Today marks ten years since President Clinton signed the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" bill into law. Although balancing the respect of privacy with the needs of the military was the law's intention, the law's effect has damaged both. The law has removed qualified military personnel, disrupted the private lives of both gay and straight soldiers, and has proved to be an embarrassment around a world in which most militaries do not discriminate against gay and lesbian soldiers. Still, queer soldiers can find little support for removing the ban within Congress.
SF Gate

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An exhibit of photographer John Trobaugh's art has been kicked around in a public gallery of Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The exhibit, featuring GI Joe and Ken dolls hugging and staring at each other, was deemed too controversial and was removed until protests forced the college to reinstate the exhibit in a small, difficult to find, second-story school room. Trobaugh felt insulted by the placement and chose to remove his exhibit from Alabama altogether. Richard Meyer, who has writtten on the censorship of gay-theme art in the U.S. states that anything homoerotic, no matter how inoffensive, is often removed for being too political.
Washington Post

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Australian researchers will begin the world's first study into the DNA of transsexual people and the roots of gender. Professor Vince Harley, an expert in intersex disorders, studies children who are born with "gender-ambiguous" genitalia. At the moment, doctors often operate on the children to "correct" their genitals, but cannot be sure if they chose the right sex for the child. The Intersex Society of North America argues intersex children will tell you their sex if you'll just let them grow up a little rather than performing surgery, but we digress. Harley hopes to use DNA to improve both understanding and medical treatment of intersex children.
The Age

Filed in: Transgender | LINK

The Rochester, New York, school board is expected to pass changes to the district's code of conduct to add protection specifically for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people. The process started a year ago when several students claimed harassment for their sexual orientation. The change in wording is the begnning of a task force that hopes to ease implementation in the schools, possibly including seminars to both teachers and students about acceptable behavior.
Democrat and Chronicle

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A film festival to take place in downtown Seoul, South Korea, will document gay rights movements and the lives of gays and lesbians in world culture. The series, titled, "Queer Verite ? Mapping the Currents of Gay, Lesbian and Queer Documentaries," will feature 18 films from 10 countries including "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." After the show in Seoul, the festival will travel to four other Korean cities.
Korea Times

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An unidentified Sydney resident died today after receiving multiple stab wounds. Police are appealing to the public because they have little information about the case. Just about all they know is that the victim was stabbed in inner Sydney, was wearing women's clothing and is biologically male. The victim was found staggering around a street corner by ambulance drivers, who took the person to a nearby hospital, where the victim died several hours later.
Sydney Morning Herald

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The UK Independent prepares for World AIDS Day with three Focus articles discussing myths of AIDS, protection, beliefs, etc. Part One analyzes 12 myths about AIDS in the context of the UK. Part Two interviews people living with AIDS, about their experiences and troubles with the incurable disease. Part Three visits a straight bar and discusses protection and habits with young people and their casual sex. Studies indicate around 16,000 people living in Britain have AIDS but are unaware. Recent reports confirm similar signs in the U.S.
UK Independent

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The shores of Cape Cod and vistas of the Berkshires have long been the backdrop for out-of-state couples exchanging "I do's." But same-sex partners who aren't from Massachusetts will not be permitted to marry there, it turns out.
Massachusetts law does not allow nonresidents to get married if the union would not be legally recognized in the state where they live. Although straight people do it every day, "Certainly, you couldn't just come to Massachusetts and say, 'Hey, I want to get married,"' says Paul Martinek, editor of Lawyers Weekly USA. But he says,"My reading is that it's not going to be easy [for out-of-state queers to marry] unless the clerks aren't diligent and don't check to see where people are residing." CNN


And since you have to live there to take advantage, maybe Boston Herald opinion writer David Luberoff is right when he says the marriage ruling will bring new residents to Massachusetts. Economic vitality depends on creativity and innovation, he says. And the creative people are particularly drawn to regions where diversity is embraced. Kind of. Boston Herald

