Just One Look... #10

LGBT Military Personnel Cautioned About Online Use

WASHINGTON - Amidst new reports that the armed forces are increasing their surveillance of online usage by military personnel, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) today cautioned service members to be especially careful when using the internet or posting information online.
According to the Associated Press, military officials are now monitoring "official and unofficial blogs and other Web sites" and looking at websites military personnel may visit. "Now soldiers wishing to blog while deployed are required to register their sites with their commanding officers, who monitor the sites quarterly, according to a four-page document of guidelines published in April 2005 by Multi-National Corps-Iraq," the AP said.
"The military's stepped up surveillance of online activity also means an increasing risk to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members who use online communities," said Kathi S. Westcott, deputy director of law for SLDN. "Service members must be especially cautious about posting any information online which reveals their sexual orientation. While online communities can be an important communication tool for military personnel, they can also lead to investigations and dismissals under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"
SLDN has posted guidelines for LGBT military personnel using online communities at http://www.sldn.org. In addition, AP reports that service members who maintain blogs must now "register their sites with their commanding officers, who monitor the sites quarterly." Any information related to sexual orientation on a service member's private blog, SLDN cautioned, would be grounds for dismissal from the armed forces. from Press Release

Stoli Vodka Backs Gay Doc On Logo TV

In The Latest Example of a marketer becoming a producer and sponsoring commercial-free programming, Stolichnaya vodka has linked with the Logo channel for a documentary series about gay life in America.
Called "Be Real" and scheduled for the spring, Stolichnaya will help underwrite production and present each episode without ad breaks. Co-producer Logo is part of MTV Networks, and targets a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) audience.
The effort is emblematic of two trends in the changing dynamics of television advertising. It's driven partly by viewer fragmentation and the growth in DVR-aided viewing. Advertiser involvement in production is a way to craft content as a platform for brand messages. The increasing interest in exclusively sponsoring commercial-free broadcasts is an attempt to build brand affinity via goodwill.
WPP Group's massive media-buying operation, GroupM, joined with ABC earlier this month to announce joint production on a six-episode drama, offering an outlet for GroupM clients. And this summer, TNT aired three ad-free premieres of drama series underwritten by advertisers.
Stolichnaya's involvement in "Be Real" represents the largest-ever investment targeting an LGBT audience by both the brand and parent Pernod Ricard USA, the company said.
The series is an outgrowth of a "Be Real" documentary that premiered last night and will be repeated through the series' run. Stolichnaya will also promote the "Be Real" programming via a national ad campaign, an online effort with user-generated content and other initiatives.
from Media Daily News

Bush Hits Hard At Gay Marriage

STATESBORO, GEORGIA - President Bush has for months cast the midterm elections as a choice about just two issues: taxes and terrorism. Now, with polls predicting bleak results for Republicans, he is trying to fire up his party by decrying gay marriage.
"For decades, activist judges have tried to redefine America by court order," Bush said Monday. "Just this last week in New Jersey, another activist court issued a ruling that raises doubt about the institution of marriage. We believe marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and should be defended."
The line earned Bush by far his most sustained applause at a rally of 5,000 people aimed at boosting former GOP Rep. Max Burns' effort to unseat a Democratic incumbent. In this conservative rural corner of eastern Georgia, even children jumped to their feet alongside their parents to cheer and clap for nearly 30 seconds _ a near-eternity in political speechmaking.
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples must be given all the benefits of married couples, leaving it up to the state Legislature to decide whether to extend those rights under the structure of marriage or something else.
One alternative, civil unions, is an idea Bush supports. But he ignored that on the way to portraying the New Jersey decision as the kind of thing America should do without.
"I believe I should continue to appoint judges who strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench," the president said, earning more applause in the sweltering basketball arena at Georgia Southern University. He pointed to his nominations to the Supreme Court of Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito.
The gay-marriage theme became a staple in Bush's political remarks last Thursday, the day after the New Jersey ruling on a touchstone issue for religious conservatives who are crucial to Republican electoral calculations. White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said it was added merely to respond to the ruling _ not because his other messages were failing to connect.
But the lines, repeated to great enthusiasm at a second rally later Monday in Texas, mark one of the only substantive changes in the president's stump speech as he turns from raising money for Republican candidates to encouraging the GOP faithful to vote Nov. 7.
To that end, he was focusing on the South.
After campaigning for Burns, trying to win back the seat conservative Democrat John Barrow took from him in 2004, Bush flew to the district vacated by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. DeLay resigned in June amid a series of investigations of his fundraising activities.
Organizers said Bush's appearance in a partially filled airport hangar in Sugar Land, Texas, drew over 6,000 to support Republican Shelley Sekula-Gibbs' write-in campaign to replace DeLay. The former Republican party star and Bush ally on Capitol Hill was nowhere to be seen, and the president never mentioned DeLay's name.
The rally finale was Texas-style dramatic, with Bush posing with Sekula-Gibbs with his Marine One helicopter and a multi-color fireworks show in the background.
The election in the reliably conservative district outside Houston is complicated. Republicans were legally barred from replacing DeLay's name on the ballot. So supporters must choose Sekula-Gibbs twice _ once for the special election filling out DeLay's term and again for the general election for the next Congress.
She faces former congressman Nick Lampson, who has outraised and outspent her, giving Democrats a chance at a seat long in the GOP's hands. A Lampson victory would also be sweet revenge for an opposition party that DeLay fought at every turn while in office.
On Tuesday, Bush is heading back to Georgia, a state he twice won comfortably. Tuesday's rally, about 130 miles west of Statesboro, is aimed at helping another former GOP congressman, Mac Collins, oust Democratic Rep. Jim Marshall.
After Thursday, the president's schedule remains fluid, as his political advisers balance the need for help in tight races against the president's unpopularity.
Bush pleaded with Republicans not to give up keeping control of Congress _ and mocked Democrats.
"You might remember that about this time in 2004, some of them were picking out their new offices in the West Wing," he said. "The movers never got the call."
Democrats ridiculed him back, for an itinerary that took him to once-solid GOP areas.
"Clearly President Bush is more of a liability than an asset as he's forced to stump for candidates in districts that were once considered safe for Republicans," said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Stacie Paxton.
The president played down the idea that next Tuesday's vote is a referendum on his embattled presidency. "This is different from a presidential campaign because it's not necessarily a national election, in that each congressional race really depends upon the candidates and how they carry the message," he said in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes."
Bush also rejected the idea he'll become a lame duck after the elections. "I promise you I'm going to be president up until the very last day, and I've got a lot to do," he said.
from The Washington Post

Do Children Of Gay Parents Develop Differently?

Despite three decades of research on gay parenting, social scientists cannot conclusively determine whether children raised by homosexuals develop differently, for better or worse, than those raised by heterosexuals.
Though the early consensus is that they do not, even the investigators acknowledge the field is too young, the numbers too few, the variables too many and the research too values-laden to qualify as definitive.
As gay marriage and parenting have moved to the forefront of national discourse, what has emerged, some experts say, is a political debate masked as a sociological one.
In 2001, Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz, then sociologists at the University of Southern California, published a review of 21 previous studies of the children of homosexual parents (most of them lesbians). Almost uniformly, they wrote, the research found no systematic differences between children reared by a mother and father and those raised by same-sex parents.
But Stacey and Biblarz also observed that researchers who found no differences sometimes skewed their interpretation of results to suit their own leanings. "Ideological pressures," they concluded, "constrain intellectual development in this field…. Because anti-gay scholars seek evidence of harm, sympathetic researchers defensively stress its absence."
Some studies, said Stacey, have ignored or downplayed early indications there may, in fact, be differences in the development of character and gender roles, among them that children of same-sex parents may be more open to homosexual experimentation.
"I think they'll be more tolerant, more flexible in terms of gender conformity," said Stacey, who now teaches at New York University. "The boys may be less aggressive. There's some indication the girls will have a wider array of career aspirations."
Charlotte J. Patterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and a prominent researcher in the field, has found that the purposefulness inherent in same-sex parenting tends to counter any societal disadvantages. "I think what we're seeing overall is pretty positive adjustment on the part of these kids," she said. "What that suggests, I think, is that we may have overrated the role of gender in parenting in our theoretical notions about these matters."
Over the last decade, that general proposition has been embraced, to varying degrees, by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Assn., the American Psychological Assn., the American Psychiatric Assn. and a variety of child welfare groups.
The psychological association holds that "the research has been remarkably consistent in showing that lesbian and gay parents are every bit as fit and capable as heterosexual parents, and their children are as psychologically healthy and well-adjusted as children reared by heterosexual parents."
The American Academy of Pediatrics, in a 2002 review of the literature, also found no negative effects. "Compared with heterosexual fathers, gay fathers have been described to adhere to stricter disciplinary guidelines, to place greater emphasis on guidance and the development of cognitive skills, and to be more involved in their children's activities," the group wrote.
Even social science articles that oppose same-sex parenting typically do not claim significant evidence of dire consequences for children.
Instead, opponents have argued that parenting by a mother and father is optimal, and that much of the existing research has been "compromised by methodological flaws and driven by political agendas," in the words of a 2005 Family Research Council report.
The report's author, Timothy J. Dailey, also said that "openly lesbian researchers" — he named Patterson specifically — "sometimes conduct research with an interest in portraying homosexual parenting in a positive light." To do so, Dailey wrote, ignores "the accumulated wisdom of cultures and societies from time immemorial, which testifies that the best way for children to be raised is by a mother and a father who are married to each other."
Both sides agree that large numbers of cases will need to be studied.
Those cases could become available in a generation or two. The 2000 Census found that 34% of female same-sex households included children under 18, an increase of 72% since 1990, and that 22% of male same-sex households included children, a quadrupling since 1990.
from The Los Angeles Times

