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Nationwide Equality Prom to protest Mississippi school action
WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010 (365gay.com)

About 600 people have said on Facebook they will dress in evening wear on April 2 to protest the Mississippi school that cancelled prom instead of letting a lesbian in a tuxedo and her girlfriend attend.

The event, called Dress You Up in my Love/The Nationwide Equality Prom, is the brainchild of activist Jen Dugan. It

Details below. Will you dress up?

Dress You Up In My Love (The Nationwide Equality Prom)

When: April 2nd, 2010.

Why: In solidarity with Constance McMillan

Constance McMillan wanted to take her girlfriend to prom. Rather than allow a same-sex couple to attend, her school canceled the prom for everyone.

Well, that’s just uncalled for.

April 2nd was the original date for the dance. If her school won’t hold it – then let’s dress up in support of equality and have a nationwide prom that day.

Here’s what to do:

Schools (without dress codes), universities, clubs, organizations, & interested individuals:

On April 2nd, dress up in your absolute FINEST. If you have a suit or old tuxedo and want to wear it – put it on. If you have a nice dress or an old prom gown that fits – wear it. If you have none of this, just find whatever nice clothes you have and feel comfortable wearing.

”But I’ll look completely out of place and ridiculous. People don’t wear formal clothing every day.”

Exactly.

Wearing a tuxedo, suit, gown, or formal dress clothes to class, work, or grocery shopping IS out of the ordinary. And it’s going to draw attention and get some questions asked.

So, if anyone asks why you’re all dressed up – tell them: A young woman in Mississippi wanted to go to prom with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. Instead of being allowed to do this, the administration canceled the prom for everyone.

Since April 2nd was the original date for the prom – you’re dressing up to show your solidarity with Constance and support for equality.

Get a group of your friends to dress up with you. April 2nd is a Friday. Have fun with this while taking a stand.

Gallery of lesbian prom photos.

(Extra points if you can manage to organize some type of prom-esq social or function in your local community on this day).

RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=365198770039

Email: equalityprom@me.com

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Pa. Senate panel tables bill to ban gay marriage
WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010 (Inquirer)

HARRISBURG - For the third time in four years, lawmakers yesterday defeated an attempt to advance legislation to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage.

The Republican-majority Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-6 to table a bill introduced by Sen. John Eichelberger (R., Blair) to amend the constitution to define marriage as being between a man and woman only.

The vote came before a packed hearing room without debate.

Committee Chairman Stewart Greenleaf (R., Montgomery) said he brought the bill up for a vote, even though he was uncertain it would pass, to let members express their opinion on it. He called the vote a referendum on gay marriage, and said the measure would not come up again this session.

"Make no mistake, they voted to kill the bill, whatever other excuse they may give," said Eichelberger.

Opponents called the vote a victory for gay rights.

"I believe that Senate Bill 707 is the antithesis of what Pennsylvanians need and want, and I am happy that the majority of my colleagues agree with me," said Sen. Daylin Leach (D., Montgomery).

Earlier this year, Leach introduced a measure (S.B. 935) that would provide for marriage equality in Pennsylvania. It has drawn just one cosponsor.

Pennsylvania already bans gay marriage, but opponents have sought to write the ban into the constitution to prevent a judge's decision from reversing it. Currently, there are no legal challenges to the statute, said Andy Hoover, legislative director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

A constitutional amendment would require passage by both legislative chambers in two consecutive sessions and passage by voter referendum.

Two years ago, a broader measure that also would have amended the constitution to outlaw both gay marriage and civil unions passed the committee, 10-4, before being tabled in the full Senate.

Voting to table the bill were all five Democrats and three Republicans. Six Republicans voted against doing so. Area lawmakers who voted to table the bill were Leach and Michael Stack (D., Phila.). Those who voted against tabling the bill were Greenleaf and John Rafferty (R., Montgomery).

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Mainstream aging groups endorse report on needs of gay seniors
WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2010 (Chicago Tribune)

A national report being released Wednesday in Chicago details the myriad social and financial stumbling blocks that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender senior citizens face and calls on lawmakers to change Social Security and Medicaid to help this growing population.

Giving heft to the report — prepared by Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders, or SAGE — is the endorsement it has received from major mainstream aging groups including AARP and the American Society on Aging.

"This is the first time that the heavyweights of the aging network are really embracing a comprehensive look at the needs of LGBT older adults," said Michael Adams, executive director for SAGE. "We know there are anywhere from 2 to 3 million LGBT seniors in this country. We're talking about a very significant portion of the older population in this country."

The report highlights three key areas where LGBT seniors face challenges: financial security, health care and social supports. It calls on federal and state lawmakers to consider ways to legally recognize same-sex relationships so aging partners in a committed relationship can access the same supports that benefit heterosexual seniors. That would include the right to Social Security survivor benefits and the rights of same-sex partners to make medical decisions for each other.

Tom Nelson, chief operating officer of AARP, wrote the report's foreword and said Tuesday that his organization wants to see the needs of LGBT seniors discussed — and met.

"Whether it's in an institution where someone's receiving care or whether it's some of the fundamental building blocks of retirement security like Social Security, we want to have that discussion about how you make sure people have access to those kinds of benefits," Nelson said. "We don't want to see discrimination in care facilities. This report should help people start thinking about all the dimensions that need to be addressed in the LGBT community."

Serena Worthington, director of the SAGE program in Chicago, estimates that the city is home to more than 40,000 LGBT people older than 55. Conservative estimates point to a national LGBT senior citizen population of 3 million, expected to grow to at least 4 million within the next decade.

Worthington said she routinely sees seniors at SAGE's twice-weekly luncheons who feel socially isolated. Some have never come out of the closet. Others were out of the closet but then moved into a nursing home and felt they had to keep their sexual identity hidden.

"If you were coming of age when it was illegal or immoral to be gay or lesbian, you could be considered mentally ill," Worthington said. "And now you picture seniors walking into senior centers still holding that fear of rejection. Many LGBT seniors are just not accessing social services, and so they become increasingly isolated."

For same-sex couples, Worthington said, if one person needs to spend down his or her assets to qualify for Medicaid to pay for long-term care, the healthy partner can often be left without money or even a place to live. For straight couples, there are Medicaid exemptions that keep a healthy partner from living in poverty.

Ray Koenig, a Chicago attorney who often helps LGBT clients with estate planning, said the report is a strong acknowledgment of the kinds of dilemmas older people in the LGBT community face.

Koenig is the court-appointed guardian of an elderly man who was in a same-sex relationship for years. The man's partner died, and when Koenig had to place the man in a North Side nursing home, the attorney had to decide whether he should set up photos of the man's partner in the room.

"I made the decision not to because I wasn't going to be with him all the time and I didn't know if he was going to be treated differently because his partner was same-sex," Koenig said. "I had to make a decision that would protect him, but it was a very hard one to make. That's the sort of decision LGBT seniors are making all the time for themselves when they go into nursing homes."

The report, "Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults," is scheduled to be released Wednesday at the annual Conference of the National Council on Aging and the American Society on Aging.

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General Petraeus On DADT: 'The Time Has Come'
TUESDAY, March 16, 2010 (Huffington Post)

CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus came to the meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee preparing to deliver an "eight-minute statement" expressing his personal feelings about the repeal of the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. Unfortunately, Senator Carl Levin, who chaired the committee, put the kibosh on those plans, citing time constraints. Instead Petraeus simply told the committee that "the time has come" to give a repeal some due consideration. Petraeus endorsed the ongoing review of the matter that commenced at the direction of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

WATCH:

For the full article, click here.

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Changes to condom advertising 'may help fight HIV'
TUESDAY, March 16, 2010 (Pink News)

Changes to how condoms can be advertised on television may help fight HIV, charities have said.

The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice announced today that condom advertising will be allowed before the 9pm watershed.

Condom adverts will be allowed at any time but will not be permitted around programmes aimed at children under ten.

The move was recommended by the government's Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV, which said that advertising the contraceptive method on television may cut teenage pregnancies.

Deborah Jack, the chief executive of National AIDS Trust, said: "It is good news that the ban of advertising condoms on television before 9pm has been lifted.

"Condoms are the most effective way of protecting against HIV transmission when having sex. Over 7,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in 2008 so increasing education about safer sex is important.

"It makes sense that condom adverts will be allowed to be shown in the early evening at the same time as soaps, such as Hollyoaks, which include storylines about sexual relationships and HIV.”

Carl Burnell, chief executive at GMFA, the gay men’s health charity, added: “This shouldn’t just be about reducing pregnancies.

"Condom-use is a central sexual health and HIV prevention message and needs to reach those most in need, particularly gay men. In that respect, we welcome the relaxing of the rules.

"However, commercial adverts promoting brands aren’t enough. Of more importance is making sure men receive the information and support they need to protect themselves and their partners.”

Other changes will see tougher action on television adverts which promote violent video games or products make spurious claims about products being environmentally friendly.

The new advertising code will come into force on September 1st.

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HIV infections in gay men 'increasing in homophobic countries'
TUESDAY, March 16, 2010 (Pink News)

Rates of HIV infections in gay men are increasing in countries which have homophobic attitudes, the chief of the UN AIDS agency has said.

Michel Sidibe told journalists at a lunch yesterday that rates of infection among gay men were rising in areas such as Africa, where many countries have laws against homosexuality.

He said that in Africa and China, around 33 per cent of new HIV infections were being found in gay men, which he said was a significant increase.

AP reports that on new laws being introduced in countries such as Uganda, he said: "You have also a growing conservatism which is making me very scared.

"We must insist that the rights of the minorities are upheld. If we don't do that … I think the epidemic will grow again. We cannot accept the tyranny of the majority."

Mr Sidibe said that, in contrast, between six and nine per cent of new infections are found in gay men in the Caribbean, which has fewer laws against homosexuality.

He blamed the rising infection rates on infected people being too scared to seek help and fearing they will be punished.

He also cited rising infection rates in drug users and prostitutes in countries which have stringent laws against drug use and prostitution.

Uganda's proposed anti-homosexuality law will impose the death penalty on those caught having gay sex while infected with HIV.

The bill's sponsor, David Bahati MP, claims it will reduce HIV infections in the country, although health experts say it will have the opposite effect.

Mr Sidibe also mentioned HIV infections in the US, saying it was "shocking" that more than 50 per cent of new infections in 2009 occurred in gay men.

He said: "It seems like we have come full circle. After almost no cases a few years ago we are seeing again this new peak among people who are not having access to all the information, the protection that is needed."

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Gay, trans seniors come out late, start second lifetime
MONDAY, March 15, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Miami) On his 75th birthday, Bill Farthing decided to be reborn. In the six years since he’d buried his wife of 45 years, he’d felt as he did long before: Lonesome, different, outcast. He wondered if he was going crazy; he contemplated suicide.

Looking back, the clues leading to this day had been scattered throughout his life, but only made sense just now.

So Farthing dressed in the most basic of blue wool skirt suits he could find on the Internet, with a white blouse and low-heeled, open-toed white shoes, and went shopping. Arms loaded with skirts and blouses from the clearance rack, Farthing approached the checkout.

“Did you find everything you wanted, ma’am?” the cashier asked.

Farthing looked over his shoulder, then realized she was talking to him. He had pulled it off.

He had become a she.

—

Increased awareness and acceptance of varied sexualities and gender identities has led Americans to come out far younger, as early as middle school. A less noticed but parallel shift is happening at the other end of the age spectrum, with people in their 60s, 70s and 80s coming to terms with the truth that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

While no one tracks the numbers of the elderly who come out, those who work with older adults say the trend is undeniable, and a resulting network of support groups and services has cropped up.

The decision can fracture lifelong relationships. Or it can bring the long-sought relief of an unloaded secret.

“For the first time in my life, I’m not putting on a show,” said Farthing, who eventually had sexual reassignment surgery and changed her first name to Chrissie. “It seems like I’ve been out on a cloud all my life and now I’m not. I’m me.”

Outing yourself late in life can be complicated after having lived through times when being openly gay could get you arrested, put in an institution and given shock treatments. It’s snarled in a lifetime of trudging along through society’s view of normalcy and the resulting fear of being ostracized by children and grandchildren. And it’s marked by a nagging doubt that all the heartache, all the potential for it to go wrong, may not be worth it with one’s years numbered.

“When somebody comes out at the age of 20, they have their whole life ahead of them,” said Karen Taylor, the director of training and advocacy for SAGE, a national group that works with LGBT seniors. “There’s a real sense of regret and loss for somebody who comes out later in life, even when talking to them and they say the decision was the right one.”

Still, many seniors have felt empowered by the growing presence of gays and lesbians in pop culture and some high-profile, late-in-life outings. Among the most notable, “Family Ties” star Meredith Baxter came out in December at 62; Richard Chamberlain, long the target of rumors, came out in 2003 at 69, decades after the height of his career as a TV heartthrob.

Those who’ve mustered the gumption to out themselves say they feel as if they’ve been given a second chance.

Carl Martin, 83, of Falls Church, Va., came out as gay not long after his wife died in 1997. He says he was happy in his marriage but had known of his feelings for men since he was in high school and revealed an unrequited crush to a friend. Coming out, he says, has changed him from a withdrawn, tense, reticent bystander to a vibrant social butterfly who even talks to strangers in the supermarket.

“I would describe these as the happiest years of my life,” he said. “I’m free to be who I am. I was not free to be who I was before.”

The realization often doesn’t come easily. Sue Pratt, 74, of Kirkwood, Mo., remembers having feelings for her high school English teacher, but she wasn’t sure what to do with them when she always dreamed of getting married and having a husband. She got her wish, but even when her husband left her, she still couldn’t come to terms with the truth.

“You would think I would say, ‘I’m free now,’” she said. “But that thought never occurred to me. I was so deep in denial.”

Eventually, in her 60s, she answered a personal ad and slowly began coming out to her loved ones as a lesbian. Not everyone has taken it well, as she feared would be the case, but she has no regrets.

“I didn’t want to have a secret,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if I lose every friend that I have, this is what I have to do.”

Dr. Loren Olson, a psychiatrist in Des Moines, Iowa, who has studied late-in-life outings, said for most such seniors, there are losses, though they are typically less than they fear, and often vary greatly by socioeconomics.

Olson himself was 40 before he came out. While it may seem incomprehensible to some, he said it makes sense that many can’t face the truth for so long, even if some around them have surmised it.

“We don’t like disharmony in our thinking so sometimes we block out things that really are in opposition to really what we believe is true,” he said. “It’s like a child believing in Santa Claus: You just hang on to that as long as you can.”

—

Farthing’s life was sprinkled with hints.

As a boy, his mother asked one day how he liked school. “It was OK,” Farthing said. “But it would be better if I was a girl.”

He didn’t want to do the things other boys did. Girls didn’t want him around. He fought every haircut.

“We’ve got a homo on our hands,” he overheard his father say.

But with no sense what to do with his feelings of being different, life wore on. He served in the Air Force. He lived overseas. And then there was that girl he found at a pub in England.

She felt different, too, always attracted more to women than men. But they got along so well. And they fell in love.

Sex was never a big part of their relationship, but a daughter was born. The marriage, Farthing says, was happy. Both of them thought they would die with their soul mate by their side.

She did. He wasn’t so lucky.

Afterward, he tried anything to keep busy. He got his pilot’s license back. He bought a small plane; he built a hangar.

One day, he needed a brass, elbow-shaped piece for his plane’s fuel line. They call them male-to-female fittings, and he typed some such phrase into his computer. One of the search results that popped up was titled “The Male Lesbian Complex.”

“That’s stupid,” he thought, moving along to find the part.

But later, something drove him back. The description of the “complex” sounded just like him. Was he always meant to be a woman? Was he too old to accept this?

“I read it and it was so close to me that it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck,” Farthing said.

The transformation that followed has not sat well with all, of course.

A neighbor runs indoors now when Farthing comes outside of her Oakville, Mo., home. A brother-in-law and other relatives have cut her out of their lives. And her volunteer work at a nursing home had to end when her secret became known.

But those who are closest have accepted her. And now, in life’s twilight, she says she finally feels whole, finally feels normal.

“For the first time ever my life feels like it’s in the right place,” she said. “I’m going to check out of this world the way I was meant to come into it.”

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Rates of new HIV diagnoses amongst US gay men 44 times greater than those in other populations
THURSDAY, March 11, 2010 (Aidsmap)

HIV has a hugely disproportionate impact on gay and other men who have sex with men in the US, according to new figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Surveillance (CDC).

Investigators calculated that the rate of new HIV infections amongst gay and bisexual men is 44 times that seen in other men, and some 40 times greater than women.

Newly analysed figures also showed that rates of syphilis diagnosis are up to 71 times higher amongst gay and bisexual men than other populations.

“It is clear that we will not be able to stop the US HIV epidemic until every affected community, along with health officials worldwide, prioritise the needs of gay and bisexual men with HIV prevention efforts”, commented Dr Kevin Fenton of the CDC.

Gay men account for 48% of the US’s 1 million HIV infections. The only group in which new HIV diagnoses are increasing is men who have sex with men, who in 2006 comprised 53% of all HIV cases in the country.

CDC data presented to the 2010 National STD Prevention Conference showed that there were between 522 to 989 new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 gay and bisexual men each year compared to twelve per 100,000 amongst other men and 13 per 100,000 amongst women.

This meant that the rate of new HIV diagnoses was up to 44 times higher amongst gay and bisexual men than other groups.

Syphilis rates were calculated to be between 91 to 73 cases per 100,000 in gay and bisexual men, some 46 times the rate of two per 100,000 seen in other men, and 71 times greater than the one per 100,000 observed in women.

The CDC’s data also showed the uneven impact of HIV on different populations of gay and bisexual men.

The greatest number new HIV infections amongst gay men in 2006 involved white gay men (13,230), closely followed by black gay men (10,130).

Amongst white gay men, most new infections were seen in those in their 30s (4,670), followed by those aged between 40 and 49 (3,740).

A somewhat different age profile was observed for black gay men. New infections were disproportionately located amongst those aged between 13 and 29 (5,200).

The investigators found that HIV prevalence amongst gay men in some urban centres was as high as 25%. Moreover, approximately 50% of men were unaware of their HIV infection, this figure increasing to nearly 80% amongst some populations of younger gay men.

