Just One Look...#86

Sarah Jessica Parker Explaining GaysTo Her Son

Sarah Jessica Parker already has to explain sex and the city to her four-year-old son. No, not her role as Carrie Bradshaw on the hit TV show, but the concept of homosexual relationships in the modern world.
The New York based star has been asked about sexual orientation by her extremely inquisitive son, James Wilke, but says she struggled to come up with a response.
Despite being surrounded by many gay friends, SJP says that she was stumped with what to respond to the toddler.
She revealed, "He's very interested in what being gay is... because so many of our friends are gay. You (have to) think very carefully and you're prudent about the choice of words and you talk about people looking for happiness and fulfilment in your life and how all families are different and look different. You're forced to really consider your answers. You're forced to think a lot about what you're saying and how you're saying it - even the tone."
Little James, whose father is film and Broadway star Matthew Broderick, is a very advanced young New Yorker. The celeb baby has recently attended his first A-List party with his mother at the new Serge Normant at John Frieda salon.
Sarah Jessica told USA Today newspaper, "He loves Serge. He wanted to come."
In 10 years, James Wilke could be part of the celeb offspring crew that includes Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Kingston Rosedale and Suri Cruise.
from All Headline News

Priest On Gay Web Site

An Irish Catholic priest has received a leave of absence from his parish assignment in the Killaloe diocese after a tabloid newspaper revealed that he had been active on a homosexual internet site.
Father Michael Hogan issued a statement saying that he was "deeply ashamed" by the revelations about his "indiscretions in relation to my vow of celibacy." "I acknowledge that these are serious matters that affect me on a personal level and in my vocation and ministry," the priest said. " I am immediately requesting my bishop to grant me time away from my ministry so that I might deal for myself with these issues."
Killaloe's Bishop Willie Walsh also issued his own statement on May 23, saying: "Father Michael has asked me for a period of time out, from his ministry, in order to reflect on his position. I have accepted this request."
"We, as priests, are committed to living celibate lives," Bishop Walsh said. "We are not, however, immune from struggles in many areas of our lives including our sexuality. We take consolation that Jesus, while condemning the sin, did not stand in judgment on the sinner."
from Catholic World News

Gay Couple Sues Landlord For Discrimination

BROOKLYN — A Brooklyn couple is suing their landlord for discrimination, claiming he harassed, threatened and intimidated them because they are gay. Their case has drawn support from local political leaders and advocates who want to increase legal protections for tenants in housing court. Among other things, the tenants claim Juan Vasquez and his family members have threatened to rape them, tried to run them over with a car and attacked them with a large garbage can.
“Nobody deserves to be discriminated against like Jessica and I were, solely because of our sexual orientation,” said Betsy Ortiz, 42. She moved into Vasquez’s apartment at 61 Harman St. in July 1996, with her partner, Jessica Marrero, 23, and their three-year-old daughter, Alissa.
The couple first sued in Brooklyn Housing Court, where Judge Cheryl Gonzalez found a dozen housing code violations, including rats, cockroaches and worms, and ordered repairs to be made within 24 hours. But there is no recourse in housing court to stop harassment.
“What we’ve been finding is that harassment is rapidly growing, and is really becoming a citywide issue,” said Benjamin Dolchin, a spokesman for the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD). The citywide coalition of neighborhood groups advocates for local legislation that would enable housing courts to address tenant harassment.
The lawyer who represented Ortiz and Marrero in housing court, Geoff Davenport, of Make the Road By Walking, said their discrimination case was too complicated for his nonprofit organization to handle on its own. Davenport sought pro bono help from the large, white-shoe law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison.
Paul, Weiss lawyers lead by Roberta Kaplan filed the civil lawsuit under city and state human rights laws. In addition to human rights violations, the tenants are seeking damages for assault, battery and emotional distress.
A criminal complaint has also been filed against Vasquez’s son, Javier Vasquez, for menacing, harassment, criminal contempt and reckless endangerment. In April, he allegedly violated an order of protection issued by Judge William Garnett.
Neither Juan Vasquez nor his attorney could be reached for comment late yesterday afternoon.
Outside Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the city council is working on legislation that would enable tenants to sue for harassment in housing court.
“My only regret is that this law isn’t already in place, so that Betsy Ortiz and Jessica Marrero would have had the protection they needed before this ordeal began,” Quinn said.
Quinn was joined yesterday by City Council Members Diana Reyna, Dan Garodnick and Rosie Mendez. After months of looking for a new apartment, Ortiz, Marrero and Alissa found a new place to live earlier this month.
from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Gay Couple Settle Adoption Lawsuit

A gay couple from San Jose have settled their lawsuit against an out-of-state Internet adoption service that they accused of violating California discrimination laws by refusing to post the men's profiles on a Web site where prospective birth mothers could see them.
Michael and Rich Butler, domestic partners since 2000, filed a federal civil rights suit against Adoption.com of Arizona in 2004 after the company told the men it posted profiles only of married, opposite-sex couples.
The adoption company had argued that it was governed by Arizona law, which does not prohibit discrimination against people on the basis of marital status or sexual orientation. It said requiring it to post profiles of same-sex couples would violate its freedom of speech.
But in a March ruling, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in San Francisco said California law applies to the defendants and allowed the suit to go forward.
Under the terms of a settlement announced today, ParentProfiles.com, a sister company to Adoption.com, cannot post profiles of California residents "unless the service is made equally available to all California residents qualified to adopt in California."
That means the defendants have a choice: to either "treat everyone in California equally or don't benefit from the state's economy," said Neel Chatterjee, an attorney for the Butlers.
Glen Lavy, an Alliance Defense Fund lawyer representing the company, said today that ParentProfiles.com will no longer accept profiles from California and will phase out all profiles from California within six months.
"The managers of the adoption profiles believe that it's in the best interests of children to be placed with a married mom and dad," Lavy said. "They believe that when there's an option, children are better off having a married mom and dad than any other circumstance."
There is no monetary payout as part of the settlement, as the Butlers were never after money, Chatterjee said.
The couple sued under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits businesses from discriminating against their customers on a variety of grounds. For at least 20 years, state courts have interpreted the law to require equal treatment of lesbians and gays. Bias based on marital status was the subject of conflicting rulings until the Legislature outlawed such discrimination, effective in 2006.
The Butlers adopted a baby girl in 2004 through a California adoption agency.
"We think it's a great agreement for us because it really ends the discriminatory practice of Adoption.com in the state of California," Rich Butler, 35, said today. "We hope that they continue doing business in the state, but if they can't comply with the nondiscriminatory policy and they stop doing business in the state, it's still a victory for Californians. We're not allowing them to profit on the back of Californians."
The Butlers were among the same-sex couples who were married at San Francisco City Hall early in 2004. Their marriage was one of 4,000 later annulled by the state Supreme Court when it ruled Mayor Gavin Newsom had overstepped his authority in allowing marriage licenses to be granted to same-sex couples.
from The San Francisco Chronicle

T.R. Knight Unsure Of Future With 'Grey's Anatomy'

