Friday, December 04, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - December 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:

'Bruno' Pastor Runs for Mayor of Birmingham, Ala.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Moviegoers know Jody Trautwein as the smiling Alabama pastor who tries to talk Sacha Baron Cohen's character out of being gay in the hit movie ''Bruno.'' Trautwein is now auditioning for another role: Mayor of Birmingham. Trautwein is among 14 candidates in next week's election to replace Larry Langford, who was booted from office in October after being convicted on 60 felony counts in a bribery scheme.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/04/us/AP-US-Bruno-Pastor.html?scp=12&sq=gay&st=cse/

LA Episcopal Bishop Vote Includes Gay Candidates
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clergy and laypeople voting to replace two retiring assistant bishops in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles will choose Friday from a pool that includes two openly gay candidates.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/04/us/AP-US-Episcopalians-Gay-Bishops.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse/

The Words, the Dispute
By MICHELLE QUINN and GERRY SHIH
Supporters and critics gathered this week at Vallejo City Hall to voice concerns over comments the mayor, Osby Davis, made to a columnist at The New York Times about gay men and lesbians, and the subsequent controversy. The Nov. 20 column by Scott James shed light on tensions between the city’s gay community and the growing political power of evangelical Christians, among them the mayor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/us/04sfbriefs.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/

Paterson Is Left on the Sidelines
By JENNIFER 8. LEE
Gov. David A. Paterson was sidelined in the days leading up to the State Senate vote on same-sex marriage, despite being an outspoken advocate of the bill. Advocates and Senate Democrats leading the effort to build support for the legislation said they felt that the governor had little political capital to leverage, given that he has low approval ratings and has recently become deeply unpopular with Senate Democrats after a bruising battle over cutting the state budget.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/paterson-is-left-on-the-sidelines/?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/

The Vallejo Controversy, in Everyone’s Words
By FELICITY BARRINGER
The Bay Area Report today publishes a review of the things Vallejo’s mayor, Osby Davis, said to The New York Times’ Barbary Coast columnist Scott James, and all that has been said since. On Tuesday, a double rally brought out two camps: supporters of the mayor who say he was exercising his freedom to speak and critics who say his comments revealed a bedrock of antipathy toward the gay community. On Thursday, the Vallejo Times-Herald defended the mayor and criticized The Times.
http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/the-vallejo-controversy-in-everyones-words/?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

Conservatives jumping ship
By Howard Kurtz
The raging debate over who should lead the Republican Party isn't the only passionate argument on the right. While partisans argue about the relative virtues of Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, columnists, writers and bloggers have been slugging it out about the future of conservatism.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/04/AR2009120401506.html/

Digest
Irish lawmakers debate gay rights: Ireland's lawmakers opened debate on a bill to grant same-sex couples marriage-style rights, including the rights to property ownership, inheritance, medical care and access to state benefits. The predominantly Catholic country defined homosexuality as a criminal offense until 1993.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/03/AR2009120304318_pf.html/

Kaine plans to extend health benefits to same-sex partners
Proposal covering state employees would take 18 months to implement
By Anita Kumar
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has directed his staff to begin putting into effect a proposal that would allow same-sex partners to be covered under the state's employee health plan.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/03/AR2009120304329.html/

LA Episcopal bishop vote includes gay candidates
The Associated Press
Clergy and laypeople voting to replace two retiring assistant bishops in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles will choose Friday from a pool that includes two openly gay candidates.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/04/AR2009120400707.html/

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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
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Ben Affleck, Katie Holmes, 'New Moon' co-stars Stewart, Fanning go indie in Sundance premieres
By David Germain
Ben Affleck, Katie Holmes, rapper 50 Cent and "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" co-stars Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning are taking their acts to the Sundance Film Festival. They are among the stars of big-name premieres announced Thursday for Robert Redford's independent-film showcase that runs Jan. 21-31 in Park City, Utah.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sns-ap-us-film-sundance-premieres,0,1385945.story/

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

Irish lawmakers open debate on gay rights bill
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press
DUBLIN -- Ireland's lawmakers opened debate Thursday on a bill to grant marriage-style rights to gay couples, a social milestone in a country long observant of Roman Catholic opposition to homosexuality.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/irish-lawmakers-open-debate-on-gay-rights-bill.html/

Gay marriage bill up for vote in New Jersey next week
Associated Press
A bill to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey will be posted for a vote next week. Sen. Ray Lesniak, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the bill is scheduled to go before that committee on Monday and will be voted on by the full Senate next Thursday.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gay-marriage-bill-up-for-vote-in-new-jersey-next-week.html/

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

Dillard students testify about shooter's message
A Broward teen who is on trial for the murder of a classmate at Dillard High School faces life in prison if convicted.
BY TONYA ALANEZ
In the 24 hours before she gunned down a sophomore she was obsessed with, high school classmate Teah Wimberly messaged friends saying she would be jailed because she was going to ``blow somebody away.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1364861.html/

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

Va's Kaine To Extend DP Benefits
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has asked his staff to implement a policy extending health-care benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees.
By Advocate.com Editors
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has instructed his staff to put a partner-benefits policy into effect that would extend health-care benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees, the Washington Post reported. The policy, however, will take 18 months to implement and could be overturned by Republican Robert McDonnell, who takes over as governor in just a few weeks.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Va_To_Offer_DP_Benefits/

Cynthia Nixon on New York Disappointment
By Neal Broverman
Emmy-winning Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon is justifiably upset about the failure of the New York senate to pass a marriage equality bill Wednesday. The actress, who has been with her partner, Christine Marinoni, for six years, released the following statement to Advocate.com and SheWired.com: "The fight for justice is always long and hard, and while this vote was of course extremely disappointing, we now know with certainty who our friends are and who our enemies are. And, trust me, we won't forget it at election time. It's really a terrible shame that many of our legislators could not bring themselves to support a simple matter of fairness and equality, and have betrayed the majority of New Yorkers who believe same-sex marriage should be legalized."
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/03/Cynthia_on_New_York_Disappointment/

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

Witness immunity sought for gay service members
By The Associated Press
Gay service members who reveal their sexual orientations during congressional testimony would be immune from forced discharges under a bill introduced Wednesday, as lawmakers prepare to consider repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military.
http://www.365gay.com/news/witness-immunity-sought-for-gay-service-members/

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

Anger at New York Democrats who voted against gay marriage
Several hundred people marched in New York last night to protest against a Senate vote barring gay marriage in the state. They rallied in Time Square and read out the names of the eight Democrats who voted against the bill.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/03/anger-at-new-york-democrats-who-voted-against-gay-marriage/

Opening of Chinese gay bar delayed
The opening of a Chinese gay bar designed to tackle HIV infections has been delayed. The state-funded bar, in the city of Dali, was due to open on Tuesday, which was World AIDS Day.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/03/opening-of-chinese-gay-bar-delayed/

