tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-313253952024-03-07T01:04:15.196-05:00GLBT News Summary for Progressives . . . . . Ray's ListRay's List is a free news clipping service for the Progressive GLBT and Friends Community. Daily Digests include the links and the first paragraphs from national and international news sent to Ray's List subscribers during the last 24 hours. If a link is missing, contact us at Rays.List@comcast.net and we'll send you the full article.Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.comBlogger2334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-825595930802068502010-01-14T19:08:00.002-05:002010-01-14T19:25:27.056-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 14, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/us/politics/AP-US-Gays-in-Military.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">AP Exclusive: Lawyers Advise Wait to Lift Gay Ban </a><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Lawyers for the nation's top military officer are recommending holding off on an internal Pentagon effort that could lead to the repeal of the ban on openly gay military service. The delay could push a decision by Congress to the middle of the next presidential election. Other advisers at the Pentagon, however, argue that lifting the ban would not cause unmanageable problems or divisions among the uniformed military, according to two U.S. officials. They discussed internal conversations about the ban on condition of anonymity.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/us/politics/AP-US-Gays-in-Military.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/us/politics/AP-US-Gays-in-Military.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">Prop. 8 Backer Questioned About Child Sex Comment</a> <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Animosity against gays was so prevalent in the campaign to ban same-sex marriage in California that voters were told legalizing sex with children was next if gay couples were given the right to wed, according to attorneys trying to overturn the measure. San Francisco resident Hak-Shing William Tam, a defendant in the case, wrote in a letter to Chinese-Americans church groups during the 2008 campaign that legalizing same-sex marriage was part of a broader gay agenda.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/14/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011304348.html/">Supreme Court bars broadcast of Prop 8 trial in California</a><br />By Robert Barnes<br />The Supreme Court split along ideological lines Wednesday as it barred a federal judge in San Francisco from broadcasting a high-profile trial involving same-sex marriage.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011304348.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011304348.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/financial-adviser/2010/01/14/same-sex-marriage-complicates-trust-terms/">Same-Sex Marriage Complicates Trust Terms</a><br />By Max Alexander<br />Emotions run high on both sides of the same-gender marriage debate, with proponents and opponents often characterizing their arguments as a fight over the future of society. But, political and cultural clashes aside, the issue has financial implications that go beyond the realm of theory for some families. Just ask Myra Salzer, founder of the Wealth Conservancy, a Boulder, Colo., firm that specializes in helping its clients manage inherited estates.<br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/financial-adviser/2010/01/14/same-sex-marriage-complicates-trust-terms/">http://blogs.wsj.com/financial-adviser/2010/01/14/same-sex-marriage-complicates-trust-terms/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gays-in-military,0,2611588.story/">AP Exclusive: Pentagon lawyers urge further delay in repeal of ban on openly gay troops</a><br />By ANNE GEARAN<br />Lawyers for the nation's top military officer are recommending holding off on an internal Pentagon effort that could lead to the repeal of the ban on openly gay military service. The delay could push a decision by Congress to the middle of the next presidential election. <br />Other advisers at the Pentagon, however, argue that lifting the ban would not cause unmanageable problems or divisions among the uniformed military, according to two U.S. officials. They discussed internal conversations about the ban on condition of anonymity.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gays-in-military,0,2611588.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gays-in-military,0,2611588.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay">www.MiamiHerald.com/gay</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sunserve-monthly-mixer-630-pm-monday-at-gallery-101-at-us-1-and-oakland-park-boulevard.html/">SunServe monthly mixer 6:30 p.m. Monday at Gallery 101 at U.S. 1 and Oakland Park Boulevard</a><br />From SunServe in Fort Lauderdale: Click here to RSVP<br />SunServe is your premiere non-profit social service agency designed to meet the diverse needs of South Florida's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community. <br />To find out more, visit us at www.SunServe.org<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sunserve-monthly-mixer-630-pm-monday-at-gallery-101-at-us-1-and-oakland-park-boulevard.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sunserve-monthly-mixer-630-pm-monday-at-gallery-101-at-us-1-and-oakland-park-boulevard.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1423978.html/">BSO lieutenant fired over explicit computer images</a><br />The Broward Sheriff's Office fired a lieutenant after learning he had used his computer to view sexually explicit images.<br />BY AMY SHERMAN<br />Broward Sheriff's Lt. James Murray was fired this week for using his computer to access sexually explicit content, among other policy violations. Murray is also at the center of a federal sex-discrimination suit filed by a female Broward Sheriff's Office lieutenant. But Murray's firing was unrelated to that lawsuit, BSO spokesman Jim Leljedal said.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1423978.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1423978.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/14/McGreevey_Ex_Wife_Opposed_to_Gay_Marriage/">McGreevey's Ex Opposed to Gay Marriage </a><br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Dina Matos, the ex-wife of openly gay former New Jersey governor James McGreevey, said Wednesday that the state senate was right to reject the marriage equality bill last week. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/14/McGreevey_Ex_Wife_Opposed_to_Gay_Marriage/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/14/McGreevey_Ex_Wife_Opposed_to_Gay_Marriage/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Commentary/Signorile_Revisited/">Signorile Reconsidered</a><br />COMMENTARY: Michaelangelo Signorile says gay media watchdog GLAAD is muzzled by the entertainment companies it’s supposed to police, a claim GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios (pictured) says is unfounded. <br />By Jarrett Barrios<br />In his commentary, “GLAAD Reconsidered,” Michaelangelo Signorile offers a mixture of criticism and claims about the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation that are not supported by the facts. And while criticism is certainly welcome, as it would be from all who we serve in our media advocacy work, the central thesis of Signorile’s piece is incorrect.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Commentary/Signorile_Revisited/">http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Commentary/Signorile_Revisited/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/homophobic-attack-victim-condemns-iris-robinson/">Homophobic attack victim condemns Iris Robinson</a><br />A man who was beaten in a homophobic attack shortly before Iris Robinson made her now infamous anti-gay remarks has said her husband should divorce her. Robinson had criticised the attack on Stephen Scott but added that gay people couldbe "cured".<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/homophobic-attack-victim-condemns-iris-robinson/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/homophobic-attack-victim-condemns-iris-robinson/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/scottish-hiv-charity-could-lose-funding-after-review/">Scottish HIV charity could lose funding after review</a><br />HIV Scotland has been criticised in an external review for not being active enough, being too close to the government and "neglecting" the needs of some at-risk groups<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/scottish-hiv-charity-could-lose-funding-after-review/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/scottish-hiv-charity-could-lose-funding-after-review/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/mps-sign-motion-to-condemn-ugandas-gay-execution-bill/"><br />MPs sign motion to condemn Uganda's gay execution bill</a><br />Twenty MPs have signed an early day motion to attack Uganda's plans to introduce the death penalty for gays. The motion was tabled by Labour MP Harry Cohen and calls for the British government and European Union to press Uganda not to proceed with the law.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/mps-sign-motion-to-condemn-ugandas-gay-execution-bill/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/mps-sign-motion-to-condemn-ugandas-gay-execution-bill/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/homophobic-iris-robinson-resigns-from-parliament">Homophobic Iris Robinson resigns from parliament</a><br />Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson resigned from Westminster yesterday after it was revealed last week that she had solicited loans for her 19-year-old lover.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/homophobic-iris-robinson-resigns-from-parliament/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/homophobic-iris-robinson-resigns-from-parliament/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/lesbian-ukip-mep-leaves-european-group/">Lesbian UKIP MEP leaves European group</a><br />A lesbian MEP for the UK Independence Party has left the group her party joined in the European Parliament. Nikki Sinclaire announced this week that she was leaving the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/lesbian-ukip-mep-leaves-european-group/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/lesbian-ukip-mep-leaves-european-group/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/suspect-in-puerto-rico-gay-murder-will-stand-trial/"><br />Suspect in Puerto Rico gay murder will stand trial</a><br />The man accused of murdering a gay Puerto Rico teenager has been found fit to stand trial. Juan A Martinez Matos, 26, is accused of killing Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado in November in the city of Cayey.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/suspect-in-puerto-rico-gay-murder-will-stand-trial/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/14/suspect-in-puerto-rico-gay-murder-will-stand-trial/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ugandan-president-museveni-distances-himself-from-anti-gay-bill/">Ugandan president Museveni distances himself from anti-gay bill</a><br />Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni said yesterday that the country must take into consideration its foreign policy interests when debating an anti-homosexuality bill.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ugandan-president-museveni-distances-himself-from-anti-gay-bill/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ugandan-president-museveni-distances-himself-from-anti-gay-bill/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/gates-mullen-to-testify-on-%E2%80%9Cdont-ask-dont-tell%E2%80%9D/">Gates, Mullen to testify on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”</a><br />by Chris Johnson<br />Both the top uniformed leader and top civilian leader at the Pentagon will testify at the end of this month before Congress on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” according to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Bryan Thomas, a committee spokesperson, said Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) has made arrangements for Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of Joint of Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen to testify on the issue, although an exact day for the hearing hasn’t been scheduled.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/gates-mullen-to-testify-on-%E2%80%9Cdont-ask-dont-tell%E2%80%9D/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/gates-mullen-to-testify-on-%E2%80%9Cdont-ask-dont-tell%E2%80%9D/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/news/last_word/2010/01/heres-the-pitch-a-conservative.html/">Last Word: Who's saying what about gay and lesbian issues</a><br />Here's the Pitch: A conservative lawyer uses Hollywood money to battle in court for gay marriage rights! [video]<br />Posted by duy on January 14, 2010 9:12 AM | Permalink <br />''Ted Olson joining our team and deciding to spearhead the legal effort has given us an opportunity to basically say, ''This is not a partisan issue. This is not Republican. This is not Democrat. This is not conservative or liberal -- this is about equal justice and equal rights for everybody in this country. And the Constitution provides for that.''<br /><a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/news/last_word/2010/01/heres-the-pitch-a-conservative.html/">http://www.metroweekly.com/news/last_word/2010/01/heres-the-pitch-a-conservative.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14819/in-the-thick-of-it-when-fatphobia-plays-out-in-politics/">In the thick of it: when fatphobia plays out in politics </a><br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />In the New York Times, Adam Nagourney has a long profile on under-siege Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, covering his "light-skinned/Negro dialect" dustup, his behind-the-scenes political maneuvers, and his personal life. I'm reading along and then this jumped out at me: By reputation and appearance, Reid, who is 70, is one of the blander elected officials in Washington. Upon closer inspection, he is deeply and deceptively interesting. He is a senator from Nevada who hates gambling ("The only people who make money from gambling are the joints and government"); a backroom deal-maker who does not drink alcohol or coffee; a Washington celebrity who sniffs at the dinner-and-party circuit. "Senator Daschle went to dinner almost every night with someone," he told me. "I go to dinner never, with anyone, during the week." He does find time, at least twice a week, to slip on a pair of black Lycra stretch pants to do yoga with Landra at their apartment in the Ritz-Carlton. He has intolerance for fat people, manifested in asides to aides who seem to be getting portly and an office staff that is suspiciously slim.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14819/in-the-thick-of-it-when-fatphobia-plays-out-in-politics/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14819/in-the-thick-of-it-when-fatphobia-plays-out-in-politics/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14828/shannon-minter-perry-v-schwarzenegger-proceedings-day-3/">Shannon Minter: Perry v. Schwarzenegger Proceedings, Day 3 </a><br />by: Autumn Sandeen <br />BLEND EXCLUSIVE: Trial analysis by the National Center For Lesbian Rights' (NCLR's) Shannon Minter. <br />**Update from Daimeon: Click below the fold to see a video blog from Kate Kendell. <br />As other bloggers and news outlets have reported, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a final order today preventing the trial from being broadcast. The 5-4 opinion was unsigned, meaning that its authorship was not attributed to any one justice. The court largely ducked the substantive issue of whether federal trials should be more accessible to a broader public, holding that the San Francisco district court judges had not followed the proper procedures when they amended the local court rules to allow the broadcast. Justices Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito were in the majority.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14828/shannon-minter-perry-v-schwarzenegger-proceedings-day-3/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14828/shannon-minter-perry-v-schwarzenegger-proceedings-day-3/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/live_twitter_feed_of_prop_8_trial_day_4.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Live Twitter feed of Prop 8 trial: Day 4</a><br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />Our live Twitter feed of the Prop 8 trial has been really popular this week, so I'm bumping it back up to the top to make it handy for Projectors to find. Unfortunately, Davina isn't able to attend the trial today so our inside source is out of commission until tomorrow. With the Supreme Court ruling that cameras will not be allowed at all now, Twitter is your best source for as-it-happens updates. The feed shows all the tweets from people covering the trial live from inside the courthouse. Right now the currently featured tweeters are:<br />• @ellemenohpe<br />• @Chris_Stoll<br />• @NCLRights<br />• @AmerEqualRights<br />• @CourageCampaign<br />• @ACLU_NorCal<br />• @FedcourtJunkie<br />• @TheAdvocateMag<br />The feed will show you anything the eight of them send out - not just Prop 8 trial tweets. This keeps them a little more human and less "reporter-ish." You might see off-topic tweets occasionally, but think of it as an extra bonus feature! Live stream after the jump. It'll keep going as long as they do.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/live_twitter_feed_of_prop_8_trial_day_4.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/live_twitter_feed_of_prop_8_trial_day_4.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/national-institute-of-health-to-conduct.html/">National Institute Of Health To Conduct Unprecedented Study Of LGBT Health</a><br />posted by Joe<br />The National Institute of Health is inviting public comment on an unprecedented planned study of LGBT health issues. An insider writes us on how to help: <br />The Institute of Medicine (IOM), part of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), has been asked by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a report on LGBT health. Nothing like this has been done in the past, although IOM did do a report on lesbian health at the end of the Clinton administration. There is a period of public comment between now and Feb 1. People should be encouraged to take advantage of this. Vague comments ("We need more services for gay men") won't have much impact. Data-based comments will help, but commonplace, vivid examples of health disparities affecting LGBT folks may get noticed.There will be face-to-face meetings with opportunities for public participation, but they are likely to be DC-based and the dates have not been announced. The report will be used by NIH for planning purposes. It's likely that other federal agencies (CDC, HRSA, SAMHSA) will take notice of its findings and Congress usually is interested in the outcome of these reports.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/national-institute-of-health-to-conduct.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/national-institute-of-health-to-conduct.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/male-on-male-sexual-harassment-rises.html/">Male-On-Male Sexual Harassment Rises </a><br />posted by Joe<br />According to a Newsweek report, reported incidences of workplace male-on-male sexual harassment are on the rise. The story notes that most of the cases don't arise from flirting gone too far, but from actions meant to sexually humiliate the victim. <br />The EEOC tracks the number of men and women who file claims with the agency, but doesn't always keep track of the gender of the harasser. However, Grinberg confirms that the EEOC has recognized a growing trend in the number of men alleging same-sex sexual harassment. "The classic image of sexual harassment is Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill; it's not two men or even two women," says Dr. Liza H. Gold, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University who serves as an expert in sexual-harassment suits. And yet the experience of men harassed by men may help to illustrate the realities of all such cases. When women are the victims, they may face assumptions that the abuse is the result of an affair gone wrong, hurt feelings, or mixed signals. In truth, sexual harassment of both genders has more to do with issues of control and abuses of power for the purpose of humiliation than with sexual attraction. By exposing the men to taunts about their genitalia, sexually suggestive simulations, and lewd comments, the men perpetrating the harassment are seeking to embarrass and target the male victims—not sexually stimulate or "flirt" with them. <br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/male-on-male-sexual-harassment-rises.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/male-on-male-sexual-harassment-rises.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/miltary-lawyers-wait-on-dadt-repeal.html/">Military Lawyers: Wait On DADT Repeal</a><br />posted by Joe<br />Pentagon lawyers are recommending at least a year's delay before beginning work on the repeal of DADT. That could push a vote by Congress back until the middle of the 2012 elections, a time when many would be hesitant to support the repeal. <br />"Now is not the time," the in-house legal counsel for Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote recently in a memorandum obtained by The Associated Press. "The importance of winning the wars we are in, along with the stress on the force, our body of knowledge and the number of unknowns, demand that we act with deliberation." Mullen received the conflicting advice this month about whether to move quickly to lift the 1993 ban, and it is not clear what he will recommend to President Barack Obama. Although allowing gays to serve openly in the military was one of Obama's campaign promises, the issue was put on a back burner during his first year in office. Some liberal supporters and several congressional Democrats are pushing for action.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/miltary-lawyers-wait-on-dadt-repeal.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/miltary-lawyers-wait-on-dadt-repeal.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/14/gay-left-smears-gop-senate-hopeful/">Gay Left Smears GOP Senate Hopeful </a><br />Posted by LibertyDC <br />Below is my op ed published today by the DC Agenda on the smearing of US Senate candidate Scott Brown (R-MA) by the gay left. Next Tuesday, voters in Massachusetts will go to the polls for a special election to replace U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy (D). Recent polling shows Republican State Senator Scott Brown in a virtual tie with Democrat Martha Coakley. As the polls get closer and closer, Democrats and their allies on the left get more and more desperate. Democrats are unable to defend their record on taxes, spending, the economy, job creation, healthcare or the global war on terror, so instead they predictably turn to smears, distortions and name-calling. The gay left, always willing to do the bidding of the DNC, is attempting to characterize Scott Brown as ‘anti-gay’. This paper ran a headline that blared “Could an anti-gay Republican win Kennedy’s Seat?” The Edge, a New England gay paper, had a similar headline in December, “Anti-gay Mass. Pol Seeks to Succeed Kennedy.”<br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/14/gay-left-smears-gop-senate-hopeful/">http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/14/gay-left-smears-gop-senate-hopeful/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net ]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-33976861031851601852010-01-14T08:41:00.002-05:002010-01-14T09:13:10.708-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 13, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/same-sex-marriage-case-day-3-the-defense-pushes-back/?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">Same-Sex Marriage Case, Day 3: the Defense Pushes Back</a><br />By GERRY SHIH<br />For nearly two hours on Tuesday afternoon, Professor George Chauncey, a Yale historian, gave the San Francisco courtroom presided over by Judge Vaughn Walker an overview of the history of discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans in the 20th century.<br /><a href="http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/same-sex-marriage-case-day-3-the-defense-pushes-back/?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/same-sex-marriage-case-day-3-the-defense-pushes-back/?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial-Cameras.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">Gay Marriage Trial Revives Camera Controversy</a><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />While the issue of same-sex marriage is widely expected to work its way to the U.S. Supreme Court over the next few years, another thorny legal question raised in the case has already landed before the high court: cameras in federal courtrooms.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial-Cameras.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial-Cameras.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/">Historian Back on Stand in Gay Marriage Trial</a><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />A Yale historian testifying in a case challenging California's same-sex marriage ban is being cross-examined about public attitudes about gay Americans. George Chauncey returned to the witness stand for a second day Wednesday.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/<br /></a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011300529.html/">Maine man convicted in fatal sex dungeon shooting</a><br />By DAVID SHARP<br />A Maine man charged in the shooting death of a friend during a night of sex play in a "dungeon" has been convicted of manslaughter. Defense lawyer Tom Hallett told jurors Wednesday that three men had been using guns as part of their sexual play and that the victim might have put a bullet in a revolver to increase the thrill.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011300529.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011300529.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301488.html/"><br />Va. church votes to split from Lutheran parent</a><br />Members of a Roanoke church have voted to leave the country's largest Lutheran denomination over its policy to allow gay clergy. St. John Lutheran Pastor Mark Graham said church members voted 350-104 in favor of the split from the national Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Church rules required a two-thirds majority for reaffiliation.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301488.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301488.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011203692.html/"><br />$25 million initiative aimed at attacking D.C. AIDS epidemic</a><br />The District government and the National Institutes of Health announced Monday the launch of a $26.4 million initiative to attack the city's HIV/AIDS epidemic with expanded testing and treatment to reduce the level of the virus in its victims and hopefully decrease their chances of spreading the disease.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011203692.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011203692.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301358.html/">'Glee,' 'Modern Family' among GLAAD nominees</a><br />The Associated Press<br />For the fourth year running, the ABC television network leads nominees for media awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The network earned eight nominations Wednesday for the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards, with "Brothers & Sisters," "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice" and newcomer "Modern Family" among its contenders.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301358.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301358.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011200331.html/">Historian: Prop 8 played on anti-gay stereotypes</a><br />By LISA LEFF<br />A Yale professor testifying in a case challenging California's same-sex marriage ban said Tuesday that the 2008 campaign to pass Proposition 8 played on stereotypes historically used to portray "homosexuals as perverts who prey on young children, out to entice straight people into sick behavior."<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011200331.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/12/AR2010011200331.html/</a><br /><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126334233397826947.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories/">Quirky Judge Presides in Gay-Marriage Case</a><br />Walker, Known for Novel Sentences and Unpredictable Decisions, Riles Some in California Trial by Allowing Wide Range of Evidence<br />By JUSTIN SCHECK and GEOFFREY A. FOWLER<br />The judge presiding over the first serious challenge in federal court of a state gay-marriage ban has defined his career with an unconventional approach. Two days into the trial over the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban, Judge Vaughn Walker has upset some opponents of gay marriage by allowing gay couples to testify on the meaning of marriage. <br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126334233397826947.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126334233397826947.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/movies/fl-jewish-film-festival-20100113,0,908370.story/">Jewish Film Festival embraces diversity</a><br />Themes of aging, anti-Semitism, parental angst, homophobia and Holocaust stories in spotlight<br />By Dan Hudak<br />It's appropriate that identity issues are on Ellen Wedner's mind. It's her seventh year as director of the Miami Jewish Film Festival, and there's one aspect of being in charge that often frustrates her: The public perception that Jewish film festivals only show Holocaust movies. "There was a time when festival programmers did focus on Holocaust stories, but there are more things to consider now," Wedner said. The themes of aging, anti-Semitism, parental angst and homophobia, as well as Holocaust stories, are prominent in this year's festival, which runs Jan. 16-24 at locations throughout Miami. "It's just so easy in this day and age to label very quickly, but patrons would be surprised by what else we offer," she added.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/movies/fl-jewish-film-festival-20100113,0,908370.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/movies/fl-jewish-film-festival-20100113,0,908370.story/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-rel-religion-briefs,0,1068637.story/"><br />Religion News in Brief</a><br />The Associated Press<br />TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Seven members of Iran's Baha'i minority are on trial on charges of spying and acting against the country's national security, state media reported. According to state TV Web site, the charges against them also include cooperating with archenemy Israel, gathering classified documents and "corruption on earth" — an Islamic term for crimes punishable with the death sentence in Iran.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-rel-religion-briefs,0,1068637.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-rel-religion-briefs,0,1068637.story/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sns-ap-us-glaad-media-awards,0,6045817.story/">ABC leads GLAAD awards nominees, including 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Modern Family'</a><br />By Associated Press<br />For the fourth year running, the ABC television network leads nominees for media awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The network earned eight nominations Wednesday for the 21st annual GLAAD Media Awards, with "Brothers & Sisters," ''Grey's Anatomy," ''Private Practice" and newcomer "Modern Family" among its contenders.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sns-ap-us-glaad-media-awards,0,6045817.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/sns-ap-us-glaad-media-awards,0,6045817.story/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-sex-game-slaying,0,383343.story/">Maine man convicted of manslaughter in shooting that ended night of drugs, sex, in dungeon</a><br />By DAVID SHARP<br />A Maine man charged in the shooting death of a friend during a night of sex play in a "dungeon" has been convicted of manslaughter. Defense lawyer Tom Hallett told jurors Wednesday that three men had been using guns as part of their sexual play and that the victim might have put a bullet in a revolver to increase the thrill.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-sex-game-slaying,0,383343.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-sex-game-slaying,0,383343.story/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/">Backer of gay marriage ban warned that activists would try to legalize sex with children</a><br />By Lisa Leff<br />Lawyers in a case seeking to overturn California's gay marriage ban are presenting statements by a proponent of the measure saying gay rights activists would try to legalize sex with children if same-sex marriages were legal. The taped statements by Hak-Shing William Tam were presented Wednesday during the civil case being heard in federal court.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cbs-news-video-all-in-the-family-star-rob-reiner-challenges-californias-gay-marriage-ban.html/">CBS News video | ‘All in the Family’ star Rob Reiner challenges California’s gay marriage ban</a><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cbs-news-video-all-in-the-family-star-rob-reiner-challenges-californias-gay-marriage-ban.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cbs-news-video-all-in-the-family-star-rob-reiner-challenges-californias-gay-marriage-ban.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cynthia-nixon-lady-gaga-leonard-pitts-jr-among-2010-glaad-media-award-winners-and-nominees-with-video.html/"><br />Cynthia Nixon, Lady Gaga, Leonard Pitts Jr. among 2010 GLAAD Media Award winners and nominees (with video)</a><br />GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has announced its 21st annual Media Awards nominees and some special award winners. Among them: Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon (Vito Russo Award), and nominees Lady Gaga and Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. Below is a GLAAD video about the awards featuring President Jarrett Barrios, followed by the GLAAD news release and the full list of English- and Spanish-language nominees:<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cynthia-nixon-lady-gaga-leonard-pitts-jr-among-2010-glaad-media-award-winners-and-nominees-with-video.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cynthia-nixon-lady-gaga-leonard-pitts-jr-among-2010-glaad-media-award-winners-and-nominees-with-video.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/dustin-lance-black-and-neil-patrick-harris-elected-to-the-trevor-project-board-of-directors.html/">Dustin Lance Black and Neil Patrick Harris elected to The Trevor Project board Of directors</a><br />News release from The Trevor Project:<br />New members to serve leadership roles at LGBTQ youth-focused non-profit<br />LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, today announced that writer, producer and director Dustin Lance Black and actor, producer and director Neil Patrick Harris have been elected to its Board of Directors.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/dustin-lance-black-and-neil-patrick-harris-elected-to-the-trevor-project-board-of-directors.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/dustin-lance-black-and-neil-patrick-harris-elected-to-the-trevor-project-board-of-directors.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/day-2-is-prop-8-like-the-anita-bryant-crusade/">Day 2: Is Prop 8 like the Anita Bryant crusade?</a><br />By Lisa Keen<br />Attorneys challenging the California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage painted the “Yes on 8” campaign as a modern day copycat of Anita Bryant’s late 1970s campaign to “Save the Children.” Through testimony by gay history scholar George Chauncey of Yale University, the plaintiffs’ legal team discussed, in U.S. district court, the creation of unsubstantiated stereotyping of gay men as child molesters by police and news media around the country between the 1930s and 1950s.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/day-2-is-prop-8-like-the-anita-bryant-crusade/">http://www.365gay.com/news/day-2-is-prop-8-like-the-anita-bryant-crusade/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-the-conservative-argument-for-gay-marriage/">RachelWatch: The Conservative Argument for Gay Marriage</a><br />By Ali Davis<br />Breaking News<br />Rachel started off with news of the massive earthquake near Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. Though it has been difficult to get news from the area, Rachel and David Applegate of the U.S. Geological Survey tried to get a handle on the devastation. Rachel closed the show with an update on the quake and its aftershocks and then dedicated her second broadcast to giving it full coverage.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-the-conservative-argument-for-gay-marriage/">http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-the-conservative-argument-for-gay-marriage/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Travel/Gayest_Cities_in_America/">Gayest Cities in America</a><br />Intrepid amateur sociologist Mike Albo searches for America’s 15 gayest burgs—based on a finely tuned (if totally arbitrary) calculus.<br />By Mike Albo<br />Long ago, gay people settled in our nation’s largest cities. There they spruced up all the property, created every art and fashion movement, and taught entire populations how to dance. They created gayborhoods like WeHo, Chelsea, South Beach—and pretty much queered all of San Francisco until even Laundromats had rainbow flag decals in their windows. About 10 years ago everyone else moved back into these nicely gentrified metropolises, and the lavender diaspora began. Now a slew of secondary cities are becoming gay epicenters.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Travel/Gayest_Cities_in_America/">http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Travel/Gayest_Cities_in_America/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/japanese-trans-man-told-that-son-is-illegitimate/">Japanese trans man told that son is illegitimate</a><br />A trans man in Japan who had a child with his wife has been informed by officials that the child is now classed as illegitimate.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/japanese-trans-man-told-that-son-is-illegitimate/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/japanese-trans-man-told-that-son-is-illegitimate/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/scottish-parliament-apologises-to-trans-woman-searched-by-male-guard/">Scottish parliament apologises to trans woman searched by male guard</a><br />The Scottish parliament has sent a letter of apology to a trans woman who was searched by a male guard on a visit. Female security guards refused to search her, believing she was a man.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/scottish-parliament-apologises-to-trans-woman-searched-by-male-guard/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/scottish-parliament-apologises-to-trans-woman-searched-by-male-guard/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/model-claims-he-had-two-year-relationship-with-stephen-gately/">Model claims he had two-year relationship with Stephen Gately</a><br />Georgi Dochev, the Bulgarian student and model who was at the Majorca apartment where gay Boyzone singer Stephen Gately died, has claimed he had known Gately and his civil partner for two years.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/model-claims-he-had-two-year-relationship-with-stephen-gately/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/model-claims-he-had-two-year-relationship-with-stephen-gately/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/lawyers-for-malawi-gay-couple-to-challenge-homosexuality-ban/">Lawyers for Malawi gay couple to challenge homosexuality ban</a><br />The lawyers representing two gay men who had a wedding ceremony in Malawi have asked for a review of the country's homosexuality ban.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/lawyers-for-malawi-gay-couple-to-challenge-homosexuality-ban/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/lawyers-for-malawi-gay-couple-to-challenge-homosexuality-ban/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/entry-ban-on-anti-gay-us-shock-jock-to-stay-in-place/">Entry ban on anti-gay US 'shock jock' to stay in place</a><br />A ban on a US radio presenter entering the UK will be upheld, the government has said. Michael Savage, known for his strong views on homosexuality, Islam and abortion, was barred from entering the country in May last year.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/entry-ban-on-anti-gay-us-shock-jock-to-stay-in-place/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/12/entry-ban-on-anti-gay-us-shock-jock-to-stay-in-place/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/nick-clegg-calls-for-faith-schools-to-focus-on-homophobic-bullying/">Nick Clegg calls for faith schools to focus on homophobic bullying</a><br />Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said that faith schools must focus on homophobic bullying. He said his party would make it a requirement for faith schools to teach that homosexuality is normal.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/nick-clegg-calls-for-faith-schools-to-focus-on-homophobic-bullying/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/nick-clegg-calls-for-faith-schools-to-focus-on-homophobic-bullying/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/lady-gaga-glambert-and-glee-up-for-glaad-awards/">Lady Gaga, Lambert and Glee up for GLAAD awards</a><br />Nominees for the most gay-friendly films, television programmes and performers have been announced by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/lady-gaga-glambert-and-glee-up-for-glaad-awards/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/lady-gaga-glambert-and-glee-up-for-glaad-awards/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/man-convicted-for-homophobic-attack-on-gay-teenagers/">Man convicted for homophobic attack on gay teenagers</a><br />A 19-year-old man was found guilty yesterday of a homophobic attack on two gay teenagers. Michael Lee Hannan shouted that he hated gays before punching and headbutting the pair, aged 17 and 18, Blackburn magistrates' court heard.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/man-convicted-for-homophobic-attack-on-gay-teenagers/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/man-convicted-for-homophobic-attack-on-gay-teenagers/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ibm-rated-most-gay-friendly-employer-for-the-second-time/">IBM rated most gay-friendly employer for the second time</a><br />IT company IBM has been rated the most gay-friendly company to work for by gay rights organisation Stonewall. The firm was rated best employer in the charity's annual Top 100 Employers List.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ibm-rated-most-gay-friendly-employer-for-the-second-time/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ibm-rated-most-gay-friendly-employer-for-the-second-time/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/gay-man-avoids-jail-for-trying-to-poison-lesbian-couple/"><br />Gay man avoids jail for trying to poison lesbian couple</a><br />A gay man who tried to poison his neighbours in a row over a cat avoided jail yesterday. Gareth Stewart, of Denton, Manchester, gave Marie Walton and Beverley Sales a curry laced with slug pellets after a feud which started years ago.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/gay-man-avoids-jail-for-trying-to-poison-lesbian-couple/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/gay-man-avoids-jail-for-trying-to-poison-lesbian-couple/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/gay-rugby-star-gareth-thomas-reveals-hes-looking-for-love/">Gay rugby star Gareth Thomas reveals he's looking for love</a><br />Gareth Thomas, the Welsh rugby star who came out at the end of last year, has said he hopes to find a boyfriend. The player also suggested that the Daily Mail had been trying to combat negative publicity when it published his coming out interview.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/gay-rugby-star-gareth-thomas-reveals-hes-looking-for-love/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/gay-rugby-star-gareth-thomas-reveals-hes-looking-for-love/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/scottish-mps-condemn-arrest-of-gay-malawian-men/">Scottish MPs condemn arrest of gay Malawian men</a><br />More than 20 members of the Scottish parliament condemned the arrest of two gay men in Malawi who held a wedding ceremony. The motion was signed by members of all main parties and called for parliament to condemn the "illegal and homophobic arrests" of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/scottish-mps-condemn-arrest-of-gay-malawian-men/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/scottish-mps-condemn-arrest-of-gay-malawian-men/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ugandan-president-museveni-distances-himself-from-anti-gay-bill/">Ugandan president Museveni distances himself from anti-gay bill</a><br />Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni said yesterday that the country must take into consideration its foreign policy interests when debating an anti-homosexuality bill.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ugandan-president-museveni-distances-himself-from-anti-gay-bill/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/ugandan-president-museveni-distances-himself-from-anti-gay-bill/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/chinas-state-press-covers-gay-wedding/">China's state press covers gay wedding</a><br />A state-run Chinese newspaper gave its front page to a gay wedding today. China Daily, an English-language newspaper, featured the wedding of Zeng Anquan and Pan Wenjie, which took place on January 3rd.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/chinas-state-press-covers-gay-wedding/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/13/chinas-state-press-covers-gay-wedding/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/rachel-maddow-interviews-prop-8-attorneys/">Rachel Maddow interviews Prop 8 attorneys</a><br />By Joshua Lynsen<br />We’ve already seen Proposition 8 plaintiff attorneys David Boies and Ted Olson make a splash this week in court as the long awaited trail got underway. In the video above, the dynamic duo take their case to “The Rachel Maddow Show.” There’s some great background in this piece, but if you want to skip to the interview with Boies and Olson, jump to the 2:41 mark.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/rachel-maddow-interviews-prop-8-attorneys/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/rachel-maddow-interviews-prop-8-attorneys/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5121&MediaType=1&Category=26/">Gay Marriage At Epicenter Of Iowa Politics</a><br />By On Top Magazine Staff<br />Gay marriage opponents rallied Tuesday at Iowa's Statehouse as the 2010 legislative session opened Tuesday and vowed to alter the political landscape in their favor. The event was organized by the Iowa Family Policy Center's (IFPC) political action committee, which used the opportunity to formally endorse Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, the Iowa Independent reported.<br /><a href="http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5121&MediaType=1&Category=26/">http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5121&MediaType=1&Category=26/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.towleroad.com/2010/01/harold-ford-jr-sells-some-snake-oil-on-marriage-equality.html/">Harold Ford Jr. Sells Some Snake Oil on Marriage Equality</a><br />The New York Times published an extensive interview with potential New York Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. which includes discussion of his anti-gay votes on marriage, and his recent sudden announcement that he changed his mind and is a supporter:<br />Q. Let’s talk about gay marriage. You know your record very well, but to quickly remind you, you voted to ban same sex marriage, with the Federal Marriage Amendment, twice.<br /><a href="http://www.towleroad.com/2010/01/harold-ford-jr-sells-some-snake-oil-on-marriage-equality.html/">http://www.towleroad.com/2010/01/harold-ford-jr-sells-some-snake-oil-on-marriage-equality.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Nearly+600+quit+parish+of+transgender+vicar/1135252089098/">Nearly 600 quit parish of transgender vicar</a><br />By Juhani Saarinen <br />The Lutheran parish which has been rocked by the vicar’s decision to change genders has been hit by something of an exodus of members. Last year 581 people left the parish where Marja-Sisko Aalto returned to work after undergoing gender reassignment surgery.<br /><a href="http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Nearly+600+quit+parish+of+transgender+vicar/1135252089098/">http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Nearly+600+quit+parish+of+transgender+vicar/1135252089098/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14806/who-should-get-kennedys-senate-seat-ag-dem-martha-coakley-or-cosmo-pinup-scott-brown/">Who Should Get Kennedy's Senate Seat? AG Dem Martha Coakley or Cosmo Pin-Up Scott Brown?</a><br />by: Louise<br />The special election for the late Teddy Kennedy's Senate seat is coming up and with it, news that the battle between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown is heating up. We're talking about some seriously steamy stuff- WHEW!!! First, some background on the two.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14806/who-should-get-kennedys-senate-seat-ag-dem-martha-coakley-or-cosmo-pinup-scott-brown/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14806/who-should-get-kennedys-senate-seat-ag-dem-martha-coakley-or-cosmo-pinup-scott-brown/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14824/pat-robertson-haiti-asked-for-it-by-making-a-pact-with-the-devil/">Pat Robertson: Haiti 'asked for it' by making a pact with the Devil</a><br />by: Pam Spaulding<br />How can a "man of God" be so evil. There's no other word for it. We can laugh at his multiple blathering of batsh*ttery, but when he steps into the role of God's Executioner, I cannot think of anything more Satanic than Pat Robertson. (via Political Carnival):<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14824/pat-robertson-haiti-asked-for-it-by-making-a-pact-with-the-devil/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14824/pat-robertson-haiti-asked-for-it-by-making-a-pact-with-the-devil/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14823/uganda-president-museveni-says-foreign-leaders-talk-to-him-about-gays/">Uganda President Museveni says foreign leaders talk to him about "gays"</a><br />by: Lurleen<br />Russell, an organizer of the Respect Humanity: Uganda March and Rally, a high school student-led event to be held in Beaverton, OR on January 23rd, tipped me off to the blog GayUganda. Being Ugandan, the blogger certainly offers valuable insight into the local situation.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14823/uganda-president-museveni-says-foreign-leaders-talk-to-him-about-gays/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14823/uganda-president-museveni-says-foreign-leaders-talk-to-him-about-gays/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/olson_and_boies_talk_prop_8_on_maddow.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Olson and Boies Talk Prop 8 on Maddow</a><br />Filed by: Waymon Hudson<br />Last night on the Rachel Maddow Show, Ted Olson and David Boies came on to talk about the Prop 8 trial. This is just the latest stop in what has been a full-on media blitz from the pro-equality side. It's an interesting contrast from the Prop 8 supporters, who are afraid to even have their testimony videotaped and shown during the trial. I think having these two out on the news and morning shows is definitely moving the discussion on marriage equality forward. I also think the American people will notice the crickets chirping from the Prop 8 supporters- like Maddow says, "Where's the anti-gay pride?"<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/olson_and_boies_talk_prop_8_on_maddow.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/olson_and_boies_talk_prop_8_on_maddow.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/oprahs_website_names_gays_one_of_the_top_self-este.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Oprah's website names gay men one of the top self-esteem boosters for women</a><br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />There's an article up over on Oprah's website: 11 Ways to Feel Beautiful. In between a few fairly obvious suggestions - like "Don't base your body image off fashion mags!" and "Wear clothes that are appropriate for your size!" - is this:<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/oprahs_website_names_gays_one_of_the_top_self-este.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/oprahs_website_names_gays_one_of_the_top_self-este.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/media/145089/tucker_carlsen%27s_new_site_kicks_off_with_homophobic_smear_against_rachel_maddow/">Tucker Carlson's New Site Kicks Off With Homophobic Smear Against Rachel Maddow</a><br />Posted by Jamison Foser<br />Tucker Carlson's new web site, The Daily Caller, launched today, featuring a column by The Weekly Standard's Matt Labash: For those unfamiliar with me from my day job at The Weekly Standard, I'll give you a capsule bio by way of introduction: I have the gift of wisdom. Does that sound arrogant? I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention. I didn't choose wisdom. It chose me. If I had my druthers, I'd have chosen another gift, perhaps the untold riches of Lil' Wayne, whose teeth are made of actual diamonds, or to be the sexiest man alive, like Rachel Maddow. But wisdom is what they gave me, so wisdom is all I have to give back to you.