs to dress more manly” if he wants to continue attending the school.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10473/

NC: Gay Candidate Loses in Raleigh Council Election
Matt Comer \ Q-Notes
October 7th, 2009
A well-run campaign utilizing new media and promoting technology and development for downtown Raleigh wasn’t enough to secure victory for a young, openly gay candidate in Raleigh Tuesday.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10472/

Hearing on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”–Rep. Patrick Murphy on Our Side; Anderson Cooper Holds Choi v. Donnelly Debate
Isabell James \ Lez Get Real
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) held a special hour on the House floor on Tuesday, to discuss the detrimental impact of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the need to repeal it. An Iraq war veteran, Murphy is the lead sponsor of H.R. 1283, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act which is a bill that would replace DADT with a policy of nondiscrimination throughout all branches of the military.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10470/

House Hears About Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell–and from Rep. Gohmert
Chris Geidner \ Law Dork
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D- PA, 8th Dist, House site) is leading a special order speeches hour on the House floor to discuss the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He says there are three main reasons that we need the repeal:
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10469/

LA: US Court of Appeals Hears Arguments in Lambda Legal’s Case Seeking Birth Certificate for Child Adopted by Two Fathers
Lambda Legal
A three-member panel of federal judges in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard today from attorneys on both sides regarding Lambda Legal’s lawsuit against the Louisiana Registrar of Vital Statistics for refusing to respect the New York adoption by a same-sex couple of a Louisiana-born baby boy.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10468/
DC: Catholic University Denies LGBT Support Group on Campus
Amanda Hess \ The Sexist \ Washington City Paper
Yesterday, local Catholic university Georgetown took on LGBT acceptance at the really Catholic local U., the Catholic University of America.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10466/

Science Fiction Meets Religious Oppression
Peterson Toscano
So many people who hear me talk about the Ex-Gay Movement and my many varied failed attempts to “de-gay” myself think I am making this stuff up–total fiction. Add to it the Evangelical world view, some evil spirits, generational curses and football clinics–well it sounds downright nutty.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10465/

Middle School-Age Youth More Open to Coming Out; Exodus Youth Respond
Emily K \ Ex-Gay Watch
The New York Times published an article detailing experiences of middle school-age children (roughly ages 11-14) who were open about their sexuality. Chris Stump of Exodus Youth responded with this article. In the Times article, we learn that while some might not experience their gradeschool years free of conflict concerning their sexuality, they are much more likely to be accepted or simply left alone about their orientation. These kids date, have boyfriends and girlfriends, and can talk openly about their crushes – no matter their gender – with their friends and peers. One 13-year-old who came out did so because when he realized he was attracted to other boys, he did not want to go through a period of miserable isolation. He chose instead to be sexually honest and open about his attractions. In response, several of his girl friends told him they were bisexual.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10464/

Ex-Gay Michael Glatze: Obama is ‘Utterly Disgusting Because He is Black’
David Roberts \ Ex-Gay Watch
Some may remember Michael Glatze from his ex-gay debut a couple of years ago. Formerly co-editor of XY Magazine, Glatze and boyfriend of ten years, Benjie Nycum, set out in 2004 to found YGA, another magazine designed for GLBT Youth. Nycum and Glatze also co-authored the book XY Survival Guide while still working with XY in 2000. YGA seems to have published only six issues and stopped publication after 2006.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10463/

Aetna Recognized by Gay and Lesbian Medical Association for Efforts to Improve Health and Well-Being of LGBT Community
At the annual conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), Aetna (NYSE:AET - News) received an achievement award for its work in improving the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. The GLMA Achievement Awards recognize efforts to improve the quality of health care for LGBT individuals, to improve the workplace environment for LGBT health care workers and to advance LGBT civil rights. GLMA Achievement Awards are given without regard to recipients’ sexual orientation or gender identity.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10461/

CA: Sunset Entertainment Group Cancels Buju Banton Concert Following Public Outcry
PR Newswire
“Faggots. . . have to die” Singer’s Oct. 15 Show at Cabana Club Called Off
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Once again, an outcry from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has convinced promoters to cancel a scheduled performance by notoriously anti-gay reggae singer Buju Banton, whose appalling lyrics have glorified the violent murder of gay and lesbian people. Hours after the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center launched a public campaign, Sunset Entertainment Group (SEG) announced the cancellation of Banton’s show scheduled for its Cabana Club on Oct. 15.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10459/