A complex interaction of several factors is increasing the HIV for gay men, the CDC believes.

Most important of these is the high HIV prevalence amongst gay men. This means that each sexual encounter increases the risk of exposure to HIV. Investigators also believe that younger black gay men partnering with older black gay men, amongst whom HIV prevalence is high, may also lead to increased risk.

The large number of undiagnosed infections amongst gay men are also believed to be contributing to the continued spread of HIV.

Complacency is also suggested as explanation. The CDC states that this is especially the case for younger gay men who did not “personally experience the severity of the early AIDS epidemic.”

However, such reasoning cannot explain the large number of new HIV infections amongst men aged between 30 and 50.

Advances in HIV treatment have, the CDC believe, have lead some gay men to develop the “false belief” that “HIV is no longer a serious health issue.”

Difficulty maintaining a lifetime of safer sex is also suggested as another contributory factor.

Homophobia and other forms of discrimination, which can prevent men from accessing health care and prevention services, are also in the CDC’s belief fuelling the spread of HIV amongst gay men, as are high levels of drug use.

“The risk of HIV transmission through receptive anal sex is much greater than the risk of transmission via other sexual activities, and some gay and bisexual men are relying on prevention strategies that may be less effective than consistent condom use”, comment the CDC.

They highlight that many syphilis infections in gay men are probably acquired through oral sex.

“There is no single or simple solution for reducing HIV and syphilis rates among gay and bisexual men”, said Fenton. “We need intensified prevention efforts that are as diverse as the gay community itself. Solutions for young gay and bisexual men are especially critical, so that HIV does not inadvertently become a rite of passage for each new generation of gay men.”

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Circumcision may not cut HIV spread among gay men
TUESDAY, March 9, 2010 (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Although studies in Africa have shown that circumcision can lower the spread of HIV among heterosexuals, it may not do much to prevent infections among gay and bisexual men in Western countries, a new study suggests.

A number of studies in African nations have found that circumcised heterosexual men were up to 60 percent less likely than uncircumcised men to contract HIV during the study periods.

But it is unclear whether circumcision could have an impact on HIV transmission in the U.S. or other Western countries, where much of the transmission is among men who have sex with men. There has so far been no good evidence that circumcision lowers HIV risk among these men.

In the new study, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at HIV infection rates among nearly 4,900 men in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands who took part in a clinical trial of an HIV vaccine.

They found that circumcised and uncircumcised men showed no difference in the risk of HIV infection over three years.

Moreover, while having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive partner increased a man's risk of infection, there was no evidence that circumcision altered that risk.

The findings, reported in the journal AIDS, come as the CDC is developing new recommendations on circumcision for reducing HIV transmission. The agency says it is considering whether to recommend circumcision for heterosexual men at elevated risk of HIV, and whether there is enough evidence to make any recommendations for men who have sex with men.

With regards to infant circumcision, the CDC says on its Web site, "many options are still being considered in this process, including simply recommending that health-care providers educate parents about the potential benefits and risks to ensure that parents have the information they need to make an informed decision."

Circumcision is thought to protect men from HIV infection because foreskin tissue appears particularly susceptible to the virus, and may serve as an entry point for it.

But circumcision may not make much difference in transmission among men in Western countries for a number of reasons, according to Deborah A. Gust and her colleagues at the CDC.

One factor could be the fact that many HIV-positive people in developed countries are on powerful HIV drugs that reduce the chances of transmission, and may outweigh any effects of circumcision. In addition, Gust and her colleagues point out, circumcision would not affect HIV risk from receptive anal sex -- and that, again, could outweigh any protective effect of circumcision during insertive sex.

The findings are based on data from 4,889 men who took part in an HIV vaccine trial begun in 1998; 86 percent had been circumcised. During the three-year study, 7 percent of the men became HIV-positive.

When the researchers accounted for other factors -- including demographics, and HIV risk factors like drug use and having unprotected sex -- circumcision showed no effect on the odds of HIV transmission.

Still, Gust and her colleagues point to some limitations of their study, including the relatively small number of uncircumcised men overall and the small number of uncircumcised men who became HIV-positive during the study -- 43.

They say that future studies, with larger samples of uncircumcised men, should continue to look at the question of circumcision and HIV transmission among men who have sex with men.

The researchers also note, however, that other CDC scientists have concluded, based on their own studies, that circumcision would likely have only a "limited" impact on HIV transmission in the U.S.

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DC weddings begin for gay couples
TUESDAY, March 9, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Washington) It’s a day of wedding bells for some gay couples in Washington.

Tuesday is the first day same-sex couples can pick up marriage licenses and tie the knot in the city. Some couples planned quick ceremonies at a church or gay rights group’s office while others said they’ll wait and have more elaborate celebrations.

About 150 couples could pick up their marriage licenses beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Those are the couples that applied on the first day the licenses were made available. Many of them stood in line for four or more hours last Wednesday.

The District of Columbia is the sixth place in the country permitting same-sex unions. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont also issue same-sex couples licenses. Once couples pick up their license, they have to have the person who performs their marriage sign it and then return it to the marriage bureau to be recorded.

Three morning weddings were planned at the office of the Human Rights Campaign, which does advocacy work on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. In the afternoon, a couple had a ceremony planned at All Souls Church – the same place where DC Mayor Adrian Fenty in December signed the bill legalizing the unions.

Another couple, district residents Eva Townsend and Shana McDavis-Conway, said they were planning a wedding by their plot in a community garden, where they have grown carrots and potatoes.

Other couples said they already had ceremonies and would simply wed at the courthouse, which has space for about 15 people in a ceremony room. Most of those celebrations will take place during the weeks of March 22 and March 29, courthouse spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz.

Normally, the courthouse has four to six weddings a day, but over the next several weeks they are expecting 10 to 12 per day. Some courtrooms and judge’s chambers may be used for the ceremonies, with the couple’s OK. The court’s official marriage booklet has been updated so that the ceremony will end by pronouncing the couple “legally married” as opposed to “husband and wife.”

More than 300 people applied for marriage licenses from Wednesday to Friday, almost all same-sex couples, Gurowitz said.

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Fewer kids are being bullied, survey finds
MONDAY, March 8, 2010 (365gay.com)

(NEW YORK) There’s been a sharp drop in the percentage of America’s children being bullied or beaten up by their peers, according to a new national survey by experts who believe anti-bullying programs are having an impact.

The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, found that the percentage of children who reported being physically bullied over the past year had declined from nearly 22 percent in 2003 to under 15 percent in 2008. The percentage reporting they’d been assaulted by other youths, including their siblings, dropped from 45 percent to 38.4 percent.

The lead author of the study, Professor David Finkelhor, said he was “very encouraged.”

“Bullying is the foundation on which a lot of subsequent aggressive behavior gets built,” said Finkelhor, director of the University of New Hampshire’s Crimes Against Children Research Center. “If it’s going down, we will reap benefits in the future in the form of lower rates of violent crime and spousal assault.”

Finkelhor noted that anti-bullying programs had proliferated and received funding boosts following the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Colorado.

“There is evidence these programs are effective,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re seeing the fruits of that.”

One of the largest of these initiatives is the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which has been implemented in several thousand U.S. schools. It is a comprehensive program that includes forming an anti-bullying committee, training staff to intervene immediately if they observe bullying and meeting with students and parents when problems occur.

Marlene Snyder, of Clemson University’s Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life, who is director of development for Olweus, said the survey was heartening to those in the anti-bullying field but not cause for complacency.

“The decline is not happening everywhere,” she said. “It’s in schools where adults really understand how detrimental this conduct can be and have made a conscious effort to bring these numbers down.”

The findings by Finkelhor and his co-authors were based on two national surveys of children ages 2 to 17 conducted five years apart – the first in 2003, involving 2,030 children, and the second in 2008, asking the same questions of 4,046 children. The findings were published this week in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Children aged 10-17 were interviewed directly about various forms of violence and victimization they had experienced. In the cases of children under 10, parents or other caregivers were interviewed.

The researchers said the biggest declines in the various forms of violence and bullying were among children from low-income households.

Snyder said this finding meshed with observations by the Olweus staff.

“Many of the grants have been awarded to large inner-city schools where crime and violence rates had been high and economic conditions were low,” she said. “We’ve seen that when those communities have had the money, they could be successful.”

Snyder cautioned that even schools making headway against bullying programs should remain vigilant.

“You have to keep at it, training new teachers every year – not just training one time and you’re done,” she said. “I hope this progress holds because, frankly, when they have to make hard decisions, these are the kind of programs that often fall under the financial ax.”

Diane Cargile, president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, said she was pleased but not surprised by the survey’s findings.

“I know the efforts that principals and teachers have made to be sure they have a safe school – from the ride on the bus in the morning, through the day at school, to the ride home,” said Cargile, principal at Rio Grande Elementary School in Terre Haute, Ind.

She said the anti-bullying initiatives have made many children more willing to seek help from adults when they are targeted.

Along with bullying and assaults by peers or siblings, the new study also found declines in several other forms of child victimization, including sexual assaults and emotional abuse by caregivers. It found slight increases in dating violence, robbery targeting children and the witnessing of violence among other family members.

The survey did not specifically address the bullying of young people for reasons related to sexual orientation, which gay-rights groups consider to be a pervasive problem. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network said its research indicates this type of harassment remained stable between 2001 and 2007.

Overall, the findings by Finkelhor and his co-authors were positive – and came on the heels of a major federal study documenting an unprecedented decrease in incidents of serious child abuse. That report, the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect, found that incidents of serious physical, sexual or emotional abuse dropped by 26 percent from 1993 to 2005-06.

Professor James Garbarino, an expert on childhood aggression at Loyola University’s Center for the Human Rights of Children in Chicago, drew an analogy between the campaign against bullying and efforts that began even earlier to combat domestic violence.

“If you pay attention to a phenomenon and devote some resources to dealing with it, praise the Lord, sometimes we actually improve things,” he said. “It’s gotten on people’s radar. There have been more and more challenges to the myths that bullying can be good for kids, that it builds strength.”

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Viral load in early HIV infection predicted by that of transmitting partner
MONDAY, March 8, 2010 (Aidsmap)

Viral load in individuals recently infected with HIV is closely related to that of the individual who transmitted the virus, US investigators report in the online edition of AIDS.

“We found a strong correlation between HIV-1 RNA levels in source and recipient partners in HIV-1 transmission pairs”, comment the investigators.

The study also provided some insights into the factors contributing to the ongoing HIV epidemic. Notably, approximately two-thirds of the source individuals who transmitted HIV had only recently been infected with the virus themselves.

Viral load in early HIV infection has been identified as an important factor in disease progression and individuals who have higher viral loads at this time have a poorer overall prognosis.

Research examining the factors that influence viral load in early infection have tended to focus on the characteristics of the host patient. However, investigators from the UCSF Options Project wished to explore the significance of viral characteristics.

They therefore sought to determine the relationship between viral load in source partners and that in the partner they infected within identified transmission pairs.

Their research involved 24 individuals with evidence of recent HIV infection.

These patients provided information about the individuals they believed had transmitted HIV to them. With consent, they were contacted by the investigators, and after agreement to participate in the study, had a number of blood tests and provided details about their HIV testing and treatment history.

A total of 23 source individuals were identified and included in the study (one individual transmitted HIV to two partners). All 47 individuals included in the study were gay men.

Phylogenetic analysis was used to confirm a relationship between the virus in the infected and source partners.

The recently infected individuals had a median CD4 cell count of 528 cells/mm3 and a median viral load of 86,332 copies/ml.

Median CD4 cell count in the source individuals was 372 cells/mm3, and their median viral load was 23,951 copies/ml.

Of note, the viral characteristics of nine of the transmitting individuals suggested that they too had only recently been infected with HIV. This finding adds to research suggesting that recently infected, and therefore usually undiagnosed individuals, are of key importance to the continuing HIV epidemic.

Four of the source patients had a history of antiretroviral therapy. One had stopped therapy after three months, and another had interrupted treatment shortly before their study visit. None had an undetectable viral load, which ranged between 6776 to 137,000 copies/ml.

Analysis showed Viral load in the source and infected partners were closely correlated (p = 0.009).

The viral load of the recently infected partner increased by 0.43 log10 with every one log10 increase in the viral load of the transmitter.

Next the investigators conducted an analysis to see if this relationship persisted over time. They restricted this to the recipient partners who did not start antiretroviral therapy.

The investigators found a significant correlation between source and recipient viral load over 48 weeks (p = 0.042).

Adjustment for potentially confounding factors such as age, race and other viral characteristics did not affect these results.

“In summary, our observations suggests a strong influence of viral genetic factors on HIV-1 RNA levels during early infection”, conclude the investigators.

They write t “subsequent research is needed to better identify the viral genetic characteristics associated with higher or lower HIV-1 RNA levels, and to further understand host immune responses that shape viral replication over time.”

Reference

Hecht FM et al. HIV RNA level in early infection is predicted by viral load in the transmission source. AIDS 24 (online edition), 2010.

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US senators call to end gay blood ban
FRIDAY, March 5, 2010 (Pink News)

Seventeen Democrat senators and one independent have called to end America’s ban on gay men donating blood.

The 1983 rule is “outdated, medically and scientifically unsound”, they argued in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday.

Senator John Kerry, who is leading the campaign, said in a statement: “Not a single piece of scientific evidence supports the ban. A law that was once considered medically justified is today simply outdated and needs to end, just as last year we ended the travel ban against those with HIV.”

AFP reports that the letter said: “We write today to express our concerns regarding outdated, medically and scientifically unsound deferral criteria for prospective blood donors.

“With hospitals and emergency rooms across the country in constant and urgent need of blood products, we believe certain blood donor deferral policies should be reviewed and appropriately modified and modernised while ensuring the blood supply meets the highest possible standards.”

Mr Kerry’s office said that men who had had gay sex since 1977 were barred from donating blood, yet people who had had heterosexual sex with someone known to carry the HIV virus were only banned from donating blood for one year.

The US ban was put in place at the height of fears about AIDS in the 1980s.

In response, the FDA said: “The agency understands and respects the desire of everyone, including MSM [men who have sex with men] to donate blood and save lives.

“While FDA appreciates concerns about perceived discrimination, our decision to maintain the deferral policy is based on current science and data, and does not give weight to a donor’s sexual orientation.”

Gay men also face a lifetime blood donation ban in the UK. A review of the policy is to conclude this year.

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Supreme Court Denies D.C. Marriage Foes
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2010 (The Advocate)

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to stop same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia, clearing the way for couples to register to wed beginning Wednesday. Equal-rights opponents in the capital had asked Chief Justice John Roberts to prevent the issuing of licenses until residents had voted on the issue. Lower courts had denied requests to place a moratorium on issuing of licenses.

"It has been the practice of the court to defer to the decisions of the courts of the District of Columbia on matters of exclusively local concern," wrote Roberts, who made the decision without bringing in the full court.

Roberts also cited the fact that although D.C. is autonomous, Congress could have passed a bill to disallow the city government from enacting the law, and it did not do so.

Marriages may be performed beginning March 9, as there is a waiting period of three business days after the issuance of licenses.

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Lieberman Details DADT Repeal Bill
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2010 (The Advocate)

Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut on Wednesday will introduce the Senate’s first “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal bill along with eleven Democratic cosponsors including Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, but no Republicans.

“To me, it’s very important that we repeal this law, both because it’s fair and consistent with basic American values of equal opportunity,” Lieberman told The Advocate, “but also because it’s a very positive step for the military to take in terms of military effectiveness and readiness.”

The legislation, called the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010, would repeal the 1993 law that banned lesbian and gay soldiers from serving openly in the military and replace it with a policy that prohibits discrimination against service members on the basis of their sexual orientation. Lieberman explained that the nondiscrimination provision would make the change “more permanent legislatively,” so a future administration couldn’t revert back to something akin to “don’t ask, don’t tell” by executive action.

Lieberman, who has opposed the ’93 law since its inception, said ending the policy has significant support and that he would push for passing the bill this year, although he wasn’t sure he had the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster.

“I think a guess right now -- and this is really a guess -- if this bill came to a vote tomorrow, we’d have over 50 votes and that’s saying a lot,” he said. “Do we have 60? Not clear yet, but possible.”

But Lieberman also said he had spoken with Chairman Levin “preliminarily” about including the legislation in this year’s Defense authorization bill before it’s passed out of committee.

“That’s something that I’m happy to consider and, of course, it’s very important to have the Chairman’s support for that,” Lieberman said, noting that including a measure in committee would have “the procedural advantage” of forcing opponents to find the 60 votes needed to strip out the measure once it reached the floor. If the opposition failed to amass those votes, they would have to filibuster the entire Defense authorization bill, which would include many other provisions they might hesitate to obstruct, such as an increase in compensation for military personnel and funding for various defense systems.

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Get counted! Why the Census is crucial to gays
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2010 (365gay.com)

When gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans receive their census forms this month, they will have an historic opportunity to smash stereotypes – even though the form ignores a large portion of the LGBT population.

"Without data, you have no needs, no identity, no funding"

So say activists and demographers who also have this advice for LGBT people: Grit your teeth, fill out the census form and return it on time. (See more on how to be counted in the census.)

“Without data, you have no community portrait, and without a portrait, you have no needs, you have no identity, you have no funding; the census has always had a civil rights component to it,” says Jaime Grant, the director of the Policy Institute at The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

The census is a once-a-decade snapshot of the U.S. population counting lives where on Census Day, April 1. The count determines the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives. Census data also guides the distribution of $400 billion in federal funding for schools, hospitals and public safety.

For minority groups like LGBT Americans, the census is even more important. Census data can be used to counter stereotypes, win court cases and break legal barriers. “The more invisible we are, the more powerless we are, the less represented and the less understood,” Grant says.

The history of LGBT Americans and the census is mixed. For the first 200 years of the census, LGBT people were ignored. Lesbians and gays did not appear in the census until 1990. Even then, their appearance was an accident.

That year the federal government began collecting data on unmarried, heterosexual couples. This allowed same-sex couples to make their presence known by checking the box on the census form for “unmarried partners,” and then answering the question about their gender.