<br /><a href="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/media/145089/tucker_carlsen%27s_new_site_kicks_off_with_homophobic_smear_against_rachel_maddow/">http://www.alternet.org/blogs/media/145089/tucker_carlsen%27s_new_site_kicks_off_with_homophobic_smear_against_rachel_maddow/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/learn-to-speak-tea-bag.html/">Learn To Speak Tea Bag</a><br />posted by Joe<br />The residents of Wingnuttia are screaming at NPR for hosting the below Mark Fiore cartoon on their site. Fiore casually reports receiving death threats over the issue:<br />Before you could say, “due to a pre-existing condition, your health coverage has been denied,” there was a full-fledged viral campaign by right-wing media outlets and blogs to jump, scream and shout about this animation. Which, to me, is just great! I say that not because I get some thrill out of receiving emails that are in all capital letters or have more exclamation points than letters in the alphabet, I say that because one of the most important functions of a political cartoon, or political animation, is to foster a discussion. With thousands of comments posted, loads of emails and tweets, discussion was definitely fostered, and then some. It’s the “then some” that worries me. Of course discussion on the web is not known for its civility, but it finally dawned on me the strangeness of receiving death threats at the same time a crazed Somali extremist tried to kill cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. Muslim extremist, meet Tea Party extremist. Tea Party extremist, meet Muslim extremist.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/learn-to-speak-tea-bag.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/learn-to-speak-tea-bag.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/13/the-bush-era-a-golden-one-for-gay-americans/"><br />The Bush Era: A Golden One for Gay Americans</a><br />Posted by B. Daniel Blatt<br />As I’ve been preparing for my presentation tonight to LA’s Westside Republicans, I’ve been reviewing statistics on corporate policies toward gay employees and have been impressed to discover how quickly these private enterprises have responded to the increasing acceptance of homosexuality in American society. And the pace at which they offered benefits to same-sex domestic partners of employees did not slacken during the supposed dark days of the George W. Bush Era.<br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/13/the-bush-era-a-golden-one-for-gay-americans/">http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/13/the-bush-era-a-golden-one-for-gay-americans/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/homoquotable-michelangelo-signorile.html/">HomoQuotable - Michelangelo Signorile </a> <br />posted by Joe<br />"At the heart of the controversy is a simple fact: GLAAD solicits money from networks and entertainment companies and then hands them awards for what the organization deems positive media representation of the LGBT community. (In 2009, ABC actually led rival networks with its number of nominees.) Media companies receiving the awards—many of which often engage in or perpetuate the very bias and defamation that GLAAD crusades against—sponsor the celebrity-strewn benefits and underwrite the performances in return for branding opportunities and choice tables.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/homoquotable-michelangelo-signorile.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/homoquotable-michelangelo-signorile.html/</a> <br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-71455519464627882842010-01-13T10:25:00.002-05:002010-01-13T10:39:30.690-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 12, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times <br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/">Couples Testify in California Gay Marriage Trial </a><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Testimony in a groundbreaking legal challenge to California's same-sex marriage ban resumes Tuesday with testimony from two Ivy League historians who will discuss the nation's experience with matrimony and anti-gay discrimination. The trial, which began Monday, is the first in a federal court to decide the constitutionality of state bans on gay marriage. Regardless of the outcome, the case is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it could lead to laws that restrict marriage to a man and a woman being upheld or abolished nationwide.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/12/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Trial.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/us/12prop8.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/"><br />Personal Focus as Same-Sex-Marriage Trial Opens in California </a><br />By JESSE McKINLEY<br />It was not the type of question that one usually hears from lawyers in federal court. “What does it mean,” Theodore B. Olson asked his client, Kristin M. Perry, “to be a lesbian?” Mr. Olson’s question came during one of several attention-grabbing moments on the first day of the trial here on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California’s voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. It is a case that is expected to feature three weeks of evidence, experts and — if Monday was an indication — emotionally charged testimony on everything from the nature of gay sexuality to the nature of a romantic same-sex marriage proposal.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/us/12prop8.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/us/12prop8.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011103425.html/"><br />Supreme Court blocks YouTube broadcast of gay-marriage trial</a><br />Webcast blocked in gay-marriage trial<br />The Supreme Court on Monday morning temporarily blocked a federal judge in San Francisco from posting to YouTube proceedings from a trial that will determine whether a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The stay, sought by opponents of gay marriage, will expire Wednesday. The court said it will permit justices "further consideration." The trial began Monday with opening arguments from both sides and testimony from one of the men suing to overturn the ban. Justice Stephen G. Breyer was the only justice to object to the stay. He said the court's standards for issuing a stay were not met because there is not a likelihood of "irreparable harm" if the proceedings were available on the Internet. Two San Francisco area couples are asking Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker to rule that same-sex marriage is a right under the Constitution and that it was violated last year when California voters passed Proposition 8, a ballot measure restricting matrimony to two members of the opposite sex. <br />-- Robert Barnes <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011103425.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011103425.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/12/prop-8-trial-opens-with-emotional-but-uncontroversial-testimony/">Pope Speaks on Creation</a> <br />A WSJ NEWS ROUNDUP <br />VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict linked the Catholic Church's opposition to gay marriage to concern about the environment, suggesting that laws undermining "the differences between the sexes" were threats to creation. He issued the admonition in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, an annual appointment during which the pontiff reflects on issues the Vatican wants to highlight to the diplomatic corps. The main theme of the address was the environment and the protection of creation.<br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/12/prop-8-trial-opens-with-emotional-but-uncontroversial-testimony/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126324799904725207.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/12/prop-8-trial-opens-with-emotional-but-uncontroversial-testimony/">Prop 8. Trial Opens With Emotional but Uncontroversial Testimony</a><br />By Ashby Jones<br />On Monday, one of the more controversial and high-profile trials to hit the federal courts in some time opened with the presentation of some uncontroversial evidence, testimony meant to show that gay people, yes, exist, and feel discriminated against. The testimony of two lesbians and one gay man took up most of the opening day of a bench trial before San Francisco federal judge Vaughn Walker. The trial is the first in any federal court over same-sex marriage, and is the first step in a case that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Click here for the WSJ story; here for the NYT story; here for the SF Chron story. Click here, also, for previous LB coverage. <br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/12/prop-8-trial-opens-with-emotional-but-uncontroversial-testimony/">http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/12/prop-8-trial-opens-with-emotional-but-uncontroversial-testimony/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/">In Calif, couples testify about emotional ordeal of state's gay marriage ban</a><br />By LISA LEFF, PAUL ELIAS<br />Testimony in a groundbreaking legal challenge to California's same-sex marriage ban resumes Tuesday with testimony from two Ivy League historians who will discuss the nation's experience with matrimony and anti-gay discrimination.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/<br /></a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cameras-roll-in-californias-prop-8-trial-but-tapes-release-blocked-until-final-supreme-court-decision.html/">Cameras roll in California’s Prop 8 trial, but tapes' release blocked until final Supreme Court decision</a><br />By Susan Ferris, Sacramento Bee<br />A federal trial on California's Proposition 8 began Monday after the chief judge explained that the U.S. Supreme Court had blocked the delayed release of tapes of the trial until a definitive decision Wednesday afternoon from the high court.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cameras-roll-in-californias-prop-8-trial-but-tapes-release-blocked-until-final-supreme-court-decision.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/cameras-roll-in-californias-prop-8-trial-but-tapes-release-blocked-until-final-supreme-court-decision.html/</a><br /> <br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/obituary-nightlife-legend-gilbert-l-stafford-brought-style-class-to-the-doors-that-mattered.html/">Obituary: Nightlife legend Gilbert L. Stafford brought style, class to the doors that mattered</a><br />BY ELINOR J. BRECHER, ebrecher@MiamiHerald.com<br />Gilbert L. Stafford, gentleman guardian of the velvet rope at the hottest clubs on both coasts, held the power of social-death-by-denial over aspiring partyers. He wielded it mercifully, dismissing the unworthy with constructive criticism such as: ``Honey, you are not getting in with those shoes.'' <br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/obituary-nightlife-legend-gilbert-l-stafford-brought-style-class-to-the-doors-that-mattered.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/obituary-nightlife-legend-gilbert-l-stafford-brought-style-class-to-the-doors-that-mattered.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/day-one-prop-8-trial-saw-some-humor-lots-of-heart/">Day One: Prop 8 trial saw some humor, lots of heart</a><br />By Lisa Keen<br />The trial to challenge Proposition 8 in federal court got underway Monday in San Francisco, but the opening acts were upstaged in Washington, D.C. just minutes before the proceeding began.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/day-one-prop-8-trial-saw-some-humor-lots-of-heart/">http://www.365gay.com/news/day-one-prop-8-trial-saw-some-humor-lots-of-heart/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Bloody_Bar_Killing_Remains_a_Mystery/">Bloody Bar Killing Remains a Mystery</a><br />By Neal Broverman<br />The murder of a 39-year-old gay man remains unsolved two weeks after he was found stabbed to death at the southern Louisiana bar where he worked. The local gay community has been rocked by the Christmas killing of Robert LeCompte, reports HoumaToday.com. LeCompte was a bartender at the Drama Club bar, a popular gay spot in Houma, 60 miles southwest of New Orleans.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Bloody_Bar_Killing_Remains_a_Mystery/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Bloody_Bar_Killing_Remains_a_Mystery/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /> <br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8446458.stm/">Gay Muslims made homeless by family violence</a> <br />By Poonam Taneja <br />A UK charity is dealing with an increasing number of young gay Muslims becoming homeless after fleeing forced marriages and so-called honour violence. During a weekly drop-in group held by the Albert Kennedy Trust in London, Suni, a 20-year-old London student, helps himself to a warm mince pie and a steaming cup of coffee.<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8446458.stm/">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8446458.stm/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.app.com/article/20100111/NEWS0301/1120315/-1/nletter01?source=nletter-news/">Medical marijuana on verge of becoming legal in N.J.</a><br />By MICHAEL SYMONS<br />A plan to allow marijuana to be prescribed in New Jersey for medicinal purposes is on the verge of becoming law, following votes in both houses of the Legislature on the last day of its two-year session Monday. The Assembly voted 48-14 in favor of the bill — meaning that 14 lawmakers who attended the session skipped the vote. The Senate voted for the bill 25-13, meaning the proposal gained three votes since an initial version was approved last February.<br /><a href="http://www.app.com/article/20100111/NEWS0301/1120315/-1/nletter01?source=nletter-news/">http://www.app.com/article/20100111/NEWS0301/1120315/-1/nletter01?source=nletter-news/<br /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/01/does-harold-ford-think-the-lgbt-community-is-stupid.html#more/">Does Harold Ford Think The LGBT Community Is Stupid?</a><br />By Harold Ford<br />Well, we knew it would only take a couple of days before Harold Ford shouted to the skies "Praise Jesus, I am for gay marriage." After all, he is running in New York for United States Senate and not Tennessee. His proclamation on the Today Show that he now supports marriage equality was the least shocking news of the week. Now with that one sweeping statement, the LGBT community is expected to run to him, embrace him and put down the welcome mat.<br /><a href="http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/01/does-harold-ford-think-the-lgbt-community-is-stupid.html#more/">http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/01/does-harold-ford-think-the-lgbt-community-is-stupid.html#more/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14799/cliff-kincaid-britt-hume-and-the-descent-of-christianity/">Cliff Kincaid, Brit Hume, and the descent of Christianity </a><br />by: Alvin McEwen <br />Cliff Kincaid and AIM (Accuracy in Media) continues its descent into abject lunacy. Last week, Kincaid claimed that the outrage over Uganda's anti gay bill is really a conspiracy to protect the position of Obama appointee Kevin Jennings. This week, he goes beyond the pale by actually defending the bill in a bizarre paranoid rant:<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14799/cliff-kincaid-britt-hume-and-the-descent-of-christianity/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14799/cliff-kincaid-britt-hume-and-the-descent-of-christianity/</a><br /><br /><a href=" http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14798/ted-olson-four-plaintiffs-in-fed-prop-8-case-to-appear-on-today-7am-et/">Ted Olson, four plaintiffs in Fed Prop 8 case to appear on Today, 7AM ET/PT </a><br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />The Blend has confirmed that Ted Olsen and the four plaintiffs (Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo) will be on in the first half hour (7:00AM ET/PT- 7:30AM ET/PT) of the The Today Show. After the appearance, the video will be available on the American Foundation for Equal Rights website. <a href="http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/media/videos/">http://www.equalrightsfoundation.org/media/videos/</a><br /><a href=" http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14798/ted-olson-four-plaintiffs-in-fed-prop-8-case-to-appear-on-today-7am-et/"><br />http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14798/ted-olson-four-plaintiffs-in-fed-prop-8-case-to-appear-on-today-7am-et/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_gays_endanger_the_human_race.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">The gays endanger the human race</a><br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />"To carry our reflection further, we must remember that the problem of the environment is complex; one might compare it to a multifaceted prism.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_gays_endanger_the_human_race.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_gays_endanger_the_human_race.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/heres_to_you_iris_robinson.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Here's to you, Iris Robinson</a><br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />If a romance novelist put together a story about a middle-aged woman who has an affair with a 19-year-old and named the protagonist "Iris Robinson," they'd be told that the name is just over-the-top. Same with Beau Breedlove last year. But reality is (allowed to be) stranger than fiction. And this joke writes itself. <br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/heres_to_you_iris_robinson.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/heres_to_you_iris_robinson.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-40580406850591757212010-01-11T16:08:00.003-05:002010-01-11T16:51:54.680-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 11, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/11/world/international-uk-malawi-gays.html?_r=1&scp=14&sq=gay&st=cse/">Lawyers For Gay Malawi Couple Seek Change to Law</a><br />By REUTERS<br />BLANTYRE (Reuters) - Lawyers for two men arrested after becoming Malawi's first gay couple to wed publicly filed court papers Monday requesting a review of the law banning homosexuality. Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, married in a symbolic traditional ceremony on December 26 but were arrested a day later and charged with gross public indecency.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/11/world/international-uk-malawi-gays.html?_r=1&scp=14&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/11/world/international-uk-malawi-gays.html?_r=1&scp=14&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/11/world/international-uk-gaymarriage-california.html?scp=12&sq=gay&st=cse/">Gay Marriage Ban Goes on Trial In California</a><br />By REUTERS<br />California's ban on gay marriage goes to trial on Monday in a federal case that plaintiffs hope to take all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and overturn bans throughout the nation. Victory for gay rights groups in the Supreme Court, which might not choose to take the case if it is appealed that far, would make marriage a fundamental constitutional right without exception and overturn laws and state amendments limiting marriage to a man and a woman in 40 states.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/11/world/international-uk-gaymarriage-california.html?scp=12&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/11/world/international-uk-gaymarriage-california.html?scp=12&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/us/11prop8.html?n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/California&scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/">Two Ideological Foes Unite to Overturn Proposition 8</a><br />By JESSE McKINLEY<br />The last time David Boies and Theodore B. Olson battled in a courtroom, the presidency hung in the balance as they represented opposite sides arguing the fate of the 2000 election.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/us/11prop8.html?n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/California&scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/us/11prop8.html?n=Top/News/U.S./U.S.%20States,%20Territories%20and%20Possessions/California&scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/opinion/11meese.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse/">Stacking the Deck Against Proposition 8</a><br />By EDWIN MEESE III<br />THE much-anticipated trial to determine the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 is scheduled to begin this morning in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger. What’s at stake in this case, filed in federal district court in San Francisco on behalf of two gay couples, is not just the right of California voters to reaffirm the definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman, but also whether marriage may be otherwise defined in any state.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/opinion/11meese.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/opinion/11meese.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/creative-class-dismissed/?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">Urban ‘Creative Class’ Dismissed</a><br />Today’s idea: Perhaps nurturing a “creative class” isn’t the key to reviving industrial cities after all. An urban guru has second thoughts about his once-hopeful prescription, and now some civic leaders who bought into it aren’t happy. Cities | In The American Prospect, Alec MacGillis writes of the urban theorist Richard Florida, who has reaped a bonanza in lecture and consulting fees on the heels of his 2002 book “The Rise of the Creative Class.” It argued that crumbling smokestack cities could revive themselves by wooing the innovators who drive economic growth — Web designers, architects, biomedical researchers, and the like.<br /><a href="http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/creative-class-dismissed/?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/creative-class-dismissed/?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/11/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Federal.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">Groundbreaking Gay Marriage Trial Starts in California</a> <br />The Associated Press<br />The first federal trial to determine if the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from outlawing same-sex marriage gets under way Monday, and the two gay couples on whose behalf the case was brought will be among the first witnesses. The proceedings, which are expected to last two to three weeks, involve a challenge to Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November 2008.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/11/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Federal.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/11/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-Federal.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011000681.html/">Gay marriage ban goes on trial in California</a><br />By Reuters<br />California's ban on gay marriage goes to trial on Monday in a federal case that plaintiffs hope to take all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and overturn bans throughout the nation. Victory for gay rights groups in the Supreme Court, which might not choose to take the case if it is appealed that far, would make marriage a fundamental constitutional right without exception and overturn laws and state amendments limiting marriage to a man and a woman in 40 states.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011000681.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011000681.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/john_shelby_spong/2010/01/welcome_back_to_medieval_times.html/">Welcome back to medieval times</a><br />By John Shelby Spong<br />The recently passed law in Ireland against blasphemy, which threatens $35,000 fines for any person who "publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion," is a weird throwback to the medieval mentality. It also reflects a period of Irish history in which the tie-in between church and state was so intertwined as to be synonymous. To be Irish was to be Roman Catholic. To be Roman Catholic was to be Irish. If this law is not overturned Ireland can no longer claim to be a participant in the modern world.<br /><a href="http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/john_shelby_spong/2010/01/welcome_back_to_medieval_times.html/">http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/john_shelby_spong/2010/01/welcome_back_to_medieval_times.html/</a><br /><br /><a href=" http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/vashti_murphy_mckenzie/2010/01/yea_for_the_first_amendment.html/">Hurray for the First Amendment</a><br />By Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie<br />Q: Atheists are others are protesting a new law in Ireland, under which a person can be found guilty of blasphemy if "he or she publishes or utters matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion." The penalty is a fine of up to about $35,000. Should Ireland or any nation have a law against blasphemy? Is this new law a sign of religious arrogance, religious intolerance or a legal attempt to control and silence criticism? Is this a salvo in rising tensions between religious factions in Ireland?<br /><a href=" http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/vashti_murphy_mckenzie/2010/01/yea_for_the_first_amendment.html/"><br />http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/vashti_murphy_mckenzie/2010/01/yea_for_the_first_amendment.html/</a><br /><br /><a href=" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011002606.html/">Same-sex marriage set for big day in federal court</a><br />By Karl Vick<br />After a run of setbacks at the state level, gay rights advocates will take the campaign for same-sex marriage into a federal courtroom on Monday, starting down a treacherous avenue that ends at a U.S. Supreme Court dominated by conservatives. <br /><a href=" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011002606.html/"><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/10/AR2010011002606.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011100377.html/">Groundbreaking gay marriage trial starts in California</a><br />By LISA LEFF<br />The first federal trial to determine if the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from outlawing same-sex marriage gets under way Monday, and the two gay couples on whose behalf the case was brought will be among the first witnesses.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011100377.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011100377.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101606.html/">Court blocks taping of gay marriage trial</a><br />By Robert Barnes<br />The Supreme Court on Monday morning temporarily blocked a federal judge in San Francisco from showing on YouTube proceedings from a trial that will determine whether a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101606.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101606.html/</a><br /><br /><a href=" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101942.html/">Protest outside federal gay marriage trial in SF</a><br />The Associated Press<br />About 100 people are demonstrating outside the federal courthouse in San Francisco as the trial for California's gay marriage ban begins. Most of the demonstrators are gay marriage supporters, who took turns Monday addressing the crowd with a microphone. They support the overturning of Proposition 8, a voter-approved law that limits marriage to one man and one woman.<br /><a href=" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101942.html/"><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101942.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101477.html">Pope says gay marriage threat to creation</a><br />By Philip Pullella<br />VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Tuesday linked the Church's opposition to gay marriage to concern about the environment, suggesting that laws undermining "the differences between the sexes" were threats to creation.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101477.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011101477.html</a>/<br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126322139190924629.html/">Court Blocks Taping of Gay-Marriage Trial</a> <br />By JESS BRAVIN <br />The Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Internet broadcast of a trial beginning Monday in federal court to challenge the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the 2008 California voter initiative banning gay marriage.<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126322139190924629.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126322139190924629.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/la-me-prop8-trial11-2010jan11,0,892313.story/">Prop. 8 trial to include unprecedented testimony</a><br />Challengers of the same-sex marriage ban plan to call to the stand homosexual couples, experts on the history of sexual discrimination and marriage, and the architects of the ballot measure.<br />U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker presides over the Proposition 8 trial in San Francisco today. <br />By Maura Dolan<br />Scholars, gay and lesbian partners and opponents of same-sex marriage are expected to testify about the nature of marriage and homosexuality during an unprecedented federal trial today to determine whether gays and lesbians may marry. The case, Perry vs. Schwarzenegger, is expected to become a landmark that eventually will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Both sides have hired leading legal advocates with lots of experience before the high court.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/la-me-prop8-trial11-2010jan11,0,892313.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/la-me-prop8-trial11-2010jan11,0,892313.story/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-dc-court-prop8,0,1017950.story/">Supreme Court Blocks TV Coverage of Gay Marriage Trial</a><br />By David G. Savage<br />The U.S. Supreme Court, acting on an appeal from conservative defenders of California's ban on same-sex marriage, overruled a federal judge in San Francisco today and blocked video coverage of the trial on YouTube.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-dc-court-prop8,0,1017950.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-dc-court-prop8,0,1017950.story/</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-condomless-porn-20100111,0,3096436.story/">HIV/AIDS group going after Florida adult filmmakers for not using condoms</a><br />By Bob LaMendola<br />Complaints to be filed with county health departments<br />A California HIV/AIDS organization took on South Florida's pornography industry Monday, saying it will be filing complaints with county health departments about films in which sex actors do not use condoms. AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which offers services and a health plan in South Florida, said it had identified 10 DVDs shot at least partly in Miami with no condom use. Three Miami-based companies were involved, said group President Michael Weinstein, indicating an adult film business here. Film officials in Broward and Miami-Dade counties said they knew little about the extent of adult film-making here. For more information about HIV/AIDS prevention, see <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hiv">cdc.gov/hiv</a>.<br />http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-condomless-porn-20100111,0,3096436.story/<a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-condomless-porn-20100111,0,3096436.story/"></a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/lesbian-lawmaker-in-utah-carries-baby-for-gay-men.html/">Lesbian lawmaker in Utah carries baby for gay men</a><br />Associated Press<br />Rep. Christine Johnson will serve an additional role when the Utah Legislature convenes this month. The lesbian lawmaker announced she's a surrogate mother, carrying a baby for two gay men. Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, said she decided to become artificially impregnated with sperm from one of the men after the two close friends expressed frustration over the difficulty of adopting a child.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/lesbian-lawmaker-in-utah-carries-baby-for-gay-men.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/lesbian-lawmaker-in-utah-carries-baby-for-gay-men.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a> <br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1418678.html/">South Florida holds first gay wedding expo</a><br />Gay marriage may not be legal in Florida, but an expo catering to same-sex couples found a receptive clientele Sunday in Fort Lauderdale.<br />BY MIKE CLARY<br />After seven years together, Lorri Armband and her partner Joni Malwitz plan to get married this spring, and what they have in mind is a ceremony on the beach for about 50 guests.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1418678.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1418678.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href=" http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Sarah_Palin_Joins_Fox_News_as_Contributor/">Sarah Palin Joins Fox News</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />The New York Timesis reporting that Sarah Palin has signed on to be a contributor to the Fox News Channel. <br /><a href=" http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Sarah_Palin_Joins_Fox_News_as_Contributor/"><br />http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/11/Sarah_Palin_Joins_Fox_News_as_Contributor/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/cameron-sets-out-commitment-on-tax-breaks-for-civil-partners/">Cameron sets out commitment on tax breaks for civil partners</a><br />Tory leader David Cameron has said he will give gay couples in civil partnerships the same tax benefits his party will give to married couples.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/cameron-sets-out-commitment-on-tax-breaks-for-civil-partners/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/cameron-sets-out-commitment-on-tax-breaks-for-civil-partners/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/religious-civil-partnerships-amendment-tabled-in-lords/">Religious civil partnerships amendment tabled in Lords</a><br />An amendment to the Equality Bill which would allow civil partnerships to be held in church was tabled in the House of Lords today.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/religious-civil-partnerships-amendment-tabled-in-lords/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/religious-civil-partnerships-amendment-tabled-in-lords/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/temporary-block-on-broadcasting-prop-8-trial/">Temporary block on broadcasting Prop 8 trial</a><br />The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked recording of the Proposition 8 trial in California, which begins today. Gay marriage opponents, who conducted a vocal public campaign, said they could be harassed if the trial was broadcast.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/temporary-block-on-broadcasting-prop-8-trial/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/temporary-block-on-broadcasting-prop-8-trial/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/iris-robinsons-husband-asks-colleague-to-step-in-as-first-minister/">Iris Robinson's husband asks colleague to step in as first minister</a><br />Peter Robinson, the husband of homophobic Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson, has asked a colleague to take over as first minister while he stands down for six weeks.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/iris-robinsons-husband-asks-colleague-to-step-in-as-first-minister/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/iris-robinsons-husband-asks-colleague-to-step-in-as-first-minister/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/iris-robinson-receiving-psychiatric-treatment-after-accusations-of-two-more-affairs/">Iris Robinson receiving psychiatric treatment after accusations of two more affairs</a><br />Homophobic MP Iris Robinson is said to be receiving "acute psychiatric treatment" as allegations of affairs with two other men emerge.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/iris-robinson-receiving-psychiatric-treatment-after-accusations-of-two-more-affairs/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/11/iris-robinson-receiving-psychiatric-treatment-after-accusations-of-two-more-affairs/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/exclusive-liberal-democrat-leader-nick-clegg-to-answer-gay-questions/">Exclusive: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg to answer gay questions</a><br />Do you have a question for Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg? With four months until an expected general election, he has agreed to answer questions from PinkNews.co.uk readers.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/exclusive-liberal-democrat-leader-nick-clegg-to-answer-gay-questions/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/exclusive-liberal-democrat-leader-nick-clegg-to-answer-gay-questions/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/george-michael-rules-out-wham-reunion/">George Michael rules out Wham! reunion</a><br />George Michael has said that he and former Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley will not reform the band. Unlike other ageing musical stars, he said the band was about being "young and exuberant".<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/george-michael-rules-out-wham-reunion/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/george-michael-rules-out-wham-reunion/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com">www.dailyqueernews.com</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/01/ford-on-gay-marriage-then-and.html/">Ford On Gay Marriage: Then And Now</a><br />By Elizabeth Benjamin<br />Here's a TV ad from ex-Rep. Harold Ford Jr.'s (extremely well-documented) 2006 Senate campaign in which he responds to RNC ads that he said "attacked my faith." "They said I'm for gay marriage when I voted against it, for giving school girls abortion pills. All of a lie. Here's what I believe: In God, in you and a new direction. That's why I approve this message."<br /><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/01/ford-on-gay-marriage-then-and.html/">http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/01/ford-on-gay-marriage-then-and.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14783/prop-8-open-thread/"><br />BREAKING NEWS: SCOTUS Blocks YouTube Broadcast for 48 Hours; Prop 8 Open Thread</a> <br />by: Louise <br />UPDATE 2 (1:03 pm EDT) - I just got home from the Nakamura Federal building in Seattle, where a live feed was set up. None of the guards knew anything about it, as it appears to not have been on their daily schedule. But sure enough the screen was set up in the courtroom we'd been told about online. I got there at 8:10 and the feed had already gone live. It was a large flat screen split into 4 windows, one for the judge, one for counsel, one for the witness box and one showing the courtroom where I was sitting. At about 8:20 it stopped. The court librarian came in close to 8:30 and after discovering the situation, went online and found the AP story about Justice Kennedy's decision. Interesting to note: I was the ONLY person who showed up to watch the live feed. I suppose people monitoring the web en route may have turned back early, but it seems likely that few (or only me) were interested enough in viewing the opening remarks live to get there on time. Big shout out to the librarian. Don't know if he reads PHB, but if so, thank you for your kind assistance! --Lurleen<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14783/prop-8-open-thread/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14783/prop-8-open-thread/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14780/or-plans-blossoming-for-southridge-high-school-student-clubs-respect-humanity-rally/">OR: Plans solidifying for Southridge High School student clubs' "Respect Humanity" rally</a><br />by: Lurleen <br />Note: please tweet, fb, and recommend the DailyKos version of this diary. Thx! So much has happened in the scant two weeks since my initial post about the upcoming "Respect Humanity: Uganda March and Rally" that I thought an update post was needed. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14780/or-plans-blossoming-for-southridge-high-school-student-clubs-respect-humanity-rally/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14780/or-plans-blossoming-for-southridge-high-school-student-clubs-respect-humanity-rally/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14781/phb-podcast-interview-with-eqca-executive-director-geoff-kors-on-prop-8-case/">PHB Podcast: Interview With EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors On Prop 8 Case</a> <br />by: Autumn Sandeen <br />Today, a Federal District Court in California is going to hearing the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger, which the ACLU describes as a: <br />Federal legal challenge to Proposition 8, filed by prominent attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies on behalf of two California couples. The Executive Director of Equality California, Geoffrey Kors, did a Pam's House Blend telephone interview with me on Sunday morning (January 10, 2010), which is below in an audio podcast format. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14781/phb-podcast-interview-with-eqca-executive-director-geoff-kors-on-prop-8-case/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14781/phb-podcast-interview-with-eqca-executive-director-geoff-kors-on-prop-8-case/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14768/maines-senate-president-libby-mitchell-running-for-governor/">Maine's Senate President Libby Mitchell Running for Governor</a> <br />by: Louise <br />I have made no secret here on the Blend of various Maine politicians that I like and support; today's post about Elizabeth "Libby" Mitchell is certainly no exception. To say she is extraordinarily qualified to be Maine's first woman governor is an understatement. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14768/maines-senate-president-libby-mitchell-running-for-governor/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14768/maines-senate-president-libby-mitchell-running-for-governor/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/father-tony-talks-to-cynthia-nixon.html/">Father Tony Talks To Cynthia Nixon About Florida's Ban On Gay Adoption</a><br />posted by Joe<br />Bilerico's Father Tony spoke to Cynthia Nixon about the ACLU's launch of a campaign to overturn Florida's ban on gay adoption. More on the story at Bilerico.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/father-tony-talks-to-cynthia-nixon.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/father-tony-talks-to-cynthia-nixon.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/ill-papa-gays-endanger-humanity.html/">Ill Papa: Gays Endanger Humanity</a><br />posted by Joe<br />Pope Benedict Palpatine has issued another insulting attack on gays, saying that homosexual marriage endangers all of humanity. Oh noes! Pope Benedict XVI on Monday called laws ignoring the difference between the sexes an "attack" on creation just days after Portugal moved to legalise gay marriage. Creatures, including humans, "can be protected or endangered", the pope, 82, told the Vatican diplomatic corps in a traditional January address focusing mainly on environmental issues.<br />http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/ill-papa-gays-endanger-humanity.html/<a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/ill-papa-gays-endanger-humanity.html/"></a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-48219333292397919372010-01-11T08:40:00.002-05:002010-01-11T09:11:38.892-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 10, 2010<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 14"><link rel="File-List" 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<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Washington Post<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Go to the links for the following articles:</p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901538.html/">Lesbian lawmaker in Utah carries baby for gay men</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The Associated Press <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Saturday, January 9, 2010; 3:28 PM <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">SALT LAKE CITY -- Rep. Christine Johnson will serve an additional role when the Utah Legislature convenes this month. The lesbian lawmaker announced she's a surrogate mother, carrying a baby for two gay men. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901538.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901538.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901598.html/">Justices asked to bar taping of gay marriage trial</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The Associated Press <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Gay marriage opponents are asking the Supreme Court to block the broadcast of the upcoming trial on California's same-sex marriage ban. At issue in the federal trial beginning Monday in San Francisco is whether the Proposition 8 gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November 2008 is legal.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901598.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010901598.html/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010803673.html/">Ugandan lawmaker refuses to drop anti-gay measure<o:p></o:p></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Associated Press<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">KAMPALA, UGANDA -- A Ugandan lawmaker refused Friday to withdraw proposed legislation that would impose the death penalty for some gay men and lesbians despite international condemnation and presidential opposition to a measure that some critics said could scare off foreign investors.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010803673.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010803673.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010704553.html/">Hank Stuever previews 'Big Love': Season 4 is a tangle of story lines</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Hank Stuever<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">"Big Love" asks a lot -- too much -- as the polygamist family drama begins a fourth season Sunday night. It's one of those shows you always mean to catch up to, but Heavenly Father help you if you start now. Playful disorder is fine if you want a show that rapidly evolves and convolutes itself like some highbrow, irony-laced telenovela, with subplot piled upon subplot, deaf to all the story-line bombshells that relentlessly keep detonating around the characters. (And then what happens? And then this happened! And then what? And now what?) After all, we watch these boutique cable dramas not only for their alacrity but their power to confound. We admire their sharpness, their swift pace.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010704553.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010704553.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">=<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Wall Street Journal<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Go to the links for the following articles:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612451567822852.html/">Washington, Gay Marriage and the Catholic Church </a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">D.C.'s same-sex marriage law has put the archdiocese in a bind.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Washington: The push to legalize gay marriage is often billed as a civil-rights struggle—a successor to the movement that ended legalized racial discrimination decades ago. But there is another component to the fight that is now on display in the nation's capital: The drive for gay marriage is also forcing unwanted change within the Catholic Church.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612451567822852.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612451567822852.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/08/at-a-law-firm-and-gay-one-mans-advice-on-coming-out/">At a Law Firm and Gay? One Man’s Advice on Coming Out</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Ashby Jones<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">A hypo: You’re a BigLaw lawyer who’s gay. For years, you’ve been reticent to come out of the closet at work, but recently, as perhaps part of a new year’s resolution, you decide enough’s enough; it’s time to start letting people know. Okay. But how do you do it?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/08/at-a-law-firm-and-gay-one-mans-advice-on-coming-out/">http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/08/at-a-law-firm-and-gay-one-mans-advice-on-coming-out/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">=<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Sun-Sentinel<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Go to the links for the following articles:</p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/">Gay marriage foes seek Supreme Court intervention to block broadcast of Proposition 8 trial</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Associated Press<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Gay marriage opponents are asking the Supreme Court to block the broadcast of the upcoming trial on California's same-sex marriage ban. At issue in the federal trial beginning Monday in San Francisco is whether the Proposition 8 gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November 2008 is legal.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-trial,0,4299426.story/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">=<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Steve Rothaus<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Go to this link for the following articles:</p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/video-neil-patrick-harris-tells-jimmy-kimmel-what-its-like-to-be-gay-man-of-the-decade.html/">Video | Neil Patrick Harris tells Jimmy Kimmel what it’s like to be Gay Man of the Decade</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">From Jan. 6, 2010’s Jimmy Kimmel Live:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/video-neil-patrick-harris-tells-jimmy-kimmel-what-its-like-to-be-gay-man-of-the-decade.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/video-neil-patrick-harris-tells-jimmy-kimmel-what-its-like-to-be-gay-man-of-the-decade.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sex-and-the-citys-cynthia-nixon-floridas-gay-adoption-ban-hurts-states-foster-children.html/">Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon: Florida’s gay adoption ban hurts state’s foster children</a><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sex-and-the-citys-cynthia-nixon-floridas-gay-adoption-ban-hurts-states-foster-children.html/"><o:p></o:p></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon, Ros-Lehtinen, Rich and Brandenburg: End Florida’s gay adoption ban<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">BY CYNTHIA NIXON, <a href="http://www.aclufl.org/adoption">www.aclufl.org/adoption</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Florida is the only state in the union to have a law that specifically bars gay men and lesbians from adopting children. This not only discriminates against an entire class of citizens, but it hurts the more than 3,500 children in Florida's foster care system by diminishing the pool of eager, loving adults who could potentially adopt them. It also dictates that children born into gay families have only one legally recognized parent.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sex-and-the-citys-cynthia-nixon-floridas-gay-adoption-ban-hurts-states-foster-children.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/sex-and-the-citys-cynthia-nixon-floridas-gay-adoption-ban-hurts-states-foster-children.html/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/aqua-girl-2010-early-bird-hotel-deal.html/">Aqua Girl 2010 early bird hotel deal</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">From Aqua Foundation For Women:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Aqua Girl 2010 early bird hotel deal<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">From Aqua Foundation For Women: <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">To our patrons who love Aqua Girl and want to get the inside scoop: Book this weekend and get an early bird rate starting at just $169<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Best of all, the infamous pool parties are free for hotel guests!<span style=";font-family:";font-size:12pt;color:blue;" > </span>But hurry, this offer ends on January 11th.<span style=";font-family:";font-size:12pt;color:blue;" > </span>The Doubletree Surfcomber Resort 1717 Collins Avenue Miami<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">For reservations call 800.853.0264 / USE HOTEL CODE AQU<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DIFFICULTIES IN MAKING YOUR RESERVATION PLEASE CALL 954.288.8691<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/aqua-girl-2010-early-bird-hotel-deal.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/aqua-girl-2010-early-bird-hotel-deal.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">=<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The Advocate<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Go to this link for the following articles:</p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/08/Jewish_Group_Creates_Ugandan_Fund/">Jewish Group Creates Ugandan Fund</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Neal Broverman<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The American Jewish World Service, an international development and human rights organization, announced Friday that it has established the Urgent LGBT Uganda Fund to support gay and lesbian grassroots groups in the African nation.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/08/Jewish_Group_Creates_Ugandan_Fund/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/08/Jewish_Group_Creates_Ugandan_Fund/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">=<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Daily Queer News<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Go to the links for the following articles:</p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/man-who-reported-jail-beating-pleads-guilty-to-reduced-charge/">Man who reported jail beating pleads guilty to reduced charge</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Lou Chibbaro Jr.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">A gay man who says guards at the D.C. Jail beat him in a staircase last month pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge of misdemeanor sexual abuse as part of a plea bargain offered by the U.S. Attorney’s office.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/man-who-reported-jail-beating-pleads-guilty-to-reduced-charge/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/man-who-reported-jail-beating-pleads-guilty-to-reduced-charge/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.sphere.com/article/gay-marriage-on-track-in-catholic-portugal/19310081/">Catholic Portugal Moves to Allow Gay Marriage</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By Lauren Frayer<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">LISBON (Jan. 9) – When Manel Mira was born in 1970s Portugal, homosexuality was a crime. The Catholic Church held sway among the throngs of black-clad widows shuffling down his cobblestone alleyway. The country had a right-wing military dictatorship and a third of the population couldn't read. How much this little Atlantic country has changed since then.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.sphere.com/article/gay-marriage-on-track-in-catholic-portugal/19310081/">http://www.sphere.com/article/gay-marriage-on-track-in-catholic-portugal/19310081/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.rightsidenews.com/201001088085/culture-wars/media-homosexuals-bash-ugandas-christians.html/">Media Homosexuals Bash Uganda's Christians</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Written by Cliff Kincaid<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The Washington Post editorial page has now joined lesbian MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow in blasting the government of Uganda for considering a law to protect children from homosexual predators and the dangerous public health impact of the homosexual lifestyle. Despite its moderate views on some foreign policy issues, the Post has always come down firmly on the side of making homosexuality into a special right that should be protected and even glorified by governmental institutions. Now it wants to impose that view on Uganda's mostly Christian population. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.rightsidenews.com/201001088085/culture-wars/media-homosexuals-bash-ugandas-christians.html/">http://www.rightsidenews.com/201001088085/culture-wars/media-homosexuals-bash-ugandas-christians.html/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/01/05/hiv-rates-jump-2009-close-matching-worst-early-aids-crisis/">HIV rates jump in 2009, close to matching worst of early AIDS crisis</a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">By James Sanna, The Colu.mn<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Officials from the Minnesota Department of Health are comparing it to the "bad old days" of the early 1990's - rates of new HIV cases among young gay and bi men in 2009 are on track to match similar rates from 1992, when much of gay America was being ravaged by the worst of the HIV pandemic.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/01/05/hiv-rates-jump-2009-close-matching-worst-early-aids-crisis/">http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/01/05/hiv-rates-jump-2009-close-matching-worst-early-aids-crisis/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14770/american-foundation-for-equal-rights-names-advisory-board/">American Foundation For Equal Rights Names Advisory Board</a> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">by: Pam Spaulding <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">The press release just landed in the hopper... Ted Olson and David Boies to Open Trial Against Prop. 8 On Jan. 11; Civil Rights Leaders Julian Bond, Lt. Dan Choi, Margaret Hoover, Dolores Huerta, Cleve Jones, Stuart Milk, David Mixner, Hillary Rosen and Judy Shepard to Advise and Support Effort; visit equalrightsfoundation.com.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14770/american-foundation-for-equal-rights-names-advisory-board/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14770/american-foundation-for-equal-rights-names-advisory-board/</a></p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">=</p><p class="MsoPlainText">