Site Photos October

http://files.adbrite.com/mb/banners/10502881.gif

Daniel Craig's Crotch Is An "Absolute Monster"

Daniel Craig has reportedly got the complete package - literally. According to his "Casino Royale" co-star, Judi Dench, the James Bond actor has a large penis, which is "an absolute monster!" Now whether that should be taken as an insult or a compliment, you decide.
The British actress caught a glimpse of the hunky actor's impressive appendage as he was getting dressed in his trailer which was situated opposite her own.
Dench, who plays secret service boss M in the new movie, told Britain's Daily Star newspaper, "It's an absolute monster! Maybe I shouldn't have said that. How uncouth of me!"
Curious minds will be glad to know Craig does bare all in "Casino Royale."
The 38-year-old actor - who is playing the suave secret agent for the first time in the movie - agreed to shoot racy sex scenes with co-star Eva Green in the nude to make the sequences more realistic.
In one scene, Craig is seen naked on a yacht with French beauty Green - who plays double agent Vesper Lynd - in just a sarong. The actor then gets to whip off the skimpy garment before the pair go skinny-dipping in the ocean.
from All Headline News

Gay Is Okay, But Homosexual Is More Accurate

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - It has long been the editorial policy of Atlanta Progressive News to use the word “homosexual” to describe persons who have a same-sex sexual orientation.
Our policy differs from that of many news organizations which tend to prefer the word “gay” instead of “homosexual.”
I want our readers to know that as a News Editor, I have put a lot of thought into this and many other word choices at Atlanta Progressive News.
After receiving two emails from concerned readers, I have revisited and explored the issue again, and have come to the same conclusion: it would be irresponsible of APN as a news agency to use the words “gay,” “straight,” or “lesbian” as if any of these were unproblematic.
What is in a word?
Language isn’t perfect, of course, because it is socially constructed. So we can’t focus on language and unlock the mysteries of the universe.
But, we can look to language to uncover some very fascinating issues about ourselves. And I think it’s important we think about the significance of the language choices we use, and what ideas they may perpetuate.
Some people have objected to the use of “homosexual” because it calls attention to sexual orientation.
Well, any time you’re using an adjective to describe someone’s sexual orientation, I’m sorry, but you’re calling attention to their sexual orientation. Using the word “gay” doesn’t make it any different.
We might want to discuss, where does it get us as a society to even categorize people into sexual orientations? Maybe it’s nobody’s business what another person’s sexual orientation is. But that’s not something that will be settled any time soon.
In the meantime, as long as people feel the need to use an adjective describing a person’s sexual orientation, then we should try, I believe, to use the most accurate word possible.
There is no word, in my view, which more accurately describes same-sex sexual orientation than the word homosexual.
Now, there are a number of reasons some people have been enthusiastic about the word “gay.” And I want to talk about these reasons.
Most of the reasons I’ve gotten, I must say, have not been very compelling. The word “homosexual” is antiquated; no one uses it anymore, I’ve been told. Well, I’d prefer to be principled than to follow trends.
But a few substantive reasons have been put forth.
First, the word “gay,” I’ve been told, is preferred because it doesn’t call as much attention to sexuality as does the word “homosexual.”
Well, I think that’s exactly the problem!
I think the propagation of the word “gay” is an effort to appease the Religious Right in this country.
It’s almost like, don’t worry, we’re not homosexual, we’re just gay. See? And that’s not as bad now, is it? We’re just happy and festive [the original meaning of “gay”] and we’re good, wholesome people, and have a wonderful community, and oh, by the way, we also have same sex sexual orientation but that’s really neither here not there.
It makes me feel like people are still so ashamed of their sexual orientation that they don’t want to admit it.
Moreover, I don’t think using the word “gay” instead of “homosexual” advances the cause of equality.
In fact, I think it makes it worse by insidiously allowing the Religious Right to define the word “homosexual” word as such a taboo, to the point where some of us would be offended by its very usage!
I think we should embrace the word homosexual, and we should be working diligently to turn it into a wonderful, positive word... instead of surrendering its meaning to our enemies.
One Atlanta blogger, Chris Vise, gave another argument, and told us:“Sure being gay is having a sexual attraction to a person of the same gender [sic; should have said “sex,” not gender] but that isn't all there is to being gay.”
Really? What else is there?
Let’s be clear. I’m not saying homosexual people are wholly “defined” as people by their sexuality, than 23 year-old people are defined by their age, or blue eyed people are defined by their eye color.
But, when you’re using an adjective to describe a demographic characteristic about a person, then yes, you are calling attention to whatever trait it is.
If homosexual people don’t like being called “homosexual” because it brings attention to their sexuality, then using the word “gay” shouldn’t help the situation, really, since it’s supposedly doing the same thing.
Chris Vise’s claim I think gets to the crux of the matter.
Is there really more to being “gay” than being homosexual?
Here is where I think we hit a loaded question.
Because I don’t think there is.
I mean, maybe a lot of homosexual people, say, in Atlanta, read Southern Voice Magazine every week, and go to Gay Pride, and buy their books at Charis and Outwrite.
The key word in that sentence is “a lot.” “A lot” is not the same as “all.”
To assume there is a cluster of cultural activities and attributes that accompany every homosexual person is, I believe, unfair.
The only thing all homosexual people have in common is their homosexuality.
Now, what about “the gay community?”
There are some really interesting questions here: Is there a gay community? Who is a member of the gay community? Who gets to decide the boundaries of the gay community? Who is the gatekeeper? Who gets to decide what the community should be called?
And, clearly, there is evidence of a “gay community” in that there are a lot of homosexual people and prominent organizations who participate in the “gay community,” and prefer the word “gay.” And the fact that it’s real to them is enough to make it real for our discussion.
However, who gets to decide whether “gay” is the right name for a community which purports to include all homosexuals?
Of course, it isn’t just the “gay” community. The community has typically been expanded to include many other populations.
Debates over whether it should be lgbt, lgbtqi community, or another acronym, highlight the very constructed nature of what we’re talking about.
Was there a vote on whether “gay” is the right word for the entire population of homosexual people in America? Did all homosexuals get a ballot? I certainly, as a homosexual, did not receive a ballot. So do me a favor and don’t call me gay unless you’re describing my happiness.
Why the word "gay"?
It's almost like, "gay" people are just so happy and fun and fabulous that they can't help themselves, and this gay-ness just carries over into their sexual life.
As if, the word "gay" is juxtaposed to "rational" or "moral."
The worst thing about it is when “gay” is juxtaposed to “straight!”
Think about it. Everyone knows in the cultural slang, the opposite of “gay” is “straight.” So the meaning of each word is intrinsically defined by its opposite.
I think that's the ultimate self-betrayal, when we use the word straight to describe heterosexuals!
Does this mean “gay” people are crooked?
The history of the word "straight" didn't always mean heterosexual; it used to mean not on drugs, or "on the straight and narrow," the opposite of hippies during that era. So, again, I think there’s an undertone to the word “gay” that means morally inferior!
So, what now? Do we use the word “gay” or “homosexual?”
People can continue to do whatever they want, really. But as a newspaper, I think APN has a responsibility not just to satisfy the vocal majority, but to protect the silent minority of people who may not be happy with the word “gay.”
Given the problems with the word “gay” as I’ve described, homosexual is a far superior choice, especially since, by definition, it most accurately describes the characteristic we’re talking about.
Most importantly, equality based on sexual orientation is a key element of our progressive editorial principles at Atlanta Progressive News. Such equality will continue to be important to our mission even if some readers disagree with us over some labels.
We hope this explanation of our policy has raised some interesting questions, and we certainly apologize if anyone was offended.
from The Atlanta Progressive News / Matthew Cardinale