Massachusetts and gay marriage

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David Kilgour, Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, remarked recently that legalizing same-sex marriage would put on a legislative "slippery slope" that could result in "mothers marrying sons and all kinds of things." He has since backtracked and explained that he meant the wording of the gay marriage laws would have to be careful so that it did not allow for polygamy and incest. Paul Martin, prime minister designate had just condemned Canadian Alliance party member, Larry Spencer, who recently accused gay people of a decades-long master plan to recruit young boys. Martin has stated he won't allow such opinions in his party. .com


Meanwhile, the campaign to merge 's two right-wing opposition parties has hit a hurdle over legislator Spencer's remarks that gayness should be illegal and queer people imprisoned. The comments underscored the sharp differences on social policies between the right-wing, western-based Alliance and the more moderate Progressive Conservatives. The leaders of the two parties want to create a new Conservative Party to challenge the ruling Liberals. The Alliance fired Spencer as its family issues critic, but Progressive Conservatives in favor of the merger fear the damage is done. Party members vote on whether to merge on Dec. 6. Yahoo! News

Division over homophobic remarks

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Cirque de Soleil recently fired HIV+ gymnast Matthew Cusick because it said his presence endangered other gymnasts in the act. Figure skater Rudy Galindo and several Olympic athletes have joined the protest against the firing and are hoping to convince Cirque to change its mind by appealing to the ticket buyers. Cirque's own doctors declared Cusick fit to perform, and Cirque trained Cusick to perform his particular job before removing him. Cusick's attorney will argue in the complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that studies have shown the danger of transmitting HIV through sports is very low.

.com

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Although AIDS is usually thought of as a coastal, urban problem, the American South now has 40% of the country's HIV and AIDS cases. The H.A. Brown United Methodist Church in rural Wiggins, Mississippi, will host an event for six counties discussing the message, "Are you HIV prejudiced?" Choirs will sing and candles will be lit for Mississippians who have died of AIDS complications. The South Mississippi AIDS Task Force is focusing on Wiggins to emphasize the AIDS cases in rural areas.
Sun Herald

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Miki Ann Dimarco has filed a lawsuit against the Wyoming Department of Corrections for putting her in solitary confinement. Dimarco was moved to a new cell after a prison strip search revealed that she has "ambiguous" genitalia. Dimarco, who was born intersex, has lived her life as a woman. The prison does not have a policy on intersex or other transgender people and recomended Dimarco's segregation although claims not to have put her in solitary confinement. Dimarco says prison officials have denied her request to be moved to a warmer cell to ease her symptoms of lupus and multiple sclerosis.
Denver Post

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Marsha and Angel Bennett just had triplets, and now raise seven kids in Rathdrum, Idaho. It's a small town in conservative Northern Idaho, but the town banded together to support the women. About 150 people attended their commitment ceremony a year ago. Friends held a "diaper drive" before the arrival of the triplets. Neighbors offered a helping hand. "We know of a few couples in the area that have children from previous relationships and haven´t had a problem," Marsha says. Four of the couple's children are Marsha's from a previous relationship. The biggest challenge Angel and Marsha face isn't gaining acceptance; it's parenting seven children.

Idaho Statesman

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Marina Gatto, 15, was delighted last week when the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that gay couples may not be denied the right to marry. Marina was brought up by her biological mother and her mother's partner, who is not a U.S. citizen and has been denied the right to immigrate. She hopes California will follow Massachusetts' example, so that her mothers can legally live together. Kids like Marina may prove to be the trump card for same-sex marriage. Up to 9 million U.S. children live with gay parents. Massachusetts' Supreme Court specifically cited minors' rights: "It cannot be rational under our laws ... to penalize children by depriving them of state benefits because the state disapproves of their parents' sexual orientation."

Financial Times

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The music is pumping inside Fort Lauderdale's cavernous three-room Cathode Ray Club. But for the time being, the focus among the mostly male, mostly gay crowd isn't on dancing. Or the gigantic fish tanks. It's what is taking place in the ''game'' room, where every Wednesday club owner Larry Wald becomes the Jim Lange of Cathode Ray's version of The Dating Game. Tonight, as with most Wednesdays, the room is full of anxious audience members, curious to see what will happen during this boy-meets-boy matchmaking session, better known as ''Pick-a-Trick'' night, that kicks off at 9:30 p.m.