<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">[Send your comments about articles to <a href="mailto:Rays.List@Comcast.net">Rays.List@Comcast.net</a>]<o:p></o:p></p>#####
<br />Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-13441109550043987402010-01-08T12:30:00.002-05:002010-01-08T12:46:52.925-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 08, 2010**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.<br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/world/AP-AF-Uganda-Gay-Death-Penalty.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">Ugandan President Urges Softening of Anti-Gay Bill </a><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Gay Ugandans likely won't face the death penalty after the president said he opposed the provision in proposed legislation, but an international gay rights group said Thursday even a watered-down bill would be repressive.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/world/AP-AF-Uganda-Gay-Death-Penalty.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/world/AP-AF-Uganda-Gay-Death-Penalty.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">The Presidency of Barack Obama</a><br />THE ECONOMY<br />Stimulus Package<br />In early January 2009, Mr. Obama began to lay out his plans for a massive economic stimulus package, a bill meant to pump money into the economy to make up for the sudden, sharp contraction of spending by consumers and businesses. His initial outline called for a package in which about 40 percent of the total cost was devoted to tax cuts, an amount criticized by Senate Democrats as too high and by Congressional Republicans as too low. The plan included tax cuts for Americans making less than $200,000, a proposal that had been a centerpiece of Mr. Obama's campaign.<br /><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NJ.html?scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/">NJ Senate Defeats Gay Marriage Bill</a><br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />New Jersey's state Senate has defeated a bill to legalize gay marriage, leaving it unlikely the state will have a gay marriage law in the very near future. The bill needed 21 votes to pass; only 14 senators approved the measure Thursday.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NJ.html?scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NJ.html?scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010702862.html/">High-stakes gay marriage trial to begin in Calif.</a><br />By LISA LEFF<br />The Associated Press<br />The national debate over same-sex marriage will take center stage in a California courtroom next week at a closely watched federal trial that could ultimately become the landmark case that determines whether gay Americans have a right to marry.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010702862.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/07/AR2010010702862.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010800756.html/">Portugal Parliament votes to permit gay marriage</a><br />By BARRY HATTON<br />The Associated Press<br />LISBON, Portugal -- Portugal's Parliament passed a bill Friday allowing gay marriage in the mostly Roman Catholic country.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010800756.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010800756.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010800560.html/">Uganda lawmaker refuses to withdraw anti-gay bill</a><br />By GODFREY OLUKYA<br />The Associated Press<br />KAMPALA, Uganda -- The Ugandan lawmaker who proposed a bill that would give some gays the death penalty said Friday he will refuse any request to withdraw the legislation after a minister said the government would ask him to.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010800560.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010800560.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-nj,0,3268034.story/">Gays seek to involve NJ's top court after Senate defeats same-sex marriage bill</a><br />By Geoff Mulvihill<br />Gays are vowing to fight back through the courts after the state Senate voted down a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Minutes after the bill was defeated 20-14 on Thursday, gay rights advocates announced they would file a lawsuit seeking to get the state's top court to order New Jersey to recognize same-sex matrimony.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-nj,0,3268034.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-nj,0,3268034.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/skiing/story/1414280.html/">Telluride is why skiers love to ski</a><br />BY JOY SEWING<br />TELLURIDE, COLO. -- I have zigzagged and wedged across Colorado ski resorts, from Loveland to Steamboat and from Vail to Breckenridge in seasons past, but never this far west. This former gold- and silver-mining town snuggled against the San Juan Mountains seemed remote at first. So remote some celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan and Tom Cruise, have had vacation homes here far from the bright lights of the paparazzi. And it seems fitting American fashion designer Ralph Lauren owns a ranch nearby.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/skiing/story/1414280.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/skiing/story/1414280.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/08/Australia_Wont_Budge_on_Adoption/">Australia Won't Budge on Adoption</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />The state government in New South Wales, which includes Sydney, decided Thursday that it won't allow same-sex marriage, saying there isn't enough community support to justify changing the law, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The NSW decision comes despite a parliamentary inquiry that said allowing adoption would “ensure the best interest” of Australia’s children.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/08/Australia_Wont_Budge_on_Adoption/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/08/Australia_Wont_Budge_on_Adoption/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/Vanessa_Williams_and_Her_Brother_Do_Drag_Off_on_Ugly_Betty/">Vanessa Williams, Brother Do Drag-Off</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Sometimes nepotism is a good thing — case in point, Vanessa Williams’s brother’s turn as her drag queen doppelgänger Wilheldiva Hater on the January 20 episode of Ugly Betty. “I’m genetically programmed for [this role],” Chris Williams told Entertainment Weekly. His scenes were shot on location at New York’s famed burlesque club the Box. <a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/Vanessa_Williams_and_Her_Brother_Do_Drag_Off_on_Ugly_Betty/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/Vanessa_Williams_and_Her_Brother_Do_Drag_Off_on_Ugly_Betty/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Tabatha_Lets_Her_Hair_Down/">Tabatha Lets Her Hair Down</a><br />Tabatha Coffey, star of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on Bravo, blows out her image’s frosted tips and gives new meaning to the word “bitch.”<br />By Brandon Voss<br />She’s tough, she’s talented, and she might be taking over a salon — or a gay nightclub — near you. Winner of the “fan favorite” award on season 1 of Shear Genius, Tabatha Coffey now gives business makeovers to struggling salon owners as host of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover on Bravo, which airs the show’s second season finale on Tuesday, January 12. Preparing for a special appearance at New York’s Splash on Thursday, January 7, the Australia-born Coffey called from her own salon, Industrie Hair Gurus in Ridgewood, N.J., to cut up with Advocate.com about stereotypical gay stylists, unsolicited sperm donors, and the Boystown salon that brought out her militant lesbian claws.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Tabatha_Lets_Her_Hair_Down/">http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Tabatha_Lets_Her_Hair_Down/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/5000_Complaints_to_FCC_on_Adam_Lambert/">5,000 Complaints to FCC on Adam Lambert</a><br />By Michelle Garcia<br />The Federal Communications Commission received more than 5,000 complaints about Adam Lambert's racy performance at the American Music Awards in November. Several of the complaints, which came from all across the country, were posted by TheSmokingGun.com.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/5000_Complaints_to_FCC_on_Adam_Lambert/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/5000_Complaints_to_FCC_on_Adam_Lambert/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-fighting-gay-dehumanization/">Corvino: Fighting gay dehumanization</a><br />By John Corvino, columnist, 365gay.com<br />The column that follows is about anal sex. Some friends have urged me against writing it, not because readers find frank discussions of anal sex “icky,” but because the offending comments’ source—Peter LaBarbera—is unworthy of serious attention. In one sense these friends are quite right. But for reasons I hope to make clear, LaBarbera’s most recent ugliness needs answering.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-fighting-gay-dehumanization/">http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-fighting-gay-dehumanization/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/more-allegations-emerge-over-iris-robinsons-teen-lover/">More allegations emerge over Iris Robinson's teen lover</a><br />Homophobic MP Iris Robinson allegedly solicited £50,000 from two property developers to help her 19-year-old lover set up a business. The Northern Ireland MP broke parliamentary rules by not declaring her interest in the business, despite sitting on the council which awarded the money to Kirk McCambley, it was claimed.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/more-allegations-emerge-over-iris-robinsons-teen-lover/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/more-allegations-emerge-over-iris-robinsons-teen-lover/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/portugal-votes-to-legalise-gay-marriage/"><br />Portugal votes to legalise gay marriage</a><br />Portugal's parliament today voted to legalise marriage for gays and lesbians. The Catholic country will be the sixth in Europe to grant same-sex couples the right to wed, although this will not include adoption rights.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/portugal-votes-to-legalise-gay-marriage/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/portugal-votes-to-legalise-gay-marriage/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/gay-magazine-wants-iris-robinsons-young-lover-on-the-cover/">Gay magazine wants Iris Robinson's young lover on the cover</a><br />Gay magazine Attitude is offering Iris Robinson's 21-year-old toyboy a chance to appear on its cover. Kirk McCambley was 19 when he had an affair with the 60-year-old Northern Ireland MP.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/gay-magazine-wants-iris-robinsons-young-lover-on-the-cover/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/gay-magazine-wants-iris-robinsons-young-lover-on-the-cover/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/freddie-mercurys-partner-dies/">Freddie Mercury's partner dies</a><br />The partner of the late Freddie Mercury passed away last week. Jim Hutton had lived with Mercury for six years prior to the singer's death from an AIDS-related illness in 1991<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/freddie-mercurys-partner-dies/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/08/freddie-mercurys-partner-dies/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14748/20-gender-identities-the-ramblings-of-austin-ruse/">20 gender identities? - The Ramblings of Austin Ruse</a><br />by: Alvin McEwen<br />Did you know that there are 20 gender identities? A member of the religious right seems to think so. Last week, I wrote a post about a group, the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, cheering the fact that the United Nations General Assembly voted to delete the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" from a proposed anti-discrimination document.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14748/20-gender-identities-the-ramblings-of-austin-ruse/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14748/20-gender-identities-the-ramblings-of-austin-ruse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14751/rush-health-care-is-cheap-for-uninsured-since-most-can-afford-a-pretty-expansive-media-room/">Rush: health care is cheap for uninsured - since most 'can afford a pretty expansive media room'</a><br />by: Pam Spaulding<br />I rest my case -- the right wing mouthpieces that spew "let the market decide except when the market fails the fat cats" are in completed disconnect with the real world. Fat-wallet Rush thinks that since he is uninsured, saw the bill and declared his treatment "cheap." I assume the purpose of his diatribe is that you all out there are belllyaching -- our system works just fine. (Media Matters via Politics USA):<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14751/rush-health-care-is-cheap-for-uninsured-since-most-can-afford-a-pretty-expansive-media-room/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14751/rush-health-care-is-cheap-for-uninsured-since-most-can-afford-a-pretty-expansive-media-room/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/ellen_on_american_idol_antigay_banter.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Ellen on American Idol antigay banter</a><br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />"If we lived in a world where there was no such thing as racism or homophobia, then obviously there would be no off-limits [humor]. Unfortunately, there are people in this world that don't like other people, and that was one of the issues that was brought up about Adam Lambert. So I'm sensitive to it just because I've experienced that kind of discrimination. At the same time, the stuff that Simon and Ryan do - none of that has ever been offensive to me. I'm more offended by people who make jokes about something sounding like an animal that's been caught in a lawn mower or whatever. Because there are sick people out there that would go, "What's that sound like?""<br />-- Ellen DeGeneres in a joint interview with Simon Cowell talking about the gay jabs between Simon and host Ryan Seacrest<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/ellen_on_american_idol_antigay_banter.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/ellen_on_american_idol_antigay_banter.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/buju-banton-pleads-not-guilty.html/">Buju Banton Pleads Not Guilty</a><br />posted by Joe<br />Yesterday anti-gay "murder music" reggae star Buju Banton plead not guilty to federal drug charges in a Tampa court. Banton is accused of conspiring to buy 11 pounds of cocaine from an undercover federal agent. His attorney says that Banton is innocent and will not be seeking a plea arrangement. Banton faces up to thirty years in prison. He will certainly not be available for the Grammy Awards ceremony on January 31st, where he is nominated for Best Reggae Album.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/buju-banton-pleads-not-guilty.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/buju-banton-pleads-not-guilty.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/smoking-gun-obtains-complaints-to-fcc.html/">Smoking Gun Obtains Complaints To FCC About Adam Lambert</a><br />posted by Joe<br />Here are three examples of complaints received by the FCC about Adam Lambert's performance on the American Music Awards, as obtained by the Smoking Gun via the Freedom Of Information Act. Embiggen to read, or see the full forms on TSG. Many of the complaints went far beyond the performance itself and launched into full-on anti-gay hatred.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/smoking-gun-obtains-complaints-to-fcc.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/smoking-gun-obtains-complaints-to-fcc.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/08/gay-conservatives-come-out/">Gay Conservatives Come Out</a><br />Posted by LibertyDC<br />This week I was pleased to write an op ed explaining GOProud’s sponsorship of CPAC in Metro Weekly. The op ed can be found here and below. In mid-February thousands of conservatives will descend on D.C. for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference — better known as CPAC — the premiere political event for conservative leaders and activists. CPAC sponsors represent the broad spectrum of conservatives and libertarians: economic conservatives, foreign policy conservatives, social conservatives and traditional libertarian groups. This year, gay conservatives will have also have a voice at CPAC thanks to GOProud.<br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/08/gay-conservatives-come-out/">http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/08/gay-conservatives-come-out/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-46582339865468993822010-01-07T22:43:00.002-05:002010-01-07T23:09:42.166-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 07, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/business/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-YouTube.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">Judge: Gay Marriage Trial Can Be Shown on YouTube</a> <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />The federal trial on the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban beginning next week will be videotaped and uploaded to a video-sharing Web site, the presiding judge ruled Wednesday.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/business/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-YouTube.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/business/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-YouTube.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07thurs3.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">Less Than Two Weeks</a><br />Published: January 6, 2010<br />After weeks of maneuvering and delay, the New Jersey State Senate will finally vote on Thursday on whether to legalize same-sex marriage. The Senate needs to approve the bill, and the General Assembly needs to follow — quickly. Gov. Jon Corzine has pledged to sign the legislation into law; his soon-to-be-successor, Gov.-elect Christopher Christie, has vowed to veto it. The transfer of power takes place in less than two weeks on Jan. 19. <br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07thurs3.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07thurs3.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/world/AP-AF-Uganda-Gay-Death-Penalty.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">Ugandan President Urges Softening of Anti-Gay Bill</a> <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) -- Gay Ugandans likely won't face the death penalty after the president said he opposed the provision in proposed legislation, but an international gay rights group said Thursday even a watered-down bill would be repressive.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/world/AP-AF-Uganda-Gay-Death-Penalty.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/07/world/AP-AF-Uganda-Gay-Death-Penalty.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010604016.html/">Uganda's bill to imprison gays for life is an outrage that should be rejected</a><br />Thursday, January 7, 2010<br />THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY Bill of 2009 is an ugly and ignorant piece of legislation being considered in Uganda. If it is approved, the gay people of that nation would be subject to life in prison. This retreat from the death sentence originally proposed should neither be celebrated nor considered a concession by the government in response to pressure from the United States and other nations. The proposal is barbaric. That it is even being considered puts Uganda beyond the pale of civilized nations. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010604016.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010604016.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010604548.html/">Hill Republicans join fight against D.C. gay marriage</a><br />By Tim Craig<br />Republican congressional leaders have joined local activists in a court fight to allow voters to decide whether same-sex marriage should be legal in the District, underscoring the continued uncertainty surrounding the issue. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010604548.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010604548.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/os-tiger-gay-sex-sl-010710-20100107,0,3990581.story/">Alleged mistress: Tiger Woods had gay encounters</a><br />By Hal Boedeker<br />Just when you think you've heard it all about Tiger Woods, another story crops up. An alleged Woods mistress, who's trying to sell a book, says she saw the golfer enjoy gay sex, the Web site RadarOnline.com says in an exclusive report.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/os-tiger-gay-sex-sl-010710-20100107,0,3990581.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/os-tiger-gay-sex-sl-010710-20100107,0,3990581.story/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-gay-travel-down-20100105,0,953181.story/">Gay travel dropped for the first time in years</a><br />By Doreen Hemlock<br />Travel by gays and lesbians declined last year for the first time in the 14 years that a San Francisco group has been tracking it, showing that the recession has hit tourism harder even than the 2001 terrorist attacks.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-gay-travel-down-20100105,0,953181.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-gay-travel-down-20100105,0,953181.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Restaurant review | <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/restaurant-review-life-partners-petite-le-patio-in-wilton-manors-has-outsized-charms.html/">Life partners’ petite Le Patio in Wilton Manors has outsized charms</a><br />BY ROCHELLE KOFF, rkoff@MiamiHerald.com<br />Le Patio is so diminutive, its owners call it ``the tiniest, cutest restaurant in South Florida.'' If you happened to drive past the little venue on a Wilton Manors side street, you could blink and miss it. But with delicious dishes at recession-busting prices -- the most expensive is $12.95 -- Le Patio has been thriving since it opened in September.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/restaurant-review-life-partners-petite-le-patio-in-wilton-manors-has-outsized-charms.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/restaurant-review-life-partners-petite-le-patio-in-wilton-manors-has-outsized-charms.html/</a><br /> <br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Antigay_Irish_MP_Iris_Robinson_an_Adulterer/">Antigay Irish MP Iris Robinson an Adulterer</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Days after stepping down from her post as Northern Ireland’s Member of the Parliament to deal with her “lifelong battle with depression,” antigay politician Iris Robinson has admitted that she was cheating on her husband last year.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Antigay_Irish_MP_Iris_Robinson_an_Adulterer/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Antigay_Irish_MP_Iris_Robinson_an_Adulterer/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Photography/Top_Advocate_Photos_of_the_Year/">The Advocate's Photos of the Year</a><br />From Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham to comedian Wanda Sykes, take a look back at some of most memorable photos from the pages of The Advocate in 2009.<br />By Albert Smith<br />From Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham to comedian Wanda Sykes, if they lent their voices to the fight for gay rights, made a splash or simply made headlines in gay media in 2009, The Advocate was there to capture the moment on film. Take a look back at some of our favorite photos from last year.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Photography/Top_Advocate_Photos_of_the_Year/">http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Photography/Top_Advocate_Photos_of_the_Year/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Porn_Star_Francois_Sagat_Does_Fallen_Britney/ ">Porn Star Francois Sagat Does Fallen Britney</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Britney Spears may have cleaned up her act, but that hasn’t seemed to stop gay porn star Francois Sagat from making fun of the pop star for her messy public image. Sagat posted a series of pictures to his Facebook titled “Fallen Britney” over the weekend. Check them out here.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Porn_Star_Francois_Sagat_Does_Fallen_Britney/ ">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Porn_Star_Francois_Sagat_Does_Fallen_Britney/ </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/Washington_Post_Antigay_Uganda_Bill_is_an_Outrage/">Wash Po: Antigay Uganda Bill an Outrage</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />An editorial in Wednesday’s Washington Post calls Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill an outrage, saying that even with the death penalty off the table, the alternative of life-imprisonment “should neither be celebrated nor considered a concession by the government in response to pressure from the United States and other nations.”<br /><a href="http://">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/07/Washington_Post_Antigay_Uganda_Bill_is_an_Outrage/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/blog/010710-ford-might-challenge-gillibrand/">Withers: Ford might challenge Gillibrand</a><br />By James Withers, contributing editor, 365Gay Blog <br />Harold Ford, a former Democratic congressman from Tennessee, is considering a run against New York’s junior senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand. Presently he pundits for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” and when he was in office Ford was a regular on the Don Imus radio show; that gig lasted until the “I-Man” decided to ruminate on the follicle and sexual backgrounds of a college basketball team.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/blog/010710-ford-might-challenge-gillibrand/">http://www.365gay.com/blog/010710-ford-might-challenge-gillibrand/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-politics-and-plinko/">RachelWatch: Politics and Plinko</a><br />By Ali Davis, Contributing writer <br />Rachel started us off with the observation that, thanks to the announcements of three whole retirements, many terribly savvy political analysts have decided that the Democratic Party is totally collapsing and maybe on fire and is definitely now less relevant than the Whigs or the Free Soil Party.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-politics-and-plinko/">http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-politics-and-plinko/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/breaking-jonathan-ross-quits-the-bbc/">Jonathan Ross quits the BBC</a><br />Updated: 11.20am. Jonathan Ross has announced today that he is leaving the BBC. The star, who got into hot water this year over a gay adoption joke last year, said his reasons for leaving were not financially motivated.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/breaking-jonathan-ross-quits-the-bbc/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/breaking-jonathan-ross-quits-the-bbc/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/tatchell-says-iris-robinson-is-a-hypocrite/">Tatchell says Iris Robinson is a 'hypocrite'</a><br />Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has accused Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson of being a hypocrite for having an affair. He expressed sympathy over her suicide attempt and mental breakdown but said she had offered no apology for her comments about gay people.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/tatchell-says-iris-robinson-is-a-hypocrite/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/tatchell-says-iris-robinson-is-a-hypocrite/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/lesbian-in-custody-dispute-issues-appeal-for-missing-daughter/"><br />Lesbian in custody dispute issues appeal for missing daughter</a><br />The non-biological mother of a seven-year-old girl has issued an appeal to the public to find her after the child's biological mother defied a court order to hand over custody.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/lesbian-in-custody-dispute-issues-appeal-for-missing-daughter/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/lesbian-in-custody-dispute-issues-appeal-for-missing-daughter/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/government-appointment-of-faith-advisors-attacked-as-cynical/">Government appointment of faith advisors attacked as 'cynical'</a><br />The appointment of 13 'faith advisors' to the government has been attacked by the National Secular society as "cynical" and "an insult to non-religious Britons". The charity warned that most people "disregard" religious teachings on issues such as homosexuality and said the appointment was "undemocratic".<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/government-appointment-of-faith-advisors-attacked-as-cynical/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/government-appointment-of-faith-advisors-attacked-as-cynical/</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/social-worker-struck-off-for-abusing-trans-child/"><br />Social worker struck off for abusing trans child</a><br />A social worker has been found guilty of shouting homophobic abuse at a child in his care. Stan Lansdell, 52, was struck off today for "gross abuse" of his position. He worked for Bradford council at the time of the offences.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/social-worker-struck-off-for-abusing-trans-child/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/social-worker-struck-off-for-abusing-trans-child/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/new-south-wales-government-upholds-gay-adoption-ban/">New South Wales government upholds gay adoption ban</a><br />The Australian state of New South Wales has opted to continue a ban on gay couples adopting. Although a parliamentary inquiry had recommended that changing the law would be in the best interests of children, the state government said there was not enough evidence of support for it.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/new-south-wales-government-upholds-gay-adoption-ban/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/new-south-wales-government-upholds-gay-adoption-ban/</a><br /><br /> =<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/k0133-BC-IA-Iowa-GayMarriage-1stLd-Writethru-01-06-0577/">Iowa Senate leader rules out same-sex marriage debate </a><br />Gronstal says budget, jobs to take lead. <br />By MIKE GLOVER<br />As the Legislature prepares to convene next week, a key leader Wednesday ruled out any debate over an Iowa Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said the session beginning Monday will be focused on the state's budget problems and job creation.<br /><a href="http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/k0133-BC-IA-Iowa-GayMarriage-1stLd-Writethru-01-06-0577/">http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/k0133-BC-IA-Iowa-GayMarriage-1stLd-Writethru-01-06-0577/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4455/">Shelter for LGBT youth faces closure</a><br />by Seth Hemmelgarn<br />A San Francisco organization that aims to provide shelter for queer youth could close March 1. But Bishop Yvette Flunder, the CEO of Ark of Refuge Inc., which includes Ark House, the endangered program, balks at the idea.<br /><a href="http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4455/">http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4455/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/i_posted_the_other_day.php/">The punishment doesn't fit the crime: More on transgender women, prison, and Maria</a> Benita Santamaria<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />I posted the other day about Maria Benita Santamaria, a transgender woman sent to prison after she was found with ten pounds of meth on her. She was sent to a men's prison, put in solitary confinement, and denied hormones after having been on them for two years.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/i_posted_the_other_day.php/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/i_posted_the_other_day.php/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/d-c-jail-guards-accused-of-beating-gay-inmate/">D.C. Jail guards accused of beating gay inmate</a><br />Posted by Lou Chibbaro Jr.<br />A 39-year-old gay man being held in the D.C. Jail has accused jail guards of severely beating him last month, saying they carried him, handcuffed, down three flights of stairs while deliberately knocking his head against the walls and handrails.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/d-c-jail-guards-accused-of-beating-gay-inmate/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/d-c-jail-guards-accused-of-beating-gay-inmate/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14740/maddow-obama-names-fist-transgender-nominee-usajobs-adds-gender-identity/">Maddow: Obama Names First Transgender Nominee; USAJobs Adds Gender Identity </a><br />by: Autumn Sandeen <br />Well, color me surprised -- and in the good way! Rachel Maddow picked up on two trans specific stories for her show last night. I was expecting either her or Keith Oberman to pick up on the Amanda Simpson story, but I didn't expect her to pick up on the second story about the USAJobs website story (First video is 2:06 minutes long; second video is 0:49 minutes long). <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14740/maddow-obama-names-fist-transgender-nominee-usajobs-adds-gender-identity/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14740/maddow-obama-names-fist-transgender-nominee-usajobs-adds-gender-identity/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14734/memorial-service-for-mike-penner-fka-christine-daniels/">Memorial service for Mike Penner (f.k.a. Christine Daniels) </a><br />by: Autumn Sandeen <br />I'm planning a trip up to Los Angeles for the service. <br />~~Autumn~~ <br />By Karen Ocamb <br />Many of us were stunned by news last November of the suicide of Los Angeles Times sports columnist Mike Penner -- who we had come to know as Christine Daniels. I confessed that I was confused about which name to call Christine -- as I knew her after my interview with her for IN Los Angeles Magazine and I asked Pam's House Blend columnist Autumn Sandeen if I could cross-post her story about the difficulties transgender people suffer when transitioning. Autumn said that Christine wanted to be known as Mike and we should respect that. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14734/memorial-service-for-mike-penner-fka-christine-daniels/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14734/memorial-service-for-mike-penner-fka-christine-daniels/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/07/martha-coakley-an-embarrassment-to-her-alma-mater/">Will Atlanta officially apologize to the Eagle?</a><br />Filed by: Gloria Brame Ph.D.<br />Just in from one of the lawyers representing the owners of the Atlanta Eagle. Some of you may recall the club was targeted by rogue Atlanta cops who intimidated and abused innocent patrons this past fall. On January 12, the Atlanta City Council will be voting on whether the city should apologize to the Eagle.. (Watch the WSB video..) If you live in area, please consider attending this historic event, and letting the City Council know how you feel.<br />http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/will_atlanta_officially_apologize_to_the_eagle.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/in_which_i_turn_a_16_year_old_into_a_rebel_catholi.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">16 Years Old And Already A Catholic Rebel</a><br />Filed by: Father Tony<br />Fr. Tony,<br />My name is Donny, and I am a 16 year old Catholic. I read one of your articles online about the Roman Catholic Church and homosexuality and LOVED it. You brought up a really good point about the "fan club card"! My question to you is this... I love Jesus and most teachings of the Catholic Church but some just do not click. (Especially when it comes to homosexuality being "sinful"). I really want to have a partner some day and I do not want to be looked down on because of it! Would it be wrong to explore and find Jesus myself without the aid of the Church? Thanks for taking the time, and I hope to hear from you soon.<br />God bless,<br />Donny<br />Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/in_which_i_turn_a_16_year_old_into_a_rebel_catholi.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/in_which_i_turn_a_16_year_old_into_a_rebel_catholi.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/neil_patrick_harris_wins_gay_man_of_the_decade_shu.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Neil Patrick Harris wins Gay Man of the Decade: Shuns me again</a><br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />Neil Patrick Harris has won AfterElton.com's Gay Man of the Decade contest. The actor took 61% of the vote in the online poll that went viral once he and actor John Barrowman started a Twitter battle over the title. Various celebrities like Neil Gaimon, Alyssa Milano, Hal Sparks, Kevin Smith, and Felicia Day endorsed their favorite nominee, and I threw my weight under behind Neil Patrick Harris.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/neil_patrick_harris_wins_gay_man_of_the_decade_shu.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/neil_patrick_harris_wins_gay_man_of_the_decade_shu.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/07/martha-coakley-an-embarrassment-to-her-alma-mater/">Martha Coakley: Dishonoring her Alma Mater*</a> <br />Posted by B. Daniel Blatt <br />Like yours truly, Martha Coakley is a graduate of the college currently ranked (by U.S. News and World Report) as the nation’s top liberal arts college. But, unlike our fellow alum and her fellow Democrat, Chris Murphy, she doesn’t seem very interested in the concerns of her constituents who do not share her political point of view.<br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/07/martha-coakley-an-embarrassment-to-her-alma-mater/">http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/07/martha-coakley-an-embarrassment-to-her-alma-mater/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-49614317030625574522010-01-06T18:42:00.002-05:002010-01-06T19:16:07.311-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 06, 2010**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="http://www.blogger.com/rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06ford.html?sq=gay&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=3&adxnnlx=1262793710-nTUt1Er0eXQX7CwoFTl81w/">Harold Ford Jr. Weighs a Challenge to Gillibrand </a><br />By MICHAEL BARBARO<br />Encouraged by a group of influential New York Democrats, Harold Ford Jr., the former congressman from Tennessee, is weighing a bid to unseat Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in this fall’s Democratic primary, according to three people who have spoken with him.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06ford.html?sq=gay&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=3&adxnnlx=1262793710-nTUt1Er0eXQX7CwoFTl81w/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/nyregion/06ford.html?sq=gay&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=3&adxnnlx=1262793710-nTUt1Er0eXQX7CwoFTl81w/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/asia/06malaysia.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">Malaysian Polygamy Club Draws Criticism </a><br />By LIZ GOOCH<br />KUALA LUMPUR — Rohaya Mohamad, 44, is an articulate, bespectacled medical doctor who studied at a university in Wales. Juhaidah Yusof, 41, is a shy Islamic studies teacher and mother of eight. Kartini Maarof, 41, is a divorce lawyer and Rubaizah Rejab, a youthful-looking 30-year-old woman, teaches Arabic at a private college.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/asia/06malaysia.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/asia/06malaysia.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010503792.html/">Loudoun County's nondiscrimination policy expanded to protect gays</a><br />By Sholnn Freeman<br />The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to expand the county's nondiscrimination policy to prohibit bias on the basis of sexual orientation.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010503792.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010503792.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502797.html/">RI lawmakers back funeral rights for gays</a><br />By RAY HENRY<br />Rhode Island lawmakers voted Tuesday to allow same-sex and unmarried couples the right to plan the funerals of their late partners, overriding a veto by the governor, who warned it eroded traditional marriage.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502797.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502797.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502274.html">NJ Senate schedules vote on gay marriage</a><br />The Associated Press<br />New Jersey's state Senate is set to vote on whether to legalize gay marriage.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502274.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/05/AR2010010502274.html</a>/<br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/06/the-times-a-changing-nev-brothel-gets-ok-to-offer-men-to-clients/"><br />The Times a-Changing: Nev. Brothel Gets OK To Offer Men to Clients</a><br />By Ashby Jones<br />The same-sex marriage debate has been roiling our country for several years now. But here’s a wrinkle: what about same-sex prostitution? The issue recently came up out in Nye County, Nevada, where it’s legal for men to pay for sex with women. A county board’s vote Tuesday approved the request of Bobbi Davis, a brothel-owner, to offer men to her clientele. The vote followed months of heated debate among the state’s legal brothel community. Click here for the story, from the LA Times.<br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/06/the-times-a-changing-nev-brothel-gets-ok-to-offer-men-to-clients/">http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/01/06/the-times-a-changing-nev-brothel-gets-ok-to-offer-men-to-clients/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/autopsy-planned-for-heiress-casey-johnson.html/">Autopsy planned for heiress Casey Johnson</a><br />From today’s Miami Herald People page: Officials announced on Tuesday that an autopsy would be performed on the body of Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/autopsy-planned-for-heiress-casey-johnson.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/autopsy-planned-for-heiress-casey-johnson.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/broadway-tv-star-sam-harris-to-perform-feb-1-at-birdland-concert-series-in-new-york-city.html/">Broadway, TV star Sam Harris to perform Feb. 1 at Birdland concert series in New York City</a><br />From Broadway performer Jim Caruso (Liza’s at the Palace): Jim Caruso’s Cast Party is proud to present SAM HARRIS in concert on Monday, February 1 at 7pm. This concert is part of the long-running Broadway at Birdland concert series, which highlights performers and composers from the Great White Way at the historic music room.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/broadway-tv-star-sam-harris-to-perform-feb-1-at-birdland-concert-series-in-new-york-city.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/broadway-tv-star-sam-harris-to-perform-feb-1-at-birdland-concert-series-in-new-york-city.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/survey-fort-lauderdale-no-7-miami-tied-for-13th-in-top-25-destinations-for-gay-travelers.html/">Survey: Fort Lauderdale No. 7, Miami tied for 13th in top 25 destinations for gay travelers</a><br />Community Marketing, which specializes in gay and lesbian market research, on Tuesday released its 14th Annual Gay & Lesbian Tourism Study: This 50 page document contains a top ten findings section starting on page three, that includes CMI’s annual gay and lesbian destination rankings, effects of the recession (for the first time we have seen a decrease in gay travel), and a list of the top travel brands outreaching to the market.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/survey-fort-lauderdale-no-7-miami-tied-for-13th-in-top-25-destinations-for-gay-travelers.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/survey-fort-lauderdale-no-7-miami-tied-for-13th-in-top-25-destinations-for-gay-travelers.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Family_Rep_Talks_to_Maddow_About_Uganda/">Family Rep Talks to Maddow About Uganda</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Rachel Maddow continues her investigation into Uganda’s pending antigay law, this time profiling the religious group The Family. Maddow says it wasn’t until her show tied The Family – and with it several high profile conservative politicians and religious figures – to the “kill the gays” bill that anyone agreed to appear on the show.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Family_Rep_Talks_to_Maddow_About_Uganda/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Family_Rep_Talks_to_Maddow_About_Uganda/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Andy_Roddick_Size_Queen/">Andy Roddick, Size Queen?</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Andy Roddick's bags went missing over the Christmas holiday, and the tennis star posted a picture on his Twitter of the clothing the good folks at Lacoste were kind enough to send over. Too bad none of it fit.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Andy_Roddick_Size_Queen/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/06/Andy_Roddick_Size_Queen/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/05/Pop_Star_Kesha_Tells_Out_Im_Bi/">Pop Star Ke$ha Tells Out: “I’m Bi” </a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Touted by critics as the next Lady Gaga, Ke$ha has a smash hit single (her song “Tik Tok” just broke the record for most downloads in a single week by a female artist) and an announcement – she’s bisexual.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/05/Pop_Star_Kesha_Tells_Out_Im_Bi/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/05/Pop_Star_Kesha_Tells_Out_Im_Bi/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/05/Tiger_Woods_Helping_Annie_Leibovitz_Climb_Out_of_Debt/">Tiger Helping Annie Climb Out of Debt?</a><br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Vanity Fair’s current Tiger Woods cover, along with the six interior photos that accompany an article on the much-maligned golfer, have helped put a dent in photographer Annie Leibovitz’s reported multi-million dollar debt, the New York Post reports.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/05/Tiger_Woods_Helping_Annie_Leibovitz_Climb_Out_of_Debt/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/05/Tiger_Woods_Helping_Annie_Leibovitz_Climb_Out_of_Debt/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/hrc-iphone-app-helps-you-buy-gay-friendly/">HRC iPhone app helps you buy gay-friendly</a><br />By 365gay Newswire<br />01.05.2010 5:02pm EST<br />HRC has released a first of its kind, free iPhone application for its “Buying for Equality” guide. The app allows shoppers to access the Buying for Equality guide as they enter a store to see how gay-friendly hundreds of brands are.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/hrc-iphone-app-helps-you-buy-gay-friendly/">http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/hrc-iphone-app-helps-you-buy-gay-friendly/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/bnp-may-face-prosecution-over-misleading-financial-accounts/">BNP may face prosecution over 'misleading' financial accounts</a><br />The British National Party could face prosecution for breaking the law over its accounting. The anti-gay political party has until Friday to submit further details of its spending after auditors said they were not adequate.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/bnp-may-face-prosecution-over-misleading-financial-accounts/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/bnp-may-face-prosecution-over-misleading-financial-accounts/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/canterburys-only-gay-bar-closes/">Canterbury's only gay bar closes</a><br />The only gay bar in Canterbury, a city which was condemned by a local Pride group for not being gay enough, has closed. O2 was opened six months ago on King Street but is closing because of a lack of business.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/canterburys-only-gay-bar-closes/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/canterburys-only-gay-bar-closes/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/video-david-letterman-attacked-for-skit-on-obama-appointed-trans-woman/">Video: David Letterman attacked for skit on Obama-appointed trans woman</a><br />US television host David Letterman was attacked for a joke about Amanda Simpson, the trans woman appointed by President Barack Obama.