Emmerdale could see new gay storyline
A new gay storyline may be in the pipeline for Emmerdale character Aaron Livesy, played by Danny Miller. The bad boy character begins to question his sexuality next week after trying to kiss his friend Adam Barton.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/03/emmerdale-could-see-new-gay-storyline/

Gay man bids to become California Assembly Speaker
John Perez, an out gay man, is vying to become the Speaker of the California Assembly. He would become the first openly assembly leader in America's history if elected.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/gay-man-bids-to-become-california-assembly-speaker/

University to launch research network for LGBT History Month
The University of Salford is to create an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans) research network The research network was launched at an LGBT History Month event at the university last night. This was the first regional event for the month, which has been running for several years.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/university-to-launch-research-network-for-lgbt-history-month/

Brighton gay man suffocated in sex act
A Brighton man died during auto-erotic asphyxiation, an inquest heard this week. Stuart Leonard, 35, was found dead in August under a tree at Dukes Mound, a local cruising spot.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/brighton-gay-man-suffocated-in-sex-act/

Voting opens for Los Angeles gay assistant bishop candidates
Voting opens today for the next Los Angeles assistant bishop and two of the six candidates are openly gay. The Rev John L Kirkley of San Francisco and the Rev Mary Douglas Glasspool of Maryland are both in committed same-sex relationships.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/voting-opens-for-los-angeles-gay-assistant-bishop-candidates/

More Adam Lambert shows cancelled over AMA gay antics
Gay singer Adam Lambert, who provoked controversy at the American Music Awards by kissing a man, has had more TV shows cancelled. More than 1,500 US viewers complained over a gay kiss and simulated oral sex in his performance last month.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/more-adam-lambert-shows-cancelled-over-ama-gay-antics/

Gay hurling star wins book award
Donal Og Cusack, the Irish hurling star who came out in his autobiography, has won a prestigious award for the book. The 32-year-old, who plays in goal for Cork All Stars, revealed he was gay in installments of his autobiography, published last month.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/gay-hurling-star-wins-book-award/

Gay Buenos Aires couple demand fine for mayor who barred marriage
A gay Buenos Aires couple who hoped to become the first to marry in Argentina this week have said the city mayor should be fined for not authorising their wedding.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/gay-buenos-aires-couple-demand-fine-for-mayor-who-barred-marriage/

Archbishop of Canterbury in 'intensive and private' talks over Uganda's gay law
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is said to be in "private" discussions with the Ugandan Anglican Church over the country's proposed anti-homosexuality laws.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/04/archbishop-of-canterbury-in-intensive-and-private-discussions-over-ugandas-gay-law/

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

Rachel Maddow: Uganda Be Kidding Me
By Advocate.com Editors
Rachel Maddow, on her Thursday show, tackled the proposed antigay Ugandan bill that would call for the death of gays and lesbians in many scenarios if passed.
http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/04/Maddow_Uganda_Be_Kidding_Me/

A new newspaper of record
by Peter Rosenstein
I was as shocked as anyone else when the Washington Blade closed its doors on Monday, Nov. 16. That day will go down as a day of mourning for the LGBT community. I knew that the Blade’s parent company was experiencing financial difficulties. But I also knew that the Washington Blade was profitable even if no one was getting rich. Running a newspaper these days can be a bleak business but the online edition of the Blade had been attracting more than 250,000 visitors a month.
http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/04/a-new-newspaper-of-record/

Web Designer Creates Movement Seeking to ban divorce
WiredPRNews.com
A web designer in California is seeking to have divorce banned in the state. Sacramento, California (WiredPRNews.com) – A Sacramento web designer has begun a movement to have divorce banned in the state of California. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), John Marcotte’s efforts have begun following the implementation of a voter supported state ban on gay marriage in 2008.
http://www.wiredprnews.com/2009/12/04/movement-seeks-to-ban-divorce_200912047271.html/

Stop Taser Torture Blogging For Justice Day
by: Pam Spaulding
Today is "Stop Taser Torture" Blogging For Justice Day," organized by the Stop Taser Torture Blog:
Many police departments are using tasers to torture even nonviolent people who are often those who are incoherent, hallucinating, wheelchair bound, suicidal, unarmed, deaf, handcuffed, blind, pregnant, students, or just didnt move fast enough for an officers liking. Taser torture in America is continuously growing not only in volume, but in the level of how liberally, unwarranted, and excessively tasering is being used across the U.S and many other countries. In America, some police departments are even now torturing 10 year old children. Our goal is to unite the world's bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day - Taser Torture in America, Canada and throughout the world.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14353/stop-taser-torture-blogging-for-justice-day/

Bus Driver Fired After Gay Beating
A bus driver has been fired in connection with an openly gay student getting beaten up because of his sexuality, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/21801048/detail.html/

Singalong: Santa Claus Is Coming Out
JMG reader Sean Chapin turns in this sing-a-long response to yesterday's story about Focus On The Family's hissy fit regarding GLSEN's Xmas play.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/singalong-santa-claus-is-coming-out.html/

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - December 03, 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:

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

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

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

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

New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage Bill
By JEREMY W. PETERS
The New York State Senate decisively rejected a bill on Wednesday that would have allowed gay couples to wed, providing a major victory for those who oppose same-sex marriage and underscoring the deep and passionate divisions surrounding the issue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/nyregion/03marriage.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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#####

GLBT DIGEST - December 02, 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:

New York State Lawmakers Reject Gay Marriage Bill
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York lawmakers have rejected a bill to legalize gay marriage. The Senate decision Wednesday comes after months of delays and arm twisting of lawmakers sympathetic to the bill but representing conservative districts. It follows a referendum in Maine earlier this month that struck down a gay marriage law before it took effect.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/02/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NY.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/

Government-Backed Chinese Gay Bar Stays Empty
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING (AP) -- A new bar in southwestern China aimed at educating gay men about AIDS stayed conspicuously empty during its official opening as potential customers shunned the spotlight, state media said Wednesday.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/02/world/AP-AS-China-Gay-Bar.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/

Vallejo’s Combustible Mix: Religion, Free Speech and Gay Pride
By MICHELLE QUINN
On Tuesday night, it seemed, much of Vallejo was at City Hall, where the City Council was holding its meeting. But there were two distinct groups. On the steps, more than 50 people, who were mostly white, held a rally to protest recent comments on gays as sinners made by Mayor Osby Davis to The New York Times while explaining his religious beliefs.
http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/vallejo-free-speech-and-comments-about-homosexuals/?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/

Votes on Budget and Gay Marriage Delayed
By JEREMY W. PETERS
ALBANY — The State Legislature has proved once again that it is a place where expectation and reality rarely converge. After a day of false starts and high anticipation that the Senate would vote on legislation to legalize same-sex marriage and close the state’s $3.2 billion budget gap, senators broke for recess late Tuesday before taking any votes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/nyregion/02albany.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/

Live-Blogging the Gay Marriage Vote
By A. G. SULZBERGER
The Senate has voted against the gay marriage bill, 38 to 24.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/live-blogging-the-gay-marriage-debate/?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

