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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop to Deliver Invocation at Lincoln Memorial
By Laurie Goodstein
President-elect Barack Obama has asked Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopal bishop who helped advise him on gay rights issues during the campaign, to deliver the invocation at a kickoff inaugural event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, two days before the inauguration itself.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/openly-gay-episcopal-bishop-to-deliver-invocation-at-lincoln-memorial/?scp=2&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Op-Contributor: Gay but Equal?
By MARY FRANCES BERRY
Philadelphia: AS the country prepares to enter the Obama era, anxiety over the legal status and rights of gays and lesbians is growing. Barack Obama's invitation to the Rev. Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor who opposes same-sex marriage, to give the invocation at his inauguration comes just as the hit movie "Milk" reminds us of the gay rights activism of the 1970s. Supporters of gay rights wonder if the California Supreme Court might soon confirm the legitimacy of Proposition 8, passed by state voters in November, which declares same-sex marriage illegal - leaving them no alternative but to take to the streets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/opinion/16mfberry.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=GAY&st=cse
-Rick Warren Chooses Silence
By Laurie Goodstein
The Rev. Rick Warren, the megachurch pastor who became a lightning rod for controversy when he was anointed by President-elect Barack Obama to give the premier prayer at the inauguration, has decided to let his prayer speak for him.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/rick-warren-chooses-silence/?scp=4&sq=GAY&st=cse
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama's Path to Faith Was Eclectic
President-Elect Will Reach Out to Diverse Set of Religious Leaders for Advice
By Eli Saslow
The presidential inauguration ceremony on Tuesday will begin and end with prayers from two men whom Barack Obama considers role models, advisers and dear friends. One, Joseph Lowery, is an 87-year-old black liberal Methodist from the Deep South who spent his career fighting for civil rights. The other, Rick Warren,9 is a 54-year-old white conservative evangelical from Southern California who fights same-sex unions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702601.html
-Transition Signals A Centrist Approach In Obama White House
Weeks Since Election Saw Minimal 'Drama'
By Anne E. Kornblut
If history is any guide, the 77-day transition period between the election and Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president provides an early road map to what the Obama presidency will look like, in both style and substance.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702690.html
-Religion Briefing: EVANGELICAL AND LIBERAL ALLIANCE
Coalition Agrees on Social Issues
A coalition of moderate evangelical Christians and progressives said this week that they have come to an agreement on several social issues that have traditionally divided them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604265.html
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Truth Wins Out - TWO
by Wayne Besen
http://www.truthwinsout.org/
-Tonight - Sunday!
Truth Wins Out's Founding Executive Director, Wayne Besen, will be on the O'Reilly Factor this evening debating anti-gay Bishop Harry Jackson. The show will discuss Revs. Gene Robinson and Rick Warren, who will both offer prayers at Obama's inauguration. Air time for the FOX inauguration special
is 5:30 PM.
-God TV To Broadcast Focus On The Family's 'Ex-Gay' Conference To Millions Deal With Focus on the Family During GOD TV's Creepy 'End Times' Month Truth Wins Out (TWO) today expressed its dismay over a deal between GOD TV and Focus on the Family to air the group's "ex-gay" Love Won Out conference. Focus on the Family claims they will now reach millions of people with their anti-gay propaganda and distorted science. The agreement comes at a time when GOD TV is airing a solid month of spooky End-Times programming.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/focus-on-the-family-to-broadcast-ex-gay-love-won-out-conference-to-millions-on-god-tv/
-Disgraceful Show Elevates Fringe Anti-Gay Activists To 'Expert' Status, Says TWO
Truth Wins Out (TWO) harshly condemned the Dr. Phil Show today, claiming that it exploited Toni, the mother of a transgender child, and placed her in a psychologically abusive situation - which nearly drove her to tears. The episode, "Little Boy Lost," also falsely portrayed notorious anti-gay activists, Glenn Stanton and Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, as "experts" on gender and homosexuality, says TWO.
Dr. Phil damaged his reputation by choosing sensationalism over professionalism and he ought to be ashamed. Instead of exploring this issue in-depth, Dr. Phil sunk to new depths. He exploited a loving mother by ambushing her with disreputable anti-gay activists well known for theories far outside mainstream psychology.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/two-upset-that-dr-phil-exploited-mother-of-transgender-child/
-One RNC Nominee, Kenneth Blackwell, Compares Gay People to 'Arsonists' and Claims They Can 'Change'
Truth Wins Out (TWO) expressed unease today over the slate of extreme candidates running for chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC). The organization is particularly concerned that former Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, is under consideration for the job. Blackwell has built his career on bashing gay and lesbian Ohioans and if chosen would likely bring his anti-gay agenda to the national stage, says TWO.
http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/truth-wins-out-expresses-concern-over-republican-national-committee-election/
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Vatican office: US seminaries doing good job stopping 'homosexual behavior' in the schools
By RACHEL ZOLL
A Vatican evaluation of U.S. Roman Catholic seminaries in response to the clergy sex abuse scandal concluded that administrators have largely been effective in rooting out "homosexual behavior" in the schools, although the agency said it persists.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-rel-catholic-seminaries,0,3716440.story
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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Sharpton decries churches pushing Prop. 8
Atlanta alliance forms to counter anti-gay religious rhetoric
By MATT SCHAFER
From the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church on Sunday, Rev. Al Sharpton called out the Mormon Church and other conservative faiths for mobilizing to support Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California while refusing to be as involved in any other social concerns.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23441
-Religious group attempts to halt leather 'play party'
Americans for Truth urges members to bombard DC's Doubletree
By JOEY DiGUGLIELMO
A religious group that believes homosexuality is "evil" is trying to keep a leather S&M party from happening this weekend at Doubletree Hotel near Washington in Arlington, Va.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23516
-Boy George sentenced to 15 months
Guilty of 'gratuitous violence'
LONDON (AP)
Singer Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in jail on Friday after being convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall in a London apartment. British Judge David Radford said the 47-year-old former Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was guilty of "gratuitous violence."
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23506
-DNC, gay staffer settle lawsuit
Hitchcock 'had hoped for more'
Washington Blade staff reports
The Democratic National Committee and its former gay outreach director have reached a settlement in a bitter lawsuit, ending all legal proceedings between them, according to a joint statement released early Friday morning.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23504
-Gay Republicans in debt
GLBT Log Cabin Republicans start 2009 in the red
By WAYNE BESEN
The gay Log Cabin Republicans are broke and their party is seriously broken. The group's $100,000 debt comes at a time when the GOP is indebted more than ever to extremists. Instead of learning from Election Day, the party is pandering to those who believe in the "End of Days," which will only expedite the party's political apocalypse.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-15/view/editorial/5457.cfm
-'Out of Annapolis'
By Rebecca Armendariz
'Out of Annapolis,' a documentary film featuring 35 gay alumni of the U.S. Naval Academy, has almost been completed. The filmmakers, an organization called USNA Out, are hoping to get it shown at festivals come summer 2009. A preliminary trailer has been released:
http://www.floridablade.com/blog/index.cfm?blog_id=23522
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Riding for equality
By Allison Steinberg
What do you get when you unload a bus of LGBT folks onto the most homophobic college campuses around the country? That's exactly what you'll find out when you catch Equality U, a documentary airing this weekend as the seventh season premiere of Real Momentum, Logo's documentary series.
http://www.365gay.com/living/riding-for-equality/
-Gay in the Army? You Betcha
Yesterday, Fox News reported that the Obama administration is going to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. In a direct and open move, incoming press secretary Gibbs gave a video response to a question posed on Change.gov where he assured Americans that DADT was on the way out.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-gay-in-the-army-you-betcha/
-Louisiana may reopen gay adoption ruling
The state of Louisiana has asked a federal judge to reconsider a ruling that both names of a gay couple must appear on the birth certificate of their adopted son.
http://www.365gay.com/news/louisiana-may-reopen-gay-adoption-ruling/
-California bar associations join call to invalidate Prop 8
Forty bar associations and legal groups across the country - including the San Francisco and Los Angeles County Bar Associations - have called on the California Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8, the voter approved measure that bans same-sex marriage in the state.
http://www.365gay.com/news/california-bar-associations-join-call-to-invalidate-prop-8/
-Gays of color at highest risk in schools
A study of LGBT students in the nation's schools has found that students of color are the most vulnerable.
http://www.365gay.com/news/gays-of-color-at-highest-risk-in-schools/
-54 federal bench vacancies await Obama decision
By Jennifer Vanasco
When Barrack Obama is sworn in on Tuesday one of his first tasks will be filling 54 vacancies in federal courts.
http://www.365gay.com/news/54-federal-bench-vacancies-await-obama-decision/
-Corvino: Opponents on our butts
By John Corvino
Why are our opponents so obsessed with butt sex? I've personally pondered this question more times than is probably healthy. It occurred to me a few weeks ago when a poster on a conservative blog complained that gays "expect us to approve of butt sex and call it marriage."
http://www.365gay.com/opinion/corvino-opponents-on-our-butts/
-Sculpture shows priests raising rainbow flag
(Brussels) Is it a joke? A very expensive hoax? A sly, shockingly satirical look at the 27 nations that make up the European Union?
http://www.365gay.com/uncategorized/sculpture-shows-priests-raising-rainbow-flag/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Map of Pro-Prop. 8 Donors Causes Controversy
An interactive map that allows one to locate where people who contributed money to pass Proposition 8 live and work is causing a stir. One of Andrew Sullivan's gay Atlantic readers who was raised Mormon wrote that finding out one of his aunts in California donated to the cause was like "a gut punch." "And that is surely one useful element of the map," Sullivan writes in response. "It helps one see whom to engage. And I don't get the fear. If Prop. 8 supporters truly feel that barring equality for gay couples is vital for saving civilization, shouldn't they be proud of their financial support? Why don't they actually have posters advertising their support for discriminating against gay people -- as a matter of pride?" (Advocate.com)
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70949.asp
-Obama Site Posts Video of LGBT Meeting
The Obama transition website posted a four-minute video Wednesday of a meeting that took place December 10 between LGBT leaders and members of the transition team in Washington D.C.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70852.asp
-Rev. V. Gene Robinson's Big Moment
Advocate.com's James Hatori sits down on camera with Rev. V Gene Robinson on the eve on his pre-inauguration invocation for Presdient-elect Barack Obama.
By Ross von Metzke
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid71055.asp
-Same Fight, Different Approach
Prop. 8 opponents Gloria Allred and Jerry Brown don't quite see eye to eye on the next step in the fight for marriage equality.
By Julie Bolcer
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid70684.asp
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National Gay News
http://nationalgaynews.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
Go to this link for the following articles:
- John Berry to be Highest-Ranking Openly Gay Appointee
President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, will be the highest-ranking openly gay official in US history upon confirmation. Berry will head oversee more than 5,000 employees and a $1.5 billion annual budget, reported the Bay Area Reporter.
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=11472
-Lesbian and Gay Band Association Chooses
Inspiring Music for Inaugural Parade
The Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA), a musical organization comprising marching and concert bands from across the United States and around the world, is proud to announce the five musical selections that it will perform during the parade for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2009. LGBA is the first lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group in history to be invited to march in a Presidential Inaugural Parade.
http://nationalgaynews.com/content/view/4354/173/
- Maine gay marriage law proposed
Hancock County senator to sponsor same-sex marriage bill
By Judy Harrison
A state senator from Hancock County is sponsoring a bill to allow same-sex couples to marry in Maine.
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/97129.html
-Shock at Senegal gay jail terms
The jailing in Senegal of nine gay men for eight years over "indecent conduct and unnatural acts" has been condemned by an international gay rights group. Homosexual acts are illegal in Senegal but the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) told the BBC it was "shocked by the ruling".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7817100.stm
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Australian HIV-positive man jailed for deliberately infecting partners
An HIV-positive grandfather from Melbourne who preyed on "vulnerable" gay men when he tried to infect them with the virus has been sentenced to nearly two decades years in jail.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10610.html
-Police investigating homophobic MP Iris Robinson seek advice about prosecution
By Tony Grew
The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland has confirmed that it has received a request for prosecutorial advice from police investigating whether a local MP's homophobic statements broke the law.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10609.html
-Ad standards body to rule on "no God" campaign next week
By Tony Grew
The Advertising Standards Authority will decide next week whether to investigate complaints that a series of adverts on public transport which claim there is no God have breached the code of conduct.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10607.html
-Obama urged to consider gay rights when appointing federal judges
By Tony Grew
A legal organisation that fights for the civil rights of lesbians and gay men has urged the President-elect of the United States and the Senate to appoint judges who will treat the LGBT community fairly.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10599.html
-Inquest rules on gay teen goaded to suicide by baying Derby mob
By Felicity Baker
A gay student jumped to his death after being jeered at by members of the public, an inquest has heard. Shaun Dykes, 17, died instantly after throwing himself off the top ofWestfield Shopping Centre car park in Derby on September 27th last year.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10596.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Academics Debate Whether New Media Helps, Hurts GLBT Culture
Kilian Melloy | EDGE Contributor | EDGE Boston
Academics are divided on the question of whether or not so-called "New Media" like Reality TV and the Internet are a help or a hindrance when it comes to full social and legal equality for America's GLBT citizens.