=

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

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - October 07, 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:

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
To the Editor: Your Oct. 4 editorial “The Damage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” citing a scholarly Department of Defense-approved essay by Col. Om Prakash, is irrefutable in terms of logic, science, civil rights or concern with combat readiness. Only the bigoted or uninformed mind can fail to grasp the reality. I saw nothing in 27 years of active-duty United States Army service, including nine years of wartime service in Vietnam, that justifies continued discrimination against gays in the United States military, or that ever did. Arguments alleging negative impact on “unit cohesion” were also used against integrating African-Americans. President Harry S. Truman courageously overcame such bigoted sophistry; we should do the same today.
Andre Sauvageot
Reston, Va., Oct. 4, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/opinion/l07gay.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse

Washington Council to Consider Same-Sex Marriage
By IAN URBINA
WASHINGTON — City Council members introduced legislation Tuesday to allow same-sex marriage here. If it passes, as expected, Washington would be the first city below the Mason-Dixon line to allow such unions. The city’s bill is expected to become law by December.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/us/07marriage.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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

A Fitting Nats' Tribute -- and Ella for a Grand Slam
Regarding the Oct. 6 Sports story "Nationals Prepare for Offseason Makeover": As a gay man and a longtime booster for bringing Major League Baseball back to the District, I had mixed emotions when the new stadium for the Washington Nationals required displacing several gay-oriented entertainment businesses, especially Ziegfeld's, home of Washington's own "hurricane on heels," the performer who calls himself Ella Fitzgerald. I've always felt that some sort of monument or plaque, commemorating the importance of the stadium site in D.C.'s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) history, should have been incorporated in the stadium's design. After witnessing my Nats stumble through another dismal season, I have a suggestion to end the curse. Install a plaque illustrating the LGBT history of the stadium near the main gate and invite Ella to lip-synch the national anthem on opening day 2010.
GEORGE STRAUSBOUGH
Washington
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/06/AR2009100603475.html

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

Going to the National Equality March this weekend? Please send me an e-mail about your plans
If you’re going to the National Equality March in Washington, D.C., this weekend, please send me an e-mail and let me know your plans. Thanks!
srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Look forward to hearing from you!
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/going-to-the-national-equality-march-this-weekend-please-send-me-an-e-mail-about-your-plans.html

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

Being famous has nothing to do with it
By LEONARD PITTS JR.
lpitts@MiamiHerald.com
Somebody please help me with this. Obviously, I'm missing something. So we've got a 43-year-old man who takes a 13-year-old girl into a hot tub. According to the girl, this is what follows: He gives her part of a Quaalude and some champagne. He gets into the hot tub, naked. She flees to a bedroom. He follows. He puts his mouth to her vagina. He removes her panties. He asks if she is on the pill. She is not, and he asks if she wants him to penetrate her anally instead. She says no. He does anyway. During all this, she's begging him to stop.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/1270206.html

Wrong venue
This letter is not an attempt to curb anybody's freedom of speech or a personal attack on the James L. Knight Center, which will host a reggae artist whose lyrics promote violence against the gay and lesbian community -- not just peripherally or symbolically. The lyrics literally urge fans and listeners to go out and beat, hang and burn gay people. It is a message urging violence. Is this really what we need in Miami, where, just a few months ago, the City Commission unanimously approved a domestic-partnership ordinance for city employees? There is still time for the city to do the right thing. Let Buju Banton play in Miami if he wants -- if he can find a private venue willing to lose a tremendous amount of support from the large and affluent GLBT community in Miami. It includes many community, civic and business leaders who continue to push for sustainable economic development here.
VANESSA BRITO, Miami
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/1270212.html

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

Utah Gov. Herbert meets with gay rights groups
By The Associated Press
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is meeting with gay rights advocacy groups for the first time since saying he opposes providing legal protections for gay and transgender people.
http://www.365gay.com/news/utah-gov-herbert-meets-with-gay-rights-groups/