Common cause on gay marriage?
In her Nov. 28 op-ed, "Racial pawns in the battle for same-sex marriage," Taylor Harris contested the view expressed most tellingly by NAACP Chairman Julian Bond that "Black people, of all people, should not oppose equality." She questioned equating blacks' historic struggle for civil rights with the current struggle for marriage equality. Ms. Harris should look up Loving v. Virginia. Writing for a Supreme Court that unanimously declared Virginia's laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional, Chief Justice Earl Warren held that "The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men. Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival." Citing poll or referendum results to support the contention that blacks have no historic obligation to support marriage equality is fundamentally flawed. Had school integration or interracial marriage been put to a vote, it's likely that both would still be illegal in some states.
Richard McKee, Arlington
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120104479.html/

In D.C., a rift over plights for civil rights, gay rights
By Christian Davenport
As they overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, some D.C. Council members sounded as if they were at a 1960s civil rights march.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120102684.html/

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

Meredith Baxter: Yes, I'm gay
"Family Ties" actress Meredith Baxter made the media rounds Wednesday confirming the rumors that she is a lesbian.
"It was a later in life recognition," the actress explained to Matt Lauer on the "Today" show Wednesday.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/02/meredith.baxter.lesbian.mom/index.html/

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

Police: Man commits suicide in Wilton Manors station
By Juan Ortega
A Tamarac man committed suicide at the Wilton Manors police station Tuesday night, police say. Gary Don O'Neal, 43, who was taken to a holding cell at the station after he was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge, used his own shirt to hang himself at about 11 p.m., said Detective David Jones, a police spokesman.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/wilton-manors/fl-wilton-jail-suicide-20091202,0,5516535.story/

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

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

Organizers pull plug on Miami Latin Gay Film Festival, will take fest on the road to other cities
BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
The controversial Miami Latin Gay Film Festival, which debuted last April just before the start of the longtime Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, is no more.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/organizers-pull-plug-on-miami-latin-gay-film-festival-will-take-fest-on-the-road-to-other-cities.html/

Gay Catholics group DignityUSA critical of Pope’s position against condoms in war on AIDS
From DignityUSA, the organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics:
DignityUSA Statement on World AIDS Day 2009
DignityUSA once again joins with individuals and organizations across the globe to mark World AIDS Day. Today, we recall the 24 million individuals throughout the world whose lives have been cut short by this disease, and we reflect on the people left behind--orphaned children, beloved partners, bereft parents, siblings, family and friends. We renew our commitment to advocate for equal access to effective health care and medications for the 33 million people living with HIV infection. We urge people to take advantage of confidential testing and counseling, and to take responsibility to contain the spread of the HIV virus. We support President's Obama's work to end travel restrictions for people with HIV.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gay-catholics-group-dignityusa-critical-of-popes-position-against-condoms-in-war-on-aids.html/

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

Man gets life in prison for 2007 killing
The Associated Press
A central Florida man has been sentenced to two life terms for a 2007 killing that gay rights advocates have called a hate crime.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1361186.html/

California man who wants to ban divorce says he's serious
By Loretta Kalb
"Till death do us part" is no idle promise to John Marcotte, a Sacramentan bent on banning divorce in California.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1361286.html/

Dan Le Batard: Dire straits for Tiger Woods is media bonanza
BY DAN LE BATARD
The rules changed on Tiger Woods in mid-swing. The world Woods entered 13 years ago was one where Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan behaved like rock stars in private, but now The National Enquirer and TMZ have realized how much money there is to be made ...
http://www.miamiherald.com/1374/story/1361968.html/

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

Lawyers Want Yes on 8 E-mails
By Christopher Mangum
Lawyers for two gay couples told a federal appeals court on Tuesday that they need access to internal communications from last year's Proposition 8 campaign.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Lawyers_Want_Yes_On_8_Emails/

Gays Want Protection at Alaska University
By Christopher Mangum
Members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Gay-Straight Alliance petitioned the university’s board of regents Monday to add sexual orientation to the school's nondiscrimination policy.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Gays_Want_Protection_at_Alaska_Uni/

Gaga Talks About Using Her Sex
By Christopher Mangum
Elle readers will have to decide between two pop darlings, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, when purchasing their January issue. The Gaga cover, released Tuesday, marks the first time the vocal gay rights proponent has been featured on the cover of Elle.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Gaga_Talks_About_Using_Her_Sex/

Chris Colfer Offed Bea Arthur?
By Advocate.com Editors
Glee’s Chris Colfer doesn’t want to say which star he’d like to work with next — because the last time he was asked, he answered, “Bea Arthur” ... and then she died.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/02/Chris_Colfer_Offed_Bea_Arthur_/

Number of Gay Asylum Seekers Growing
By Neal Broverman
The number of people fleeing their native lands for America because of sexual orientation discrimination is increasing, reports Newsweek.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/01/Number_of_Gay_Asylum_Seekers_Growing/

Utah’s Gay State Senator Resigns
By Christopher Mangum
Utah's only openly gay state senator, Salt Lake City Democrat Scott McCoy, announced Tuesday that he is resigning.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/01/Utahs_Gay_State_Senator_Resigns/

Marilyn Gets Intimate, Stoned With Women
By Advocate.com Editors
A 50-year-old video of Marilyn Monroe cuddling up to and getting stoned with two women was sold to a Marilyn collector last week for $275,000 — and is now available on YouTube.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/01/Marilyn_Gets_Intimate_Stoned_With_Women/

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

Equality Bill to be debated today in House of Commons
The Equality Bill has reached the report stage and will be debated in parliament today. This stage follows four weeks of debate by a committee and will allow the House of Commons to consider further amendments.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/02/equality-bill-to-be-debated-today-in-house-of-commons/

Gay by nature: Part two
In part one, published yesterday, Dr Qazi Rahman of Queen Mary University London discussed the impact of genes and hormones on homosexuality. Here, he addresses the isse of gay stereotypes and refutes psychoanalytic theories of why some people are gay. He also suggests that research into gay brains may help combat homophobia. Adrian Tippetts reports.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/02/gay-by-nature-part-two/

Man on trial for gay nightclub rapes in London
A man is currently on trial at Woolwich crown court for sexual assaults on gay men in London. Mohamad Caid, 38, from Deptford, was charged in June with one rape, two attempted rapes, sexual assault and false imprisonment and remanded in custody.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/02/man-on-trial-for-gay-nightclub-rapes-in-london/

Rupert Everett says gay actors should stay in the closet
Actor Rupert Everett has advised gay actors to keep their sexual orientation secret if they want to succeed. Everett, who is gay, enjoyed a host of high-profile roles in films such as My Best Friend's Wedding. But since coming out in 1989, his success has dwindled.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/02/rupert-everett-says-gay-actors-should-stay-in-the-closet/