Part of the divergence in opinion are differing views of what constitutes gay culture, versus that of the "hetero-normative." A Jan. 14 article at Campus Report Online.net details that two conflicting points of view were aired on the subject at the recent annual convention of the Modern Language Association. Kent State University Ph.D. candidate Robin Bellinson offered the view that while so-called "Reality TV" might be fostering acceptance in America of GLBT people, that might come at the expense of the GLBT community losing its unique cultural characteristics, rather than acting to alter "the cultural and economic landscape of the reality it purports to represent," in Bellinson's words. Read more
-Bad Economy May Fuel Hate Groups, Experts Warn
Carrie Johnson | Washington Post Staff Writer | Washington Post
For 20 years, Bart McIntyre has tracked white supremacist movements, even spending two years undercover in Alabama to penetrate a violent young band of criminals who called themselves the Confederate Hammerskins.
Away from his wife and young daughter, McIntyre took the alias "Mark," attended Ku Klux Klan rallies and educated himself in racist propaganda. He and a law enforcement partner ultimately helped build criminal cases that sent more than 10 men to prison for their involvement in the murder and vicious beatings of black men in the Birmingham area in the early 1990s.
Now, as McIntyre prepares to retire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he and other analysts are warning that the threat from hate groups and splinter organizations connected to the Klan should not be underestimated, especially at a time of economic unrest.
"In society, you have a very small number of people who are going to push the envelope and take it to the next step," said McIntyre, the resident ATF agent in charge in Roanoke. Read more
-OH: Six Gays and Lesbians Passed Over for Council
Eric Resnick | Gay People's Chronicle
Columbus-City Council passed over qualified gay and lesbian applicants to fill vacancies this week, for the second time in two years. The body's January 13 appointments may raise the ire of the LGBT community, as it did two years ago. Sixty-five people applied for two seats that became vacant when Maryellen O'Shaughnessy was elected Franklin County Clerk of Courts and Kevin Boyce was appointed state treasurer. Among the applicants were six gays and lesbians: Marc Conte, Jeff Knoll, Shawn Dingus, Terry J. Brown, Karla Rothan and Steve Farrell. The list was narrowed to 16 finalists, including Conte, Dingus, Rothan and Farrell. Conte is the research director for the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. Dingus is an attorney who ran for Franklin County Common Pleas Court last year. Rothan is the director of Stonewall Columbus. Farrell is a lobbyist for the United Way and Columbus City Schools. He also sought appointment to a vacant council seat in 2007 and was passed over.
This outraged the LGBT community and, later that year, many LGBT Democrats voted for gay Republican Bill Brownson in protest. Lesbian Democratic Party activist Lynn Greer recorded an automated phone "robo-call," asking people to support Brownson. Read more
-Justices Won't Expand Ohio Marriage Ban Amendment
Eric Resnick | Gay People's Chronicle
Columbus-After ruling two years ago that the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages applies only to those and civil unions, the Ohio Supreme Court last week turned away an attempt to use the measure to void a child custody agreement. The court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court decision upholding the agreement, between former partners Denise Marie Fairchild and Therese Marie Fairchild, now Therese Marie Leach. The women split up in 2001 after nine years together, and five years after Denise Fairchild gave birth to a son, now 13, by artificial insemination from an anonymous donor. Six months before they broke up, the couple signed a joint parenting plan for their child, whom they were raising together. Read more
-TX: Equality Texas Fears Anti-Gay Backlash
Tammye Nash | Senior Editor | Dallas Voice
The Texas Legislature opened its 81st session this week with a moderate Republican at the helm as speaker of the House, but with the Senate in an uproar as Republicans there try to circumvent filibuster rules. Randall Terrell, political director for the LGBT advocacy organization Equality Texas, said Wednesday, Jan. 14, that new leadership in the House could be advantageous for LGBT people in the Lone Star State. But it could also bring up new challenges, as well. "I am a little more hopeful now that [San Antonio Republican Rep. Joe]
Straus is peaker of the House, but that cuts both ways," Terrell said. The speaker of the House controls the agenda there, determining which bills can come to the floor for a vote. Straus is not expected to push the kind of socially conservative agenda that former Speaker Tom Craddick backed. But Craddick still has supporters in the House, and they are likely to test the new speaker on those issues with anti-gay amendments to other bills, Terrell said. Read more
-TX: Commissioners Overturn Ban on Condoms
John Wright | News Editor | Dallas Voice
In June 1995, three Republican Dallas County commissioners drafted a letter to 43 area doctors urging them to support the county's recently enacted ban on the distribution of free condoms in high-risk neighborhoods by public health workers to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. The letter, signed by Commissioners Kenneth Mayfield, Mike Cantrell and Jim Jackson, called homosexuality unacceptable and compared it to drug abuse and prostitution.
"We don't want anyone, especially anyone in authority, telling our children or future grandchildren that it's an approved or acceptable lifestyle to be a homosexual, a prostitute or a drug user," the letter stated. "And, we don't intend to be the vehicle through which others are given this message." Fourteen years later, Mayfield and Cantrell remain on the Commissioners Court, and their position on the condom ban hasn't changed.
But this time, they found themselves in the minority, as the five-member court voted 3-2 Tuesday, Jan. 13, to overturn the ban. Read more
-Honduran Transgender Community Terrified After Third Murder On Top Magazine
The violent murder of a prominent transgender rights activist in Honduras has left the transgender community stunned and terrified. Cynthia Nicole, a prominent transgender rights activist, was fatally wounded by three shots in the chest and one in the head in a violent drive-by shooting in the district of Barrio Guaserique in Comayaguela during the early hours of January 9. Her death comes on the heels of two additional killings against transgender sex workers in the Central American country. Yasmin was attacked and killed on November 20, and Noelia was stabbed to death on December 17. Human Rights Watch, a group dedicated to defending the rights of racial, economic and sexual minorities around the world, is calling on Honduran anchorites to fully investigate these murders. Read more
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Forwarded from Gays Without Borders
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-The Truth About Rick Warren in Africa
by Max Blumenthal
Team Obama likes to cite Warren's work on AIDS in Africa to combat criticism about the controversial pastor. But how does burning condoms in the name of Jesus save lives?
Once hailed by Time magazine as "America's Pastor," California mega-church leader and bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren now finds himself on the defensive. President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Warren to deliver the inaugural prayer has generated intense scrutiny of the pastor's beliefs on social issues, from his vocal support for Prop 8, a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in California, to his comparison of homosexuality to pedophilia, incest and bestiality. Many of Obama's supporters have demanded that he withdraw the invitation.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-07/the-truth-about-rick-warren-in-africa/
-Prince Harry not homophobic
Third in line to the throne kisses soldier mate
Commenting on the race row over Prince Harry's "Paki" comments during his army video diary, and the lack of a similar furore over his use of the word "queer", gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of OutRage! said: "I cannot see anything offensive about the context and manner in which Harry used the word queer.
"It wasn't said with hate, aggression or malice. "Later in his video diary the prince mouths to another soldier 'I love you' before kissing him on the cheek and licking his face. Kissing another bloke in front of his mates and putting it on film doesn't seem very homophobic to me. On the contrary, Harry comes across as quite gay-friendly. "We should kick up a fuss about real homophobia, not imagined prejudice. For details of Harrys' queer escapades, see this News of the World report:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/123700/Watch-Prince-Harrys-racist-outbursts-on-video.html
-A hidden camera catches an Iranian cleric committing adultery, and the video rockets around the blogosphere, where a new generation can finally skirt state censorship. A video scandal has hit the Iranian Internet scene. Like many online scandals in the West, it involves a model. Not Paris Hilton, but a supposed model of virtue: a cleric. In the video - for weeks voted the top story on Balatarin.com (an Iranian version of Digg.com) - a robed cleric is caught on a hidden camera in a private room. He walks to the door to let a chador-clad woman enter. "Nobody saw you come in, did they?" he asks her lightheartedly. As she removes her chador, he continues in the same tone: "Want to do some Nasnas?" Iranians know Nasnas as a mythological monster. What the cleric means by "do some Nasnas" is clarified by what happens next in the clip. Americans have a similar expression: the beast with two backs.
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/01/irans-hottest-porn-video.html
-TEHRAN, Iran (CAP) - President Bush today signed off on a plan to send analysts from the Department of Homeland Security to Iran for several weeks to assist in the implementation of a color-coded advisory system. While the United States uses such a system to alert its citizens to potential terrorist threats, the Iranians will be utilizing the technology for a different purpose. "As you can see, right now it is on Green, or Low. And you can see right underneath it says No gays present. It is just as President Ahmadinejad said," explained Iranian Cultural Affairs Secretary Ahmed Dabashi as he pointed to a large, color-coded graph behind him. "If the Great Satan Bush were to have his soldiers penetrate a gay man over our borders, we would know, and the level would rise to Blue/Guarded, or One gay detected," said Dabashi. "We would then take appropriate action. Gas a village, that sort of thing."
http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2009/01/iran-guards-against-gay-invasion.html
-Gays Fuck God: God Hates Fags church granted permission to protest at Obama inauguration
Westboro Baptist Church picket a funeral
A small religious community that has become world-famous for protesting at the funerals of American soldiers killed in action will have a presence at the inauguration ceremonies in Washington DC later this month. Westboro Baptist Church is led by Rev Fred Phelps. The church members, who are mostly his relations, regularly picket funerals claiming the deaths are God's punishment for the country's support of homosexuals. They have caused so much distress picketing funerals that it has been restricted from doing so in 22 states.
The group is notorious for also picketing the funerals of homosexual victims of murder.
http://gayswithoutborders.wordpress.com/
-Gay Rights in Russia: European Parliament says Human Rights Integral to EU-Russia Relations
A resolution from the Parliament calls for EU institutions to give practical support.
-Dead Palestinian kids : images the IDF doesn't want you to see
http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/dead-palestinian-kids-images-idf-doesnt.html
-A photo essay on Indonesia's waria (male-to-female transgenders) on the BBC World website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/asia_pac_indonesia0s_waria/html/1.stm
-An Open Letter to President Barack Obama
On the occasion of his inauguration, 20 January 2009
From Peter Tatchell, British LGBTI human rights campaigner
Dear President Barack Obama,
Congratulations on the occasion of your inauguration. On this special day, the hopes of billions of people across our precious planet are vested in your presidency. They look to you to show practical and moral leadership in resolving the great challenges that face humanity.
www.petertatchell.net
-The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Verhagen (Christian Democratic Party) criticized recent opinions ventilated by the Pope ("Mankind should be protected against self destruction caused by homosexuality"). He requested the papal nuntius Bacque to come to the Ministry of FA and told him that these opinions do not contribute to a respectful discussion about homosexuality. Minister Verhagen also objected to the Holy See's negative approach towards the statement on sexual orientation and gender identity, presented last December by 66 countries at the General Assembly of the UN.
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Forwarded from Euro-Queer
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article:
-MEPs to vote on proposal that 'would guarantee gay marriage and abortion rights across EU'
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1114366/MEPs-vote-laws-guarantee-gay-marriage-abortion-rights-EU.html
-Maltese MEPs oppose move promoting abortion and same-sex marriages
The five Maltese MEPs declared their opposition to same-sex marriages and abortion in the European Parliament, refusing to support a non-legally-binding resolution on harmonising fundamental human rights laws in Europe.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090117/local/maltese-meps-oppose-move-promoting-abortion-and-same-sex-marriages
-Honduras: Investigate Murder of Transgender Activist
Authorities Should Act Against Increasing Violence
(New York, January 12, 2009) - the Honduran authorities should fully investigate the murder of Cynthia Nicole, a leading Honduras transgender rights defender, and other attacks on the transgender community, Human Rights Watch said today. Nicole's killing is the latest in a series of violent attacks against transgender people in Honduras.
-World Report 2009: Obama Should Emphasize Human Rights
Stop Abusive States From Playing System to Avert Criticism
(Washington, DC, January 14, 2009) - The incoming Obama administration will need to put human rights at the heart of foreign, domestic, and security policy if it is to undo the enormous damage of the Bush years, Human Rights Watch said today in issuing its World Report 2009.
http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2009
-"European Parliament urges Member States to protect LGBT people against violence, hatred and grant mutual recognition for same-sex couples." On 14 January the European Parliament adopted a report on the "Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union 2004-2008", drafted by Italian MEP Giusto Catania.
The report asks Member States and the European Institutions to adopt recommendations made by the Fundamental Rights Agency on homophobia as a matter of urgency. In addition, the Parliament called on the European Commission to propose legislation which would introduce criminal offences for homophobic behaviour. "This report endorses the rights of every European citizen", said Michael Cashman, President of the LGBT Intergroup. "I particularly welcome the call for mutual recognition of same-sex partnerships and marriages by EU member states alongside the call for the Commission propose legislation which guarantees the right of free movement for same-sex couples."
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Forwarded from Kenneth Sherrill - Ken's List
Kenneth.Sherrill@hunter.cuny.edu
kenslist@groups.queernet.org
Go to the links for the following articles:
Contact rays.list@comcast.net if can't access the article
-Military bows to ACLU demand against preaching
Americans entering the military often receive Bibles, courtesy of the Gideons International. But the Gideons have been told that while they can leave complimentary Bibles at most military induction stations, they cannot stay there to proselytize or preach to the recruits.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=387568
-One year shy of the 70th anniversary of African-American contralto Marian Anderson's performance at the Lincoln Memorial, out gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson will deliver an invocation at a January 18 pre-inaugural celebration there.
http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20243097&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6
-Obama White House taps 3 more LGBT appointees
http://washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23455
-Book still suspended from Crook County classrooms
But the disputed work will be in the library
PRINEVILLE - The award-winning book that was suspended from a Crook County High School classroom last month after a parent complained it was offensive, will remain out of the classroom until the school district can revamp its policies. About 60 people turned out Monday night to the Crook County School Board meeting and about 15 testified about the book. The board then voted 4-1 to continue the temporary suspension, while making the book available to students in the library. [...] A New York Times best-seller and a National Book Award winner, the book was written by Sherman Alexie and is about a boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation who decides to attend an all-white school. The protagonist in Alexie's book discusses masturbation.