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/video-david-letterman-attacked-for-skit-on-obama-appointed-trans-woman/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/video-david-letterman-attacked-for-skit-on-obama-appointed-trans-woman/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/new-jersey-in-last-ditch-vote-on-gay-marriage/">New Jersey in last-ditch vote on gay marriage</a><br />New Jersey's Senate will vote tomorrow on gay marriage in a final attempt to pass the bill before a new governor takes office. A vote was cancelled in early December after Democrats were reportedly concerned the bill did not have enough votes to pass.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/new-jersey-in-last-ditch-vote-on-gay-marriage/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/new-jersey-in-last-ditch-vote-on-gay-marriage/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/graham-norton-signs-4m-deal-with-bbc/"><br />Graham Norton signs £4m deal with BBC</a><br />Gay presenter Graham Norton has signed a two-year, £4 million deal to stay at the BBC. According to the Sun, he accepted a pay cut of £500,000, having previously been on £2.5 million a year.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/graham-norton-signs-4m-deal-with-bbc/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/06/graham-norton-signs-4m-deal-with-bbc/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/05/anti-gay-hate-preachers-march-may-be-banned/"><br />Anti-gay hate preacher's march may be banned</a><br />An attempt by an anti-gay Muslim preacher to hold a march in a British town may be blocked by home secretary Alan Johnson. Islam4UK, headed by Anjem Choudary, plans to march through Wootton Bassett, a town famous for honouring soldiers killed abroad.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/05/anti-gay-hate-preachers-march-may-be-banned/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/05/anti-gay-hate-preachers-march-may-be-banned/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/05/warning-over-high-hiv-rates-in-gay-african-men/">Warning over high HIV rates in gay African men</a><br />A study in the medical journal The Lancet has warned that HIV rates among gay men in some parts of Africa are ten times higher than their straight counterparts.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/05/warning-over-high-hiv-rates-in-gay-african-men/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/05/warning-over-high-hiv-rates-in-gay-african-men/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/d-c-jail-guards-accused-of-beating-gay-inmate/">D.C. Jail guards accused of beating gay inmate</a><br />Posted on 06 January 2010 by Lou Chibbaro Jr.<br />A 39-year-old gay man being held in the D.C. Jail has accused jail guards of severely beating him last month, saying they carried him, handcuffed, down three flights of stairs while deliberately knocking his head against the walls and handrails. The gay inmate, John Burrows, a D.C. resident, gave a detailed account of the incident to his mother and sister, who released the information this week to the DC Agenda.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/d-c-jail-guards-accused-of-beating-gay-inmate/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/d-c-jail-guards-accused-of-beating-gay-inmate/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/arrest-warrant-sought-in-lesbian-parental-custody-dispute/">Arrest warrant sought in lesbian parental custody dispute</a><br />Posted on 06 January 2010 by Harley Dennett<br />An arrest warrant for Virginia resident Lisa Miller was likely to be issued this week, according to lawyers involved in her child custody dispute that has become a focal point in the nation’s same-sex parenting debate. Miller’s former partner, Janet Jenkins, came forward Monday with a plea to help find her 7-year-old daughter, Isabella, after Miller failed to return her by a Jan. 1 deadline set by Rutland Family Court in Vermont.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/arrest-warrant-sought-in-lesbian-parental-custody-dispute/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/arrest-warrant-sought-in-lesbian-parental-custody-dispute/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/06/gay-marriage-foes-lash-out-at-plan-to-televise-pro/?feat=home_headlines/"><br />Gay-marriage foes slam plans to televise Prop 8 trial</a><br />Witnesses harassment feared<br />By Valerie Richardson<br />Supporters of traditional marriage are outraged over a California judge's efforts to bring television cameras into court next week to cover a trial challenging Proposition 8, California's initiative against gay marriage.<br /><a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/06/gay-marriage-foes-lash-out-at-plan-to-televise-pro/?feat=home_headlines/">http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jan/06/gay-marriage-foes-lash-out-at-plan-to-televise-pro/?feat=home_headlines/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20100106-245900/Catholic-Portugal-set-to-legalize-gay-marriage/">Catholic Portugal set to legalize gay marriage</a><br />Agence France-Presse<br />LISBON- Catholic Portugal, traditionally one of Europe's most socially conservative countries, is expected to approve the legalization of gay marriage on Friday with a minimum of fuss.<br /><a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20100106-245900/Catholic-Portugal-set-to-legalize-gay-marriage/">http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20100106-245900/Catholic-Portugal-set-to-legalize-gay-marriage/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://dscriber.com/denver/956-polyamory-gay-marriage.html/">Gay marriage is so last decade; polyamory is in, newspaper says </a><br />By Ginger Q. Lawless<br />This news isn't going to go over well at Focus on the Family: the new way to live the dream, perhaps, is polyamory, which means “many loves." Those who practice it have multiple lovers and "poly” as it’s also called, has a very full spectrum of possibility. You might have a couple in a primary relationship who then have one or more secondary relationships. There’s also polyfidelity, in which three or more people are mutually exclusive. There are also love circles where the possibilities are endless. It sounds like a racy topic, but it is mainstream enough to have recently been featured in The Boston Globe.<br /><a href="http://dscriber.com/denver/956-polyamory-gay-marriage.html/">http://dscriber.com/denver/956-polyamory-gay-marriage.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5081&Category=26&MediaType=1/">Besen: Dobson Not Ready To Retire Anti-Gay Rhetoric</a><br />By Carlos Santoscoy<br />Focus on the Family founder James Dobson is leaving the organization, but he's got no plans to retire his anti-gay rhetoric, gay rights activist Wayne Besen says. Last February, Dobson stepped down as chairman of the anti-gay group he founded in 1977 but remained the group's primary radio voice. A post he'll retire next month.<br /><a href="http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5081&Category=26&MediaType=1/">http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5081&Category=26&MediaType=1/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14727/us-government-adds-gender-identity-protections-to-usajobs-website/">U.S. Government Adds Gender Identity Protections To USAJobs Website </a><br />by: Autumn Sandeen<br />Via the New York Times' U.S. Job Site Bans Bias Over Gender Identity:<br />The Obama administration has inserted language into the federal jobs Web site explicitly banning employment discrimination based on gender identity.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14727/us-government-adds-gender-identity-protections-to-usajobs-website/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14727/us-government-adds-gender-identity-protections-to-usajobs-website/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14725/janet-jenkins-pleads-for-help-in-finding-her-daughter/">Janet Jenkins pleads for help in finding her daughter </a><br />by: Alvin McEwen<br />Janet Jenkins is now pleading for help from the public in finding her daughter, Isabella. Jenkins' former civil union partner, Lisa Miller (now claiming to be an ex-gay) was supposed to turn Isabella over to Jenkins after a court ruling. This ruling came about because of Miller's continued refusal to allow Jenkins access to Isabella, whom they were supposed to be raising together. Miller and Isabella have since disappeared and the belief is that Miller has taken Isabella and gone into hiding.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14725/janet-jenkins-pleads-for-help-in-finding-her-daughter/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14725/janet-jenkins-pleads-for-help-in-finding-her-daughter/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14720/what-about-antitrans-sentiments-intralgbt-community-against-amanda-simpson/">What About Antitrans Sentiments Expressed Intra-LGBT Community Against Amanda Simpson? </a><br />by: Autumn Sandeen<br />I've pointed out bad media coverage that I -- and Anna Wipfler of the glaadBLOG -- has pointed out regarding Amanda Simpson's appointment as a Senior Technical Advisor at the Department Of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). I've also pointed out antitrans, antigay, and anti-LGBT sentiments in comment threads of mainstream -- and a little out of the mainstream -- news articles and commentary.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14720/what-about-antitrans-sentiments-intralgbt-community-against-amanda-simpson/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14720/what-about-antitrans-sentiments-intralgbt-community-against-amanda-simpson/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14719/let-the-ed-block-foundation-know-dogkiller-michael-vick-does-not-deserve-its-courage-award/"><br />Let the Ed Block Foundation know dog-killer Michael Vick does not deserve its </a>Courage Award<br />by: Pam Spaulding<br />I recently blogged about the Philadelphia Eagles and its decision to nominate its dog-killing, beating, electrocuting, shooting player Michael Vick as its example of courage, deserving of the Foundation's award. There is a petition up gathering signatures to let the Ed Block Foundation CEO Sam Lamantia know that the Eagles organization is misguided, and that Vick in no way represents personal or professional courage by serving time in the clink for profiting off of the torture and mistreatment of animals.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14719/let-the-ed-block-foundation-know-dogkiller-michael-vick-does-not-deserve-its-courage-award/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14719/let-the-ed-block-foundation-know-dogkiller-michael-vick-does-not-deserve-its-courage-award/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/people_who_matter_--_an_open_letter_to_newsweek.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">Jesus Datalo's underwear pics in gay mag causes stir</a><br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />Soccer player Jesus Datalo posed in his underwear for a photo spread in Italian gay publication Romeo Mag and the leadership of his club is hopping mad. Datalo plays for Napoli. The Argentinian player is hardly the first soccer star to pose in their undies for a queer magazine, but Aurelio De Laurentis, president of the Napoli club, offers up a very convoluted reasoning for his displeasure. De Laurentis is not bothered by the photos but because "the image of Napoli rights have been violated."<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/people_who_matter_--_an_open_letter_to_newsweek.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01<br />/jesus_datalos_underwear_pics_in_gay_mag_causes_sti.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/people_who_matter_--_an_open_letter_to_newsweek.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/"><br />People Who Matter -- An Open Letter to Newsweek</a><br />Filed by: Terrance Heath<br />Note: This is a somewhat extended version of a “Letter to the Editor” I emailed to Newsweek upon seeing their December 19th issue. To the Editor: I know what was meant by it, but I couldn’t help rolling my eyes when I read the subtitle of your December 19th issue: “People who matter, on what matters most.” Frankly, that struck me as precisely our problem in this country, on so many levels.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/people_who_matter_--_an_open_letter_to_newsweek.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/people_who_matter_--_an_open_letter_to_newsweek.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/evangelical-hate-monger-scott-livelys.html/">Evangelical Hate-Monger Scott Lively's "Nuclear Bomb" In Uganda</a><br />posted by Joe<br />The guys at Box Turtle Bulletin are doing fantastic work exposing the American evangelicals behind Uganda's "kill gays" bill. Here's their first of three clips in a series about Scott Lively, who helped organize the conference that resulted in the bill. Lively's book, The Pink Swastika, claims that gay men orchestrated the Holocaust. Because we are all serial killers at heart. Watch the clip and head over to BTB for analysis and the rest of the series.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/evangelical-hate-monger-scott-livelys.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/evangelical-hate-monger-scott-livelys.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/ny-sen-carl-kruger-im-am-not-gay.html/">NY Sen. Carl Kruger: I'm Am Not Gay</a><br />posted by Joe<br />Anti-gay closet case NY Sen. Carl Kruger says local activist Allen Roskoff is a "bottom feeder" for saying that he's gay. Which he's not. Totally. No, really, he's not. At all. Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger became the No. 1 target of gay activists when he voted against same-sex marriage last month. Now, his enemies are circulating photos taken of Kruger at a birthday fund-raiser last year, where cross-dressing entertainer Leonid the Magnificent performed hula-hoop tricks in a skintight cat suit. "For hating gay marriage so much, Kruger sure loves watching tight, Lycra-clad asses," snarked Queerty.com. Gay activist Corey Johnson and Allen Roskoff, the openly gay president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, have led demonstrations at Kruger's home. Roskoff wrote on his blog, "People ask us how we know he is homosexual. My immediate response is, how does one know that Paul Lynde and Liberace were gay?" Kruger, who denies being gay, called Roskoff "a bottom feeder," and said he was unfazed by the smear campaign. "It goes with the territory," he told Page Six. "I have not changed my position."<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/ny-sen-carl-kruger-im-am-not-gay.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/01/ny-sen-carl-kruger-im-am-not-gay.html/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-50648231480822621642010-01-05T05:52:00.002-05:002010-01-05T06:05:04.145-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 04, 2010**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />After Americans Visit, Uganda Weighs Death for Gays <br />By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN<br />KAMPALA, Uganda - Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about "curing" homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/uganda/index.html?inline=nyt-geo> 's capital to give a series of talks. The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was "the gay agenda - that whole hidden and dark agenda" - and the threat homosexuals posed to Bible-based values and the traditional African family. For three days, according to participants and audio recordings <http://publiceye.org/multimedia/public/kapya-audio-files.zip> , thousands of Ugandans, including police officers, teachers and national politicians, listened raptly to the Americans, who were presented as experts on homosexuality. The visitors discussed how to make gay people straight, how gay men often sodomized teenage boys and how "the gay movement is an evil institution" whose goal is "to defeat the marriage-based society and replace<br />it with a culture of sexual promiscuity."<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html?hp/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html?hp/</a><br /><br />Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships<br />For over a decade, the issue of same-sex marriage has been a flashpoint political issue in the United States, setting off waves of competing legislation and ballot initiatives attempting either to legalize or ban the practice. Rifts have also opened among religious groups over the decision to recognize same-sex marriage or condemn it.<br /><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Gay in Uganda, and Feeling Hunted <br />By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN<br />KAMPALA, Uganda — Isolation, insults, threats and violence: this is what Uganda’s mostly closeted gay community has dealt with for years. But now that Ugandan politicians are threatening to pass a new anti-homosexuality bill that would sentence some homosexuals (serial offenders, those who are H.I.V. positive and others) to life in prison or even death, many gay men and lesbians said they felt hunted.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04gay.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04gay.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<a href=" http://www.washingtonpost.com/"><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Dave Marsden for Senate<br />IN VIRGINIA, the two candidates running in a special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Attorney General-elect Ken Cuccinelli II, in western Fairfax County's District 37, offer voters a stark choice. One of them, Dave W. Marsden, a Democrat, is a well-respected expert on incarceration, juvenile justice and rehabilitation, having run the Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center for 17 years as well as the state's Department of Juvenile Justice, a position for which he was chosen by a Republican governor. Mr. Marsden has served two terms in the House of Delegates with distinction. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010301743.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010301743.html/</a><br /><br />California's scary sneak preview<br />By Ezra Klein<br />We Californians pride ourselves on the crystal-ball quality of our state. Auto emissions regulations, the tech boom and bust, Ronald Reagan, Hispanic immigration, the anti-tax revolt, the mortgage bubble, the struggle for gay rights, most movies, the popularity of Richard Nixon, the unpopularity of Richard Nixon, plastic surgery, and Tiger Woods's marital problems were all tested in the Golden State before being released to audiences nationwide.<br /><a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/californias_scary_sneak_previe.html/">http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/californias_scary_sneak_previe.html/</a><br /> <br /> =<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Houston officially becomes nation's largest city with openly gay mayor after private ceremony<br />By Associated Press<br />Annise Parker has been sworn in as Houston mayor, officially making her city the nation's largest to be led by an openly gay person. Parker took the oath of office in a private ceremony at City Hall on Saturday, two days before a public inauguration during which she will be sworn in again.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-houston-mayor,0,5219321.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-houston-mayor,0,5219321.story/</a><br /><br />Saddleback Church Raises $2.4 Million After Plea for Donations<br />By KTLA News<br />Evangelical pastor Rick Warren says his appeal for donations to his Orange County megachurch pulled in a "history-making" $2.4 million. At Saturday evening's church service, Warren announced that $2.4 million was raised after he appealed on the church's website for members to donate.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ktla-saddleback-money,0,4665091.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ktla-saddleback-money,0,4665091.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Women’s Empowerment Luncheon to be held Jan. 20 at The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables<br />News release from the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce: The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, in association with the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, presents A Women’s Empowerment Luncheon, the first of a bi-monthly program showcasing successful Chamber Members who are professional women. The guest speaker will be Ms. Shelley Freeman, President, Wells Fargo/Wachovia Florida, on January 20, 2010, at The Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Blvd., Coral Gables, FL. (305-445-1926). Registration begins at 11:30am with lunch and presentation at 12:00 Noon. Lunch is $35 for MDGLCC members and $45 for non-members. Luncheon reservations are requested. RSVP to the office and pre-payment is required. Please submit your name (and guests) by calling the Chamber office at 305-573-4000. You may also fax to our secure line at 305-573-4787 or, via email to mdglcc@bellsouth.net.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/womens-empowerment-luncheon-to-be-held-jan-20-at-the-biltmore-hotel-in-coral-gables.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/womens-empowerment-luncheon-to-be-held-jan-20-at-the-biltmore-hotel-in-coral-gables.html/</a><br /><br />HRC: After 22 years, HIV travel and immigration ban lifted<br />News release from Human Rights Campaign:<br />“The United States of America has moved one step closer to helping combat the stigma and ignorance that still too often guides public policy debates around HIV/AIDS,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese<br />WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, hailed the announcement that a ban on HIV positive visitors and immigrants entering the country, first established in 1987, has been lifted. A regulation promulgated by the Obama administration last summer and finalized in November goes into effect today, removing HIV from the list of communicable diseases that bar foreign nationals from entering the United States. <br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/hrc-after-22-years-hiv-travel-and-immigration-ban-lifted.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/hrc-after-22-years-hiv-travel-and-immigration-ban-lifted.html/</a><br /><br />Keys gay, political activist Henry Woods, 58, dies<br />KeysNet.com reports that Key West gay activist Henry Woods, an adjunct political science professor at Florida Keys Community College, has died after suffering an aneurysm and slipping into a coma on Christmas Eve. Woods ran for Monroe County elections supervisor in 2008. “He was a leader in the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus and the Key West Lambda Democrats. Sudden and sad news,” says Stephen Gaskill, a Washington/South Florida political consultant.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/keys-gay-political-activist-henry-woods-58-dies.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/keys-gay-political-activist-henry-woods-58-dies.html/</a><br /><br />Denise King, mother of slain gay teenager Simmie Williams Jr., dies suddenly at age 40<br />Sad news from Fort Lauderdale: Denise King, mother of Simmie Williams Jr., an openly gay teen who was slain nearly two years on Sistrunk Boulevard, died suddenly on New Year’s Eve. King was 40 and collapsed in her apartment about two hours before midnight.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/denise-king-mother-of-slain-gay-teenager-simmie-williams-jr-dies-suddenly-at-age-40.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/denise-king-mother-of-slain-gay-teenager-simmie-williams-jr-dies-suddenly-at-age-40.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Osteen Thanks God For Annise Parker<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, who ignited a firestorm in November with his comment to The View that gay people were not among “God’s best,” thanked the heavens on Monday for Annise Parker, the newly inaugurated openly lesbian mayor of Houston. According to a tweet from the Victory Fund, during the inauguration ceremony Monday morning, Osteen thanked God for "lifting up our new mayor, Annise Parker."<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/04/Osteen_Thanks_God_For_Annise_Parker/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/04/Osteen_Thanks_God_For_Annise_Parker/</a><br /><br />Track Star Nixes Fake Breasts for Speed<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Australian track star Jana Rawlinson, who recently underwent breast augmentation surgery, admits that she promptly had the implants removed because of fears that the fake breasts would hinder her upcoming Olympic performance. The 27-year-old hurdler, a straight mother of one, spoke about her decision with the new issue of Woman’s Day magazine, according to The Daily Telegraph. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/04/Track_Star_Nixes_Breast_Implants_for_Speed/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/04/Track_Star_Nixes_Breast_Implants_for_Speed/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<a href=" http://www.365gay.com/"><br />http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Democrat eyeing Kennedy seat avoids family legacy<br />By The Associated Press<br />Attorney General Martha Coakley may be the front-runner in the race to fill the late Edward Kennedy’s U.S. Senate seat, but she is crafting a campaign largely free of the Kennedy mystique. Although she shares Kennedy’s position on key issues and is appealing to the same liberal Democratic voters who returned him to office during his 47 years in the Senate, Coakley is helping usher in a post-Kennedy Massachusetts – a state whose politics have been inextricably linked to the family for generations. <br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/democrat-eyeing-kennedy-seat-avoids-family-legacy/">http://www.365gay.com/news/democrat-eyeing-kennedy-seat-avoids-family-legacy/</a><br /><br />Neff: New Hampshire’s new era<br />By Lisa Neff, columnist, 365gay.com <br />The new year brought a new era in New Hampshire. Some of us ushered in 2010 — the start of a new year and a new decade — with noisemakers, bubbly champagne and hearty attempts to remember the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne.”<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/opinion/neff-new-hampshires-new-era/">http://www.365gay.com/opinion/neff-new-hampshires-new-era/</a><br /><br />Withers: Parker is ready to be Houston’s most vocal booster<br />By James Withers, contributing editor, 365Gay Blog <br />Annise Parker is more than willing to talk about her place in history. The 53 year old was inaugurated in a private ceremony this past weekend as the mayor of Houston, making her the first openly gay politician to run a major American city. However, that conversation bores her. She gets animated when discussing the Houston and Texas she knows and how her win is not that odd. A lot of the media coverage has been about me being first in Houston and this has given me an opportunity to talk about Houston and Texas as I know them,” Parker said in an interview with 365Gay. “Houston is a very diverse, open, tolerant, and business oriented city. People care more about what you can do, as opposed to who you are. It is the most diverse and international city under the radar.”<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/blog/010410-parker-is-ready-to-be-houstons-most-vocal-booster/">http://www.365gay.com/blog/010410-parker-is-ready-to-be-houstons-most-vocal-booster/</a><br /><br />RachelWatch: Stay Classy, Dick Cheney<br />By Ali Davis, Contributing writer <br />Record Scratch<br />Rachel started us off with the attempts by numerous Republicans to score political points with the attempted underpants bombing on Christmas Day. Dr. Maddow seemed to have had exactly enough of that sort of thing, characterizing the political opportungasm as “a serious of obviously baseless, factually incorrect, demonstrably untrue, and hypocritical attacks.”<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-stay-classy-dick-cheney/">http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-stay-classy-dick-cheney/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />US HIV travel ban lifted today<br />The ban on HIV-positive people entering the US officially ends today. The 22-year-old law was one of the most restrictive immigration policies in the world for people with HIV but was lifted by President Barack Obama in November.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/us-hiv-travel-ban-lifted-today/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/us-hiv-travel-ban-lifted-today/</a><br /><br />Woman fails to hand child to lesbian ex-partner<br />A US woman who was ordered to hand over custody of her child to her lesbian ex-partner could be charged with parental abduction for failing to comply with a court order.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/woman-fails-to-hand-child-to-lesbian-ex-partner/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/woman-fails-to-hand-child-to-lesbian-ex-partner/</a><br /><br />Copyright holder baulks at 'gay' Sherlock Holmes film<br />The US copyright holder of the Sherlock Holmes series has threatened to withdraw permission for a film sequel if producers develop a homoerotic storyline.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/copyright-holder-baulks-at-gay-sherlock-holmes-film/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/copyright-holder-baulks-at-gay-sherlock-holmes-film/</a><br /><br />Bisexual penguin fights serious illness<br />The bisexual penguin at the centre of a much-reported love triangle is gravely ill. Harry, a Magellan penguin at San Francisco Zoo, is suffering from a respiratory illness.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/bisexual-penguin-fights-serious-illness/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/bisexual-penguin-fights-serious-illness/</a><br /><br />Lady Gaga tackles homophobic fan<br />Lady Gaga was reportedly forced to confront a homophobic man at one of her gigs. The gay-friendly singer had performed in an Ottawa club and was dancing with friends when a man approached her to hurl homophobic abuse at her and fellow star Adam Lambert.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/lady-gaga-tackles-homophobic-fan/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/04/lady-gaga-tackles-homophobic-fan/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Halo bar to change name, go green<br />Posted on 04 January 2010 by Lou Chibbaro Jr.<br />The D.C. gay bar Halo is changing its name to MOVA and will evolve over the next year into an environmentally friendly “green” business with an expanded program to support both LGBT and broader community causes and projects. Gay attorney and businessman Babak Movahedi, owner of Logan Circle Spectrum, LLC, the company that owns Halo bars in D.C. and Miami Beach, said the name change and plans for the business’s community-related projects would be formally announced during a Jan. 1 celebration at the club in D.C. at 7 p.m. Halo is located at 1435 P St., N.W.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/halo-bar-to-change-name-go-green/">http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/halo-bar-to-change-name-go-green/</a><br /><br />Ban gay marriage? How about divorce, too?<br />FROM PAM MULLIN<br />In response to the article (Dec. 27) in which Bryan English, of the Iowa Family Policy Council ACTION, advocated putting gay marriage to a public vote: It seems to be the position of his organization that marriage should be only between one man and one woman. I say let's put it on a ballot as long as a vote to ban gay marriage also includes a vote to ban divorce in Iowa.<br /><a href="http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=268696/">http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=268696/</a><br /><br />NJ gay marriage advocates plan Trenton rally to urge lawmakers' vote<br />By Mary Fuchs/Statehouse Bureau <br />Clergy from 19 different faith groups around the state are asking Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) to vote on same-sex marriage legislation before the current legislative session ends. In a letter addressed to the leaders of the two houses, 120 clergy members said the current marriage law favors a religious viewpoint of traditional marriage over their beliefs, which allow gay marriage.<br /><a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_gay_marriage_advocates_to_u.html/">http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_gay_marriage_advocates_to_u.html/</a><br /><br />N.J. lawmakers return to Trenton to debate on bills in lame-duck session<br />By Claire Heininger/Statehouse Bureau <br />State lawmakers return to Trenton today to close out a lame-duck session with debate on bills to legalize medical marijuana, relax prison sentences for some drug offenders in school zones and allow towns to stave off property tax hikes by postponing pension payments.<br /><a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_lawmakers_return_to_trenton.html/">http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_lawmakers_return_to_trenton.html/</a><br /><br />The politics of gay marriage<br />By Jonathan Rauch<br />For the gay marriage debate, 2009 was transitional instead of transformative, but last year was historic nonetheless. To mangle Churchill, it was not the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but it was at least the beginning of the middle. This is an issue on which the fundamentals of public opinion change glacially. Support for same-sex marriage is rising, but only by about a percentage point or so a year. Essentially, a third of the public supports gay marriage, another third or so supports civil unions instead, and the remaining third opposes any kind of legal status for same-sex couples.<br /><a href="http://www.kansas.com/781/story/1118406.html/">http://www.kansas.com/781/story/1118406.html/</a><br /><br />Gay Socastee couple looks to be first married couple in D.C.<br />By Mason Snyder <br />17 years ago Craig Dean and his partner Patrick lived in Washington D.C., and they wanted to get married. “Back in the 80’s and 90’s [gay] marriage wasn’t even a blimp on anybody’s thinking,” Dean said. “Nobody even contemplated the idea of gay people being married.“ So Dean proposed to Patrick and later that year, the couple tied the knot. But when the couple filed for a marriage license, they were denied.<br /><a href="http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local/grand_strand/article/gay_socastee_couple_looks_to_be_first_married_couple_in_d.c/95382/">http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local/grand_strand/article/gay_socastee_couple_looks_to_be_first_married_couple_in_d.c/95382/</a><br /><br />Dutch Christian schools start teaching respect and empathy for gays <br />by: Lurleen<br />I have become convinced that pretending homosexuality doesn't exist is not an option. ...It does exist. Gay teachers work at each of the four Reformed schools and there are students with homosexual feelings. We want these students have a good school experience, they are allowed to exist. <br />-- Huib van Leeuwen, President of the Reformed Schools committee<br />When Christian conservatives say with regard to gays and lesbians that they "love the sinner but hate the sin", what do they do to demonstrate that love? In the United States, too often such "love" is translated into cruel efforts to try to negate or "cure" a person's innate homosexuality, and punish gays with punitive laws and unrelenting vilification. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/12915/dutch-christian-schools-start-teaching-respect-and-empathy-for-gays/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/12915/dutch-christian-schools-start-teaching-respect-and-empathy-for-gays/</a><br /><br />Scott Lively practiced 'pink-baiting' in Uganda <br />by: Alvin McEwen <br />Yesterday, the New York Times came out with a sensational article about the Ugandan anti-gay bill. It was short, precise and linked Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge, and Don Schmierer to the bill, making sure to note that their "teachings" that homosexuality can be cured has been discredited in this country and also noting how the bill came to pass because of a conference the three took part in earlier last year in Uganda. And in the article, they come across exactly as they are - anti-gay charlatans who are now cowardly backtracking after the world sees what they have done.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14692/scott-lively-practices-pinkbaiting/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14692/scott-lively-practices-pinkbaiting/</a><br /><br />Neil Patrick Harris needs us!<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />Neil Patrick Harris has called his fans and followers to battle! My favorite stalkee out gay celeb is in a Twitter battle royale for the title of AfterElton.com's Man of the Decade. Neil sent a tweet to his followers asking them to vote for him, but Dr. Who actor John Barrowman took up the Twitter challenge too. Umpteen other celebrities have taken sides in this phallic measuring contest - and you know Neil's..., well, okay, so we don't know, but I can imagine!<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/neil_patrick_harris_needs_us.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/neil_patrick_harris_needs_us.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />That is Mayor Annise Parker now<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />Congrats to the new mayor: Annise Parker has been sworn in as Houston mayor, officially making her city the nation's largest to be led by an openly gay person. Parker took the oath of office in a private ceremony at City Hall on Saturday, two days before a public inauguration during which she will be sworn in again. The 53-year-old Parker took the oath before state District Judge Steven Kirkland and alongside her partner, Kathy Hubbard. Good for her. I'm currently living in the largest city in the world with a gay mayor, and while her political beliefs will be a lot more important to how she governs than her sexuality, it does make me feel better to know it can happen.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/thats_mayor_annise_parker_now.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/thats_mayor_annise_parker_now.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Testicle terrorist tormented by repressed sex issues<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />"As i get lonely, the natural sexual drive awakens and i struggle to control it, sometimes leading to minor sinful activities like not lowering the gaze [in the presence of unveiled women], and this problem makes me want to get married to avoid getting aroused." -- Testicle terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in a comment left on an Islamic Forum Web site, gawaher.com.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/testicle_terrorist_tormented_by_repressed_sex_issu.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/testicle_terrorist_tormented_by_repressed_sex_issu.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Lady Gaga outfits inspired by Pokemon?<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />Suddenly Lady Gaga's outfit choices start to make sense. Who knew she was getting her inspiration from Pokemon characters?<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/lady_gaga_outfits_inspired_by_pokemon.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/lady_gaga_outfits_inspired_by_pokemon.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-70463375759025924452010-01-03T23:40:00.001-05:002010-01-03T23:46:17.651-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 03, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Calif. Pastor Takes in $2.4M After Donations Plea <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Evangelical pastor Rick Warren's plea for donations to fill a $900,000 deficit at his Southern California megachurch brought in $2.4 million, Warren announced to cheers during a sermon at the church on Saturday. Warren said the amount raised after the appeal was posted online Wednesday included only money parishioners brought in person to Saddleback Church by New Year's Eve. More was arriving by hand and by mail, he said.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/03/us/AP-US-Rick-Warren-Donations.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/03/us/AP-US-Rick-Warren-Donations.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=gay&st=cse/<br /></a><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />California's scary sneak preview<br />By Ezra Klein<br />We Californians pride ourselves on the crystal-ball quality of our state. Auto emissions regulations, the tech boom and bust, Ronald Reagan, Hispanic immigration, the anti-tax revolt, the mortgage bubble, the struggle for gay rights, most movies, the popularity of Richard Nixon, the unpopularity of Richard Nixon, plastic surgery, and Tiger Woods's marital problems were all tested in the Golden State before being released to audiences nationwide. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103487.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103487.html/</a><br /><br />Census counts on partnerships to find hard-to-reach groups<br />By Carol Morello<br />George Duangmanee is a financial adviser in the District, an immigrant and an officer in a scholarship program for Asian tennis players. It is the latter role that has made him a catch for the Census Bureau. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/02/AR2010010201605.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/02/AR2010010201605.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Pioneering plaintiff wants DC's 1st gay marriage<br />By JESSICA GRESKO<br />Craig Dean's first wedding was attended by thousands, and as he recited his vows, gay couples behind him on Constitution Avenue echoed their own. It was 1993, and Dean and boyfriend Patrick Gill headlined what was billed as the largest gay marriage ceremony at the time. Dean, 29, and Gill, 26, were celebrities after suing the city of Washington for denying them a marriage license. They'd been on CNN, were profiled in The Washington Post and sat on Oprah's couch.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/pioneering-plaintiff-wants-dcs-1st-gay-marriage.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/pioneering-plaintiff-wants-dcs-1st-gay-marriage.html/</a><br /><br />FIU’s gay fraternity one of many diverse student groups at South Florida universities<br />From a sorority for plus-size women to a fraternity for gay men, there are plentiful options for brotherhood and sisterhood at South Florida's universities.<br />BY LAURA FIGUEROA, lfigueroa@MiamiHerald.com<br />Over at Florida International University, the South Asian and Caribbean brothers of Sigma Beta Rho raise money for tsunami and hurricane ravaged countries. At Nova Southeastern University, the brothers of Alpha Nu Omega gather weekly to host Bible study sessions.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/fius-gay-fraternity-one-of-many-diverse-student-groups-at-south-florida-universities.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/01/fius-gay-fraternity-one-of-many-diverse-student-groups-at-south-florida-universities.html/</a><br /> <br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Letting myself go for graceful exit, new life<br />By Ellen Goodman<br />Editor's Note: This is Ellen Goodman's final column.<br />BOSTON -- January is named for the Roman god of beginnings and endings. He looked backward and forward at the same time. So, this morning, do I.<br />I wish I could find the right language to describe this rite of passage. Retirement, that swoon of a word, just won't do. The Spanish translation, jubilación, is a bit over the top for my own mix of feelings. <br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/columnists/story/1406282.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/columnists/story/1406282.html/</a><br /> <br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />With gay marriage coming to DC, man who fought for it 2 decades ago wants first spot in line<br />By Jessica Gresko<br />Craig Dean's first wedding was attended by thousands, and as he recited his vows, gay couples behind him on Constitution Avenue echoed their own. It was 1993, and Dean and boyfriend Patrick Gill headlined what was billed as the largest gay marriage ceremony at the time. Dean, 29, and Gill, 26, were celebrities after suing the city of Washington for denying them a marriage license. They'd been on CNN, were profiled in The Washington Post and sat on Oprah's couch.<br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-dc-gay-marriage-pioneer,0,2028522.story/ ">http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-dc-gay-marriage-pioneer,0,2028522.story/ </a><br /><br />Iowa and New Hampshire's equality and the Presidential elections <br />by: Joe Mirabella <br />(Although The Iowa Poll conducted September, 2009 found that 35% of adults strongly oppose same-gender marriage and 41% would vote for a constitutional amendment banning it, 92% admit that its advent hasn't changed their lives and 63% say other issues are more important when they vote for candidates. Joe has said elsewhere that "One Iowa has been door knocking since the Supreme Court decision was handed down....By the 2012 election nearly every Iowan will have been reached more than once. Iowans don't wait until the last minute to campaign. They campaign constantly." The possibilities are intriguing. - promoted by Lurleen) At 12:01 AM on January 1, New Hampshire became the 5th state to grant marriage equality to same gender couples, changing Presidential politics as we know them. Arguably the most important states in Presidential politics, both Iowa and New Hampshire are equality states.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14682/iowa-and-new-hampshires-equality-and-the-presidential-elections/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14682/iowa-and-new-hampshires-equality-and-the-presidential-elections/</a><br /><br />The Difference Between Conformity and Change<br />Filed by: Patricia Nell Warren<br />The other day I ran across a commentary that I put out to my newslist in 1999. Re-reading it reminded me that the ex-gay issue hasn't changed in 10 years -- just some of the talking heads that are arguing WE can change. Here, for the record, is my 1999 comment. It's still pertinent a decade later, as we launch into 2010 and fierce new ex-gay rhetoric coming from a revived religious right. A few days ago, one Diane Parker wrote to the Journal American with her own argument that homosexuality is not genetic. She believes that the "reformed homosexuals" now visible in certain videos, programs and organizations are compelling proof that homosexuals can really change. <br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_difference_between_conformity_and_change.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_difference_between_conformity_and_change.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />The Kung Fu Terrorist<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />"I think we have got to get serious about catching terrorists, not just catching weapons. I'm waiting for the terrorist who knows kung fu or something that gets on an airplane without a weapon. God knows what that is going to be like." -- MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews. I'm assuming Matthews was giving reasons why crazed rightwinger Chuck Norris should be put on the "No Fly" list.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_kung_fu_terrorist.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/the_kung_fu_terrorist.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Rick Sanchez chews up Nevada's Senator John Ensign<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />While I can't stand CNN's Rick Sanchez, I have to admit I loved his grilling of Republican Senator John Ensign. Sanchez digs in about the scandal around the good Senator's "pay back" to some guy after the shtupped the poor bastard's wife. The entire scandal is too much to explain in this small area, so just enjoy the looks on Ensign's face as Sanchez keeps asking him if he did something illegal. See? Still perfectly enjoyable.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/rick_sanchez_chews_up_nevadas_senator_john_ensign.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/rick_sanchez_chews_up_nevadas_senator_john_ensign.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-1567250204667685552010-01-02T11:56:00.002-05:002010-01-02T12:05:22.983-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 02, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />NH Gays Celebrate New Law With Statehouse Weddings <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Jubilant gay couples have rung in the New Year in New Hampshire with wedding vows to celebrate the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage. At midnight, New Hampshire joined Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing gay marriage.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/01/us/AP-US-Gay-Weddings-NH.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/01/us/AP-US-Gay-Weddings-NH.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />The Last Remaining AIDS Hospice in California<br />By SCOTT JAMES<br />This week’s Barbary Coast column is about people who have become millionaires running medical marijuana dispensaries. Some are trying to give away their new-found wealth, but often charities won’t take it due to the legal gray zone of the money’s origin. Selling pot is still a federal crime. One charity that has accepted donations from pot clubs is San Francisco’s Maitri, the last remaining hospice in California caring exclusively for people dying from AIDS. It’s a reminder that the pandemic isn’t over.<br /><a href="http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/the-last-remaining-aids-hospice-in-california/?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/the-last-remaining-aids-hospice-in-california/?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />In Senate Race, the Illinois G.O.P. Is Digging Its Own Hole <br />By JAMES WARREN<br />The Republican primary for President Obama’s old United States Senate seat is so consumed by closets, it should be sponsored by Bed Bath & Beyond.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/us/01cncwarren.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/us/01cncwarren.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Ellen Goodman writes of letting go in her final column<br />By Ellen Goodman<br />There is something fitting about publishing my last column on the first day of a new year. January, after all, is named for the Roman god of beginnings and endings. He looked backward and forward at the same time. So, this morning, do I. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101743.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123101743.html/</a><br /><br />California's scary sneak preview<br />Washington Post Staff Writer <br />We Californians pride ourselves on the crystal-ball quality of our state. Auto emissions regulations, the tech boom and bust, Ronald Reagan, Hispanic immigration, the anti-tax revolt, the mortgage bubble, the struggle for gay rights, most movies, the popularity of Richard Nixon, the unpopularity of Richard Nixon, plastic surgery, and Tiger Woods's marital problems were all tested in the Golden State before being released to audiences nationwide. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103487.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103487.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Op-ed: Is Scouting prepared to change?<br />BY CHARLES FLEMING, annenberg.usc.edu<br />On New Year's Day, the Boy Scouts of America will begin a yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday. The festivities will commence with a first-ever Boy Scout float in the Tournament of Roses Parade accompanied by an honor guard of 300 Eagle Scouts.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/op-ed-is-scouting-prepared-to-change.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/op-ed-is-scouting-prepared-to-change.html/</a><br /><br />New Year’s Eve video | Barbra Streisand sings Auld Lang Syne<br />Barbra Streisand sings Auld Lang Syne during Timeless concert on New Year’s Eve 1999:<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/new-years-eve-video-barbra-streisand-sings-auld-lang-syne.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/new-years-eve-video-barbra-streisand-sings-auld-lang-syne.html/</a><br /><br />Rosie O’Donnell and new Texas girlfriend photographed together in South Beach<br />People.com reports that Rosie O’Donnell and her new girlfriend, Texas artist Tracy Kachtick-Anders, are spending a few days in South Beach together. Click here and here to see a few photos of Rosie and Tracy. Read more about Kachtick-Anders and her five children, pictured, at The Rainbow Babies website.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/rosie-odonnell-and-new-texas-girlfriend-photographed-together-in-south-beach.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/rosie-odonnell-and-new-texas-girlfriend-photographed-together-in-south-beach.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Obama Makes History, Appoints Trans Woman<br />By Michelle Garcia<br />Aerospace and defense veteran Amanda Simpson has been appointed to the Department of Commerce as a senior technical adviser. Simpson, who is transgender, will be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/01/Trans_Woman_Appointed_to_Dep__of_Commerce/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2010/01/01/Trans_Woman_Appointed_to_Dep__of_Commerce/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Ruby-Sachs: Daytime TV Airs Gay Sex Scene For the First Time<br />By Emma Ruby-Sachs<br />I know I’m supposed to do some top ten list on the eve of 2009, but I hate those kinds of lists. Or at least, there is nothing I am sufficiently knowledgeable about to really determine what the ten best would look like. And so, I am forced to stick to what I know, which is news and often gay news. ABC is not the most gay friendly station, but they have taken a big step forward: airing a sex scene between two male characters on the soap opera “One Life to Live.” The scene, romantic and adorable, is a pretty amazing break though.