In 1990 about 190,000 same-sex couples revealed themselves on the census, Grant says. The U.S. Census Bureau did not tabulate that data, but demographers were able to dig the numbers out of the raw data published by the bureau.

In 2000 about 600,000 same-sex couples came out on their census forms. Once again, the government did not tabulate that data. However, the 2000 census turned out to be a pivotal moment for the LGBT movement.

Using raw numbers from that census and from annual surveys conducted by the government, groups like UCLA’s Williams Institute and the NGLTF Policy Institute produced the first in-depth statistical portraits of same-sex couples.

The findings were startling, particularly for those who thought gays were all childless, white yuppies. Same-sex couples were discovered to be of all races, and to live in every state and nearly every county, including the most rural and conservative.

“The big impact the census data have had is to undermine many of the stereotypes in the political discourse that often work against LGBT people,” says Gary Gates, the senior demographer at the Williams Institute. “Same-sex couples certainly look a lot like married (heterosexual) couples. They’re raising kids, they don’t all live in urban areas, they own homes, and they serve in the military.”

The 2000 Census uncovered some of the struggles of lesbian and gay families. “We also learned that more than 250,000 children were being raised in same-sex headed households, but those children had poverty rates twice those of children raised in heterosexual-married households,” says Che Ruddell Tabisola, the Census Bureau’s national LGBT partnership leader.

Gates called this year’s census the most pro-LGBT in history. For the first time, same-sex couples who refer to themselves as husband and wife will be counted, and the results will be reported separately from heterosexual couples. The number of same-sex couples that identify as unmarried partners will also be counted and reported.

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Lords back religious civil partnerships for gay couples
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2010 (Pink News)

The House of Lords has approved an amendment to the Equality Bill giving gay couples the right to have civil partnerships in church.

The measure, proposed by out gay peer Lord Waheed Alli, was passed 95 votes to 21, a majority of 74. A free vote was allowed.

It gives churches the option of hosting civil partnership ceremonies if they wish and is not compulsory. Under current law, civil partnerships may not contain any religious references.

The change means they can be held in churches and other religious buildings, and may contain religious language.

Faiths such as Liberal Judaism, the Quakers and the Unitarians have all expressed their wishes to hold civil partnership ceremonies.

PinkNews.co.uk first revealed plans to change the law in November.

Introducing the amendment last night, Lord Alli said: “Many gay and lesbian couples want to share their civil partnerships with the congregations with whom they worship, and a number of religious organisations want to allow gay and lesbian couples to do exactly that.

“I believe that people want religion in their lives and many gay and lesbian couples are no different. They want their civil partnership to be held in a place where they can celebrate it with the people with whom they worship.

“It is a simple act of religious freedom to allow the Quakers, the liberal Jews, the Unitarian Church and others to practise their religion in a way that meets their religious needs.”

Late last month, faith leaders including the Bishop of Salisbury, the Dean of Southwark and five retired bishops wrote to the Times to argue that it was inconsistent and discriminatory to ban gay couples having their ceremonies in churches willing to accommodate them.

Those who voted against the measure last night included the Bishop of Bradford David James and former Conservative cabinet ministers Lord Tebbit and Lord Waddington.

Supporters had argued that changing the law was an important move for religious freedom. It has yet to be approved by the House of Commons but MPs are unlikely to oppose it.

The amendment was supported by Stonewall.

Chief executive Ben Summerskill said: “We’ve argued throughout that this is an important matter of religious freedom. Ministers have known for some months that we intended to table this measure and we regret that the government didn’t stand up to the bullying it faced from some churches on this issue.

“We’ll now work closely with ministers to ensure that we secure implementation of this further step towards equality. This vote is hugely important to those gay people of faith (and, as Lady Neuberger pointed out, to their Jewish mothers too!) who wish to celebrate their civil partnerships in their own place of worship.”

Peter Tatchell said: “The Quakers, Unitarians, Metropolitan Community Church and liberal synagogues wish to conduct civil partnership ceremonies and should be allowed to do so.

“Following a change in the law, we expect civil partnerships will be conducted by gay-affirmative religions, including the Unitarians and Quakers, and some Anglican churches and liberal synagogues.

“Our next goal is to secure marriage equality, to end the prohibition on lesbian and gay couples having a civil marriage in a registry office.”

LGBT Labour’s co-chair Katie Hanson, who backed the amendment on behalf of the group earlier this week, said: “We are proud that Labour’s Lord Alli has been pushing for this change in the law, and this vote is a great result.”

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Two Charged in Seattle Hate Crime
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2010 (The Advocate)

Two men in Seattle face felony hate-crime charges for an attack outside a local community center.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Adnan Basher Osman, 22 and Abdinasir A. Ahmed, 21, are accused of beating and yelling antigay epithets at a man who was walking with friends near of the Filipino Community Center on January 3. Police said the victim, whose name was not released, later said he heard Ahmed saying he planned to kill him because he is gay. The victim, who is Somali, told police he has stopped going to services at his mosque out of fear, because being gay is so taboo in his culture.

Osman and Ahmed are charged with malicious harassment under Washington State's hate-crimes law. Neither of them is in custody at the moment, according to jail records.

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In France, Transsexuals Celebrate a Small Victory
WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2010 (Time Magazine )

Several decades have passed since the West stopped considering homosexuality a mental illness. But for transsexuals, that kind of milestone has been elusive — until now. Last month, France became the first country in the world to remove transsexualism from its official list of mental disorders — a major victory when it comes to acceptance of this oft misunderstood condition. "I'm relieved. People might begin to look at us differently," says transsexual blogger Caphi (a blended name she's chosen to represent Philippe, the man she was born as, and Caroline, the woman she's transforming into). "It's a start."

But only a start, many transsexuals in France say. In practice, the declaration will do little to improve their legal or medical rights in the country. For example, transsexuals are still required to have a sex-change operation before they can change their gender in the eyes of the law. And to get the green light for surgery, they must still undergo extensive medical and psychiatric evaluations. "It's a symbolic victory," says Georges-Louis Tin, president of the Paris-based IDAHO committee, which fights homophobia and what it calls "transphobia," or discrimination against transsexuals. "Transsexuals are no longer mentally ill," he says. "They're normal citizens. But we haven't yet reached the point where they're allowed to make their own decisions instead of depending on doctors and psychiatrists."

Some transsexuals say the country's open-minded Health Minister, Roselyne Bachelot, removed transsexualism from the list of mental disorders because it was an outdated classification and because she wanted to acknowledge the work transsexuals have done to further their cause. But others see a potentially more troubling motive. Tin worries that politicians may be making allowances on this front to avoid engaging in debate on legalizing gay marriage or removing barriers to allowing gay adults to adopt.

Indeed, the French transsexual community doesn't exactly consider the country to be at the forefront of promoting the rights of sexual minorities. A just-released study commissioned by the Health Ministry, for example, paints a dreary picture of the treatment of transsexuals from a legal and medial standpoint. Sex-change surgeries and treatments are covered by the state — as in some other countries — but those who opt for surgery have little choice in selecting their doctor. Surgeons complain that they are poorly equipped to perform the complicated procedures and that few have received specialized training, according to the survey. And some even say they are ostracized by their colleagues if they perform such surgeries. For these reasons, many transsexuals choose to undergo the procedure — at their own cost — across the border in Belgium, home to some of the best sex-change specialists in the world.

Laure Laudet, who is scheduled to have an operation in France to become a woman in the fall, has been so worried about French doctors' lack of expertise in the field that she's done much of her own research, particularly on which hormones she should take. "In the trans community, people have to find their own information, figure out who the good doctors are and negotiate their treatments," she says. Recently, she had to travel 250 miles (400 km) to visit with a second psychiatrist — not the one she's been seeing for two years — to sign off on her operation. At the last minute, she says, the psychiatrist canceled the appointment to travel abroad. "And then they're surprised that some people try to commit suicide or castrate themselves," she says.

But what advocacy groups find most egregious is that France, like many other countries, requires transsexuals to undergo surgery — and become sterilized — before they can receive identity cards and other official documents confirming their new gender. "If we refuse, we're basically undocumented," says Caphi. According to most advocates, about half of transgender people — a term many prefer, though the French state doesn't use it — have no desire to go under the knife, preferring instead to simply live their lives as a member of the opposite sex in their dress and behavior.

This will be the next big battleground. Spain and Great Britain have adopted more lenient stances, even though transsexualism is still technically on the books in both countries as a mental illness. Spain requires transsexuals only to undergo some form of hormonal treatment to modify their physical appearance before it will issue new documents, while the British simply ask applicants, with recommendations from their doctors, to promise to live out the rest of their lives as their chosen sex.

In France, several members of the advocacy organization TransAide have unsuccessfully sued the state in recent years to try to obtain a legal sex change without an operation. They've since lodged appeals and intend to bring their cases before the European Human Rights Court if necessary. "We want to prove that sterilization is what's really at play here," says Delphine Ravisé-Giard, one of the plaintiffs. And the group's got friends at the European level. Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights, has been fighting to end the mandatory sterilization of transsexuals in the European Union, calling it a human-rights violation.

The tide may be turning. At least that's what IDAHO's president hopes. The French Health Ministry has already agreed to push other countries in the E.U. to drop transsexualism from their lists of mental disorders. And that, Tin says, is a start.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1968767,00.html#ixzz0h8VUIHt5

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One third of gays and lesbians in Edinburgh physically attacked
TUESDAY, March 2, 2010 (Pink News)

A third of LGBT people in Edinburgh have been physically assaulted but only 15 per cent reported incidents to police, a small survey has suggested.

The Stonewall Scotland research of just over 70 LGBT people found that 66 per cent had been verbally abused while 53 per cent did not feel safe in their neighbourhoods.

The results were published yesterday, with the full findings of a survey of 300 people across Scotland to be released in the coming weeks.

Edinburgh city council and the Community Safety Partnership are backing a new scheme to prevent homophobic attacks which uses the slogan ‘Some people are gay. Get over it’.

Stonewall Scotland director Carl Watt said: “There are too many homophobic and transphobic hate-crime attacks across Scotland. These incidents range from extreme verbal assaults all the way through to violent attacks.

“By running this campaign, the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership is sending a strong message that these crimes will not be tolerated.”

He added: “There are many reasons why the LGBT community do not report crimes to the police.

“People told us that they were unsure about how the police would react, that they were worried about being forced to come out and, even more worryingly, many people have become used to experiencing this form of abuse day in, day out.

“We hope this campaign will encourage LGBT victims of hate crimes to come forward, and that those people who think this form of crime is acceptable will think twice.”

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Uganda activists petition against anti-gay bill
TUESDAY, March 2, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Kampala, Uganda) Critics of a proposed Ugandan law that would impose the death penalty for some gays say they’ve gathered 500,000 signatures calling for the bill’s rejection.

A delegation including Anglican priest Canon Gideon Byamugisha delivered the petition to Uganda’s parliament on Monday. Byamugisha says the bill teaches intolerance and hatred and is counter to the constitution’s anti-discrimination laws.

Speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi Kiwanuk says the bill has been presented and soon will be debated.

The proposed bill has sparked protests in London, New York and Washington.

Uganda’s conservative society frowns on homosexuality. One proponent of the bill even showed gay pornographic videos in church to try to garner support.

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Slovakia to hold first Pride festival
MONDAY, March 1, 2010 (Pink News)

The eastern European country of Slovakia will hold a Pride festival this year.

Dúhový (Rainbow) Pride will take place in Bratislava on 22nd May and is the first event of its kind in the country.

Slovakia becomes the last country in the European Union to announce it will hold a Pride festival.

Few details have been announced but Romana Schlesinger, a spokesperson for the event, said: “Rainbow Pride Bratislava 2010 is an important step towards the visibility of lesbian and gay people in the public space. Pride is celebration of who we are, our identities, our presence and our civic participation in Slovak society.

“Pride is also a march for true equality for LGBT people with legal recognition for same-sex couples and the possibility for adoptions and assisted reproduction.”

Paul Birrell, the chair of Pride London and regional director for InterPride, added: “This really is fantastic news. There are still so many countries around the world where it is illegal to be lesbian or gay, let alone hold a Pride event.

“It is shameful that even in Europe there have, up until now, been countries where it hasn’t been possible to celebrate Pride. There continues to be opposition and violence at some events, such as Sofia and Belgrade, but Slovakia is sending a strong message that no country in Europe is a pride-free zone.”

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Penn Univ. Reaches Out to Gay Students
FRIDAY, February 26, 2010 (The Advocate)

Across the country, universities often try to connect current students with applicants who have academics or demographics in common. Now, according to USA Today, the University of Pennsylvania among the first colleges in the nation known to specifically target LGBT applicants, asking prospective students about their sexual orientation and matching those identified as LGBT with members of the campus gay group.

Eric Furda, dean of admissions at the university, says it's simply an extension of the outreach already offered to students.

"We are speaking to students on the areas that they are most interested in," he said of the program. Admitted applicants who identify as gay or express interest in what the school offers LGBT students may be put in touch with current students who are members of Lambda Alliance, the umbrella gay student organization at Penn. Dartmouth College officials told USA Today their school has a similar effort.

Some voices from academia welcomed such programs. Jack Miner, chair of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Caucus of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, said that "speaking to someone who knows this firsthand could make a huge difference for students deciding where to go."

National gay student advocacy group Campus Pride also praised the move. Founder Shane L. Windmeyer saids Campus Pride is preparing to ask Common Application, used by almost 400 colleges across the country, to add a similar, voluntary question to its applications.

Common Application executive director Rob Killion said he isn't sure how the board would react, but he added that all users must abide by the Common Application nondiscrimination policy, which includes sexual orientation.

Interest has been high from other colleges and universities, but they are watching to see how such outreach is received. As Miner observed, "Schools are hesitant to be the first."

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South Africa school dormitory closes after lesbian kiss
FRIDAY, February 26, 2010 (BBC)

South African education officials are investigating reports that a girls' boarding school dormitory was closed because of lesbian relationships.

Two girls who were caught kissing reportedly said that other pupils were involved in same-sex relationships, and 27 pupils were expelled.

Rights activists say the high school in KwaZulu-Natal province has overreacted.

South Africa is the only African country to guarantee freedom from discrimination to homosexuals.

However, activists say that prejudice remains common.

The school has not been named. The Star newspaper says some the pupils who have not been able to return home have been moved to houses near the school on a temporary basis.

Education Department spokesman Sihle Mlotshwa is quoted by the Star newspaper as saying that schools do not have the right to remove or expel pupils because of their sexual orientation.

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Presbyterians to Ordain Gay Man
FRIDAY, February 26, 2010 (The Advocate)

A regional governing body of the Presbyterian Church voted Saturday to ordain Scott Anderson, a gay man from Madison, Wis.

The John Knox Presbytery's 81-25 decision is likely to be challenged by opponents across the country, according to the La Crosse Tribune. The presbytery, or regional grouping of Presbyterian churches, represents 61 churches and 10,000 members in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Anderson, 54, has been in a committed relationship for 19 years, according to the article. For seven years he has been the executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, which advocates for unity among different Christian denominations.

The church requires that married candidates for ordination take a vow of fidelity. Gay and straight single candidates must take a vow of chastity. However, the church does make some exceptions.

His ordination is set for May 15, but may be delayed due to expected appeals from churches like the Caledonia Presbyterian Church near Portage, Wis.

Anderson was a pastor at a church in Sacramento but was outed in 1990. He then voluntarily gave up his ordination.

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Australian Senate rejects gay marriage bill
FRIDAY, February 26, 2010 (Pink News)

The Australian Senate today rejected a bill to give equal marriage rights to gay citizens.

The bill was introduced by the Greens but was defeated 45-5, just days before the world’s biggest gay celebration, Sydney Mardi Gras.

Twenty-six senators were absent from the vote, with some of these choosing to abstain because they disagreed with their parties’ official stances against same-sex marriage.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who introduced the bill, said: ”There may have been a group of senators voting to keep discrimination against same-sex couples being able to marry the one they love, but well over one-third of all senators were absent for the final vote, presumably the only form of protest open to them.”

Marriage equality campaigners claim that 60 per cent of Australian citizens support the right of gay couples to marry.

Alex Greenwich of Australian Marriage Equality, said it was “arrogant” of Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd to “ignore” the public.

He added: “However, the fact that 26 senators were absent from today’s debate is an indication that there is dissent in the ranks of the major parties, dissent which we believe will only grow.

“Because the leaders of the major parties are clearly deaf to the wishes of mainstream Australia we have no choice but to make this an election issue when the nation goes to the polls later this year.”

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Gay Couple Engagement Initiative Launched
THURSDAY, February 25, 2010 (The Advocate)

Two Bremerton, Wash., men, Karl Urseth and Michael Maria, who have been together for 23 years, have placed an announcement in the Kitsap Sun newspaper stating their intent to marry as soon as they are legally able to do so.

The couple placed the notice at the request of Ben, a commenter on the website for Seattle’s newspaper The Stranger, who encouraged readers to do so, writing, “Gay couples all across the country who would like to marry should get engaged and post their engagement in local newspapers, saying they plan to hold a ceremony 'as soon as it's legal.'"

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Australian Senate rejects gay marriage bill
THURSDAY, February 25, 2010 (Pink News)

The Australian Senate today rejected a bill to give equal marriage rights to gay citizens.

The bill was introduced by the Greens but was defeated 45-5, just days before the world’s biggest gay celebration, Sydney Mardi Gras.

Twenty-six senators were absent from the vote, with some of these choosing to abstain because they disagreed with their parties’ official stances against same-sex marriage.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who introduced the bill, said: ”There may have been a group of senators voting to keep discrimination against same-sex couples being able to marry the one they love, but well over one-third of all senators were absent for the final vote, presumably the only form of protest open to them.”

Marriage equality campaigners claim that 60 per cent of Australian citizens support the right of gay couples to marry.

Alex Greenwich of Australian Marriage Equality, said it was “arrogant” of Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd to “ignore” the public.

He added: “However, the fact that 26 senators were absent from today’s debate is an indication that there is dissent in the ranks of the major parties, dissent which we believe will only grow.

“Because the leaders of the major parties are clearly deaf to the wishes of mainstream Australia we have no choice but to make this an election issue when the nation goes to the polls later this year.”