Access caught up with "Grey's Anatomy" star T.R. Knight last night as he was co-hosting the 52nd annual OBIE awards (honoring achievements in the off-Broadway stage) in New York City , when he admitted that he was unsure if he would be returning to "Grey's" next season.
"I literally don't know," he said. "It would be nice to know if I'm supposed to report back soon."
With his character's fate up in the air after failing his intern test in the medical drama's season finale, along with rumors of unease on the set due to September's "homophobic slur" incident with castmate Isaiah Washington, fans are anxious about whether Knight will return.
Knight told Access that he got a lot of calls from friends after the finale, wanting to know if he will be back. He thinks the producers haven't told him because actors have big mouths and would tell everyone, but that doesn't alleviate his anxiety.
"If you're supposed to report back to work in a month and a half, I would really like to know that," he remarked, adding, "because I would like to know if I can shave my head."
Knight, known for coloring his hair vibrant colors from time to time, was photographed last week with a bright red head of hair. It was back to its natural shade of brown, however, for last night's awards presentation.
from Access Hollywood

Just One Look...#85

California Prisons Allow Same-Sex Couples Access To Family Visitation

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has agreed that it will no longer bar lesbian and gay prisoners access to overnight family visitation with their registered domestic partners. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has requested the statewide policy change in response to demands by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a gay man who was told by prison officials that domestic partners were barred from family visits. As required by state law, the department is conducting a public hearing on the proposed policy change today in Sacramento.
"Giving those serving a prison sentence an opportunity to spend quality time with their loved ones has proven to be a critical tool in rehabilitation," said Alex Cleghorn, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. "We are pleased that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has recognized that lesbian and gay prisoners also form lasting commitments and are more likely to be productive members of society when they are given the opportunity to nurture their relationships through family visits."
The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation agreed to the change after the ACLU sent a letter to prison officials on behalf of the registered domestic partner of Vernon Foeller who was serving 18 months for a burglary conviction. The men contacted the ACLU after their request for a family visit was denied even though they met all the other requirements to have a family visit. In the demand letter, the ACLU pointed out that it was illegal for the prison to continue to deny domestic partners family visits because California law requires that domestic partners be treated the same as married couples who have access to family visits. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation agreed with the ACLU and allowed the couple to have a family visit in December 2006. Foeller was released from prison on April 22, 2007.
"Being able to spend quality time with my partner gave us the opportunity to reconnect to one another and to begin planning for our future together out of prison," said Foeller. "My partner really did stick with me through thick and thin. Just knowing that he still believes in me gave me the confidence to start believing in myself again."
In response to the ACLU's demands, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has proposed a statewide regulation change that would guarantee that lesbian and gay prisoners have the same access to family visits as married couples. As required by state law, the department is conducting a public hearing on the proposed change today. As a practical matter, however, the change is mandatory under the state domestic partner law.
"This is a perfect example of how the domestic partnership law falls short of marriage. Marriage has universal acceptance and recognition. Had my client said he wanted to visit with his spouse, this would have never been an issue," said Cleghorn. "The state, however, should be commended for recognizing the problem and taking the proper steps to correct it."
from The ACLU

Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Student

NEW YORK - An arrest of a teacher at Columbia High School has taken the community by surprise.
"Like you, we're obviously shocked and dismayed at the allegations," said East Greenbush Central Schools Superintendent Terrance Brewer.
Kirk Hellwig, a 37-year-old social studies teacher at Columbia, was arrested by East Greenbush Police Monday morning. Hellwig is charged with engaging in a sexual act with a 16-year-old male student on school grounds and during school hours.
"Anytime we have a situation of this nature where our educational community is dismayed by a personal act, it causes all of us to have some pain," said Brewer.
Students reported rumors of the relationship to the principal on Thursday. Hellwig has worked for the school district since 1999 as an American history and government teacher with no prior complaints.
"When it hits home, and it's so close to us, it's kind of scary. And my kids are young. They're not in school yet, but it makes me think. Should I homeschool my children?" said Kendra Durivage, an East Greenbush resident who lives close to the school.
The school district is sending home a letter to parents. One father we spoke to said he was sexually abused when he was a student at Columbia High School, and he said he's not surprised it's happening once again.
"We are very aware of sexual predators in high schools, especially this high school," said Robert Reese.
Reese said he turned in a teacher 23 years after the man abused him. When Reese's daughter told him Hellwig was too friendly with his son, he talked to him directly and asked him to keep his distance.
"It makes me very concerned as to the process that they go hiring these teachers," he said.
Helwig was released on bail and appears in court later this week. He was suspended from all his duties in the school district. Brewer said the students' safety will be the district's top priority, especially after the arrest.
from Capital News 9