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-daytime-tv-airs-gay-sex-scene-for-the-first-time/">http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-daytime-tv-airs-gay-sex-scene-for-the-first-time/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Senator succeeds in validating gay marriages before Proposition 8<br />New legislation penned by openly gay California senator ensures pre-Proposition 8 marriages between same-sex couples remain valid.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/senator-succeeds-in-validating-gay-marriages-before-proposition-8/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/senator-succeeds-in-validating-gay-marriages-before-proposition-8/</a><br /><br />Ugandan tabloid prints list of 'tycoons who bankroll homos'<br />A notorious Ugandan tabloid has run an article this week which, it claims, identifies individuals who finance the 'stinking vice' of homosexuality.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/ugandan-tabloid-prints-list-of-tycoons-who-bankroll-homos/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/ugandan-tabloid-prints-list-of-tycoons-who-bankroll-homos/</a><br /><br />Activist Harvey Milk birthday to be honoured<br />California makes 22 May 'Harvey Milk Day', in honour of the gay rights activist after profile posthumously boosted by biopic and Presidential Medal of Freedom.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/activist-harvey-milk-birthday-to-be-honoured/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/activist-harvey-milk-birthday-to-be-honoured/</a><br /><br />Mexico City mayor refuses to veto gay marriage legislation<br />The mayor of Mexico City has overcome pressure from opponents to new gay marriage legislation, refusing to veto the new laws.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/mexico-city-mayor-refuses-to-veto-gay-marriage-legislation/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/mexico-city-mayor-refuses-to-veto-gay-marriage-legislation/</a><br /><br />Hong Kong strengthens same-sex domestic violence laws<br />An ordinance passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council will allow cohabiting gay couples to seek injunctions in cases of domestic violence, but does not give them legal recognition.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/hong-kong-strengthens-same-sex-domestic-violence-laws/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/hong-kong-strengthens-same-sex-domestic-violence-laws/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />“Anti-gay”: The All Purpose Slur to Silence Politically Incorrect Opinions on Gay Issues <br />Posted by B. Daniel Blatt<br />One of our readers, the blogger sometimes known as That Gay Conservative, alerted me to an interesting post that gets at something we’ve been saying for sometime: “Declaring people who don’t think gay marriage is good policy as ‘anti-gay’ was always an obvious slander.“ With these words, blogger Brian Garst comments on a New York Times article reporting that while Texans voted overwhelmingly (”by a ratio of three to one”) to enact “a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage“, citizens twice elected one lesbian as sheriff of Dallas County, another as district attorney for Travis County and yet another as Mayor of Houston, the state’s largest city.<br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/02/anti-gay-the-all-purpose-slur-to-silence-politically-correct-opinions-on-gay-issues/">http://www.gaypatriot.net/2010/01/02/anti-gay-the-all-purpose-slur-to-silence-politically-correct-opinions-on-gay-issues/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net].<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-53424258942918651592010-01-01T12:27:00.002-05:002010-01-01T12:32:21.586-05:00GLBT DIGEST - January 01, 2010**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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />NH Gays Celebrate New Law With Statehouse Weddings <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Jubilant gay couples have rung in the New Year in New Hampshire with wedding vows to celebrate the state's new law legalizing same-sex marriage. At midnight, New Hampshire joined Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa in allowing gay marriage.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/01/us/AP-US-Gay-Weddings-NH.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/01/us/AP-US-Gay-Weddings-NH.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />The Last Remaining AIDS Hospice in California<br />By SCOTT JAMES<br />This week’s Barbary Coast column is about people who have become millionaires running medical marijuana dispensaries. Some are trying to give away their new-found wealth, but often charities won’t take it due to the legal gray zone of the money’s origin. Selling pot is still a federal crime. One charity that has accepted donations from pot clubs is San Francisco’s Maitri, the last remaining hospice in California caring exclusively for people dying from AIDS. It’s a reminder that the pandemic isn’t over.<br /><a href="http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/the-last-remaining-aids-hospice-in-california/?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/the-last-remaining-aids-hospice-in-california/?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />In Senate Race, the Illinois G.O.P. Is Digging Its Own Hole <br />By JAMES WARREN<br />The Republican primary for President Obama’s old United States Senate seat is so consumed by closets, it should be sponsored by Bed Bath & Beyond.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/us/01cncwarren.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/us/01cncwarren.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Op-ed: Is Scouting prepared to change?<br />BY CHARLES FLEMING, annenberg.usc.edu<br />On New Year's Day, the Boy Scouts of America will begin a yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday. The festivities will commence with a first-ever Boy Scout float in the Tournament of Roses Parade accompanied by an honor guard of 300 Eagle Scouts.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/op-ed-is-scouting-prepared-to-change.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/op-ed-is-scouting-prepared-to-change.html/</a><br /><br />New Year’s Eve video | Barbra Streisand sings Auld Lang Syne<br />Barbra Streisand sings Auld Lang Syne during Timeless concert on New Year’s Eve 1999:<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/new-years-eve-video-barbra-streisand-sings-auld-lang-syne.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/new-years-eve-video-barbra-streisand-sings-auld-lang-syne.html/</a><br /><br />Rosie O’Donnell and new Texas girlfriend photographed together in South Beach<br />People.com reports that Rosie O’Donnell and her new girlfriend, Texas artist Tracy Kachtick-Anders, are spending a few days in South Beach together. Click here and here to see a few photos of Rosie and Tracy. Read more about Kachtick-Anders and her five children, pictured, at The Rainbow Babies website.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/rosie-odonnell-and-new-texas-girlfriend-photographed-together-in-south-beach.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/rosie-odonnell-and-new-texas-girlfriend-photographed-together-in-south-beach.html/</a><br /><br /> <br />=<br />Pink News - UK<a href=" http://www.pinknews.co.uk/"><br />http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Senator succeeds in validating gay marriages before Proposition 8<br />New legislation penned by openly gay California senator ensures pre-Proposition 8 marriages between same-sex couples remain valid.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/senator-succeeds-in-validating-gay-marriages-before-proposition-8/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/senator-succeeds-in-validating-gay-marriages-before-proposition-8/</a><br /><br />Ugandan tabloid prints list of 'tycoons who bankroll homos'<br />A notorious Ugandan tabloid has run an article this week which, it claims, identifies individuals who finance the 'stinking vice' of homosexuality.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/ugandan-tabloid-prints-list-of-tycoons-who-bankroll-homos/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/ugandan-tabloid-prints-list-of-tycoons-who-bankroll-homos/</a><br /><br />Activist Harvey Milk birthday to be honoured<br />California makes 22 May 'Harvey Milk Day', in honour of the gay rights activist after profile posthumously boosted by biopic and Presidential Medal of Freedom.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/activist-harvey-milk-birthday-to-be-honoured/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/activist-harvey-milk-birthday-to-be-honoured/</a><br /><br />Mexico City mayor refuses to veto gay marriage legislation<br />The mayor of Mexico City has overcome pressure from opponents to new gay marriage legislation, refusing to veto the new laws.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/mexico-city-mayor-refuses-to-veto-gay-marriage-legislation/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/mexico-city-mayor-refuses-to-veto-gay-marriage-legislation/</a><br /><br />Hong Kong strengthens same-sex domestic violence laws<br />An ordinance passed by the Hong Kong Legislative Council will allow cohabiting gay couples to seek injunctions in cases of domestic violence, but does not give them legal recognition.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/hong-kong-strengthens-same-sex-domestic-violence-laws/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/hong-kong-strengthens-same-sex-domestic-violence-laws/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-3644144894172449502009-12-31T14:48:00.002-05:002009-12-31T15:04:20.996-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 31, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Texting While Driving, Smoking Target of '10 Laws <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Texting while driving, smoking in public and cooking with artery-clogging trans fats will be that much harder under a bevy of state laws set to take effect around the country on Friday. Faced with huge budget shortfalls and little extra money to throw around, state lawmakers exercised their (inexpensive) power to clamp down on impolite, unhealthy and sometimes dangerous behaviors in 2009.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/31/business/AP-US-New-Laws.html?scp=13&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/31/business/AP-US-New-Laws.html?scp=13&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />New Jersey Judge Calls Surrogate Legal Mother of Twins <br />By STEPHANIE SAUL<br />A New Jersey judge has ruled that a gestational surrogate who gave birth to twin girls is their legal mother, even though she is not genetically related to them.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31surrogate.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31surrogate.html?scp=11&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /> <br />Birth Mother Ordered to Surrender Daughter <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />The biological mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to her former partner, a Vermont family court judge has ruled, adding that it seemed as though the mother had “disappeared” with the girl.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/us/30lesbian.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/ ">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/us/30lesbian.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/ </a><br /><br />Naughtie Behavior | The Decade in Music<br />By ANDY GENSLER<br />Just as there is not yet a consensus on what to call the first 10 years of the 21st century — the aughts, the naughties, the 00s — we can’t quite decide how to term this decade’s musical contributions: the Beyoncés, the Age of Letting Simon, Paula and Randy Choose Our Music, the Golden Age of Brooklyn Hipster Cred, the Period of Major Labels Imploding, the Crazy-All-The-Time-For-Gnarls-Barkley’s-“Crazy”-Time, the ’80s? So we’re just going to go with…all of them. Here, our Top 10 music trends of the aughts. Or whatever. <br /><a href="http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/naughtie-behavior-the-decade-in-music/?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/naughtie-behavior-the-decade-in-music/?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />NH Gay Couples to Start New Year With Wedding Vows <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Jeffry Burr and Neil Blair are just hours from their wedding, but there are no typical prenuptial jitters. After all, this is the third time they've exchanged vows.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/31/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NH.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/31/us/AP-US-Gay-Marriage-NH.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />OC megachurch pastor asks for urgent donations<br />The Associated Press <br />Evangelical pastor Rick Warren appealed to parishioners at his Orange County megachurch Wednesday to help fill a $900,000 deficit by the first of the year. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/30/AR2009123003577.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/30/AR2009123003577.html/</a><br /><br />TV preview: Hank Stuever on MTV's 'The Real World: D.C.'<br />By Hank Stuever<br />If you tossed a manila folder containing headshots of all the 170 or so dipwads, skanks, dorks, studs, punks, layabouts, hipsters, frat boys, princesses, alcoholics, dreamers, androgynes, breasty sweetie-pies, thugs, defensive right-wingers, dilettante liberals, wannabe musicians/actors/rappers/comedians, future spokesmodels, racist hicks and angry minorities who've ever done time in the pop-art confines of 23 seasons (!) of MTV's "The Real World," and let the contents scatter to the floor, and then allowed me 15 minutes or so to sort the cast members by season and city, I might do all right, at first: Heather B. goes with the primordial 1992 New York season, of course, with Eric, Julie and Norman; Jacinda goes with London; Pedro and Puck will always have San Francisco; and here's that gay/not-gay/gay black dude who slapped that one heavy-lidded white chick in Seattle for calling him gay. But I'd have to give up around 2000 or so (Colin goes with Hawaii? Mormon Girl was New Orleans?), as my addled Gen-X brain clouds over like a badly filtrated "Real World" Jacuzzi. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122902739.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122902739.html/</a><br /><br />First Click -- Maryland<br />Your daily download of Maryland's top political news and analysis<br />MVA delays policy on sex changes<br />"The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration has postponed a policy change that, starting Jan. 1, would have required transgender residents to obtain a court order or amended birth certificate to change the gender on their driver's license or identification card," reports The Sun's Laura Smitherman. "The delay drew praise Wednesday from gay rights advocates who mobilized to protest altering the policy that's been in effect since 2000 and allows applicants to change their designation if they provide a physician or psychologist's report confirming they are undergoing a sex change."<br /><a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2009/12/first_click_--_maryland_90.html/">http://voices.washingtonpost.com/annapolis/2009/12/first_click_--_maryland_90.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Custody Battle Pits Gay Couple Against Surrogate<br />By Nathan Koppel<br />Yesterday, we talked about an interesting custody dispute involving a lesbian couple. Today, we head to New Jersey to look at a custody battle between a gay couple and a woman who agreed to act as a surrogate mother for the couple. <br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/12/31/custody-battle-pits-gay-couple-against-surrogate/">http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2009/12/31/custody-battle-pits-gay-couple-against-surrogate/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Same-sex couples to celebrate New Year saying 'I do' in NH, 5th state to legalize gay marriage<br />By Norma Love<br />Jeffry Burr and Neil Blair are just hours from their wedding, but there are no typical prenuptial jitters. After all, this is the third time they've exchanged vows.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-nh,0,3136960.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-nh,0,3136960.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Halo lounge in South Beach, Washington, D.C., changing its name to MOVA on Jan. 8<br />Halo lounge will change its name to MOVA, effective Jan. 8.<br />Owner Babak Movahedi, pictured with singer Cyndi Lauper, tells me he’s changing the name because too many other Halo gay bars have recently opened.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/halo-lounge-in-south-beach-washington-dc-changing-its-name-to-mova-on-jan-8.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/halo-lounge-in-south-beach-washington-dc-changing-its-name-to-mova-on-jan-8.html/</a><br /><br />Mexico City enacts region's 1st gay marriage law<br />By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press<br />MEXICO CITY -- Mexico City enacted Latin America's first law recognizing gay marriage Tuesday and said it hopes to attract same-sex couples from around the world to wed. The law, approved by city legislators on Dec. 21, was published in Mexico City's official register Tuesday and will take effect in March. It will allow same-sex couples to adopt children and municipal officials say it will make Mexico's capital a "vanguard city" - and attract extra tourism revenues.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/mexico-city-enacts-regions-1st-gay-marriage-law.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/mexico-city-enacts-regions-1st-gay-marriage-law.html/</a><br /><br />Fox News video | Liza Minnelli 'On the Record'<br />From Fox News:<br />Entertainment legend Liza Minnelli discusses new DVD, career, and Grammy nomination with Greta Van Susteren:<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/fox-news-video-liza-minnelli-on-the-record.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/fox-news-video-liza-minnelli-on-the-record.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Chris Evans Outed Bro Scott in The Advocate <br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Chris Evans got a lot of attention when he talked about his gay brother Scott in an interview with The Advocate -- but Scott Evans tells WeLoveSoaps.net the attention wasn't all good, because Scott wasn't yet out professionally.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/30/Chris_Evans_Outed_Bro_Scott_in_The_Advocate/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/30/Chris_Evans_Outed_Bro_Scott_in_The_Advocate/</a><br /><br />Gay Cruise to Set Sail in Mainland China<br />By Michelle Garcia<br />Banana hammocks, sandy beaches, mai tais, and maybe an afternoon of sightseeing for those willing to put on shirts are all things you can expect on a gay cruise—but maybe not the homeland of Chairman Mao. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/First_Gay_Cruise_in_Mainland_China_to_Set_Sail/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/First_Gay_Cruise_in_Mainland_China_to_Set_Sail/</a><br /><br />The Five Worst Antigay Rants of the Year<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />As antigay statements from national religious and political leaders go, 2009 was especially rich. Here's a recap of the year's worst in hysterics, threats, and thinly-veiled homophobic sentiment. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/30/The_Five_Worst_Antigay_Rants_of_the_Year">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/30/The_Five_Worst_Antigay_Rants_of_the_Year</a>/<br /><br /> =<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gay Indiana Professor Murdered<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Don Belton, an assistant professor of English at Indiana University and one of the leading African-American voices in academia, was found stabbed to death in his Bloomington, Ind., home Monday, the Associated Press reports. Twenty-five-year-old Michael J. Griffin has admitted to the stabbing, police say. Griffin reportedly said he stabbed the 53-year-old Belton because the professor sexually assaulted him on Christmas Day and then showed no remorse, according to court papers. Griffin said he went to Belton’s home on Sunday to confront him about the assault and that an argument and scuffle ensued. According to the probably cause affidavit, Griffin then stabbed Belton with a 10-inch military style knife after Belton failed to “show or express any type of feeling that what had taken place was a mistake.” Griffin is being held in county jail and is expected in court for an initial hearing on Wednesday.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Gay_Indiana_Professor_Murdered/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Gay_Indiana_Professor_Murdered/</a><br /><br />Jane Lynch Animated for Cleveland Show <br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Glee star Jane Lynch can add voiceover artist to her extensive resume. The out actress joins the cast of The Cleveland Show January 10 in the role of Roberta’s brusque, no-nonsense new teacher Ms. Eck. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Jane_Lynch_Gets_Animated_for_Clevelend_Show/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Jane_Lynch_Gets_Animated_for_Clevelend_Show/</a><br /><br />B.C. Gov't Backs Out of Vancouver Outgames<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />The British Columbia government has backed out of a verbal commitment to financially support the 2011 Outgames in Vancouver, Canada's Xtra reports. Government officials initially promised to contribute $400,000 to the event, according to an Outgames chairman John Boychuk. That commitment was then reduced to $150,000 to $200,000. Now they say, "'We can’t continue to commit to any amount,’” Boychuk says. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/30/BC_Govt_Backs_Out_of_Vancouver_Outgames/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/30/BC_Govt_Backs_Out_of_Vancouver_Outgames/</a><br /><br />Actress, Activist Rubinstein in Failing Health <br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Zelda Rubinstein, who made a name for herself starring in the Poltergeist films and has long been a vocal supporter of gay rights and AIDS research, is in failing health after being hospitalized in Los Angeles for more than a month.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Actress_Activist_Zelda_Rubinstein_in_Failing_Health/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Actress_Activist_Zelda_Rubinstein_in_Failing_Health/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Withers: Illinois Republican calls rival gay<br />By James Withers, contributing editor, 365Gay Blog <br />I really have no personal problem with Republicans. Sure the stupid sophistry of Sean Hannity, the hyperbolic hyperventilating of Glenn Beck, and the racist ramblings of a few teabaggers grate, but those fools are out numbered by the serious Republicans who have legitimate policy differences with their brethren and sistern on the other side of the aisle.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/blog/123063-illinois-republican-calls-rival-gay/">http://www.365gay.com/blog/123063-illinois-republican-calls-rival-gay/</a><br /><br /> =<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Televised trial of Proposition 8 'possible'<br />Challenge to legislation banning gay marriage could be broadcast as part of a new initiative in the US.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/televised-trial-of-proposition-8-possible/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/televised-trial-of-proposition-8-possible/</a><br /><br />Theatre director Nicholas Hytner knighted<br />Openly gay director of the National Theatre receives knighthood in New Year's Honours.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/theatre-director-nicholas-hytner-knighted/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/theatre-director-nicholas-hytner-knighted/</a> <br /><br />BBC News presenter Jane Hill comes out<br />Newsreader Jane Hill discusses cohabiting with her partner in the corporation's in-house magazine.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/bbc-news-presenter-jane-hill-comes-out/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/31/bbc-news-presenter-jane-hill-comes-out/</a><br /><br />The gay highs and lows of 2009<br />A look back at the best and worst moments for LGBT causes in 2009. While sports stars came out and politicians rushed to stand up for gay rights, the year was marred by the death of a much-loved pop star and a string of violent homophobic attacks.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/30/the-gay-highs-and-lows-of-2009/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/30/the-gay-highs-and-lows-of-2009/</a><br /><br />New rights for trans people in Pakistan<br />The Pakistan Supreme Court has ordered the government to allow trans people the right to a distinct gender. The court said that trans people, known as hijras, should be able to get national identity cards showing their gender as hijras.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/30/new-rights-for-trans-people-in-pakistan/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/30/new-rights-for-trans-people-in-pakistan/</a><br /><br />First lesbian US marshall confirmed<br />The first openly gay US marshall has been confirmed. Minneapolis assistant police chief Sharon Lubinski was confirmed on Monday as the US marshal for the Minnesota district.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/30/first-lesbian-us-marshall-confirmed/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/30/first-lesbian-us-marshall-confirmed/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />N.J. gay couples looking for a civil union 'dissolution' find it's harder than 'divorce'<br />By Mary Fuchs/Statehouse Bureau <br />For same-sex couples unhappy in their civil unions, breaking up is hard to do. For starters, ending a civil union is called "dissolution," not "divorce," and legal experts say the difference between those two words has created confusion over which laws and cases apply to civil unions.<br /><a href="http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/nj_gay_couples_looking_for_a_c.html/">http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/nj_gay_couples_looking_for_a_c.html/</a><br /><br />Gay Indiana Professor Don Belton Stabbed to Death in Own Home<br />Gay Indiana University professor and author Don Belton was stabbed to death in his home by Michael Griffin, a decorated Marine who claims Belton sexually assaulted and raped him in front of his girlfriend while they were intoxicated. Belton was reportedly stabbed by Griffin two days later when the Marine went to confront the professor. Police are searching for the girlfriend, who apparently left town. Belton is the author of Almost Midnight, a novel, and the anthology Speak My Name. The Chicago Tribune reports: Michael J. Griffin, 25, of Bloomington told police he visited Don Belton on Sunday to confront the 53-year-old assistant professor of English over two alleged assaults, the probable cause affidavit said. An argument and scuffle ensued. Griffin told police he stabbed Belton with a 10-inch military style knife after Belton failed to "show or express any type of feeling that what had taken place was a mistake," the affidavit said. <br /><a href="http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/gay-indiana-professor-ron-belton-stabbed-to-death-in-own-home.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29/">http://www.towleroad.com/2009/12/gay-indiana-professor-ron-belton-stabbed-to-death-in-own-home.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29/</a><br /><br />And What Fraction of These Cousin-Marrying States Allow Gay Marriage?<br />THE SHOT — Infographics are most effective when they point out what's often readily understood but hard to visualize. Like this one from the New York Times, which puts America's ignorant relationship with marriage rights in a blazing hot spotlight.<br /><a href="http://www.queerty.com/and-what-fraction-of-these-cousin-marrying-states-allow-gay-marriage-20091229/">http://www.queerty.com/and-what-fraction-of-these-cousin-marrying-states-allow-gay-marriage-20091229/<br /></a><br />Scouts reject lesbian leaders<br />By SUSAN ALLEN<br />Cate Wirth said Tuesday she was "taken aback" recently when she and her longtime civil union partner, Elizabeth Wirth, were turned down as Cub Scout leaders because of their sexual orientation. "I was speechless," Wirth said, recounting the meeting where the district director was asking for parent volunteers, but told the gay couple they could not be leaders because "we wouldn't want you pushing your lifestyle on the boys."<br /><a href="http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20091230/NEWS04/912300391/1004/NEWS03/">http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20091230/NEWS04/912300391/1004/NEWS03/</a><br /><br />Names sought for lesbian albatrosses' chick<br />Posted in: New Zealand Daily News <br />Tourism Dunedin is asking for names suitable for a chick being hatched by a pair of lesbian royal albatrosses nesting on Otago Peninsula.<br /><a href="http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_8352.php/">http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_8352.php/</a><br /><br />Oregon High School with Ugandan sister school plans protest against Uganda's gay genocide bill <br />by: Lurleen <br />Uganda's proposed gay genocide law isn't just an abstract concern for students at Beaverton, Oregon's Southridge High School. Southridge has a sister school in Kalisizo, Uganda, and students and faculty from both have an ongoing and active relationship. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14653/oregon-high-school-with-ugandan-sister-school-plans-protest-against-ugandas-gay-genocide-bill/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14653/oregon-high-school-with-ugandan-sister-school-plans-protest-against-ugandas-gay-genocide-bill/</a><br /><br />Attacks against Kevin Jennings becoming sad parodies <br />by: Alvin McEwen <br />Though the noise has faded a bit, members of the right are still attacking Obama appointee Kevin Jennings. I've been pretty much ignoring the new attacks because they have gotten stupid.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14660/attacks-against-kevin-jennings-becoming-sad-parodies/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14660/attacks-against-kevin-jennings-becoming-sad-parodies/</a><br /><br />Youth Gender Identity, Race and Class in the New York Times and In the New Year<br />Filed by: Dr. Jillian T. Weiss<br />The New York Times published an interview on Monday with Vidari DeGuzman, a youth worker at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a service organization for LGBT youth in New York City. Although relatively short, I found the interview revealing about issues of race and class that often get obscured in discussions of gender identity. Is "gender identity" a singular experience that every person has, or is it a series of individual experiences differentiated by race and class and other factors? Is there such a thing as "men's experiences" and "women's experiences" that transcend time and space that we can generalize about? Or is that just a convenient story that we invent?<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/youth_gender_identity_race_and_class_in_the_new_yo.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/youth_gender_identity_race_and_class_in_the_new_yo.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Rosie O'Donnell is off the market!<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />Because the romantic life of celebrities is what we peons live for... The comedian and former TV talk show host -- who in mid-November revealed that her longtime partner Kelli Carpenter moved out of their home two years ago -- is now dating Tracy Kachtick-Anders, a Texas-based artist, O'Donnell's rep confirms to PEOPLE. The pair were spotted walking hand-in-hand in Miami Beach on Tuesday.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/rosie_odonnell_is_off_the_market.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/rosie_odonnell_is_off_the_market.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />There's more than 10 in one paragraph<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />"Get all pro-homosexual and pro-promiscuity programs, literature, teachers, and counselors out of every school now. Remove "gay" clubs, Planned Parenthood at health fairs, and GLSEN- PFLAG- SIECUS activists. Cease all condom demonstrations, abortion referrals, on-site birth control dispensing, sexual orientation affirmation, and messing with children's hearts, minds and bodies. Demand that schools uphold the traditional value of heterosexual identities, teach abstinence-until-marriage, and celebrate male/female gender differences." -- Linda Harvey, spokeswoman for Renew America, in an article called, "Ten Ways to Make Kids Truly Safe in 2010" Notice that teaching math was not mentioned.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/theres_more_than_10_in_one_paragraph.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/theres_more_than_10_in_one_paragraph.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />"Ex-Gay" Lesbian Lisa Miller Still In Hiding With Her Daughter <br />posted by Joe<br />Lisa Miller has until tomorrow to hand her daughter Isabella over to her ex-partner Janet Jenkins and nobody is saying where they are hiding, especially not the anti-gay Liberty Counsel, Miller's attorneys, who appear to be complicit in Isabella's kidnapping. <br />"She does not know where her daughter is and she is trying to find her," Sarah Star, an attorney representing Jenkins, told ABCNews.com. Star says Jenkins last saw her daughter in January 2009 and spoke with her in March 2009. In his custody ruling, Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen said nobody has "seen or heard from" Miller and Isabella since Nov. 20. The judge ordered custody to be switched from Miller to Jenkins after Miller repeatedly failed to allow visitation for her former partner. An assistant to the lawyers representing Miller, Mathew Staver and Stephen Crampton, told ABCNews.com that the lawyers were "on vacation and unavailable for comment on the matter." A Facebook page seemingly set up by Miller appears to show the last posting from the mother being on Dec. 4. <br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/ex-gay-lesbian-lisa-miller-still-in.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/ex-gay-lesbian-lisa-miller-still-in.html/</a><br /><br />Upstate NY Senator Wants To Split State<br />posted by Joe <br />Sen. Joseph Robach (R-Rochester) thinks it's time to resurrect the old plan to split New York into two states. Forget the fact that New York State’s boundaries have been largely unchanged since the Constitution was ratified. That only two states have been admitted to the Union by splitting off from other states (Maine from Massachusetts in 1820, and West Virginia from Virginia in 1863). And that if the United States were to add a 51st state, the likeliest candidate would be Puerto Rico, or even the District of Columbia — not New York. State Senator Joseph E. Robach, a Republican who represents part of Rochester, has proposed legislation that would allow each of New York State’s 62 counties to hold a referendum in 2010 to ask voters this question: “Do you support the division of New York into two separate states?” The referendum – if it is even legal – would be nonbinding.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/upstate-ny-senator-wants-to-split-state.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/upstate-ny-senator-wants-to-split-state.html/</a><br /><br />Karl Rove destroys his marriage<br />By taffet@dallasvoice.com <br />The architect of George Bush’s march to the White House and the man who engineered anti-gay marriage amendments in the name of “saving” marriage has gotten divorced. Again. Yes. His second. In the announcement, his spokesperson asked for privacy. Really?<br /><a href="http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2009/12/30/karl-rove-destroys-his-marriage/">http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2009/12/30/karl-rove-destroys-his-marriage/</a><br /><br />Teens take on hot topics, from gay marriage to marijuana<br />Submitted by NewsSystem<br />Nearly 1,000 students from 50 high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 53rd annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 24. The students were divided into groups to discuss a variety of topics. A spokesperson was chosen from each group to write a column about the students’ findings. SeHoon Park of Clark High School writes about issues covered in the discussion group Home in Nevada.<br /><a href="http://www.tips-q.com/news/msm/1751279-teens-take-hot-topics-gay-marriage-marijuana/">http://www.tips-q.com/news/msm/1751279-teens-take-hot-topics-gay-marriage-marijuana/</a><br /><br />Don Belton Murdered <br />by: Lev Raphael <br />The well-known black gay author and anthologist Don Belton was murdered in his own home by a man half his age claiming that Belton sexually assaulted him twice and showed no remorse. Belton's journal, found by the police, has an entry where he says he's happy that this man (the murderer) has entered his life. From the face of it, it sounds like someone deeply closeted whose internalized homophobia turned into shame and rage and violence. The initial story is here: <br />Lev Raphael :: Don Belton Murdered <br />I'm not just freaked out because he was a gay writer, but because I knew him back in the 90s when we were both featured in the Dutton anthology Wrestling with the Angel, a great book about gay men and faith. Don and I were sent by Dutton to Chicago and Minneapolis, and though many of the details of our tour together escape me now (I've since done hundreds of readings and talks), I remember being blown away by how funny, smart, literate and cool he was. We stayed connected for a while, but he moved around a lot and we eventually lost touch--and today I woke up to find him horribly in the news.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14642/don-belton-murdered/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14642/don-belton-murdered/</a><br /><br />Janet Jenkins/Lisa Miller custody case still not resolved despite judge's orders <br />by: Alvin McEwen<br />The custody case between Janet Jenkins and Lisa Miller has taken an ugly turn. From Religious Right Watch: We've written a few posts in the past about the custody battle being waged between Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins, a Vermont couple who had a daughter together in 2002 but eventually separated and soon became locked in a custody fight after Miller moved to Virginia, became a Christian active in Jerry Falwell's church, and sought sole custody of their daughter, Isabella, with the representation of the Falwell-founded Liberty Counsel.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14640/janet-jenkinslisa-miller-custody-case-still-not-resolved-despite-judges-orders/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14640/janet-jenkinslisa-miller-custody-case-still-not-resolved-despite-judges-orders/</a><br /><br />Gays and lesbians left at the border in immigration reform bill<br />Filed by: Joe Mirabella<br />The LGBT community has been working for immigration reform for years. Our families are regularly split apart because we can not sponsor our foreign born loved ones for citizenship like married heterosexual couples can. <br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/gays_and_lesbians_left_at_the_border_in_immigrati.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/gays_and_lesbians_left_at_the_border_in_immigrati.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Pride Center @ Equality Park [GLCC] <br /><a href="http://www.glccsf.org/">http://www.glccsf.org/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /> <br />Wilton Manors: Flea Market<br />First Saturday of Every Month Starting January 2, 2010 now at the New Campus 2040 N. Dixie Hwy, Wilton Manors<br /><a href="http://www.glccsf.org/">http://www.glccsf.org/</a><br /> <br />=<br />Broward GLBT News<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41471819382">http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41471819382</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Wilton Manors: Join the Dolphin Democrats at the Stonewall Democrats Soiree and enjoy the art at Dennis Dean Galleries. The event is FREE!. Beer, wine, non alcoholic beverages, and refreshments will be provided FREE!<br />Stonewall Democrats Soiree<br />Host:Dolphin Democrats<br />Type:Party - Cocktail Party<br />Network:Global<br />Date:Saturday, January 16, 2010<br />Time:7:00pm - 9:00pm<br />Location:Dennis Dean Galleries<br />Street:2440 B Wilton Drive 2nd Floor <br />City/Town:Wilton Manors, FL<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198895162807&index=1/">http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198895162807&index=1/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-37692802096547460442009-12-30T08:41:00.002-05:002009-12-30T08:58:10.286-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 29, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Entry Level: Helping Youths Who Struggle With Identity <br />By JENNIFER 8. LEE<br />Vidari DeGuzman was a New York City teenager searching for acceptance when he first came to the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a service organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youths. Now 24 and with reassignment surgery behind him, he is a youth worker at the institute, located in the East Village.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/nyregion/29entry.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/nyregion/29entry.html?scp=7&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Gay Marriage in Argentina Is First in Latin America <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- They had to travel to the ends of the Earth to do it, but two Argentine men succeeded in becoming Latin America's first same-sex married couple.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/29/world/AP-LT-Argentina-Gay-Marriage.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/29/world/AP-LT-Argentina-Gay-Marriage.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Malawi Police Arrest Couple After Gay Wedding<br />By REUTERS<br />LILONGWE (Reuters) - Two Malawian men were arrested and charged with public indecency, police said on Tuesday, after becoming the first gay couple to marry in the conservative southern African state where homosexuality is illegal. Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza publicly wed in a symbolic, traditional ceremony on Saturday.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/29/world/international-uk-malawi-arrest.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/29/world/international-uk-malawi-arrest.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />MINNESOTA: First openly gay marshal confirmed<br />Associated Press <br />Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Sharon Lubinski has become the first openly gay U.S. marshal. The Senate confirmed the Green Bay, Wis., native to be the U.S. marshal for the Minnesota district. Last week's confirmation also makes her the first female marshal in the state. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), who recommended Lubinski to President Obama, said on Monday that Lubinski's breadth of experience makes her highly qualified. Lubinski has served a number of roles with the Minneapolis police. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/28/AR2009122802467_3.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/28/AR2009122802467_3.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Some Whole Foods Folks Hope for GOP Nourishment <br />After an Ivy League education, countless vegan dinners, and a seemingly equal number of wasted GOP votes in Massachusetts and New York, I've managed to devise a distilled GOP platform I am confident can succeed: Taxes & Terrorism. The young urban professional shopping alongside me at a Manhattan Whole Foods is as afraid of the "Two T's" as I am but cannot bear to vote for the party that makes issues such as abortion and gay rights as visible as issues such as our economy, our paychecks and our national security. A narrower GOP message would provide some much-needed cover for members of this important, growing constituency at their next sustainably grown wine-and-cheese event.<br />J.J. Weinstein<br />New York <br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574600104124680822.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004574600104124680822.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />HATE CRIME: Task force targets Broward hate crimes<br />After a series of hate crimes in Broward County last year, a task force was established to investigate and prevent them. More than a year later, challenges remain.<br />BY JOEL MARINO<br />The shooting death of a cross-dressing teenager in Fort Lauderdale; black swastikas spray-painted on a Parkland synagogue; anti-gay graffiti on Wilton Manors homes.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1401344.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1401344.html/</a><br /> <br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Top 5 Foot-in-Mouth Moments of the Year<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Thankfully, nary a year goes by without someone saying something utterly stupid and hilarious. The last year of the aughts was no exception, with a plethora of gay-related gaffes escaping from various pie-holes. The top five:<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Top_5_Foot_in_Mouth_Moments_of_the_Year/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/29/Top_5_Foot_in_Mouth_Moments_of_the_Year/</a><br /><br />D.C. Gay Man Shot Dead<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Police in Washington, D.C., are investigating the murder of 29-year-old gay man Anthony J. Perkins, who they say was found shot to death inside his car early Sunday, DC Agenda reports. The car was parked near Bolling Air Force Base in Southeast Washington.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/DC_Gay_Man_Shot_Dead/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/DC_Gay_Man_Shot_Dead/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Anti-gay MP Iris Robinson stands down due to mental illness<br />Iris Robinson, the Northern Ireland MP who called gays an "abomination" and mentally ill, has announced she is standing down from politics due to depression.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/anti-gay-mp-iris-robinson-stands-down-due-to-mental-illness/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/anti-gay-mp-iris-robinson-stands-down-due-to-mental-illness/</a><br /> <br />Westlife's Mark Feehily credits Stephen Gately for helping him come out<br />Westlife singer Mark Feehily has paid tribute to Stephen Gately for helping him find the courage to come out. Gately, who died in October, came out in 1999 during his time with Boyzone. He was the first boyband member to announce he was gay.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/weslifes-mark-feehily-credits-stephen-gately-for-helping-him-come-out/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/weslifes-mark-feehily-credits-stephen-gately-for-helping-him-come-out/</a><br /> <br />Former club drug addict relaunches support website<br />A man who recovered from addiction to club drug GBL has relaunched his support website for other addicts. Jay Evans has put knowghb.org.uk back online educate and assist those in the UK affected by GHB and GBL.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/former-club-drug-addict-relaunches-support-website/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/former-club-drug-addict-relaunches-support-website/</a><br /> <br />HIV experts call for declassification of transgenderism as mental illness<br />An international meeting of experts on HIV has called for transgenderism to be reclassified as a medical condition, rather than a mental illness.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/hiv-experts-call-for-declassification-of-transgenderism-as-mental-illness/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/29/hiv-experts-call-for-declassification-of-transgenderism-as-mental-illness/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />D.C. gay man found shot to death in car<br />By Lou Chibbaro Jr.<br />D.C. police are asking the community for help in their investigation into the murder of a 29-year-old gay man who was found shot to death inside his car early Sunday morning in Southeast Washington near Bolling Air Force Base. Police said they found Anthony J. Perkins, whom they described as a “shooting victim,” seated inside of a car on the 2900 block of 4th St., S.E., about 5:15 a.m. Dec. 27. A police statement says the car had steam billowing from its engine when officers responded to reports of the sound of gunfire.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/29/d-c-gay-man-found-shot-to-death-in-car/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/29/d-c-gay-man-found-shot-to-death-in-car/</a><br /><br />A proud way to start the new year<br />Monitor staff<br />About a year ago in this space we congratulated state Rep. Jim Splaine for his courage in sponsoring a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New Hampshire. His colleagues in the Legislature, we observed, might take time to come around to his point of view, but Splaine was on the right track. We encouraged him to persevere, even if the effort took years. <br /><a href="http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091229/OPINION/912290330/">http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091229/OPINION/912290330/</a><br /><br />The Peter Vadala controversy was a major victory for lgbt community <br />by: Alvin McEwen<br />As we remember major lgbt stories in 2009 like Maine and Carrie Prejean, let's not forget the so-called minor stories. One in particular I would like to point out because it was a victory for the lgbt blogging community. Remember Peter Vadala? <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14632/the-peter-vadala-controversy-was-a-major-victory-for-lgbt-community/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14632/the-peter-vadala-controversy-was-a-major-victory-for-lgbt-community/</a><br /><br />Bizarre, Cultural Insensitivity Towards LGBT Community By A Self-Identified Progressive Publication <br />by: Autumn Sandeen <br />If a whole bunch of trans people tell you that your words are transphobic, they're right. ~Allyson Robinson<br />Rewriting Allyson Robinson's words to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community terminology issues: If a whole bunch of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people tell you that your words are culturally insensitive or offensive, they're right. ~Autumn Sandeen<br />On Monday, when accomplishing a Google news search for trans related terminology (as I often accomplish during the week), I ran across an article by the Atlanta Progressive News (APN) entitled Legislative Editor Fired over Sex Change, Seeks Reinstatement -- which has now been revised once after folk like me complained about the piece.. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14631/bizarre-cultural-insensitivity-towards-lgbt-community-by-a-selfidentified-progressive-publication/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14631/bizarre-cultural-insensitivity-towards-lgbt-community-by-a-selfidentified-progressive-publication/<br /></a><br /><br />Law professors' conference addresses needs of same-sex partners in a "defense of marriage" state<br />Filed by: Nancy Polikoff<br />Next week, the Association of American Law Schools will hold its annual meeting in New Orleans. This is the annual meeting of law professors from across the country. In acknowledgment of the needs of same-sex and unmarried partners in a state with a "defense of marriage" act, the AALS's executive director, Susan Westerberg Prager, today sent out the following message to all attendees. I am reprinting it in full here because I hope other associations with plans to hold meetings in states that refuse to recognize the needs of same-sex and unmarried different-sex partners will follow this fine example provided by the AALS.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/law_professors_conference_addresses_needs_of_same-.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/law_professors_conference_addresses_needs_of_same-.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />The Year of Gay<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />"One catalyst was the Olympic Games in 2008, a landmark event that many in the LGBT community have interpreted as a "coming out" event. LGBT websites have allowed for communities to build, to advertise events, and to allow contact and information to be exchanged between LGBT members from big cities and small towns in China with those from around the world. As one of the organizers of China's first gay pride events and editor for shanghaiist.com, Kenneth Tan, puts it: "Gay people, young and old, are now coming out en masse. These people are all what I call 'first generation queers'." --China Daily, in naming 2009 "The Year of Gay"<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/the_year_of_gay.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/the_year_of_gay.