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HUD seeks help with anti-gay discrimination study
THURSDAY, February 25, 2010 (Washington Post)

CHICAGO -- When federal officials studied housing discrimination based on race, the setup was simple: They sent in testers of different backgrounds and gauged how landlords and real estate agents treated people of color compared with whites.

As the government prepares a first-ever study of housing discrimination against gays, however, the issue is more complex. How do you design a study to make an applicant's sexual orientation or gender identity as obvious as race and color?

Starting Thursday, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department will enlist residents in three cities with large gay populations - Chicago, New York and San Francisco - to offer ideas on how such a study should be conducted.

Bias complaints and lawsuits nationwide make clear that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people face housing discrimination, from being turned down for apartments to being steered away from certain neighborhoods, but no one has tried to track how common such bias is. HUD hopes to begin collecting data next year.

"This really is groundbreaking," said Raphael Bostic, HUD's assistant secretary for policy development and research, who's overseeing the study. "Nothing like this has ever been tried before at this scale and certainly not by a federal agency."

Several organizations and states have conducted smaller studies, but experts said no one has had the time or money for a national study. There's also the issue of how to design the study to ensure it detects actual bias.

Those testing "have to think of a way to make it clear that this is a gay couple and not just two men who really can't afford to do anything than get a single apartment with a single room," said John Knight of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Bostic said researchers plan to get "creative" in designing the study, and he hopes the input and stories from meetings in the three cities will help. Officials are working on a way to let people elsewhere weigh in through e-mail or Web-based seminars, he said.

The federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in sales and rentals of homes, doesn't cover gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. Advocates hope HUD's effort to gather data could be a first step toward obtaining legal protections.

"It finally will give us hard data to back up the heartbreaking stories of discrimination we've been hearing for years," said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "This HUD study will show that there are a class of people ... who have been repeatedly shut out of that portion of the American dream."

Chicago, New York and San Francisco all ban housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and, more recently, gender identity. The number of complaints about anti-gay bias filed with authorities has been relatively low - generally less than 10 percent of all housing complaints - but that can be attributed to some declining to out themselves by stepping forward, advocates said.

Fear of being outed is also a reason to hold the HUD sessions in big cities, where anti-gay bias may be less prevalent than elsewhere but where people also are more willing to discuss it when it happens, said Carey.

A study by Michigan's Fair Housing Centers, a group of private advocacy organizations, found nearly 30 percent of same-sex couples were treated differently when trying to buy or rent a home. Such treatment included a male landlord who made sexually charged comments to a lesbian couple and a Detroit landlord who told testers, "No drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, one-night stands."

Bill Greaves, Chicago's liaison to the gay community, said he expects people to describe a different type of housing discrimination.

"I think people are going to say that the discrimination in the rental and sale of housing is less a problem than the harassment and discrimination people experience after they've moved into their new home," Greaves said. He described a case in which Chicago awarded $12,000 in damages to a gay man after his landlord outed him to his family, called him derogatory names and threatened to evict him.

HUD also is developing regulations to ensure gays and lesbians aren't denied access to federally subsidized housing based on their sexual orientation. Bostic said the Obama administration is committed to working with the community on housing issues.

"The president has this as a priority," he said.

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Lutherans seeing fallout over gay clergy issue
THURSDAY, February 25, 2010 (365gay.com)

Until a few weeks ago, the Rev. Gail Sowell was pastor at two Lutheran churches in the small Wisconsin town of Edgar. That was before members of both congregations jumped headfirst into the simmering debate over gay clergy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

“It was pretty gruesome,” Sowell said, recalling shouting matches inside the sanctuary; the mass resignation of one church’s council, save one member; even whispers around town that she was a lesbian. “For the record, I’m not,” she said.

When the smoke cleared, the congregation at St. John Lutheran Church narrowly voted to not leave the ELCA. Across town at Peace Lutheran, they voted to leave and fired Sowell. “Fortunately, I’m thick-skinned,” she said.

Not all ELCA congregations have seen that level of turbulence over the ELCA’s decision last August to allow pastors in committed same-sex relationships to serve openly. But by most accounts, it has been a confusing and murky time in the nation’s largest Lutheran denomination.

Several hundred congregations are moving toward a permanent split with the ELCA and more will likely come, but the number is still a small portion of the 10,000-church denomination.

Last week, a conservative Lutheran group announced its plans to establish the North American Lutheran Church, a new denomination that will recruit dissident congregations. Rather than setting up a clear-cut choice, though, even some critics of the ELCA’s new policy say the move could further confuse already splintered Lutherans at a time when Protestantism in general seems to be moving away from a denominational model.

“It just feels like we’re stepping off a sinking ship, and I’m not inclined to get on another boat,” said the Rev. Bill Bohline, lead pastor at Hosanna! in Lakeville, Minn., which had been the state’s second largest ELCA church until its members voted overwhelmingly in January to sever ties with the denomination. “That’s not where the spirit is moving.”

Pushing plans for the new Lutheran denomination is Lutheran CORE, an activist group that led opposition to the gay clergy policy. Critics say liberalizing policies toward homosexuality directly contradicts scripture.

Lutheran CORE leaders hope to have the North American Lutheran Church up and running by August. They hope for a denomination that’s less bureaucratic than the ELCA, but still makes it easy for congregations across the country to collaborate on shared goals.

“We heard from many congregations who came to us, who said we’d like to leave the ELCA, but for us the other options aren’t quite right,” said Ryan Schwarz, a private equity manager in Washington who’s leading the effort to organize the new denomination.

Since August, congregations have not left the ELCA in huge numbers. The denomination has about 10,000 congregations, and in all 220 have taken at least one of two required votes to leave. So far, only 28 congregations have actually approved leaving, which requires two separate votes that each attain a two-thirds supermajority.

“Even if that number doubles or triples, it would still be less than 5 percent of the ELCA,” said Bishop Peter Rogness of the St. Paul, Minn. synod. “So it’s not as though a schism has happened, where we’re a denomination split in half. Nothing on that magnitude is in the offing.”

Lutheran CORE leaders say the process for leaving is laborious and time-consuming, and those that already left were on the leading edge of opposition.

“I think they should be alarmed by these numbers,” said the Rev. Mark Chavez, Lutheran CORE’s director. Many churches, he said, just started the discussion.

“I don’t think the wave has hit them yet,” Chavez said.

Some of the breakaway churches have already found alternative denominations to take them in.

The Lutheran CORE effort isn’t coming together quickly enough to be viable, said the Rev. Kurt Rau, whose Calvary Lutheran Church in Kalispell, Mont., instead opted to affiliate with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.

“They’re a little slow to the party,” Rau said.

His church’s new, much smaller denomination itself split from the ELCA in 2000 over perceptions that the bigger congregation was getting too liberal, and so far has been the chief receptacle for congregations leaving the ELCA.

St. Paul Lutheran Church in New Braunfels, Texas, also joined LCMC, said Brian Baese, a self-employed salesman who is president of the church council.

Lutheran CORE’s proposal came “too little, too late,” Baese said. “We can’t hang around when we don’t know how long this is going to take. The momentum was carrying in this direction, and we had to go with it.”

At St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa, Calif., the congregation also voted to ditch the ELCA – although the Rev. Mark Menacher said that had less to do with gay clergy and more to do with other long-standing theological disputes. St. Luke’s is affiliating with yet another small denomination, the Fellowship of Confessing Lutheran Churches.

Menacher is skeptical about the success of the North American Lutheran Church. “If all that joins you together is concern about same sex relationships, I don’t think that’s a very strong reason for being,” he said.

Bohline, the Lakeville pastor, said Lutherans should stop worrying so much about how they organize themselves. It’s a main reason for the decline of mainline Protestantism in recent decades, he said.

“When I went to seminary, I wasn’t sure I should be a pastor because I didn’t understand what was so different about Lutherans or Baptists or Methodists. And you know, we’re not that different,” Bohline said. “We’re working on the same playing field here. So let’s get on with it.”

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Second gay couple in Argentina permitted to marry
WEDNESDAY, February 24, 2010 (Pink News)

An Argentinian judge has given a second gay couple permission to get married.

Judge Elena Liberatori ruled that the unnamed men in Buenos Aires were exercising their rights, AFP reports.

In December, Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre became the first gay couple in Latin America to marry.

They wed in Ushuaia, the capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego state where sympathetic state officials backed their bid.

They wore red sashes around their suits to support HIV awareness and the ceremony was witnessed by state and federal officials.

The only place where gay marriage is legal in Latin America is Mexico City, although the law does not come into force until March.

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Gardasil highly effective at preventing pre-cancerous anal lesions in gay men
WEDNESDAY, February 24, 2010 (Aidsmap)

The genital wart vaccine Gardasil is highly effective at preventing pre-cancerous anal lesions in younger gay men, according to the results of a study presented to a recent conference.

Delegates to the European Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia were told that Gardasil reduced the risk of pre-cancerous anal lesions by 78% in a Phase III, randomised, placebo-controlled trial involving gay and other men who have sex with men aged between 18 and 26.

Gay men, especially those with HIV, have higher rates of anal cancer than those seen in the general population, therefore the high efficacy of the vaccine is encouraging.

Research involving younger women has shown that Gardasil is highly effective at preventing pre-cancerous and cancerous cell cervical cell changes caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). Gardasil provides protection against four high risk types of the virus: HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18.

Investigators wished to determine the efficacy and safety of the vaccine in younger gay men.

The randomised, placebo controlled trial involved 598 men. None were infected with HPV strains 6, 11, 16 and 18 on entry to the study. Half were provided with two doses of the vaccine, the others with a placebo. They were then followed for an average of two and a half years and rates of pre-cancerous anal cell changes and anal cancer were compared between the two groups.

High-risk HPV-associated pre-cancerous cell changes were detected in five men who received Gardasil compared to 24 of the individuals who were given the placebo. The investigators therefore calculated that Gardasil reduced the risk of such cell changes by 78%.

No patient in either study arm developed anal cancer.

Gardasil appeared safe, with similar numbers of patients in the vaccine and placebo study arms reporting severe side-effects.

Reference

Palefsky J et al. Efficacy of Gardasil in men aged 16-26 naïve to vaccine HPV types at baseline: the latest data. 9th European Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia Congress, abstract TC 4-2, Monte Carlo, 2010.

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Maryland may recognize out-of-state gay marriages
WEDNESDAY, February 24, 2010 (365gay.com)

Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler today announced that Maryland could recognize gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions – like Washington, DC – where they were legal.

The announcement doesn’t make the recognition of gay marriages a reality, however. That would only come if the Maryland General Assembly enacted legislation; the Court of appeals ruled to allow it; or through the regulations of state agencies.

If Maryland enacted such legislation, it would join New York as states that give full legal rights to gay couples married elsewhere, but don’t allow couples to marry within their own borders.

“Although today’s long-awaited opinion by Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler won’t erase many of the inequalities same-sex couples in Maryland face, it is certainly a positive development on the road to marriage equality,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Today’s opinion by the Maryland Attorney General only continues to further highlight the burdensome patchwork of unequal laws same-sex couples face across the country. With every step that is taken in the progress towards full equality, it becomes more and more obvious that separate is not equal and marriage by any other name is not marriage.”

With Washington, D.C. poised to begin accepting marriage applications from same-sex couples on March 3, 2010, when the Congressional review period ends, recognition of same-sex marriages would have a significant practical meaning for many same-sex couples in Maryland.

Five states recognize marriage for same-sex couples under state law: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Five states—California, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada—plus Washington, D.C. provide same-sex couples with access to the state level benefits and responsibilities of marriage, through either civil unions or domestic partnerships.

Hawaii, Colorado, Maine, Maryland and Wisconsin provide same-sex couples with limited rights and benefits. New York, and Washington, D.C. recognize marriages of same-sex couples validly entered into outside of the jurisdiction. California recognized marriage by same-sex couples between June and November of 2008, before voters approved Proposition 8. Couples married during that window remain married under California law, but all other same-sex couples can only receive a domestic partnership within the state. The state will recognize out of state same-sex marriages that occurred before November 5, 2008 as marriages and those that occurred on or after November 5, 2008 as domestic partnerships. The Proposition 8 vote has been challenged in federal court; a decision is not expected any time soon.

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Uganda MP says he would kill gay son
TUESDAY, February 23, 2010 (Pink News)

A Ugandan MP provoked shock at a human rights forum in Kampala last week when he said he would kill his son if he discovered he was gay.

Otto Odonga was then criticised by the forum's keynote speaker, the chair of Kenya's Human Rights Commission, Makau Mutua.

According to an Xtra.ca reporter present at Friday's meeting, Mr Mutua responded: "I am baffled by the kind of hatred you spew against gay people, including your desire to be a hangman.

"Would you apply to be a hangman if the person to be hanged were your son?"

When Mr Odonga nodded yes, Mr Mutua said: "There is something deeply wrong with you."

The MP continued: "Human rights are not sacrosanct. Private parts do not belong in the anus. We will not accept this kind of deviant behaviour in our society."

Another MP present, Christopher Kibanzanga, asked, "Who are bisexuals? What do they do? Has it just been imported into Africa?"

They were speaking at a forum titled Human Rights and Sexual Orientation, which was organised to discuss the country's current bill on homosexual acts.

The bill recommends the death penalty for some offences and life imprisonment for others.

Although some gay rights activists were reportedly present, none spoke at the event.

The director of a local HIV/AIDS organisation, Rubaramira Ruranga, told the forum that it was incorrect to say anal sex was "un-African", adding that it was also practiced by heterosexuals.

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Malawi gay couple to be sentenced next month
TUESDAY, February 23, 2010 (365gay.com)

The Malawi couple who took part in an unofficial wedding will be sentenced next month. The couple, Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, is charged with gross indecency.

“The court will meet on March 22 for judgment,” magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwausiwa said after a hearing, according to a report from AFP.

The couple faces up to 14 years in prison.

More than 30 nations on the African continent ban gay sex. Same-sex marriage is only legal in South Africa.

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Maine Commission Studying Transgender Issues
TUESDAY, February 23, 2010 (The Advocate)

In order to draft guidance for educators, the Maine Human Rights Commission is looking at the issues transgender students face at school.

The executive director of the Maine Principals' Association, Dick Durost, told Portland TV station WCSH he has some concerns about regulations being considered by the commission. Durost, who has been attending numerous athletic events, said he has worries regarding a proposal to let transgender teens use the restrooms and locker rooms for the gender with which they identify and compete on sports teams of their gender identify.

"One would be a biological female presenting as a male and situations where we would have safety concerns in male bathrooms and locker rooms," Durost said of his concerns. "The second issue would be biological males presenting as females wishing to compete on girls' athletic teams and the impact on the level of competition."

The commission will discuss the proposed draft of the recommendations March 1.

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Lieberman to Introduce DADT Repeal Bill
MONDAY, February 22, 2010 (The Advocate)

U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut and key member of the senate armed services committee, will introduce a bill to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy next week.

Lieberman confirmed his plan to become the chief sponsor for the bill in an interview with James Kirchick for the New York Daily News published on Monday.

“In an exclusive interview with the Daily News, Lieberman told me that his commitment to repealing DADT is twofold,” wrote Kirchick. “First, allowing gays to serve openly fulfills the bedrock American promise of providing citizens with ‘an equal opportunity to do whatever job their talents and sense of purpose and motivations lead them to want to do - including military service.’ Second, and no less important for a lawmaker whose commitment to national security the Pentagon can't doubt, is that ‘When you artificially limit the pool of people who can enlist then you are diminishing military effectiveness.’”

In October, The Advocate reported that the White House was in talks with Lieberman about strategies for repeal. In recent weeks, since the State of the Union address when President Barack Obama called to repeal the policy, the progress of those discussions remained a significant unknown.

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Mass screening 'could eradicate AIDS in 40 years'
MONDAY, February 22, 2010 (Pink News)

A leading researcher has claimed that testing billions of people could eradicate HIV/AIDS within 40 years.

Dr Brian Williams of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis said that focus needed to shift to stopping transmission.

He told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: "The problem is we're now using HIV drugs to save people's lives; we're not using them to stop transmission.

"Can we use anti-retroviral drugs not only to keep people alive but also to stop transmission? I believe we can. I believe we can effectively stop transmission within five years."

Dr Williams estimated that transmission of the disease could be halted by 2015 and that the epidemic could effectively be over by 2050 as most of those currently carrying the HIV virus will have died.

Anti-retroviral drugs work by lowering the viral load of the disease in a person's blood, making them less infectious. Dr Williams said that usually, when people begin treatment, they have already infected everyone they would have infected during the window between transmission and accessing medical help.

Dr Williams told the meeting that people could be tested once a year and then treated if they are found to be carrying the virus. He said that other scientists supported the idea.

Globally, 33 million people are thought to carry HIV. Twenty-five million people are thought to have died in the epidemic.

Gay men and those from sub-Saharan Africa are typically most at risk, with one in ten gay men in London thought to be living with HIV.

However, the diagnoses rates in heterosexuals are rising.

Dr Williams said that HIV/AIDS was "one of the worst plagues in human history".

He suggested that although mass screening programmes would be expensive, they would begin saving money "from day one" and he believed that people would be willing to take part.

He said: "The epidemic is killing half a million young adults every year at the prime of their life when they have started to contributed to society. The cost of that to society is enormous."

Dr Williams is setting up a key trial in his home country at Hlabisa and similar studies are being carried out in US, Canada and sub-Saharan Africa to check feasibility.

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Mass. says federal marriage law unconstitutional
MONDAY, February 22, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Boston) Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley says a federal law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman interferes with her state’s right to regulate the institution.

Coakley’s office filed a lawsuit in July challenging the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In papers filed late Thursday, Coakley asks a judge to deem the law unconstitutional without holding a trial on the lawsuit.

Coakley argues that regulating marital status has traditionally been left to the states. She also says the federal law treats married heterosexual couples and married same-sex couples differently on Medicaid benefits and burial in veterans’ cemeteries.

Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage and is the first to challenge the law.

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Same-sex marriage to get ‘historic’ hearing at Minnesota Capitol
FRIDAY, February 19, 2010 (Minnesota Independent)

LGBT advocates are calling an upcoming Minnesota House committee hearing on same-sex marriage “historic.” The hearing, to be held Monday afternoon, will be the first time same-sex marriage will be discussed in a committee hearing without the specter of a constitutional ban on gay marriage — a measure Republicans have tried for years to pass.