Microsoft donates $100 k for gay partners effort
By The Associated Press
Microsoft Corp. has donated $100,000 to the campaign supporting more partnership rights for Washington state gay couples.
http://www.365gay.com/news/microsoft-donates-100-k-for-gay-partners-effort/

Same-sex marriage bill in DC appears unstoppable
By The Associated Press
A bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the nation’s capital was introduced Tuesday, a measure that even opponents acknowledged seems almost unstoppable.
http://www.365gay.com/news/same-sex-marriage-bill-in-dc-appears-unstoppable/

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

Canadian gay man admits lying to donate blood
A gay man in Canada is suing the the country's blood services for barring him from donating blood. Kyle Freeman admitted in court this week that he had lied about his sexual history in order to undergo the procedure, which he believes is the "ultimate gift" a person can give.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/07/canadian-gay-man-admits-lying-to-donate-blood/

First official gay Tory party hailed a success
Spirit Bar in Canal Street was packed to its 650-person capacity last night as the Conservative Party held its first-ever official gay event. As the Tory-themed cocktails flowed, there was much speculation at the absence of Stonewall chief Ben Summerskill.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/07/first-official-gay-tory-party-hailed-a-success/

Cameron: 'Polish allies are not homophobic'
Tory leader David Cameron has said that his party's allies in Europe are not homophobic. Yesterday, an open letter from celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard and Ewan MacGregor urged Cameron to oppose the views of the Polish Law and Justice Party.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/07/cameron-polish-allies-are-not-homophobic/

Video: Stonewall chief pulls out of gay Conservative event in protest at David Cameron's 'homophobic' partners
Ben Summerskill, the chief executive of LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) rights charity Stonewall, has pulled out of attending and speaking at the Conservative Party's LGBT event to be held tonight. The decision follows the party's coalition with homophobic parties within the European Parliament.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/06/video-stonewall-chief-pulls-out-of-gay-conservative-event-in-protest-at-david-camerons-homophobic-partners/

Video: Stephen Fry says David Cameron has aligned himself with homophobes
A letter signed by celebrities including Ewan MacGregor, Stephen Fry and Jo Brand has asked Tory leader David Cameron to oppose the views of his party's new European allies. Fry tonight told Channel 4 News that Mr Cameron had aligned his party with an "unpleasantly homophobic nationalistic party in Poland and sharing their whip in Europe."
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/06/video-stephen-fry-says-david-cameron-has-aligned-himself-with-homophobes/

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

The Hunted
Matt McAllester \ The New Yorker
On a bright afternoon in late March, an 18-year-old named Fadi stood in a friend’s clothing store in Baghdad checking out the new merchandise. A worker in a neighboring store walked into the boutique with a newspaper in his hand and shared a story he had just read. It was about “sexual deviants,” he said. Gay men’s rectums had been glued shut, and they had been force-fed laxatives and water until their insides exploded. They had been found dead on the street.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10446/

OR: Recall Campaign Against Mayor Sam Adams Fails, But New One to Begin, Organizer Says
Mark Larabee, The Oregonian \ Oregon Live
Fredrick D. Joe/The OregonianCarol Dobrovolny tries to get passers-by to pull over and sign a petition to oust Portland Mayor Sam Adams earlier this summer. With a promised $100,000 and professional managers, the organizer of a recall against Mayor Sam Adams said Monday that he’ll try again after his first effort failed to gather enough signatures in three months.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10445/

Coming Out Week Offers Acceptance
The Maneater
Throughout the week, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning community will be trying to make it easier for people to come out in honor of Coming Out Week. A variety of events, from crafts to informative panels, are being held until Friday to coincide with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10444/

Obama’s Delicate Dance with Lesbian, Gay Community
DEVIN DWYER \ ABC News
As debates rage on health care, Afghanistan, and environmental policy, President Obama is about to take another step in his delicate dance with the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community — a group that continues to demand more presidential involvement in issues that affect its members.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10443/