Teenager jailed for trying to gas gay lover
An 18-year-old who had sex with an older man has been jailed after leaving on the gas taps in his lover's home. George Harding, of no fixed address, slept with 47-year-old Brian Monan after meeting on a gay internet site.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/02/teenager-jailed-for-trying-to-gas-gay-lover/

Carwyn Jones appointed as Welsh Labour leader
Carwyn Jones has been named as the new Labour leader in Wales, replacing incumbent Rhodri Morgan. The 42-year-old Welsh Assembly member for Bridgend is currently the leader of the House and has been a favourite to win the role.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/carwyn-jones-appointed-as-welsh-labour-leader/

Sweden to lift lifetime blood donation ban for gay men
Sweden will allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood so long as they have not had sex with a man in the last 12 months. In a statement released today, which is World AIDS Day, the National Board of Health and Welfare confirmed the change.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/sweden-to-lift-lifetime-blood-donation-ban-for-gay-men/

Gay by nature: Part one
What causes homosexuality? Can sexual orientation be changed? And are the brains of gay people different from those of straight people? Adrian Tippetts meets Dr Qazi Rahman, an assistant professor in Cognitive Biology from Queen Mary University London, to find out more.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/01/gay-by-nature-part-one/

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

Partying with the Salahis
by Kevin Naff
Before they crashed the White House state dinner, Tareq and Michaele Salahi partied with the Washington Blade staff at our 40th anniversary event in October. They were gracious and generous guests and donated several cases of wine from their winery to the event. They posed for pictures with staff and Michaele took the microphone to introduce the event’s emcee and to acknowledge the Blade’s milestone.
http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/02/partying-with-the-salahis/

D.C. to host 2012 int’l AIDS conference
by Chris Johnson
Touting U.S. dedication to combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic, top Obama administration officials formally announced Monday that D.C. will host the 19th international AIDS conference in 2012.
http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/01/d-c-to-host-2012-intl-aids-conference/

‘Their blood shall be upon them’
by Matt Comer, November 30, 2009, 1:23 pm
There’s a lot of talk here recently over a proposed anti-gay death penalty law in Uganda. Activists and news organizations have linked the legislation’s Ugandan proponents to several high-profile American religious leaders and politicians.
http://www.interstateq.com/archives/3985/

Black lesbian elected to Georgia legislature; VMan does Heartthrobs
by Matt Comer
In Georgia, Simone Bell has been elected to the Georgia State House District 58. Endorsed by the Victory Fund, Bell is the first black lesbian legislator. Read more…
http://dailyqueernews.com/135/black-lesbian-elected-georgia-legislature-vman/

Charlotte: Queen City of LGBT invisibility?
by Matt Comer
For the past few weeks I’ve been on an activism-through-journalism swing over at my day job. In a two-part, pre- and post-election opinion column, I ranted and raved over the lack of LGBT equality and recognition in Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city.
http://www.interstateq.com/archives/3982/

Gays 'will never go to heaven': cardinal
Homosexuals and transsexuals "will never enter the kingdom of heaven", a leading Roman Catholic cardinal said on Wednesday. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan said that while the Church regarded homosexuality as an "insult to God", this did not justify discrimination against gay and transsexual people.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Gays_will_never_go_to_heaven_cardin_12022009.html/

"The Other City" -- The Story of AIDS in Washington and AIDS in America
By Jose Antonio Vargas
As we mark World AIDS Day -- aimed at continued global awareness of this never-ending pandemic -- here are facts about Washington, D.C., home to the first African Americans in the White House: At least 3 percent of the city's population is HIV-positive, and that's a conservative estimate, according to the city's HIV/AIDS Administration. Nearly 7 percent of all black men, who carry the burden of the city's epidemic, are infected. A little more than 7 percent of all residents age 40 to 49 carry the virus. For the record, President Barack Obama is 48 and First Lady Michelle Obama is 45.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jose-antonio-vargas/the-other-city----the-sto_b_375578.html/

Washington's statewide vote for full domestic partnerships is official
by: Lurleen
It's official! Governor Chris Gregoire and Secretary of State Sam Reed certified the election results on Tuesday. The new domestic partnership law will now go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, December 3. There are currently 13,082 people in registered domestic partnerships in both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples where at least one partner is 62 or older. Washington state registered domestic partners are now fully equal to their married peers under
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13432/washingtons-statewide-vote-for-full-domestic-partnerships-is-official/

Girls Fight Back Against Child Marriage
by Liz Goodwin
In rural Ethiopia, a UN program offers financial incentives to parents who promise not to marry off their pre-teen daughters. Liz Goodwin talks to the new generation of empowered young women—and asks whether the change is sustainable. Tsefaye Abese, an 11-year-old in the sixth grade, lives in the village of Dimbelmesno in Amhara, a rural region of Ethiopia where girls are married, on average, at age 15, and 80 percent of all girls are married before their 18th birthday. Tsefaye, wearing a bright blue shirt and clutching her notebook, is chatty and unafraid, talking to me comfortably through a translator about how much she likes going to school, and how she wants to become a doctor to help the people in Dimbelmesno.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-12-02/girls-fight-back-against-child-marriage/

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#####

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - December 01, 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.

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

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Norm Kent

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

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

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

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

Argentina: Ruling That Allowed Gay Couple to Wed Is Overturned
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Argentine judge overturned a ruling on Monday that would have allowed the first gay marriage in Latin America. The court’s Web site says that Judge Marta Gómez Alsina ordered the wedding blocked until the issue can be resolved by the Supreme Court. José María Di Bello and his partner, Alex Freyre, had been planning to wed Tuesday, based on another judge’s ruling. Their attorney, María Rachid, says the new ruling should not overturn the original decision.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/world/americas/01briefs-001.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Monday, November 30, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - November 30, 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:

Female Israeli soldier writes about ‘The ‘crime’ of praying with a tallit, and a plea for tolerance’
From The Jewish Daily Forward:
The Crime of Wearing a Tallit
By Nofrat Frenkel
Nofrat Frenkel was recently arrested for wearing a tallit at the Kotel. Authorities said she was “performing a religious act that offends the feelings of others.” In this essay, Frenkel writes about her arrest. Read More
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/female-israeli-soldier-writes-about-the-crime-of-praying-with-a-tallit-and-a-plea-for-tolerance.html/

Independent Alligator editorial: FDA should not restrict gay men from donating blood
The Independent Alligator in Gainesville has an interesting story about University of Florida students objecting to the FDA’s longstanding ban on blood donations by sexually active gay men, “Community reacts to ban on blood donations from gay men."
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/independent-alligator-editorial-fda-should-not-restrict-gay-men-from-donating-blood.html/

Gay-friendly Las Vegas is on a winning streak
Sin City isn't teeming with gay businesses, but its anything-goes attitude and big, gay marketing push attract LGBT travelers in spades.
BY LOANN HALDEN, Special to The Miami Herald
There's always been something a little bit queer about Las Vegas, dating to the drag queens who performed at the Kit Kat Club in the 1940s and a bedazzled Liberace becoming the city's highest-paid entertainer when he appeared at the Riviera Hotel in 1955.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/gay-friendly-las-vegas-is-on-a-winning-streak.html/