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /> <br />Best Video Of 2009: Big Fat Gay Collab <br />By Joe.My.God<br />Lots of sites are posting their "Best of YouTube" recaps this week. We loved the parodies of NOM's Gathering Storm ad, we giggled at all the Single Ladies tributes, and we got all teary-eyed over the many inspiring clips of impromptu marriage rallies/protests. But for me, one clip stands out above all the rest. Still makes me laugh, still chokes me up. Best Clip Of 2009: The Big Fat Gay Collab's lip-sync of Lily Allen's Fuck You. The kids are alright.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-video-of-2009-big-fat-gay-collab.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/best-video-of-2009-big-fat-gay-collab.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Arts United<br /><a href="http://www.artsunited.org/">http://www.artsunited.org/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Unique Perspectives<br />January Exhibit Features Ernesto Masis<br />ArtUnited presents "Perspectives" by artist Ernesto Masis at the George Hester Gallery of Stonewall Library & Archive from January 4-29, 2010. A native of Costa Rica, Masis' work often incorporates traditional elements of Hispanic Culture and explores the crossing lines of our modern living and spiritual quests. Masis was the recipient of the first place prize in painting in United and Proud 2008 and the first place prize in drawing in ArtExplosion 2009. A reception to meet the artists will be held January 4 from 6:30 to 8pm at the Stonewall Library, 1300 East Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale with food kindly provided by Sublime Restaurant. Both the exhibit and the reception are free and open to the public.<br />For more information contact <a href="keith@artsunitedonline.org">keith@artsunitedonline.org</a><br /><br />Comedian Kate Clinton opens new tour at AE10<br />ArtExplosion Performance half sold already!<br />ArtsUnited presents legendary gay comedian and political humorist, Kate Clinton, in her newest one-woman show "The Lady HaHa Tour" as part of ArtExplosion LGBT Arts Festival, February 20th at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts at 8pm. Tickets for the show are already half sold out as of today- there are only 20 tickets left in the front sections! Tickets are discounted to only $20/ $28 for ArtsUnited members. Members should call Keith at 954.551.5273 or email KeithClark@aol.com for the best seats left without any service fees. You may also purchase online at <a href="http://www.browardcenter.org/">www.browardcenter.org</a> and enter the password "ArtsUnited" to receive the member discount but service fees will apply.<br /><br />ArtExplosion Celebrates 10!<br />Arts Festival has something for everyone<br />ArtExplosion celebrates 10 years this February 6-20, 2010, with two weeks of art, film, music, dance, theatre, literature, comedy and cabaret by gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender artists and performers. This year's highlights include the legendary Kate Clinton, music sensation Matt Albers, an exhibit of the Harlem Renaissance, and a special pre-festival performance by Ballet Trocadero of Monte Carlo. The spotlight country is Brazil this year with LGBT artists & performers from Brazil and a special opening night event theme of "Carnival!" Call for Artists applications are available for the visual arts exhibit by contacting keith@artsunitedonline.org. Watch for updates to the ArtsUnited website, <a href="http://www.artsunitedonline.org">www.artsunitedonline.org</a>, and in upcoming emails. <br /><br />=<br />HeartStrong<br /><a href="http://www.heartstrong.org/">http://www.heartstrong.org/</a><br />Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article<br /><br />A message from Marc Adams of HeartStrong<br />Dear HeartStrong Friends,<br />Please read this email from a 17 year old student at a religious school who recently attended a PFLAG meeting which sponsored a HeartStrong forum. <br />We've changed his name and removed any identifying information. Please read his story. We know this is a long email and we appreciate you taking the time to read it.<br />"Dear HeartStrong,<br />I really appreciate someone caring about me and what I am going through. As you know, it is a very difficult time in my life and I have had to make some decisions which I normally wouldn't make such as lying. You called it 'self preservation.' After talking with you I have convinced myself to let go of some of the guilt I've felt about that. My Christian school is very difficult because of my inner emotions conflicting with the religious attitudes. I simply feel different and feel a need to act different yet I almost always hide how I feel. I have been called gay at school many times before I realized that I would have to hold back my emotions in order to survive. Self preservation I guess. My school is like a factory - everyone must be the same and the other pieces are thrown away. Living with my parents has created the most difficult complications though. I have no one to talk to and no one to tell about my struggle. I continued to go to church because I figured that I could be accepted since all of the other kids are. But when I went to church I just felt worse. <br />[Contact Ray's List for the remainder of the letter.] Please consider supporting HeartStrong - <br />Donations: <a href="http://www.heartstrong.org/">http://www.heartstrong.org/</a> - Email: marcadams@heartstrong.org <br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-68630796318731040622009-12-29T09:03:00.001-05:002009-12-29T09:17:50.052-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Gay Candidates Get Support That Causes May Not <br />By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.<br />When an openly gay woman won the mayor’s race here this month, it was the latest in a string of victories by gay candidates across the country, a trend that seems to contradict the bans on same-sex marriage that have been passed in most states in recent years. <br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/us/28candidates.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/us/28candidates.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Gays, lesbians should be able to serve openly in the military<br />SLOWLY BUT SURELY, the groundwork continues to be laid for the overdue demise of "don't ask, don't tell." The latest move came on Dec. 22 when Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and 95 House colleagues sent a letter to the Pentagon requesting statistics on troops discharged for violating the wrong-headed ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. They want everyone to see the effects of the policy on the military and the national defense. This has the added benefit of reminding Americans of the law's absurdity. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/27/AR2009122701653.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/27/AR2009122701653.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gallery | Gay Night in Downtown at Chez Mia<br />Here are pictures I took at the Lady Gaga concert tickets giveaway Sunday night at Countdown 2010 Chez Mia. Performing: Wild Child DJ Lazaro Leon & DJ George Ferrero - Hosted by celebrity Marytrini y Las Divas<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-gay-night-in-downtown-at-chez-mia.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-gay-night-in-downtown-at-chez-mia.html/</a><br /> <br />Democrat eyeing Kennedy seat avoids family legacy; remains supportive of DOMA repeal<br />By STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press<br /> BOSTON -- Attorney General Martha Coakley may be the front-runner in the race to fill the late Edward Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat, but she is crafting a campaign largely free of the Kennedy mystique. Although she shares Kennedy's position on key issues and is appealing to the same liberal Democratic voters who returned him to office during his 47 years in the Senate, Coakley is helping usher in a post-Kennedy Massachusetts - a state whose politics have been inextricably linked to the family for generations.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/democrat-eyeing-kennedy-seat-avoids-family-legacy-remains-supportive-of-doma-repeal.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/democrat-eyeing-kennedy-seat-avoids-family-legacy-remains-supportive-of-doma-repeal.html/<br /></a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Fla. gov hopeful McCollum: It's not about Crist<br />By BRENDAN FARRINGTON<br />It's not hard to find policy areas where Republicans Bill McCollum and Gov. Charlie Crist have differences. Gambling, restoring ex-felons civil rights, abortion, the federal stimulus, energy and others. Attorney General McCollum is considered a conservative policy wonk and Crist is a populist who prefers to think in general terms while leaving the details to staff.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/v-print/story/1400412.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/v-print/story/1400412.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Suspect Released Over Murder of Gay Ohioan<br />By Michelle Garcia<br />The suspect linked to the murder of a 23-year-old gay man from Findlay, Ohio was released on bond after a hearing in the Toledo Municipal Court. Norman Corggens, 20, was arrested but not charged for the deadly attack on Marland Woods, who died after being assaulted at Caesar's Showbar, a Toledo-area gay establishment. Woods, 33, was beaten after a large barfight spilled out of the bar and into the street, according to The Courier newspaper. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital December 13 from severe head injuries.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/28/Suspect_Released_Over_Murder_of_Gay_Ohioan/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/28/Suspect_Released_Over_Murder_of_Gay_Ohioan/</a><br /><br />Race to Overturn Iowa Gay Marriage Begins<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Opponents of same-sex marriage in Iowa say they plan to push hard in the 2010 legislative session for a vote on a constitutional amendment that would limit marriage to one man and one woman.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/27/Race_to_Overturn_Iowa_Gay_Marriage_Begins/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/27/Race_to_Overturn_Iowa_Gay_Marriage_Begins/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />I've changed my mind about attitudes to gay marriage<br />I had to revise my views about the hope for same-sex marriage when two north American cities legalised it in the same week<br />By Melissa McEwan<br />When I sat down to think about what has pleasantly surprised me, or disappointed me, over the last decade, it was on the day that the Mexico City assembly voted to legalise same-sex marriage, declaring its new definition of marriage to be "the free uniting of two people". This, mere days after Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty signed the district's marriage equality bill. Two north American capital cities legalising same-sex marriage within a week of one another – and Ottawa didn't get in on the action only because there's no need – is something I don't believe I imagined would be possible at the start of this decade.<br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/28/goodbye-noughties-ive-changed-my-mind-about-attitudes-to-gay-marriage/">http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/dec/28/goodbye-noughties-ive-changed-my-mind-about-attitudes-to-gay-marriage/</a><br /><br />Mexico City legalizes same-sex marriage, adoption<br />by Rex Wockner<br />Mexico City’s Legislative Assembly voted 39-20 to legalize same-sex marriage Dec. 21. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard supports the measure and will sign it. <br /><a href="http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=100441/">http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=100441/</a><br /><br />Thousands of Spanish Catholics march against abortion and gay marriage <br />Tens of thousands of Spanish Catholics marched in Madrid against the socialist government's policies on abortion and gay marriage.<br />By Edward Owen in Madrid<br />At a huge rally in the capital, Cardinal Antonio Rouco, the leader of Spain's Roman Catholics, told protesters the birth rate in Europe will be depleted unless Christian values are maintained. Catholics attended a huge open air mass beside Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium.<br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6896330/Thousands-of-Spanish-Catholics-march-against-abortion-and-gay-marriage.html/">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6896330/Thousands-of-Spanish-Catholics-march-against-abortion-and-gay-marriage.html/</a><br /><br />Church: Pro-Gay Marriage Mexican Politicians 'Dangerous' <br />By On Top Magazine Staff<br />The Catholic Church has lashed out at Mexico City lawmakers who approved a gay marriage bill widely expected to become law. City legislators led by the leftist Democratic Revolution Party (Partido de la Revolution Democratica, PRD) overwhelmingly approved the bill on a 39 to 20 vote that included five abstentions. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard is expected to sign the bill into law. The bill only effects Mexico's capital, one of the world's largest cities with nearly 9 million residents.<br /><a href="http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5048&MediaType=1&Category=24/">http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5048&MediaType=1&Category=24/</a><br /><br />Russian Orthodox Church Leader Patriarch Kirill on Gay Rights<br />Filed by: Bil Browning<br />"We respect the person's free choice, including in sex relations. The religious tradition of almost all nations has treated homosexuality as a sin. Those who commit a sin must not be punished... And we have repeatedly spoken out against discriminating people for their nontraditional sexual orientation."<br />-- Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill on gay rights during a formal meeting with the secretary general of the Council of Europe, a pan-European human rights body.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/russian_orthodox_church_leader_patriarch_kirill_on.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/russian_orthodox_church_leader_patriarch_kirill_on.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Number Of Openly Gay Elected Officials Nearly Doubled In The Last Decade <br />By Joe.My.God<br />The New York Times says that instead of same-sex marriage, a better barometer of public opinion on homosexuality is the decade's avalanche of openly gay elected officials. Currently there are at least 445 gays and lesbians holding office, an increase of almost 200 in the last eight years. Some political scientists say the rise in openly gay candidates’ winning public office is a better barometer of societal attitudes than are the high-profile fights over same-sex marriage. “Gay marriage ballot measures are not the best measure,” said Patrick J. Egan, a political scientist at New York University who studies issues surrounding gay politicians. “They happen to be about the one issue the public is most uncomfortable with. In a sense, they don’t give us a real good picture of the opinion trend over the last 30 years.” <br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/number-of-openly-gay-elected-officials.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/number-of-openly-gay-elected-officials.html/</a><br /><br />CPAC Organizers: GOProud Can Attend But Cannot Speak About LGBT Rights <br />By Joe.My.God<br />Bowing to increasing pressure from the religious right, organizers of the 2010 CPAC say that while they will allow GOProud to attend and co-sponsor the event, they will not be given an opportunity to speak. Because gay rights are not open to debate. <br />CPAC director Lisa De Pasquale told Hot Air last week that she was “satisfied” that GOProud “do not represent a ‘radical leftist agenda’ and thus “should not be rejected as a CPAC cosponsor.” But David Keene, the head of CPAC’s main organizing group, tried to calm the potential boycott by using a different tactic. In an e-mail to a right-wing radio host, Keene promised that GOProud would not have a speaking spot and that gay rights issues would not be “open to debate” In his e-mail response, Keene admitted GOProud “has signed on as a CPAC co-sponsor, but will have no speakers and we told them that, in fact, since opposition to gay marriage, etc are consensus positions (if not unanimous) among conservatives, these topics are not open to debate.”<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/cpac-organizers-goproud-can-attend-but.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/cpac-organizers-goproud-can-attend-but.html/</a><br /><br />It’s an issue when Republican Presidents are Silent about natural disasters, but not one when a Democrat is silent about terrorist attacks** and popular uprisings* against anti-American tyrants <br />Posted by B. Daniel Blatt <br />Five years ago, there was much bellyaching in the media about how the callousness of the President of the United States for not making a public statement about the tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced an equal number (if not more) and causes untold damage to property and the landscape, even changing the coastline in some regions. When then-president Bush did not speak out, it was deemed a sign of his indifference, evidence that the recently reelected president was out of touch.<br /><a href="http://www.gaypatriot.net/2009/12/27/its-an-issue-when-republican-presidents-are-silent-about-natural-disasters-but-its-no-problem-if-a-democrat-is-silent-about-terrorism-and-popular-uprisings-against-anti-american-tyrants/">http://www.gaypatriot.net/2009/12/27/its-an-issue-when-republican-presidents-are-silent-about-natural-disasters-but-its-no-problem-if-a-democrat-is-silent-about-terrorism-and-popular-uprisings-against-anti-american-tyrants/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-87354840775944230692009-12-27T13:14:00.001-05:002009-12-27T13:20:04.179-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 26, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Archbishop of York attacks Uganda's anti-gay bill<br />By RAPHAEL G. SATTER<br />LONDON -- A top Anglican cleric who was born in Uganda spoke out Thursday against a proposed law in his native country that would impose the death penalty on some gays. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122400726.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/24/AR2009122400726.html/</a><br /><br />Gay marriage foes deserve to be heard, even on Metrobuses<br />By Colbert I. King<br />"What is freedom of expression?" Salman Rushdie once asked. "Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist." Ride a Metrobus in this city, and you'll see an example of what Rushdie is talking about. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/25/AR2009122501285.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/25/AR2009122501285.html/</a><br /><br />5 myths about a president's first year<br />By Chris Cillizza<br />It has been nearly a year since Barack Obama was (sort of) sworn in as the 44th president of the United States. So what can his first year in office tell us about the next three? <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122201373.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122201373.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Rome beckons Episcopalians away from liberals<br />By George F. Will<br />Late in life, the mother of the Rev. Thomas Reese, S.J., began attending mass at a Southern California church, the congregation of which soon became Spanish-speaking. Services were conducted entirely in that language, which she could not understand, yet she happily continued attending. When her son asked why, she replied: "It is just like the Latin Mass, I don't understand a word of it. It is even better, I don't understand the homily."<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/commentary/fl-will-col-episcopal-church-1226-20091223,0,6366924.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/commentary/fl-will-col-episcopal-church-1226-20091223,0,6366924.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gallery | Gay-rights activists celebrate legalization of same-sex marriage in Mexico City<br />Gay rights activists Ruben Duran, 23, left, and Saul Aparicio, 27, kiss as they celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriage in front of Mexico City's local assembly, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Mexico's capital's lawmakers on Monday made the city the first in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage, a change that will give gay couples more rights, including allowing them to adopt children.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-gay-rights-activists-celebrate-legalization-of-same-sex-marriage-in-mexico-city.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-gay-rights-activists-celebrate-legalization-of-same-sex-marriage-in-mexico-city.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Undiagnosed Heart Condition Killed Gately<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />An undiagnosed heart condition claimed the life of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, a forensic report revealed on Thursday. Gately, who died in October, suffered from atheromatosis, a thickening of the arteries. A preliminary pathology report showd the star died from an acute pulmonary oedema, a build-up of fluid on the lungs caused by the atheromatosis.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/25/Undiagnosed_Heart_Condition_Killed_Boyzones_Stephen_Gately/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/25/Undiagnosed_Heart_Condition_Killed_Boyzones_Stephen_Gately/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<a href=" http://www.dailyqueernews.com/"><br />http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Privilege In A Soup Kitchen <br />By Justine Valinotti <br />Most of the day was briskly cold, as the past couple of days have been. However, toward sunset, the air started to feel damp in spite of the clear sky. It probably had to do with the melting snow. Interestingly, the snow seems to be melting even more quickly now: I think it's warmer at I write this, late at night, than it was earlier in the evening. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14618/privilege-in-a-soup-kitchen/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14618/privilege-in-a-soup-kitchen/</a><br /><br />CPAC takes GOProud's sponsorship, but says it cannot speak there <br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />Wow, this is a spit in the face. GOProud recently announced its co-sponsorship of the next Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), setting off alarm bells of the anti-gay right. In fact, when the wheezing about a fundie boycott occurred, CPAC director Lisa De Pasquale defended GOProud, stating that those in the gay org "do not represent a 'radical leftist agenda' and "should not be rejected as a CPAC cosponsor."'' Anyway, the latest word is that after ponying up to sponsor, conference organizer David Keene rolled that support back, taking the money but not allowing GOProud an opportunity to speak. Why? Because equality issues aren't up for discussion.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14612/cpac-takes-goprouds-sponsorship-but-says-it-cannot-speak-there/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14612/cpac-takes-goprouds-sponsorship-but-says-it-cannot-speak-there/</a><br /><br />Max Clifford on staying in the closet<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />"Do I think that's right? Of course not. It's a very sad state of affairs. But it's a fact that homophobia in football is as strong now as it was 10 years ago. If you'd asked me in 2000 whether I thought we'd have a famous, openly gay footballer by 2010 I would have said yes. "You look across society and see openly gay people in music, movies, television, politics, the clergy, and it's not a problem, nor in many sports. It's not that footballers are homophobic but the fans can be vicious."<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/max_clifford_on_staying_in_the_closet.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/max_clifford_on_staying_in_the_closet.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Dr. Maxwell Anderson's message to his friends<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />Monica Helms sent in this video from Maxwell Anderson, a transgender psychologist in Georgia in Atlanta whom you might know from the documentary "Southern Comfort." He is in the hospital for an inoperable brain tumor. Maxwell sends a message to his friends in this video, and Monica asked that it be posted on TBP since there are people here who might be reached with his message who wouldn't otherwise see it. I didn't know Dr. Anderson, but watching this video makes me wish I had.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/dr_maxwell_andersons_message_to_his_friends.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/dr_maxwell_andersons_message_to_his_friends.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />An Ancient Contemporary Mexican Christmas Eve<br />Filed by: Guest Blogger<br />Editor's Note: Jim Toevs was a member of the founding Board of Directors, and is a past President of The Pride Foundation of Seattle. In 1990, he co-founded the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, (IGLHRC) with Roman Kalinin and Julie Dorf. In 1992, Jim was the Democratic nominee for Congress against then-closeted Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe, garnering 77,000 votes- which at that time was the most votes ever received by a gay non-incumbent gay person running for Congress. He resides in Hot Springs, Montana and Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. Seven years ago, my young Mexican friend, Trini, and I were returning to Alamos from Tucson just before Christmas. We crossed at Nogales about 7 PM, thinking we would get a room in Santa Ana. There was literally no room at the Inn anywhere. Several hours later we were finally able to get a room by driving to San Carlos, several miles off of the freeway near Guaymas. The experience of that night, searching for a room, and seeing the thousands of Mexicans returning home for Christmas, inspired the following piece. Wishing you and yours a Blessed, Joyful, and Peaceful Holiday Season!<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/an_ancient_contemporary_mexican_christmas_eve.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/an_ancient_contemporary_mexican_christmas_eve.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to <a href="Rays.List@Comcast.net">Rays.List@Comcast.net</a>]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-65303723524440399872009-12-25T06:44:00.002-05:002009-12-25T06:55:49.381-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 24, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Rome's call: 'Come on over'<br />By George F. Will<br />Late in life, the mother of the Rev. Thomas Reese, S.J., began attending mass at a Southern California church, the congregation of which soon became Spanish-speaking. Services were conducted entirely in that language, which she could not understand, yet she happily continued attending. When her son asked why, she replied: "It is just like the Latin Mass, I don't understand a word of it. It is even better, I don't understand the homily." We have all listened to a speaker and wished: If only he were incomprehensible. As G.K. Chesterton said of Times Square, it would be beautiful if you could not read. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/23/AR2009122302396.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/23/AR2009122302396.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />In Love and War <br />Husbands and wives can now serve together in the Army. How three couples try to juggle marriage and mission in Afghanistan.<br />By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS <br />Kandahar, Afghanistan <br />Maybe the couple that fights together stays together. The 293rd Military Police Company is a rarity in American love and American war. Among the 150 soldiers deployed to this restive Afghan city are three married couples.<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585850597672412.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585850597672412.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Video | Mexico City lawmakers approve gay marriage bill<br />Associated Press video: Lawmakers in Mexico City have approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. The Mayor is expected to sign it, however, Mexican President Felipe Calderon has said he will challenge the bill in the courts.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-mexico-city-lawmakers-approve-gay-marriage-bill.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-mexico-city-lawmakers-approve-gay-marriage-bill.html/</a><br /><br />Jesse's Journal: Gay bookstores, a dying breed<br />BY JESSE MONTEAGUDO<br />Like many lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgender people, I came out of the closet with the help of gay books and gay bookstores. Though we didn’t have a gay bookstore in Miami when I came out in the early 1970s, I took advantage of the mail order services provided by the newly-established bookshops. My first visit to the Oscar Wilde Bookshop in Greenwich Village (1977) was like a religious pilgrimage; an experience that I repeated two years later when I first visited Lambda Rising Bookstore in DuPont Circle in Washington, DC. Both Oscar Wilde and Lambda Rising were part of a chain of independent bookshops that dotted the gay ghettoes of North America: Glad Day in Boston and Toronto, Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia, Outwrite in Atlanta, A Different Light in West Hollywood and San Francisco, Little Sister’s in Vancouver and, of course, Lambda Passages in Miami.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/jesses-journal-gay-bookstores-a-dying-breed.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/jesses-journal-gay-bookstores-a-dying-breed.html/</a><br /><br />Russian Orthodox Church embraces gays<br />Associated Press<br />MOSCOW -- The head of the Russian Orthodox Church says that, although the church views homosexuality as a sin, homosexuality is a personal choice. Patriarch Kirill says gays and lesbians must not be persecuted or discriminated against in any way, though the church still opposes same-sex marriages.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/russian-orthodox-church-embraces-gays.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/russian-orthodox-church-embraces-gays.html/</a><br /><br />Gender, sports issues to be explored at Florida International University conference<br />By LUISA YANEZ, lyanez@MiamiHerald.com<br />A female athlete wins an Olympic gold medal, but later a sexual verification test detects she has the testosterone levels of a man. What action does the International Olympic Committee take?<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gender-sports-issues-to-be-explored-at-florida-international-university-conference.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gender-sports-issues-to-be-explored-at-florida-international-university-conference.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Rabbi: `This place really embraces change'<br />A young female rabbi is making her mark at one of South Florida's largest synagogues.<br />BY TANIA VALDEMORO<br />Miami Herald reporter Tania Valdemoro sat down this week with Rabbi Rachel Greengrass, the newest rabbi at Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest. Greengrass, 29, is originally from Fort Wayne, Ind. She was ordained as a rabbi on May 4, 2008, at Hebrew Union College in New York City, where she earned master's degrees in Hebrew Literature and Religious Education. <br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/pinecrest/story/1395544.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/pinecrest/story/1395544.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />George Bush's PBS Show<br />By Michelle Garcia<br />The George W. Bush Institute will coproduce a show on public television, hosted by its executive director, Ambassador James Glassman, according to The Huffington Post. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/George_Bushs_PBS_Show/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/George_Bushs_PBS_Show/</a><br /><br />Georgia Newspaper Goes After 'Keith' Jennings<br />By Neal Broverman<br />The Augusta [Ga.] Chronicle published an editorial Monday claiming the U.S. Department of Education's gay assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools encouraged underage sex and molestation — all while calling him by the wrong name. The newspaper said that Kevin Jennings — whom it referred to as Keith — promoted underage sex with books recommended by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, a group that Jennings founded and headed. GLSEN, which works to stop school bullying of gay students, does recommend books, and some did have passages of a sexual nature, but all of GLSEN's recommended reading materials come with warnings for parents or guardians. It's also not clear if Jennings himself vetted the individual books.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Georgia_Newspaper_Goes_After_Keith_Jennings/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Georgia_Newspaper_Goes_After_Keith_Jennings/</a><br /><br />Uganda Media Reports on Gay 'Death' Bill<br />By Neal Broverman<br />Local reports from Uganda have surfaced on the nation's proposed antihomosexuality bill, which, if passed, could impose the death penalty or a life sentence on those convicted of engaging in gay sex.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Uganda_Media_Reports_on_Gay_Death_Bill/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Uganda_Media_Reports_on_Gay_Death_Bill/</a><br /><br />Which State is the Most Religious?<br />By Neal Broverman<br />Religion has not loosened its grip on the South — a new poll finds that the most religious states remain those below the Mason-Dixon Line, with Mississippi leading the pack. A Pew Forum study asked respondents whether religion is important in their lives, and 82% percent of Mississipians said yes. Following Mississippi were Alabama and Arkansas (both at 74%), Louisiana (72%), Tennessee (71%), and South Carolina (70%). The New England states of Vermont and New Hampshire (each at 36%) were the least religious; both states allow same-sex marriage. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Which_State_is_the_Most_Religious_/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Which_State_is_the_Most_Religious_/</a><br /><br />Economy Crushes Homophobia in Sports Project<br />By Michelle Garcia<br />The director of an initiative to fight homophobia in women's sports has seen her position eliminated because of economic troubles. Pat Griffin, the project director of It Takes a Team, announced on her blog on Tuesday that she would leave her post at the end of her contract in January. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Economy_Crushes_Homophobia_in_Sports_Project/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/Economy_Crushes_Homophobia_in_Sports_Project/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />PR advisor Max Clifford repeats warnings over 'vicious' homophobic football fans<br />PR guru Max Clifford has reiterated his advice to gay footballers to stay in the closet, saying the sport is "steeped in homophobia". He made his comments just after Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas came out but said he could not imagine a premiership footballer doing the same.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/pr-advisor-max-clifford-repeats-warnings-over-vicious-homophobic-football-fans/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/pr-advisor-max-clifford-repeats-warnings-over-vicious-homophobic-football-fans/</a><br /><br />Club drug ban comes into force today<br />From today, 'legal highs' such as GBL, BZP and Spice will become Class C drugs. GBL (gamma-butaryl lactone), which is said to be popular on the gay club scene, is a liquid used in paint stripper and nail varnish remover.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/club-drug-ban-comes-into-force-today/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/club-drug-ban-comes-into-force-today/</a><br /><br />Katy Perry in trouble over 'transphobic' tweet<br />Katy Perry has been accused of transphobia after using Twitter to mock a photo of trans man. The singer, who found fame with her faux-lesbian hit I Kissed A Girl, posted a photo of a naked man with a beard, hairy chest and breasts.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/katy-perry-in-trouble-over-transphobic-tweet/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/katy-perry-in-trouble-over-transphobic-tweet/</a><br /><br />Head of Russian Orthodox Church condemns discrimination against gays<br />The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has said that although homosexuality is still a sin, gay people must not be discriminated against.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/head-of-russian-orthodox-church-condemns-discrimination-against-gays/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/head-of-russian-orthodox-church-condemns-discrimination-against-gays/</a><br /><br />Lithuanian parliament revises 'gay ban' law<br />Lithuania has revised a controversial law banning the "promotion" of homosexuality. The country's parliament voted 58-4, with 25 abstentions, to amend the law. It prohibited the "public dissemination" of any materials which could be seen to promote homosexuality.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/lithuanian-parliament-revises-gay-ban-law/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/lithuanian-parliament-revises-gay-ban-law/</a><br /><br />Archbishop of York speaks out on Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill<br />Archbishop of York John Sentamu, who was born in Uganda, has condemned the country's plans to introduce the death penalty of life imprisonment for gays. Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme this morning, he criticised the "victimising" language in the bill and said the communion was "committed" to listening to the experiences of gay people.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/24/archbishop-of-york-speaks-out-on-ugandas-anti-homosexuality-bill/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/24/archbishop-of-york-speaks-out-on-ugandas-anti-homosexuality-bill/</a><br /><br />God Hates Fags church hates Lady Gaga<br />Westboro Baptist Church has announced it will picket a January gig by gay-friendly singer Lady Gaga. The church, best known for its slogan of God Hates Fags, said in a press release it would protest outside a St Louis concert on January 7th.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/24/god-hates-fags-church-hates-lady-gaga/ ">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/24/god-hates-fags-church-hates-lady-gaga/ </a><br /><br />Ethics minister says Uganda's death penalty for gays will be ditched<br />The Ugandan minister for ethics and integrity has suggested that the country will ditch its plans to execute gays in favour of life imprisonment. James Nsaba Buturo said this would allow authorities to rehabilitate gays.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/24/ethics-minister-says-ugandas-death-penalty-for-gays-will-be-ditched/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/24/ethics-minister-says-ugandas-death-penalty-for-gays-will-be-ditched/<br /></a><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />How does your ‘Garden’ grow?<br />by Joey DiGuglielmo<br />A local gay arts group and its recreation of Edith Beale’s 1978 cabaret act is becoming the show that won’t die. After two performances in Washington last year and another planned for this weekend, “After the Garden” is going to New York next week for a trial run. “After the Garden: Edith Beale Live at Reno Sweeney” is a tribute to the late Beale (”Little Edie,” who was immortalized with her mother in the freak show 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens”). A year after her mother (”Big Edie,” aunt of Jackie O) died, Little Edie performed a one-week engagement to raise enough money to pay back taxes on the rundown family home. Theater vet Gerald Duval was summoned to help Beale create her act, which has gone down in history as one of those pop culture curiosities, like the “Star Wars Holiday Special,” whose cult status has far outlived its initial appeal.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/how-does-your-garden-grow/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/how-does-your-garden-grow/</a><br /><br />Favorite Christmas Specials, Anyone? <br />by: Louise <br />Mine. Right Here. I utter love that TNT runs this for a solid 24 hours on Christmas Day and know every word by heart... <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14581/favorite-christmas-specials-anyone/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14581/favorite-christmas-specials-anyone/</a><br /><br />2009 STORIES OF THE YEAR: NO. 3 Iowa first in Midwest to grant gay marriage rights<br />By Bret Hayworth - bhayworth@siouxcityjournal.com<br />Iowa ushered in same-sex marriage in April, becoming the only Heartland state to grant gay and lesbian couples the legal right to wed. <br /><a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_d1634c5e-bceb-5217-a015-ea5acbc91eee.html/">http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_d1634c5e-bceb-5217-a015-ea5acbc91eee.html/</a><br /><br />Supreme Court increases suspension for homophobic Murcia judge up to 10 years<br />By m.p<br />Judge Calamita was originally suspended for 2 years for maliciously delaying a lesbian adoption. The Murcia judge who was suspended by the Murcia High Court for maliciously delaying the adoption by a lesbian woman of her partner’s child has had his appeal against the court’s turned down by Spain’s highest court.<br /><a href="http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24455.shtml/">http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_24455.shtml/</a><br /><br />Timetables: Trains, Gender, Empathy<br />Filed by: Paige Schilt<br />Last Christmas, we decided to splurge and spend a few nights at a fancy beach resort. From the moment the clerk ushered us into the "VIP check-in room," I knew we were in for an adventure. Our five-year-old, Waylon, plunged head first into a butter-colored club chair. "Honey, please keep your shoes off the furniture," I said, feeling my class insecurities creep up like a slow and annoying blush. "But, Mama, I'm a seal," he informed me, resting his front flippers on the marble floor. I scanned the clerk's face, hoping for the knowing look that tells you you're in the presence of Family. Nary a blip on the old gaydar. His eyes were resolutely glued to his computer screen.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/timetables_trains_gender_empathy.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/timetables_trains_gender_empathy.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Just say no to the Salvation Army's red bucket<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />It's that time of year again. Actually, it probably started a while ago for those of you in the US, but it's good to remember each year why lots of LGBT folks don't donate to the Red Bucket. From Lisa Neff: But I do not. I do not ring the bell for the Salvation Army. I do not donate to the Salvation Army, because the Salvation Army discriminates against gays and lesbians in employment, works to defeat civil rights measures that protect gays and lesbians and promotes position that gay relationships "do not conform to God's will for society."<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/just_say_no_to_the_salvation_armys_red_bucket.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/just_say_no_to_the_salvation_armys_red_bucket.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Pride Center @ Equality Park<br /><a href="http://www.glccsf.org/">http://www.glccsf.org/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br />Transitions<br /><br />The GLCC/Pride Center - Wilton Manors, FL - has moved out of our old Andrews Avenue location to our new location on Dixie Highway. Our board, staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly for the last couple of weeks to make this all happen. Please click here to view pictures of the move<br /><a href="http://www.glccsf.org/">http://www.glccsf.org/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-53917439944169713762009-12-23T14:53:00.003-05:002009-12-23T15:02:07.553-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 23, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Russian Church: Homosexuality Is Personal Choice<br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />MOSCOW (AP) -- The head of the Russian Orthodox Church said Wednesday that although the church views homosexuality as a sin, gays should not face discrimination.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/23/world/AP-EU-Russia-Gay-Rights.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/23/world/AP-EU-Russia-Gay-Rights.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Color of change<br />By Howard Kurtz<br />When was the last time you thought of Barack Obama as a black president? The historic nature of his victory, of course, rested on his breaking the two-century streak of 43 white guys. But as was much observed at the time, Obama never ran as an African American candidate. With the exception of the race speech he gave in Philadelphia at the height of the Jeremiah Wright furor, he largely resisted the urge to cast his candidacy in racial terms. He didn't have to.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/23/AR2009122300954_pf.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/23/AR2009122300954_pf.html/</a><br /><br />Little Edie lives again in Ganymede's 'After the Garden,' with Jeffrey Johnson<br />By Jane Horwitz<br />It's been a struggle for small nonprofit theater companies since the economy flopped last year, and Ganymede Arts is no exception. Yet as 2009 nears its final curtain, Ganymede has something to celebrate. Artistic Director Jeffrey Johnson will be performing the solo piece "After the Garden: Edith Beale Live at Reno Sweeney" at Joe's Pub in New York on Dec. 29. He'll be the opening act for Sandra Bernhard. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122203322.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/22/AR2009122203322.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />In Love and War <br />Husbands and wives can now serve together in the Army. How three couples try to juggle marriage and mission in Afghanistan.<br />By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS <br />Kandahar, Afghanistan <br />Maybe the couple that fights together stays together. The 293rd Military Police Company is a rarity in American love and American war. Among the 150 soldiers deployed to this restive Afghan city are three married couples.<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585850597672412.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240504574585850597672412.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gender, sports issues to be explored at Florida International University conference<br />By LUISA YANEZ, lyanez@MiamiHerald.com<br />A female athlete wins an Olympic gold medal, but later a sexual verification test detects she has the testosterone levels of a man. What action does the International Olympic Committee take?<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gender-sports-issues-to-be-explored-at-florida-international-university-conference.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gender-sports-issues-to-be-explored-at-florida-international-university-conference.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />White House Christmas Tree Goes All Gay<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />HEDDALETTUCE.COM <br />A gay man has decorated the White House’s Blue Room Christmas tree with communists and a “legendary transvestite” named Hedda Lettuce, according to the conservative blog Big Government.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/White_House_Tree_Goes_All_Gay/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/23/White_House_Tree_Goes_All_Gay/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<a href=" http://www.365gay.com/"><br />http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Withers: DADT gets attention from some in Congress<br />By James Withers<br />With hints from Speaker Nancy Pelosi that next year the House is not going to go after any controversial issues until the White House or Senate step up, it was nice to see at least two representatives chipping away at Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), a member of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), lead sponsor of the bill to repeal DADT, authored a letter to the Defense Department that was signed by 96 of their peers. They are looking for up-to-date information on the military members discharged under DADT while President Obama has been commander-in-chief.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/blog/122309-dadt-gets-attention-from-some-in-congress/">http://www.365gay.com/blog/122309-dadt-gets-attention-from-some-in-congress/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /> <br />Boy George barred from appearing on Big Brother<br />Singer Boy George will not be appearing on Celebrity Big Brother after a High Court judge dismissed his appeal. The star, real name George O'Dowd, was barred from going on the show when the Probation Service said his appearance would undermine public confidence in the justice system.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/boy-george-barred-from-appearing-on-big-brother/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/boy-george-barred-from-appearing-on-big-brother/</a><br /> <br />Head of Russian Orthodox Church condemns discrimination against gays<br />The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has said that although homosexuality is still a sin, gay people must not be discriminated against.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/head-of-russian-orthodox-church-condemns-discrimination-against-gays/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/head-of-russian-orthodox-church-condemns-discrimination-against-gays/</a><br /> <br />Lithuanian parliament revises 'gay ban' law<br />Lithuania has revised a controversial law banning the "promotion" of homosexuality. The country's parliament voted 58-4, with 25 abstentions, to amend the law. It prohibited the "public dissemination" of any materials which could be seen to promote homosexuality.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/lithuanian-parliament-revises-gay-ban-law/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/23/lithuanian-parliament-revises-gay-ban-law/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Christmas was meant for children<br />by Patrick Folliard<br />I once read in a Bette Davis bio that as a kid in New England the highlight of her childhood Christmases was finding the theater tickets that Santa Claus had left her under the tree. Take a note from Bette’s book, and try giving the little ones in your life the gift of theater this holiday season. Who knows — maybe your present will be the nudge that sends a little thespian-in-the-making on the path to a brilliant career of his or her own?<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/christmas-was-meant-for-children/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/christmas-was-meant-for-children/</a><br /><br />Gay short film has Oscar potential<br />By David Hoffman<br />Film buffs drawn to the Jewish Community Center’s annual film festival earlier this month stumbled onto a surprise gem of a major motion picture in the making, in the guise of being just one of five “Queer Shorts” offered by the JCC’s program for Gay & Lesbian Outreach & Engagement (GLOE). Starring the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor Sir Derek Jacobi, the 19-minute film “Sidney Turtlebaum” is now shaping up as a likely Academy Award nominee in the live action short film category, according to the film’s producer Daniel Jewel, who spoke to the audience after the recent D.C. screening.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/gay-short-film-has-oscar-potential/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/gay-short-film-has-oscar-potential/</a><br /><br />Ringing in 2010<br />By Tyrone Ford<br />D.C. is gearing up for yet another New Year’s Eve packed full of events, parties and several after parties. There is no shortage of choices, whether you prefer low key or an all out two-day affair. The city’s bars, clubs and restaurants are working tirelessly to plan events that will make New Year’s Eve a memorable one. Below are a few options to consider.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/ringing-in-2010/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/23/ringing-in-2010/</a><br /><br />Gay marriage in our black church<br />By Dennis W. Wiley and Christine Y. Wiley<br />On a beautiful Saturday afternoon a couple of years ago, we took our places in front of the altar at Covenant Baptist Church, just as we had countless times before in our more than 20 years as partners in ministry. We had been united in holy matrimony ourselves in the same spot where we now stood to unite others.<br /><a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091223/OPINION16/91222023/1004/OPINION/-Gay-marriage-in-our-black-church/">http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091223/OPINION16/91222023/1004/OPINION/-Gay-marriage-in-our-black-church/</a><br /><br />Teabagger has weepy breakdown over 'misdirected prayer' <br />by: Alvin McEwen <br />Every now and then, a situation takes that place that's so strange, it diverts my attention away from focusing on the religious right. During the mad battle over health care reform, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) recently gave a speech on the Senate floor hoping that a senator would not make the vote. He encouraged prayer on the matter: What the American people ought to pray is that somebody can’t make the vote tonight. That’s what they ought to pray.