The only hitch: It’s only for informational purposes, and no vote will be taken.

OutFront Minnesota, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy group, says that’s okay. It’s still progress.

“Although no votes will be taken Monday, the hearing will be historic because it is the first time a committee in our state Legislature will be looking at what enacting marriage equality means for Minnesota,” the group wrote in an email on Thursday.

Three measures will be discussed: a bill to make marriage gender neutral (the Marriage and Family Protection Act), a bill to establish civil unions, and a bill to allow for the recognition of same-sex marriage performed outside Minnesota.

Doug Benson, the citizen author of the Marriage and Family Protection Act, said the hearing seems to be more an effort to stifle gay marriage supporters during an election year.

“It’s basically a show hearing,” he said.

But OutFront believes it’s a good opportunity to let legislators know how important the issue is.

“Supporters of marriage equality will speak about what it would be like if our state no longer explicitly barred same-sex couples from legal protections. Legislators will hear from experts and their constituents that discrimination against people because of who they love or who they are is wrong.”

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Gay marriage opponents defeated in New Hampshire
THURSDAY, February 18, 2010 (Pink News)

Efforts to roll back the US state of New Hampshire's recent gay marriage law have been defeated.

Gay marriage became legal in the state on January 1st but conservative Republicans quickly announced plans to seek repeal.

They introduced two measures: a bill to repeal both gay marriage and the state's 2007 civil unions law, and a resolution seeking a constitutional amendment to restrict marriage to one man and one woman.

The first was defeated in the House by 210-109 and the second by 201-135.

Opponents hoped to capitalise on the fact that gay marriage rights in the US have never been granted by voters, and 31 states have constitutional bans on gay marriage.

According to the Union-Leader, the bill's main sponsor Al Baldasaro argued that the state should not concede to gay couples.

"Homosexuals can change their sexual preference at any time," he argued.

Co-sponsor Jordon Ulery said: "This is absolutely not an issue of equal rights. This is a question of being open to procreation. This is an issue of natural law."

Evan Wolfson, the executive director of Freedom to Marry, said the votes were a "clear signal" of lawmakers' support for gay equality.

Last week, Iowa lawmakers rejected attempts to repeal that state's gay marriage laws. More than 160 faith leaders gave their support for the right.

Mr Wolfson said: "Iowa and New Hampshire's refusal to take the freedom to marry away underscored the lesson learned in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Connecticut – including same-sex committed couples in marriage helps families and harms no one."

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Increased testing leads to decrease in viral load and infections in San Francisco, and in late diagnosis in Washington
THURSDAY, February 18, 2010 (Aidsmap)

The HIV infection rate in San Francisco appears to be falling, and the fall is associated with a reduction in the average viral load in HIV-positive people, due to more people on treatment, the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) heard on Wednesday.

Dr Moupali Das from the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) told the conference that the reduction in infections was ultimately due to an increased frequency of HIV testing. It is estimated that only one in seven people with HIV in the city is unaware of their infection, one of the lowest undiagnosed rates in the world.

Between 2004 and 2008, Dr Das said, the number of HIV diagnoses in San Francisco fell by 45%, and the average viral load amongst the HIV-positive population by 40%. The DPH also estimated that the actual HIV incidence – the true number of new HIV infections, diagnosed and undiagnosed – fell by one-third between 2006 and 2008.

During the four-year period, the proportion of people taking HIV tests who had tested less than a year previously rose from 65% to 72%, and the proportion testing within the last six months from 41% to 53%. It was estimated that during this time the proportion of people with HIV unaware of their infection fell from 24% to 14.5%.

The proportion of people diagnosed with HIV linked to care rose to nearly 80%, and the proportion of those in care who were on antiretrovirals rose from 78% to 90%, with nearly three-quarters having an undetectable viral load (under 75 copies/ml).

San Francisco City’s HIV surveillance system includes mandatory reporting of viral loads, and the DPH was able to calculate two different measures of so-called 'community viral load' (CVL) in the HIV-positive population attending care. They calculated both the mean of the most recent viral load test reported for all individuals in care, and also the cumulative sum of all viral loads.

“Community viral load acts like a virometer,” said Dr Das, “a measure of the temperature of the epidemic.”

They found that the mean CVL was about 23,000 each year between 2002 and 2005, but then started to fall and was around 15,000 by 2008.

At the same time the number of new HIV diagnoses fell from 796 in 2004 to 434 in 2008. The association between reduction in viral load and new diagnoses was statistically significant (p = 0.019). However it is important to note that this is only a measure of the correlation between viral load and diagnoses: it doesn’t prove one caused the other.

A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) algorithm, which calculates the likely true incidence of HIV from the diagnosis and testing-frequency data, enabled the researchers to estimate that the actual number of HIV infections in the city fell in two years by 34%, from approximately 930 in 2006 to 620 in 2008. However, due to the margin of error in this method of calculating incidence, this was not statistically significant (p = 0.3) so cannot be said to prove that a real decline is yet happening.

The study has one significant limitation in that it could not include the viral load from undiagnosed individuals in its calculation of CVL, though a reduction in the undiagnosed proportion would lead indirectly to a reduction in CVL due to more people on treatment.

Interestingly, the reduction in new diagnoses and estimated incidence occurred within a context of significant increases in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including rectal gonorrhoea and syphilis. Dr Das said that serosorting practices between gay men may be the reason this rise did not appear to impact on new infections.

“Our findings support the hypothesis that wide-scale early antiretroviral therapy can have a preventative effect at population level,” commented Dr Das. She said that CVL was a useful ‘upstream’ predictor of the likely number of new infections, and could therefore be used to calculate future resources and prevention needs.

Testing increases ‘exponentially’ in Washington DC

Meanwhile on the east coast of the USA, a comprehensive drive to increase HIV testing in Washington, DC has led to a significant rise in the CD4 count of those tested and a near-halving of the proportion who develop AIDS symptoms in the first year after diagnosis, though it has not yet led to falls in HIV diagnosis.

Washington DC has the highest HIV prevalence in the general population of any US city – around 3%. From 2006 three separate campaigns were initiated to increase the number of sites that performed opt-out HIV testing in routine medical settings and the number of tests they did; to encourage members of the public to test; and to improve the proportion of people who test positive who access care.

There had been approximately 20,000 HIV tests performed in Washington DC in 2004, and 35,000 at the start of the campaign in 2006. By 2009 this had risen to 93,000.

The number of HIV diagnoses increased by 17% between 2004 and 2007, from approximately 1100 to 1300, and this was significant. An apparent fall to 1100 diagnoses in 2008 reflects reporting delays.

In the DC setting, unlike San Francisco, increasing testing increased the number of new diagnoses, as many testers had never tested before and were late-presenters. But the increased testing rates did shorten the average time between infection and diagnosis.

Median CD4 count at diagnosis increased from 216 in 2004 to 343 in 2008 (p = <0.05), and the proportion who had AIDS-related symptoms within the first year after diagnosis fell from 47% to 28%.

Linkage to HIV care improved. A quarter of patients diagnosed in 2004 had not attended an HIV clinic for a follow-up appointment within a year of diagnosis; by 2008 this fell to just over 5%.

There was no increase in the number of medical providers performing tests, but a significant increase in the number of tests each one performed, and a significant increase in the number of non-medical sites offering tests, such as community-based organisations.

One of the most significant contributors to the increase in both testing and linkage to care, commented presenter Amanda Castel, was the involvement of the Washington DC jail in the testing programme. One-third of the patients who had rapid, as opposed to conventional, HIV tests were tested in prison, and the jail also has an active programme linking released prisoners to care, providing 28 days’ worth of antiretrovirals on release.

References
Das-Douglas M et al. Decreases in community viral load are associated with a reduction in new HIV diagnoses in San Francisco. Seventeenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, San Francisco, abstract 33. 2010.

Castel A et al. Monitoring the impact of expanded HIV testing in the District of Columbia using population-based HIV/AIDS surveillance data. Seventeenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, San Francisco, abstract 34, 2010.

Further information
You can view abstract 33 and abstract 34 on the official conference website.

You can also view a webcast and slides of this session on the official conference website.

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French gay men face sixtyfold HIV risk: incidence increasing in Netherlands
THURSDAY, February 18, 2010 (Aidsmap)

Two studies from Europe presented at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco have found that HIV incidence is not decreasing in gay men, and in some populations may be increasing.

The two studies presented were among a number that used various methods of measuring or estimating HIV incidence directly, rather than relying on measures like HIV diagnosis rates, which may not reflect current infection rates.

The studies from Europe contrast with a study from San Francisco that found evidence of a decline in infection in gay men.

In France national HIV case reporting started in 2003. Samples from patients testing positive are also tested with the IDE-V3 incidence assay to detect recent infections. The assay will not produce a positive antibody result till roughly six months after infection and is robust, producing a false recent-infection rate of 0.8%. Presenter Stéphane le Vu commented that the window period was somewhat longer in certain non-B subtypes but that the false recent-infection rate appeared no higher.

It is estimated that there are 150,000 people living with HIV in France, a prevalence rate of 0.35%, and that there were nearly 7000 new HIV infections in 2008, a fall from nearly 9000 in 2003. This represents a national incidence rate of 17 per 100,000 person years or one person in every 5882 infected each year.

The national case reporting programme reports on French versus foreign nationality, clinical stage, risk group, and previous testing history. HIV incidence differed significantly between populations. Men who have sex with men accounted for 48% of infections, and heterosexuals for 51%, of whom 45% were not born in France (53% of women were non-French). Only 1% of infections were in injecting drug users.

The HIV incidence among gay men, as calculated from the assay, was 1006 infections per 100,000 person years – just over 1% a year. This is 59 times the rate seen in the general population. In contrast the annual incidence rates per 100,000 were 354 amongst non-French heterosexual men, 54 in non-French women, 91 in injecting drug users, six in French men and four in French women.

Incidence in all groups except gay men decreased between 2003 and 2008: in foreign-born heterosexuals incident infections declined from an estimated 2600 to 1600, and declined from 3000 to 2000 in French heterosexuals. Infections in injecting drug users also declined slightly. In contrast, there is what Le Vu called “high and stable incidence” in gay men.

HIV incidence increases significantly in Amsterdam gay men under 30

Meanwhile a longitudinal cohort study of gay men in Amsterdam has found that HIV incidence in gay men has been increasing steadily since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid-90s, and has increased the most in young gay men (under 30). Presenter Iralice Jansen said that previous data had shown an increase in diagnoses among gay men, but no evidence of an increase in incidence.

The Amsterdam Cohort Study is a longitudinal cohort study of HIV infection among a group of initially HIV-negative gay men, recruited at regular intervals ever since 1984, at an average age of 29, and tested for HIV every six months thereafter. For this study, the average length of follow-up was six years.

Out of 1627 men included in this study, 215 acquired HIV during follow-up. Incidence was calculated by assuming that the time of HIV infection was midway between a positive test result and the previous negative test. HIV incidence was initially 7.4% a year in 1985 but fell to 1.3% by 1990 and stayed at that level until around 1995-7. Since then it has slowly increased to 2% a year, though the increase does not pass the test of statistical significance (p = 0.1).

However among gay men aged 30 and under, annual HIV incidence, which had been 0.9% in 1997, increased to 3.8% by July 2009. This result was due to a sudden doubling in the level in 2009 – it had been about 2% in 2004-8 – but the increase observed is statistically significant (p = <0.01).

Sexual risk behaviour mirrored the incidence pattern, with an increase in the proportion of men reporting unprotected sex with casual partners from 12% in 1992 to 30% in 2008.

The strongest factors associated with becoming HIV positive were unprotected sex with casual partners (relative risk [RR] 4.74), having over five partners (RR 2.5), having gonorrhoea (RR 5.76), and no tertiary education (RR 2.11). It was estimated that three-quarters of new infections were due to sex with casual partners and only a quarter in steady partners.

However among older gay men, unprotected sex with steady partners was more significant, and three times as many infections were acquired from primary partners between 2003 and 2008 in over-50 year olds than in the late 1980s. The incidence pattern in gay men aged 25 and gay men aged 50 were mirror images of each other: for younger gay men, the year 1995 featured the maximum risk of infection by a steady partner, but by 2009 this risk had declined considerably. Conversely in 50 year olds the maximum risk from a steady partner was reached in 2005.

Dr Jansen commented that the Netherlands had a lower HIV testing rate than many other developed countries: although 88% of sexual health clinic attendees test for HIV, but rates are much lower in gay men who do not attend sexual health clinics.

Remarking on this study in a later seminar on prevention, Dr Ken Mayer of the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island said “Seeing an increase in incidence this late in a mature epidemic certainly raises some concerns.”

References
Le Vu S et al. Population-based HIV incidence in France, 2003 to 2008. Seventeenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, abstract 36LB, San Francisco, 2010.

Jansen I et al. Increasing trend among young men who have sex with men in Amsterdam: a 25-year prospective cohort study. Seventeenth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, abstract 35, San Francisco, 2010.

Further information
You can view abstract 36LB and abstract 35 on the official conference website.

You can also view a webcast and slides of this session on the official conference website.

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Gardasil May Help Gay Men, Older Women
WEDNESDAY, February 17, 2010 (The Advocate)

Two recent studies of the cervical-cancer vaccine Gardasil indicate it could help prevent conditions that lead to anal cancer, cervical cancer and other diseases that affect gay men and older women.

Drug maker Merck & Co. reported the results of two recent studies at the European Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia conference in Monte Carlo, Monaco, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“In one study, Gardasil was 89% effective in preventing human papillomavirus, a virus that causes cervical cancer and other diseases, in women ages 24 through 45,” reported the Wall Street Journal.

“In the other study, the drug was 78% effective against anal intraepithelial neoplasia, a precursor to anal cancer, associated with HPV in men ages 16 to 26 who have sex with men.”

Currently, Gardasil is okayed for use in girls and young women ages 9 to 26 for prevention of some types of HPV. It is also approved for use in males of the same age range for the purpose of preventing genital warts.

Merck is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval to expand Gardisal’s use in women ages 27 to 45, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Gay men’s risk of acquiring HIV is similar to the pre-HAART era despite widespread use of HAART
TUESDAY, February 16, 2010 (Aidsmap)

Although the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy could be expected to make HIV-positive gay men less likely to pass on HIV during unprotected sex than in the early 1990s, the risk of transmission per-sexual-act is actually quite similar, Australian researchers report in AIDS.

The authors put forward a number of suggestions to explain this surprising finding - that transmission during primary infection is a more significant factor than before 1996, that sexually transmitted infections are now more common, or that viral load is a less important factor for anal transmission than for vaginal transmission.

Their study also suggests that circumcised men who have unprotected insertive sex are less likely to acquire HIV than men who are not circumcised, and that ejaculation inside the rectum increases the risk of transmission during unprotected receptive anal intercourse.

How the estimates are produced
There are considerable methodological challenges in producing reliable estimates for the risk of HIV transmission during a single sexual contact. Cohort studies which follow large numbers of individuals at risk of HIV infection for several years are required. These individuals must regularly provide information about their sexual behaviour (which may not always be completely accurate) and regularly take HIV tests.

Researchers attempt to produce an estimate of the risk of infection during sex with an HIV-positive person, but most people’s sexual partners will be reported to be HIV negative or of unknown HIV status. The researchers must therefore use an estimate of what proportion of these sexual partners are likely to have in fact have had HIV (although it may have been undiagnosed or undisclosed).

Moreover, the estimate that the researchers produce can only be an average. A wide range of individual factors make infection more or less likely, including stage of infection, antiretroviral medication, sexually transmitted infections in either partner, and how much body fluid is transferred.

For transmission between gay men, the last estimates were published by Vittinghoff and colleagues in 1999, and were based on data collected in the United States between 1992 and 1994.

Since then, the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has become widespread in rich countries, with the result that more people have an undetectable viral load. As this could have a significant impact on the risk of transmission, Fengyi Jin and colleagues analysed data from the Australian Health in Men (HiM) cohort in order to produce more up-to-date estimates. This cohort of gay and bisexual men was followed between 2001 and 2007.

Aidsmap.com has previously reported findings from the cohort on HIV transmission in relation to risk reduction practices, circumcision and sexually transmitted infections, especially gonorrhoea and anal warts.

A total of 1,136 participants reported unprotected anal intercourse at least once, and so were included in the analysis. Forty six of these men acquired HIV.

Over a quarter of a million acts of unprotected anal intercourse were reported, and these were broken down by partner’s HIV status, sexual position and (for receptive intercourse only) whether ejaculation occurred inside the rectum. The respondent’s circumcision status was also recorded.

Estimates
For the receptive partner, the transmission risk per-contact was found to be higher if ejaculation did happen inside the rectum:

• Receptive, with ejaculation - 1.43% (95% confidence interval 0.48 - 2.85)
• Receptive, without ejaculation - 0.65% (95% confidence interval 0.15 - 1.53)

For the insertive partner, the risk was lower if he was circumcised:

• Insertive, not circumcised - 0.62% (95% confidence interval 0.07 - 1.68)
• Insertive, circumcised - 0.11% (95% confidence interval 0.02 - 0.24)

It’s also notable that for a man who is not circumcised, it appears that the risks of insertive intercourse are broadly similar to the risks of receptive intercourse without ejaculation.

However in almost all of these estimates, the confidence intervals are wide. This was also the case for the estimates produced in the 1990s, and is because the figures are based on a relatively small number of participants acquiring HIV. This highlights the uncertainty that remains over the figures produced, with the confidence intervals showing the range of possible true results.

The results produced were based on an assumption of HIV prevalence being 0.5% in sexual partners thought to be HIV negative and 10% in sexual partners of unknown status. The researchers re-ran the analysis with a range of estimates (0.5-2%, and 5-15%) and found that similar figures were produced.

Comparison with the pre-HAART era
The researchers warn that their study is not directly comparable to the one conducted in the United States in the 1990s. Nonetheless they say that it is surprising that the results are broadly similar.

For example, whereas the new study has found a transmission risk during receptive sex of 0.65% (without ejaculation) or 1.43% (with ejaculation), the 1990s estimate was 0.82% (with or without ejaculation).