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/NEWS0107/901130420/1097/PODCASTS
-Today, IGLYO and ILGA launch the LGBT Youth World List - the first international network of its kind.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer young people from all over the world can sign up to send and receive messages with other activists. Members will be encouraged to share their experiences, ideas and expertise, and to work together to solve problems and run projects. The working languages of the list are English, Spanish and French.
http://www.iglyo.com/content/index.html
-Lawmaker wants to put sex back into sex education
A South Florida senator wants Florida public schools to ditch the wait-until-marriage message that's long been the basis of many sex-education classes. Instead, state Sen. Ted Deutch, D- Delray Beach, has filed legislation that would require schools to teach kids about condoms and other contraceptive methods starting in the sixth grade. Meanwhile, two other lawmakers have introduced bills meant to discourage teachers from touting the benefits of sex within a monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-sexed1609jan16,0,808404.story
-Teen Charged With Sending Nude Pics of Herself
Girl Faces Felony Charges After Allegedly Sending Photos of Herself to Classmates
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5995084&page=1
-Teens send nude pics to one other, face kiddie porn charges
There are a number of reasons to think twice (or three times, or four times, or fifty times) before sending a nude photo of yourself to someone electronically. But, if you're under the age of 18, there's at least one big, glaring, serious reason: you and the recipient could be charged with trafficking child pornography. If you think this sounds crazy, it is exactly what happened in Greensburg, Pennsylvania after two teenage girls send nude photos to some teenage boys.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090114-teens-send-nude-pics-to-one-other-face-kiddie-porn-charges.html?utm_source=microblogging
-Ecuador: Action Alert - Transgender Activists Dismissed from their Jobs
http://www.iglhrc.org/
-Never Ask a Gay Man for Directions
Because studies show homosexual males navigate like women
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=never-ask-a-gay-man-for-directions&SID=mail&sc=emailfriend
-Today, the Stonewall Democrats congratulated Laura Calvo upon her election as Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon. Calvo, a seasoned Democratic operative, becomes the first openly-transgender officer of a state Democratic party.
http://stonewalldemocrats.org/node/480
-Just how many gay marriage skeletons does Barack Obama have hiding in the closet? Eighteen months after we first learned the president- elect had given conflicting answers about the Defense of Marriage Act in candidate questionnaires back in 2003 and 2004, a new, even bigger bombshell has come to light. Just one week before Obama takes the oath of office, a gay newspaper in Chicago is reporting that the president-elect vowed to support marriage equality for same-sex couples when he was a candidate for the Illinois state Senate way back in 1996.
http://citizenchris.typepad.com/citizenchris/2009/01/obamas-gay-marriage-closet.html
-A high-profile task force concluded that the sexual solicitation of children online is not a significant problem.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/technology/internet/14cyberweb.html?emc=eta1
-Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp
Finally the camp you have been waiting for! Campus Pride organizes the only Summer Leadership Camp for LGBT and Ally college students -- YOU. The five-day camp experience works to develop stronger undergraduate student leaders and safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.
Participants have the opportunity to learn valuable campus organizing skills, coalition building and strategies for creating change at colleges and universities.
http://www.campuspride.org/camp.asp
-Sexploration: Toeing the legal line with fetishes
By Brian Alexander
Is it legal to hire a dominatrix as long as you don't actually have sex?
Q: Paying for sex is illegal in most of America, but what about paying for fetish services? Can you legally hire a dominatrix or escort for any of the countless things besides intercourse? Where is the line drawn?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27846842/
-Playboy's list of the most important people in sex from the past 55 years-and, no, Hef isn't No. 1-reminds the author why we still need America's smartest smut. And not just for the articles.
This month, on the occasion of its 55th anniversary, Playboy published a list of the 55 most important people in sex from the past 55 years. Number three on the list is the magazine's founder, Hugh Hefner. Number eight is Timothy Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web. Both men irrevocably changed the modern experience of sex, one intentionally and meticulously, the other inadvertently and chaotically. The half-century between the two marks a profound cultural shift that has for all intents and purposes doomed Hefner's magazine-even as Playboy, or an updated version of it, has become more necessary than ever.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-13/the-biggest-names-in-sex-1/3/
-The Supreme Court is slated to give a final review
Friday in a case that probes the legal boundaries between stalking and sexual harassment.
Dawn V. Martin v. Howard University, et al., has serious implications for workplace safety nationwide, according to legal advocates, and spotlights the lack of any federal protections for victims of stalking who face retaliation from their employers when they complain about it.
-Get over it: Talk to kids about sex
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/columnists/ana-veciana-suarez/story/844885.html
-"The US Drug Enforcement Administration has rejected the bid of a researcher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst who wants to create the second laboratory in the nation authorized to grow marijuana for medical research."
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/01/13/umass_loses_marijuana_lab_bid/?s_campaign=8315
-Voting for the freedom to marry does not hurt politicians, new study confirms
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/press_center/new_study_shows_pro-marriage_legislators_win.php
-Since the Obama administration announced that CNN's Sanjay Gupta, one of People magazine's "sexiest men alive [1]" in 2003, might be the next surgeon general, reactions have ranged from indifferent to outraged. Although Gupta is a neurosurgeon and has been in the public eye for years - he started his "House Call" show on CNN in 2004 - many have been scrambling to figure out what this man stands for. Two separate controversies have already risen since Gupta's name has publicly been floated as the next surgeon general. First, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman lambasted [2] Gupta's critique of Michael Moore's 2007 film Sicko, saying that Gupta's accusation that Moore "fudged the facts" was, well, just plain wrong. Then Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) wrote a letter [3] to his fellow Democrats urging them to oppose Gupta as surgeon general. Conyers claimed that Gupta would face a "credibility problem," given his lack of experience in the National Health Service Corp and that "it is not in the best interests of the nation to have someone ... who lacks the requisite experience needed to oversee the federal agency that provides crucial health care assistance to some of the poorest and most underserved communities in America."
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/08/but-can-he-talk-about-sex
-Fired For Being Gay In Nashville
It's not uncommon that employees get fired for being gay. In this case however, the owner of a Nashville area hotel has made his reasons for terminating David Hill public. Of course, as you know already, gays and lesbians are not a protected class, and therefore, the law is not on our side.
http://www.wsmv.com/news/18442419/detail.html
-Study: Religious Teens More Likely to Abstain from Sex
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475306,00.html
-Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds
Teenagers Who Make Such Promises Are Just as Likely to Have Sex, and Less Likely to Use Protection, the Data Indicate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801588.html?hpid=topnews
-Elena Kagan, Obama's SG, on pornography
Earlier this week President-Elect Obama announced he would nominate Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan to be Solicitor General. There is much to like about the choice. Kagan is an accomplished scholar and much-lauded dean who has often been discussed as a potential Supreme Court nominee. She is also a liberal, a feminist and a former clerk for Justice Thurgood Marshall, and would be the first female appointed to the position often referred to as "the tenth Justice" and "America's lawyer." (For non-lawyers, the SG supervises government involvement in appellate litigation and represents the government in the Supreme Court.)
http://polyperversity.blogspot.com/2009/01/elena-kagan-obamas-sg-on-pornography.html
-In what may be a legit need, or just a way to yank Congress' chain, Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt has asked the government for a $5 billion dollar bailout package for the adult entertainment industry since magazine and DVD sales are down.
http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/http://www.firedoglake.com//118065/
-Transition white paper on GLBT and Reproductive Rights Issues
Both links below are to white papers written for the "Change for America" book prepared by the Center for American Progress (John Podesta's think tank, which is now the de facto idea factory for the transition). While they are not going to appear in the published edition of the book, they provide some helpful insight into how Obama's team will view these issues.
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/changeforamerica/pdf/glbt.pdf
-College students say suggestive dancing, too many male guests are signs of danger
College students believe that suggestive dancing and too many male guests are more accurate signs of a potentially dangerous party than the amount of alcohol consumed, a new study from Ball State University indicates. A survey of about 300 students from Midwestern colleges and universities found male and female college students identified different signals that a particular party may be potentially dangerous, but drinking was not one of them.
http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1898,7273-962-60778,00.html
-Hook-up site not liable for connecting man with minor
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a suit by a man who blamed hook-up site SexSearch.com for connecting him with a minor (PDF), thereby leading to his arrest for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
http://polyperversity.blogspot.com/2008/12/hook-up-site-not-liable-for-connecting.html
-Nude dancing and the First Amendment: A history
Fraser Sherman
During a recent meeting between City Manager Greg Kisela and several Destin pastors, the question came up of how a strip club can claim protection under the First Amendment. "Many people do not understand why the removal of clothes by a dancer is a form of protected expression," legal writer David Hudson says on the firstamendmentcenter.org Web site, "but in fact the First Amendment protects many forms of controversial expression." Hudson said courts have extended freedom of speech principles to nude dancing because the First Amendment:
http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/amendment_7437___article.html/first_kisela.html
-British Bill To Ban 'Extreme' Porn Infuriates Critics
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/30/british-bill-to-ban-extre_n_154343.html
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From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-Field Organizer - Transgender Equality
Company Name: Equality Maryland
Job Location: Silver Spring, MD
Equality Maryland, the state's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, is hiring a full-time contractual (for a six month period) Field Organizer to help expand the infrastructure to educate the public, LGBTA organizations, community organizations, opinion leaders and others about transgender people in Maryland the lack of legal protections and how this effects their lives. More information about Equality Maryland is available at www.EqualityMaryland.org.
-A Truly Stupid Example of Transphobia
Gainesville, Florida, has an ordinance allowing transgender persons to select whichever bathroom they find most appropriate. The haters and the fools have come up with a campaign to overturn this ordinance and to require transgendered persons to. well, I'm not sure exactly. This is the television ad they are running:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10vo0jaGjsc
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Sunday, January 18, 2009
NATIONAL & WORLD DIGEST - January 18, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
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44 U.S. Presidents - Interesting Slide Show Backed by Ravel's Bolero
http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.htm
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The Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush The Worst President Ever
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/17/bush-43-worst/
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: Closing Guantánamo
In a long series of valedictory speeches and interviews, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have been crowing about Guantánamo Bay, secret prisons and abusive interrogations, claiming they met the highest legal standards and that no prisoner had been tortured. Fortunately, the truth broke through the noise, in the words of some of the very people ordered to carry out the policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/opinion/18sun1.html?ref=opinion
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Latin Opportunity
Why Mexico's president is counting on Barack Obama
AS HE TOOK office eight years ago, George W. Bush promised to make relations with Latin America a priority. The president's first foreign trip was to the ranch of Mexican President Vicente Fox, where Mr. Bush expansively promised "to boldly seize the unprecedented opportunity before us." There was no compelling reason for this hemispheric focus, other than the fact that Mr. Bush had been governor of Texas and was more familiar with Latin America than other parts of the world. That may explain why Latin America quickly dropped from the top of the administration's agenda after Sept. 11, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702400.html
-Beyond Gaza
The trust that Barack Obama wants to rebuild will require sending some early messages.
BARACK OBAMA is not yet president, but he is already having a gravitational effect on the conflict in Gaza. Egypt, the Bush administration and, above all, Israel appear eager to bring the fighting to a conclusion before Tuesday. Yesterday Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni flew to Washington to sign a showy -- if somewhat vague -- agreement with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the interdiction of future arms smuggling to Gaza. Israel may sign a similar deal with Egypt over the weekend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604319.html
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Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-The Power of Prayer
As the U.S. grows more diverse, the inaugural prayer has become less inclusive. Steven Waldman on why the ceremony has gone from pluralistic to solely Protestant.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215076308292139.html
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Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-War in the Middle East
Before Israel's Invasion, Hamas Popularity Was Waning Among Its Neighbors -- Even in Gaza Itself
Before the current Middle East conflict, Hamas hardly enjoyed universal popularity among Muslims, and among some key Arab publics, its support had been waning. Read more
-Mideast Competes -- but Still Loses -- to Economy and Obama in Public
Interest Public interest in the Middle East conflict is on par with other recent foreign news stories, but is lower than in the Israel-Hezbollah war in August 2006. A slightly greater percentage say the media have not been critical enough of Hamas than say the same about coverage of Israel. Read more
-War in Gaza Quickly Shifts News
A bloody new chapter in the Israel/Palestinian conflict dramatically shifted the media agenda from domestic to foreign crises, dominating the news in a busy week. Furthermore, the media themselves became another front in the Middle East war. Read more
-American Progress Report
Gains Seen On Minority Discrimination -- But Little Else
As Obama prepares to take office, majorities say the country is losing ground on many key issues, especially economic ones. Read more
-Recession Ramifications
Hispanics and the Economic Downturn: Housing Woes and Remittance Cuts Latinos, especially the foreign-born, are feeling the sting of the economic downturn and, in some respects, even more so than the general population. Read more
-American Gospel: Religion, Race -- and Obama
A religious scholar discusses the president-elect's place in the nation's historical tension between religion and politics and examines the role of black churches as well as the controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Read more
-Daily Number: 13% - National Satisfaction
As President George W. Bush prepares to leave office, the level of satisfaction Americans feel towards the state of their country is in sharp contrast to where it was when he began his term. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
-Inaugural Address
America's Obama Optimism
Public confidence in Barack Obama to deal with the nation's most pressing problems is high and many Americans not only see the president-elect as a problem-solver, but as a "uniter" as well. Read more
-Hispanics and the New Administration: Immigration Slips as a Priority
Latinos, who heavily supported Obama in the November election, rate such issues as the economy, health care and education as the more important issues facing the country. Also, Hispanics were more likely to be first time voters than the general public. Read more
-Ask Not ...