US Immigration Law: Tearing Apart Life, Love & Home
Steve Ralls \ Huffington Post
On Sunday, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans - and their allies - will travel from nearly every corner of the country to converge on Capitol Hill and call on lawmakers to support full equality for the LGBT community. The event, named the National Equality March, comes on the heels of growing calls for the federal government to pick up the pace on civil rights legislation, such as recognition for LGBT couples, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and finally passing an inclusive employment non-discrimination act. Organizers say they are expecting tens of thousands - if not hundreds of thousands - of participants for the event.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10442/

Even Today, Coming Out is Still a Trial for Many
Danielle Kennedy \ Staff Writer \ The Retriever Weekly
It’s no secret that coming out is difficult. Obviously, some are prejudiced against people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Our own leaders don’t support gay marriage-President Obama, often called the most liberal member of the Senate during the 2008 presidential campaign, has expressed in interviews his belief in the sanctity of traditional marriage.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10441/

Bullied for Being ‘Gay’
The New York Times
Dr. Jeffrey Fishberger of The Trevor Project recently took readers’ questions about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Several readers had questions about young people who were bullied for either being gay or being perceived as gay.
A Youngster Teased for Being ‘Girlie’
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10440/

Action Alert: Tell Obama: Stop the Democratic Senators Kneecapping Health Care Reform
Dear Victoria,
On Tuesday, a number of Democrats in the Senate Finance Committee joined all of the Republicans in voting down three public option amendments.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10439/

Real Reform for the PATRIOT Act?
Julian Sanchez \ The American Prospect
George W. Bush may have left D.C., but the vast surveillance machine he spent eight years building via the PATRIOT Act hums merrily along. Whether or not that continues could well be determined today, as the Senate Judiciary Committee meets to mark up legislation renewing a series of PATRIOT Act powers due to expire at the end of the year. Barack Obama’s Justice Department has said it’s open to “modifications” of the expiring powers — but some Democratic legislators see an opportunity to revisit and revise the whole architecture of post-9/11 spying law.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10438/

The Human Cost of War: The Images the Corporate Media Dosen’t Want You to See
Liliana Segura, AlterNet
This past weekend, AlterNet had the privilege of hosting a screening of Robert Greenwald’s important new documentary, Rethink Afghanistan, in New York City. It was just one of several screenings to kick off an impressive nationwide campaign by Brave New Films to spread a crucial message about the war in Afghanistan: This is not the “good war” as we have been told by so many for so long. This is a losing battle, and it is costing us dearly: in billions of dollars, in thousands of lives, and in the eyes of the rest of the world.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10437/

Secret Plan to Ditch the US Dollar’s Dominance Uncovered
Robert Fisk, Independent UK \ AlterNet
In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10436/

=

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

Monday, October 05, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - October 05, 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
http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:

Florida’s Sharon J. Lettman named executive director of gay National Black Justice Coalition
News release from National Black Justice Coalition:
The National Black Justice Coalition Board of Directors today announced that they have chosen Sharon J. Lettman as the organization's new Executive Director. Headquartered in Washington, DC, The National Black Justice Coalition is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and ending racism and homophobia.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/floridas-sharon-j-lettman-named-executive-director-of-gay-national-black-justice-coalition.html

Obama to take on military gay ban at `right time'
Associated Press
National security adviser James Jones says the president is committed to taking on the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/10/obama-to-take-on-military-gay-ban-at-right-time.html


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

$467,562: The Lifetime Cost of Being Gay
By Julie Bolcer
Two business journalists for The New York Times examined the question of what it costs to be a gay couple, and found that the extra expenses occurred over a lifetime could total as high as $467,562.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/05/$467,562__The_Lifetime_Cost_of_Being_Gay/

Lesbian Arrested for $6 Mil Embezzlement
By Michelle Garcia
A gay rights activist from Des Moines has been accused of embezzling nearly $6 million from her employer Aviva, a global insurance company.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/10/02/Lesbian_Arrested_for_$6_Mil_Embezzlement/


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

Mother of boy Elton John hoped to adopt says she will not give him up
A woman who claims she is the mother of a 15-month-old Ukrainian boy Elton John has said she will not let the star adopt him. John said that Lev had stolen his heart.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/05/mother-of-boy-elton-john-hoped-to-adopt-says-she-will-not-give-him-up/