The authors suggest some possible explanations, which would all need to be explored in future research. Sexually transmitted infections (which increase the risk of HIV transmission) were more prevalent in Sydney in the last decade than in the US in the early 1990s. Moreover, primary infection (when people are exceptionally infectious) may play a larger part in the dynamics of HIV transmission than expected.

Also: “It may be possible that HIV transmission by anal intercourse is not as closely related to viral load as it is in vaginal transmission. There is a paucity of data on HIV transmission at low viral loads, and there are almost no data on transmission and viral load in homosexual men.”

The authors believe that their estimates “are useful for understanding the average magnitude of transmission risk” in the era HAART. However they recommend caution in using them to consider an individual’s risk of transmission or infection.

They found a great deal of individual variation in their cohort. Twelve individuals who had had unprotected sex ten times or less acquired HIV. On the other hand, six men who reported a total of 502 episodes of unprotected receptive intercourse with ejaculation remained HIV negative.

Reference
Jin F et al. Per-contact probability of HIV transmission in homosexual men in Sydney in the era of HAART. AIDS, published online ahead of print, 2010.

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Support of civil unions jumps
FRIDAY, February 12, 2010 (365gay.com)

Two-thirds of Americans support allowing gays and lesbians to form civil unions, according to a new Washington Post-ABC poll released Friday. In addition, the poll found 47 percent of Americans support legalizing same-sex marriage.

The number of people supporting civil unions represent a significant increase over the numbers from previous polls. Approval of civil unions, which would give same-sex couples many – but not all – of the rights guaranteed to married couples, jumped 12 percent since the poll was last conducted in December 2007.

While civil union acceptance jumped, same-sex marriage stayed about the same since the last poll was conducted in April 2009.

The poll, as expected, found more Democrats and Independents support same-sex marriage than Republicans. The results are also divided along age lines, with people younger than 30 feeling stronger about legalizing same-sex marriage than those in older age groups.

Geography also played a role in the poll: While Northeast and Western states supported marriage, those in the Midwest and the South tended to oppose legal marriage.

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Survey finds three quarters of Americans support out gay soldiers
FRIDAY, February 12, 2010 (Pink News)

A poll has found that nearly 75 per cent of Americans support allowing gay soldiers to be open about their sexual orientation.

The research, conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News, found that only 24 per cent of the 1,004 adults surveyed thought out gay people should not be allowed in the US military.

Currently, gays and lesbians can serve in the military if they keep their sexual orientation secret. This law is to undergo a one-year review and civilian and military officials have begun hearings on how change can be implemented.

In the latest survey, women and young people were found to have the highest levels of support.

Eighty-two per cent of Democrats, 77 percent of independents and 64 percent of Republicans favoured removing the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy.

Public support has steadily grown in favour of repeal in recent years. Previous polls have shown that just over half of US citizens support removing the ban.

However, some military leaders are said to remain in opposition and critics argue that making the move in the middle of two wars is unfeasible.

Others have warned it will affect recruitment and morale.

President Obama recently promised he would work to repeal the law this year. This is unlikely to happen in 2010, as the review is scheduled to last 12 months.

Gay rights campaigners are hopeful that some changes can be made in the meantime, such as suspending discharges or raising the bar of evidence required in third-party outings.

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US science professor 'told students homosexuality is a mental illness'
WEDNESDAY, February 10, 2010 (Pink News)

A health science professor at an American college allegedly used the Bible to teach his students 'facts' about homosexuality.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says that at least two students at Fresno City College in California have complained over Professor Bradley Lopez' methods.

According to the ACLU, Professor Lopez claimed in classes last year that homosexuality is a mental disorder, that it should be treated with therapy and hormone supplements and that the Bible is "empirical" evidence that life begins at conception.

Professor Lopez is also said to have claimed that abortion kills more people than cancer every year in the US and that the apocalypse is "the real global warming we should be worried about".

One of those who took Professor Lopez's class, 24-year-old Jacqui Mahaffey, said she felt "very let down" by Fresno City College, which is state-funded.

"I signed up for health science because I was interested in the subject, but what I got was hateful lecturing based on Professor Lopez’s personal beliefs," Ms Mahaffey said. "I am in school to learn, not to be indoctrinated with one professor’s religious views and anti-gay beliefs.”

Elizabeth Gill, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, said: “The college class room of a state school should be a welcoming environment for all students, and courses, especially health courses, should be based on objective and medically accurate information, not religiously-based bias.

"While Professor Lopez is free to talk about his religious beliefs outside of the classroom, Fresno City College has an obligation to protect its students from religious indoctrination and anti-gay bias presented as ‘science’ or ‘fact.’ Professor Lopez’s health class fails students in both regards.”

The ACLU says that as the classes are being taught at a publicly funded college, Professor Lopez’s lectures violate federal and state constitutional protections guaranteeing the separation of church and state.

The organisation sent a letter to Fresno City College asking it to explain how it will deal with Professor Lopez's alleged comments. It asked the school to reply by February 15th.

A statement given to Associated Press by the school read: "The college takes its non-discrimination and prohibition of harassment policies seriously, investigates alleged violations and takes appropriate actions to enforce compliance. Beyond that, we don't comment on personnel matters for confidentiality reasons."

Professor Lopez has not responded to requests for comment.

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Lawmakers urge end to gay immigration discrimination
WEDNESDAY, February 10, 2010 (365gay.com)

A group of 60 senators and representatives, led by U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., signed a letter urging President Barack Obama and members of Congress to end discrimination against LGBT immigrant families.

The letter states, “tens of thousands of binational families are either already living separately, face imminent separation, or have left the U.S. entirely in order to remain together. This is unacceptable, and we believe comprehensive immigration reform legislation must include a strong family reunification component inclusive of LGBT families.”

The current immigration law does not allow LGBT Americans to sponsor their partners – mainly due to a lack of marriage recognition.

According to 2000 Census data compiled by the Williams Institute, a UCLA-based think tank that focuses on sexual orientation, more than 36,000 LGBT binational Americans would benefit by having the ability to sponsor their partners for residency. And almost half of those families – 47 percent – are raising children.

Until changes are made, the members of Congress contend the current situation is punishing families.

“No one should be forced to choose between the person they love and the country they call home.” the letter states. “It is time that our immigration laws kept families together instead of tearing them apart.”

Currently at least 20 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel, allow citizens and legal residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration purposes, according to the Williams Institute.

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Judge overseeing Prop 8 trial 'outed' by US media
TUESDAY, February 9, 2010 (Pink News)

Vaughn Walker, the Chief US District Judge overseeing the Proposition 8 trial, has been outed by a leading American newspaper.

Describing Judge Vaughn Walker's sexuality as “the biggest open secret in the landmark trial”, the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to an unnamed federal judge who commented:

"He has a private life and he doesn't conceal it, but doesn't think it is relevant to his decisions in any case, and he doesn't bring it to bear in any decisions."

The federal trial is examining whether Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, is constitutional.

Gay marriage was legalised in California in May 2008. Voters banned it under Proposition 8 the following November. The estimated 18,000 gay couples who were able to marry in that brief window have been allowed to remain married.

Judge Vaughn has not always been popular amongst the LGBT community. In 1982 he represented the US Olympic Committee in a successful bid to keep San Francisco's Gay Olympics from infringing on its name, the lawsuit was widely
viewed as homophobic.

“Walker, by the way, didn't seek out the Prop. 8 case – it was assigned to him at random,” the San Fransisco Chronicle continued.

“If the judge decides that Prop 8 is unconstitutional, supporters of the measure are sure to take it to the federal appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary.

“Kendell expects that if that happens, the measure's proponents will make an issue of the judge's sexual orientation.”

Testimony has ended in the case, and final arguments from both sides are expected soon.

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R.I. Gov Candidates to Back Gay Marriage
TUESDAY, February 9, 2010 (The Advocate)

Three candidates in the Rhode Island governor's race are each expected to publicly sign a pledge stating that they would support and sign a gay marriage bill if elected.

State attorney general Patrick Lynch and general treasurer Frank Caprio, both Democrats, will sign the pledge at an event in March, along with former U.S. senator Lincoln Chafee, who is running as an independent, Marriage Equality Rhode Island told the Associated Press.

According to the report, Republican contender John Robitaille has not responded to the organization's request. Robitaille has said in the past that he opposes gay marriage but supports domestic partnerships.

Current governor Don Carcieri opposes gay marriage, and promised to veto bills legalizing it in the spring of 2009. In November, Carcieri vetoed a bill to allow domestic partners the right to claim the bodies of their deceased partners. His veto was overridden, and Lynch, a Democratic candidate, told reporters that Carcieri was "cruel and heartless" for his veto.

The statewide primary is September 4.

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No gay marriage for Albania
MONDAY, February 8, 2010 (Pink News)

A gay rights law passed in Albania yesterday will outlaw homophobic discrimination but will not allow same-sex marriage.

The law gives protection to citizens against discrimination on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation.

It came to be known primarily as a gay rights law after Prime minister Sali Berisha said in July he supported gay marriage.

Until 1995, homosexuality carried a ten-year prison sentence in Albania. The country is hoping to join the European Union.

Despite the lack of a provision for gay marriage, the law was welcomed by Albanian gay rights groups.

A statement from Alliance Against Discrimination given to the Straits Times described it as "a victory for democracy and for human rights for all Albanians".

Lilit Poghosyan from the gay group ILGA-Europe, said: "We hope that the new Albanian anti-discrimination will be a good example for other countries in the region aspiring to join the European Union and have not yet adopted similar laws.

Albania is deeply secular but is also one of only two countries in Europe which is predominantly Muslim. Religion was banned during the Communist rule between 1944 and 1990.

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Obama denounces Ugandan anti-gay law at prayer breakfast
THURSDAY, February 4, 2010 (Pink News)

US President Barack Obama described a proposed Ugandan law against homosexuality as "odious" at the National Prayer Breakfast today.

The annual breakfast, which every US president attends, is sponsored by secretive Christian association The Fellowship.

Some of its members have allegedly supported the Ugandan bill, which would execute gays if passed into law in its current form.

AFP reports that Obama acknowledged that some at the event held differing views on gay rights, but said: "Surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are, whether it is here in the United States or… more extremely, in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda."

The breakfast was attended by a number of high-profile lawmakers and religious leaders.

David Bahati, the Ugandan MP who introduced the bill, claimed to have been asked to attend. Last month, he was disinvited.

Gay rights leaders close to the White House, including the gay Bishop of New Hampshire Gene Robinson, had lobbied Obama to mention the law today.

Liberal religious leaders in the US responded to the president's appearance at the event by hosting their own version, called the American Prayer Hour.

The liberal event was described by organisers as "a multi-city affirmation of inclusive values and a celebration of diversity".

A press release said: "It is also an action to protest the sponsors of The National Prayer Breakfast. . . [who are] directly tied to the draconian 'kill the gays' bill in Uganda."

The Fellowship, also known as The Family, is an intensely private Christian conservative organisation. It has no website, contact details or published member list.

Members, who are thought to include politicians, business leaders and religious figures, are reportedly asked not to speak about it publicly.

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Powell endorses Pentagon’s ‘Don’t Ask’ review
WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2010 (DC Agenda)

The former military official who endorsed “Don’t Tell, Don’t Tell” in 1993 has now come out in favor of the Pentagon review process expected to lead to repeal.

Colin Powell, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1993, announced in a statement to the New York Times on Wednesday he supports the study of implementing change currently underway in the Defense Department.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen proposed on Tuesday the working group that will examine the impact of repeal in congressional testimony.

“In the almost 17 years since the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed,” Powell was quoted as saying. “I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.”

Powell’s support could influence lawmakers who’ve said they wanted to hear from military leaders before acting on repeal to finally support overturning the law.

Alex Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United, said Powell’s statement “represents yet another crushing blow to the failed and archaic” law.

“General Powell is one of the most respected retired military leaders in the United States today, and this announcement should serve as the final nail in the coffin of this outdated law,” Nicholson said. “Hold-out supporters of this failed law should read the writing on the wall now and abandon their attempts to cling to this failed policy.”

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Defense officials say lift military ban on gays
WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Washington) It’s time to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and allow gay troops to serve openly for the first time in history, the nation’s top defense officials declared Tuesday, with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff proclaiming that service members should not be forced to “lie about who they are.”

However, both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen asked for a year to study the impact before Congress would lift the controversial policy.

Reversing the Pentagon’s 17-year-old policy toward gays “comes down to integrity,” for the military as an institution as well as the service members themselves, Mullen told a Senate hearing. Unpersuaded, several Republican senators said they would oppose any congressional effort to repeal the policy.

Ten months before voters elect a new Congress, some Democratic leaders also were leery of trying to change the policy this year, when both sides concede Republicans are likely to pick up seats, especially after GOP Sen.-elect Scott Brown’s surprise victory last month in Massachusetts.

Repealing don’t-ask-don’t-tell is not a winning campaign strategy for a party under siege especially in the South and Midwest.

“What do I want members to do in their districts? I want them to focus on jobs and fiscal responsibility,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., classifying gays in the military in a category of “a lot of other issues” that will invariably come up.

“It’s never a good year” for Democrats to bring up the controversial policy, said Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois. “You can expect that it’s going to be a rough ride.”

However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he didn’t see why it should wait another year.

The Pentagon announced an 11-month review of how the ban could be lifted, as President Barack Obama has said he will work to do. But there is no deadline for ending the policy that dates to President Bill Clinton’s tenure and that gay rights advocates are pressing to overturn.

In the meantime, Gates announced plans to loosen enforcement rules for the policy, which says, in essence, that gays may serve so long as they keep their sexuality private.

Obama has called for repeal but has done little in his first year in office to advance that goal. If he succeeds, it would mark the biggest shake-up to military personnel policies since President Harry S. Truman’s 1948 executive order integrating the services.

Homosexuality has never been openly tolerated in the American military, and the 1993 policy was intended to be a compromise that let gay men and women serve so long as they stayed silent about their sexuality. Clinton had wanted to repeal the ban entirely, but the military and many in Congress argued that doing so would dangerously disrupt order.

Repealing the ban would take an act of Congress, something that does not appear close to happening.

Since ‘don’t ask, don’t tell” was established, much has changed. Five states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws permitting marriage of gay couples, while nine other states have granted similar rights to gay domestic partners.

The public’s attitude toward gays and lesbians also has undergone a significant shift. A Pew poll last year indicated that 59 percent of Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, up from 52 percent in 1994.

On Tuesday, several Democratic senators praised Mullen and Gates for what they said was courageous stance, but a number of Republicans spoke strongly against the idea of a repeal.

Gates drew unusually pointed criticism from Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee for saying the review would examine how, not whether, to repeal the ban. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the panel, icily told Gates he was disappointed in his position and suggested the Pentagon was usurping Congress’ job.

For the full article, click here.

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Malawi man arrested for putting up gay rights posters
WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2010 (Pink News)

A Malawi man has been arrested for putting up gay rights posters.

Peter Sawali, 21, was arrested last weekend when he was found putting the posters up on a main road in Blantyre.

The posters, said to be expensively printed, read "gay rights are human rights".

Mr Sawali will be charged with "conduct likely to cause breach of peace," a police spokeswoman told AFP.

If convicted, he may be fined or jailed for up to three months.

Police are investigating how Mr Sawali obtained the posters. They believe he and other gay rights activists in Malawi may be sponsored by international organisations.

The African country has laws prohibiting homosexuality and two men arrested on gross indecency charges in December are still in custody.

Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga were arrested on December 28th for holding a wedding ceremony.

They have twice been denied bail and face up to 14 years in prison if convicted. They are pleading not guilty to the charges.

Their case is set to resume this week and a simultaneous case has been filed by their lawyers in the constitutional court.

The men's lawyers are arguing that the prosecution is unconstitutional and have asked for a review of the country's homosexuality laws.

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Societal shifts on gay issues
WEDNESDAY, February 3, 2010 (365gay.com)

A lot has changed since the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was instituted 17 years ago. Some indicators of societal shifts:

• President Barack Obama’s signing last year of hate crimes legislation marked the first time that gays and lesbians were given comprehensive legal status as a protected class. Many states have passed laws against hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont and the District of Columbia have adopted laws permitting marriage of gay couples. Another nine states – New Jersey, California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Maine, Hawaii and Wisconsin – have granted various degrees of similar rights to gay domestic partners.
• The public’s attitude toward gays and lesbians has undergone a significant shift. The gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign says polls show about three-quarters of Americans say it’s OK for gays to serve openly in the military, compared with 44 percent in 1993.
• Internationally, the list of countries that allow openly gay people to serve in their armed forces has grown to 28, including Canada, Israel, Australia and most of Europe.
• The U.S. Census has for the first time begun tabulating information about gay couples who live together.
• Supporters of gay rights have formed a House caucus, which has 83 members. There are three openly gay members of Congress: Reps. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jared Polis of Colorado, all Democrats.
• Overall, there were about 50 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered elected officials in the United States in 1993, according to the Victory Fund, which recruits and promotes gay candidates. Today, there are 460. The nation’s fourth-largest city, Houston, Texas, installed openly gay Annise Parker as mayor last month.
• A 2003 ruling by the Supreme Court said that anti-sodomy statutes are unconstitutional, and that states can’t criminalize intimate relations between same-sex partners.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell: Defense Sect. Gates says military to be lenient while studying policy on gays
TUESDAY, February 2, 2010 (Daily News)

Don't ask, don't tell. Don't worry.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says military brass will take a lenient stance toward gays while the Pentagon takes a year to study revising its policy against homosexuals in the service.

The study, expected to be announced Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, is a step in the slow march toward President Obama's goal of eliminating the military's policy banning gays from military service.

The study will be led by an "active-duty four-star general" and a "senior-level" civilian Pentagon official, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.

It will recommend the best way to lift the ban without harming the capabilities or cohesion of the military force, officials said.

While the study is being hailed as a good start by gay rights activists, high-ranking military officers have been reluctant to support a change while troops are stretched thin on two battle fronts.

Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to outline a more lenient standard for enforcing the current ban while the study takes place, sources familiar with the stragegy said.