Gay Sex Forces Closure Of Store Toilets

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Gay Kiss In Outside Seville Bar

SPAIN - In what the organisers, the Defrente Association, called a ‘Visible display of gay tenderness’ dozens of gay couples held a Besada (kiss-in) outside the doors of a Seville bar on Saturday.
Two youngsters, Fran and David, were expelled by the owner of the bar, allegedly with an iron bar, last weekend for kissing on his terrace, although the owner was released with no charge because of a lack of evidence in a fast track court case held during the week.
The protestors said they wanted to take advantage of the week’s events in the city to read a manifesto in favour of the public display of affection between homosexuals.
from Typically Spanish

Voting For Gay Marriage Is A Sin

Soon citizens of Wisconsin will have an opportunity to vote for a constitutional amendment which will ensure that our great state will not have the immoral, illogical, and unnatural absurdity of “same-sex marriage” foisted upon her by activist, unconstitutional judges.
Yes, homosexual “marriage” is all of that and, like homosexuality, is an act of open defiance against Almighty God Himself who “made them male and female” and ordained marriage (Matthew 19:4-6).
The marriage amendment was of necessity proposed in response to a relentless campaign to force homosexual marriage on America, state by state, as has already been done in Massachusetts. National organizations such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have poured resources into Wisconsin with the hope that our state will suffer the infamy and harm of being the first in which an amendment protecting the legal definition of marriage is defeated.
The campaign against the marriage amendment has been nothing less than a theater of the absurd, featuring all manner of nonsensical claims regarding such things as inheritance rights, hospital visitation, and power of attorney.
The legal reality is that a citizen of Wisconsin can bequeath his property to anyone he wishes. He can delegate to any consenting adult medical or financial power of attorney. Likewise, a citizen can designate who should or should not be at his side in a health care crisis.
The most wicked absurdity that has been peddled by the amendment opponents is the audacious claim that God’s Word gives license to homosexual acts and homosexual “marriage.” Nothing could be further from the truth, no matter how some wrest the Scriptures unto their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).
As a minister of the gospel, I state with no hesitation whatsoever that voting against the marriage amendment would be a sin against God.
from The Coulee News

"Just One Look" #9

Israeli Wins Mr Gay International Crown

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA - A competitor from Tel Aviv, Israel, Nathan Shaked, 37, is the new Mr. Gay International after two days of competition in Palm Springs.
Prizes include a modeling contract, a Caribbean cruise and a trip to Puerto Vallarta.
Shaked assumed the title from last year's winner, Jesse Basham of the United States.
This is the second consecutive year that the competition has been held in Palm Springs, according to a release from organizers.
During U.S. competition Friday night, Grant Ermis of Sacramento was named Mr. USA. Mr. Anchorage, Jared Watson, won Mr. Congeniality.
Ermis was first runner-up in Saturday's international event. Joep Mesman of the Netherlands was second runner-up.
Robert Tarroza of the Phillipines won the Mr. Congeniality title.
Contestants also hailed from Australia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lichtenstein, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Vatican City and Mexico.
"Competitions such as these have been popular in Europe for years, and we're thrilled to now have a U.S.-based component looking for the 'boy next door' to represent the broader gay community," event producer Don Spradlin said in the release.
"The winner will serve as a spokesman to raise the visibility of gay men, confront homophobia and create a positive role model in his travels around the world," Spradlin said.
from The Desert Sun

Protect Individuals From Masses

ATHENS, GREECE - Societies that accept homosexual marriages have citizens who see those who are "different" as equals. This is why acceptance of homosexuality appears to be a very new phenomenon -- very different from the dominant mentality of groups for thousands of years. Yet as it stands complete acceptance looks like it will be reached only in the future.
The issue of homosexual marriage directly affects a relatively small minority in any country. Yet it is a touchstone of where each society -- and by extension, humanity -- is headed. There are countries in which rights and the institution of marriage have already been broadened to include homosexuals; there are countries which are vociferously debating the issue; and there are societies (the vast majority) where the subject is taboo.
So where are we, as humans, with regard to this question? In my view, we are at a junction between a past in which sexual behavior was dictated very strictly by religion and its partner, social mores, and a future in which the individual has greater rights to define himself or herself and to be treated as an equal member of society regardless of sexual orientation. Which way we will go, as an adaptive race, is unclear.
The question is, after all, a very personal one for those involved. Even for societies that have enjoyed a liberal, democratic tradition for any length of time, it is still difficult to come to terms with the fact that the rights of the individual are sacred and should be protected against the dictates of the majority. In this case, even the way the question is framed ("Should homosexuals be allowed to marry?") comes across as intrusive and betrays the authoritarian nature of one side of the argument. We are talking about human beings who are in love with each and who believe that they will want to live together for the rest of their lives.
If they feel that they need to express this love by conforming to the behavior of heterosexual couples, that should be their decision alone. If they feel that they should share the rights of married couples with regard to the benefits offered by the state and the law, then that is something that concerns both the individual and the society as a whole.
But most societies still feel that the institution of marriage, already sorely tested in many countries, will be rocked by its extension to non-traditional units. So we have the social whole concerned about the behavior of individuals, and this gives rise to political populism which distorts the debate. This insecurity has begun to affect even the most progressive societies. In some cases, this has prompted a new devotion to religion. If there is a conservative backlash, homosexuals may remain stigmatized and societies locked mid stride between their future and their past.
For those countries where it is still difficult to introduce homosexual marriages, perhaps the easiest step forward is to introduce full equality under property, social security, tax and inheritance laws for all couples (whether married or not, heterosexual or homosexual) who request it. If we are to honor our respect for individual rights we cannot make exclusions -- at least as far as where the secular state is involved.
from The Washington Post / Nikos Konstandaras