How To Get A Straight Jock In 10 Easy Steps

Transgender Wins Prom Queen

The silver tiara matched his silver stilettos when Johnny Vera was named prom queen Saturday night at Roosevelt High School.
He's the first transgender prom queen in Fresno -- and possibly anywhere.
Vera's win probably didn't surprise anyone who had seen the prom queen candidates' speeches Friday in the quad during lunch. Vera, effeminate and towering in heels, had wrapped his manicured nails around the microphone.
"For me, it's about more than a crown. It's about saying to people, 'Come out and be who you want to be,' " Vera said. A crowded, urban high school scene paused to listen. "You have to say, 'I am who I am, and I'm proud of who I am. My spirit will never be down on the floor.' "
The students cheered and whistled. The girls on Vera's cheerleading squad got teary-eyed. A boy wearing a pin supporting another queen candidate started the chant: "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!"
On Saturday night when his name was announced, Vera wept like a newly crowned Miss America to thunderous applause in a downtown Radisson Hotel ballroom. The same chant started: "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!"
Vera's crowning comes less than a month after Cinthia Covarrubias made national news by running for prom king at Fresno High School.
Covarrubias didn't win but said at the time of her candidacy that she hoped to break the ice for other students who are transgender, a term for people whose gender identity or expression differs from the sex they born with.
Vera didn't know Covarrubias. But he was inspired.
"Things are the way things are until someone changes it," Vera said. "I started seeing that someone has to be first."
Take away the fact that Vera has his face regularly waxed to remove stubble, and he is in many ways a typical prom queen: good grades, a cheerleader and popular.
Vera prefers the pronoun "she," but most people at Roosevelt High refer to Vera as "he." Vera isn't too hung up on pronouns.
"You have to let the little stuff sweat right off," Vera said.
At football games when he's on the cheerleading squad, the crowd regularly chants, "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny."
"No other student is getting their name chanted," said Lupe Sosa, a career counselor at Roosevelt.
What happened to the age-old story of someone different not fitting in during high school? Sosa said Vera's strength of character compels people to accept him.
"This person is amazing. He lights up everybody around him," Sosa said. "He always has a genuine compliment for everyone. Especially the shy kids. But he never sugarcoats anything. Johnny carries himself with a lot of dignity. And Johnny is so darn assertive. No one messes with Johnny."
When Sosa recounts conversations she's had with Vera, she adopts his persona, adding a head toss and shoulder shrug to her words. The week before the prom, she saw "a student jealous of Johnny" tearing down one of his posters.
"I said, 'Oh, Johnny, how does that make you feel?' He laughed. He said," -- and she snaps her fingers, re-creating Vera's delivery -- " 'Oh Mrs. Sosa. I am not going to trip over that. They're tearing down a poster, not my spirit.' "
Sosa advised Vera to think hard before running.
"I couldn't say it's a perfect world, people are always kind. I told him, 'Be ready for consequences,' " she said.
But Sosa has been surprised at how little controversy there has been. She was in the stands at homecoming when students were shouting Vera's name. She watched confused parents ask their children who Johnny was. That wasn't the homecoming queen's name.
"The kids pointed to Johnny down on the field in his cheerleading outfit. The parents looked so surprised. I just had to laugh," Sosa said. "It's really a different world."
The administration of Roosevelt High School had no problems with Vera running for prom queen.
"It's not our job to judge. We don't allow discrimination in any form here," said Vice Principal Ovidio Martinez.
He figured Vera had a good chance: "He's well-known. He stands out. He's 6-foot-4 in heels."
Assistant Principal John Leal had expected Vera to grab the crown. "Word up from the kids is he's a 5-to-1 favorite," he said before prom.
Leal describes himself as a "traditional Mexican macho."
"But I like Johnny," he said. "He's a good guy. Everybody loves Johnny. He stands his ground. I remember the winter formal -- he was dressed in a beautiful dress by the way -- no one batted an eye." At the spring homecoming, Vera was named Mr. Roughrider.
"It was an honor, but I don't like being called mister," Vera said.
Some students at the prom did think twice about voting for a transgender prom queen.
"I think it could be cool if Johnny won, but I was worried about the school's reputation," said Angel Bustamante, 17, a senior. "Then again, it doesn't matter what other people think. That's the message he's trying to get across."
His date, Lily Vasquez, gave him a playful slap.
"You didn't vote for Johnny?" she said.
Even one of the other prom queen candidates didn't understand why there would be a fuss over Johnny winning.
"I think a guy should be a king and a queen should be a girl, because I'm old-fashioned," Erica Cossio said before the vote. "But I don't think it's going to be surprising if he wins. It's not like some huge deal."
Before coming to Roosevelt, where he's preparing for a career as a fashion designer, Vera said he didn't have a place he felt safe. Even when he presented himself as male with short hair and more masculine clothing, he was sometimes singled out.
"Even as a more guyish Johnny, I was real soft, real gentle," he said.
In Santa Ana, where he lived until he was in high school, he said he made sure never to go anywhere alone, because he was worried about being beaten up.
Vera said his source of strength was his mother, Maria, who died of complications from lupus when he was 14.
"She was a woman who liked to dress herself up. She was very excitable, all smiles, like me," he said. "And she knew how to manage things. When my dad came home, the house was clean, the meal was cooked and we were all dressed."
Vera's sister, Elizabeth, 21, said her mother never made an issue of Johnny's differences.
"Just because he was different than every other little boy, she never put it out there as a problem," she said. "It was 'we love each other,' and that was it."
When his mother was sick, she talked to him about self-respect.
"She taught me to be strong and never be ashamed of myself," Vera said. "Never see yourself as less, she said. She told me, 'You know, to really be a lady you have to know how to walk into a room.' "
Elizabeth Vera said she's proud of having a brother who is a prom queen.
"He's standing up and saying it's OK to be different," she said. "There's so many ignorant people out there. I've seen them look at my brother like he's some kind of disease. I've seen the reactions.
"I've always felt like, you don't like it, that's fine, but don't disrespect my brother," she said. "Now he's going to make people talk. He's going to open a lot of eyes. Just to show that kind of courage shows who my brother is."
In the dark days after Vera's mother died and his family moved to Fresno, he would walk to school every day repeating to himself mantras of inspiration from sources ranging from Mohandas Gandhi to classroom posters:
"Be the change you want to see in the world -- believe in yourself -- if you can dream it you can become it."
"There were all those statistics about transgender kids committing suicide. People would look at me and say I was going to do drugs or be a prostitute. And I would just tell myself, I'm not going to let anyone but me tell me what I'm going to be."
On Saturday night, he was prom queen.
from The Fresno Bee

Beth Ditto To Strip

'The Gossip' singer Beth Ditto wants to strip off for an erotic gay magazine for a second time.
Beth, who bared her super-sized curves in an X-rated photo shoot for the US publication, admits she is desperate to reveal all again.
Speaking at Radio 1's 'Big Weekend' music festival in Preston, England, she said: "I am not ashamed of those pictures, I'm proud of them. I love my body and I love sex, so what's wrong with that? Doing those shoots was so much fun and I would definitely do them again."
The racy snaps of the 15-stone singer featured openly lesbian Beth naked with her girlfriend, and also depicted Beth performing an oral sex act.
The star, whose celebrity fans include Kate Moss and Keira Knightley, often performs in skimpy pants and bras.
from Monsters And Critics

Just One Look...#84

Tomatoes No Magic Bullet For Prostate Cancer

Lycopene, the much-touted cancer fighting antioxidant found in tomatoes and ketchup, is ineffective in preventing prostate cancer, a new study finds.
In fact, higher intake of another antioxidant found in many vegetables, beta-carotene, appears to increase the risk for aggressive prostate cancer, researchers report. Many Americans also take beta-carotene in supplements.
The new study, involving more than 28,000 men, "hampers our enthusiasm for a beneficial effect of lycopene," said lead author Ulrike Peters, a research assistant professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "Tomatoes, and tomato found in ketchup and pizza, don't reduce the risk for prostate cancer," she added.
The report is published in the May issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
In their study, Peters and colleagues collected data on men enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. All of the men had no prior history of prostate cancer. They were screened for the disease at the start of the trial in 1993, and then followed with regular screening until the first occurrence of prostate cancer or death by the end of the trial in 2001.
During the course of the trial, 1,320 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed. Peters's team found no significant difference in blood levels of lycopene between men who had prostate cancer and those who didn't.
In fact, they found an association between increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer -- disease that has spread beyond the prostate -- and higher intake of beta-carotene, another antioxidant found in many vegetables and commonly used as a dietary supplement.
Beta-carotene has also been linked to increased risk for lung cancer and heart disease among smokers, Peters noted. "People should be very cautious about taking high doses of supplemental beta-carotene," she said.
The researcher believes the best strategy for preventing cancer in general is to not place one's faith in a particular food, but to live an active, healthy lifestyle.
Another expert agreed that men should not be taking lycopene or beta-carotene to prevent prostate cancer.
"This is a disconcerting finding," said Marji McCullough, a senior epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society. "It raises the concern that more of a nutrient is not always better," she said.
McCullough noted that even taking multivitamins has been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, as evidenced by a study published this week that found that more than one multivitamin per day significantly raised men's risk for the cancer.
"Our guidelines suggest that people eat a mostly plant-based diet with a variety of vegetables and fruits," McCullough said. "We don't recommend taking multivitamins or other supplements, especially beta-carotene supplements," she said.
from Health Day

Long Beach Gay Pride

Thousands will flood downtown streets this weekend for the annual Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride Celebration.
The event, now in its 24th year, is expected to attract some 35,000 festival participants each day and about 20,000 for Sunday's parade.
Among the musical artists scheduled to perform this weekend are Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson ("Dreamgirls"), the Indigo Girls and Sophie B. Hawkins.
The theme this year is "Harmony in Colors," in reference to the unification of the city's culturally diverse population.
Festivities today and Sunday will be held at Rainbow Lagoon Park and Rainbow Harbor Park from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday's parade will kick off at 10:30 a.m. at Ocean Boulevard and Temple Avenue. It will then proceed west on Ocean Boulevard, and conclude at Los Alamitos Boulevard.
Festival tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the festival site entrance.
For more information about this year's festival and parade, visit Long Beach Pride or call (562) 987-9191.
from The Long Beach Press Telegram

Washington Remaining on Grey's Anatomy?