The interim policy would make it harder for a third party to turn in a gay service member and would raise the standard of evidence for dismissing a gay service member.

Since 1993, engaging in homosexual conduct can be enough to qualify a person for dismissal from military service. The law was crafted as a compromise between then-President Bill Clinton, who wanted to lift the military's ban on gays entirely, and a reluctant Congress and military.

The Defense Department last year dismissed 428 service members for being gay, the fewest in more than a decade and dramatically less than the 2008 total of 619, according to figures released Monday,

Overall, more than 10,900 troops have been discharged under the policy.

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Hawaii's House shelves civil unions bill
MONDAY, February 1, 2010 (Pink News)

Hawaii's House has shelved a bill which would have allowed gay couples the right to have civil unions.

Although the Senate approved the bill last week, the House voted on Friday to indefinitely postpone it.

The bill easily passed the legislature last year but stalled after protests from conservatives.

It would have given same-sex couples in the US state all of the rights and benefits of marriage.

Some observers said that lawmakers were reluctant to act on a controversial measure in an election year.

Stephen Nagle of Kaaawa told Associated Press: "It's an election year, and they're more concerned about keeping their seats than doing what's right."

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Pentagon starts process of lifting gay ban
MONDAY, February 1, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Washington) The Defense Department starts the clock this week on what is expected to be a several-year process in lifting its ban on gays from serving openly in the military.

A special investigation into how the ban can be repealed without hurting the morale or readiness of the troops is expected to be announced Tuesday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

While the review is likely to take the better part of this year to complete, and even more time to implement, its initiation will advance President Barack Obama’s goal of repealing the ban and bring a divisive issue for the military back to the fore.

At the White House, officials continued reviewing options to repeal the Clinton-era policy that the president vowed to repeal. The administration still believes that any repeal should start in Congress and have the backing of top military leaders.

To that end, Obama and Gates planned a meeting next week to discuss, among other topics, ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies. The president was also likely to speak with Mullen, who has signaled he would carry out a repeal if ordered by Obama and Congress.

Lifting the ban poses some emotional questions that go to the heart of the military’s command structure and the trust relationships within military units. Among them: Will U.S. troops and leaders tolerate openly gay members in their midst? And if they don’t, what should the Pentagon do about it?

The military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was imposed by a 1993 law intended as a compromise between President Bill Clinton, who wanted to lift the ban on gays entirely, and a reluctant Congress and military that said doing so would threaten order.

Under the policy, the military can’t ask recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members can’t say they are gay or bisexual, engage in homosexual activity or marry a member of the same sex.

Between 1997 and 2008, the Defense Department discharged more than 10,500 service members for violating the policy.

The review to be announced this week was expected to delve into practical issues that surround changing the law: Can a soldier be forced to room with someone who is openly gay if they are the same sex? Would the military recognize civil unions and how much would it cost to extend benefits to a service member’s partner? Would quotas be imposed to ensure openly gay service members aren’t passed over for promotions?

Obama has promised to repeal the law but did little to press the issue in his first year as president. In his national address on Wednesday, Obama received a standing ovation from some members of Congress and Gates when he suggested that would change.

“This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are,” Obama said during his State of the Union address. “It’s the right thing to do.”

While his promise is being hailed as a good start by gay rights’ activists, Obama is finding resistance in several corners. Some high-ranking military officers are reluctant to embrace the change while the forces are stretched thin at a time of two wars.

Democrats in Congress are also unlikely to press the issue until after this fall’s midterm elections.

This will probably satisfy Gates, who has long suggested that change shouldn’t come too quickly. In a speech last year at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., Gated noted that the 1948 executive order for racial integration took five years to implement.

“I’m not saying that’s a model for this, but I’m saying that I believe this is something that needs to be done very, very carefully,” he told the audience.

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DADT Discharges Down 30% in 2009
MONDAY, February 1, 2010 (The Advocate)

The number of discharges the military issued due to "don't ask, don't tell" fell significantly in 2009, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

The organization said that it expected the number, which will be announced at Tuesday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, to show discharges down to 428 in 2009, compared to 619 in 2008. The 2009 figures include the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, but discharge numbers for the Coast Guard are not yet available.

"It's very good news that discharges continue to drop during a time of two wars, particularly in 2009," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of SLDN. "But it is 428 too many. We need to see the number go to zero and will continue to urge Congress and the White House to pass full repeal in 2010 through the defense authorization bill to end this law once and for all."

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NHS review calls for clearer cervical cancer guidance for lesbians
THURSDAY, January 21, 2010 (Pink News)

An NHS review on cervical cancer has said that more should be done to raise awareness of cervical cancer in lesbians.

Historically, it was believed that the HPV virus, one of the causes of cervical cancer, could only be transmitted through sexual contact with men.

However, research has found that it can be transmitted through sexual contact between women as 80 per cent of lesbians are estimated to have slept with a man at some point in their lives.

A 2008 Stonewall survey on health found that one in five lesbian and bisexual women were told that they did not need a smear test. It was estimated that 37,000 lesbian and bisexual women had been refused access to screening, despite requesting it.

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme 2009 annual review looked at the "myths" around lesbians and cervical cancer.

Dr Julie Fish, a lecturer at De Montfort University, was commissioned to research how likely lesbians are to suffer cervical cancer and what information should be given to them.

She said that a 2001 American study found the HPV virus present in 19 per cent of samples from lesbians.

Dr Fish said: “The main problem concerns mixed messages. It is wrongly assumed that HPV is only transmitted by men. This view often prevails among lesbians, practice nurses and GPs.

"Although some lesbians may never have had a relationship with a man, there is a strong chance a partner may have, at which point they could have contracted the infection. Any exchange of bodily fluids can pass the HPV between two people. So a woman can contract the infection from her girlfriend.”

She cited evidence showing that while lesbians were not actively barred from cervical cancer screening, they were sometimes unintentionally discouraged by health workers who asked questions about male partners.

Samantha Days, a community services manager from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, was also cited in the report.

Days said her organisation had since an increase in cervical cancer enquiries since TV star Jade Goody died from the disease.

She said: "We always encourage callers to go and be screened, and also suggest they challenge doctors or nurses who imply that it isn’t necessary. It can be a problematic issue because sexuality is not an easy thing to talk about in an appointment. A lot depends on the relationship between the individual and their nurse or doctor.”

Dr Fish added: “Younger women in particular spoke of a lack of information. Lesbian groups have found that advice on sexual health is popularly requested because the information simply isn’t out there, particularly when compared to material available for gay men. It is not easily accessible and tends not to be well distributed.”

She recommended easier access to information targeted at lesbians, which has been developed by the NHS into a national screening leaflet.

The leaflet can be viewed here

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McCain’s wife, daughter back gay marriage movement
THURSDAY, January 21, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Washington) Cindy McCain, the wife of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and their daughter Meghan have posed for photos endorsing pro-gay marriage forces in California.

Mrs. McCain appears with silver duct tape across her mouth and “NOH8? written on one cheek in a photo posted Wednesday to the Web site of NOH8, a gay rights group opposed to Proposition 8. The ballot measure passed by California voters in 2008 bans same-sex marriage.

The McCains’ daughter Meghan, who has been outspoken in her support for gay rights, has also endorsed NOH8. She appears with silver duct tape across her mouth and “NOH8? on a cheek in a photo on her Twitter site.

Cindy McCain contacted NOH8 and offered to pose for the photo endorsement, the Web site said.

John McCain’s office said in a statement that the Arizona senator respects the views of members of his family but remains opposed to gay marriage.

“Sen. McCain believes the sanctity of marriage is only defined as between one man and one woman,” the statement said.

John McCain backed an Arizona ballot measure passed by voters in 2008 that defined marriage as between one man and one woman.

The NOH8 Web site praised Cindy McCain’s willingness to publicly endorse a cause that is unpopular within the Republican Party.

“The McCains are one of the most well-known Republican families in recent history, and for Mrs. McCain to have reached out to us to offer her support truly means a lot,” the site says.

“Although we had worked with Meghan McCain before and were aware of her own position, we’d never really thought the cause might be something her mother would get behind. We have a huge amount of respect for both of these women for being brave enough to make it known they support equal marriage rights for all Americans.”

Meghan McCain said Wednesday in a Twitter message linked to her blog: “I couldn’t be more proud of my mother for posing for the NOH8 campaign. I think more Republicans need to start taking a stand for equality.”

Meghan McCain was asked to be the keynote speaker at next month’s National Equality Week at George Washington University in Washington for her advocacy, but her appearance has drawn criticism from Republicans on campus, the NOH8 site said.

McCain’s Senate re-election campaign said Wednesday that his presidential running mate, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will come to Arizona to campaign for him in March. Palin has been a vocal opponent of gay marriage.

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3 weeks after gay marriage law, NH takes up repeal
WEDNESDAY, January 20, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Concord, NH) Three weeks after the state legalized gay marriage, opponents are asking a House committee to repeal the law and let voters amend the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

The House Judiciary Committee was holding hearings Wednesday on the two measures, which many observers expect the House to reject when they are brought to the floor in the next few weeks.

Opponents know their chances of success are slim, but they are looking to the November election in hopes Republicans will regain control of the Statehouse and succeed then in repealing the law.

Right now, Democrats are firmly in charge and appear eager to dispose of controversial measures early in the session to avoid lingering debate in an election year. Gay marriage opponents know that and are focusing on a bigger prize: voter sympathy.

In recent weeks, opponents began a grass-roots effort to challenge the law indirectly by suggesting New Hampshire’s 400 House members and 24 senators aren’t representative of the people’s wishes. They point out that in the 31 states where voters have had a say, gay marriage has been rejected.

They plan to raise the issue at town meetings this spring in hopes of passing nonbinding resolutions that will pressure lawmakers to present them with an amendment that defines marriage. They also hope their effort will help elect anti-gay marriage candidates in November.

State Rep. David Bates, a Republican from Windham, is organizing the petition effort to put gay marriage before town voters. He said Tuesday that petitions have been certified in 108 towns. He expects petitions to be completed by a Feb. 2 deadline in about 150 of New Hampshire’s more than 200 towns that hold meetings each spring. Petitions must be signed by 25 registered voters in the town to be put on the agenda.

Kevin Smith, executive director of the conservative Cornerstone Policy Research, agreed Tuesday there’s not much chance the gay marriage law will be repealed this year. Though he supports repeal, Smith said he is focusing more on the proposed constitutional change and will urge lawmakers to let voters decide the issue.

“People really want an opportunity to have a say,” he said.

Janson Wu, staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and other gay marriage advocates argue the size of New Hampshire’s Legislature makes it one of the most representative democratic bodies in the world.

“New Hampshire realizes it is just wrong to vote on people’s rights,” Wu said.

A ballot amendment would make New Hampshire a battlefield similar to other states where millions of dollars is spent by groups outside the state, Wu said.

New Hampshire’s law legalizing gay marriage took effect Jan. 1. New Hampshire joined Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont in allowing the unions.

California briefly allowed gay marriage before a popular vote in 2008 banned the practice; a court ruling grandfathered in couples who were already married. Last year, Maine lawmakers approved gay marriage, but voters overturned the law in a referendum.

Smith said he’d expect gay couples married in New Hampshire before a repeal or constitutional amendment would retain their statuses, much as couples in California retained theirs.

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Same-sex hand holding day goes worldwide
TUESDAY, January 19, 2010 (Pink News)

The organiser of an initiative to help gay people feel confident holding hands in public is celebrating the spread of the movement across the world.

Gay rights activist David Watkins began the monthly event last year and has been asking participants around the globe to email pictures of themselves standing hand-in-hand with a loved one or friend.

So far, he has received pictures from couples as far away as Mexico and China.

The next day will be January 30th and Watkins is calling for more people to get involved. There is also an Elvis challenge, in which people can walk a mile holding hands after the song Walk A Mile in My Shoes.

Although some gay couples may live in countries where they cannot openly hold hands, they are encouraged to participate as subtly as they can.

The idea, Watkins says, is to increase visibility of gay people and challenge stereotypes.

He told PinkNews.co.uk: "The only way to increase the spread is if people blog about it, put it on social networks. The community needs to spread the word.

"It's a great campaign. I mean that it really forces you to question your own attitudes and your attitudes to your loved ones. It's okay to say you're out and proud but can you put that into practice? When people break that barrier, it gets easier. It increases self-esteem and relationships.

"Another way to support it is just to talk about it as much as possible. We know that not everyone around the world can do it. Opening up debate is the most positive thing.

"Although we now have many rights, [being visible] can be difficult. You can't legislate for this."

He added that sending in photos from around the world has a "domino effect" and inspires other people to become more confident.

In October, Watkins was honoured with an award at Downing Street for his campaign.

He was presented with the Social Inclusion Award from the Sheila McKechnie Foundation. The charity is dedicated to connecting, informing and supporting campaigners.

For more information, and to see photos from around the world, visit the A Day in Hand website

Participants can email their photos to yourstories@adayinhand.com

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Hawaii may get quick vote on civil unions
TUESDAY, January 19, 2010 (365gay.com)

(Honolulu) When Hawaii legislators reconvene on Wednesday, all eyes will be focused not on teacher furloughs that resulted in the nation’s shortest school year or the state’s $1 billion budget deficit, but legislation that would allow same-sex couples to form civil unions.

The measure would grant gay couples the rights and benefits the state provides to married couples and is among a handful of similar proposals that could pop up in several other states. At the same time, a federal judge in San Francisco is considering the constitutionality of California’s same-sex marriage ban.

“This bill has already been voted on, so there isn’t as much convincing to do anymore,” said Alan Spector of Equality Hawaii, a leading supporter of the bill. “I think (legislators) get the substance of the bill and the need for the bill.”

Last year, the proposal easily won preliminary passage in the Legislature, but stalled in May after opponents lobbied and held a state Capitol rally attended by several thousand protesters.

Opponents, noting that this is an election year, cast doubt on claims that passage is at hand. Critics, including the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and scores of evangelical Protestant churches, hope another rally, this one planned for Sunday, will be large enough to convince wavering lawmakers to kill the measure.

“It’s up to the people who oppose civil unions to remind the legislators that they work for the people,” said Garret Hashimoto, chairman of the Hawaii Christian Coalition. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts that the majority of the people in Hawaii oppose civil unions and gay marriage.”

No independent polls or surveys have been conducted on the issue, so it’s difficult to measure public sentiment. The last time voters directly weighed in on a related issue was in 1998 when 70 percent approved a constitutional amendment allowing the Legislature to reserve marriage for opposite sex couples.

Elsewhere, at least one other state, New Mexico, appears poised to seriously consider a civil union measure. Bills in Illinois and Minnesota also may surface. Colorado, Wisconsin, Maryland and Maine have limited laws allowing same-gender civil unions. Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut permit same-sex marriage.

In Hawaii, the measure would expand the state’s existing reciprocal beneficiaries law by granting to unmarried same- and opposite-gender couples all of the rights and benefits the state provides to married couples. It is similar to broad civil union or domestic partnership laws in California, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey.

The Hawaii legislation would have no impact on federal tax and other benefits that only apply to married opposite-sex couples. According to 2000 census records, more than 1,200 male couples, 1,100 female couples and 21,100 mixed couples lived together in Hawaii.

Supporters voice guarded confidence that the bill, pending in the Senate since May, still enjoys majority support in both chambers.

But House Speaker Calvin Say, a Democrat, suggested the bill could stall in the House if the Senate vote turns out to be slim. “If the bill limps over,” he said, “you know we don’t have the two-thirds, so why go through the exercise if the governor is going to veto?”

Foes say the House, whose members face re-election every two years, will be a prime focus of their lobbying.

The number of no votes among House members has “changed tremendously, in our favor,” said former state Rep. Dennis Arakaki, head of the Hawaii Family Forum and Hawaii Catholic Conference. “They are especially sensitive because they’re all up for election.”

Honolulu Catholic Bishop Larry Silva in a letter last week urged some 220,000 parishioners to lobby lawmakers. He called civil unions “simply a euphemism” for gay marriage and claimed it is justifiable to discriminate against gay couples who want to marry.

Spector contended Silva was “trying to impose his Catholic faith … upon all of Hawaii’s residents.”

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has refused to say what she would do if the measure lands on her desk, though she recently urged lawmakers to shelve it, in favor of economic and budget matters.

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Federal Prop. 8 Trial: Thursday Update
FRIDAY, January 15, 2010 (The Advocate)

It was mostly a numbers game in the courtroom this morning during Day four of the federal trial challenging Proposition 8 — how many couples got married, how many dollars did they spend, how much tax revenue has been lost as a result of the ban on same-sex marriage.

Plaintiffs opposing the same-sex marriage ban in California presented evidence to show that preventing same-sex couples from marrying hurts the local government by costing millions in tax revenue and commercial business. And, according to San Francisco chief economist Edmund Egan, costs also include money the city and county must spend to provide health coverage for gays without insurance, enforce of a law requiring employers to provide coverage for domestic partners, and provide for increased behavioral health care needs.

Egan testified that about 5,100 of the 18,000 same-sex couples who married between June and November 2008 were in San Francisco, that they spent at a rate of about $21 million per year on wedding expenses, which produced several hundreds of thousands of dollars in associated taxes. Because of the same-sex marriage ban, the city’s hotels are losing at least $2.6 million a year in business.

The purpose of such testimony, said Therese Stewart, chief deputy city attorney for San Francisco, was to counter defendants’ claim that there is a rational need for the government to ban same-sex marriage.

On cross-examination, defense attorney Peter Patterson tried to combine interim Census data on the number of same-sex couple households in San Francisco with Egan’s testimony to suggest he had vastly overestimated the costs. The Census data Patterson referred to showed 9,624 same-sex couple households in San Francisco; and by extrapolating from Egan’s data, Patterson said Egan would be predicting 14,599 weddings. But on reexamination of Egan, plaintiff attorney Christine Van Aken enabled Egan to point out that every same-sex couple does not live together before marriage.

After Patterson tried to show only a small number of same-sex couples sought marriage licenses after November 2008, Van Aken had Egan point out that the November 4, 2008,vote approving Proposition 8 made it essentially pointless for any same-sex couples to apply for marriage licenses.