Since John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address, the word "sacrifice" has become a rarity in the lexicon of politicians -- and of pollsters too. Read more
-Friending Mom and Dad
The Growth of Social Networks
The share of adult internet users who have a profile on a social networking site has more than quadrupled in the past four years. Read more
-Russian Roulette
European Worries About Reliance on Russian Energy Were Already High
Just as concern about energy dependence has become widespread, so too have unfavorable views of Russia and its Prime Minister Putin. Read more
-Transition Watch
Media Shift from War to Washington
Even as the fighting in Gaza continued to generate major coverage, the storyline shifted back to the daunting tasks confronting president-elect Barack Obama. Read more
-Obama Cabinet Appointees Highly Visible
Much of the increased awareness of the president-elect's high-level personnel selections has to do with his choice of Hillary Clinton to serve as secretary of state. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama tries to seduce Republicans
By JONATHAN MARTIN
It's no secret Barack Obama is trying to seduce Republicans these days. But his conservative courting runs much deeper and wider than is publicly known.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17532.html
-US moves 6 Gitmo detainees, rejects hearing delays
By BEN FOX
GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - The U.S. Department of Defense announced Saturday that it transferred six detainees out of Guantanamo, leaving about 245 at the offshore prison as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-15/1232245768101710.xml&storylist=topstories
-US welcomes Israel's ceasefire declaration
By MATTHEW LEE
The Bush administration on Saturday welcomed Israel's decision to declare a unilateral ceasefire in its military operations against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and urged both sides to end attacks immediately.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-16/1232231070280610.xml&storylist=topstories
-"Every kid gets a trophy"
Joan Walsh
I can't believe President Bush's approval ratings have climbed as he edges to the end of his tragic term. Except I sort of understand it; I felt sorry for him tonight during his farewell address, which was utterly self-indulgent and delusional. It's hard to see someone leave the presidency so shamed
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/misc/2009/01/16/bush_farewell/
-Gaza invasion: Powered by the U.S.
Taxpayers are spending over $1 billion to send refined fuel to the Israeli military -- at a time when Israel doesn't need it and America does.
Editor's note: Generous support for this article was provided by the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute.
By Robert Bryce
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/01/16/gaza_invasion/
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
=
44 U.S. Presidents - Interesting Slide Show Backed by Ravel's Bolero
http://www.flixxy.com/presidents-morphing.htm
=
The Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush The Worst President Ever
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/17/bush-43-worst/
=
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Editorial: Closing Guantánamo
In a long series of valedictory speeches and interviews, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have been crowing about Guantánamo Bay, secret prisons and abusive interrogations, claiming they met the highest legal standards and that no prisoner had been tortured. Fortunately, the truth broke through the noise, in the words of some of the very people ordered to carry out the policies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/opinion/18sun1.html?ref=opinion
=
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Latin Opportunity
Why Mexico's president is counting on Barack Obama
AS HE TOOK office eight years ago, George W. Bush promised to make relations with Latin America a priority. The president's first foreign trip was to the ranch of Mexican President Vicente Fox, where Mr. Bush expansively promised "to boldly seize the unprecedented opportunity before us." There was no compelling reason for this hemispheric focus, other than the fact that Mr. Bush had been governor of Texas and was more familiar with Latin America than other parts of the world. That may explain why Latin America quickly dropped from the top of the administration's agenda after Sept. 11, 2001.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702400.html
-Beyond Gaza
The trust that Barack Obama wants to rebuild will require sending some early messages.
BARACK OBAMA is not yet president, but he is already having a gravitational effect on the conflict in Gaza. Egypt, the Bush administration and, above all, Israel appear eager to bring the fighting to a conclusion before Tuesday. Yesterday Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni flew to Washington to sign a showy -- if somewhat vague -- agreement with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the interdiction of future arms smuggling to Gaza. Israel may sign a similar deal with Egypt over the weekend.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011604319.html
=
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
-The Power of Prayer
As the U.S. grows more diverse, the inaugural prayer has become less inclusive. Steven Waldman on why the ceremony has gone from pluralistic to solely Protestant.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215076308292139.html
=
Pew Research center
http://pewresearch.org/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-War in the Middle East
Before Israel's Invasion, Hamas Popularity Was Waning Among Its Neighbors -- Even in Gaza Itself
Before the current Middle East conflict, Hamas hardly enjoyed universal popularity among Muslims, and among some key Arab publics, its support had been waning. Read more
-Mideast Competes -- but Still Loses -- to Economy and Obama in Public
Interest Public interest in the Middle East conflict is on par with other recent foreign news stories, but is lower than in the Israel-Hezbollah war in August 2006. A slightly greater percentage say the media have not been critical enough of Hamas than say the same about coverage of Israel. Read more
-War in Gaza Quickly Shifts News
A bloody new chapter in the Israel/Palestinian conflict dramatically shifted the media agenda from domestic to foreign crises, dominating the news in a busy week. Furthermore, the media themselves became another front in the Middle East war. Read more
-American Progress Report
Gains Seen On Minority Discrimination -- But Little Else
As Obama prepares to take office, majorities say the country is losing ground on many key issues, especially economic ones. Read more
-Recession Ramifications
Hispanics and the Economic Downturn: Housing Woes and Remittance Cuts Latinos, especially the foreign-born, are feeling the sting of the economic downturn and, in some respects, even more so than the general population. Read more
-American Gospel: Religion, Race -- and Obama
A religious scholar discusses the president-elect's place in the nation's historical tension between religion and politics and examines the role of black churches as well as the controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Read more
-Daily Number: 13% - National Satisfaction
As President George W. Bush prepares to leave office, the level of satisfaction Americans feel towards the state of their country is in sharp contrast to where it was when he began his term. Check back every weekday for another number in the news. Read more
-Inaugural Address
America's Obama Optimism
Public confidence in Barack Obama to deal with the nation's most pressing problems is high and many Americans not only see the president-elect as a problem-solver, but as a "uniter" as well. Read more
-Hispanics and the New Administration: Immigration Slips as a Priority
Latinos, who heavily supported Obama in the November election, rate such issues as the economy, health care and education as the more important issues facing the country. Also, Hispanics were more likely to be first time voters than the general public. Read more
-Ask Not ...
Since John F. Kennedy's famous inaugural address, the word "sacrifice" has become a rarity in the lexicon of politicians -- and of pollsters too. Read more
-Friending Mom and Dad
The Growth of Social Networks
The share of adult internet users who have a profile on a social networking site has more than quadrupled in the past four years. Read more
-Russian Roulette
European Worries About Reliance on Russian Energy Were Already High
Just as concern about energy dependence has become widespread, so too have unfavorable views of Russia and its Prime Minister Putin. Read more
-Transition Watch
Media Shift from War to Washington
Even as the fighting in Gaza continued to generate major coverage, the storyline shifted back to the daunting tasks confronting president-elect Barack Obama. Read more
-Obama Cabinet Appointees Highly Visible
Much of the increased awareness of the president-elect's high-level personnel selections has to do with his choice of Hillary Clinton to serve as secretary of state. Read more
=
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama tries to seduce Republicans
By JONATHAN MARTIN
It's no secret Barack Obama is trying to seduce Republicans these days. But his conservative courting runs much deeper and wider than is publicly known.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17532.html
-US moves 6 Gitmo detainees, rejects hearing delays
By BEN FOX
GUANTANAMO NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - The U.S. Department of Defense announced Saturday that it transferred six detainees out of Guantanamo, leaving about 245 at the offshore prison as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/international-15/1232245768101710.xml&storylist=topstories
-US welcomes Israel's ceasefire declaration
By MATTHEW LEE
The Bush administration on Saturday welcomed Israel's decision to declare a unilateral ceasefire in its military operations against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and urged both sides to end attacks immediately.
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/politics-16/1232231070280610.xml&storylist=topstories
-"Every kid gets a trophy"
Joan Walsh
I can't believe President Bush's approval ratings have climbed as he edges to the end of his tragic term. Except I sort of understand it; I felt sorry for him tonight during his farewell address, which was utterly self-indulgent and delusional. It's hard to see someone leave the presidency so shamed
http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/misc/2009/01/16/bush_farewell/
-Gaza invasion: Powered by the U.S.
Taxpayers are spending over $1 billion to send refined fuel to the Israeli military -- at a time when Israel doesn't need it and America does.
Editor's note: Generous support for this article was provided by the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute.
By Robert Bryce
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/01/16/gaza_invasion/
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
FLORIDA DIGEST - January 18, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale candidate fighting for his reputation
By Brittany Wallman
You might call Earl Rynerson the wild card in the mayor's race. A political
newcomer who didn't even vote in the last city elections, Rynerson suddenly emerged on Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here.'s political scene last fall, saying he wanted the top elective post.
Rynerson has quickly jumped from anonymity to controversy, and Thursday he talked about his campaign's ups and downs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbrynerson0116sbjan16,0,5922673.story
-Broward's first openly gay mayor
By Gregory Lewis
John Fiore became the first openly gay elected official in Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports when he won a seat on the Wilton Manors City Council in 1988. He achieved another first in 2000 when he was elected mayor.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0114firstgaymayor,0,26403.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-By the numbers: the first 'gay census'
Leaders try to get detailed assessment of Broward's GLBT community
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
To any seasoned political strategist, demographic information is power. For any marginalized group that lives on the fringe of society, like many in the transgender community, visibility is more than acknowledgment. It's a gateway to change.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-14/news/localnews/5451.cfm
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-From Shane Gunderson
Transgender People and Broward County Homeless Shelters
I want to commend Broward County's Office of Equal Opportunity Internal Investigations and Oversight Division because they recently emailed these attachments to homeless providers with the message, "Attached find a Copy of "A Guide To Making Homeless Shelters Safe For Transgender People" prepared by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless. I think you will find this guide very helpful in providing guidance on how to comply with the County's non-discrimination policy/ordinance. This guide provides guidance on issues such as intake; bathroom, showering and sleeping arrangements; dress code; confidentiality; safety; harassment; what constitutes gender identity and expression discrimination, etc. Also attached is the County Administrator's Reaffirmation memorandum of the County's Equal Opportunity Policy. [Trainingopportunities can also be arranged.]"
=
Ft. Lauderdale: Rodstrom/Glassman Horserace Neck and Neck
Now this one looks close!
It pits City Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, wife of County Commissioner John Rodstrom, against the Central Beach Alliance President Steven Glassman.
A third candidate, businessman Howard Elfman is trailing somewhere back in the pack. The ironic thing about this race is that Glassman was instrumental in Rodstrom's triumph to the Commission seat just three years ago. In that race, Glassman and other beach activists turned out an enormous beach vote for Rodstrom and she came from behind to beat Jon Albee in the General Election. Glassman now says "he was wrong". In his campaign appearances, he says that Rodstrom is ineffective and divisive, and says she needs to go.
=
Congregation Etz Chaim, Wilton Manor's only synagogue, will hold its fifth annual Winter Wonderland Dance on Saturday, January 24, from 7 to 11 p.m., at Temple Beth El, 1351 South 14th Avenue in Hollywood. The Winter Wonderland Dance is for both guys and gals and features the music of D.J. Donna. The Dance is "BYOB," and set-ups and soft drinks will be available.
Admission to the Dance is $20 in advance or $22 at the door. Make checks payable to Congregation Etz Chaim and mail them with a self addressed stamped envelope to Congregation Etz Chaim, 1881 N.E. 26 Street # 100, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. For more information call Joyce at 954-718-5800.
Cong. Etz Chaim, which is currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary, holds Sabbath Services Friday nights at 8 at 1881 N.E. 26 Street in Wilton Manors.
=
GLCC "Stars of the Rainbow 2009" Honorees Announced
-Fort Lauderdale - The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is proud to announce their 2009 Stars of the Rainbow Honorees to be showcased at this year's annual Stars of the Rainbow fundraising event.
2009 marks the Center's 16th anniversary of providing valued services and programs to the community. The Stars of the Rainbow 2009 Gala & Celebration will be held on Sunday, March 1st hosted by the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. The schedule for the evening will be:
...5:00 - 6:30 PM - VIP Reception at the Hyatt Regency Pier Top Lounge, known for its dazzling 360-degree views. Complimentary valet parking is available at the main entrance of the Hyatt Regency. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and entertainment will be enjoyed during this intimate gathering of friends. At the end of the VIP Reception, guests will be escorted into the Crystal Atrium to enjoy the evening's festivities.