Isaiah Washington's Dr. Preston Burke packed his bags on the season finale of "Grey's Anatomy" but that doesn't mean the actor is being dumped by the show, his publicist said Friday.
"We fully expect to be back in the fall," spokesman Howard Bragman said. "The deal's not done but we have no reason to believe he won't be putting on the scrubs."
A furor over Washington's use of an anti-gay slur had provoked speculation that his job might be in jeopardy. He said the word backstage at the Golden Globe Awards in January while denying he'd used it previously against castmate T.R. Knight.
Thursday's finale seemed to open the door for the departure of Washington's character. Burke was on the verge of marrying Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), but her doubts at first delayed and then derailed their splashy wedding.
"I'm up there waiting for you to come down the aisle and I know you don't want to come," Burke told a shocked Cristina. "If I loved you, I wouldn't be up there waiting for you. I would be letting you go."
Then he did just that. Later, Cristina found that Burke had cleared his favorite possessions out of their apartment.
ABC declined comment Friday on Washington's status.
But a source close to the production, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to comment publicly, said the finale doesn't indicate that Washington is a goner from "Grey's."
"A lot of character story lines were left in question. It's a cliffhanger finale," the source said. "T.R's character looks like he could be going. ... It doesn't necessarily mean anything."
Knight's character, George O'Malley, was the only intern to fail the end-of-year exam and he was seen in the finale cleaning out his locker after deciding against repeating his intern stint.
Washington will spend the summer working, his publicist said, not worrying about the show. The actor leaves next week to continue his charity work in Sierra Leone, which a DNA test showed to be his ancestral home.
Washington, who started a nonprofit foundation last year to improve the lives of people in the West African nation, plans to deliver mosquito netting and check on a school he helped found.
He'll also spend part of his summer break working on an independent film, "The Least of These," Bragman said. Washington expects to be back at work on "Grey's Anatomy" when production resumes in August, he said.
Washington filmed a public service announcement on behalf of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network after the flap. The spot is in post-production, a GLAAD spokesman said Friday.
from The Associated Press

25 Countries Block Web Sites

At least 25 countries around the world block Web sites for political, social or other reasons as governments seek to assert authority over a network meant to be borderless, according to a study out Friday.
The actual number may be higher, but the OpenNet Initiative had the time and capabilities to study only 40 countries and the Palestinian territories. Even so, researchers said they found more censorship than they had initially expected, a sign that the Internet has matured to the point that governments are taking notice.
"This is very much the revenge of geography," said Rafal Rohozinski, a research fellow at the University of Cambridge in England.
China, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia and Vietnam had the most extensive filters for political sites. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling and gay and lesbian sites.
In some countries, censorship was narrow. South Korea, for instance, tends to block only information about its neighboring rival, North Korea.
Yet researchers found no filtering at all in Russia, Israel or the Palestinian territories despite political conflicts there.
Governments generally had no mechanism for citizens to complain about any erroneous blocking, with Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates being among the exceptions.
The OpenNet Initiative, a collaboration between researchers at Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the University of Toronto, has previously published reports detailing censorship in specific countries. The latest study was its attempt to compare filtering worldwide.
The study did not attempt to chronicle the effectiveness of the efforts. Some technical approaches are better than others in blocking sites, but all can be bypassed with enough technical know-how to use "proxy" techniques or special software.
The organization said the regions chosen for review should not be considered comprehensive. It didn't include any countries in North America or Western Europe on grounds that filtering practices there have been better known than elsewhere. It also excluded North Korea and Cuba for fear of risks to collaborators it would need in those countries.
The group supplied software to volunteers in each of the countries tested. Web sites checked include those for gambling, pornography and human-rights abuses.
Jonathan Zittrain, professor of Internet governance and regulation at Oxford, said filtering appeared to occur most widely in countries where Internet penetration is higher, possibly explaining the lack of any censorship efforts in Russia and Egypt.
from The Associated Press

Homophobic Teenager Spends Day At Gay Magazine

UNITED KINGDOM - A homophobic teenager who brutally assaulted a gay man was forced to spend a day working on a gay magazine.
The punishment was designed by Brighton's hate crime team to teach the boy the error of his ways after he left his victim with serious and potentially life-threatening injuries.
The attacker was ordered to spend five hours working on 3SIXTY in Steine Street, Brighton.
Announcing a new drive against homophobic crime yesterday, Sussex Police and the community safety team said similar punishments could be used in future to stop offenders terrorising lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.
Craig, 35, from Yorkshire, was assaulted in Dukes Mound, Brighton in the early hours of Sunday morning about a year ago.
A group of youths surrounded him as he looked out to sea and knocked him to the ground.
They ran off and a witness called the police. By the time they arrived, Craig's partner had showed up and given chase to the youths, who were apprehended by officers.
Craig was left with a damaged lymph system, scratched cornea and cuts and bruises across his face and body. He was admitted to hospital the following week with an infection that was threatening to spread to his brain and readmitted later with blood clots.
Craig, an A-level teacher, has made a full recovery, but the attack left him seriously shaken and determined to bring the culprit to justice.
He said: "As a gay man, I have experienced low-level homophobia throughout my life, such as name calling. I learned to roll the punches, but for me this punch was one blow too far.
"I like to think in reporting this crime I helped stop it happening to others."
The idea to get the offender to work with a gay organisation came from Sussex Police officers who have visited San Francisco to see pioneering policing methods in a large gay community.
David Harvey, co-owner of 3SIXTY, said: "They rang us in October and said, can this person come and spend a day with you? My initial reaction was, I am not sure if I want somebody who perpetrated a hate crime to be sitting next to me in my environment."
But after speaking to colleagues, Mr Harvey agreed to the programme - and now says he would do it again.
He said: "If we can change somebody's prejudiced view about us by admitting them into our environment, that has to be a good thing."
The boy, who Mr Harvey said seemed "a quiet, middle class lad" came to 3SIXTY in January, accompanied by a probation officer. He spent the first hour yawning and looking disinterested, until he was asked to write a story about a famous gay person. He wrote about H from Steps coming out, and was so proud of it he laid it out on a page and took it home.
Afterwards he asked if he could write to Craig to apologise for what he had done.
LGBT people are encouraged to report hate crime under Operation Reagan, which will work closely with LGBT organisations.
Police will up patrols in Kemp Town and the seafront, targeting known offenders and groups of youths. A sergeant, two police officers and two police community support officers have been assigned and every police officer in the city has been briefed. Violent crime always rises in the summer months.
At yesterday's launch on International Day Against Homophobia, Chief Superintendent Paul Pearce, the new divisional commander of Brighton and Hove Police, said the campaign would rely on community support.
He said: "We are acutely aware of the sensitivities in operations such as this but I for one believe passionately that a priority must be to prevent attacks that cause misery for the victims."
from The Argus

Just One Look...#83

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Just One Look...
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"I (love) Gay Porn