Bishops To Vote On Guidelines For Ministry To Homosexuals

When the U.S. Catholic bishops meet in Baltimore Nov. 13-16, they will be asked to vote on guidelines for ministry to those with homosexual inclinations.
The proposed document clearly reaffirms and explains church teaching against any sexual activity -- homosexual or heterosexual -- that takes place outside marriage, and it says authentic ministry must be based on that teaching. But it also says a homosexual inclination is not itself sinful and those who are homosexually inclined "must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity."
It sharply condemns hatred or "violent malice in speech or action" against homosexuals. "Those who would minister in the name of the church must in no way contribute to such injustice," it says.
The 23-page document, prepared by the Committee on Doctrine of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is titled "Ministry to Persons With a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care."
Despite the title, only about one-fifth of the document is devoted specifically to pastoral care guidelines; the larger and more important part of the text is devoted to the framework of church teaching within which such pastoral care is set. It acknowledges that the teaching is not readily accepted in many quarters.
Addressing general principles about human sexuality, the document says, "The purpose of sexual desire is to draw man and woman together in the bond of marriage, a bond that is directed toward two inseparable ends: the expression of marital love and the procreation and education of children. ... This is the order of nature, an order whose source is ultimately the wisdom of God."
"By its very nature," the document adds, "human sexuality finds its proper fulfillment in the marital bond. Any sexual act that takes place outside the indissoluble and lifelong bond of marriage does not fulfill the proper ends of human sexuality. ... It is disordered in that it is not in accord with this twofold end and is thus morally wrong."
"There are a variety of acts, such as adultery, fornication and contraception, that violate the proper ends of human sexuality," it says. "Homosexual acts also violate the true purpose of sexuality. They are sexual acts that cannot be open to life. Nor do they reflect the complementarity of man and woman that is an integral part of God's design for human sexuality."
The document distinguishes sharply between homosexual acts and having a homosexual inclination. "While the former is always sinful, the latter is not. To the extent that a homosexual tendency or inclination is not subject to one's free will, one is not morally culpable for that tendency," it says.
"Simply having the tendency is not a sin," though one may sin by voluntarily entertaining homosexual temptations or acting on them, it says.
Following the lead of a 1986 Vatican document that drew extensive criticism from gay rights groups, the document reaffirms church teaching that "the homosexual inclination is objectively disordered."
"It is crucially important to understand that saying a person has a particular inclination that is disordered is not to say that the person as a whole is disordered. ... Sometimes the church is misinterpreted or misrepresented as teaching that homosexual persons are objectively disordered," it says.
The church is only saying that the "inclination to homosexual acts, like every inclination to sin, is disordered," but the person with any such inclinations "retains his or her intrinsic human dignity and value," the document says.
Throughout its treatment the document avoids use of the term "orientation," referring instead to a homosexual "inclination" or "tendency."
Following classic moral theology on the consistent practice of virtue as an aid to control disordered inclinations or passions, it says: "The passions are not fixed, unchanging obstacles to moral action. They do not simply have to be repressed in order for one to act morally. Repeated good actions will modify the passions that one experiences. In fact, passions that have been properly disposed aid one in acting well."
The document stresses the importance of "bonds of friendship," especially within families, as a means of support for living a full human life. "There can be little hope of living a healthy, chaste life without nurturing human bonds," it says.
It says those who minister in the name of the church "should encourage healthy relationships between persons with a homosexual inclination and other members of their families." It says the local church community should also be a place where such people experience friendship and support.
The "overriding aim" of church ministry to those with a homosexual inclination is always "fostering the greatest possible friendship with God," which is found in holiness, the document says.
It criticizes the "moral relativism in our society" and "widespread tendency toward hedonism" in American culture.
"The pervasive influence of contemporary culture creates, at times, significant difficulties for the reception of Catholic teaching on homosexuality," it says.
On specific concerns of pastoral care for those with a homosexual inclination, the document cites the importance of their "full and active participation" in church life and their need to be welcomed by the local church community, but it warns that the church should not give roles of leadership or service to members "whose behavior violates her teaching."
It says those who carry out the church's ministry must not use their leadership positions to advocate views contrary to church teaching.
It calls for outreach to homosexuals who have been alienated from the church and for church policies that explicitly reject "unjust discrimination and harassment" against homosexuals.
It says catechesis should reflect church teaching on sexuality and church teaching against unjust discrimination.
It urges a full sacramental life and sound spiritual direction as aids on the path to holiness.
It warns, however, against the promotion of "so-called same-sex 'marriages' or any semblance thereof, including civil unions that give the appearance of marriage." Church ministers may never bless or promote such unions, it says.
It also says the church does not support the adoption of children by same-sex couples, but adds that the church should not refuse to baptize such children if there is "a well-founded hope" that they will be raised in the faith.
The document calls for the church to see that "pastoral support and psychological services" are readily available to homosexually inclined persons, especially adolescents struggling with those issues, and their families.
Professionals who provide counseling services "should be chosen carefully to ensure that they uphold the church's understanding of the human person," it says.
from The Boston Pilot

Boys Kissing: Gamemaker Courts New Controversy

The video game maker that sparked uproar over a hidden sex scene in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" is courting new controversy with its latest schoolyard title "Bully"--featuring boys kissing.
That sexual twist came to light only after Take-Two Interactive Software released the "Teen"-rated game on Oct. 17, having weathered protests from antiviolence advocates who tried unsuccessfully to block its sale to minors.
"Bully" stars 15-year-old Jimmy Hopkins, who must navigate cliques, fights and young love at his new boarding school, along the way winning brawls, completing missions and plying girls with candy and flowers in exchange for kisses.
But Jimmy can also use the same approach with boys. When Jimmy approaches a tall, blond boy with some flowers, the boy replies, "I'm hot. You're hot. Let's make out."
Gay video game enthusiasts have embraced "Bully," which was was the U.S.'s third top-selling game in the week ending Oct. 27, according to figures from UBS.
"Progress!" wrote one reader of Gaygamer.net, who applauded the move by Take-Two's Rockstar Games studio. "Hot Gay Coffee," quipped another on the same site, referring to the controversial "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" sex scene that was dubbed "Hot Coffee."
Others, however, were not so enthusiastic.
"I can't have my kids playing this game. This is morally reprehensible. GTA (Grand Theft Auto) is a real man's game, Bully is a disgrace," wrote a poster using the handle spideRRR on GameSpot.com (which is owned by CNET Networks, publisher of CNET News.com).
Risky move by Take-Two?
The inclusion of the explicit sex scene in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" also had some parents, along with regulators and lawmakers, fuming.
Take-Two was forced to pull that game from store shelves at the cost of millions of dollars to the company because it had not disclosed the existence of the scene.
The "Grand Theft Auto" series has reaped revenue in excess of $1.5 billion, around 30 percent of Take-Two's sales in the period since the first game's debut in 2001, said Michael Pachter, a video game analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities.
In "Bully," the controversial scene was not hidden, but it also was not advertised to consumers.
The video game industry rating board considered the boy-kissing-boy scenes in "Bully" before assigning it a "Teen" rating, spokesman Eliot Mizrachi said.
A spokesman for Rockstar declined comment.
Brenda Brathwaite, a professor at Savannah College of Art & Design and author of "Sex in Video Games," said gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgendered characters are "more and more the norm" on television and that Rockstar is in the vanguard of game makers to include this type of content.
Most video games target a young male audience and focus on shooting, racing or sports. Same-sex displays of affection are largely unexplored, although they are possible in Electronic Arts' popular "Sims" titles and in online games like "Second Life."
"It's symbolic that the diversity that's appearing in broader media is making its way to games in a way that's not insulting or necessarily sensationalistic," said Brathwaite.
But Pachter, the analyst, said considering the baggage Take-Two brings to the table after "San Andreas," introducing a homosexual aspect to "Bully" was an unnecessary risk for the company to take.
"It doesn't glorify anything...Do I think that many parents would have a problem with their kids seeing it? Yes."
from ZD Net

Gay Pastor Feels Compelled To Give Up Post

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO - The Rev. Benjamin Reynolds, senior pastor of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church and one of Colorado Springs’ leading civil rights advocates, will step away from the pulpit Sunday, a few weeks after telling his congregation he is gay.
Reynolds, a longtime advocate for gay and lesbian rights, revealed his sexual identity during a church meeting last month. He announced his resignation during the same meeting.
“It’s not really a happy leaving,” Reynolds said Thursday.
According to Deacon Kevin Hagans, Emmanuel’s director of operations, many church congregants feel that homosexuality runs counter to the Christian doctrines.
“The church and Pastor Reynolds have a different view as far as homosexuality goes,” Hagans said.
The 500-member church has not named a successor, Hagans said.
Reynolds, 45, grew up in Emmanuel Baptist and started preaching there when he was 14. He’s been the church’s senior pastor for nearly 16 years. Reynolds was president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for more than two years, stepping down from that post in 2005.
But Reynolds’ stance on gay issues — including making Emmanuel Baptist an “open and affirming” congregation for gays and lesbians — rubbed many of his congregants the wrong way, he said. That friction, not his sexual orientation, is what caused him to resign, he said.
Reynolds said it would have been difficult for him to remain once he revealed that he was gay, however.
“I think the black church has a long way to go in this area,” he said. “The oppressed, when they feel a place where they’re free, they’ll find others who they’ll oppress.”
Reynolds said part of the reason why he told his congregants he was gay was to personalize the pressing theological, social and political issues that revolve around sexuality.
He said he knows he’s “considered an outcast now,” but added that members of Emmanuel Baptist have been “as supportive as they can be.”
Reynolds said he doubts he’ll stay in Colorado Springs and plans to take doctoratelevel theology classes, possibly at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He says he has a “pastor’s heart,” and would like to return to a pulpit.
“I’ve not lost sight of my faith,” he said.
from The Gazette