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

Canadian PM Warns Uganda on Antigay Law
By Julie Bolcer
Prime minister Stephen Harper (pictured) of Canada privately warned president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda over the weekend about a proposed law in hat would include death penalties for gay people in the African nation.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Canadian_PM_Warns_Uganda_on_Antigay_Law/

Fake Cop Jailed for Gay Sex Blackmail
By Julie Bolcer
A UK man who posed as a police officer to blackmail gay men cruising for sex was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison.
Prosecutors argued that Lee Creamer, 26, targeted men in the known cruising spot of Portdown Hill in Hampshire, on the south coast of England, according to Portsmouth Today.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Fake_Cop_Busted_for_Gay_Sex_Blackmail/

Porn Star Rapist Posts Prison Personal Ad
By Advocate.com Editors
In 2008, Christopher Reid was found guilty of raping a woman at a Washington State University sorority hour. A porn star who worked under the name Jack Venice, he primarily appeared in straight videos, though gay for pay solo performances surfaced after he was convicted.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/29/Porn_Star_Convicted_of_Rape_Posts_Personal_Ad/

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

California mayor apologizes for remark about gays
By The Associated Press
A Northern California mayor is apologizing for comments he made to The New York Times that gays will not go to heaven. Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis issued a prepared statement Tuesday saying he seeks to represent all city residents, not just a faction.
http://www.365gay.com/news/california-mayor-apologizes-for-remark-about-gays/

Some gays seek renewed focus on civil unions
By The Associated Press
Leland Traiman, who runs a sperm bank in California, worries about his lesbian clients in more conservative parts of the country when he hears fellow gay rights activists talk about winning the right to wed.
http://www.365gay.com/news/some-gays-seek-renewed-focus-on-civil-unions/

Thousands in PR hold vigil for murdered gay teen
By The Associated Press
(San Juan, Puerto Rico) Thousands of people marched through Puerto Rico’s capital last Wednesday, celebrating the life of a gay teenager whose dismembered, burned body was found dumped along a road in a small mountain town.
http://www.365gay.com/news/thousands-in-pr-hold-vigil-for-murdered-gay-teen/

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

Tory leader David Cameron promises 'big push' to curb HIV infections
Conservative Party leader David Cameron today promised to ring-fence spending money for tackling HIV and organise a new campaign to change attitudes to the disease.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/tory-leader-david-cameron-promises-big-push-to-curb-hiv-infections/

Ian McKellen criticises Little Britain gay sketch
Gay actor Ian McKellen has criticised the "camp" portrayal of gays on television. He said that comedy sketches such as Matt Lucas' only gay in the village in Little Britain were not helpful in fostering tolerance.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/ian-mckellen-criticises-little-britain-gay-sketch/

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

Bulgarian man sells story of final hours with Stephen Gately
Georgi Dochev, the Bulgarian student who was at the Majorca apartment where gay Boyzone singer Stephen Gately died, has sold his story to a newspaper.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/bulgarian-man-sells-story-of-final-hours-with-stephen-gately/

US trans sportswriter found dead
A sports journalist who worked on the Los Angeles Times has been found dead in an apparent suicide. Mike Penner, 52, who worked for the newspaper for 25 years, had struggled with his sexual identity.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/us-trans-sportswriter-found-dead/

David Cameron's World AIDS Day message
Tory leader David Cameron said that a new effective strategy was needed to tackle HIV infections in the UK and abroad. He promised to ring-fence public spending for tackling the disease and suggested pharmacies could offer HIV testing in the same way as America.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/30/david-camerons-world-aids-day-message/

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

Welcome to the new DQN!
by Matt Comer
Where’s my old DailyQueerNews.com, you ask? We’re still here. No worries. But after a two-day break over Thanksgiving weekend, we’re back newer and better than ever. You’ll notice a lot of changes here at DQN, now and as we continue to grow the site through the end of the year and into January 2010 — our fifth anniversary.
http://dailyqueernews.com/35/welcome-to-the-new-dqn/

Rick Warren Downplays Antigay Past
By Julie Bolcer
Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren appeared Sunday on Meet The Press, where he presented himself as a friend of gay people, if not marriage equality, in response to a series of question from host David Gregory.
http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/Rick_Warren_Downplays_Antigay_Past/

N.J. Bishops: Pray Against Gay Marriage
By Julie Bolcer
Catholic bishops in New Jersey instructed priests over the weekend to read and distribute a letter that asked parishioners to pray that state lawmakers do not vote for a marriage equality bill.
http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/11/30/N_J__Bishops_Pray_Against_Marriage_Equality/

Marriage Definitions Vary Widely Throughout the US
Tags: China, gay marriage, marriage, marriage equality, Salt Lake City, same-sex marriage, Utah | by Victoria Lavin
Utah’s Deseret News reports on the nation’s growing disparities on how same-sex couples are treated and recognized legally. From no recognition and marriage amendments to civil unions and marriages, laws state-by-state vary widely. Read more
http://dailyqueernews.com/55/marriage-definitions-vary-widely-throughout-the-us/

Q of the Day: What would a world be like where we all are welcome?
by: Autumn Sandeen
A Q Of The Day: Posed at the 2009 Sacramento TDOR Candlelight Vigil, Trinity Cathedral, Sacramento, California, November 21, 2009. The question:
What would a world be like where we all are welcome?
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14294/q-of-the-day-what-would-a-world-be-like-where-we-all-are-welcome/

Sarah Palin meets her match
by: Lurleen
H/T Bob. Rogue elephant Sarah Palin met her double during a book signing in Noblesville, Indiana. Well, at least she didn't snub herself! Some suggested picture captions:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14293/sarah-palin-meets-her-match/

Rick Warren Refuses To Condemn Proposed Ugandan Law To Execute Gays
Rick Warren, the pastor who delivered the invocation at President Obama's inauguration, is once again on the defensive -- this time for his work with a Ugandan pastor who would like homosexuality to be punishable by death.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/30/rick-warren-refuses-to-co_n_373605.html/

Michael Moore: ‘Mr. Obama, you do not know war’
By Agence France-Presse
TOKYO — Filmmaker Michael Moore urged President Barack Obama on Monday not to expand the war in Afghanistan, as Washington prepares to announce a surge of US troops in the conflict-torn nation.
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/michael-moore-warns-obama-afghanistan/