CANADA - A contrite city cop must cough up 20 hours of overtime pay for some cheeky antics during a raid on a city home last year.
Const. Christa Pennie went on a computer at the home and downloaded a desktop background that read "I (love) Gay Porn," according to agreed facts filed at her disciplinary hearing.
She also put a gargoyle figurine in the freezer with dental floss in its mouth, and put dental floss and a knife in the mouth of another figurine.
Pennie was charged with discreditable conduct after she reported her actions to her supervisor about three days after the Feb. 3, 2006, raid.
Yesterday, Supt. Mark Logar ordered Pennie, a 10-year veteran of the Edmonton Police Service, to forfeit 20 hours of overtime within her next two pay periods.
Pennie was part of a team of about 11 cops searching the home during Project Koker, a 23-month investigation that culminated in the arrests of 18 alleged drug traffickers, including two full-patch Hells Angels.
According to the agreed facts, Pennie, then an acting detective, went on to a computer in the master bedroom of one of two homes she helped search that day.
She did a Google search for "Gay Porn" and chose an image that read "I (love) Gay Porn," with a heart to signify the word "love."
When an ashamed Pennie reported what she had done, she admitted she also put dental floss in the mouths of two ornaments in the home, as well as a black "training knife" in the mouth of one.
Pennie also provided a memo to police higher-ups describing her agony over what she had done.
"My actions did cause me to lose a lot of sleep over the weekend as I was very upset with myself. I then conducted myself in a stressed manner towards my family, which was unfair to them as it was my actions that brought me stress," wrote the constable.
The disciplinary hearing was told that the atmosphere in the home during the search was "somewhat chaotic," and there was some joshing going on when Pennie decided to download the inappropriate screen background.
Pennie was going to delete the image, which was on a blue background with red letters, but apparently forgot before the cops left the home.
Logar, the presiding officer at the hearing, doled out a harsher punishment than agents for EPS and Pennie, both of whom were seeking a reprimand in the case.
"I find that Constable Pennie allowed herself a careless moment of exuberance," he wrote.
"I am quite prepared to say that peer pressure pushed her in that direction ... But I am equally adamant that this cannot be an excuse."
Logar said Pennie's 20 hours of forfeited overtime amounts to a penalty of about $600.
from The Edmonton Sun

The Catholics Can Now Cure Your Pornography Addiction

Every second, over 28,000 internet users are viewing pornography, and more than $3,000 is being spent on the addictive and destructive images. R.A.G.E. Media, publisher of two of the foremost Catholic books on overcoming pornography addiction, is responding to these dire statistics with a special offer for Catholics who struggle with pornography addiction.
For a limited time, Clean of Heart: Overcoming Habitual Sins Against Purity by Rosemarie Scott and True Knights: Combat Training Daily Prayers for Purity by Kenneth Henderson and Jesse Romero are available at the combined price of $30, with free shipping. Sold separately, the books would cost a reader close to $40 shipped. This offer is only available at http://www.dyinglight.com/promo/overcome-pornography.html.
The books are highly recommended not only for Catholics who struggle with pornography, impure thoughts, or other habitual sins against purity, but also for confessors who regularly counsel such individuals.
"Clean of Heart is an excellent practical and inspiring spiritual guide for those tormented by such sins. I highly recommend it for late teens, young adults, and anyone else struggling with such sins. Confessors will find in it a gold mine for good advice to their penitents," said Catholic author and professor of ethics Ronda Chervin, Ph.D.
True Knights: Combat Training Daily Prayers for Purity has also been well-praised by respected members of the Catholic community:
"We need this 'weapon' in our arsenal in battling the world, the flesh, and the devil," said Father Francis Mary Stone, host of EWTN's "Life on the Rock," regarding True Knights.
The books also make great Confirmation gifts, particularly for young men, as they encourage the proper ideals of Catholic manhood while addressing temptations that no Catholic man can fully avoid in today's world.
from The Christian News Wire

Brokeback Mountain Causes Psychological Distress

A substitute teacher who showed an R-rated movie to 8th graders about two gay cowboys told students, "What happens in Ms. Buford's class stays in Ms. Buford's class," according to a lawsuit filed Friday.
A 12-year-old girl and her family filed the suit against the Chicago Board of Education after the teacher showed "Brokeback Mountain" to students at Ashburn Community Elementary School a year ago.
The student, Jessica Turner, said she suffered psychological distress after watching the movie, according to the suit. The movie, which stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two cowboys who fall in love, includes love scenes between the two men and between the men and their wives.
"It is very important to me that my children not be exposed to this," said Turner's grandfather and guardian, Kenneth Richardson, by phone Saturday. "The teacher knew she was not supposed to do this. ... It's like I told the principal, she should have better control over her teachers."
The lawsuit, which seeks $500,000 in damages, was filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The suit also names Ashburn Principal Jewel Diaz and the substitute teacher, known only in the complaint as Ms. Buford.
Chicago Public Schools Spokesman Mike Vaughn declined to comment Saturday because he had not seen the lawsuit. Diaz could not be reached for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Buford was a substitute teacher in Turner's 8th-grade class on May 26, 2006. She told the class, "What happens in Ms. Buford's class stays in Ms. Buford's class" and asked a student to shut the classroom door.
Buford showed the video without permission from parents and guardians, the lawsuit states.
Richardson said his granddaughter was traumatized after watching the movie and told him, "They made me watch this bad movie." Richardson said he went to the school to speak to Buford, but she refused to do so without her union representative.
He said Diaz appeared "upset" when she learned that the teacher had showed the movie.
The grandfather deferred to his attorney when asked about the specifics of the "psychological treatment and counseling" that the lawsuit states Turner underwent as a result of watching the movie.
This isn't the first time Richardson has taken issue with material used in his children's classes. He said that in fall 2005, he complained to Diaz about reading material that included curse words.
"This was the last straw," Richardson said of the "Brokeback Mountain" screening. "I feel the lawsuit was necessary because of the warning I had already given them on the literature they were giving out to children to read. I told them it was against our faith."
from The Chicago Tribune

Italians Rally Against GayMarriage Bill

ROME - Tens of thousands of mothers, fathers, sons and daughters rallied Saturday to tell Italy that they alone should be counted as families, pressuring parliament to reject legislation that would grant new rights to unmarried and same-sex couples.
The "Family Day" rally, drawing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in an unexpectedly strong outpouring, was organized by lay Catholic groups and family associations. While the demonstration was endorsed by Italian bishops, neither the Vatican nor the Italian bishops' conference was formally behind it.
"With this demonstration, we wanted to give a signal. It must not be a sporadic event, but it must contribute to dialogue and help (people) understand family must be protected," said Emanuele Cirillo, a 27-year-old Neapolitan who had traveled to Rome for the demonstration.
People from across Italy began pouring into the massive St. John Lateran piazza in the morning. The demonstrators were entertained by singers, speakers and even a brief video featuring the late John Paul II, the beloved pontiff who died in 2005, in a 1988 speech about the need to protect family.
Clowns and stilt walkers mingled with the crowd to entertain the children.
By the end of the day, organizers said as many as 1.5 million people had showed up, while police did not give a final estimate. Earlier, police had put the number of participants at 250,000 but the crowd became bigger.
The turnout was above the organizers' expectations.
Premier Romano Prodi's Cabinet passed the legislation at the center of the debate last February, and the bill now requires parliamentary approval.
The proposed legislation would grant legal rights to unmarried couples who live together, including hospital visits and inheritance. It does not legalize gay marriage, as was done in other European countries, such as Spain.
The bill has angered the Vatican, which under Pope Benedict XVI has campaigned to protect traditional family based on marriage between man and woman.
Benedict, speaking on the eve of the rally from Brazil, where he was traveling, accused the media of promoting sexual immorality. He also decried what he called the "plague" of extramarital unions.
The bill's critics say the legislation would dismantle the traditional family by offering an alternative model. Supporters argue that the bill would make Italy a more civilized nation by recognizing the basic rights of people who live outside marriage, and organized a counter-rally in Rome. Organizers said 10,000 attended the counter-demonstration.
"We came here today to protest against those traditional families who think only they represent a real form of family," said Alberico Nunziata, 30, who is gay and arrived at the rally - a much smaller gathering expected to go into the night - with his partner.
"There is no need to get married in order to achieve something as a couple, there can be also different form of unions between two people, we personally hope to build a lot together," he added.
The "Family Day" has proven embarrassing for Prodi's center-left coalition, with at least two ministers taking part, while other center-leaders attended the counter-demonstration.
Prodi tried to defuse tensions Saturday, saying that religion should not be manipulated and calling secularism an "essential principle" of politics.
Many center-right leaders, including former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, attended the pro-family rally.
from The Associated Press

Yard Sex

Out of respect for the fact that it is Mother's Day I have decide to tone things down a bit on the site today and just post a video of two slugs fucking.
Manny

Bobby Brown Not A Fan Of Gays

Ellen -- "She's Gay?!"