Sting Lands Men In Jail

CAJON PASS, CALIFORNIA - A sexual playground hidden by foliage lies just off one of the most traveled freeways in the region. Secret coves, creekside paths, makeshift shelters with mattresses and easy chairs provide meeting places for men to indulge in sex and drugs.
On Friday afternoon, deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department marched a number of men out of the bushes and arrested almost a dozen on suspicion of lewd acts and drug violations.
Blue Cut is an area off Interstate 15 between the Cleghorn Road and Kenwood Road exits. Through word of mouth, the remote area became a known trysting place. Methamphetamine is frequently found on men who are arrested there, said sheriff's officials.
The Sheriff's Department began to hold sting operations at the area after receiving complaints from residents. At a previous sting in August, deputies arrested 17 men on various counts of public sex and drugs.
On Friday, sheriff's deputies Donald Patton and Danny Rosa stepped over rocks and brush, weaving around sexual debris -- used condoms, lotion bottles and lubricant packages, gay pornography, and soiled baby wipes -- packed into the sandy trails. The trove included torn underwear for both sexes, women's high heels and the packaging for a dog collar.
Patton said, "You get some of 'em wearing women's clothing. But they are not women."
The two deputies were looking for the occupants of vehicles parked along Cajon Boulevard, which runs parallel to I-15.
Men can be seen leaving their cars, meeting and talking to other men, and then walking together into the bushes. Sometimes they go into the bushes alone but come out with a companion.
"It's a beautiful area where people should be able to come and experience the outdoors, but they're turning it into a place to do lewd activity," Patton said. "It's not safe for families anymore."
Patton said the visitors sheriff's deputies have contacted include swinging homosexual couples, monogamous homosexual couples, single men, married men with children, and, most frequently, complete strangers.
Other people are keeping tabs on the activity too. The BNSFRailway has officers from the Olympic Security company patrolling its land.
"If someone is anywhere near our tracks or on one of our (rights of way), we escort them out," security officer Carl Perez said. "But if it's not our land, there's not much we can do."
Steve Barrett of San Dimas was sitting near the BNSF tracks watching trains pass. The former Union Pacific employee comes to Blue Cut frequently to watch the trains.
"I often wonder what all this traffic is," he said. "They all go down there in the bushes. There's never any women - just a bunch of kinky-looking guys. It makes me wonder, `Whatcha doin', boys?'
"I think they know better than to approach me. I glare at them and reach below my seat like I've got a gun."
On Friday afternoon, almost every man the deputies contacted in the area said he was there to enjoy the day or go for a walk. When deputies found drugs or sexual paraphernalia, they arrested the men.
Two reserve deputies in civilian clothes walked through the brush, waiting for men to approach them and solicit sex.
As soon as it became apparent they were law-enforcement officers, cars peeled out of the turnout posthaste.
"That's how it happens every time," Rosa said. "They know they're not supposed to be doing this, and they take off."
from The San Bernardino Sun

Queer Groups Push For Changes

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS - William Lyons remembers the 10-minute bus ride that seemed to last an hour.
About a month ago, the openly gay University of Texas senior was waiting to board a campus bus about 11:30 p.m. to head downtown with a gay friend. Another student at the bus stop introduced himself and struck up a conversation with Lyons' friend.
Lyons thought the student was being friendly until they all boarded the crowded bus and he spent the whole ride telling others that Lyons and his friend might be gay. Lyons said he was so uncomfortable that he hasn't ridden the late-night bus since.
"It was the fear of not knowing what could happen," Lyons said. "I was very much like, 'I want to get off this bus.' "
Student activists are asking university administrators to send out the message that such instances aren't acceptable.
The Queer Student Alliance, an organization that oversees the 13 groups on campus that say they serve hundreds of members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, released a report Wednesday to start a dialogue about how they can receive better treatment on campus.
The term "queer" encompasses all members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
"They're not hearing a message that (discrimination) is not OK," said Angie-Faye Brown, a second-year graduate student and co-director of the alliance.
Gregory Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement, said the university has always strived to promote tolerance but hasn't always met the goal.
In the 192-page report, the students offer about 70 recommendations they say would help administrators make the campus more inclusive. Suggestions included domestic partnership benefits for faculty and staff and free HIV testing.
At the 11 other large public universities studied in the report, at least 10 services like these are offered. UT offers four of the services, according to the report, such as hosting a queer resource center and including sexual orientation in the nondiscrimination policy.
This is the queer community's first systematic effort to make its concerns known to the university. The report is based on 127 queer students' responses to a survey the alliance conducted in the spring.
Six graduate and undergraduate students compiled the report over five months, using information gathered at forums with queer students and in e-mail exchanges with queer student leaders at other schools to supplement the survey data.
The responses detailed some instances of discrimination from faculty and staff, such as a professor mocking a student's tone of voice during lecture. They also included accounts of verbal and physical harassment from other students.
"The fact that this is happening to even five or 10 people means it should be dealt with," said Ryan Miller, a junior and co-director of the alliance. The campus area "is not a safe place to be out on the weekends with your partner."
Members of the alliance's board of directors met with administrators to present the report a couple of weeks ago.
Vincent plans to meet with the report's authors to discuss initiatives for raising awareness. He said the first step should be educating students through workshops and speakers.
Alliance members also will meet with university President William Powers Jr., who they hope will champion their cause as part of his message advocating diversity on campus.
"There are more allies to the community or potential allies who we can reach," Miller said. "We're depending a lot on students. You can't legislate being tolerant."
from The Austin American-Statesman

Anti-Gay Mail In Canada

VANCOUVER - Neither rain, nor hail, nor sleet, nor snow nor refusal to deliver an anti-gay pamphlet will keep the mail from getting through.
That seemed to be the message yesterday from Canada Post in reacting to a brief walkout over the letter carriers union's refusal to deliver a pamphlet the union regards as "homophobic" and "hate mail."
The problem began Wednesday when letter carriers at Station F on the city's east side were told they had to carry the pamphlets or face disciplinary action, said Ken Mooney, the Vancouver local president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
"One person actually refused to touch it and there were others who said they are not going to deliver it," Mooney said.
Canada Post spokeswoman Colleen Frick had a different take, saying the only postie required to carry it on his route was "intimidated" by his colleagues. "He did not refuse it," she said. "He was basically intimidated into not delivering it and that's not appropriate."
The pamphlet is the September edition of The Prophetic Word, published by the Fundamentalist Baptist Mission in Waterford, Ont. The article that spurred the dispute was called The Plague of this 21st Century: The Consequences of the sin of Homosexuality (AIDS).
"It's homophobic," Mooney said. "It's really offensive."
Mooney said the corporation should not be in the business of delivering "hate mail."
Frick said "hate mail" is not a legal term she was aware of and "it's not in the (Canada Post Corporation Act). So we don't speak about mail in terms of this and we're not about to go into the business of defining what hate mail is," she said.
By yesterday, the issue seemed to have cooled but was not settled. Mooney says the 50 letter carriers were told they would not have to carry the pamphlet. But Frick countered that they didn't have to carry it — yesterday. "It will be delivered at some point in the next two days," she said, explaining that the corporation has three days to deliver ad mail from the time it arrives at the depot.
The posties don't have the right to refuse to deliver the mail, she said. The contract between the corporation and the union requires them to deliver mail the corporation deems acceptable. "And this item was deemed such."
She said she was certain the 200 pamphlets would be delivered by a carrier in the depot.
Mooney acknowledged the possibility of disciplinary action if all carriers refuse. "They may want to adjust the attitude of some employees," he said.
A spokesperson for the sender of the pamphlet was not immediately available to comment.
from The Toronto Star

Ex-Gay Advocate Urges Truth About Molestation Homosexuality Link

The executive director of an organization that offers support to members and to the families of members of the "ex-gay" community -- former homosexuals and those struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction -- has a unique perspective on the Mark Foley scandal. While reproaches and recriminations abound in the media, she says someone needs to offer the disgraced former Congressman and others like him a message of hope and truth.
Regina Griggs of the group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, or PFOX, says it is not enough for the public discourse to ignore Foley's homosexuality or to affirm its existence while condemning his immoral and possibly criminal actions -- specifically his alleged sending of sexually suggestive e-mails to underage boys in the Congressional Page Program. But even getting to the bottom of a criminal investigation of the allegations against Foley, she suggests, would not adequately address his situation.
"So why are we not providing hope? Why are we not publishing the facts?" Griggs wants know. And why is no one really telling the clear though politically incorrect truth -- about the link between his sexual initiation and his sexual orientation -- to "people like Mr. Foley, who decided that he was gay based on something that took place during his teen years?" she asks.
This scandal is an opportunity to spotlight two truths, the PFOX official asserts. One, she says, is that homosexuality is often the result of molestation of children and youths; and the other is that many of those victims have still managed to come out of the homosexual lifestyle.
"My concern is that people who are buying into [the notion of] 'born gay, cannot change' do not realize that there is hope and there is healing available," Griggs notes. It is important to give voice to these facts, she contends, because the message of recovery from homosexuality is being silenced by homosexual activists, who are instead directing youth that have been molested into a homosexual identity.
"If we want to stop this type of behavior, and if we don't want to see it reproduced, then we have to begin to provide information for all men and women," the ex-gay outreach spokeswoman says. The victims caught in this tragic cycle and other homosexuals "have to know there's an answer," she insists.
The teenage molestation incident that former Congressman Foley says introduced him to homosexuality is unfortunately a very common phenomenon, Griggs points out. And it is a graphic example of why treatment to keep sexual disorientation or gender mis-identity from occurring is so vital. "The truth is out there," she says; "it's time to make it known."
from Agape Press

AOL Partners With here!