Miami Herald

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Syracuse University offers the first colony of the national gay fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi, in New York State. Eight male SU students were inducted last week to form the colony. They will need to have three more pledge classes inducted to form a chapter of the fraternity. One of the founding members said he wanted to start the fraternity because he "sort of saw Greek life here sort of on the homophobic side, and [he] didn't really want to enter into that." CBC News

Terry Curtis, accused of assaulting a member of 's Parliament who cast the tie-breaking vote for same-sex marriages, was told to undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment. Curtis' wife has said her husband doesn't "believe in" homosexuality and had gone to legislator Andy Scott's office last weekend to post anti-marriage signs. His lawyer thinks maybe Curtis is mentally ill. CBC News


A Brazilian court in an unprecedented ruling has given a British man the right to a permanent visa based on his union with a Brazilian man, the couple said Wednesday. David Ian Harrad said he and Toni Reis sought an injunction preventing his deportation to England when his latest tourist visa expired. The men successfully argued that their union qualified in Brazil as a common-law marriage. CNN

Today's Short Takes

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Ross Allyn, a gay lobbyist in Houston, was shot and killed recently after an evening fundraiser for a lesbian politician. Firefighters summoned by neighbors to his burning house at 4 a.m. pronounced his death a homicide after finding a gunshot wound in the back of Allyn's neck. Investigators have found no leads or suspects yet. Allyn was a successful lobbyist who worked on issues ranging from low-income housing to retail space.
Washington Blade

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San Francisco's Lincoln High has maintained a JROTC class, taught by retired Col. Robert Powell for 20 years. Powell remembers several gay, lesbian, and transgender students during his time, and did his best to guide them all. School board member Mark Sanchez plans to write a resolution to phase out all San Francisco's JROTC programs on the basis they discriminate against gays and lesbians, both in their students, and in their teachers, who have to be retired military officers. Other board members insist that San Francisco is bridging a divide and leading the way on incorporating gays and lesbians into the military: "We have kids who are wearing JROTC uniforms at school who also belong to the Gay-Straight Alliance."
SF Examiner

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Harvey Fierstein appeared in the Macy's Day Parade dressed as Edna Turnblad from the show "Hairspray." However, Edna decided to dress up as Mrs. Claus and stand next to Santa on his sleigh. When Fierstein wrote his op-ed article in the New York Times, Macy's Parade officials, not wanting to appear political, decided he would only be Mrs. Turnblad, not Mrs. Claus, and therefore ride on a different float. Macy's received much attention from news stations and the public questioning its decision to use Fierstein as Mrs. Claus although it appears they did not realize he would be Mrs. Claus until Fierstein published his op-ed article. Confused? So are we.
NY Times, NY Times op-ed

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As more and more gay and lesbian couples make plans to marry in Massachusetts, they are wondering what kind of test they can put to their own states. Each state in the U.S. may well have to face multiple court battles to settle the issue, unless a constitutional amendment passes. The passing of such an amendment would still involve incredible battles within each state, three-fourths of which must pass the amendment for it to succeed. Conservative groups seem to be entrenching themselves for the biggest fight since abortion, expecting gay marriages to tear apart all family traditions.

ABC News

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Shannon Curby, a Marin AIDS Project prevention educator, was diagnosed with HIV in 1995 when he was 24. Thanks to a host of new medications, he is alive and well, and will be working behind the scenes at Monday's candlelight vigil in Novato, California, to observe World AIDS Day. The theme of this year's remembrance is "Do You Have Time?" focusing on HIV-related stigma and discrimination. "There is a lot of discrimination or stigma," Curby said. "It's still out there, even here in the Bay Area." Marin IJ

Up to 500 young people dressed as condoms will descend on London's Trafalgar Square and worship a sex god who is going to decree the "safe sex commandments" as part of a World AIDS Day event on Sunday. The event, organized by the hilariously named youth charity Kikass, is hoping to increase awareness and educate young people about the dangers of HIV/AIDS through a more novel way of promoting the issue of safer sex. uk.gay.com