In a long video post on her blog, Rosie O'Donnell claims fellow out lesbian Ellen DeGeneres is not allowed to talk about anything "gay, gay gay!" on her daytime talk show. Mum's the L word?
In her video, Rosie claims Ellen signed a contract that forbids her to mention anything to do with gay issues, adding, "I talk about 'gay' because I like to and she doesn't talk about it because she doesn't want to or she can't."
TMZ contacted a rep for Telepictures, producers of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," who jokingly said "She's gay? Who knew?" The rep then added that this is completely untrue, and that they have no such contracts with any of their hosts, saying,"Ellen is free to talk about whatever she wants and we encourage her to do so."
On an episode this week, Ellen joked about being able to stand upright following her recent back injury, saying, "I'm not quite straight. Well, you know that."
In 1997, Ellen publicly came out of the closet in a groundbreaking episode of her ABC series, paving the way for hit gay-themed TV shows like "Will & Grace" and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
TMZ is a joint venture between AOL and Telepictures, which produces "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
from TMZ

Oral Sex Linked To Throat Cancer

The sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer also sharply increases the risk of certain types of throat cancer among people infected through oral sex, according to a study being published today.
The study, involving 100 people with throat cancer and 200 without it, found that those infected with the human papillomavirus were 32 times as likely to develop one form of oral cancer than those free of the virus. Although previous research had indicated HPV caused oral cancer, the new study is the first to definitively establish the link, researchers said.
"It makes it absolutely clear that oral HPV infection is a risk factor," said Maura L. Gillison, an assistant professor of oncology and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, who led the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings could help explain why rates of oral cancer have been increasing in recent years, particularly among younger people and those who are not smokers or heavy drinkers, which had long been the primary at-risk groups, experts said.
"There's been a kind of sea change in the last 10 years in who we're seeing with these cancers," Gillison said. "It makes sense with some changes we've seen in sexual behavior."
The findings provide new evidence that contradicts widespread misconceptions about oral sex.
"Many adolescents, and adults too, say they engage in oral sex as a less risky type of sex," said Mark A. Schuster of Rand Corp. and UCLA, noting that herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections can spread through oral sex. "What this article and others show is you absolutely can get serious sexually transmitted diseases through oral sex."
The findings could also provide new ammunition for those advocating wide use of a new vaccine that protects against HPV. Even though the vaccine has not been tested specifically to see whether it reduces the risk of oral cancer, it is designed to protect against the type of HPV associated with the malignancy.
"This adds more data that HPV is an important cause of cancer and that this is an important vaccine," said Joseph A. Bocchini Jr., who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on infectious diseases.
The type of oral cancer linked to HPV strikes about 11,000 Americans each year, which is about the same as the number of women in whom cervical cancer is diagnosed.
The finding could also spur calls to vaccinate boys as well as girls because oral cancer affects both.
"This will reinvigorate and shift the debate about who should get vaccinated," said Robert Haddad of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
Proponents of the vaccine have been advocating mandatory vaccination of girls, sparking an intense nationwide debate. Opponents say that the vaccine may encourage sexual activity and that its safety and long-term effectiveness are not clear because it is so new. They argue that the decision should be made by parents individually.
Two other studies published in the same issue of the journal found that the vaccine's protection against genital warts and precancerous growths lasts at least three years. Such growths can lead to cervical cancer.
Gillison and her colleagues focused on a type of tumor called oropharyngeal cancer -- cancer of the tonsils and surrounding tissue. It usually can be treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, but patients can be left with dry mouth and difficulty speaking and swallowing.
The researchers tested 100 people with the cancer and 200 similar subjects without it for HPV infection either anywhere in the body or specifically in the mouth. Researchers also examined factors that would influence the subjects' chances of being infected with the virus or developing the cancer, such as their sexual histories and whether they smoked or drank alcohol.
After other factors were considered, those who tested positive for HPV were 32 times as likely to have oropharyngeal cancer.
When researchers looked at sexual history alone, the number of partners emerged as a risk factor for developing the cancer. Those subjects who had had one to five oral-sex partners were 3.8 times as likely as those with fewer oral-sex partners to have it, whereas those who had more than six oral-sex partners were 8.6 times as likely. It made no difference whether the partners were male or female.
It remains unclear whether kissing someone who has HPV poses any risks, but "it is not out of the realm of possibility," Gillison said.
from The Washington Post

Is Your Husband In The Closet?

If you are suspicious about your husband's sexuality, here is a list of tell-tale signs that are going to make you even more nervous. Because these could be indicators of his preference for his own kind...

SIGHTSEEING ON HONEYMOON
The honeymoon is meant for lots of frolicking indoors. However, if your hubby is obsessing about sight-seeing more than exploring you, it could either mean that he has a low libido or he's... gay. Ignore this if your hubby's into photography or film, though.
HE SPENDS MORE TIME IN THE BATHROOM GETTING READY
The metrosexual revolution might have already happened, but please remember that men and women traditionally have different methods to grooming. As in women take hours. So if he's taking too long, then he's taking too long... to come out as well.
INSTEAD OF THE USUAL WORLD CUP PARTY, YOUR HUSBAND THROWS AN ACADEMY AWARD PARTY
Men like sports. So if he's throwing a World Cup Party, you shouldn't be that concerned. But if it's going to be an Academy Award party that is driving him dizzy with excitement... then honey, you've got male. Male rivals, that is. Then again, he needn't be into sports to be straight. That's too literal.
HE PICKS OUT THE CLOTHES HE WANTS YOU TO WEAR SO YOU REMAIN IN STYLE
There are only two options for this. He's pulling off a James Steward from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo or else he's a queen. There are no in-betweens, if he's obsessing about what you're wearing. This though only applies to dainty pretty dresses he likes to see on you. Don't mistake this for the 'the dress is too revealing, so don't wear it'.
YOU ARE THE ONE BEGGING TO COSY UP ALL THE TIME
Once again, let's get back to traditions and norms. Men have testosterone, something that makes them yearn for sex more than women. If you've the one who's begging for sex, he's either having an affair with another woman, or he's having an affair with another man. Or he's just not into women, and he's married you.
HE HAS AN UNDERWEAR FETISH...
Only that it's not for you. If your husband is collecting a range of funky looking underwear, they better be for you. Or else, someone else is having a blast at your expense.
HE WANTS TO DO A THREESOME... BUT WITH ANOTHER GUY...
Men like porn flicks with lesbians in them. But they wouldn't trade this fetish for sex with another man. Unless, he's bisexual of course. And if it's him making the request, it's not just good old-fashioned experimenting. It's sexperimenting... for his hunger. More importantly, threesomes are a tell-tale sign that something is amiss in a relationship – period – whether he's straight or pink. Romping with mirrors for enjoyment is great fun. That way there's always more of you. But if he's looking into the mirror he's into himself... and his own kind. That's really not funny. Sex is passionate, and yes, the occasional laugh when bed bloopers occur is ok. But giggling at the act is not good.
from The Times Of India