Irish Priest: Molestation Cover-Up Scandal Goes Right To The Top In Rome
BBC radio host and newspaper columnist Father Brian D'Arcy says that the blame for the Catholic Church's unfolding child molestation cover-up scandal in Dublin goes all the way to Rome.
One of Ireland's best-loved priests, Father Brian D'Arcy, has called for the resignation of clergy who knowingly covered up for child sex-abuse priests. Five bishops who once served in the Dublin Archdiocese when the abuse was taking place and took no action have faced resignation calls over the Murphy Report, which found child sex-abuse rampant. D'Arcy, a well-known media figure and commentator, said the findings of the Murphy Report were "absolutely sickening." And he said that when he served on the Council of Priests in Dublin during the 1990s, he never even "heard a hint" of accusations of abuse. This is not just in the Diocese, this goes right to the top in Rome," he said. "I must have read about a dozen reports from all over the world, from Boston right through to the Ryan Report, the Ferns report, the Dublin report and reports from Australia, and they seem just the same," he told the the "Eamonn Keane Show" on Newstalk Radio. "Yesterday, I just felt physically sick. This morning I have to get up and I try to read it again and I still felt physically sick and I still am physically sick having read the kind of abuse that was perpetrated on innocent children by people who, in a sense were colleagues of mine, because I did spend quite a number of years working within the Dublin Archdiocese in Mount Argus."
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/11/irish-priest-molestation-cover-up.html/

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#####

Sunday, November 29, 2009

GLBT DIGEST - November 29, 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.


A Friend Dies of AIDS

Having a President that cares matters, because AIDS is still with us and is very real.
More often than not, like last week in Fort Lauderdale, when the Office of National AIDS Policy solicited public opinion, we hear stories of survival. More and more people are living longer and longer with HIV. It is so encouraging. Too encouraging.
As a result of better treatments, higher standards of care, and more attention to the pandemic, we have become too complacent. Apathy has set in. People are still dying. Too many of us are looking at living with the disease comfortably instead of ending the pandemic urgently. On this day, where we celebrate the lives of so many who died too young, one particular person jumps out at me. His name is Jerry Michael James, and he died of HIV last Friday, at the age of 38. He was a friend too be sure, and his loss hurts very much. As I go about the process of starting a new South Florida gay newspaper, he was the first one I considered as an editor and writer. However, I knew he was in hospice, working on a horror film, a project he loved.
Remember those friends, past and present, this Tuesday nite.

Norman Elliott Kent
Attorney at Law
110 Southeast 6th Street
Suite 1970
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33301
(954) 763 1900
The President's AIDS Day address is online, and in city after city, communities will gather this Tuesday to pay tribute.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23172777/2009aidsday-prc/
http://nationalgaynews.blogspot.com/2009/11/friend-dies-of-aids.html/

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

In Support of Abortion, It’s Personal vs. Political
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg
In the early 1950s, a coal miner’s daughter from rural Kentucky named Louise McIntosh encountered the shadowy world of illegal abortion. A friend was pregnant, with no prospects for marriage, and Ms. McIntosh was keeper of a secret that, if spilled, could have led to family disgrace. The turmoil ended quietly in a doctor’s office, and the friend went on to marry and have four children.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/weekinreview/29stolberg.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

Davie students protest ban on same-sex marriage
By Scott Fishman
Students at Nova High in Davie recently threw their support behind NOH8, the campaign protesting Proposition 8, the vote which last year banned same-sex marriage in California. Ryan Sasse, 17, was motivated to take action after watching Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List. In the episode, the comedian decides to get involved in the fight for gay rights.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/davie/sfl-fl-cn-marriage-1129cwnov29,0,6974663.story/

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

Same-sex marriage: All or nothing? Some gays seek renewed focus on civil unions
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press
Leland Traiman, who runs a sperm bank in California, worries about his lesbian clients in more conservative parts of the country when he hears fellow gay rights activists talk about winning the right to wed. With 34 states lacking any legal recognition of same-sex relationships, Traiman wonders if all the emphasis on matrimony is misplaced.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/same-sex-marriage-all-or-nothing-some-gays-seek-renewed-focus-on-civil-unions.html/

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

Gay-friendly Vegas is on a winning streak
Sin City isn't teeming with gay businesses, but its anything-goes attitude and big, gay marketing push attract LGBT travelers in spades.
BY LOANN HALDEN
There's always been something a little bit queer about Las Vegas, dating to the drag queens who performed at the Kit Kat Club in the 1940s and a bedazzled Liberace becoming the city's highest-paid entertainer when he appeared at the Riviera Hotel in 1955.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/1348613.html/

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Memorial for Rusty Gordon
Friends are invited to the Memorial for Rusty Gordon which will take place December 5, at the home she shared with her long-time partner, Davilyn "Davy" Whims.
Memorial: This coming Saturday, December 5.
1pm Arrival - 2pm - Memorial
1156 Park Lane
W. Palm Beach
33417-5957

Windy City Times: Rusty Gordon passed away Oct. 27 after losing her fight with progressive supranuclear palsy.
Gordon was a music producer for many years ( Rustron Productions and
Publishing ) ; produced one of the first-ever women-only women's music
festivals ( Yale University, 1972 ) ; started the Whimsey Political
Clearinghouse for women ( 1967 ) ; heavily involved with NOW ( 1970
onwards ) ; helped start the Florida LGBT Democratic Caucus ( 1995 ) , with
which she held various offices; involved with many LGBT causes through
Equality Florida and other groups; and was named as a Feminist Who Changed
America and awarded the Veteran Feminists of America medal ( 2008 ) . Most
recently, the Palm Beach County Democratic Committee established the Rusty
Gordon Award, to be given to people who have exhibited extensive commitment
to local community activism. She is survived by her life partner, Davilyn "Davy" Whims of West Palm Beach, Fla.

Contact Ray's List if you need directions.

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GLBT DIGEST - November 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.


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

Evangelical, and Young, and Active in New Area
By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN
WHEATON, Ill.: On the first day of her college internship in the late summer of 2007, Jenna Liao waited amid the baggage carousels of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Just 21 and newly assigned to an agency that helps refugees, she had been told only to expect a family of 10 from Myanmar. She and a caseworker were to drive them here to the first temporary home of their new lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/us/28religion.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/

CBS Is Criticized for Blurring of Video
An appearance by the singer Adam Lambert, below, on “The Early Show,” the CBS morning program, on Wednesday has led to further complaints from those who say Mr. Lambert has been subjected to a double standard. At issue is a video package that was used to introduce the interview with Mr. Lambert, the “American Idol” finalist who gave a sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards on Sunday. When CBS rebroadcast a clip from that show, it blurred a scene of Mr. Lambert kissing his male keyboardist. But it did not blur a scene of Madonna and Britney Spears kissing at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. In a statement, Jarrett Barrios, the president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said, “I would have hoped CBS would provide the same treatment for images of gay and lesbian people and not create an unfair double standard that treats our community differently.” A representative for CBS told the entertainment program “Extra” that the image of Madonna kissing Ms. Spears “is very familiar and has appeared countless times including many times on morning television.” He added, “The Adam Lambert image is a subject of great current controversy, has not been nearly as widely disseminated, and for all we know, may still lead to legal consequences.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/arts/television/28arts-CBSISCRITICI_BRF.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/