...6:00 - 7:00 PM - A Reception will take place in the Crystal Atrium where the
Silent Auction and entertainment will take place while cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
are served.
...7:00 - 10:00 PM - A sit-down dinner will be served while guests enjoy the Honoree Recognition Video Presentation. There will be special entertainment including a live performance by Jody Watley. Music and dancing will continue throughout the evening as everyone celebrates the honorees accomplishments.
...Tickets are $225 for VIP Tickets or $150 for Gala Tickets. Underwriting and Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Robert Boo, Director of Development at 954.463.9005 or email rboo@glccsf.org. Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.glccsf.org or www.starsoftherainbow.com.
...Business, Organization & Media -
Hotspots Magazine
Window Media (South Florida Blade & 411 Magazine)
...Community Star
Terry DeCarlo - Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Broward House
Nadine Smith - Executive Director, Equality Florida,
...Fundraising Board Member
Dale Russell, President
...Volunteer
Tyler Healis, former GLCC Board member
Lucille Marino and Corinne Wyatt - President and Vice-President of Women In Network (WIN)
...Alan Schubert Humanitarian Award
Glen Weinzimer - Smart Ride Founder
http://www.glccsf.org
=
SpeakOut with Staceyann Chin
Nationally recognized New York-based Jamaican lesbian spoken word poet and performer Staceyann Chin comes to Miami for a week-long residency as part of Tigertail's SpeakOut project for GLBT youth, with events for people of all ages! Chin's poetry is a bracing, no-holds-barred yet tender examination of her own life and the world around her that locates itself at the complex intersection of sexual, gender and racial identities. She co-wrote and performed in the Tony Award-nominated Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam, presented her own one-woman shows Off-Broadway, and is published in numerous anthologies.
"With poems that combine hilarious one-liners with a refusal to conform Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world." -
The Advocate
Staceyann Chin events include.......
...Monday, January 19, 7:30 pm
Race, Sex & Identity
A Conversation in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community
Don't miss this free panel discussion on the night of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Staceyann Chin, noted Latina lesbian performance artist and comic Marga Gomez, and others, moderated by South Florida African-American lesbian activist and performer Bishop S.F. Makalani-MaHee. Miami Light Project, 3000 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 100, Miami Co-presented with Miami Light Project
...Thursday, January 22, 6:00 pm
Gay & Lesbian Youth Open Mic & Slam
Hosted by Staceyann Chin & Teo Castellanos
Each participant (21 and under please) gets a chance to arouse, provoke and inspire with spoken word poetry! Material needs to be gay friendly. Free and open to all teens with no reservations needed. Sign- in at the event at 5:30 pm, Open Mic 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Slam 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach (just off of Collins Avenue)
...Friday, January 23, 7:30 pm
Reading & performance with Staceyann Chin
Come experience Chin's electrifying spoken word poetry. Free and open to all! Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables
=
Innaugural Bashes - Tuesday!
Got plans on Tuesday night?
I hope not, because you've been cordially invited to an Inaugural Bash in Fort Lauderdale. Well, a few of them actually. Hundreds of thousands of us are getting together from coast to coast to celebrate this historic event together-and there are a few parties happening right near you in Fort Lauderdale. There are all different types of Inaugural Bashes. Some people are holding potlucks in their homes, some are getting together in local bars and restaurants, and some are throwing black-tie Inaugural Balls. You can check out all the parties in your area to find one that's your speed. You don't need a tux or a gown-all you need to do is show up. Can you make it?
Here are some of the parties near you:
Wilton Manors Yes We Did! aka Goodbye Bush Bash!!
Where: Rosie's Bar and Grill (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=90927&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
ABC Web Service Inaugural Bash
Where: Near 5 Points in Wilton Manors (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 5:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=88457&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
Gather for a Celebration of Change for us all
Where: Sunrise Blvd. and Andrews Ave. (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 10:00 AM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=91170&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
To see other Inaugural Bashes near you, click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/inauguralbash/?id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=5
No matter which Inaugural Bash you choose, the important thing is that you'll be gathering with other progressives in your community who are fired up about Barack Obama's inauguration and ready to help get the change we elected Obama to deliver. The grassroots energy that powered Obama's campaign isn't fading away. But we'll get back to the hard work of changing our country on Wednesday. On Tuesday, we're going to celebrate all we've achieved together.
=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER GAY RIGHTS BILL
Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) has filed legislation to update Florida's laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, familial status or marital status. "All Floridians should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families without fear of being unfairly fired or denied housing for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or their ability to maintain a home," said Skidmore. For the third consecutive year, Skidmore filed her bill at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
www.pbchrc.org
=
Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-We're excited to get 2009 off to a strong start. That's why Equality
Florida is partnering with allies across the state for a Rally in Tally for LGBT Equality on Monday, March 16. The rally will mark the start of our annual Equality Florida Lobby Week. Come join us in Tallahassee for the rally, then stay for all or part of the week and tell legislators that it is time to protect our rights and our families. Calendar - March 16th 2009 Rally in Tally!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/rallytally/details.tcl
=
From Steve Glassman for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Campaign
It is down to the home stretch and Steve needs everyone's help to cross the finish line first! During the past 7 months, residents in every neighborhood in District 2 have met with Steve and have learned why he has led his neighborhood association for the past six years - it is because of his leadership, reason, and judgment. Now, friends from Steve's neighborhood want to thank him for all of his years of service and caring! Join our hosts Cindy and Peter Galiette, Steve Crombe and Will Rubino for a poolside Beach Bash. It doesn't matter where you live in District 2; everyone is invited. We are all in this together and we need to change direction!
When: Friday, January 30th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Where: La Rive, 715 Bayshore Drive.
RSVP: call 954-638-8461 or e-mail: steve@voteglassman.com by Tuesday,
January 27th.
=
Florida - OUT!
An organizing committee in formation, made up of leaders from around the state, is in the process of creating and launching a statewide federation of local organizations: Organizations United Together, Inc. ("OUT").
OUT's mission will be to connect and empower local organizations to share resources, skills and information in order to forge statewide strength in the pursuit of equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians. OUT intends to work hand-in-hand with other state and national organizations that share similar goals. A first meeting of local leaders from around the state will be hosted by OUT in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2009. Check-in is at 10 a.m., and the meeting will start promptly at 10:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Kevin Burns, Miami-Dade - North Miami Mayor
Tom Dempsey, Escambia - Gay Grass Roots of NW Florida
Karen Doering, Pinellas - Organizations United Together
Terry Fleming, Alachua - Organizations United Together
Stephen Gaskill, Broward - Organizations United Together
Rand Hoch, Palm Beach - Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Ted Howard, Hillsborough - Organizations United Together
Paul Hyman, Broward - Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
Cathy James, Hillsborough - Tampa Bay Family Pride
Michael Kenny, Broward - Organizations United Together
Lorraine Langlois, Pinellas - Metro Center in Pinellas and Hillsborough
Lisa Livezey Comingore, Leon - Impact Tallahassee
Rev Joe McMurray, Monroe - MCC Key West
C.J. Ortuno, Miami-Dade - SAVE Dade
John Ruffier, Orange - Central Florida HRC Steering Committee
Heddy Pena, Miami-Dade - Organizations United Together
Gary Resnick, Broward - Wilton Manors Mayor
Bill Robinson, Orange - DEC Chair
Scott Saraga, Duval - PFLAG of Jacksonville
Patty Sheehan, Orange - Orlando City Commissioner
Michael Shelton, Sarasota - Sarasota Equality Project
Herb Sosa, Miami-Dade - Unity Coalition/Coalicion Unida
www.outfl.org
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama-Meek comparisons go only so far
BY BETH REINHARD
Flanked by an attractive lawyer-wife and two children, a young black politician announces an audacious bid for higher office. Sounds familiar.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/858146.html
-Sink's withdrawal opens up Florida's Senate field
By Adam C. Smith
With Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink out of the running for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic primary could hardly be more unpredictable, with no one widely known. Let's take a quick glance at the plusses and minuses of the prospective field.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article968490.ece
-Broward County Republicans say goodbye to President Bush
Supporters of President Bush demonstrate to show their appreciation
Rachel Hatzipanagos
Fort Lauderdale - Car horns blared from both supporters and critics of President George W. Bush on Saturday at a rally held by 25 Republicans to bid farewell to the commander in chief.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbbush0118sbjan18,0,2369920.story
=
[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
~~FLORIDA GLBT NEWS~~
Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Fort Lauderdale candidate fighting for his reputation
By Brittany Wallman
You might call Earl Rynerson the wild card in the mayor's race. A political
newcomer who didn't even vote in the last city elections, Rynerson suddenly emerged on Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here.'s political scene last fall, saying he wanted the top elective post.
Rynerson has quickly jumped from anonymity to controversy, and Thursday he talked about his campaign's ups and downs.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbrynerson0116sbjan16,0,5922673.story
-Broward's first openly gay mayor
By Gregory Lewis
John Fiore became the first openly gay elected official in Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports when he won a seat on the Wilton Manors City Council in 1988. He achieved another first in 2000 when he was elected mayor.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0114firstgaymayor,0,26403.story
=
Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-By the numbers: the first 'gay census'
Leaders try to get detailed assessment of Broward's GLBT community
By JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
To any seasoned political strategist, demographic information is power. For any marginalized group that lives on the fringe of society, like many in the transgender community, visibility is more than acknowledgment. It's a gateway to change.
http://www.floridablade.com/2009/1-14/news/localnews/5451.cfm
=
From Transgender Equality
Contact rays.list@comcast.net for the full article
-From Shane Gunderson
Transgender People and Broward County Homeless Shelters
I want to commend Broward County's Office of Equal Opportunity Internal Investigations and Oversight Division because they recently emailed these attachments to homeless providers with the message, "Attached find a Copy of "A Guide To Making Homeless Shelters Safe For Transgender People" prepared by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless. I think you will find this guide very helpful in providing guidance on how to comply with the County's non-discrimination policy/ordinance. This guide provides guidance on issues such as intake; bathroom, showering and sleeping arrangements; dress code; confidentiality; safety; harassment; what constitutes gender identity and expression discrimination, etc. Also attached is the County Administrator's Reaffirmation memorandum of the County's Equal Opportunity Policy. [Trainingopportunities can also be arranged.]"
=
Ft. Lauderdale: Rodstrom/Glassman Horserace Neck and Neck
Now this one looks close!
It pits City Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom, wife of County Commissioner John Rodstrom, against the Central Beach Alliance President Steven Glassman.
A third candidate, businessman Howard Elfman is trailing somewhere back in the pack. The ironic thing about this race is that Glassman was instrumental in Rodstrom's triumph to the Commission seat just three years ago. In that race, Glassman and other beach activists turned out an enormous beach vote for Rodstrom and she came from behind to beat Jon Albee in the General Election. Glassman now says "he was wrong". In his campaign appearances, he says that Rodstrom is ineffective and divisive, and says she needs to go.
=
Congregation Etz Chaim, Wilton Manor's only synagogue, will hold its fifth annual Winter Wonderland Dance on Saturday, January 24, from 7 to 11 p.m., at Temple Beth El, 1351 South 14th Avenue in Hollywood. The Winter Wonderland Dance is for both guys and gals and features the music of D.J. Donna. The Dance is "BYOB," and set-ups and soft drinks will be available.
Admission to the Dance is $20 in advance or $22 at the door. Make checks payable to Congregation Etz Chaim and mail them with a self addressed stamped envelope to Congregation Etz Chaim, 1881 N.E. 26 Street # 100, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. For more information call Joyce at 954-718-5800.
Cong. Etz Chaim, which is currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary, holds Sabbath Services Friday nights at 8 at 1881 N.E. 26 Street in Wilton Manors.
=
GLCC "Stars of the Rainbow 2009" Honorees Announced
-Fort Lauderdale - The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida (GLCC) is proud to announce their 2009 Stars of the Rainbow Honorees to be showcased at this year's annual Stars of the Rainbow fundraising event.
2009 marks the Center's 16th anniversary of providing valued services and programs to the community. The Stars of the Rainbow 2009 Gala & Celebration will be held on Sunday, March 1st hosted by the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 S.E. 17th Street Causeway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. The schedule for the evening will be:
...5:00 - 6:30 PM - VIP Reception at the Hyatt Regency Pier Top Lounge, known for its dazzling 360-degree views. Complimentary valet parking is available at the main entrance of the Hyatt Regency. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and entertainment will be enjoyed during this intimate gathering of friends. At the end of the VIP Reception, guests will be escorted into the Crystal Atrium to enjoy the evening's festivities.
...6:00 - 7:00 PM - A Reception will take place in the Crystal Atrium where the
Silent Auction and entertainment will take place while cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
are served.
...7:00 - 10:00 PM - A sit-down dinner will be served while guests enjoy the Honoree Recognition Video Presentation. There will be special entertainment including a live performance by Jody Watley. Music and dancing will continue throughout the evening as everyone celebrates the honorees accomplishments.
...Tickets are $225 for VIP Tickets or $150 for Gala Tickets. Underwriting and Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Robert Boo, Director of Development at 954.463.9005 or email rboo@glccsf.org. Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.glccsf.org or www.starsoftherainbow.com.