Former student supports gay White House staffer over condom comment
The former student of a gay White House official has released a statement in his support. Kevin Jennings, who is the head of the department's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, told the student 21 years ago that if he was having a relationship with an older man, he should be careful to use a condom.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/05/former-student-supports-gay-white-house-staffer-over-condom-comment/

UK: Stonewall forces DVLA to withdraw auction of 'anti-gay' numberplates
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has had to withdraw two personalised numberplates from an auction after gay rights charity Stonewall said they were offensive.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/05/stonewall-forces-dvla-to-withdraw-auction-of-anti-gay-numberplates/

Man arrested over 'homophobic' death of British honorary consul
A 23-year-old Jamaican man has been arrested over the death of a British honorary consul. John Terry, 65, was found dead at his home on the island in early September. It is thought the attack may have been motivated by homophobia.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/05/man-arrested-over-homophobic-death-of-british-honorary-consul/

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

Seven out of Ten LGBT Adults, Given the Choice, Prefer Jobs in States That Recognize Same-Sex Marriages
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seven out of Ten LGBT Adults, Given the Choice,
Prefer Jobs in States That Recognize Same-Sex Marriages
One in five LGBT adults also say the economy has influenced their openness about sexual orientation with co-workers and colleagues
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10378/

GA: Court Date for Atlanta Eagle Employees Reset
DYANA BAGBY and Matt Schafer | Southern Voice
The arraignment of eight Atlanta Eagle employees arrested during a raid of the bar by the Atlanta Police Department has been postponed six weeks.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10377/

EQUAL PROTECTION MEANS EQUAL PROTECTION
Equality Texas
On Thursday, October 1st, a Dallas judge ruled that the Texas prohibition on marriage for same-sex couples violates the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10376/

CA: San Diego Center: Women’s Events for October
“Coffee & Conversation” Puts Tryce in the Hot Seat –Tuesday, October 6, at 7pm
The Center’s Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is pleased to announce another installment of its popular series, Coffee & Conversation with Cool Women, on Tuesday, October 6, at 7pm at The Center (3909 Centre St.). Coffee & Conversation is a monthly event featuring hostess Tryce Czyczynska interviewing notable women from the community, but this month we’re turning the tables and putting Tryce in the hot seat! Women’s Resource Center Coordinator Abby Schwartz will conduct the interview.When Tryce is not interviewing local celebrities, she keeps busy with her organization, 51%, dedicated to increasing the presence of women in politics. She is also a feng shui master, a prolific poet and a community activist. In addition, Tryce will be the recipient of the M. Corrine Mackey Award at The Center’s 2009 Gala. Please join us for an exciting conversation about Tryce’s life and experiences and see how she handles being on the receiving end of some fun and probing questions! This event is FREE, open to all, and will take place in The Center’s library.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10374/

Bill Would Keep Medicare Advantage Intact
Just News
A health care bill approved early Friday morning by a key Senate committee will keep most Medicare benefits intact, including Medicare Advantage, a supplemental insurance plan that some wanted to eliminate.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10373/

Becoming a Gay Exorcist for Beginners
Dave White The Advocate
I know, I know, breaking David Letterman news and all that. And as really incredibly shocking as it is when powerful people use their muscle to get tons of sex from their own employees, I can’t see how it helps anyone to arrest the guy who tried to blackmail Dave. (The anti-Dave/pro-cash schemer threatened to write a book and screenplay about all of Letterman’s sex ways: Apparently D.L. did it on the DL with lots of ladies at the office, sort of like on Mad Men, which is a really great show you should be watching.) All that nefarious person wanted was a piece of the Hollywood lifestyle where you get your book and movie going together simultaneously, taking your brand to that next level. I know that technically it’s a crime and all, but what is the real ethical dilemma in wanting to participate in multilevel marketing of true stories about nerdy gap-tooth sex? Maybe I’ve just lived in Los Angeles for too long, but I’d totally watch that movie.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10372/