Former South African president Nelson Mandela has called on the world to fight AIDS with a stronger resolve than was used to defeat apartheid. Mandela told journalists that Africa and the world had fought a noble struggle against apartheid. However, "there is now a greater enemy and threat in HIV and AIDS. it threatens our future," Mandela said while surrounded by the artists who would perform at the 46664 AIDS awareness concert to be held on Saturday. Mail and Guardian

World AIDS Day

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A leading member of 's opposition party was fired as his party's critic for family affairs on Thursday after calling for the abolition of gay rights, claiming they are the result of a conspiracy that began in the 1960s involving the "seduction and indoctrination" of young boys. Do we need to tell you that the man, Larry Spencer, is originally from the United States, or had you guessed? Spencer in a recent interview said homosexuality should be put back in the criminal code and gays should be imprisoned.

RainbowNetwork

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English police have criticized a local councilman for whipping up a gay hate storm by branding queer people as perverts. In a letter to the Wiltshire Times headlined "gays and lesbians are perverts," never a good start, Liberal Democrat Councillor Ben Biddulph says gayness is an anti-Christian practice on a par with bestiality and pedophilia. An article in the paper last week about two lesbians who were attacked after kissing in a pub sparked the outburst from Biddulph, 27.

This is Wiltshire

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The twin brother of a gay British soldier who left a six-figure-fortune to his partner has failed in his High Court bid to get the money for himself. Harry Marks, 63, a project manager, claimed Stephen Smith had either forged the will or taken advantage of his brother. Smith met Peter Marks when they were in the army together in Germany in 1977. They began a secret relationship that would last for 26 years and resulted in Smith being booted out of the Army. In 1980, Smith was court-martialled and pleaded guilty to save the career of his partner.

ic Liverpool

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The British program "Footballers' Wives" is getting its first gay character. No, not one of the wives; one of the footballers. Twenty-year-old actor Marcel McCalla will play Noah Alexander, a kid who is promoted to the first string. He has a little secret: He's in love with the team captain. McCalla says, "Noah finds it hard to carry this big secret. It makes him less relaxed around his team mates." The character eventually has a lovely steamy fling with another player and comes to accept being gay.

Digital Spy

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"My own view, is that the churches should frankly recognize that the majority ... are not Christians and, therefore, cannot be expected to live Christian lives. There ought to be two distinct kinds of marriage: one governed by the state with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the church with rules enforced by her on her own members." No, it wasn't written this year about gay marriage. C.S. Lewis wrote it about 50 years ago in "Mere Christianity" on the topic of divorce. What follows in the article is an examination of the philosophical and practical ramifications of changes to marriage laws, whatever they may be. It's interesting but we mostly just liked this quote.

FortWayne.com

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Gay and lesbian tennis tournaments are growing in Palm Springs, California. Clubs arond the nation and in Palm Springs have a significant proportion of gay and lesbian members and recognize the value of their customers. "Without them, a lot of the clubs would be hurting," says Kurt Haggerstrom of the Plaza Racquet Club.

The Desert Sun

Today's Short Takes

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Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the assassination of San Francisco's Supervisor Harvey Milk and then-mayor George Moscone. Shot by their colleague, former Supervisor Dan White, Moscone and Milk led the way out of the closet for San Francisco and the nation. Today's memorial celebrations look at the enormous strides in the past year for gay and lesbian rights around the country. Milk's goal was to end the persecution of gaysmen and lesbians, to encourage us to recognize the power and the potentail we each carry. He wished that, "if a bullet should enter [his] brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door."
SF Gate,
Herald Tribune

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2003 has gone on record as having the highest number of American transgender killings. Thirty-eight transgender people have been reported killed this year, twice the number reported two years ago. Transgender activists agree that some of the increase has been due to a heightened state of awareness of transgender issues but also note the growing visibility of transgender people in many different communities.

Gay.com

Filed in: Transgender | LINK

A new bill will allow gay and lesbian couples to register their unions as civil partnerships, giving them most of the rights associated with marriage, but without actually calling them marriages. A recent survey in Britain reported the reforms have the support of 8 out of 10 people. Gay couples will be able to adopt together, control wills and inheritance, and carry the responsibility to support each other financially. Limits are expected to be included in the bill on issues such as bans on people related by blood, and age restrictions.