Some Gays Seek Renewed Focus on Civil Unions
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Leland Traiman, who runs a sperm bank in California, worries about his lesbian clients in more conservative parts of the country when he hears fellow gay rights activists talk about winning the right to wed.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/28/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-What-Now.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/

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

DEAR AMY: I was recently involved in a community volunteer event that lasted a couple of months.
During that time, I became friends with a guy a few years younger than me.
We spent a lot of time together and became very close. There's nothing romantic about it at all -- he's gay and in a serious relationship, and I'm happily married with three kids. We've continued to get together for lunch, etc. My husband also likes him, and we're hoping to spend more time together as couples. My husband is concerned, though, about my being seen in public with another guy. He's afraid that when people see us together they'll get the wrong idea. He thinks I should be proactive about explaining the situation to our friends. Although my friend's sexuality is not a secret, I don't feel that it's my place to "out" him to people he doesn't even know. I think that if someone who knows me asks, I can explain, but otherwise I'm not concerned with what people think. Is there a correct way to handle this situation? -- Just Friends
DEAR JUST: I've run this past my crack team of dialogue writers, and they came up with the following: "This is my gay friend, 'Gay Will.' Will and I are shopping for window treatments with my husband's knowledge and, because Will is gay, there's obviously nothing romantic going on; isn't that right, Will? Will, tell my friends how very gay you are!" Obviously, there is no need to go around proactively notifying people of someone else's sexuality. And I think it's possible your husband is not giving people enough credit. After all, "Will & Grace," the groundbreaking television show about a straight woman and her gay friends has been in reruns for more than 10 years.
Surely you can just introduce your new friend to your current friends and let the questions and answers fall where they may.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/19/AR2009111902186.html/

Racial pawns in the battle for same-sex marriage
By Taylor Harris
Their refrain was as familiar to me as dining hall food, and equally as offensive. All too often, white liberal classmates at the University of Virginia would ask, "Shouldn't blacks, more than any other group, support gay rights?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/27/AR2009112702371.html/

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

Few Roadblocks Remain to Gay Marriage in D.C.
National Opposition Is Focused Elsewhere, and Congress Appears Unlikely to Overturn Council's Expected Vote
By NOMAAN MERCHANT
The District of Columbia Council is expected to vote next week to legalize same-sex marriage in the nation's capital. While Congress could use its power to overturn the law, local and national factors appeared to be aligned against any effort to do so.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125935985712267119.html/

Atlanta Mayoral Hopefuls in Dead Heat
By COREY DADE
As Atlanta's mayoral race entered its final weekend before a Dec. 1 runoff election, an African-American former state senator and a feisty city councilwoman who could become the city's first white mayor in nearly 40 years appeared to be running neck and neck.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125936968783467329.html/

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

Marriage setbacks have some gay activists seeking renewed focus on civil unions
By Lisa Leff
Leland Traiman, who runs a sperm bank in California, worries about his lesbian clients in more conservative parts of the country when he hears fellow gay rights activists talk about winning the right to wed.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-what-now,0,4057985.story/

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

25 years of White Party: a video history
To mark the 25th anniversary of White Party, I interviewed co-founder Jorge Suarez and event historian Bill Mathisen, who co-chaired the party a half-dozen times. Videographer Andrew Richardson recorded and edited the interview. (Photos included in the video courtesy of Suarez and Care Resource.)
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/25-years-of-white-party-a-video-history.html/

White Party Week: Singing star Kristine W knows the power of music
Audio | Kristine W: 'Be Alright (Hex Hector Master Radio),' from the album 'Be Alright'
Audio | Kristine W: 'Mr. Christmas,' from the album 'Hey, Mr. Christmas'
White Party Week official website
BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
Singing star Kristine W strongly believes in The Power of Music. It's the name of her latest album, but also represents much more.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/white-party-weekend-singing-star-kristine-w-knows-the-power-of-music.html/

White Party Weekend arrives in South Beach
The 25th annual White Party at Vizcaya is Saturday night, but a full holiday weekend of events is in full swing. Here are pictures I took Friday at the National Hotel in South Beach, the official hotel and reception center of White Party Weekend; along Collins Avenue outside the hotel; and at Macy’s off Lincoln Road, where the store has set up a large White Party-theme display.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/11/white-party-weekend-arrives-in-south-beach.html/

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

Excerpt: And Party Every Day
And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records by Larry Harris takes readers on a freewheeling journey behind the scenes of the record company that defined the 1970s music scene, rising faster — and crashing more spectacularly — than any label in history.
By Advocate.com Contributors
Casablanca Record & FilmWorks Headquarters
8255 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Casablanca president Neil Bogart was talking to me about a new project he wanted us to get into. We would be getting the official pitch in a few minutes, and he was pacing around my office giving me the details on the band and prepping me for the meetings that would ensue. He mentioned the players, but all that stuck in my head was the list of characters he described: guys dressed in leather, a construction worker, a cop, and some cowboys and Indians. “Great,” I thought, “I’m now a casting director meeting with an overcaffeinated Hollywood producer.”
http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Books/And_Party_Every_Day/

Maple Leafs GM Proud of Gay Son
By Michelle Garcia
ESPN.com writer John Buccigross tells the coming-out story of a college student whose father, Brian Burke, is the general manager of the NHL's, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/25/Maple_Leafs_GM_Proud_of_Gay_Son/

Fundamentalists Tied to Uganda's Antigay Law
By Advocate.com Editors
An antigay conservative group with high-powered U.S. political allies has used its influence to support a proposed Ugandan law that would impose the death penalty on "repeat offenders" engaging in gay sex.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/25/Fundamentalists_Tied_to_Ugandas_Antigay_Law/

Marriages in Mexico City?
By Michelle Garcia
A lawmaker has proposed changing Mexico City's laws to extend marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/25/Marriages_in_Mexico_City/

Kelsey Grammer Stars in La Cage aux Folles
By Advocate.com Editors
Actor Kelsey Grammer will star in the Broadway revival of Jerry Herman’s drag musical La Cage aux Folles, reports the New York Post. The Emmy award-winning star of long-running sitcoms Cheers and Frasier will portray Georges, a nightclub proprietor, opposite British actor Douglas Hodge as Albin, his high-strung drag-performing lover. The musical, noted for introducing the gay anthem “I Am What I Am,” is expected to open in April.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/25/Kelsey_Grammer_Stars_in_La_Cage_aux_Folles/

Lesbian Granted Custody Over "Ex-Gay" Ex
By Michelle Garcia
A family court judge in Rutland, Vt., granted custody to the non-biological mother of a 7-year-old girl as the result of a child visitation lawsuit between a former lesbian couple. Janet Jenkins and her former partner Lisa Miller split after Miller renounced homosexuality in 2003. After court battles in Virginia and Vermont, Judge William Cohen issued a 21-page decision on Friday, granting custody of 7-year-old Isabella Miller to Jenkins.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/25/Lesbian_Granted_Custody_Over_Ex-Gay_Ex/