...Business, Organization & Media -
Hotspots Magazine
Window Media (South Florida Blade & 411 Magazine)
...Community Star
Terry DeCarlo - Public Relations & Marketing Manager, Broward House
Nadine Smith - Executive Director, Equality Florida,
...Fundraising Board Member
Dale Russell, President
...Volunteer
Tyler Healis, former GLCC Board member
Lucille Marino and Corinne Wyatt - President and Vice-President of Women In Network (WIN)
...Alan Schubert Humanitarian Award
Glen Weinzimer - Smart Ride Founder
http://www.glccsf.org
=
SpeakOut with Staceyann Chin
Nationally recognized New York-based Jamaican lesbian spoken word poet and performer Staceyann Chin comes to Miami for a week-long residency as part of Tigertail's SpeakOut project for GLBT youth, with events for people of all ages! Chin's poetry is a bracing, no-holds-barred yet tender examination of her own life and the world around her that locates itself at the complex intersection of sexual, gender and racial identities. She co-wrote and performed in the Tony Award-nominated Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam, presented her own one-woman shows Off-Broadway, and is published in numerous anthologies.
"With poems that combine hilarious one-liners with a refusal to conform Chin is out to confront more than just the straight world." -
The Advocate
Staceyann Chin events include.......
...Monday, January 19, 7:30 pm
Race, Sex & Identity
A Conversation in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community
Don't miss this free panel discussion on the night of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Staceyann Chin, noted Latina lesbian performance artist and comic Marga Gomez, and others, moderated by South Florida African-American lesbian activist and performer Bishop S.F. Makalani-MaHee. Miami Light Project, 3000 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 100, Miami Co-presented with Miami Light Project
...Thursday, January 22, 6:00 pm
Gay & Lesbian Youth Open Mic & Slam
Hosted by Staceyann Chin & Teo Castellanos
Each participant (21 and under please) gets a chance to arouse, provoke and inspire with spoken word poetry! Material needs to be gay friendly. Free and open to all teens with no reservations needed. Sign- in at the event at 5:30 pm, Open Mic 6:00 - 7:00 pm, Slam 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Miami Beach Regional Library, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach (just off of Collins Avenue)
...Friday, January 23, 7:30 pm
Reading & performance with Staceyann Chin
Come experience Chin's electrifying spoken word poetry. Free and open to all! Books & Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables
=
Innaugural Bashes - Tuesday!
Got plans on Tuesday night?
I hope not, because you've been cordially invited to an Inaugural Bash in Fort Lauderdale. Well, a few of them actually. Hundreds of thousands of us are getting together from coast to coast to celebrate this historic event together-and there are a few parties happening right near you in Fort Lauderdale. There are all different types of Inaugural Bashes. Some people are holding potlucks in their homes, some are getting together in local bars and restaurants, and some are throwing black-tie Inaugural Balls. You can check out all the parties in your area to find one that's your speed. You don't need a tux or a gown-all you need to do is show up. Can you make it?
Here are some of the parties near you:
Wilton Manors Yes We Did! aka Goodbye Bush Bash!!
Where: Rosie's Bar and Grill (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=90927&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
ABC Web Service Inaugural Bash
Where: Near 5 Points in Wilton Manors (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 5:00 PM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=88457&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
Gather for a Celebration of Change for us all
Where: Sunrise Blvd. and Andrews Ave. (in Fort Lauderdale)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, at 10:00 AM
RSVP:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=91170&id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=4
To see other Inaugural Bashes near you, click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/inauguralbash/?id=15387-5533006-D7CsGFx&t=5
No matter which Inaugural Bash you choose, the important thing is that you'll be gathering with other progressives in your community who are fired up about Barack Obama's inauguration and ready to help get the change we elected Obama to deliver. The grassroots energy that powered Obama's campaign isn't fading away. But we'll get back to the hard work of changing our country on Wednesday. On Tuesday, we're going to celebrate all we've achieved together.
=
Palm Beach Human Rights Council
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER GAY RIGHTS BILL
Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton) has filed legislation to update Florida's laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, familial status or marital status. "All Floridians should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their families without fear of being unfairly fired or denied housing for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance or their ability to maintain a home," said Skidmore. For the third consecutive year, Skidmore filed her bill at the request of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
www.pbchrc.org
=
Mark's List
http://frontpage.jumponmarkslist.com/MSFL/2008/052908.htm
-We're excited to get 2009 off to a strong start. That's why Equality
Florida is partnering with allies across the state for a Rally in Tally for LGBT Equality on Monday, March 16. The rally will mark the start of our annual Equality Florida Lobby Week. Come join us in Tallahassee for the rally, then stay for all or part of the week and tell legislators that it is time to protect our rights and our families. Calendar - March 16th 2009 Rally in Tally!
http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/rallytally/details.tcl
=
From Steve Glassman for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Campaign
It is down to the home stretch and Steve needs everyone's help to cross the finish line first! During the past 7 months, residents in every neighborhood in District 2 have met with Steve and have learned why he has led his neighborhood association for the past six years - it is because of his leadership, reason, and judgment. Now, friends from Steve's neighborhood want to thank him for all of his years of service and caring! Join our hosts Cindy and Peter Galiette, Steve Crombe and Will Rubino for a poolside Beach Bash. It doesn't matter where you live in District 2; everyone is invited. We are all in this together and we need to change direction!
When: Friday, January 30th from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Where: La Rive, 715 Bayshore Drive.
RSVP: call 954-638-8461 or e-mail: steve@voteglassman.com by Tuesday,
January 27th.
=
Florida - OUT!
An organizing committee in formation, made up of leaders from around the state, is in the process of creating and launching a statewide federation of local organizations: Organizations United Together, Inc. ("OUT").
OUT's mission will be to connect and empower local organizations to share resources, skills and information in order to forge statewide strength in the pursuit of equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians. OUT intends to work hand-in-hand with other state and national organizations that share similar goals. A first meeting of local leaders from around the state will be hosted by OUT in Orlando, Florida on January 24, 2009. Check-in is at 10 a.m., and the meeting will start promptly at 10:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided.
Kevin Burns, Miami-Dade - North Miami Mayor
Tom Dempsey, Escambia - Gay Grass Roots of NW Florida
Karen Doering, Pinellas - Organizations United Together
Terry Fleming, Alachua - Organizations United Together
Stephen Gaskill, Broward - Organizations United Together
Rand Hoch, Palm Beach - Palm Beach County Human Rights Council
Ted Howard, Hillsborough - Organizations United Together
Paul Hyman, Broward - Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
Cathy James, Hillsborough - Tampa Bay Family Pride
Michael Kenny, Broward - Organizations United Together
Lorraine Langlois, Pinellas - Metro Center in Pinellas and Hillsborough
Lisa Livezey Comingore, Leon - Impact Tallahassee
Rev Joe McMurray, Monroe - MCC Key West
C.J. Ortuno, Miami-Dade - SAVE Dade
John Ruffier, Orange - Central Florida HRC Steering Committee
Heddy Pena, Miami-Dade - Organizations United Together
Gary Resnick, Broward - Wilton Manors Mayor
Bill Robinson, Orange - DEC Chair
Scott Saraga, Duval - PFLAG of Jacksonville
Patty Sheehan, Orange - Orlando City Commissioner
Michael Shelton, Sarasota - Sarasota Equality Project
Herb Sosa, Miami-Dade - Unity Coalition/Coalicion Unida
www.outfl.org
~~FLORIDA GENERAL NEWS~~
Fort Report
http://www.fortreport.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Obama-Meek comparisons go only so far
BY BETH REINHARD
Flanked by an attractive lawyer-wife and two children, a young black politician announces an audacious bid for higher office. Sounds familiar.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/beth-reinhard/story/858146.html
-Sink's withdrawal opens up Florida's Senate field
By Adam C. Smith
With Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink out of the running for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic primary could hardly be more unpredictable, with no one widely known. Let's take a quick glance at the plusses and minuses of the prospective field.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article968490.ece
-Broward County Republicans say goodbye to President Bush
Supporters of President Bush demonstrate to show their appreciation
Rachel Hatzipanagos
Fort Lauderdale - Car horns blared from both supporters and critics of President George W. Bush on Saturday at a rally held by 25 Republicans to bid farewell to the commander in chief.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-flbbush0118sbjan18,0,2369920.story
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
GLBT DIGEST - January 07, 2009
**IF YOU CAN'T ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE, CONTACT US AT rays.list@comcast.net and we'll be happy to send the full article.
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority
From a former Nixon aide to a former head of Common Cause, a liberal government watchdog organization, the freshman House class of the 111th Congress represents a diverse but decidedly moderate group. [...] The class also offers two new ethnic firsts: Steve Austria, a Republican from Ohio's 7th Congressional District, is the first Filipino-American and Anh (Joseph) Cao, the Republican who defeated William Jefferson in Louisiana, is the first Vietnamese-American. In addition, Jared Polis of Colorado is the first openly gay male candidate and non-incumbent to be elected to the House.
(While there are other gay members, notably Barney Frank, their orientation was not public at the time of their first elective bids, aides to the House said.)
-'The Real World'
The Show That Put the 'Real' in Reality TV
As Jon Murray, one of the executive producers, explains in "The Real World: Secrets Revealed," a special being shown this week anticipating the new season's start on Wednesday, this progenitor of reality television today was conceived as a scripted series about the lives of young people in New York called "St. Marks Place." The idea, though, quickly morphed into the notion of housing a group of 20-somethings under one roof (preferably with a hot tub) and installing cameras. [...] The bigger nonsecret secrets belong to others: Ryan, an Iraq war veteran who would prefer people not know that right away, and Katelynn, who started out life as a boy, began to live as a woman seven years ago and went to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery last summer. Initially, it is apparent only to J. D., a sweet and paternal dolphin trainer who is gay, that Katelynn wasn't born female. Katelynn is presumably supposed to shock everyone out of his or her prejudices, but it isn't clear that her roommates actually possess any. There is something about "The Real World" that feels permanently stuck in the early 1990s, when issues of sexual orientation were guaranteed to rattle. There's so little rattling, and seemingly so little prospect of sexual tension, that "The Real World: Brooklyn" threatens to sink to the innocuousness of "The Love Boat."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/arts/television/07real.html?scp=3&sq=GAY&st=cse
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ex-eBay CEO largely unknown amid Calif. gov.'s bid
By JULIET WILLIAMS
Former eBay executive Meg Whitman brings intrigue and a big bank account to California's beleaguered Republican Party.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602770.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Suspects charged in gang rape of lesbian in San Francisco Bay area; Hate
crime alleged
By LISA LEFF
Two men and a teenager were charged Tuesday in the alleged gang rape of a lesbian in the San Francisco Bay area. Humberto Hernandez Salvador, 31, and Josue Gonzalez, 21, were charged with kidnapping, carjacking and gang rape in the attack last month in Richmond.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-lesbian-rape,0,4873181.story
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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Florida gay groups form statewide federation
Several Florida gay rights leaders today announced formation of a "statewide federation" of local groups. They're calling the umbrella group OUT, Organizations United Together.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Singing the wedding blues
BY BOB BARR
In 1996, as a freshman House member, I wrote the Defense of Marriage Act, better known by its shorthand acronym, DOMA, than its legal title. The law has been a flash-point for those arguing for or against same-sex marriage ever since President Clinton signed it into law. Even President-elect Barack Obama has grappled with its language, meaning and impact. I can sympathize with the incoming commander in chief. And, after long and careful consideration, I have come to agree with him that the law should be repealed.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/840759.html
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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Va. GOP lawmaker sponsoring pro-gay bill
Would allow companies to offer life insurance to gay partners
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A Republican in the Virginia House of Delegates is sponsoring a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would allow Virginia companies to provide life insurance to partners of gay employees, according to the General Assembly's web site.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23325
-Oregon church to stop signing marriage licenses
Move protests lack of marriage rights for gay couples
ASHLAND, Ore. (AP)
The clergy at one Ashland church are refusing to sign marriage licenses until same-sex couples can legally tie the knot.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23321
-Prop. 8 backers take on AG's gay marriage argument
Say Brown is 'advancing a far-fetched legal theory'
The sponsors of California's voter-approved gay marriage ban say Attorney General Jerry Brown is advancing a far-fetched legal theory to justify overturning Proposition 8.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23318
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Blame religion, not race
Researchers, in conjunction with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, released a report today that said that people who voted against gay marriage in California had four things in common:
1. They attended religious services weekly
2. They were Republicans
3. They were conservatives
4. They were born before World War II
http://www.365gay.com/blog/vanasco-blame-religion-not-race/
-Ohio Supreme Court limits impact of gay marriage ban
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
The Ohio Supreme Court has let stand an appeals court ruling that said the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage cannot be used to terminate a child custody agreement between partners.
http://www.365gay.com/news/ohio-supreme-court-limits-impact-of-gay-marriage-ban/
-Ken Starr tells us how it is
By Emma Ruby-Sachs
It wouldn't be 2009 without a little noise from our friends on the social conservative side of the spectrum. Ken Starr released a response yesterday to the California Attorney General's submission to the Supreme Court on Proposition 8.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-ken-starr-tells-us-how-it-is/
-State supreme courts to rule in gay marriage cases
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
Supreme courts this year will rule on cases involving same-sex marriage in Iowa and California. The Iowa case involves the constitutionality of limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, while the one in California centers around Proposition 8, the voter-approved amendment to the state constitution that bars same-sex marriage.
http://www.365gay.com/news/state-supreme-courts-to-rule-in-gay-marriage-cases/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Prop. 8 Exit Polling of African-Americans Way Off, Experts Say
A new study on California's Proposition 8 voting trends released Tuesday found that far fewer African-Americans voted to pass the gay marriage ban than the 70% suggested by exit polling and concluded that race was not the most significant factor affecting people's vote for or against marriage equality.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70200.asp
-Group Pushes For Gay Man As Commerce Secretary
The Boston-based group Equal Rep is now pushing for Fred Hochberg to be appointed secretary of Commerce upon Gov. Bill Richardson's withdrawal from consideration for the post, The Boston Globe reports. If tapped, Hochberg, who had originally been considered for the top post at the Small Business Administration, would be the first openly gay person to ever hold a cabinet position.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70153.asp
-Catholic Church in San Francisco Vandalized Over Prop. 8
A Catholic church in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood was vandalized with anti-Proposition 8 graffiti Sunday morning, even though the church is largely pro-gay. The Most Holy Redeemer church was defaced with black swastikas and impassioned messages, including one directed at San Francisco archbishop George Niederauer, who prominently supported Prop. 8, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70157.asp
-Constructive Impatience
Stung by the Rick Warren decision, GLAAD's former executive director Joan Garry
offers the Obama transition team some sage advice.