AOL has partnered with gay-themed cable network here! to distribute a selection of short form video clips via its AOL Gay & Lesbian channel.
The detail entails over 300 video snippets from here!'s library, including the soap opera Dante's Cove and the private eye film Shock To The System: A Donald Strachey Mystery. The here! clips, which range from two to six minutes in length, are ad supported, featuring both pre and post roll video ad spots along with banner ads.
"Partnering with a powerhouse such as AOL underscores our commitment to reaching the gay and lesbian consumer with quality online video options," said Paul Colichman, here! CEO and founder. "The popularity of AOL Gay & Lesbian coupled with here!'s first-rate content will help feed the growing market of the millions of discerning gay and lesbian consumers who seek quality entertainment online."
from Media Week

A Letdown For State's Same-Sex Couples

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - New Jersey's Supreme Court ruling on same-sex unions is likely to make California's top court less receptive to authorizing gay marriage, legal experts said Thursday.
On a 4-3 vote, the New Jersey high court refused Wednesday to declare that same-sex couples should be permitted to wed. The jurists instead said the Legislature must provide same-sex couples with the same rights as spouses, possibly under a civil union law.
Santa Clara University professor Gerald Uelmen, an expert on California's Supreme Court, said New Jersey's ruling would incline the California court to be more "restrained" on same-sex marriage.
"I don't think this will push them in the direction" of approving same-sex marriage, Uelmen said.
New Jersey's Supreme Court is one of the most liberal in the country, while California's top court is considered cautious and moderately conservative. Although a split ruling like New Jersey's has less weight than a unanimous decision, "the impact it has seems more likely to be negative than favorable toward a right of gay marriage," said Stephen Barnett, professor emeritus of law at UC Berkeley.
Unlike New Jersey's, California's top court will not be able to issue a compromise ruling, law professors said.
In New Jersey, the jurists ruled that same-sex couples must be given the rights and privileges of marriage, but left it to the Legislature to say whether the resulting unions should be labeled "marriages." Same-sex couples in California already have most of those rights under a strong domestic-partners law.
"New Jersey was able to split the baby in half," Barnett said. "In California, that has already been done."
UCLA law professor Brad Sears agreed.
"Unlike in New Jersey, the California Supreme Court is not going to be able to avoid the marriage question," Sears said.
The California Legislature passed a bill in favor of same-sex marriage, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. A state appeals court earlier this month rejected same-sex marriage, and the California Supreme Court will decide whether to review the ruling by the end of the year.
"The hot potato is now in the hands of the California Supreme Court, and they don't have anywhere to toss it, " Sears said.
The New Jersey decision is not binding on California, but it could be cited in arguments to the court and thus sway deliberations by indicating a legal trend.
Sears and gay-rights lawyers insisted the New Jersey ruling would be more helpful than harmful to the campaign for same-sex marriage. New Jersey's ruling was sympathetic to the demands of gays to marry, whereas the high courts in Washington and New York flatly rejected same-sex marriage in rulings this year.
"So this reverses a trend of a number of losses we had earlier this summer," said Jon Davidson, legal director of Lambda Legal, a gay-rights group that represented the couples in the New Jersey case.
The New Jersey ruling is "a little bit tepid but way better than a loss," said San Francisco Chief Deputy City Atty. Therese Stewart, who is on the pro-gay marriage legal team.
Even though gays did not win the right to marry in Washington, New York and New Jersey, dissenting opinions in those cases could be influential, Sears said. The New Jersey and New York courts each had three justices in favor of same-sex marriage.
"That a growing number of justices are writing dissenting opinions is helpful at this stage," said Sears, director of the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA.
University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias said the California court could find many legal arguments in the New Jersey ruling to support same-sex marriage.
Gay couples got "90% of what they were asking for in New Jersey — but not marriage," Tobias said.
Opponents of same-sex marriage, though unhappy with the New Jersey ruling, said it made them more confident that California's Supreme Court will rule in their favor.
If gay-rights lawyers "can't win in New Jersey, they can't win anywhere," said Glen Lavy, senior counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund, which promotes traditional Christian values through litigation.
The issue of same-sex marriage reached the California courts in 2004 after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom permitted nearly 4,000 same-sex couples to marry. Until then, the strategy of most gay-rights lawyers was to work with legislatures to change marriage laws. The lawyers believed it was too early to make legal challenges.
But Massachusetts' high court had already ruled that same sex-marriage should be permitted, and the marriages in San Francisco gave the issue stronger impetus.
Davidson said it was too soon to know whether activists should have limited their campaign to legislatures instead of courts.
"The history of this is now being written and is unfolding," he said.
from The Los Angeles Times

"Just One Look" #8

Alan Cumming Eyes Gay Marriage

X2 star Alan Cumming is considering 'marrying' his boyfriend Grant Shaffer - with Cyndi Lauper and Liza Minnelli as bridesmaids The Scottish actor, 41, has been dating American artist Grant for two years and admits he has been considering a same-sex civil ceremony in his native Britain Cumming tells gay magazine Attitude, "Maybe (we'll marry) I think if we could get married in America we totally would have by now "I'd have my friends Andrew and Sue as bridesmaids and also Cyndi Lauper and maybe Liza "But then maybe she's had enough of gay weddings by now especially after her own!" Minnelli is currently in the middle of a bitter divorce battle with estranged husband David Gest Despite rumours over his sexuality, Gest has always insisted he is heterosexual.
from Contact Music

In Brazil's Election, The Gay Vote Counts

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - When nearly 2.5 million people converged on Sao Paulo this year for the world's biggest gay pride parade, the celebration emphatically reminded Brazil's presidential candidates of the growing political clout of the gay community.
Though it is the world's largest Catholic country, Brazil is increasingly tolerant of homosexuality and has long been one of the most sexually liberal nations in Latin America.
In Sunday's presidential run-off, even the conservative candidate, former Sao Paulo state Gov. Geraldo Alckmin, supports a stalled bill in Congress that would legalize gay civil unions. That has won him points with gays who attended the parade, but most support President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
"I'd say 95 percent of gays will vote for Lula," said Luiz Motta, 60, founder of Grupo Gay Bahia, a gay rights group.
Many gays are suspicious of Alckmin because of his reputed connections to the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei, Motta said, even though he has denied belonging to it.
Though the presidential candidates have recognized the importance of the gay vote, they have carefully balanced their support for gays with the demands of the Catholic Church, whose priests can sway voting decisions of parishioners. Both candidates have shied away from backing full-scale gay marriage.
Lula's government is working on a program that would be funded by 15 ministries to combat homophobia and gay bashings.
Brazil's main gay groups have endorsed the former metalworker even though the president, known to enjoy off-color jokes, once said a southern city with a big gay population could boost its economy by exporting "faggots."
LITTLE EXPOSURE IN CONGRESS
Many politicians in Congress, led by former guerrilla fighter Fernando Gabeira, are sympathetic to gay issues. In the last Congress, nearly a fifth of the 513 representatives supported freedom of sexual preference.
But the new Congress has just one openly gay member. Homosexuals endorsed by Brazil's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association, the country's largest advocacy group, have never been elected to Congress.
In contrast, 40 Protestant fundamentalists, whose community is slightly larger than Brazil's estimated 18 million gays, won congressional elections this month.
Salete Campari, a 37-year-old drag queen who ran unsuccessfully for Sao Paulo's state Legislature, blames disorganization and a weak fundraising network.
"The gay community lacks unity and has many different groups fighting to control our direction," the Marilyn Monroe impersonator said. "And Protestant evangelicals believe more in who they are and aren't afraid to assert themselves."
Campari said he will run for office again as prejudice declines. The head of Brazil's Democratic Labor Party, Paulo Pereira da Silva, was elected to Congress after appearing in TV campaign spots with the drag queen -- a sign that his political career did not suffer because he supported a gay candidate.
Some gay leaders worry however that potential gains have been squandered.
Clodovil Hernandez, a gay TV host, was elected to the lower house of Congress this month, but he admitted he did not bother to develop a political agenda and has called gay marriage a sin.
"Clodovil won without any platform or obligation to gay issues whatsoever," said Paco Llisto, 27, a journalist for the gay Web site MixBrasil. "And his voters weren't gay. They were middle-class and lower-class housewives."
from The Washington Post