Huckabee: Gay Marriage Leads to Polygamy
By Michelle Garcia
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee says he's not necessarily against gay marriage, but he's really a supporter of traditional marriage.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/11/25/Huckabee_Gay_Marriage_Opens_Gates_to_Polygamy/

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

9 Good Gifts: Editor’s picks from 365gay
By Jennifer Vanasco, editor in chief, 365gay.com
Your friends are politically aware. Sophisticated. Well-traveled. Creative. And they recycle. So what can you get them that they don’t have themselves? 365gay hunted for good gifts – gifts that say you put a lot of thought into the kind of people your friends are. Gifts that say you admire their intelligence, their elegance, their wit. Gifts that say, “I looked into your soul. And your soul told me that you wanted a rare, designer set of cuff-links crafted by gay monks out of pieces of disco ball recycled from Studio 54.”
http://www.365gay.com/news/9-good-gifts-editors-picks-from-365gay/

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

Straight civil partnership couple's MP to raise issue in parliament
The local MP of a straight couple who are fighting to get a civil partnership has said she is supporting them and will raise the issue in parliament. Tom Freeman and Katherine Doyle, both 25 and of Holloway, London, were turned away from Islington's registry office on Tuesday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/straight-civil-partnership-couples-mp-to-raise-issue-in-parliament/

Australian government backs down on civil union ceremonies
The Australian federal government has opted not to quash laws allowing legally-binding civil union ceremonies for gay couples in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/australian-government-backs-down-on-civil-union-ceremonies/

Advertiser promotion: New sperm and egg donor website launches
A brand new worldwide donor connection website has launched. Pride Angel is the first website of its kind to aim towards the gay and lesbian community and was founded by a lesbian couple who have first-hand experience of known donor conception.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/advertiser-promotion-new-sperm-and-egg-donor-website-launches/

United Reform Church first to speak out on Uganda's anti-gay bill
The United Reform Church has become the first major Christian denomination in the UK to criticise Uganda's proposed anti-homosexuality bill. The church said it was "appalled" at the legislation.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/united-reform-church-first-to-speak-out-on-ugandas-anti-gay-bill/

Manchester event to honour gay mathematician Alan Turing
Manchester city council is holding an event to honour Alan Turing, the gay mathematician who is hailed as one of the founders of computer science.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/manchester-event-to-honour-gay-mathematician-alan-turing/

Westminster police promise LGBT liaison officers will not be reduced
Westminster police held a meeting today to reassure local businesses that homophobic hate crime is being tackled in the borough and that numbers of LGBT liaison officers will not be watered down.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/westminster-police-promise-lgbt-liaison-officers-will-not-be-reduced/

LGBT History Month launches in London and Salford
LGBT History Month will celebrate its fifth anniversary in February and will be holding a special launch in the north-west at the University of Salford next month.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/26/lgbt-history-month-launches-in-london-and-salford/

Charges dropped for man who 'shouted homophobic abuse' at gay council leader
A man who was accused of shouting homophobic abuse at gay Glasgow city council leader Stephen Purcell has had the charges dropped.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/charges-dropped-for-man-who-shouted-homophobic-abuse-at-gay-council-leader/

California town's mayor calls gays 'sinful'
Gay rights activists are calling for the mayor of Vallejo, California, to be censured after he called gay people "sinful". Mayor Osby Davis has since apologised for the remarks and said they were taken out of context.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/california-towns-mayor-calls-gays-sinful/

Thailand to limit gender reassignment surgery
Thailand's government has passed stricter rules for patients seeking gender reassignment surgery. Patients will now be required to live and dress as the opposite gender for a year before surgery and must be over 18. Men aged between 18 and 20 must also gain parental consent.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/thailand-to-limit-gender-reassignment-surgery/

Australian gay marriage 'could lead to incest and polygamy', religious figures say
Marriage equality rights in Australia could lead to legal recognition of incest and polygamy, critics have said.
A Senate inquiry yesterday recommended that gay marriahe should not be legalised, although the government has allowed civil union ceremonies to remain in the ACT.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/australian-gay-marriage-could-lead-to-incest-and-polygamy-religious-figures-say/

Israeli ambassador first to be accompanied by gay spouse
A Liverpool-born man has become the first gay spouse of an Israeli ambassador. Yitzhak Yanouka, known as Izzy, will soon be moving to Angola to become the next Israeli ambassador in Luanda and will be taking his partner Mikie Goldstein, 44, with him.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/israeli-ambassador-first-to-be-accompanied-by-gay-spouse/

HIV diagnoses for gay and bisexual men levelling off
Figures released today show that the number of gay and bisexual men being diagnosed with HIV in the UK has fallen slightly in the last year. HIV charities say this does not mean fewer men are coming forward for testing.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/hiv-diagnoses-for-gay-and-bisexual-men-levelling-off/

Gordon Brown raises anti-gay laws with Ugandan president
The prime minister has raised Uganda's controversial proposed laws on homosexuality with the country's president at the Commonwealth Heads of Government conference in Trinidad. Gordon Brown told Yoweri Museveni that he was opposed to laws that could result in the execution of gays.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/28/gordon-brown-raises-anti-gay-laws-with-ugandan-president/

EXCLUSIVE: London mayor Boris Johnson 'determined' to tackle homophobic hate crime
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has said he is determined to tackle the problem of homophobic hate crime in the city. In an exclusive interview with PinkNews.co.uk, Johnson said that there was a "nasty undercurrent" of hate crimes against gay people and detailed police plans to help stamp it out.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/11/27/exclusive-london-mayor-boris-johnson-determined-to-tackle-homophobic-hate-crime/

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

Will ‘the Road’ Be a Tool for Evangelism?
Bill Berkowitz \ Talk 2 Action
A. Larry Ross, a Christian-oriented PR man extraordinaire, has taken `The Road’ to religious audiences in search of buzz and box office
Two movies with doomsday scenarios highlight this year’s pre-holiday Cineplex fare. ”2012,” a special effects spectacular starring John Cusack, is based on the Mayan calendar, whose end date — not the end of the world most scholars agree — is December 21, 2012.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11840/

Adam Lambert’s Hypocrisy
Jennifer Vanasco \ Independent Gay Forum
Yes, Adam Lambert. You’re right.
Hiphop artists and women get away with salacious performances all the time without an uproar. Of course, there was that famous Madonna-and-Britney kiss that caused a stir, but that was likely because the artists were — well, Madonna and Britney.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11837/

Audio: 2010 Census Will Count Same-Sex Couples
NPR
Next year, for the first time, the United States census will count same-sex couples who identify themselves as spouses. Previously these people were identified as unmarried partners. Guest host Jennifer Ludden discusses the effort and its implications for the gay rights movement with demographer Gary Gates; he’s a senior research fellow at the UCLA School of Law, and a member of “Our Families Count,” a census advocacy campaign for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
http://www.dailyqueernews.com/news/11834/

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