Guardian

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The 22nd World Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association met in Manila this year, the first such meeting in the region. The conference showed documentaries and discussed issues of gay and lesbian rights and fears around the world, both in countries who have allowed same-sex marriages, and in countries like the Philippines and Egypt in which queer people still live in fear for their lives. Although the United Nations has recognized the human rights of queer people, many governments do nothing to protect those rights and some deliberately act against them.

Manila Times

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Canadian legislator Andy Scott was beaten in his office on Saturday by a man who had previously been vocal about criticizing same-sex marriages. Scott had recently helped to defeat the notion in Parliament to deny marriages to same-sex couples. Membes of the local gay community in New Brunswick claim that lesbians and gays are threatened and attacked weekly, although nobody takes action. They are hopeful this high-profile case will help focus efforts to solve the problem and have organized a vigil for Scott who has a wife and children, commemorating his fight for gay rights.

The Globe and Mail

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Phoenix attorney Michael S. Ryan compares today's struggle for gay marriage with last generation's struggle for interracial marriages. His clients, two Phoenix men, have sued to marry in Arizona and are appealing the latest decision to the Arizona Supreme court. Arizona already has a statute prohibiting same-sex marriages, but not a constitutional amendment. Although some national gay and lesbian groups have disagreed with Ryan's timing, Ryan focuses on the words of Martin Luther King while in prison, detailing the merits of going forward now.

AZ Central

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A Brazilian federal judge has ruled in favor of a citizen's right to sponsor his spouse through a common-law union. David Ian Harrad said he and his longtime Brazilian companion, Toni Reis, sought an injunction preventing his deportation to England. The tourist visas Harrad has relied on since 1996 finally ran out, and the pair asked the courts to grant him a permanent visa on the grounds of their common-law marriage. Brazil's constitution prevents any discrimination including that based on sexual preference.

CNN

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Chinese tabloids can't seem to get enough of transsexual news and gossip. Most stories deal with Chinese citizens trying to convince only a few qualified doctors to give them sexual reassignment surgery. Chinese fascination with transsexuals seems to have begun with the popularity of South Korean Ha-Ri-soo's sex change. Approximately 500 Chinese have already undergone surgery, and several people have used their sex change as the basis for their celebrity. The Chinese population at large still does not accept transsexuals, but tolerance may be down the road, thanks to recent celebrities.

Xinhua

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Transsexual prisoner Lisa Barrett, born Christopher St. John, is suing prison officials for being forced to live as a man. Barrett took hormones before entering prison nine years ago but has not been allowed to seek further hormone therapy. A federal judge dismissed the case againt the prison workers as officials - but would allow a suit against the individuals themselves. Barrett, 28, is serving time for burglary and assault, but says the worst punishment is being forced to live as a man. "I've lived as a woman since I was 17," Barrett said. "I've cross-dressed since I was 12."

The WMUR Channel (with video)

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A Sydney health care organization recently published a document to "help guide lesbians through the health care maze." The company explained that many lesbians have faced so much discrimination that they need specific guides tailored to their lives. The booklet will be distributed to women's health care centers, sexual health centers, and general practice offices.

Sydney Star Observer


Eddie Izzard, Britain's most famous cross-dresser, comes out as completely straight. His incredible sense of humor and wearing of fancy skirts and frocks have many Americans appeciating his eccentricities. But as pretty as he might be, he's still "a walky, talky, climby-tree, hunter-gathery type of transvestite."

Mirror


In psychiatrist Robert Klitzman and ethicist Ronald Bayer's book, "Mortal Secrets: Truth and Lies in the Age of AIDS," the authors discuss the alarming number of men who lie about or do not disclose their HIV status to sexual partners.

Advocate

Today's Short Takes

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Colorado Senator Wayne Allard introduced a Senate version of a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, becoming the fourth Coloradan in Congress to join the cause. "The language is simple, direct and to the point," Allard said on the Senate floor. "This union is sacred and must remain so." Allard's amendment is identical to the one being carried in the House of Representatives by another Colorado Republican homophobe, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave. Musgrave applauded Allard for "joining the effort to defend marriage as it has been known in the United States for over 200 years."