Gay Bar Raids: A Double Standard at Work
Gay Today
As long as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people gathered together in urban areas, there have been gay bars. And as long as there have been gay bars, there have been bar raids. Since the beginning, governments have used their power to regulate businesses that sell liquor to go after sexual or gender minorities who they considered to be sick, immoral and/or illegal. Until the 1960s, it was against the law for taverns to employ or serve homosexuals, which made gay bars illegal. Even after the laws were abolished, law enforcement agencies continued to find excuses to raid gay bars. Sometimes, GLBT people fought back, as we did 40 years ago at the Stonewall Inn.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10370/

Military Men are Silent Victims of Sexual Assault
Bill Sizemore \ The Virginian-Pilot \ Hamptonroads.com
For years after the parachute accident that ended his Army service, Cody Openshaw spiraled downward. He entered college but couldn’t keep up with his studies. He had trouble holding a job. He drank too much. He had trouble sleeping, and when he did sleep, he had nightmares. He got married and divorced in less than a year. He had flashbacks. He isolated himself from his friends and drank more.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10363/

Tourism Agencies Tell California Gays: “Iowa Welcomes You”
NBC Los Angeles
Iowa tourist officials have targeted the annual gay weekend at Disneyland to market the Hawkeye state for gay and lesbian weddings, which are legal there but illegal in California.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10361/

PA: City Moving on Scouts’ Eviction
Timothy Cwiek \ The Philadelphia Gay News
City officials are seeking the immediate eviction of a local Boy Scouts chapter from a city-owned building, though the Scouts maintain their federal anti-bias lawsuit should take precedence over the eviction action.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10358/

ME: Should the Catholic Church be Collecting Money to Repeal the Gay Marriage Law?
Bangor Daily News
Maine’s Catholic churches have taken up collections in recent weeks to fund the diocese’s effort to repeal the state’s newly enacted law permitting gay marriage. Some Catholics object to the effort, while others believe the church is acting within its mission. Does such political advocacy violate the spirit of the law blocking tax-exempt religious organizations from electioneering? Or should churches, like other non-profits, be free to conduct all sorts of political campaigns without legal repercussions? Did the church cross a line by passing the collection plate for this effort? Should a separate political action group be formed by church leaders if they want to effect political change?
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10357/

ME: Ethics Panel to Investigate Anti-Gay Marriage Group
Kevin Miller \ BDN Staff \ Bangor Daily News
A national organization that has provided hefty sums to the fight against Maine’s gay marriage law will be the subject of an investigation into potential campaign finance violations.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10356/

ME: Question 1 TV Ad Sparks Charges of ‘Blatant Misinformation’
Eric Russell \ Bangor Daily News
You have probably seen the television advertisement by now. It warns that if Maine’s recently passed law that allows same-sex marriage is upheld by voters in November, schools could be mandated to teach students about it, according to Stand for Marriage Maine, the group that paid for the ad titled, “Everything to Do With Schools.”
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10355/

=

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

GLBT DIGEST - October 04, 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 Damage of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Sixteen years after passage of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, there is reason to hope that the military is edging away from its destructive opposition to allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly. At the very least, a prize-winning essay in a prominent military journal suggests that the issue is open to debate and even dissent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/opinion/04sun2.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse

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

Violent lyrics
Re the Sept. 26 story Gay activists protest upcoming Buju Banton performance: Allowing Buju Banton to perform at the Knight Center is not analogous to letting Los Van Van do so. Los Van Van do not exhort people to violence in its lyrics. It is also disingenuous for promoter Andrew Minott and his client, Banton, to hide behind the First Amendment. Would they be so quick to invoke the First Amendment if a performer were to sing that Jamaicans -- rather than gays -- should be killed?
RICHARD RODRIGUEZ-PEREZ, Miami
http://www.miamiherald.com/456/story/1264556-p2.html

Democrats target federal law banning gay marriage
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
As one of 18,000 legally wed same-sex couples in California, Brad Levenson and Tony Sears file state income taxes as a married couple. But they file their federal taxes as single individuals, paying hundreds of dollars more each year. That's because a law called the Defense of Marriage Act bars federal agencies from recognizing gay marriages.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1266162.html