Gay Porn Star Boham May Use Insanity Plea

Defense attorneys for a gay porn star charged in the death of a Congress Park resident may plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
Timothy Boham is charged with first-degree murder of John Paul Kelso, 43, who was found dead Nov. 13 in the bathtub of his Congress Park home.
Boham, 25, was scheduled for arraignment in Denver today, but the hearing was postponed to July 12 after the defense said it needed more time to investigate what his plea should be.
Boham, who had worked briefly for Kelso, was arrested near the U.S.-Mexico border after police said he confessed to his mother and sister.
Boham decided to rob Kelso, the owner of a debt collection company, because he knew there was a safe in the house, police said.
During a preliminary hearing, police said Boham told them he was planning to steal $40,000 he thought was in the safe because his girlfriend was pregnant and he needed cash.
He wound up, however, with only some jewelry and other items that he dumped before fleeing the state.
Boham appeared in several gay porn movies in 2004 and 2005 under the name Marcus Allen.
from The Rocky Mountain News

Just One Look... #82

Gays Forced To Stay In The Closet At Work

UNITED KINGDOM - Nearly half of the UK’s estimated three million homosexuals do not reveal their sexuality to all those they work with, according to research released today.
And one in 10 gay men and one in eight lesbians have been harassed at work in the past year because of their sexuality.
Ian Johnson, chief executive of Out Now Consulting, a specialist gay marketing consultancy said: “Lord Browne (of BP) is far from alone.
"Out Now’s research for specialist interest magazines Diva and GT reveals that many UK workers are in a similar position. Heterosexual people don’t experience the same pressures to conceal such a major aspect of themselves at work. Being yourself at work is something all workers in the UK should be able to do.
“This problem affects workplace productivity, loyalty and ultimately can result in otherwise well-qualified gay staff leaving a job because they can no longer keep up a pretence of being heterosexual.”
Johnson added that organisations should improve workplace equality and diversity policies.
"Human resources managers say they don’t discriminate, but the situation on the ground shows that half the UK’s gays and lesbians do not feel they can just be themselves at work.”
More than half of all lesbians and gay men said they were completely honest about their sexuality with colleagues.
from Personnel Today

Oregon Gets Gay Rights Bill

OREGON - More than three decades after he co-sponsored one of the early efforts, Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed bills on Wednesday barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and providing legal recognition of same-sex couples through domestic partnerships.
"We are all created equal and that Oregon is a land of equal opportunity for all of our citizens," said Kulongoski, who was joined by about 200 people gathered on the west steps of the Capitol.
Among them were former Gov. Barbara Roberts, who led the opposition to statewide anti-gay rights ballot measures in the 1990s; House Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland; Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown, D-Portland, who is married but considers herself bisexual, and other lawmakers from both parties.
"It took more than 20 years, but what great progress we have made," said Gail Shibley of Portland, the first openly gay lawmaker, who was in the House from 1991 to 1997.
"Biblical strictures aside, love one another and treat others as you would be treated yourself are at the top of my list," said Fred Neal, a retired state elections manager and the first gay candidate for the Portland City Council in 1994.
As a legislator in 1975, Kulongoski co-sponsored a bill that would have added sexual orientation to Oregon's civil-rights law.
A similar bill failed by one vote in the House that session.
Senate Bill 2 bars discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace, housing and public accommodations. Oregon joins 17 other states with similar laws.
House Bill 2007 creates domestic partnerships, which establish marriage-type benefits in civil contracts for same-sex couples. The state law does not extend to more than 1,000 benefits that federal law confers to married couples.
from The Statesman Journal

Spanking Fetish Makes Men Happier

AUSTRALIA - Bondage and discipline may actually make men happier, according to the first national survey of Australian fetish habits.
The new sex study has revealed that two per cent of Australian men and 1.4 per cent of women admit to enjoying dominance, submission and sadomasochism-type sex in the past year.
But researchers involved in the phone survey of 20,000 people say they expect many more Australians to be engaging in the practice but unwilling to label it BDSM (bondage, discipline, domination and submission).
"There will definitely be more men and women who have sexual tastes in this direction but won't call it this," said Dr Juliet Richters, of the University of New South Wales.
"They might not like sex magazines but they just happen to like being tied up and spanked as part of foreplay.
"Ask them if they're into BDSM they'll say 'Yuck, no'."
The survey results, to be presented at the World Association of Sexual Health congress in Sydney this week, give the first snapshot of Australians involved in bondage behaviour.
These fetishes were most common among gay, lesbian and bisexual people and heterosexuals who are "bi-interested", said Dr Richters, the lead researcher.
In women, BDSM was most popular among under 20-year-olds and those who had a partner they didn't live with. There were no age or relationship trends in men, she said.
People who engaged in the habit were more likely to be sexually adventurous in other ways, like trying anal sex and phone sex, looking at internet pornography or using sex toys.
"These are people for whom sex is a hobby," Dr Richters said.
They were no more likely to have suffered sexual difficulties, sexual abuse or coercion or anxiety than other Australians.
In fact, says Dr Richters, men into BDSM scored significantly better on a scale of psychological wellbeing than other men.
"This seems to imply that these men are actually happier as a result of their behaviour, though we're not sure why," she said.
"It might just be that they're more in harmony with themselves because they're into something unusual and are comfortable with that.
"There's a lot to be said for accepting who you are."
At the other end of the spectrum - least happy - were men who reported being attracted to men but had never acted on their desire and didn't regard themselves as gay.
Researchers said the study helps break down the reigning stereotype that people into bondage and discipline were damaged as children and were therefore "dysfunctional".
"We really found that BDSM is simply a sexual interest or subculture attractive to a minority, not a pathological symptom of past abuse or difficulty with 'normal' sex," Dr Richters said.
"They've just got a broader and more unusual sexual repertoire than most."
from The Sydney Morning Herald

Just One Look...#81

Gay-Marriage Assignment Upsets Fifth-Graders' Parents

MISSOURI - Parents of some elementary school students are upset after their children were told to read a newspaper column supporting same-sex marriage for a class assignment.
Fifth-graders at Derby Ridge Elementary School were asked to read the nationally syndicated column by Richard Cohen, entitled "Gay marriage ban no benefit to society," then respond to it with their own editorial, said Jack Jensen, assistant superintendent of elementary education for Columbia Public Schools.
"The purpose was to become familiar with editorial writing and respond," Jensen said. "But it was not an appropriate topic to use at this age level."
Jensen said students brought up the topic before the assignment.
Administrators spoke to the teacher — whom Jensen refused to name — but no other disciplinary action will be taken.
from The Springfield News-Leader

Airport Worker Fired For Anti-Gay Message

The skycap called it a prank. His bosses didn't find it funny. And now he is no longer working for them.
Jethro Monestime, 23, was fired Monday for a stunt he pulled six days earlier — broadcasting an anti-gay message over the public address system at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
A gay couple collecting their luggage heard the message and filed a complaint.
The county leadership was mortified. Broward's mayor, Josephus Eggelletion, issued an apology.
The Broward Sheriff's Office investigated and Monestime confessed.
Because he worked for a private contractor, Broward officials could not fire him.
But his employer, Superior Aircraft Services, did.
"This action in no way reflects the views of Superior, its owners nor its employees," said a statement from the company.
He will not face criminal charges, BSO said.
The recording played over the PA system was actually a verse from the Old Testament book of Leviticus, condemning homosexuality.
Monestime told BSO he downloaded the message to his cellphone and played it over the loudspeakers — not once but twice — about 1 a.m. May 1.
Anthony Niedwiecki and Waymon Hudson, a gay couple from Oakland Park, had just stepped off a late-night United Airlines flight from Chicago.
Niedwiecki and Hudson said they felt threatened by the message.
"It was dark. There was hardly anybody around," said Niedwiecki. "This was the last thing we wanted to hear at the airport."
Not wanting to compromise security at the airport, Broward authorities declined to comment on how they zeroed in on Monestime.
What they did say: Monestime was working in the terminal where Niedwiecki and Hudson landed that night.
Monestime had a security badge.
A badge is needed to get into the area and an employee code is needed to make an announcement over the speakers.
Monestime's security badge has been taken away, as has his job.
"Broward County has a zero-tolerance policy for these types of offenses," Eggelletion said.
from The Palm Beach Post

"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, they should be put to death."
The announcement came from a variation of Leviticus 20:13.