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14596/teabagger-has-weepy-breakdown-over-misdirected-prayer/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14596/teabagger-has-weepy-breakdown-over-misdirected-prayer/</a><br /><br />Moyers, Moore and Maddow top Alternet's 25 most influential progressive media figures<br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />This story caught my eye because Rachel Maddow, who certainly deserves to be at the top of the mountain, is 1) brilliant; 2) is "family" (woohoo), and 3) a relatively "new" media figure compared to the other veteran progressive media types making Alternet's list. It looks like the eds were surprised as well: It's no surprise that Moyers, the moral sage, and Moore, the rabble-rouser, are ranked at the top. They have been popular with AlterNet readers for years. Moyers' current show, "Bill Moyers' Journal," gets at the heart of our many social ills with long-form exploration and probing interviews. Recently, Moyers spent an episode on the Lyndon Johnson Vietnam tapes, drawing a connection to Obama's escalation of the war in Afghanistan. The show was a television masterpiece.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14595/moyers-moore-and-maddow-top-alternets-25-most-influential-progressive-media-figures/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14595/moyers-moore-and-maddow-top-alternets-25-most-influential-progressive-media-figures/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-40435020071892960312009-12-22T16:10:00.002-05:002009-12-22T16:26:39.907-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 22, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Mexico City Allows Gay Marriage With Landmark Law<br />By REUTERS<br />MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico City became the first capital in Catholic, often macho Latin America to allow same-sex marriage on Monday when city legislators passed a law giving gay couples full marriage rights. The legislation goes further than a 2006 city law allowing civil unions by giving gay couples access to the same family social security benefits and joint loans as straight couples.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/22/world/international-us-mexico-gaymarriage.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/22/world/international-us-mexico-gaymarriage.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />OPM defies order on same-sex benefits<br />By Joe Davidson<br />With logic only a lawyer -- and perhaps only a government lawyer -- could love, the Obama administration is refusing to obey a federal judge's order that agrees with a position the administration supports. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR2009122103240.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR2009122103240.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Rudy's Out<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Former New York city mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce this afternoon that he will not run for U.S. Senate, New York’s Daily News reports. The announcement should benefit Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed to the Senate earlier this year when Hillary Clinton was named secretary of state. Gillibrand has since become one of the most pro-gay senators.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Giuliani_Wont_Run_for_Senate/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Giuliani_Wont_Run_for_Senate/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />RachelWatch: Nebraskin’ for a Favor<br />By Ali Davis<br />Bottom of the Ninth<br />Rachel started us off with the news that the Senate health care fight is essentially over… And yet still going on. Why give up a pointless exercise when it plays so well on Fox News?<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-nebraskin%E2%80%99-for-a-favor/">http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-nebraskin%E2%80%99-for-a-favor/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Filmstar Tom Cruise sued by alleged gay lover<br />Hollywood film star Tom Cruise is being sued over allegations of wiretapping. Magazine editor, Michael Davis Sapir, claims that the actor hired private detective, Anthony Pellicano, to wiretap his phone. In 2001 Sapir claimed to have a video in his possession that proved he was having a "homosexual relationship" with the star. <br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/filmstar-tom-cruise-sued-by-alleged-gay-lover/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/filmstar-tom-cruise-sued-by-alleged-gay-lover/</a><br /><br />Former drag queen awarded £30,000 in unfair dismissal case<br />Former drag queen ,Dean Awford, has been awarded £30,000 for unfair dismissal from a high end furniture store. Employment Judge David Kearsley found that Mr Awford had been unfairly dismissed by store manager David Gray.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/former-drag-queen-awarded-30000-in-unfair-dismissal-case/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/former-drag-queen-awarded-30000-in-unfair-dismissal-case/</a><br /><br />US law firm faces £31m sexual harassment lawsuit<br />A former associate at a major US law firm is filing a £50m (£31m) sexual harassment lawsuit against her former employers. Julie Kamps, who was dismissed from law firm Fried Frank in January, is claiming that a female partner at the firm harassed her and that she was overlooked for promotion because of her sexuality. <br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/us-law-firm-faces-31m-sexual-harassment-lawsuit/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/us-law-firm-faces-31m-sexual-harassment-lawsuit/</a><br /><br />Brighton clinic starts to offer faster HIV tests<br />Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) in Brighton & Hove has begun to offer a new type of rapid result HIV test at its clinic which can detect the virus just four weeks after the date of infection. Previous tests were only reliable three months after exposure to the virus. <br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/brighton-clinic-starts-to-offer-faster-hiv-tests/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/brighton-clinic-starts-to-offer-faster-hiv-tests/</a><br /><br />Christian leader supports death penalty for gays<br />A far right Christian group has urged fellow Christians to support Uganda's proposed law that would make homosexuality punishable by death. The law would impose the death penalty on those convicted of having gay sex with a minor or disabled person or someone infected with HIV.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/christian-leader-supports-death-penalty-for-gays/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/christian-leader-supports-death-penalty-for-gays/</a><br /><br />Ugandan President threatens to reject homophobic bill<br />The President of Uganda has threatened to veto the a controversial new bill that could see homosexuals sentenced to the death penalty or lifetime imprisonment. <br />US newspaper DC Agenda claims that President Yoweri Museveni pledged to US secretary of state for African affairs Jonnie Carson on two separate occasions that he would reject the bill currently making its way through parliament. <br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/ugandan-president-threatens-to-reject-homophobic-bill/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/22/ugandan-president-threatens-to-reject-homophobic-bill/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Minn. Gov. Regrets Pro-Gay Vote<br />By Advocate.com<br />Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty tells Newsweek’s Howard Fineman that he regrets his vote in favor of a 1993 antidiscrimination law because it protects “things like cross-dressing.” Pawlenty, who was a state representative when he cast the pro-gay vote, became Minnesota’s governor in 2003. He now is considered a possible Republican contender for challenging President Obama in 2012. Perhaps that’s why he’s backtracking on anything in his voting history that could be considered pro-gay.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/22/Minn_Gov_Regrets_Pro_Gay_Vote/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/22/Minn_Gov_Regrets_Pro_Gay_Vote/</a><br /><br />The L Word's Kirshner Joins Vampire Diaries<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Mia Kirshner, who regularly pissed off fans of The L Word for six seasons as the ultimately ill-fated Jenny, has a new gig. Starting in January, she’ll appear on The CW’s Vampire Diaries in a recurring role.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/The_L_Words_Mia_Kirshner_Joins_Vampire_Diaries/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/The_L_Words_Mia_Kirshner_Joins_Vampire_Diaries/</a><br /><br />Dustin Lance Black vs. Gay-Bashing College<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Dustin Lance Black spent the last six months calling Holland, Michigan home while making his directorial debut, his follow up to winning an Oscar for writing Milk.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Dustin_Lance_Black_vs_Gay_Bashing_College/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Dustin_Lance_Black_vs_Gay_Bashing_College/</a><br /><br />Judge Who Ruled Against Scouts Dies<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Napoleon A. Jones, Jr., the federal judge who ruled in 2003 that the Boy Scouts of America couldn’t lease land owned by the city of San Diego, died December 12 of prostate cancer, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 69. Jones said that San Diego couldn’t lease the land to the Scouts because the group, which bars gay leaders and requires members to swear an oath to God, is a religious group. The lease, he said, was a violation of the separation of church and state. The ruling is under appeal.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Judge_Who_Ruled_Against_Scouts_Dies/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Judge_Who_Ruled_Against_Scouts_Dies/</a><br /><br />Gay Critics Association Announces First Awards Nominations<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Films helmed by gay directors, including Grey Gardens, Precious, and A Single Man, dominate the nominations for the Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association's awards. The group announced its nominations for the its first Dorian Awards for the most exceptional achievements in film and television of the year on Friday.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Gay_Critics_Association_Announces_First_Awards_Nominations/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Gay_Critics_Association_Announces_First_Awards_Nominations/</a><br /><br />Louisiana Mayor Wants to Protect Gays<br />By Neal Broverman<br />Shreveport, La., mayor Cedric Glover wants the city's nondiscrimination policy to cover sexual orientation and gender identity.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Louisiana_Mayor_Wants_to_Protect_Gays/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Louisiana_Mayor_Wants_to_Protect_Gays/</a><br /><br />New immigration reform bill excludes LGBT families<br />By Chris Johnson<br />An alternative immigration reform bill introduced last week in Congress lacks sought-after language for LGBT families, but advocates of the provision remain optimistic the bill’s sponsor will support inclusion in future legislation.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/21/new-immigration-reform-bill-excludes-lgbt-families/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/21/new-immigration-reform-bill-excludes-lgbt-families/</a><br /><br />The Opposite of Fabulous<br />thelostboy posted to Notes <br />Before I return to regularly scheduled blogging (mainly end-of-decade/end-of-year lists, of which I’m seriously lagging behind), I figured I should get some final Dubai-related thoughts out of the way.<br /><a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/thelostboy/archives/the_opposite_of_fabulous/">http://blogs.indiewire.com/thelostboy/archives/the_opposite_of_fabulous/</a><br /><br />WSJ Poll: 12% of Americans judge the Bush decade 'good' or 'great' <br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />Are we supposed to feel better that the figure isn't any higher? (Think Progress): According to the poll, a combined 58% said the decade was either "awful" or "not so good," 29% said it was fair, and just 12% said it was either "good" or "great." [...]<br /><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PamsHouseBlend/~3/9dU9MVxHWXE/wsj-poll-12-of-americans-judge-the-bush-decade-good-or-great/ ">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PamsHouseBlend/~3/9dU9MVxHWXE/wsj-poll-12-of-americans-judge-the-bush-decade-good-or-great/ </a><br /><br />Gov. Tim Pawlenty - saving us all from 'cross-dressing' third grade teachers <br />by: Alvin McEwen <br />crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters<br />Now that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is running for president (unofficially that is), he is backtracking from pro-gay legislation he signed: To borrow a phrase, have your views evolved over time? In 1993 I voted for a bill prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodation, housing, and employment. That was 16 years ago.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14588/gov-tim-pawlenty-saving-us-all-from-crossdressing-third-grade-teachers/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14588/gov-tim-pawlenty-saving-us-all-from-crossdressing-third-grade-teachers/</a><br /><br />Knights Out's Fulton: integrating out gays and lesbians into military will be easier than expected <br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />Not long ago we had a liveblog with Rep. Joe Sestak and KnightsOut's Dan Choi to discuss the repeal of DADT. On Sunday, fellow member of knightsout.org, Sue Fulton appeared on Rainbow Radio, and compared her experiences with women being integrated into the military, and feels there should be less culture clash involved than people think. (QNotes):<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14575/knights-outs-fulton-integrating-out-gays-and-lesbians-into-military-will-be-easier-than-expected/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14575/knights-outs-fulton-integrating-out-gays-and-lesbians-into-military-will-be-easier-than-expected/</a><br /><br />Solidarity: "Transmisogyny" & "Faggots"<br />Filed by: Guest Blogger<br />Editors' Note: Guest blogger Rachel Dunn is an out and proud trans-lesbian filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Although very supportive of community events, her primary activism comes in the form of fostering and contributing to queer and minority film projects as a cinematographer, producer, writer and consultant. Some of her work can be seen at www.racheldunn.com . After reading "What Transmisogyny Looks Like" and "I Have a Problem with Faggots", something occurred to me that some may not like to hear, but here it is it is: The entire queer community has gender issues - not just the transfolk. Gay and lesbian people have a big gender issue - otherwise the gender of the people they love would not be an issue.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/solidarity_transmisogyny_faggots.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/solidarity_transmisogyny_faggots.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />=<br />Truth Wins Out - TWO<br />by Wayne Besen<br /><a href="http://www.truthwinsout.org/">http://www.truthwinsout.org/</a><br /><br />Princeton’s Robert George: Sophistry Disguised as Scholarship<br />A feature article in this week’s New York Times Magazine refers to Princeton professor Robert P. George as the “intellectual architect” of the extreme right. This is hardly an honor, considering the main competition for “Values Valedictorian” is Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter and Mike Huckabee. One also has to consider admiration comes from the likes of George W. Bush and FOX instigator Glenn Beck, who calls George “one of the biggest brains in America.” George’s primary accomplishment has been denying gay couples the right to marry, by forming an unholy political union between conservative Catholics, like himself, and Evangelical Christians. He is the chairman of The National Organization for Marriage, the group that most recently worked to strip marriage rights from LGBT couples in Maine.<br /><a href="http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2009/12/5520/">http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2009/12/5520/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sunshine Cathedral MCC - Ft. Lauderdale<br /><a href="http://www.sunshinecathedral.org/">http://www.sunshinecathedral.org/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Christmas Eve Services: 7:30PM; 9:00PM; & 10:30PM <br />All services will be in the Walt Lawrence & Stephen Lewis Center for the Worship and the Arts on the campus of the Sunshine Cathedral. The Sunshine Cathedral is honored to be sharing our Christmas Eve celebration with the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble, the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus, the Fort Lauderdale Women's Chorus and of course our very own Sunshine Cathedral Choir. We invite you to remember to bring a canned food item to benefit the Broward Food Cooperative and the Pantry of Broward. <br /><br />Sunshine Cathedral Performing Arts Season Tickets<br />Season Tickets are on sale now and they will make a great holiday gift! You can purchase your season tickets by visiting the Sunshine Cathedral Performing Arts website <a href="http://www.SunshinePerformingArts.com">www.SunshinePerformingArts.com</a>. A Season ticket (6 performances) is $150.00.<br /><br />The Duelling Divas on stage at the Sunshine Cathedral<br />The Duelling Divas will be performing at the Sunshine Cathedral on Saturday, January 9th at 8:00 PM. For more information about this performance and to purchase tickets please visit <a href="http://www.SunshinePerformingArts.com">www.SunshinePerformingArts.com</a>. Tickets are $25.00 general admission and $10.00 for the Meet & Greet. <br /><br />=<br />Stonewall Library - Ft. Lauderdale<br /><a href="http://www.stonewall-library.org/">http://www.stonewall-library.org/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Activist/writer Elana Dykewomon to speak to Stonewall Library & Archives<br />On Thursday, January 7, at 7:00 PM, Stonewall will host a lecture by social activist Elana Dykewomon, a Lambda award-winning author of seven books, including the early classic "Riverfinger Women" and the Jewish lesbian historical novel, "Beyond the Pale,." Winner of the 1998 Lambda Literary Award for Best Lesbian novel. Her latest novel, "Risk," was released in June 2008.<br /><a href="http://www.stonewall-library.org/index.html/">http://www.stonewall-library.org/index.html</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-17487135186289936082009-12-21T13:31:00.002-05:002009-12-21T13:42:27.167-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 21, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Catholics Grapple With Divisions Over Abuse <br />By PAUL VITELLO<br />Thousands of Masses were celebrated this year in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport. But two of them, within a few weeks and a few miles of each other in this diverse commuter-line city, hinted at the tangled emotions still dividing many Catholics almost eight years after the start of a scandal that has confronted the church with its greatest crisis in the modern era.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/nyregion/21diocese.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/nyregion/21diocese.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Link by Link: The Trouble With Tailoring a Web Search<br />By NOAM COHEN<br />SCOLDS have long had a favorite complaint about the Internet: it’s one big echo chamber. By providing so much information, the Internet paradoxically has made it much easier to read only what you agree with — to inhabit a world where your own thoughts are repeated back to you. A simple illustration of those fears can be found on a news aggregation site like the Drudge Report and in its treatment of global warming. Nothing seems to amuse its editors like a patch of cold weather during a global warming conference — and a quick search for “cold” in an archive of the site produces page after page of links to reports on “cold waves,” including one in Copenhagen last week. A search for “heat,” by contrast, finds very few pages.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/technology/internet/21link.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/technology/internet/21link.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Whither American Conservatism? <br />Democratic control of the White House and Congress has prompted some profound soul-searching among conservatives. How did the powerful reign of the Right fall into such disarray? George H. Nash, a prominent historian of modern conservatism, has pondered the arc of conservative power for decades. In his latest book, "Reappraising the Right: The Past and Future of American Conservatism," he assesses the discontent and sees signs of hope for the future. <br />GUEST BLOGGER: George H. Nash<br />Recently it has become commonplace to assert that the American Right is dead -- or at least brain dead. But is this true? How firm are the foundations of modern American conservatism? Perhaps they are sturdier than many observers think. First, when examining the epiphenomena of contemporary politics -- especially in our era of ever more frenzied news cycles -- it is helpful to remember the ancient adage: "This, too, shall pass." The divisive Bush presidency is now over, and many of the political circumstances that dismayed and disoriented conservatives in recent years have begun to dissipate.<br /><a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shortstack/2009/12/whither_american_conservatism.html/">http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shortstack/2009/12/whither_american_conservatism.html/</a><br /><br />The Target: Nancy Pelosi<br />By Eleanor Clift<br />Conservatives love to hate Nancy Pelosi: for them, she personifies the grasping hand of big government in the Age of Obama. Now, some liberals are disappointed, too--over the troop surge in Afghanistan, and compromises on health care. The House speaker talked to NEWSWEEK's Eleanor Clift about what it's like to be in everyone's sights. Excerpts: <br />CLIFT: You are seen as this far-out liberal, when you actually are quite traditional in your lifestyle. I feel like the country doesn't really know you. <br />PELOSI: I don't choose to spend my time countering perceptions and mischaracterizations that the other side puts out there. I choose to do my job. Because we are effective, I continue to be the target. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR2009122101402.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/21/AR2009122101402.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Broward attorney launching gay newspaper<br />By Steve Rothaus<br />Broward criminal defense attorney Norm Kent, who began Express Gay News in 1999 and sold it four years later to Window Media -- which renamed it South Florida Blade and suddenly shut down last month -- will start a new gay newspaper in January. The first issue of South Florida Gay News.com will be published about Jan. 25, coinciding with what would have been the 11th anniversary of Express Gay News, he said.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-gay-newspaper-20091221,0,2312261.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-gay-newspaper-20091221,0,2312261.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Tom Ford swaps fashion for film with 'Single Man'<br />By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press<br />LONDON -- Fashion designer Tom Ford has made a seamless transition to filmmaker with "A Single Man," the soulful, immaculately styled story of a grieving college professor in 1960s California.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/tom-ford-swaps-fashion-for-film-with-single-man.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/tom-ford-swaps-fashion-for-film-with-single-man.html/</a><br /><br />Gay activist Walter Tróchez's death illustrates spike in hate crimes in Honduras<br />BY FRANCES ROBLES, frobles@MiamiHerald.com<br />Walter Tróchez spent a lot time at Honduras police stations and morgues: he was the HIV-positive gay activist who got the call every time a transgender sex worker was murdered on the streets of Honduras.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gay-activist-walter-trchezs-death-illustrates-spike-in-hate-crimes-in-honduras.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gay-activist-walter-trchezs-death-illustrates-spike-in-hate-crimes-in-honduras.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gay British Secretary Takes Heat for Holiday<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Human rights groups are challenging Ben Bradshaw, the openly gay British secretary of state for culture, media and sport, for his decision to take a Christmas holiday in Sri Lanka, which the British government has condemned for its human rights record.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Gay_British_Secretary_Takes_Heat_for_Holiday/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Gay_British_Secretary_Takes_Heat_for_Holiday/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />RachelWatch: It Came Upon a 1 a.m. Clear<br />By Ali Davis, Contributing writer <br />‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas<br />Rachel started us off with a blood pressure check by looking at the health care reform debate. After making short work of Senator John McCain’s (R – Arizona) snit over Senator Franken (D – Minnesota) denying Senator Lieberman (I – Connecticut) an extra couple of minutes to speak, she moved on to the grueling (for the Senate) schedule for the weekend ahead.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-it-came-upon-a-1-a-m-clear/">http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-it-came-upon-a-1-a-m-clear/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Happy fourth anniversary for civil partnerships<br />Today marks the fourth anniversary of civil partnerships in England and Wales. Although Scotland celebrated its first civil partnership on December 20th 2005 due to a misunderstanding over the date, today marks the fourth anniversary for gay couples in England and Wales.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/happy-fourth-anniversary-for-civil-partnerships/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/happy-fourth-anniversary-for-civil-partnerships/</a><br /><br />Exclusive: Eurocreme CEO speaks to PinkNews.co.uk about the bareback porn debate<br />Max Lincoln, CEO of one of Europe's largest gay pornography producers 'Eurocreme', speaks exclusively to PinkNews.co.uk about his decision to stop producing bareback porn. <br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/exclusive-eurocreme-ceo-speaks-to-pinknews.co.uk-about-the-bareback-porn-debate/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/exclusive-eurocreme-ceo-speaks-to-pinknews.co.uk-about-the-bareback-porn-debate/</a><br /><br />Christian leader supports death penalty for gays<br />A far right Christian group has urged fellow Christians to support Uganda's proposed law that would make homosexuality punishable by death. The law would impose the death penalty on those convicted of having gay sex with a minor or disabled person or someone infected with HIV.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/christian-leader-supports-death-penalty-for-gays/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/christian-leader-supports-death-penalty-for-gays/</a><br /><br />Chinese government backs first official gay bar<br />China's first official gay bar has opened after a three-week delay sparked by intense media attention. Opening on Saturday evening, the bar is situated in the tourist town of Dali in the southwestern province of Yunnan. It is the first venue of its kind to receive government backing.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/chinese-governement-backs-first-official-gay-bar/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/chinese-governement-backs-first-official-gay-bar/</a><br /><br />Canadian MP gets widespread support after Christmas card controversy<br />Openly gay Novia Scotia MP Scott Brison has been given the support of Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff after a Christmas card featuring his civil partner stirred controversy.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/canadian-mp-gets-widespread-support-after-christmas-card-controversy/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/canadian-mp-gets-widespread-support-after-christmas-card-controversy/</a><br /><br />Proposed law change may ban production of bareback porn<br />An American gay health charity are planning to file a petition that could see a ban on the production of bareback pornography. California's AIDS Healthcare Foundation will file a petition to amend state law to mandate that all adult-film stars use condoms.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/proposed-law-change-may-ban-production-of-bareback-porn/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/21/proposed-law-change-may-ban-production-of-bareback-porn/</a><br /><br />BBC 'may face sanctions' after gay execution debate<br />Trevor Phillips, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said the BBC may face sanctions over last week's online debate on whether gays should be executed.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/20/bbc-may-face-sanctions-over-gay-execution-debate/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/20/bbc-may-face-sanctions-over-gay-execution-debate/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Lesbian Mom: Netflix Outed Me <br />By Julie Bolcer<br />A lesbian mother is suing Netflix for privacy invasion, charging that the video-rental giant outed her through its disclosure of anonymous information about customers as part of a high-profile contest to improve its recommendation system. The suit, Doe V. Netflix, was filed in federal court in California on Thursday and seeks more than $2,500 in damages for each of more than two million Netflix customers, according to Wired. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Lesbian_Mom_Netflix_Outed_Me/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/21/Lesbian_Mom_Netflix_Outed_Me/</a><br /><br />Gay Marriage<br />Politicians push same-sex unions despite consistent public opposition<br />Last week, the City Council in our nation’s capital voted 11-2 to legalize gay marriage. The city already recognized same-sex marriages that had been performed in states where it is legal. The new legislation will mean that Washington will join Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont and—as of Jan 1, 2010—New Hampshire in offering legal marriage to homosexuals couples. <br /><a href="http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/editorial/2009/12/21/gay-marriage-93.php/">http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/editorial/2009/12/21/gay-marriage-93.php/</a><br /><br />P.E.I. proclaims same-sex marriage amendments<br />Canada: Changes giving same-sex couples on P.E.I. all the rights enjoyed by mixed-sex couples were proclaimed over the weekend, ending a wait of more than three years. Marriage commissioners on P.E.I. have been able to perform same-sex marriages since June 2006, but many pieces of provincial legislation still referred to married couples as "man and woman" or "husband and wife."<br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/12/21/pei-same-sex-marriage-rights.html/">http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2009/12/21/pei-same-sex-marriage-rights.html/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/154042.shtml/">D.C. gay marriage law signed at Unitarian church</a><br />Interfaith clergy coalition mobilized to promote same-sex marriage in nation’s capital.<br />By Jane Greer<br />History was made Friday, December 18, when Washington, D.C., mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed a bill in the sanctuary of All Souls Church, Unitarian, legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. The law was approved by the D.C. City Council December 15.<br /><a href="http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/154042.shtml/">http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/154042.shtml/</a><br /><br />Charlotte O’s social media conference<br />by Matt Comer<br />You know the media world has definitively changed when the local daily newspaper announces its hosting a social media conference. The Charlotte Observer will host their day-long conference on Jan. 23 at Queens University: Throughout the day, you’ll hear from some of the most forward-thinking social media gurus in the region, including Jeff Elder, Lisa Hoffman, Crystal Dempsey, Scott Hepburn and Jason Silverstein. Observer Editor Rick Thames will deliver the keynote address. Capping it all off will be a panel discussion on “The Next Hot Thing in Social Networking.”<br /><a href="http://www.interstateq.com/archives/4054/">http://www.interstateq.com/archives/4054/</a><br /><br />Did that week really just fly by?<br />by Matt Comer<br />What happened to last week? A full five work days felt more like two. And, I was doing so well on posting here at the old personal pad again. Can’t control the news cycle, or the news makers, it seems. Last week kept me busy at the day job, reporting on Mecklenburg County’s decision to extend health and leave benefits to same-sex partners of county employees. Then, I was kept busy still reporting on the antics of Republican Commissioner Bill James. All of this on top of our usual production week for the Dec. 26 print issue.<br /><a href="http://www.interstateq.com/archives/4050/">http://www.interstateq.com/archives/4050/</a><br /><br />U S General Issues "No Pregnancy" Order For His Troops <br />by: Louise<br />The Army general of U.S. forces in Northern Iraq has banned pregnancy among military personnel in his command, NBC News reported on Friday. Anyone who becomes pregnant or impregnates another servicemember, including married couples assigned to the same unit, could face a court-martial and jail time, according to an order issued by Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14566/u-s-general-issues-no-pregnancy-order-for-his-troops/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14566/u-s-general-issues-no-pregnancy-order-for-his-troops/</a><br /><br />Sarah Palin - Liar Of The Year<br />Fact-checking political site PolitiFact has chosen Sarah Palin's "death panels" claim as its "Lie Of The Year." Of all the falsehoods and distortions in the political discourse this year, one stood out from the rest. "Death panels." The claim set political debate afire when it was made in August, raising issues from the role of government in health care to the bounds of acceptable political discussion. In a nod to the way technology has transformed politics, the statement wasn't made in an interview or a television ad. Sarah Palin posted it on her Facebook page. Her assertion — that the government would set up boards to determine whether seniors and the disabled were worthy of care — spread through newscasts, talk shows, blogs and town hall meetings. Opponents of health care legislation said it revealed the real goals of the Democratic proposals. Advocates for health reform said it showed the depths to which their opponents would sink. Still others scratched their heads and said, "Death panels? Really?" The editors of PolitiFact.com, the fact-checking Web site of the St. Petersburg Times, have chosen it as our inaugural "Lie of the Year."<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/sarah-palin-liar-of-year.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/sarah-palin-liar-of-year.html/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-33888793745249855362009-12-20T16:33:00.002-05:002009-12-20T16:41:09.815-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 20, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Gay Rights<br />On June 17, Mr. Obama signed an administrative memorandum extending some partnership rights to federal workers in same-sex relationships. It allows administration personnel to take leave to care for sick partners and requires the government to recognize their partners as household members when determining overseas housing allocations for State Department employees, among other things.<br /><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/<br /></a><br /><br />gaymarry, gay-marry<br />To marry someone of the same sex. Also used hyperbolically to mean to form an unconventional relationship, as in, “I love my new cellphone so much I want to gay-marry it.” <br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/weekinreview/20buzz.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/weekinreview/20buzz.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />At 100, Boy Scouts say they're still `essential'<br />By DAVID CRARY<br />A fifth-generation Boy Scout, 11-year-old Brad Corr is steeped in all the lore and tradition: the Scout Oath and Scout Law, campcraft and community service, the daily doing of good deeds. If he were recruiting a friend for the Scouts, though, what would be his best pitch? "We got to build catapults and launch pumpkins from them."<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122000027.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122000027.html/</a><br /><br />Why two black D.C. pastors support gay marriage<br />By Dennis W. Wiley and Christine Y. Wiley<br />On a beautiful Saturday afternoon a couple of years ago, we entered the sanctuary at Covenant Baptist Church and took our places in front of the altar, just as we had countless times before in our more than 20 years as partners in ministry. We had been united in holy matrimony ourselves in the same spot where we now stood to unite others. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121802049.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121802049.html/</a><br /><br />Firms expect economic windfall from gay marriage in District<br />By Sandhya Somashekhar<br />Robin Sutliff's flower shop is redolent with the ingredients of a perfect wedding place setting: tall stands of white amaryllis, cala lilies imported from South America, summery clusters of yellow-orange orchids. When she imagines the many same-sex couples likely to tie the knot in the District this spring, though, her mind settles on the humble hyacinth. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/19/AR2009121902234.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/19/AR2009121902234.html/</a><br /><br />HBO's 'Big Love' to start Season 4 with a gay story line<br />By Jill Serjeant<br />Television polygamy drama "Big Love" returns for a fourth season in January with a gay story line that is likely to stir up controversy in Mormon circles where homosexual relations are prohibited. The creators of the HBO cable show, about a polygamous family living in Utah, plan to explore a same-sex relationship between two male characters involved in a fictional breakaway sect at the center of the series. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121800161.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121800161.html/</a><br /><br />Evangelical church opens doors fully to gays<br />By ERIC GORSKI<br />The auditorium lights turned low, the service begins with the familiar rhythms of church: children singing, hugs and handshakes of greeting, a plea for donations to fix the boiler. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122000036.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122000036.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />‘I’m gay,’ reveals Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas<br />By MATT WITHERS, Wales Online<br /> "I'm a rugby player first and foremost. I just happen to be gay. It's irrelevant"<br />Rugby star Gareth Thomas today said he hoped he could make a difference to others struggling with their sexuality after disclosing he is gay. The former Wales international full-back said he was grateful for the “amazing response” he had received after describing his fears of how people would react.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/im-gay-reveals-welsh-rugby-star-gareth-thomas.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/im-gay-reveals-welsh-rugby-star-gareth-thomas.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Who's saying what about gay and lesbian issues<br />Catholic Archdiocese of DC insinuates Jesus says "No" to gay marriage because its like incest & sex with animals<br />Posted by duy <br />''It occurred to me to wonder what Jesus would say about the redefining of Marriage that is happening in this country of the last number of years? Many today insist that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality or so-called Gay Marriage.... I am using here the Catholic NAB translation: '[Jesus said] whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.' (Matt 19:9) ... Now the phrase, 'unless the marriage is unlawful' translates a Greek word πορνείᾳ (porneia). The usual meaning of the word is 'fornication'... many Greek lexicons (e.g. Strongs and also Thayer & Smith) define porneia broadly as 'illicit sexual intercourse' and then go on to define porneia more generally to include, fornication, homosexual activitity, lesbian activity, intercourse with animals, sexual intercourse with close relatives ( as spelled out in Leviticus 18), or sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman.... So, fundamentally porneia most often means fornication (pre-marital sex) but it can mean other illicit things as well.... Gentiles often called "marriage" what the Judeo-Christians would call incest. There were also difficulties encountered with homosexual unions and other arrangements that the Christian Church could not and would not recognize.... Bottom line: Jesus would say 'No' I have it on the best of authority: Scripture and Tradition speaking through the Magisterium.''<br /><a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/news/last_word/2009/12/archdiocese-of-dc-insinuates-j.html/">http://www.metroweekly.com/news/last_word/2009/12/archdiocese-of-dc-insinuates-j.html/</a><br /><br />Gay marriage is civil rights issue<br />Shannon Robb – Guest essayist<br />I was recently told by a man in his 50s that my generation would ruin the country based on our desired societal changes and political beliefs. However, with the recent failure of the New York Senate to pass a gay marriage bill, I disagree with this statement. I am a member of the MTV generation who has only felt increasing disappointment with the failure of New York to advance in an ever-changing nation.<br /><a href="http://rocnow.com/article/essays/2009912200322/">http://rocnow.com/article/essays/2009912200322/</a><br /><br />Letters: Marriages need court sanction<br />The Rev. John Edgar misses the point entirely ("Can't divorce marriage, religion," letter, Monday). He bases his argument against gay marriage on the straw man issues of procreation and children's wishes. This has nothing to do with the civil and legal rights bestowed upon a couple by way of marriage. The combination of marriage with religion is purely an option, as atheists can marry and have the same legal rights as a religious couple. And we don't refer to their marriage as an "atheist marriage," either. <br /><a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/currents/79743222.html/">http://www.philly.com/inquirer/currents/79743222.html/</a><br /><br />American Family Association is selling condoms <br />by: Lurleen <br />Well, computer condoms, anyways. American Family Filter can help, whether your concern is for your children who use the Internet, your spouse who spends secret computer time, or your personal struggle against online pornography.I guess actually talking to your spouse about your concerns over their online frolics would be out of the question. As for installing a filter yourself to hinder your own online porn addiction, isn't that like handing the jailhouse keys to the convicts? The idiocy of this ad boggles the mind, but then again it is AFA, so... <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14559/american-family-association-is-selling-condoms/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14559/american-family-association-is-selling-condoms/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-5340087482966090582009-12-19T11:12:00.001-05:002009-12-19T11:19:57.408-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 19, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Uganda: Homosexuality Bill Opposed <br />By REUTERS<br />The United States is urging Uganda to drop a bill that would criminalize homosexuality, saying its passage could encourage other African countries to make similar moves, a top United States diplomat said Friday. After a meeting at the State Department with gay and lesbian activists, the diplomat, Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson, told reporters in Washington that the United States considered the legislation a violation of human rights and a bad precedent. The bill, which calls for the death penalty for “serial offenders,” is in the committee stage. Mr. Carson said the American government had been in touch with President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda to express opposition to the measure. <br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/world/africa/19briefs-HOMOSEXUALIT_BRF.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/19/world/africa/19briefs-HOMOSEXUALIT_BRF.html?scp=5&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Former Wales Captain Thomas Reveals He Is Gay<br />By REUTERS<br />LONDON (Reuters) - Former Wales captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is gay. "I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player first and foremost," the 35-year-old told the Daily Mail on Saturday.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/19/sports/sports-uk-rugby-wales-thomas.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/19/sports/sports-uk-rugby-wales-thomas.html?scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Ugandan government backs anti-gay legislation<br />By Barney Jopson<br />KAMPALA -- The Ugandan government is backing an anti-homosexuality bill that would introduce some of the world's toughest punishments for gays, with a minimum life sentence for anyone convicted of having gay sex and a mandatory death penalty if the person is HIV-positive. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121804294.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121804294.html/</a><br /><br />Why two black D.C. pastors support gay marriage<br />By Dennis W. Wiley and Christine Y. Wiley<br />On a beautiful Saturday afternoon a couple of years ago, we entered the sanctuary at Covenant Baptist Church and took our places in front of the altar, just as we had countless times before in our more than 20 years as partners in ministry. We had been united in holy matrimony ourselves in the same spot where we now stood to unite others. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121802049.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121802049.html/</a><br /><br />HBO's 'Big Love' to start Season 4 with a gay story line<br />By Jill Serjeant<br />Television polygamy drama "Big Love" returns for a fourth season in January with a gay story line that is likely to stir up controversy in Mormon circles where homosexual relations are prohibited. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121800161.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121800161.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Gov't refuses to OK health coverage for gay worker's wife, says judge's order is 'nonbinding'<br />By Lisa Leff<br />The U.S. Office of Personnel Management still thinks it can't authorize health care coverage for the same-sex spouse of a federal court employee even though a judge has ordered the agency to do, a government lawyer said Friday.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-federal-employees,0,4806404.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-gay-marriage-federal-employees,0,4806404.story/</a><br /><br />Effort to restrict health coverage of abortion reignites an old cause for some young feminists<br />By Beth Fouhy<br />At 21, Jelena Woehr describes herself as a feminist, focusing on issues such as domestic violence and improved career opportunities for women. Yes, she also supports abortion rights. But that wasn't her emphasis until Congress began considering potential restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion. Now, she's joined many other young feminists in mobilizing to protect a right they thought had been settled long ago.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-young-women-abortion,0,7645288.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-young-women-abortion,0,7645288.story/</a><br /><br />Proposed Medicare Advantage cuts concern South Florida seniors<br />Congress looks to cut back Medicare program to help pay for health-care reform<br />By William E. Gibson and Bob LaMendola<br />For years, the federal government has spent billions to entice senior citizens into private Medicare Advantage plans run by HMOs that offer bonus care for low premiums. Nw that nearly a quarter of Medicare patients have enrolled in these health plans, including 350,000 in South Florida, Congress is poised to pass reform legislation that would yank billions of dollars away from them.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-medicare-advantage-20091218,0,7352797.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-medicare-advantage-20091218,0,7352797.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Oy Vey: Oscar-Worthy Songs?<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Five songs from Hannah Montana: The Movie are contenders for Academy Award nominations for best original song. Along with the hits from the teenage pop star Miley Cyrus, songs from Brüno, Oy Vey! My Son is Gay! and Nine are on the list of 63 songs competing to be pared down to five. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will then screen parts of the films along with the songs to voting members.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Oy_Vey_Oscar-Worthy_Songs/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Oy_Vey_Oscar-Worthy_Songs/</a><br /><br />Marriage Equality Gets Remixed<br />FAIR has teamed with deviantART to sponsor an art contest based on graphic remixes of Shepard Fairey’s renowned marriage equality poster “Defend Equality Love Unites."<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Grassroots equality organization FAIR (Freedom Action Inclusion Rights) teamed with deviantART, an online viral art community, to sponsor an art contest based on graphic remixes of Shepard Fairey’s renowned marriage equality poster Defend Equality Love Unites last November. The contest generated over 1,600 submissions, making it one of deviantART’s most popular contests ever.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Art/Marriage_Equality_Gets_Remixed/">http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Art/Marriage_Equality_Gets_Remixed/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />US Assistant Secretary of State condemns Uganda's proposed anti-gay laws<br />The USA's Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs has said that it is urging Ugandan politicians to block a proposed law that would impose life imprisonments of gay people, arguing that it would set back the fight against HIV/ AIDS.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/19/us-assistant-secretary-of-state-condemns-ugandas-proposed-anti-gay-laws/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/19/us-assistant-secretary-of-state-condemns-ugandas-proposed-anti-gay-laws/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />5 senators won't back gay marriage<br />The moderate Republicans say N.J. should instead strengthen and enforce its civil-union law.<br />By Angela Delli Santi <br />Five moderate Republican state senators who have been under pressure to support gay marriage said yesterday that they would not vote for a bill allowing same-sex couples to wed in New Jersey. <br /><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/79707947.html/">http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/79707947.html/</a><br /><br />Why would we judge a same-sex marriage?<br />Regarding Paul Edwards' Dec. 8 letter praising the state Senate's rejection of gay marriage, this should not be an issue in the 21st century. We cleared the hurdles of racism, anti-miscegenation, women's rights and a host of other such issues during the 20th century. <br /><a href="http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=879959&category=OPINION/">http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=879959&category=OPINION/</a><br /><br />European Parliament Firmly Denounces Ugandan ‘Anti-Gay’ Bill<br />Bill is “uncivilised and unacceptable” – Cashman<br />STRASBURG, December 17, 2009 – The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, today adopted a resolution strongly condemning the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009 , a Private Members Bill, said to have the support of the Government, tabled by David Bahati MP in the Ugandan Parliament.<br /><a href="http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Dec/1701.htm/">http://www.ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/09/Dec/1701.htm/</a><br /><br />BBC boss: Sorry for online debate on killing gays<br />LONDON — A senior BBC executive apologized Thursday for hosting an online debate over whether gays should face capital punishment in Uganda. The broadcaster drew criticism from some lawmakers and users for the discussion forum, which ran under the headline: "Should homosexuals face execution?"