Second Altar Boy Accuses Foley Priest

MIAMI, FLORIDA - Another former altar boy says he was sexually abused in the 1970s by the same retired Catholic priest who acknowledged fondling former Rep. Mark Foley when Foley was a teenager, the man's attorney said Wednesday.
The new allegations against the Rev. Anthony Mercieca were made by a man who lived in North Miami and was an altar boy at St. James Catholic Church, where Mercieca worked, attorney Jeffrey Herman said.
Herman said he planned to file a lawsuit Wednesday against the Archdiocese of Miami. His client, now 40 and identified in the lawsuit only as John Doe No. 26, says Mercieca abused him when he was about 12 years old.
"He had been thinking about it before Foley came forward, and then when Foley came out and the church encouraged other victims to come forward, he decided to come forward," Herman said.
The man said "all of my nightmares came back" when Mercieca's picture appeared on the news last week amid Foley's claims that the priest had molested him. Foley had resigned amid accusations that he sent sexually explicit messages to teenage boys who had worked on Capitol Hill.
Mercieca, 69, now lives on the Maltese island of Gozo in the Mediterranean. No one answered the phone at his home Wednesday. His lawyer, Alfred Grech, did not return calls to his cell phone.
Archdiocese of Miami spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta, asked about the latest allegations, said: "Any of this type of behavior by Father Mercieca was unknown to the archdiocese and we had absolutely no information to indicate that the father did or would engage in any type of inappropriate or abusive behavior."
The Miami Archdiocese barred Mercieca from all church work as it investigates Foley's claim that the clergyman molested him when Foley was an altar boy at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Worth in 1967.
Mercieca is now retired and does not serve in any parish, but he regularly celebrates Mass and hears confession in the cathedral on Gozo, according to the Archdiocese of Malta.
In multiple interviews last week, Mercieca denied having sexual intercourse with Foley, but he did acknowledge being nude with him when Foley was a boy.
Mercieca also denied having sex with any underage children.
Herman said his client and Mercieca took a bicycle ride together one day after altar boy practice and then returned to the church where the abuse occurred.
"It was fondling and he performed oral sex on the boy," Herman said. "He attempted on another occasion following altar boy practice, but the boy declined to go on this bike ride and he never went back to the church after that."
Mercieca served as an assistant pastor at the church from 1975 to 1985, according to church records.
Foley resigned from Congress last month after he was confronted with sexually explicit computer communications he had sent to male teenage pages who worked on Capitol Hill. He has since entered a 30-day rehabilitation program for alcoholism at the Sierra Tucson treatment center in Catalina, Ariz., near Tucson, according to his attorneys.
from The San Jose Mercury News

Soldier Convicted In Connection To Anti-Gay Murder Released Early

A soldier convicted in connection to an anti-gay murder in 1999 has been released early by the U.S. Army, according to reports by an activist group.
Former Army Specialist Justin Fisher, who was convicted of conspiracy to murder Private First Class Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, KY, has been released from prison after serving just seven years of a 12 1/2 year sentence.
Winchell was attacked in July 1999 by Calvin Glover, a former soldier based at Fort Campbell, in what was later revealed as an anti-gay hate crime. A later investigation by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) found that Winchell had been the target of anti-gay harassment in the months leading up to his murder.
"Army leaders gave Justin Fisher a shockingly lenient sentence in the first place, but just as importantly, they have also failed, every day since, to protect other soldiers from Barry's fate," said Patricia and Wally Kutteles, PFC Winchell's parents, in a release issued today. "As a mother, I never want to see Barry's story repeated. As an American, I am outraged that our leaders have taken no action to make sure it never happens again."
The SLDN noted that shortly after Winchell's death, the Pentagon adopted a 13-point "Anti-Harassment Action Plan," but contends they have found no evidence that the plan was ever implemented.
In a 2000 Department of Defense survey, 37 percent of troops reported that they had witnessed or experienced targeted incidents of anti-gay harassment, 9 percent of them reported anti-gay threats, and 5 percent oreported witnessing or experiencing anti-gay physical assaults.
"By the Pentagon's own admission, anti-gay harassment is rampant throughout the forces," said C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of SLDN, "yet Pentagon leaders have barely lifted a finger to curb attacks on its own troops."
"The most important step in curbing harassment is ending 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Winchell's parents continued in the release, "and sending a strong message that second-class citizenship is not tolerated in a first class military. But, until that happens, Pentagon leaders must, at the very least, step up to the plate and take real steps to protect our troops."
from The Raw Story

Serosorting 'Not Uncommon' Amongst Gay And Bisexual Men

CALIFORNIA - The overwhelming majority of gay and bisexual men in California are aware of their own and their partner’s HIV status and many men choose to have unprotected anal sex with both primary and casual partners of the same HIV status, according to a study published in the October 24th edition of AIDS. The investigators recommend that recent studies showing an increase the prevalence of unprotected sex and the incidence of sexually transmitted infections should be interpreted in light of these findings and suggest that unprotected anal sex need not always imply that an individual is risking infection with, or transmission of, HIV.
A quarter of a century after the first cases of AIDS were reported in gay men in California and New York, gay and bisexual men remain one of the groups most affected by HIV in the United States and other industrialised countries.
Although disclosure of HIV status as an HIV prevention tool remains a controversial subject, it is thought to have some advantages, such as acting as an incentive to use condoms, or avoid riskier sexual practices such as penetrative sex. Disclosure can also facilitate “serosorting”: the selection of sexual partners who have the same HIV status for unprotected anal sex.
Disclosing HIV status to potential sexual partners can, however, be fraught be difficulties, involving as it does the risk of rejection, stigmatisation, loss of confidentiality, or even a risk of physical violence. Well developed emotional and communication skills are therefore needed to facilitate HIV disclosure. There are also concerns that serosorting after disclosure may be an imperfect tool for HIV prevention, as individuals who believe themselves to be HIV-negative may, in fact, be infected with HIV. In addition, serosorting has been implicated in clusters of sexually transmitted infections in HIV-positive men.
Studies looking at disclosure of HIV status and resulting sexual behaviour amongst gay and bisexual men have largely been based on convenience samples and therefore might not be representative of gay and bisexual men generally. Investigators in California therefore took advantage of a state-wide telephone health survey involving 50,000 individuals that was conducted in 2001 which asked individuals about their sexual orientation. Men who self-identified as gay or bisexual were contacted in 2002 and asked to participate in a study designed to see how many men engaged in serosorting behaviours.
A total of 398 men were included in the study. The men were asked to provide demographic information and if they had a primary partner (defined as a man who they loved or felt a special commitment to), and/or secondary or casual partners (defined as men who they did not love or feel a special commitment to). The men were asked their own HIV status was, and that of their primary and most recent secondary partners. They were also asked if they had had unprotected anal sex with partners of the same, different, or unknown HIV status. Information on injecting drug use history was also requested.
The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 65 years. The majority (69%) were white, 17% had a post-graduate degree, and a fifth had an annual income of $80,000 or above. Injection drug use was reported by 7% of men. The overwhelming majority of men were aware of their HIV status, with 16% reporting that they were HIV-positive, and 78% reporting that they were HIV-negative. The remaining 6% of men did not know if they were HIV-positive or HIV-negative.
Of the 220 men with primary partners, 93% knew their own HIV status and 86% knew what their primary partner’s HIV status was.
A total of 250 men reported having secondary partners, and once again, 93% of these men knew what their HIV status was and approximately two-thirds reported knowing what the HIV status was of their recent secondary or casual partners.
HIV-positive men were more likely than HIV-negative men to have sex with HIV-positive partners. Similarly, HIV-negative men tended to have sex with other HIV-negative men. Specifically, over a third of HIV-positive men reported that their primary partner was HIV-positive, but only 7% of HIV-negative men reported having an HIV-positive primary partner. What’s more, 27% of HIV-positive men said that their most recent casual partner was HIV-positive, but only 3% of HIV-negative men reported having a recent HIV-positive casual partner. The investigators then looked at the men’s sexual behaviour. They found that 40% of HIV-positive men with a primary partner who was also HIV-positive, reported unprotected anal sex with this partner, behaviour the investigators defined as serosorting. However, 17% of men with an HIV-negative primary partner reported unprotected anal sex with this partner and approximately a third of HIV-positive men with a primary partner of unknown HIV status said that they had unprotected anal sex with this partner. When the investigators looked at the answers obtained from HIV-negative men with HIV-positive primary partners, they found that 15% reported having unprotected anal sex with this partner. When HIV-negative men reported having an HIV-negative primary partner, 68% reported unprotected anal sex with this partner. Answers regarding sex with secondary partners were then analysed. A third of HIV-positive men reported unprotected anal sex with other HIV-positive men, and 8% reported having unprotected anal sex with men who they knew to be HIV-negative. None of the HIV-negative men reported unprotected anal sex with an HIV-positive secondary partner, but 20% reported unprotected sex with a secondary partner who they knew to be HIV-negative. “We found that serosorting was not particularly an uncommon practice in this population,” write the investigators. They note, however that serosorting was not without its risks as one man who believed he was HIV-negative tested HIV-positive and had been having unprotected sex with his HIV-negative partner, potentially exposing him to HIV. Nevertheless, the investigators conclude that the men in their study had a high level of knowledge about their own and their partner’s HIV status and that serosorting, particularly with primary partners was not uncommon.
from Aids Map