Denver Channel

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A London gay man who responded to the internet fantasy call of Ardin Meiwes, Germany's alleged cannibal, wanted to be eaten but chickened out after being wrapped in cellophane. He's expected to be called as a witness next week at the murder trial of Armin Meiwes. It is alleged that, two years ago, Meiwes filleted 65 lbs of flesh from Juergen Brandes' body, which he labelled rump, steak, fillet, ham and bacon and stored in his freezer, eating most of the flesh over the next seven months at his home in Rotenburg, Germany. Brandes was allegedly a willing internet chatroom hookup participant. The unnamed Englishman had second thoughts after Meiwes used a pen to mark out the cuts he was going to make. Daily Record

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In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the City Council delivered an emphatic endorsement of gay marriage last night, unanimously embracing a resolution to ''remove any impediment to same-sex marriage.'' In doing so, Cambridge became the state's first municipality to officially sanction the Supreme Judicial Court ruling that same-sex marriage is legal under the state constitution, said City Councilor Marjorie C. Decker. "I appreciate the leadership of this city,'' said Jennifer Hess, 39, waving her domestic partnership card, one of more than 600 the city had issued in the last decade to acknowledge relationships and allow the sharing of benefits. ''I'd like to turn this in.''
Boston Globe

Filed in: Gay | Lesbian | LINK

In Australia, Alan Michael Finch, 36, has sued doctors claiming they wrongly advised him to have a operation. Finch, who was 19 at the time, claims he was inadequately counselled and advised too quickly to at the Gender Identity Clinic, based at Monash Medical Center. Finch is seeking "significant compensation" for pain and suffering, medical costs and loss of earning capacity. Finch went to the clinic suffering psychiatric problems he believed were caused by "gender dysphoria and/or confused gender identity." After three consultations he was advised that gender reassignment was an appropriate treatment. His transformation to "Helen" was complete two years later. But in 1996, ten years later, he realized it was a mistake.

Herald Sun

Filed in: Transgender | LINK

Kirstie Alley apparently wasn't quite "lifestyle" enough for Pier 1 after all. She's being replaced by Queer Eye's Thom Filicia. Executives close to the negotiations confirmed the home decor retailer is winding down its relationship with Kirstie, and that the retailer views Mr. Filicia as having credibility in the "lifestyle arena." Filicia was named one of the top 100 American designers by House Beautiful and has his own New York firm, Thom Filicia Inc. Filicia apparently likes Pier 1's "exotic flair."

AdAge

Capitol will release "What's That Sound" next year, the soundtrack to "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." The album kicks off with the show's theme song, "All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)," penned by Widelife. The album will also include new songs from Elton John (tentatively titled "Run for Love") and Basement Jaxx ("Good Luck"), a previously unreleased Chemical Brothers remix of the new Kylie Minogue single "Slow," Jamelia's U.K. hit "Superstar" and a track mixing music from Fischerspooner and Billy Squier. Why do we get the feeling the Squier song will most likely be "The Stroke."
Billboard

Queer Eye marketing

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"Transsexuals and people with sexual abnormalities" could benefit from scientific research at a Scots university into the humble opossum. Work at the University of Glasgow, with the UK's only breeding colony of the South American marsupial, could shed more light on the enigmatic mechanisms involved in sex determination and the development of reproductive organs in humans. Academics believe the work may give greater insight into intersex conditions (where the appearance of the genitals is not consistent with the person's chromosomal sex), as well as offering hope to males with undescended testes. The Herald

Filed in: Transgender | LINK

Gawker celebrates the impending death of New York City's cabaret law, which forbids dancing in bars, by interviewing Betty Pearl, author of several "Severe Queer Review" books of American cities. "Betty hits the most dignified topics: where to find the best strippers and hookers in New York bars, the best bars in Brooklyn, the difference between strippers and go-go boys, where girls should go to not get hit on by men, the deal with those fancy-schmancy Chelsea bars, the delicate ecosystem of back rooms, Manhattan's recovery from the Guiliani era, and, of course: the bar where you can have the weirdest night ever."