<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gC5tZQSZbdQIhA68N6HrRDJxIBbgD9CL9DN01/">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gC5tZQSZbdQIhA68N6HrRDJxIBbgD9CL9DN01/</a><br /><br />NC: The latest bigot eruption from Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill 'Your son was a homo' James <br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />Bill James isn't through making headlines; he clearly has difficulty coping with his fellow Mecklenburg County Commissioners voting to extend domestic partner benefits to county employees -- and that includes same-sex couples.<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14548/nc-the-latest-bigot-eruption-from-mecklenburg-county-commissioner-bill-your-son-was-a-homo-james/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14548/nc-the-latest-bigot-eruption-from-mecklenburg-county-commissioner-bill-your-son-was-a-homo-james/</a><br /><br />Guest Post - Carl Siciliano<br />posted by Joe <br />I get very angry at the hell so many LGBT teens are put through. A ew months ago a man named Anthony reached out to me to tell me a terrible story. He knew of a teen in upstate New York whose family learned he was gay and threw him out. A few days later the boy tried to return home, only to be told that if he returned again his father would kill him and bury him in the backyard. The boy tried to survive in nearby towns eating out of garbage cans and sleeping in parking lots. Anthony was the last person who saw the boy alive; Anthony was the train conductor who slammed on the brakes when the boy jumped in front of his train, ending his life.<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/guest-post-carl-siciliano.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/guest-post-carl-siciliano.html/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to <a href="Rays.List@Comcast.net">Rays.List@Comcast.net</a>]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-4243189590008757112009-12-19T10:53:00.001-05:002009-12-19T11:12:48.186-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 18, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Gay Rights<br />On June 17, Mr. Obama signed an administrative memorandum extending some partnership rights to federal workers in same-sex relationships. It allows administration personnel to take leave to care for sick partners and requires the government to recognize their partners as household members when determining overseas housing allocations for State Department employees, among other things.<br /><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/presidency/index.html?scp=6&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Mayor Set to Sign DC's Gay Marriage Bill <br />By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<br />Same-sex marriages in the nation's capital will come one step closer when Washington's mayor signs the bill at a public ceremony.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/18/us/AP-US-DC-Gay-Marriage.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/18/us/AP-US-DC-Gay-Marriage.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships<br />For over a decade, the issue of same-sex marriage has been a flashpoint political issue in the United States, setting off waves of competing legislation and ballot initiatives attempting either to legalize or ban the practice. Rifts have also opened among religious groups over the decision to recognize same-sex marriage or condemn it.<br /><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />BBC boss: Sorry for online debate on killing gays<br />The Associated Press <br />LONDON -- A senior BBC executive apologized Thursday for hosting an online debate over whether gays should face capital punishment in Uganda. The broadcaster drew criticism from some lawmakers and users for the discussion forum, which ran under the headline: "Should homosexuals face execution?" <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121703171.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121703171.html/</a><br /><br />Portuguese govt aims to permit gay marriage<br />By BARRY HATTON<br />LISBON, Portugal -- Portugal's Socialist government has drawn up a proposal that would make Portugal the sixth European country to allow gay marriage. The law is almost certain to pass, as the center-left Socialist government has the support of all left-of-center parties, who together have a majority in Parliament. Right-of-center parties oppose the measure. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121702026.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121702026.html/</a><br /><br />Snow White and 175 Faeries <br />The first half of the annual show by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington is delivered with sincere affection for the season, but in the second half, the camp comes out as the chorus retells the "Snow White" story like you've never heard it (the seven dwarves, for example, are Pushy, Nasty, Nancy, Cuddly, Spanky, Hose and Bitter). Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW. 202-293-1548 or http://www.gmcw.org. $20-$50. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121701541.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121701541.html/</a><br /><br />Faith, folly and Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill<br />By Michael Gerson<br />It is sad when someone you care about threatens to do a foolish and destructive thing. In this case, it is not a relative or a friend but a country. Uganda has endured the rule of a psychotic -- dictator and cannibal Idi Amin -- and a pandemic that decimated a generation. Its people responded with courage and faith, and the two are related. When I think of cheerful compassion in the midst of suffering, my examples are Ugandans. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121703673.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121703673.html/</a><br /><br />World Digest: Spanish lawmakers move to ease abortion restrictions<br />SPAIN <br />Abortion restrictions likely to be eased<br />Lawmakers voted to ease Spain's abortion law Thursday, approving a bill to allow the procedure without restrictions up to 14 weeks of gestation. The change would bring this traditionally Roman Catholic country in line with its more secular counterparts in Northern Europe. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121704260.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121704260.html/</a><br /><br />Fenty to sign same-sex marriage bill at church in NW D.C.<br />By Nikita Stewart<br />Mayor Adrian M. Fenty will sign legislation Friday to legalize same-sex marriage in the District at a bill-signing ceremony so historic that his staff scrambled to find the perfect location Thursday. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121704330.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/17/AR2009121704330.html/</a><br /><br />Mayor set to sign DC's gay marriage bill<br />The Associated Press<br />Same-sex marriages in the nation's capital will come one step closer when Washington's mayor signs the bill at a public ceremony. The city council approved the measure this week legalizing gay marriage. It still has to go for review to Congress, which has the final say over D.C.'s laws. The district's nonvoting delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, has said she expects no opposition there. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121801557.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/18/AR2009121801557.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />There Isn't Much Gradualism in the New Testament<br />Andrew Klavan's "Pride and Prejudice in the Episcopal Church" (op-ed, Dec. 10) is a well-reasoned and passionate cry for moderation over the issue of full inclusion for gay and lesbian people in the Episcopal Church. It is a matter of intense pain and often fear for many as the Episcopal Church takes this route. Mr. Klavan's argument for moderation and slowing down is the same argument that kept racial segregation alive for far too long. While my rational, logical, sequential brain agrees with Mr. Klavan that "more haste, less speed" might sound like a good idea, and that a radical rush to inclusion in some instances harbors a display of moral one-upmanship, the other part of me remembers that without some members of the Episcopal Church taking a radical stand on the ordination of women and their equality as full members of the Church we'd still be mouthing the platitudes of "gradualism" which, Victor Hugo notwithstanding, may, or may not, be the whole method of God. I for one am uncomfortable with claiming to know so clearly the ways of the Holy One.<br />Zara Renander <br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574590351712258502.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574590351712258502.html/</a><br /><br /><br />Mr. Klavan fails to mention that at the Episcopal Church's last general convention in July both the House of Bishops and the House of (Lay) Deputies voted by more than a two-to-one margin to lift the moratorium on promoting gay clergy to the episcopate. I must also disagree with Mr. Klavan and Victor Hugo that "gradualism is the whole method of God." While over time change may appear to take place gradually, it seldom does in the short term. Nor is gradual change a prominent biblical theme. Jesus did not make reasoned arguments to recruit his disciples. He simply walked up to them and said, "Follow me." Astoundingly, having only just met the man, they immediately dropped whatever they were doing and did so. St. Paul was not gradually convinced to stop persecuting the early Christians—he was struck blind on the road to Damascus and radically transformed. <br />Patricia A. Robinson <br />Appleton, Wis. <br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574590351712258502.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704517504574590351712258502.html/</a><br /><br />Filling Legal Gaps For Same-Sex Couples<br />By Taylor Smith<br />The state says we’re married, the feds say we’re not. What gives?Massachusetts-based financial planner Dana Levit regularly fields that question from clients. That’s because in 2004 the state of Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, but gay couples who have tied the knot there still aren’t recognized as married by U.S. federal authorities.“For those people, there’s an added level of complexity when it comes to financial planning,” says Levit. “Gay couples have the same problems paying the bills as other people, but have a lot of other challenges as well.”Non-traditional families–gay couples and straight couples who have chosen not to walk down the aisle–face roadblocks that the average married couple simply doesn’t have to worry about. Non-traditional couples can’t file joint taxes, and a partner’s Social Security benefits are off limits. Splitting up presents tricky issues, and death brings even trickier ones.Levit has become fluent in financial planning for non-traditional couples, who now make up more than a third of her client base. She says focusing on that particular niche has been good for her company, Newton, Mass.-based Paragon Financial Advisors. “It’s a great way to get business,” she says.Levit also likes the challenge of finding solutions to problems most financial advisers never encounter. For instance, her non-traditional clients won’t ever be able to rely on a partner’s pension or Social Security benefits. So to provide a chunk of cash when one partner dies, Levit looks to life insurance policies. “You have to pay premiums on insurance that you wouldn’t need otherwise, so there’s an added cost for same-sex couples,” she says.Other solutions aren’t as straightforward. One half of a couple Levit works with makes a lot of money, the other half doesn’t. Now that they’re planning to have a child, the low earner plans to stay home. The stay-at-home partner won’t have any income to contribute to her retirement savings and can’t count on tapping her spouse’s 401(k), so Levit recommended that the high earner make additional retirement provisions in the other’s name. Levit also advised the couple to title as much of their property jointly as possible to avoid complications passing on assets if one dies.“Planning for same-sex couples is all about equalizing the estate, because there isn’t the same opportunity to split up the assets in death or divorce,” says Levit.Levit also made sure the clients had healthcare-proxy documentation in place. “I recommend that couples keep a copy of their healthcare proxy or power-of-attorney with them even when they’re traveling, because other states may not recognize them as spouses,” she says.Still, Levit says that specializing in financial planning for non-traditional couples isn’t all about circumventing roadblocks. “There are plenty of ways where you can save these people money through smart planning,” she says. “You can help unmarried couples so much by doing that.”The state says we’re married, the feds say we’re not. What gives? Massachusetts-based financial planner Dana Levit regularly fields that question from clients. That’s because in 2004 the state of Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, but gay couples who have tied the knot there still aren’t recognized as married by U.S. federal authorities.<br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/financial-adviser/2009/12/17/filling-legal-gaps-for-same-sex-couples/">http://blogs.wsj.com/financial-adviser/2009/12/17/filling-legal-gaps-for-same-sex-couples/</a><br /><br />The Adam Lambert Problem<br />"Wrong track" poll numbers aren't just about the economy.<br />By Peggy Noonan<br />The news came in numbers and the numbers were fairly grim, all the grimmer for being unsurprising. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll reported this week that more than half of Americans, 55%, think America is on the wrong track, with only 33% saying it is going in the right direction. A stunning 66% say they're not confident that their children's lives will be better than their own (27% are).<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704238104574602470345172100.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704238104574602470345172100.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Sun-Sentinel<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Poll finds Jerry Brown still leads race for California governor, but Republicans gaining<br />By Juliet Williams<br />Democrat Jerry Brown may still be the presumed front-runner in next year's California governor's race, but a new poll indicates he shouldn't take that position for granted. <br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-california-governors-race-poll,0,3365766.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-california-governors-race-poll,0,3365766.story/</a><br /><br />Calif. parks department to address equality for women, gays in response to lesbian ranger suit<br />By Associated Press<br />The California Department of Parks and Recreation is forming a task force to address equality issues for its women and gay employees. Parks officials said Thursday the move is part of a settlement with a lesbian park ranger who filed a harassment lawsuit in San Diego County.<br /><a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-park-ranger-harassment,0,3430283.story/">http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-park-ranger-harassment,0,3430283.story/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Video | North Carolina official in hot water after calling fellow commissioner’s late son ‘a homo’<br />During a debate about domestic partner benefits in Mecklenburg County, N.C., Commissioner Vilma Leake spoke passionately in favor, revealing that her son had been gay and died of AIDS. Fellow Commissioner Bill James leaned to Leake and responded: "Your son was a homo?"<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-north-carolina-official-in-hot-water-after-calling-fellow-commissioners-late-son-a-homo.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-north-carolina-official-in-hot-water-after-calling-fellow-commissioners-late-son-a-homo.html/</a><br /><br />Video | ‘A Single Man’ director Tom Ford singled out for Oscar buzz<br />AP video:<br />Fashion director turned director Tom Ford talks about his debut feature film, A Single Man, which is nominated in 3 categories at the Golden Globes.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-a-single-man-director-tom-ford-singled-out-for-oscar-buzz.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-a-single-man-director-tom-ford-singled-out-for-oscar-buzz.html/</a><br /><br />Reggae star Banton will be transferred to Tampa<br />By JENNIFER KAY, Associated Press<br />Grammy-nominated Jamaican reggae star Buju Banton will fight a drug charge against him in Tampa instead of Miami.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/reggae-star-banton-will-be-transferred-to-tampa.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/reggae-star-banton-will-be-transferred-to-tampa.html/</a><br /><br />Video | HIV/AIDS Community Discussion held Nov. 20 at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale<br />The White House has posted a video of its HIV/AIDS Community Discussion held Nov. 20, 2009, at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale:<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-hivaids-community-discussion-held-nov-20-at-dillard-high-school-in-fort-lauderdale.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/video-hivaids-community-discussion-held-nov-20-at-dillard-high-school-in-fort-lauderdale.html/</a><br /><br />New report documents ‘Decade of Progress’ on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in America<br />News release from the LGBT Movement Advancement Project and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund:<br />Study points to dramatic gains between 2000 and 2009<br />SAN FRANCISCO – As the decade draws to a close, a new report shows the past 10 years have been a period of dramatic gains in equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in America. Two-thirds of the 36 statistical indicators compiled in A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights showed significant advances, including sharp increases in the number of LGBT Americans protected by nondiscrimination and family recognition legislation at the state level. Less than one quarter of the indicators were negative, and four showed mixed results. The report is a joint project of the LGBT Movement Advancement Project and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/new-report-documents-decade-of-progress-on-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-equality-in-america.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/new-report-documents-decade-of-progress-on-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-equality-in-america.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /> <br />Spanish lawmakers vote to ease abortion law<br />By DANIEL WOOLLS<br />MADRID -- Lawmakers voted to ease Spain's abortion law Thursday, approving a bill to allow the procedure without restrictions up to 14 weeks. The change would bring this traditionally Roman Catholic country in line with its more secular neighbors in northern Europe.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1386316.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1386316.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Antigay Sen. DeMint's Website Hacked?<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Unusual content on the campaign Web site for U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, the South Carolina Republican who recently said he found the idea of a gay president “immoral,” raised questions about whether the site was hacked.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Was_DeMint_Web_site_Hacked_/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Was_DeMint_Web_site_Hacked_/</a><br /><br />Hate Crime Suspected in Puerto Rico<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Investigators in Puerto Rico are questioning whether hate motivated the murder of an unidentified man believed to have been gay who was found dead inside the Motel Las Colinas in Ponce on Wednesday. The victim's throat had been slit. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Hate_Crime_Feared_in_Puerto_Rico/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Hate_Crime_Feared_in_Puerto_Rico/</a><br /><br />Tot Suspended Over Hair Length, Misses Classmates<br />A prekindergarten student in Texas has been sent to in-school suspension because his hair was deemed too long. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//article.aspx?id=104372/">http://www.advocate.com//article.aspx?id=104372/</a><br /><br />Gately Widower Files Columnist Complaint<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />The civil partner of deceased British singer Stephen Gately (pictured) has filed a formal complaint about Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir, who called the circumstances of his death “sleazy” and criticized same-sex partnerships in an article published one day before the funeral.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Gately_Widower_Files_Columist_Complaint/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Gately_Widower_Files_Columist_Complaint/</a><br /><br />Prop 8 Case Could Be Televised<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />The federal challenge to Proposition 8 could be televised under a new experimental program authorized by the Judicial Council of the 9th Circuit.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Prop_8_Case_Could_Be_Televised/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Prop_8_Case_Could_Be_Televised/</a><br /><br />Auschwitz Sign Stolen<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Police reported Friday that the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Sets You Free”) sign over the gate to the Auschwitz memorial in Poland had been stolen. According to The New York Times,the Polish police believe the iron sign was taken between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. by unscrewing it on one side and pulling it off on the other. <br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Auschwitz_Sign_Stolen/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/18/Auschwitz_Sign_Stolen/</a><br /><br />BBC Sort of Sorry for Headline<br />By Neal Broverman <br />After a poll appeared yesterday on the BBC's website that initially asked "Should Homosexuals Face Execution?" the director of BBC World Service, Peter Horrocks, apologized if it caused any offense.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/17/BBC_Sort_of_Sorry_for_Headline/">http://www.advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/12/17/BBC_Sort_of_Sorry_for_Headline/</a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Groups spend $9.6 m in Maine gay marriage vote<br />By The Associated Press<br />Campaign finance reports show that the two sides in the ballot fight that overturned Maine’s gay marriage law spent $9.6 million.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/groups-spend-9-6-m-in-maine-gay-marriage-vote/">http://www.365gay.com/news/groups-spend-9-6-m-in-maine-gay-marriage-vote/</a><br /><br />RuPaul as….Sarah Palin?<br />By 365gay Newswire<br />From John Polly at our sister site NewNowNext.com: ‘Tis the season for another hot-topic-worthy ready shot of RuPaul, and this time she’s “Going Vogue!” Watch out, Grandma Palin. Ru’s got on her red anorak and she’s ready to govern! And I’m guessing Ru knows her way around a lumberjack. Plus, I’m sure Ru also knows all about laying some serious Alaskan pipeline.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/rupaul-as-sarah-palin/">http://www.365gay.com/news/rupaul-as-sarah-palin/</a><br /><br />Corvino: A story of comfort and joy<br />By John Corvino, columnist, 365gay.com <br />Allow me to share a favorite holiday story. It was late-November 1989, a year after I first came out. I had been dating a guy named Michael for over a month, which made him (in my mind, at least) my first “real” boyfriend. I was twenty and he was turning twenty-two, and we decided to drive into the city to celebrate his birthday.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/corvino-a-story-of-comfort-and-joy/">http://www.365gay.com/news/corvino-a-story-of-comfort-and-joy/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gay Europe minister Chris Bryant attacks BBC's 'ludicrous mistake' on gay execution debate <br />Minister for Europe Chris Bryant has attacked the BBC for holding a debate on whether gays should be executed. Bryant, who is gay, told PinkNews.co.uk he would be writing to the BBC's World Service director Peter Horrocks to demand an explanation.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/gay-europe-minister-chris-bryant-attacks-bbcs-ludicrous-mistake-on-gay-execution-debate/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/gay-europe-minister-chris-bryant-attacks-bbcs-ludicrous-mistake-on-gay-execution-debate/</a><br /><br />Convictions for homophobic hate crime increase<br />Figures from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have shown a ten per cent rise in four years in the numbers of people being convicted for homophobic and transphobic hate crimes.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/convictions-for-homophobic-hate-crime-increase/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/convictions-for-homophobic-hate-crime-increase/</a><br /><br />Ugandan parliament to debate anti-gay bill today<br />Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill will be discussed in the country's parliament today. It is thought that this debate will follow a second reading and a vote will be taken in January after a third reading.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/ugandan-parliament-to-debate-anti-gay-bill-today/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/ugandan-parliament-to-debate-anti-gay-bill-today/</a><br /><br />Canadian MP's Christmas card attacked by homophobes<br />A gay Canadian MP who sent out a Christmas card featuring himself and his husband has been attacked by homophobes on the internet. Nova Scotia Liberal MP Scott Brison's personalised card shows him and husband Maxime St Pierre on a walk with their dog.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/canadian-mps-christmas-card-attacked-by-homophobes/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/canadian-mps-christmas-card-attacked-by-homophobes/</a><br /> <br />Gay club owner goes into administration<br />Popbarz, the owner of gay clubs such as Ghetto in London, has gone into administration. Its administrators Ideal Corporate Solutions said it had suffered a “significant downturn in trade” .<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/gay-club-owner-goes-into-administration/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/gay-club-owner-goes-into-administration/</a><br /><br />Man who killed gay council worker has sentence reduced<br />A man who murdered a gay council officer has had his prison sentenced reduced by two years. David Meehan, who was 19 at the time, admitted murdering James Kerr, 51, in a public park and leaving him for dead while he and his accomplices went to a party.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/man-who-killed-gay-council-worker-has-sentence-reduced/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/man-who-killed-gay-council-worker-has-sentence-reduced/</a><br /> <br />Former drag queen accuses boss of homophobia<br />A gay man who once worked as a drag queen is suing his boss for unfair dismissal and sexual orientation discrimination. Dean Awford claims David Gray was homophobic and referred to him as "she" in front of customers.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/15453/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/18/15453/</a><br /><br />Stephen Gately's widower makes official complaint about Jan Moir column<br />Stephen Gately's civil partner has made an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission about Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir's article on his death. Andrew Cowles cited breaches of accuracy, intrusion into grief or shock and discrimination.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/stephen-gatelys-widower-makes-official-complaint-about-jan-moir-column/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/stephen-gatelys-widower-makes-official-complaint-about-jan-moir-column/<br /></a><br />Portugal tipped to allow gay marriage<br />Portugal's government is drawing up a law to allow gay marriage. According to Associated Press, the legislative change would remove any references to gender and if passed, would come in to force by April.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/portugal-tipped-to-allow-gay-marriage/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/portugal-tipped-to-allow-gay-marriage/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Fairfax race to replace Cuccinelli a study in contrasts<br />By Harley Dennett<br />Virginia Partisans, the state’s gay Democratic group, was slated Thursday to endorse Del. David Marsden to fill incoming Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s state Senate seat. Marsden told DC Agenda that he was “proud to accept” the group’s endorsement.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/17/fairfax-race-to-replace-cuccinelli-a-study-in-contrasts/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/17/fairfax-race-to-replace-cuccinelli-a-study-in-contrasts/</a><br /><br />Calif. man could become first openly gay dad in Congress<br />by Chris Johnson<br />The mayor of Palm Springs is making a bid to become the first openly gay member of Congress who’s married with children. Steve Pougnet, 46, a Democrat, is seeking to oust Republican incumbent Mary Bono Mack next year to represent California’s 45th district in the U.S. House. A win for Pougnet would make him the fourth sitting openly gay member of Congress.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/17/calif-man-could-become-first-openly-gay-dad-in-congress%C2%A0/">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/17/calif-man-could-become-first-openly-gay-dad-in-congress%C2%A0/</a><br /><br />Parker’s win hailed as major breakthrough<br />By Chris Johnson<br />Gay rights advocates are heralding the victory of a lesbian official in her bid to become mayor of Houston as a triumph for LGBT Americans. Annise Parker, a Democrat and city controller for Houston, won the city’s Dec. 12 mayoral election by taking 53 percent of the vote. Her win marks the seventh time she’s won a citywide election in Houston and makes the city the most populous in the country to elect an openly LGBT mayor. She takes office Jan. 4.<br /><a href="http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/17/parker%E2%80%99s-win-hailed-as-major-breakthrough">http://dcagenda.com/2009/12/17/parker%E2%80%99s-win-hailed-as-major-breakthrough</a>/<br /><br />Cameras In Court OK'd In California: Gay Marriage Trial Could Be First Up <br />Erin Geiger Smith<br />The must-see TV of David Boies, Ted Olson & The Gay Marriage Debate could soon be hitting your flatscreen.<br /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cameras-in-court-okd-in-california-gay-marriage-trial-first-up-2009-12/">http://www.businessinsider.com/cameras-in-court-okd-in-california-gay-marriage-trial-first-up-2009-12/</a><br /><br />German referee takes legal action after homophobic rant by Arminia Bielefeld coach <br />German referee Georg Schalk is taking legal action against Arminia Bielefeld assistant coach Frank Eulberg who allegedly called him a "dirty homosexual" after a second division match last week.<br />By Telegraph staff and agencies<br />Following his team's 3-2 defeat at Dusseldorf, Eulberg went over to the referee to vent his fury, before telling the press that "the dirty homosexual" laughed in his face. <br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/6787882/German-referee-takes-legal-action-after-homophobic-rant-by-Arminia-Bielefeld-coach.html/">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/6787882/German-referee-takes-legal-action-after-homophobic-rant-by-Arminia-Bielefeld-coach.html/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to <a href="Rays.List@Comcast.net">Rays.List@Comcast.net</a>]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-45937855325848233072009-12-15T00:45:00.002-05:002009-12-15T00:56:38.164-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 14, 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.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Pushing Republicans to the Right<br />By ALBERT R. HUNT<br />The broadcasting entertainers Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, while influential with conservatives, Republican strategists explain, aren’t officeholders or political decision makers. Jim DeMint is.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us/14iht-letter.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us/14iht-letter.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />A Fallen Barrier, but Little Fanfare<br />By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.<br />When asked why Houston became the first big city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor, rather than New York or San Francisco, the woman who had broken that barrier, Annise Parker, raised her eyebrows and said her victory came as no surprise to people who live here.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us/14houston.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us/14houston.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />The Republicans' war within<br />In California, repercussions of one vote by legislator illustrate fractured state party<br />By Michael Leahy<br />A few facts reveal just how far the Republican Party has fallen in California. A Republican hasn't carried the state in a presidential contest since 1988. The last time a California GOP candidate won a U.S. Senate election was in the same decade. Nowadays, Republicans' share of the state's registered voters has shrunk to 31 percent, a historic low. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/13/AR2009121303042_pf.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/13/AR2009121303042_pf.html/<br /></a><br /><br />=<br />Wall Street Journal<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/">http://online.wsj.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Billionaire Leads Chile Election <br />Conservative Piñera Will Likely Head to a Runoff With Center-Left Rival<br />By MATT MOFFETT <br />SANTIAGO, Chile -- Conservative billionaire Sebastián Piñera appeared headed for a win in Chile's presidential election, though falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff.<br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126075115772389867.html/">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126075115772389867.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gallery | Broadway leading man Brian Stokes Mitchell with fans after Arsht Center concert<br />Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell received several standing ovations Saturday night when he sang at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. A few highlights: This Nearly Was Mine (from South Pacific, which Stokes performed in concert at Carnegie Hall with Reba McEntire in 2006) – sung without amplification in the Knight Concert Hall; The Impossible Dream (from Stokes’ 2002 Tony-nominated turn as Broadway’s Man of La Mancha); a sexy, unusual take of Cole Porter’s Love For Sale; and songs from Kiss Me, Kate and Ragtime. Here are pictures of Stokes meeting fans and signing a few autographs after the performance.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-broadway-leading-man-brian-stokes-mitchell-with-fans-after-arsht-center-concert.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-broadway-leading-man-brian-stokes-mitchell-with-fans-after-arsht-center-concert.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Agenda: Business happenings in South Florida<br />MONDAY<br />Holly-Gay Party: Presented by the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Bring a holiday gift-card for Pridelines Youth Services. Includes free first drink, photo opportunities with the Clauses and hors d'oeuvres. Benefits the MDGLCC Foundation for Area Youth; 7-9 p.m., Halo, 1625 Michigan Ave., South Beach; $15 suggested donation. 786-586-4286 or mdglcc@bellsouth.net.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/business/business-monday/v-print/story/1377664.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/business/business-monday/v-print/story/1377664.html/</a><br /> <br />=<br />The Advocate<br /><a href="http://advocate.com/">http://advocate.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />E-marriages for Gay Couples?<br />By Julie Bolcer<br />Two Michigan State University professors want same-sex couples in any location to be able to receive marriage licenses remotely from states where the unions are legal.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/14/Emarriages_for_Gay_Couples/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/14/Emarriages_for_Gay_Couples/</a><br /><br />Sarah Palin and William Shatner Face Off<br />By Advocate.com Editors<br />Say what you will about Sarah Palin, but the former vice-presidential nominee proved on The Tonight Show Friday that she can take a joke.<br /><a href="http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/13/Sarah_Palin_and_William_Shatner_Face_Off/">http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/12/13/Sarah_Palin_and_William_Shatner_Face_Off/<br /></a><br /><br />=<br />365Gay.com<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/">http://www.365gay.com/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Episcopal bishop seeks prayer in rift over gays<br />By The Associated Press<br />The Episcopal Church should respond with “prayer and discernment” to the recent election of a lesbian priest as an assistant bishop of the Los Angeles diocese, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said Saturday.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/news/episcopal-bishop-seeks-prayer-in-rift-over-gays/">http://www.365gay.com/news/episcopal-bishop-seeks-prayer-in-rift-over-gays/</a><br /><br />Ask the Expert: Should I bring my partner home for the holidays?<br />By Joe Kort, relationship expert <br />When the holidays arrive, my partner of 10 years goes to her family and I go to mine. Afterward, we come together and meet up with our friends to celebrate. <br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/expert/ask-the-expert-should-i-bring-my-partner-home-for-the-holidays/">http://www.365gay.com/expert/ask-the-expert-should-i-bring-my-partner-home-for-the-holidays/</a><br /><br />RachelWatch: How To Protest an Unjust Bill<br />By Ali Davis, Contributing writer <br />Breaking News<br />You may have noticed – and indeed, may have been falling to your knees daily to give thanks – that Rachel was carefully not covering the Tiger Woods scandal. Her logic was that sex scandals are only truly newsworthy when at least one of the participants has been trumpeting his or her family values/moral superiority/purity of essence or has called for someone in a similar situation to resign.<br /><a href="http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-how-to-protest-an-unjust-bill/">http://www.365gay.com/living/rachelwatch-how-to-protest-an-unjust-bill/</a><br /><br />=<br />Pink News - UK<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Archbishop of Canterbury makes first public statement on Uganda's anti-gay law<br />The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has made his first public statement on the proposed anti-gay bill passing through Uganda's parliament.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/14/archbishop-of-canterbury-makes-first-public-statement-on-ugandas-anti-gay-law/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/14/archbishop-of-canterbury-makes-first-public-statement-on-ugandas-anti-gay-law/</a><br /><br />Straight teacher loses homophobic harassment claim<br />A straight Scottish teacher who tried to make a claim for homophobic harassment has lost his case. James Campbell, who worked at at Denny High School, claimed that the homophobic insults he received amount to sexual orientation discrimination, despite being straight.<br /><a href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/14/straight-teacher-loses-homophobic-harassment-claim/">http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/14/straight-teacher-loses-homophobic-harassment-claim/</a><br /><br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />New Hampshire to Legalize Adultery? Gay Marriage IS a Slippery Slope!<br />By David Gibson<br />Last June, the New Hampshire legislature made that state the sixth to legalize gay marriage (although a ballot in Maine undid its law) with a law that takes effect on Jan. 1. Opponents argue, of course, that legalizing gay marriage winds up eroding traditional marriage -- and maybe they're right. News out of the Granite State is that the legislature is now considering a bill to legalize adultery. Yes, it's true.<br /><a href="http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/14/new-hampshire-to-legalize-adultery-gay-marriage-is-a-slippery-s/">http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/14/new-hampshire-to-legalize-adultery-gay-marriage-is-a-slippery-s/</a><br /><br />Gay marriage supporters plan rally in DC<br />Associated Press<br />Supporters of gay marriage are planning a rally before the city council votes on a measure to grant same-sex couples the right to marry. The rally is planned for Monday evening at 7 p.m. at the Kennedy Recreation Center in the Shaw neighborhood. The city counsel is expected to vote on the measure Tuesday, clearing the way for it to be presented to the mayor.<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/gay-marriage-supporters-plan-rally-in-dc-79201722.html/">http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/ap/gay-marriage-supporters-plan-rally-in-dc-79201722.html/</a><br /><br />Medical Marijuana Apartheid, Why Are We Drugging Our Kids?, NY Crisis in Youth Prisons, Gay Mayor Breaks Barrier, and more….<br />by Victoria Lavin<br />Are the rich treated differently than the poor in the medical marijuana debate? Are pyschiatric drugs over perscribed for our youth? New York’s juvenile prison system is broken, with young people battling mental illness or addiction held alongside violent offenders in abysmal facilities where they receive little counseling. <br /><a href="http://dailyqueernews.com/272/medical-marijuana-apartheid-why-are-we-drugging-our-kids-ny-crisis-in-youth-prisons-gay-mayor-breaks-barrier-and-more/">http://dailyqueernews.com/272/medical-marijuana-apartheid-why-are-we-drugging-our-kids-ny-crisis-in-youth-prisons-gay-mayor-breaks-barrier-and-more/<br /></a><br /><br />What If Santa Were Gay?<br />By Ruth Sherman<br />I just saw a sweet, funny, Off-Broadway play entitled "Santa Claus Is Coming Out" that entertains exactly this question. Written by Jeffrey Solomon, the story revolves around a little boy, Gary, who, more than anything else, wants a doll for Christmas. Although he is too young to connect the dots, Gary intuitively knows he is different, that his desire for the doll will cause trouble and he is naturally afraid of the consequences. Still, he asks Santa Claus for the toy in the hope that Santa will love him despite the unconventional nature of his request.<br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-sherman/what-if-santa-were-gay_b_386284.html/">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-sherman/what-if-santa-were-gay_b_386284.html/</a><br /><br />Look at what the cat dragged in - OUT 100 video of the photo shoot <br />by: Pam Spaulding <br />The video from the 2009 OUT 100 photo shoot is up now. The first one below is about the cover shoot, which featured Adam Lambert and Dan Choi. This year's photographer is Jason Bell, and the theme for the interior photos was "School Days."<br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14475/look-at-what-the-cat-dragged-in-out-100-video-of-the-photo-shoot/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14475/look-at-what-the-cat-dragged-in-out-100-video-of-the-photo-shoot/</a><br /><br />Kiss-in in Paris<br />Filed by: Alex Blaze<br />TowleRoad put up video of a kiss-in here in Paris that took place at 4pm on Saturday this weekend. Alberto and I were there, but apparently our same-sex tongue-tying didn't make the final edit of this video. I thought we were pretty hot. Although I did spend some time there complaining that my camera didn't work and I couldn't get video or photos for Bilerico. Aw, well. <br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/kiss-in_in_paris.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/kiss-in_in_paris.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />"Brokeback" and "Bruno" Top List of Highest-Grossing LGBT-Related Films of the 2000s<br />Filed by: Prince Gomolvilas<br />While I question the importance of box-office numbers when it comes to cinema (millions of Twilight) fans don't negate the fact that those movies make me want to punch the screen), I do think they're a good barometer of public consciousness around films, mainstream and independent. So it was with great interest I read a recent list of the top-grossing LGBT-related films of the 2000s, compiled by indieWIRE, a popular source of news and information about independent cinema.<br /><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/brokeback_and_bruno_top_list_of_highest-grossing_l.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/">http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/brokeback_and_bruno_top_list_of_highest-grossing_l.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BilericoProject+%28The+Bilerico+Project%29/</a><br /><br />Organizing for ENDA in District of Newest Member of Congress<br />By Michael Cole<br />After a great day collecting letters in support of ENDA from local business owners in Oswego, I was invited to attend the SUNY Oswego Rainbow Alliance’s last meeting before the semester’s end. With the coming winter break and the next day being the last day of classes, the students here at Oswego have a busy month ahead. Yet with everything going on here on campus, the students here still made time for ENDA. The President of the Rainbow Alliance, Michael Johnson, invited me to speak to his organization tonight which I of course loved. Like me, the students here can’t believe that there is no federal employment protection for the LGBT community like there is for other Americans.<br /><a href="http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/12/organizing-for-enda-in-district-of-newest-member-of-congress/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HrcBackStory+%28HRC+Back+Story%29/">http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/12/organizing-for-enda-in-district-of-newest-member-of-congress/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HrcBackStory+%28HRC+Back+Story%29/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to <a href="http://">Rays.List@Comcast.net</a>]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31325395.post-43223266366355844192009-12-13T15:55:00.001-05:002009-12-13T16:04:44.330-05:00GLBT DIGEST - December 13, 2009**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT <a href="rays.list@comcast.net">rays.list@comcast.net</a> and we'll be happy to send the full article.<br /><br /><br />New York Times<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">http://www.nytimes.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />California Companies Fight Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide <br />By JESSE McKINLEY<br />As the political battle over same-sex marriage plays out in state capitals across the country, several California companies have emerged as the go-to players for opponents of the marriages.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/us/13marriage.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/us/13marriage.html?scp=8&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Lost to AIDS, but Still Friended <br />By GUY TREBAY<br />LIKE millions of other Americans, Dominic Bash has a Twitter account, an online wall and a network of friends on the Web. His Facebook-style profile features Mr. Bash’s occupation as a hairdresser at the Abbey in Philadelphia, lists his birthday, the names of good friends, his interests and hobbies. It pictures him at his most typical and outrageous — at a Philadelphia gay pride parade, dressed in a lavender feather boa, his long blond hair styled in a braid reminiscent of Madonna, in her Heidi phase.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/fashion/13memorial.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/fashion/13memorial.html?scp=4&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />Houston Is Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor <br />By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.<br />Houston became the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor on Saturday night, as voters gave a solid victory to the city controller, Annise Parker.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/us/politics/13houston.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/us/politics/13houston.html?scp=2&sq=gay&st=cse/</a><br /><br />=<br />Washington Post<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />HIV funds bypassing areas in need<br />SERVICES ARE SCARCE IN D.C. WARDS 7, 8<br />'We're in one of the most powerful cities in the world. It's not fair to these kids that we didn't get it right.'<br />By Debbie Cenziper<br />They are cheering and clapping and calling his name, but the boy in the corner won't budge. In front of him, eight children stand elbow to elbow on a rainbow-colored carpet. The adults at the group therapy session in Northwest Washington say: Tell us what makes you celebrate. The boy stares at his khakis, refusing to look up, even after a friend tries to coax him into the giggling fray. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/12/AR2009121202900.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/12/AR2009121202900.html/</a><br /><br />Houston voters elect first openly gay mayor<br />By MONICA RHOR<br />Annise Parker made history Saturday by becoming Houston's first openly gay mayor, seizing 53.6 percent of the vote in the city's hotly contested election. <br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/12/AR2009121200830.html/">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/12/AR2009121200830.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Steve Rothaus<br /><a href="http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/">http://www.MiamiHerald.com/gay/</a><br />Go to this link for the following articles:<br /><br />Gallery | Broadway leading man Brian Stokes Mitchell with fans after Arsht Center concert<br />Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell received several standing ovations Saturday night when he sang at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-broadway-leading-man-brian-stokes-mitchell-with-fans-after-arsht-center-concert.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/gallery-broadway-leading-man-brian-stokes-mitchell-with-fans-after-arsht-center-concert.html/</a><br /><br />Statewide gay leader Michael Albetta endorses Dave Aronberg for Florida attorney general<br />Democratic candidates for Florida attorney general are actively seeking the gay vote in next year’s election.<br />In October, Equality Florida, the state’s largest gay-rights group, announced it had endorsed state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, for AG.<br /><a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/statewide-gay-leader-michael-albetta-endorses-dave-aronberg-for-florida-attorney-general.html/">http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/12/statewide-gay-leader-michael-albetta-endorses-dave-aronberg-for-florida-attorney-general.html/</a><br /><br />=<br />Miami Herald<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/">http://www.miamiherald.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Buju Banton faces drug conspiracy charges<br />BY JACQUELINE CHARLES AND JAY WEAVER<br />Buju Banton, the Jamaican reggae star whose anti-gay lyrics have drawn international criticism, is in a federal lockup in Miami, facing drug conspiracy charges.<br /><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1379547.html/">http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1379547.html/</a><br /> <br />=<br />Daily Queer News<br /><a href="http://www.dailyqueernews.com/">http://www.dailyqueernews.com/</a><br />Go to the links for the following articles:<br /><br />Does anti-trans bigotry in some men stem from penile amputation anxiety? <br />by: Lurleen <br />A few days ago I received a link to a blog post called "Sara Buechner, Once David Buechner", by Ira Rosenstein. In the post, Rosenstein displays his ignorance of the difference between sex ("what's between your legs") and gender ("what's between your ears"). While I was pondering how to approach my write-up about Rosenstein's post, the Ron Gold debacle happened at Bilerico. As I read Gold's post, I couldn't help but notice one glaring commonality between the two screeds: apparent anxiety over penile amputation. <br /><a href="http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14461/does-antitrans-bigotry-in-some-men-stem-from-penile-amputation-anxiety/">http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/14461/does-antitrans-bigotry-in-some-men-stem-from-penile-amputation-anxiety/</a><br /><br />Insurance Companies Paying Facebookers To Oppose Health Care Reform <br />Insurance companies have been busted paying Facebook members in virtual currency in return for sending their Congress members an email opposing health care reform. Facebook users play a social game, like "FarmVille" or "Friends For Sale." They get addicted to it. Eager to accelerate their progress inside the game, the gamers buy "virtual goods" such as a machine gun for "Mafia Wars." But these gamers don't buy these virtual goods with real money. They use virtual currency. The gamers get virtual currency three ways:<br /><a href="http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/insurance-companies-paying-facebookers.html/">http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/12/insurance-companies-paying-facebookers.html/</a><br /><br />=<br /><br />[Send your comments about articles to <a href="Rays.List@Comcast.net">Rays.List@Comcast.net</a>]<br />#####Ray Rideout and Michael Cooperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01094109991850628433noreply@blogger.com0