Judge Rules 9-Year-Old Need Not Get Circumcised

CHICAGO - In a decision cheered by foes of routine circumcision for boys, a judge ruled on Tuesday that a 9-year-old need not be circumcised as his mother wanted.
A dispute between the boy's divorced parents about whether to circumcise him escalated into a court case, and Cook County Judge Jordan Kaplan declared in his ruling that it was unclear if the boy would benefit medically from having the procedure done.
Witnesses for the boy's mother argued he had suffered infections underneath his foreskin. The father's expert witnesses said the mother had wrongly retracted his foreskin in order to clean his penis and had irritated the area.
In granting the boy's father an injunction blocking the procedure, the judge said the boy could decide for himself whether to be circumcised when he turns 18.
The case is sure to fuel arguments for and against male circumcision.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has said it does not recommend routine circumcision, though it does have some potential medical benefits.
In a statement, the Doctors Opposing Circumcision said the judge's ruling protected "the boy's legal right to bodily integrity."
"Male circumcision in an irreversible amputation of functional tissue," it added.
"The ruling opens a very interesting question," said the group's John Geisheker. "If the benefits of circumcision are not available to a 9-year-old, what does that say about infants?"
At least one study has shown infants that have been circumcised later show a greater sensitivity to pain, "an infant analog to post-traumatic stress disorder," Geisheker said.
On the opposing side, one study suggested an uncircumcised penis may be more prone to becoming infected with HIV.
The practice of circumcising infant males is rare in Europe, while it is declining but remains common in the United States.
from Reuters

Latest Round In Web Porn Law Fight Begins

It's not all that often that a month-long trial begins in federal court where everyone knows from the start which side is likely to win.
But that was the situation Monday in ACLU v. Gonzales as the final round of litigation got underway in a challenge to the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), a law which threatens criminal penalties for commercial Web site operators that allow children to access material that is "harmful to minors."
Eight years after it was passed, COPA has never gone into effect because Senior U.S. District Judge Lowell A. Reed Jr. granted a preliminary injunction that, after two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court, won the approval of a 5-4 court.
Although the majority was a slim one, the high court's holding was that the ACLU and its co-plaintiffs are "likely to succeed" in proving that COPA is unconstitutional.
But "likely" doesn't mean certainly, and the Justice Department isn't giving up the fight.
In preparation for Monday's trial, Reed ordered lawyers on both sides to file their proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.
Ordinarily, such briefs are filed after a nonjury trial has concluded to aid the judge in his drafting of an opinion that announces his verdict.
But ACLU v. Gonzales is no ordinary case, and Reed apparently wanted the lawyers to provide a roadmap for the trial, which is expected to boil down to a battle of the experts.
One of the central disputes in the case is whether children can be protected by "filtering" software -- a program added by parents to a computer to block access to sexually explicit Web sites.
The government, in its brief, insists that "filtering software cannot completely protect minors from exposure to sexually explicit material on the World Wide Web. The status quo solution -- filtering software without any government regulation -- fails to protect children adequately."
The better solution, the government argues, is to stop pornography at its source by requiring Web site owners to demand "age verification," such as a credit card, before allowing access to sexually explicit content.
But the plaintiffs lawyers -- a team from the ACLU and Latham & Watkins -- argue that COPA is overbroad and that many legitimate Web sites fear prosecution under the law.
Age verification won't work, the ACLU argues, because Internet users are reluctant to give their identity and Web site owners cannot afford to process credit cards just to allow access to free content.
And even if a credit card system were installed, the ACLU says, it wouldn't prevent children from gaining access since many youngsters have access to their parents' credit cards or even have their own cards.
Instead, the ACLU says, Congress should go back to the drawing board and draft laws designed to enhance the effectiveness of filtering software.
"Congress could enact a statute that permits the distribution of such material [that is harmful to minors], but instead requires Web site operators to include a rating, label, or code on the Web site that makes clear that harmful to minors material is available on the Web site. Such a rating, label or code could be placed on the initial home page of the site," the ACLU argues in its brief.
"Requiring Web sites to include a harmful-to-minors rating, label or code would make filtering products even more effective and accurate at blocking harmful to minors material," the brief says.
Another way to make filters more effective, the ACLU says, would be a federal law requiring the Justice Department to compile and maintain a list of Web sites that contain material that is harmful to minors.
Such a statute "would provide filtering product companies with the ability to accurately block absolutely all speech that the government believes is harmful to minors. It would also provide parents and other entities with information about the types of material that are on the Web in order to assist parents in determining what protections, if any, are necessary for their children depending on their individual values and circumstances," the brief says.
The ACLU contends in its brief that "filtering product companies would accept a governmentally created list of inappropriate sites; in fact, many have already testified that they would almost certainly comply with any request from a governmental entity to include specific sites on their lists."
But Justice Department lawyers insisted in their brief that "voluntary measures such as a Web site rating system, filtering products, and education, will be effective only if they are used in conjunction with the requirements of COPA, because voluntary measures alone will not prevent children from accessing material harmful to minors."
A rating system simply wouldn't work, the Justice Department says, because Web site operators "would lack an incentive to label their material in a manner that makes it more likely that filters will block access."
The operators, they say, "would have to agree to a uniform system of ratings, or agree to subject themselves to an independent rating body."
And even if such a system were attempted, the Justice Department says, it would prove ineffective because "Web sites are too numerous and change too frequently for the government, or any private business, to effectively separate harmful from nonharmful material."
Instead, the government argues, "Only a solution directed at the source of the problem can provide the incentive necessary to adequately protect children."
In an opinion handed down on Oct. 10, Reed rejected a last-minute bid by the government to have the case dismissed.
In its motion, the government argued that none of the named plaintiffs has standing to challenge the law because they are not "commercial pornographers," and that their fear of being prosecuted under COPA is therefore "too speculative."
But the plaintiffs lawyers argued that plaintiffs such as Salon.com and the Philadelphia Gay News have good reason to fear that they will be targeted for prosecution because the law prohibits any commercial dissemination of material that is deemed to be "harmful to minors."
Reed sided with the plaintiffs, finding that "there is nothing in the statute that limits COPA to commercial pornographers."
The legal test for establishing standing on the basis of a credible threat of prosecution is "quite forgiving," Reed said, and courts "will assume a credible threat of prosecution in the absence of compelling contrary evidence."
Under COPA, a commercial Web site operator faces up to six months in prison and fines of up to $50,000 if found to have allowed minors access to harmful material.
The law defines material that is "harmful to minors" as any "communication, picture, image, graphic image file, article, recording, writing or other matter of any kind that is obscene" or that, if not obscene, meets the law's three-pronged test.
Under the first prong of the test, material violates the law if "the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to minors, is designed to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, the prurient interest."
The second prong calls for proof that the material "depicts, describes, or represents, in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, an actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual act, or a lewd exhibition of the genitals or post-pubescent female breast."
Finally, the material must be shown to "lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors."
With that test in mind, Reed found that the plaintiffs have standing because they "will be able to show at trial that they have a legitimate fear that they could be prosecuted under COPA because their materials could be found to be harmful to minors."
Having reviewed each of the plaintiffs' Web sites, Reed found that many of them include material that "could be found to: have been designed to appeal to the prurient interest of a minor; depict or describe a sexual act or contact or a lewd exhibition of the genitals or post-pubescent female breast in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors; and lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors."
Some of the plaintiffs' materials "are more graphic than others," Reed noted, and "range from erotic homosexual kissing to highly eroticized descriptions or depictions of anal and vaginal sex."
In a footnote, Reed said the term "prurient interest" is most often defined as "a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sex, or excretion over and beyond that which would be characterized as normal."
But that definition was significantly expanded by the U.S. Supreme Court, Reed noted, in a decision that said materials may appeal to the prurient interest if they are merely "in some sense erotic."
In another footnote, Reed said, "I find that it is possible that some communities would find even minor sexual contact, like kissing, to be prurient in nature and patently offensive if performed by homosexuals."
from Law.com