Gawker

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UK MP Shaun Woodward and his brother-turned-sister, Lesley, talked about their relationship publicly for the first time. Dennis Woodward first learned that his son was a transsexual 20 years ago. He dropped by his son's house and found Lesley standing in the entrance. "Dad was expecting to see his son and he saw a woman," says Shaun, Lesley's younger brother. "That wasn't easy for him. [...] It was a bit of a shock." Shaun Woodward is the millionaire Labour MP for St Helens South and is married to the supermarket heiress Camilla Sainsbury. He caused shock waves four years ago when he switched from the Tory benches to join Labour, over the Conservatives' failure to back gay rights.

Independent

Filed in: Transgender | LINK

In Lexington, Kentucky, an HIV education group says Scott County High School administrators told volunteers to remove gay-specific brochures at a student health fair. Cathy Cox of AIDS Volunteers Inc. said group members were instructed Friday not to display "Young and Gay: Protect Yourself" and "Lesbians and HIV: Are You at Risk?" Principal Doug Southworth also vetoed a postcard featuring a shirtless man posing by a statue of a horse.

The Gleaner

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Stephen John Jordi, 35, of Coconut Creek, Florida, has been indicted on charges he plotted to firebomb gay bars, "apostate churches" and abortion clinics. Prosecutors say he was very close to carrying out his plan to bomb buildings across the Eastern United States when he was arrested Nov. 11. The Fort Lauderdale-area resident, a former Army Ranger, was indicted on charges of attempted arson, distribution of information on explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm - a silencer. His brother first brought Jordi to the attention of investigators.

Tallahassee Democrat

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Transgender, gay and feminist groups at the University of Chicago are asking officials to consider creating more gender-neutral bathrooms, saying some people aren't comfortable selecting a gender-specific facility. "Persons who are not easily legible as male or female often experience various forms of intimidation in these places. If a woman in a women's-only restroom is assumed to be a man, there may be real threats to her comfort and even safety," warns the Coalition for a Queer Safe Campus. "Students have faced gay-baiting comments in our university's sex-segregated bathrooms."

Chicago Sun-Times

Filed in: Transgender | LINK

In Tampa, Florida, the message was obvious, even in Greek: Don't ever come back to Greektown. And to make sure the gay couple listened, the men repeatedly kicked them in the head as they tried to leave Zorbas Restaurant and Lounge with friends. Tampa police have charged three men wiith a hate crime. Police say Michael Kitsos, John Himonetos and Stamatios Kannis kicked and punched Peter Malamoutsis, his partner, R. Gregory Hall, and friend Andrew Skiadas. Malamoutsis had approached Himonetos after recognizing him as former customer at a restaurant where he once worked. Malamoutsis told the men he is now a bartender at the Castle, a gay club. Police say the three ambushed Malamoutsis and his friends after last call.

St. Petersburg Times

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Every time the Rev. Talbert Swan II hears the fight for gay marriage compared to African Americans' struggle for equality, it "sticks in my craw," he says. He's having a bad week, then. The Massachusetts ruling clearing the way for same-sex marriage cited laws that struck bans on interracial marriage. Numerous editorials picked up on it. In Wednesday's Democratic debate, both black candidates, Carol Moseley Braun and the Rev. Al Sharpton, declared support for gay marriage, and both compared it to past discrimination against African Americans. But a recent national poll indicates little support for same-sex marriage among African Americans.

Herald-Tribune


Columnist Jabari Asim is "always leery of black public officials who claim to speak for the more than 36 million other black people living in these United States. So quite naturally I was suspicious when Triette Reeves volunteered to express 'our' opinion of legally sanctioned gay marriages." Reeves, the minister at Detroit's Mount Zion Church of God as well as a state representative, is a lead sponsor of a proposed state exclusively heterosexual amendment. Reeves said, "From the African-American perspective, which is the only perspective I can give, our focus is, 'God said it, we believe it, and we should promote it.'" Asim asks, "Where were you when God 'said' this to you? (and) What do you mean 'we'?" Washington Post

African Americans on gay marriage

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