By Joan Garry
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid69878.asp
-Fontainebleau Encore
The Advocates: Expert advice on life -- as you live it.
By Ed Salvato
http://advocate.com/issue_story_ektid69544.asp
-Let's Talk About Sex.
The Advocates: Expert advice on life -- as you live it. Why it's vital to get personal with your doctor.
http://advocate.com/issue_story_ektid69540.asp
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Anything but Straight
http://www.waynebesen.com/
-The Mess In The Middle East
As long as we refer to the Middle East as the "Holy Land" there will be war. For peace to prosper, extremists, on both sides, will have to he marginalized. This will require courage from Israeli and Palestinian leaders, who have failed to take aim at the religious roots of this festering fiasco.
http://www.waynebesen.com/2009/01/mess-in-middle-east.html
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Comment: We deserve more than an apology from the BBC for their homophobia
By Nick Henderson
After the the expose by PinkNews.co.uk that the BBC had broadcast a series of anti-lesbian slurs against Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan, My.PinkNews.co.uk reader Nick Henderson believes the BBC must start respecting LGBT rights and stop broadcasting homophobic content.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10293.html
-Dutchman fined for gay "indecency" in Gambia
By Tony Grew
A 79-year-old man from the Netherlands has been found guilty of indecency with several Gambian men.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10290.html
-Comment: Trans discrimination must no longer be tolerated
By Thomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg is the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights. He released this comment on trans rights on his website yesterday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10287.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Why Blacks Should Support Gay Marriage
by: Pam Spaulding | Pam's House Blend
Herndon Davis, a media analyst, consultant and writer who focuses on issues related to people of color, women, and the LGBT community penned a piece for BET.com that reshapes some of the messaging about marriage equality to "make the sale" to the portion of the black community that is on the fence or flat out against same-sex marriage (particularly with the Pay It Forward section).
An estimated 14 million children are being raised by same-sex parents who require the legal infrastructure marriage in order to protect their children because there are numerous restrictions placed on the co-parental rights of unmarried same-sex couples.
-Petitions Filed Wednesday in Opposition of New Kalamazoo Gay-Rights Ordinance
Kathy Jessup | Kalamazoo Gazette
Petitions seeking the repeal of a newly adopted city ordinance that extends discrimination protections to gays and lesbians in Kalamazoo have been filed. City Clerk Scott Borling said former city commissioner and current Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema officially turned over 189 pages of petitions that circulators said contained about 1,600 signatures.Due to the New Year's Day holiday Thursday, Borling said certification of those signatures will begin Friday.
-TX: Students Working to Grow UT's First Gay Fraternity
By Jazmine Ulloa | AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF | American Statesman
When graduate student Armando Sanchez first entered the University of Texas at Austin as a freshman, he didn't think fraternity life was for him.
Latino, gay and somewhat introverted, he didn't think he fit the mold of thetypical pledge at the traditional predominantly white fraternities on campus. UT also has Greek organizations that are largely Latino, but Sanchez said he didn't think he could be himself and still fit in because of hissexuality. Then he heard that a group of students planned to start the first gay and bisexual fraternity chapter at UT - and one of only two in Texas. The other is at UT-El Paso.
-MN: Transgender People Often Face a Legal Labyrinth When Changing Gender on Identity Documents
By Emily Gurnon | egurnon@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
When Carrie PepinSmith wanted to become Cary PepinSmith, a Hennepin County judge had no problem granting the request. But when the 44-year-old transgender man wanted to change the "F" on his birth certificate to an "M," the judge balked. "He had no idea how to change the gender on my birth certificate,"
PepinSmith said. But he'd heard other people had gone to the same place, the Hennepin County Courthouse, and had both the name and gender designation changed at once. "So why is there no consistency in this?" he wondered.
People who move from one gender to another - with surgical changes or without - face a confounding maze of legal challenges. One of the greatest is changing identity documents, including birth certificates, driver's licenses, Social Security records and passports. Read more
-Separate, Unequal
Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish
Joe Carter responds to my post:
Extending the exact same benefits is not "codifying inequality." But for Sullivan, et al., it is not about benefits but about forcing the acceptance of gay sex as "normal" and equal to heterosexual sex. This is an absurd reason and nothing the government should be involved in.
Actually, it is about accepting gay love and commitment as indistinguishable in moral worth and social status as straight love. That's all. Civil marriage is not about sex as such, as any straight couple will tell you. You can have lots of sex without marriage. And you can have a marriage without much or any sex. But you cannot have a meaningful marriage without love and commitment. Only one tiny sliver of humanity is currently and deliberately prevented from having such love and commitment recognized under the law: homosexuals. That's the only reason anyone is having this discussion.
I should say I don't keep up with Carter as assiduously as I should, but it also strikes me that this new post is an evolution of his position. The last time I checked, Carter favored "an expanded form of the proposed reciprocal-beneficiary contracts [as] the model for civil unions in America." Now he favors the "exact same benefits" as civil marriage for civil unions, and backs extending the right to civil unions to every two-person relationship that does not currently qualify for civil marriage. Read more
-Interview with Mariele Castro on the Future of Sex and Socialism in Cuba
Anastasia Haydulia | Mr Zine Monthly Review
Anastasia Haydulina: One day your uncle Fidel Castro . . . is going to die.
Do you think his death will change the status quo of your Cuba?
Mariela Castro: First of all, the death of Fidel will bring great suffering for the Cuban people, and it will be an enormous loss. But as far as I can see, the Cubans are willing to continue on the path of socialism even when our Comandante is no longer with us, even when my father and other forefathers of the revolution are not. Our people want socialism. Of course, we're very self-critical, so what we need is a better and rich socialreform that will resolve most of the existing contradictions. People themselves are proposing actions necessary for the survival of our socialist society, a society that should always guarantee social justice, equality, and solidarity within the nation, as well as in relations with others. We want welfare, but not as exaggerated as that of consumer societies. I think that socialism in Cuba will survive and become what we have considered to be a utopia. more.......
-Write What's Right: Professors Pen Book on Homosexuality
By Mindi Westhoff | staff | mwesthoff@newsleader.com | News Leader
HARRISONBURG - Reunited after two decades, it was realizing all the things they had in common that made Ted Grimsrud and Mark Thiessan Nation question their differences, especially when dealing with the difficult subject of homosexuality and the church.
They met at seminary more than 30 years ago, but it wasn't until they were both hired at Eastern Mennonite University that Grimsrud and Nation began looking into the controversial topic, of which they hold different views.
Grimsrud and Nation talk as if they're old friends, stealing a sideways glance or laughing sincerely when the other speaks. That congeniality was important for the two men while penning their new book, "Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality."
The question of gays, lesbians and the church's acceptance of them is far reaching, the men said, dividing churches and whole denominations.
"It's an issue that many Christians are confronted about today," Nation said. "There's much debate over it."
In "Reasoning Together," Nation and Grimsrud present their differing views, Nation holding the more traditional belief that homosexuality is wrong, according to the Bible. Read more
-The Sexual Threat to Fundamentalism
By Michelle Goldberg | Religion Dispatches
During this holiday season-a time, ideally, of peace, empathy, kindness and transcendence-gays and lesbians have reason to feel themselves under siege by ostensible men of God. First there was the Rick Warren affair, with its concomitant message that, unlike racism or anti-Semitism, gay and lesbian equality is something decent people can disagree on. Then, just days later, in his Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia, the Pope saw fit to compare homosexuality-and, indeed, any deviation from binary gender roles-to the destruction of the rainforests.
The official English translation of the Pope's remarks hasn't yet been published, but an unofficial version disseminated online by English bishop Michael Campbell shows that Pope Benedict did not, on this occasion, draw analogies between the despoiling of nature and torture or war.
Gender-bending alone is singled out as a force rending the harmony of God's creation.
"What is necessary is a kind of ecology of man, understood in the correct sense," said the Pope. "When the Church speaks of the nature of the human being as man and woman and asks that this order of creation be respected, it is not the result of an outdated metaphysic. It is a question here of faith in the Creator and of listening to the language of creation, the devaluation of which leads to the self-destruction of man and therefore to the destruction of the same work of God. That which is often expressed and understood by the term 'gender,' results finally in the self-emancipation of man from creation and from the Creator." Such self-emancipation leads inevitably to a kind of destruction as dangerous as any threat to the natural environment. "The tropical forests are deserving, yes, of our protection, but man merits no less than the creature, in which there is written a message which does not mean a contradiction of our liberty, but its condition," said the Pope. Read more
-Barney's Great Adventure
Jeffrey Toobin | The New Yorker
Of the four hundred and thirty-five members of the House of Representatives, Barney Frank is the only one whose public remarks have been collected in a book of quotations ("Frank Talk: The Wit and Wisdom of Barney Frank," published in 2006). He is also the only congressman whose fight against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton has been the subject of a documentary, which was shown to acclaim at film festivals around the country ("Let's Get Frank," directed by Bart Everly). Frank is not the only member of Congress to have been the subject of a full-scale biography, but the account of his life, written by a former aide named Stuart E. Weisberg, to be published by the University of Massachusetts Press later this year, will likely rank among the more exhaustive and admiring books ever printed about a sitting member of the House, who is described as "arguably the most unique and fascinating, certainly the most entertaining political figure in Washington." Read more
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[Send your comments about articles to Rays.List@Comcast.net]
#####
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New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority
From a former Nixon aide to a former head of Common Cause, a liberal government watchdog organization, the freshman House class of the 111th Congress represents a diverse but decidedly moderate group. [...] The class also offers two new ethnic firsts: Steve Austria, a Republican from Ohio's 7th Congressional District, is the first Filipino-American and Anh (Joseph) Cao, the Republican who defeated William Jefferson in Louisiana, is the first Vietnamese-American. In addition, Jared Polis of Colorado is the first openly gay male candidate and non-incumbent to be elected to the House.
(While there are other gay members, notably Barney Frank, their orientation was not public at the time of their first elective bids, aides to the House said.)
-'The Real World'
The Show That Put the 'Real' in Reality TV
As Jon Murray, one of the executive producers, explains in "The Real World: Secrets Revealed," a special being shown this week anticipating the new season's start on Wednesday, this progenitor of reality television today was conceived as a scripted series about the lives of young people in New York called "St. Marks Place." The idea, though, quickly morphed into the notion of housing a group of 20-somethings under one roof (preferably with a hot tub) and installing cameras. [...] The bigger nonsecret secrets belong to others: Ryan, an Iraq war veteran who would prefer people not know that right away, and Katelynn, who started out life as a boy, began to live as a woman seven years ago and went to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery last summer. Initially, it is apparent only to J. D., a sweet and paternal dolphin trainer who is gay, that Katelynn wasn't born female. Katelynn is presumably supposed to shock everyone out of his or her prejudices, but it isn't clear that her roommates actually possess any. There is something about "The Real World" that feels permanently stuck in the early 1990s, when issues of sexual orientation were guaranteed to rattle. There's so little rattling, and seemingly so little prospect of sexual tension, that "The Real World: Brooklyn" threatens to sink to the innocuousness of "The Love Boat."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/arts/television/07real.html?scp=3&sq=GAY&st=cse
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Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Ex-eBay CEO largely unknown amid Calif. gov.'s bid
By JULIET WILLIAMS
Former eBay executive Meg Whitman brings intrigue and a big bank account to California's beleaguered Republican Party.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602770.html
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Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Suspects charged in gang rape of lesbian in San Francisco Bay area; Hate
crime alleged
By LISA LEFF
Two men and a teenager were charged Tuesday in the alleged gang rape of a lesbian in the San Francisco Bay area. Humberto Hernandez Salvador, 31, and Josue Gonzalez, 21, were charged with kidnapping, carjacking and gang rape in the attack last month in Richmond.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-lesbian-rape,0,4873181.story
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Steve Rothaus
www.MiamiHerald.com/gay
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Florida gay groups form statewide federation
Several Florida gay rights leaders today announced formation of a "statewide federation" of local groups. They're calling the umbrella group OUT, Organizations United Together.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/
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Miami Herald
http://www.miamiherald.com/
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Singing the wedding blues
BY BOB BARR
In 1996, as a freshman House member, I wrote the Defense of Marriage Act, better known by its shorthand acronym, DOMA, than its legal title. The law has been a flash-point for those arguing for or against same-sex marriage ever since President Clinton signed it into law. Even President-elect Barack Obama has grappled with its language, meaning and impact. I can sympathize with the incoming commander in chief. And, after long and careful consideration, I have come to agree with him that the law should be repealed.