Bus Driver Pumps Up Penis At Mets Game

NEW YORK — A 68-year-old yellow school bus driver taking a group of Bronx middle school children to a New York Mets baseball game Wednesday afternoon has been charged with public lewdness and endangering the welfare of children, among other crimes, after allegedly being discovered in the Shea Stadium parking lot sitting on the school bus with his pants down around his ankles and masturbating with the assistance of a mechanical device known as a penis pump.
Jacob S. Nasser, 68, of 63 Garfield Street in Yonkers, has worked as a bus driver for Service Bus Company, Inc., of Yonkers, off and on since 1974, has been charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a child and public lewdness. If convicted, he faces up to one year in jail.
“A school field trip to Shea Stadium Wednesday to watch the Mets play turned into a nightmare for a group of Bronx students and a busload of out-of-towners also visiting Shea”, Queens district attorney Richard A. Brown said. “Engaging in a lewd act in a public place can have a profound effect on children and even adults who may inadvertently witness the act and result in emotion trauma from which they may never recover.”
The district attorney said that officials at IS 125 (Henry Hudson Middle School) in the Bronx had chartered a bus from the Nasser’s company to transport more than 50 students for a field trip to Shea Stadium. According to the charges, at approximately 11:15 a.m. May 2, Nasser parked in the stadium’s bus parking lot and allowed the children to disembark for the stadium.
Shortly thereafter, a Trailways bus carrying Albany residents, including a number of small children, parked directly adjacent to the defendant’s bus. The Trailways bus occupants, looking over to the defendant’s bus, allegedly observed him in the driver’s seat with his pants around his ankles and masturbating with a device known as a penis enlarger pump in plain view of other children and families being let out of other nearby buses.
Eyewitnesses alerted police to the situation and the defendant was arrested by NYPD officers from Patrol Borough Queens North. The penis pump was allegedly recovered from the floor of the school bus near the driver’s seat together with numerous pills, including Valium, which were recovered from an unmarked container that the defendant allegedly had on his person.
from The North County Gazette

Getting Bare In The Square For Art's Sake

MEXICO CITY - Carmen González stood prim and proper Sunday in the pre-dawn darkness of this city's grand central square.
Her dark brown dress was neatly pressed, and she held her daughter's hand tightly as the crowd pressed against them. This isn't González's "thing," hanging around at a crazy hour, preparing to get a little wild. But at the age of 50, she figured, "Why not?"
Why not get naked?
"I'm nervous," González told her 20-year-old daughter, María Oliva González, as a voice crackled over the loudspeaker.
But when Spencer Tunick, provocative photographer of the bare-bunned masses, gave the word, Carmen González did not hesitate. She shimmied out of that brown dress while her daughter was still fiddling with buttons.
And there it was. After a lifetime of acting demure, Carmen González was naked for all to see. And she was smiling.
Everyone else, it seemed, was smiling, too -- an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 volunteer nude models hopping about in the morning chill, blowing away Tunick's previous record of 7,000, set in 2003 in Barcelona. As the sun began to rise above Mexico's National Palace, they calmly wriggled out of bluejeans, slipped off tank tops, kicked away shoes. A trio of college buddies sloughed off bathrobes and flip-flops. But the crowd was mostly silent, except for the giggles.
Tunick, a New Yorker who was arrested multiple times when he began staging large-scale nude photo shoots in the early 1990s, has since become one of the world's best-known photographers. He has posed nudes in front of a statue of Simón Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela, filled the streets of Montreal and Sao Paulo, Brazil, with them and marched them through a London department store. He describes his work as "a symbol for freedom" and writes on his Web site that his nude photo event is "a mysterious morning ritual."
His Mexico City shoot was anticipated with all the hand-wringing that might be expected in this socially conservative country. Pundits and radio-show callers fretted about teenagers and 20-somethings frolicking in a public raunch fest. But though the youngsters did show up in great numbers, the day seemed to belong to the Carmen Gonzálezes of this city, middle-age Mexicans who lived through their country's authoritarian past and are reveling in a new sense of freedom.
"With this, I see us advancing. We're moving toward more freedom of expression, more liberty," said Héctor Huerta, 40, a taxi driver, as he clasped the waist of his wife, Rosa Aguilar, also 40. "I could never imagine this happening in Mexico."
Tunick's Mexico City debut wasn't without bumps. His arrival was preceded by weighty philosophical battles about public nudity. The prominent Mexican art critic Raquel Tibol declared that Tunick's photos would be "an antidote to Mexican prudishness," while the Spanish critic Román Gubern sniffed that the photographer's work is "redundant" and "doesn't appear artistic."
Tunick had hoped to stage his photos at Teotihuacan, the ancient ruins outside Mexico City where tourists flock to climb the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. But the Mexican government turned him down. His fallback was the city's central square, known as the Zocalo, scene of revolutionary triumphs and more recently of the tent city maintained for months by supporters of the failed populist presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
But the square's signature giant Mexican flag was not flying when the nudes arrived. And Tunick promised not to include the baroque National Cathedral, which sits on the square, in his shots.
In the crowd around Carmen González, many of the nude models chuckled about being so close to the cathedral. The building, with its sinking floors, symbolizes a Catholic hierarchy in Mexico that has frowned on the activities of social progressives and recently attempted to stop city laws permitting gay civil unions and expanding access to abortion.
"I bet Norberto's up there with his telescope looking down on us," said Carmen Rodriguez, 50, referring to Cardinal Norberto Rivera, the leader of Mexico's Catholics.
The semicircle of friends around Rodriguez broke out in laughter. But they didn't have much time to joke, for Tunick was back at the microphone hustling the crowd to the center of the square in hopes of finishing the shoot before morning Mass at the cathedral.
The crowd compliantly lined up in dozens of rows and stood at attention for the first shot. Minutes later, the amateur models were holding their right hands, palms down, against their chests -- the salute Mexicans use when singing their national anthem.
Next, Tunick had his subjects lying on their backs on the paving stones of the Zocalo, which had been scrubbed the night before. From there, they took to their knees, facing the cathedral with their foreheads touching the ground in a pose reminiscent of Muslims at prayer facing Mecca.
In less than an hour it was over, and thousands of shivering, naked individuals came bouncing back to the bags of clothes they'd left at the edge of the square. They were dark-skinned indigenous people, pale men and women who trace their heritage to the Spanish conquistadors, light brown mestizos. They were fat and skinny, tall and short. But stripped of their clothes and viewed from afar, they looked a lot alike. They looked like Mexico.
from The Washington Post