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

Monday: 'Outrage' on HBO
Documentary on closeted Republicans (including allegations on Florida Gov. Charlie Crist!)
By Dan Renzi
Kirby Dick’s new documentary, Outrage, debuts Oct. 5 on HBO at 9 p.m. The film exposes the secret lives of some of America’s most powerful politicians, including Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who continually oppose gay rights such as same-sex marriage and adoption by gay parents. Also investigated are former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevy and retired Senator Larry Craig. Outrage also explores mainstream media’s complicity in keeping certain information from the public. Expect to be outraged.
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm#27451

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

Becoming a Gay Exorcist for Beginners
By Dave White
Letterman comes clean, and so does Tyra -- sort of -- with those gay exorcists, telling them that what they refer to as the “spirit of discernment" is really just gaydar.
http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Becoming_a_Gay_Exorcist_for_Beginners/

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

The Attack on Gay Obama Staffer Kevin Jennings
There is a petition out there in the world of conservative computer users and media outlets (i.e. FOX) that is charging that Kevin Jennings, assistant deputy secretary of education for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, intends to spread homosexuality and encourage statutory rape in America’s schools.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-the-attack-on-gay-obama-staffer-kevin-jennings/

Billboard Featuring Openly Gay Marine Vandalized
By Kameron Zach
A bold move made by the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center resulted in vandalism, when a billboard featuring a gay marine was destroyed.
http://www.365gay.com/news/billboard-featuring-openly-gay-marine-vandalized/

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

Anti-gay National Organisation for Marriage to have finances probed
A group campaigning against gay marriage in Maine is to have its finances investigated over accusations of fraud.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/02/anti-gay-national-organisation-for-marriage-to-have-finances-probed/

Tatchell 'ignored' over Equality Bill concerns
Peter Tatchell has complained that the Equality Bill is discriminatory and that the government has failed to respond to his concerns about harassment protection for gays.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/02/tatchell-ignored-over-equality-bill-concerns/

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

A $467,000 Price Tage for Being Gay
Michael Jones \ Change.org
What’s the price of not having equal rights? According to the New York Times, it could be upwards of $467,000. That’s how much the paper estimates a gay couple will pay — in a worse case scenario — over the span of their lifetimes for extra costs related to health care, legal affairs, and other issues. Huh, it sure is expensive to be denied the more than 1,100 benefits granted to straight married couples.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10318/

Forget Chicago: Cleveland Gets the Gay Games
Christopher Maag / Cleveland \ Time
Let Chicago and President Obama compete for the Olympics. Cleveland — yes, Cleveland! — just won the Gay Games. Citing the city’s world-class athletic facilities, hotels and public transportation, the Gay Games Federation announced that Cleveland will host the games in 2014. An abundance of enthusiasm, some Midwestern pluck and a boisterous night on Lake Erie didn’t hurt. “It was obvious that these guys worked very hard on this for over a year,” says Darl Schaaff, who led the site-selection committee for the federation. “The level of community support was just amazing.” The games started in San Francisco in 1982 and happen every four years, attracting over 16,000 gay and straight amateur athletes from around the world. (The event was originally called the Gay Olympics until the International Olympic Committee asked the Gay Games Federation to cease and desist.) Athletes compete in more than 30 sports, from track and field to table tennis. The Cleveland games will be the first to include a gay rodeo. (See a pictorial history of gay liberation.)
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10316/

NPR: From Inside Military, A Rebuk of Ban on Gays
Liz Halloran \ NPR
Gay rights activists this week hailed as groundbreaking the Pentagon’s decision to publish an essay calling for the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10315/

Ex-Pupil Defends Obama Aide Over Controversial Advice in 1988
Jessica Yellin \ CNN National Political Correspondent \ CNN
A former student of an Obama Administration official is coming to his defense, as critics seek to use a 20-year-old incident to call for the official’s resignation.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/10313/

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

Bill Would Keep Medicare Advantage Intact
Some Oppose Bill Due To Insurance 'Tax'
A health care bill approved early Friday morning by a key Senate committee will keep most Medicare benefits intact, including Medicare Advantage, a supplemental insurance plan that some wanted to eliminate.
http://www.justnews.com/health/21185973/detail.html?treets=mia&tid=2655619429813&tml=mia_dailyforecast&tmi=mia_dailyforecast_1_04000110042009&ts=H

=

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