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/840759.html
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South Florida Blade
http://www.floridablade.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Va. GOP lawmaker sponsoring pro-gay bill
Would allow companies to offer life insurance to gay partners
By CHRIS JOHNSON
A Republican in the Virginia House of Delegates is sponsoring a bill in the upcoming legislative session that would allow Virginia companies to provide life insurance to partners of gay employees, according to the General Assembly's web site.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23325
-Oregon church to stop signing marriage licenses
Move protests lack of marriage rights for gay couples
ASHLAND, Ore. (AP)
The clergy at one Ashland church are refusing to sign marriage licenses until same-sex couples can legally tie the knot.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23321
-Prop. 8 backers take on AG's gay marriage argument
Say Brown is 'advancing a far-fetched legal theory'
The sponsors of California's voter-approved gay marriage ban say Attorney General Jerry Brown is advancing a far-fetched legal theory to justify overturning Proposition 8.
http://www.floridablade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=23318
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365Gay.com
http://www.365gay.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Blame religion, not race
Researchers, in conjunction with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, released a report today that said that people who voted against gay marriage in California had four things in common:
1. They attended religious services weekly
2. They were Republicans
3. They were conservatives
4. They were born before World War II
http://www.365gay.com/blog/vanasco-blame-religion-not-race/
-Ohio Supreme Court limits impact of gay marriage ban
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
The Ohio Supreme Court has let stand an appeals court ruling that said the state's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage cannot be used to terminate a child custody agreement between partners.
http://www.365gay.com/news/ohio-supreme-court-limits-impact-of-gay-marriage-ban/
-Ken Starr tells us how it is
By Emma Ruby-Sachs
It wouldn't be 2009 without a little noise from our friends on the social conservative side of the spectrum. Ken Starr released a response yesterday to the California Attorney General's submission to the Supreme Court on Proposition 8.
http://www.365gay.com/blog/ruby-sachs-ken-starr-tells-us-how-it-is/
-State supreme courts to rule in gay marriage cases
By 365gay Newscenter Staff
Supreme courts this year will rule on cases involving same-sex marriage in Iowa and California. The Iowa case involves the constitutionality of limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples, while the one in California centers around Proposition 8, the voter-approved amendment to the state constitution that bars same-sex marriage.
http://www.365gay.com/news/state-supreme-courts-to-rule-in-gay-marriage-cases/
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The Advocate
http://advocate.com/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Prop. 8 Exit Polling of African-Americans Way Off, Experts Say
A new study on California's Proposition 8 voting trends released Tuesday found that far fewer African-Americans voted to pass the gay marriage ban than the 70% suggested by exit polling and concluded that race was not the most significant factor affecting people's vote for or against marriage equality.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70200.asp
-Group Pushes For Gay Man As Commerce Secretary
The Boston-based group Equal Rep is now pushing for Fred Hochberg to be appointed secretary of Commerce upon Gov. Bill Richardson's withdrawal from consideration for the post, The Boston Globe reports. If tapped, Hochberg, who had originally been considered for the top post at the Small Business Administration, would be the first openly gay person to ever hold a cabinet position.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70153.asp
-Catholic Church in San Francisco Vandalized Over Prop. 8
A Catholic church in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood was vandalized with anti-Proposition 8 graffiti Sunday morning, even though the church is largely pro-gay. The Most Holy Redeemer church was defaced with black swastikas and impassioned messages, including one directed at San Francisco archbishop George Niederauer, who prominently supported Prop. 8, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
http://advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70157.asp
-Constructive Impatience
Stung by the Rick Warren decision, GLAAD's former executive director Joan Garry
offers the Obama transition team some sage advice.
By Joan Garry
http://advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid69878.asp
-Fontainebleau Encore
The Advocates: Expert advice on life -- as you live it.
By Ed Salvato
http://advocate.com/issue_story_ektid69544.asp
-Let's Talk About Sex.
The Advocates: Expert advice on life -- as you live it. Why it's vital to get personal with your doctor.
http://advocate.com/issue_story_ektid69540.asp
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Anything but Straight
http://www.waynebesen.com/
-The Mess In The Middle East
As long as we refer to the Middle East as the "Holy Land" there will be war. For peace to prosper, extremists, on both sides, will have to he marginalized. This will require courage from Israeli and Palestinian leaders, who have failed to take aim at the religious roots of this festering fiasco.
http://www.waynebesen.com/2009/01/mess-in-middle-east.html
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Pink News - UK
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/
Go to this link for the following articles:
-Comment: We deserve more than an apology from the BBC for their homophobia
By Nick Henderson
After the the expose by PinkNews.co.uk that the BBC had broadcast a series of anti-lesbian slurs against Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan, My.PinkNews.co.uk reader Nick Henderson believes the BBC must start respecting LGBT rights and stop broadcasting homophobic content.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10293.html
-Dutchman fined for gay "indecency" in Gambia
By Tony Grew
A 79-year-old man from the Netherlands has been found guilty of indecency with several Gambian men.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10290.html
-Comment: Trans discrimination must no longer be tolerated
By Thomas Hammarberg
Thomas Hammarberg is the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights. He released this comment on trans rights on his website yesterday.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10287.html
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Forwarded from Victoria Lavin
Daily Queer News
www.dailyqueernews.com
Go to the links for the following articles:
-Why Blacks Should Support Gay Marriage
by: Pam Spaulding | Pam's House Blend
Herndon Davis, a media analyst, consultant and writer who focuses on issues related to people of color, women, and the LGBT community penned a piece for BET.com that reshapes some of the messaging about marriage equality to "make the sale" to the portion of the black community that is on the fence or flat out against same-sex marriage (particularly with the Pay It Forward section).
An estimated 14 million children are being raised by same-sex parents who require the legal infrastructure marriage in order to protect their children because there are numerous restrictions placed on the co-parental rights of unmarried same-sex couples.
-Petitions Filed Wednesday in Opposition of New Kalamazoo Gay-Rights Ordinance
Kathy Jessup | Kalamazoo Gazette
Petitions seeking the repeal of a newly adopted city ordinance that extends discrimination protections to gays and lesbians in Kalamazoo have been filed. City Clerk Scott Borling said former city commissioner and current Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema officially turned over 189 pages of petitions that circulators said contained about 1,600 signatures.Due to the New Year's Day holiday Thursday, Borling said certification of those signatures will begin Friday.
-TX: Students Working to Grow UT's First Gay Fraternity
By Jazmine Ulloa | AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF | American Statesman
When graduate student Armando Sanchez first entered the University of Texas at Austin as a freshman, he didn't think fraternity life was for him.
Latino, gay and somewhat introverted, he didn't think he fit the mold of thetypical pledge at the traditional predominantly white fraternities on campus. UT also has Greek organizations that are largely Latino, but Sanchez said he didn't think he could be himself and still fit in because of hissexuality. Then he heard that a group of students planned to start the first gay and bisexual fraternity chapter at UT - and one of only two in Texas. The other is at UT-El Paso.
-MN: Transgender People Often Face a Legal Labyrinth When Changing Gender on Identity Documents
By Emily Gurnon | egurnon@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
When Carrie PepinSmith wanted to become Cary PepinSmith, a Hennepin County judge had no problem granting the request. But when the 44-year-old transgender man wanted to change the "F" on his birth certificate to an "M," the judge balked. "He had no idea how to change the gender on my birth certificate,"
PepinSmith said. But he'd heard other people had gone to the same place, the Hennepin County Courthouse, and had both the name and gender designation changed at once. "So why is there no consistency in this?" he wondered.
People who move from one gender to another - with surgical changes or without - face a confounding maze of legal challenges. One of the greatest is changing identity documents, including birth certificates, driver's licenses, Social Security records and passports. Read more
-Separate, Unequal
Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish
Joe Carter responds to my post:
Extending the exact same benefits is not "codifying inequality." But for Sullivan, et al., it is not about benefits but about forcing the acceptance of gay sex as "normal" and equal to heterosexual sex. This is an absurd reason and nothing the government should be involved in.
Actually, it is about accepting gay love and commitment as indistinguishable in moral worth and social status as straight love. That's all. Civil marriage is not about sex as such, as any straight couple will tell you. You can have lots of sex without marriage. And you can have a marriage without much or any sex. But you cannot have a meaningful marriage without love and commitment. Only one tiny sliver of humanity is currently and deliberately prevented from having such love and commitment recognized under the law: homosexuals. That's the only reason anyone is having this discussion.
I should say I don't keep up with Carter as assiduously as I should, but it also strikes me that this new post is an evolution of his position. The last time I checked, Carter favored "an expanded form of the proposed reciprocal-beneficiary contracts [as] the model for civil unions in America." Now he favors the "exact same benefits" as civil marriage for civil unions, and backs extending the right to civil unions to every two-person relationship that does not currently qualify for civil marriage. Read more
-Interview with Mariele Castro on the Future of Sex and Socialism in Cuba
Anastasia Haydulia | Mr Zine Monthly Review
Anastasia Haydulina: One day your uncle Fidel Castro . . . is going to die.
Do you think his death will change the status quo of your Cuba?
Mariela Castro: First of all, the death of Fidel will bring great suffering for the Cuban people, and it will be an enormous loss. But as far as I can see, the Cubans are willing to continue on the path of socialism even when our Comandante is no longer with us, even when my father and other forefathers of the revolution are not. Our people want socialism. Of course, we're very self-critical, so what we need is a better and rich socialreform that will resolve most of the existing contradictions. People themselves are proposing actions necessary for the survival of our socialist society, a society that should always guarantee social justice, equality, and solidarity within the nation, as well as in relations with others. We want welfare, but not as exaggerated as that of consumer societies. I think that socialism in Cuba will survive and become what we have considered to be a utopia. more.......
-Write What's Right: Professors Pen Book on Homosexuality
By Mindi Westhoff | staff | mwesthoff@newsleader.com | News Leader
HARRISONBURG - Reunited after two decades, it was realizing all the things they had in common that made Ted Grimsrud and Mark Thiessan Nation question their differences, especially when dealing with the difficult subject of homosexuality and the church.
They met at seminary more than 30 years ago, but it wasn't until they were both hired at Eastern Mennonite University that Grimsrud and Nation began looking into the controversial topic, of which they hold different views.
Grimsrud and Nation talk as if they're old friends, stealing a sideways glance or laughing sincerely when the other speaks. That congeniality was important for the two men while penning their new book, "Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality."
The question of gays, lesbians and the church's acceptance of them is far reaching, the men said, dividing churches and whole denominations.
"It's an issue that many Christians are confronted about today," Nation said. "There's much debate over it."
In "Reasoning Together," Nation and Grimsrud present their differing views, Nation holding the more traditional belief that homosexuality is wrong, according to the Bible. Read more
-The Sexual Threat to Fundamentalism
By Michelle Goldberg | Religion Dispatches
During this holiday season-a time, ideally, of peace, empathy, kindness and transcendence-gays and lesbians have reason to feel themselves under siege by ostensible men of God. First there was the Rick Warren affair, with its concomitant message that, unlike racism or anti-Semitism, gay and lesbian equality is something decent people can disagree on. Then, just days later, in his Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia, the Pope saw fit to compare homosexuality-and, indeed, any deviation from binary gender roles-to the destruction of the rainforests.
The official English translation of the Pope's remarks hasn't yet been published, but an unofficial version disseminated online by English bishop Michael Campbell shows that Pope Benedict did not, on this occasion, draw analogies between the despoiling of nature and torture or war.
Gender-bending alone is singled out as a force rending the harmony of God's creation.
"What is necessary is a kind of ecology of man, understood in the correct sense," said the Pope. "When the Church speaks of the nature of the human being as man and woman and asks that this order of creation be respected, it is not the result of an outdated metaphysic. It is a question here of faith in the Creator and of listening to the language of creation, the devaluation of which leads to the self-destruction of man and therefore to the destruction of the same work of God. That which is often expressed and understood by the term 'gender,' results finally in the self-emancipation of man from creation and from the Creator." Such self-emancipation leads inevitably to a kind of destruction as dangerous as any threat to the natural environment. "The tropical forests are deserving, yes, of our protection, but man merits no less than the creature, in which there is written a message which does not mean a contradiction of our liberty, but its condition," said the Pope. Read more
-Barney's Great Adventure
Jeffrey Toobin | The New Yorker
Of the four hundred and thirty-five members of the House of Representatives, Barney Frank is the only one whose public remarks have been collected in a book of quotations ("Frank Talk: The Wit and Wisdom of Barney Frank," published in 2006). He is also the only congressman whose fight against the impeachment of President Bill Clinton has been the subject of a documentary, which was shown to acclaim at film festivals around the country ("Let's Get Frank," directed by Bart Everly). Frank is not the only member of Congress to have been the subject of a full-scale biography, but the account of his life, written by a former aide named Stuart E. Weisberg, to be published by the University of Massachusetts Press later this year, will likely rank among the more exhaustive and admiring books ever printed about a sitting member of the House, who is described as "arguably the most unique and fascinating, certainly the most entertaining political figure in Washington." Read more
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