Testimony with two more witnesses is expected to be completed during the afternoon session, which began at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Judge Vaughn Walker, who is presiding over the trial, acknowledged in court this morning the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits him from making tapes or closed-circuit broadcast of the proceedings available beyond the courthouse itself. He announced he was therefore withdrawing his request that the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial be part of the federal appeals court’s pilot program for making proceedings more widely available to the public.

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China's state press covers gay wedding
THURSDAY, January 14, 2010 (Pink News)

A state-run Chinese newspaper gave its front page to a gay wedding today.

China Daily, an English-language newspaper, featured the wedding of Zeng Anquan and Pan Wenjie, which took place on January 3rd.

Same-sex marriage and civil unions are not legally recognised in China, yet the media attention on the story follows a number of recent gay rights breakthroughs in the county.

Last month, the first state-run gay bar opened and this Friday will see China's first gay pageant.

According to AFP, China Daily's coverage of the wedding called it "the first such public event in the country".

The happy couple married in a gay bar in the town of Chengdu. They recently moved to a nearby village to avoid unwanted attention, although they may now find themselves the poster children for gay rights in the country.

Zeng, who had previously been married to a woman, told the newspaper: "We are no longer hiding any more. The wedding is our happiest and most precious moment.

"Thousands of gays and lesbians get married in France, Finland, the UK. Why couldn't we?"

Although 200 of the couple's friends attended the ceremony, their families did not. The couple said their relatives were ashamed of them.

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Asian gay men’s sex survey reports high levels of sex without condoms
WEDNESDAY, January 13, 2010 (Aidsmap)

The world’s second-largest sex survey of men who have sex with men, focusing mainly on men in East and Southeast Asia, has found that 46% of those who had anal intercourse reported inconsistent condom use with casual partners, and higher levels of unprotected sex with regular partners.

The survey has produced findings across a wide range of indicators that are remarkably similar to the world’s largest survey of gay men's sexual behaviour, the UK's annual Gay Men’s Sex Survey (GMSS) conducted by Sigma Research.

The success of the English-language survey, hosted by the gay Asian website www.fridae.com, has led to a larger 2010 survey in nine languages ranging from Hindi to Japanese – see below.

The 2009 survey was answered by nearly 8000 gay men. Twenty per cent of respondents were from the three non-Asian countries of the USA, Australia and the UK, and this may have influenced some results such as the HIV testing figures.

A quarter were from Singapore, where Fridae is based, 13% from Malaysia, 8% from Hong Kong and 6% from mainland China, six per cent from Thailand and about 3% each from Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan. There were also significant proportions from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Findings that significantly differed from those of the UK GMSS included:

• A higher proportion of men had ever taken an HIV test than in the UK (74%, versus 65% in the GMSS), though slightly fewer had tested in the last twelve months (51% versus 54%);
• Five per cent who had tested and 3.7% of the whole group knew they had HIV, compared with 11.6% of testers and 9.8% of the whole group in the UK survey;
• A lower proportion had high numbers of partners than in the UK (13% had had more than ten partners in the last year, compared with 19.5% with more than twelve partners in the last GMSS);
• A higher proportion met partners on the internet and fewer in bars and clubs than in the UK, though the proportion meeting partners in saunas was identical.

Apart from these findings, the findings of the Asian and the UK surveys are remarkably similar.

The report on the survey – see www.msmsexsurvey.com– notes that 31% of men having sex with a regular partner and 21% having casual sex in the last year did not always use a condom. However this includes the 13% of men who had not had sex with a man at all in the last year plus 12% who did not have anal sex with regular partners and 17% who did not anal sex with casual partners.

This therefore understates the proportion of anal sex that was unprotected. In the full findings:

• Fifty-eight per cent of men had had a regular partner and 62% had had casual sex;
• Seventy-nine per cent of those with regular partners and 72% of those with casual partners had had anal sex;
• Fifty-three per cent of those who had regular partners and 33% of those with casual partners had not consistently used condoms;
• Sixty-seven per cent of those who had anal sex with regular partners, and 46% of those who had anal sex with casual partners, had not consistently used condoms.

For comparison, in the last GMSS, 53% of those who had had receptive anal sex and 52% who had had insertive anal sex had not always used a condom in the last year.

The age profile of the respondents was very similar to the GMSS, with a median age of 33 (34 in GMSS). This was an educated and well-travelled group, with two-thirds having had university education (61% in GMSS) and 64% of them having travelled out of their country of residence in the last year.

Eighty-two per cent identified as gay (86% in GMSS) and 15% as bisexual (8.5% in GMSS), with 7% reporting sex with a woman in the last year, the same proportion as in GMSS. Five point five per cent were married to a woman (in the GMSS 4.3% were married or in a primary relationship with a woman). Three quarters said they were comfortable with their sexuality, and about a third appeared socially isolated, saying they had “few or no” gay friends.

As noted above, the proportion having a large number of partners (over 10) was lower and the proportion who had been sexually abstinent was higher than in the GMSS (13% having had no sex with men versus 7% in GMSS).

Forty-five per cent of men were in a committed relationship (48% in GMSS) and 42% only had sex with their regular partner.

The internet was the most common way for men to meet each other: 72% had met someone through the internet in the last year (62% in the last GMSS, whose data was collected in 2007), 38% at saunas (the same as GMSS) and 28% in a club (52% in the GMSS at a “bar, pub or club”).

As indicated above, 5% of those tested for HIV tested positive. Of these 62% were taking antiretroviral medication and 51% had an undetectable viral load. HIV status made no difference to relationship status, with the same proportion reporting a regular partner; 70% of partners were not HIV positive themselves.

Although two-thirds agreed that “the best time to talk about HIV is before sex” only 20% had actually discussed HIV status before sex: this compares with 40% ‘sometimes’ and 10-20% ‘always’ doing so in the GMSS.

The last section of the survey asked about HIV stigma. Nearly 40% of respondents knew someone with HIV and 14% had had sex with someone they knew had HIV. Three-quarters of respondents said they would befriend someone with HIV but only 60% would share food with them and 30% would have sex with them (these results included the HIV positive respondents).

Fridae’s founder, Dr Stuart Koe, commented:

“Our survey started in 2004 mostly as an adjunct to the local study done in Singapore. By 2006, we were collecting not only far more results than the pen and paper studies, but were more cost-effective to market, and had more candid answers about sensitive topics.”

The 2010 survey, the 2010 Asia Internet MSM Sex Survey, is currently online at www.2010aimss.com and will run until 28 February.

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SLDN makes it clear: It's time for Obama to lead on DADT
TUESDAY, January 12, 2010 (AMERICAblog)

Whether Don't Ask, Don't Tell gets repealed this year depends on what Barack Obama does over the next few weeks. Yes, on this one, the ball is in Obama's court. He makes the call.

Servicemember Legal Defense Network took the gloves off this week. The organization is sending a powerful message to the President, asking him to "Lead the Way":

In an open letter to Obama, appearing as an ad in Roll Call today, SLDN's Executive Director, Aubrey Sarvis, states:

It looks like SLDN has had enough of the speeches and promises. Unlike many DC-based organizations, SLDN is focused on its critically important organizational mission. Now, that might mean no more White House invitations, but what's more important: Finally ending DADT; or getting invited to another cocktail party? No doubt, this campaign is going to irritate people at the White House. Jim Messina, the Deputy Chief of Staff who oversees gay issues, will probably blow a gasket and start screaming at someone. The "No Drama" Obama thing doesn't apply when top staffers at the White House yell at progressive groups and others who expect Obama to keep his promises. Conservatives and Blue Dogs never get that kind of treatment from the White House, only the President's friends and allies who helped elect him in the first place.

Of course, it would be a big mistake for someone in the White House brain trust to cut off its relationship with SLDN, "the" group that represents gay military personnel. SLDN was formed from the Campaign for Military Service, the group that was formed to fight the ban when Don't Ask Don't Tell was first being formulated in early 1993. SLDN has been in the thick of it from the beginning. I'd expect the other gay groups to stand with SLDN on this one. Because SLDN is right. But more importantly, the community will most certainly stand with our lead group that has been fighting the ban for all these 17 years. The White House takes on SLDN at its own peril.

This is all up to the President, and whether he chooses to keep his promise. Kerry Eleveld makes a similar point in her weekly column, explaining the powerful role the President play in all of this:

We'll know in a couple weeks, the first week in February, if President Obama is going to include the repeal of DADT in his budget. He promised he would. The ball really is in Obama's court.

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The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage by Ted Olson
MONDAY, January 11, 2010 (Newsweek)

Together with my good friend and occasional courtroom adversary David Boies, I am attempting to persuade a federal court to invalidate California's Proposition 8—the voter-approved measure that overturned California's constitutional right to marry a person of the same sex.

My involvement in this case has generated a certain degree of consternation among conservatives. How could a politically active, lifelong Republican, a veteran of the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush administrations, challenge the "traditional" definition of marriage and press for an "activist" interpretation of the Constitution to create another "new" constitutional right?

My answer to this seeming conundrum rests on a lifetime of exposure to persons of different backgrounds, histories, viewpoints, and intrinsic characteristics, and on my rejection of what I see as superficially appealing but ultimately false perceptions about our Constitution and its protection of equality and fundamental rights.

Many of my fellow conservatives have an almost knee-jerk hostility toward gay marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighborhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership. We encourage couples to marry because the commitments they make to one another provide benefits not only to themselves but also to their families and communities. Marriage requires thinking beyond one's own needs. It transforms two individuals into a union based on shared aspirations, and in doing so establishes a formal investment in the well-being of society. The fact that individuals who happen to be gay want to share in this vital social institution is evidence that conservative ideals enjoy widespread acceptance. Conservatives should celebrate this, rather than lament it.

Legalizing same-sex marriage would also be a recognition of basic American principles, and would represent the culmination of our nation's commitment to equal rights. It is, some have said, the last major civil-rights milestone yet to be surpassed in our two-century struggle to attain the goals we set for this nation at its formation.

This bedrock American principle of equality is central to the political and legal convictions of Republicans, Democrats, liberals, and conservatives alike. The dream that became America began with the revolutionary concept expressed in the Declaration of Independence in words that are among the most noble and elegant ever written: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Sadly, our nation has taken a long time to live up to the promise of equality. In 1857, the Supreme Court held that an African-American could not be a citizen. During the ensuing Civil War, Abraham Lincoln eloquently reminded the nation of its found-ing principle: "our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

For the full article, click here.

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Homeless charity warns of increase in gay Muslims fleeing family violence
MONDAY, January 11, 2010 (Pink News)

The Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity which helps homeless LGBT young people, has said it is seeing an increase in the numbers of gay Muslims fleeing from forced marriages and family violence.

The charity told the BBC it had seen an increase in the numbers of gay Muslims contacting it for help in the last six months.

Trust worker Annie Southerst said: "They face threats of physical violence, actual violence and restriction of liberties.

"We've had people chased out of the house with knives and we have had issues around young people who had exorcisms planned to get rid of the gay demons, I suppose.

"They come to us because they're homeless, or in danger of being homeless imminently. We sort out emergency accommodation for them."

One visitor to the charity's weekly drop-in session in London, 20-year-old student Suni, told the BBC he had been imprisoned in Pakistan for three months after his parents suspected he was gay.

Suni said he had been beaten by his family, who thought making him marry a woman would cure him of homosexuality.

Fazal Mahmood, who runs a support group for South Asian and Middle Eastern gay men called Himat, said that after young men and women in Muslim families reveal their sexual orientation, they are often asked to leave.

He said: "I'm proud to be a Muslim, I'm proud to be South Asian, Pakistani and I'm proud to be gay as well.

"Unfortunately a lot of parents don't see that. All they see is 'what is my community going to feel like when they find out my son or daughter is gay?'."

The government dropped plans to make forcing someone into a marriage a crime, instead introducing Forced Marriage Protection orders in November 2008.

The Albert Kennedy Trust has used four in the last few months. They are court orders which, if breached, can result in a two-year prison sentence.

The head of the government department which deals with forced marriages said that gay and lesbian young people were particularly vulnerable to forced marriages.

Olaf Henricson-Bell said: "Forced marriage by its nature is an underground practice and the cases often go unreported.

"The individuals involved may be reluctant to mention sexuality when they ring us or when they bring their case to the attention of the authorities."

The Forced Marriage Unit is to work with the Albert Kennedy Trust to produce guidance for gay charities when dealing with young people at risk of being forced into marriages.

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Uganda: government minister questions need for new anti-gay laws
MONDAY, January 11, 2010 (Aidsmap)

A Ugandan government minister has questioned the need for new legislation which would intensify penalties for consenting homosexual acts.

Aston Kajara, minister of state for investments, the Agence France-Presse news agency: "The government's position is that the existing provisions in our penal code against homosexuality are strong enough and that this new bill is not necessary. The penal code already sufficiently covers this issue."

Homosexuality is already punishable by up to 14 years in prison in Uganda, but new legislation proposes the death penalty for an offence of `aggravated homosexuality` - rape of a minor or sex where one partner is HIV-positive. The bill also seeks life imprisonment of anyone convicted of same-sex relations, and introduces a raft of penalties for people seen as `promoting homosexuality`, including parents who do not report homosexual children and landlords and hoteliers who rent to gay men or lesbians.

According to The Scotsman newspaper, President Museveni of Uganda has told colleagues the death penalty clause is too harsh, and several leading politicians are quoted as saying the clause will be removed when the bill comes before the Ugandan parliament in February.

Public Eye website recently published a comprehensive account of the extent to which American Christian evangelists have fanned a climate of mounting homophobia in Uganda.

For example, Scott Lively, co-author of The Pink Swastika, met with Ugandan MPs during a visit to Kampala in March 2009 after a seminar entitled Exposing the Homosexuals' Agenda, in which he alleged a homosexual conspiracy to take over the world.

In an open letter to the Ugandan president and parliament issued today, the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society called on MPs to reject the proposals.

"Encouraging openness and combating stigma are widely recognised as key components of Uganda’s successful campaign to reduce HIV," infection,” said Society president Dr Francois Venter.

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Prop. 8 Trial Underway
MONDAY, January 11, 2010 (The Advocate)

Attorneys in an unprecedented federal suit challenging California’s Proposition 8 filed in May finally have their day in court, with former U.S. solicitor general Ted Olson scheduled delivering opening statements in San Francisco this morning.

Following opening remarks, the plaintiffs—Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier of Berkeley, Calif. and Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo of Burbank, Calif., who were denied marriage licenses by the state—will be examined by co-counsel David Boies, the attorney who argued Bush v. Gore against Olson in 2000. Boies is also expected to be the lead cross-examiner in the trial.

Both attorneys spent the final day preparing for the suit in the San Francisco offices of Olson’s firm, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher.

“The whole world is going to hear these’ four plaintiffs’ story,” said Chad Griffin, co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which organized and funded the suit, Perry v. Schwarzenegger “And I think when this court and the rest of the country hears their story it’s going to be really difficult to look them in the eye you shouldn’t have the same rights as every other American.”

Aided by attorneys for the city of San Francisco, Olson and Boies will be calling a range of experts on marriage and the history of discrimination against gays and lesbians in the bench trial, which is expected to last two weeks and may ultimately end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. Expected witnesses include M.V. Lee Badgett, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, who will testify about the societal impact of same-sex marriage; George Chauncey, a Yale history professor who will illustrate the history of discrimination against gays and lesbians; and Ryan Kendall, a gay man who went through so-called “conversion therapy” by an ex-gay group.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has called for the proceedings to be videotaped and delay broadcasted on YouTube. The attorneys defending Prop. 8 have vigorously opposed televising the trial, arguing that anti-marriage equality witnesses could be subjected to harassment. The defendants have appealed Walker’s ruling to the Supreme Court. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is expected to rule on the matter today.

Olson and Boies will argue that Prop. 8 is a violation of equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th amendment, and that gay couples’ right to marry has no ill effect on the institution of marriage.

U.S. Supreme Court case law cited in their pre-trial brief includes Loving v. Virginia, which struck down state laws prohibiting interracial marriage; Turner v. Safley, which held that prisoners have the right to marry; and Lawrence v. Texas, which invalidated sodomy laws, overruling a previous high court decision in Bowers v. Hardwick.

The brief also employs an earlier gaffe made by pro-Prop. 8 attorneys as ammunition. During an October hearing, Judge Walker asked attorney Charles J. Cooper what societal harm would result in allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry.

“Your honor, my answer is: I don’t know,” Cooper replied. “I don’t know.”

Cooper and his team will argue that marriage rights for same-sex couples would irrevocably damage the institution of marriage and that discrimination against gays and lesbians is overblown.

But marriage equality proponents say the only way Cooper can’t see antigay discrimination is if he isn’t looking for it. “If you close your eyes, you don’t see it,” said Therese Stewart, San Francisco chief deputy city attorney. “If you don’t know gay people and you don’t care, you don’t see it. Even if you’re the perpetrator of it sometimes.”

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Portugal Parliament Votes to Permit Gay Marriage
FRIDAY, January 8, 2010 (New York Times)

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Portugal's parliament passed a bill Friday that would make the predominantly Catholic nation the sixth in Europe to permit gay marriage.

Conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva is thought unlikely to veto the Socialist government's bill, which won the support of all left-of-center parties. His ratification would allow the first gay marriage ceremonies to take place in April -- a month before Pope Benedict XVI is due on an official visit to Portugal.

Right-of-center parties opposed the change and sought a national referendum on the issue, but their proposal was rejected and the government's bill was passed by 125 votes to 99.

Gay rights campaigners applauded from the galleries, hugged and kissed outside the building and ate wedding cake.

''This law rights a wrong,'' Prime Minister Jose Socrates said in a speech to lawmakers, adding that it ''simply ends pointless suffering.''

Socrates said the measure is part of his effort to modernize Portugal where homosexuality was a crime until 1982. Two years ago his government lifted Portugal's ban on abortion, despite church opposition.

Gay marriage is currently permitted in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway. Canada, South Africa and six U.S. states also permit it.

The bill removes a reference in the current law to marriage being between two people of different sexes.

''It's a slight change to the law, it's true,'' Socrates, the prime minister, said. ''But it is a very important and symbolic step towards fully ensuring respect for values that are essential in any democratic, open and tolerant society: the values of freedom, equality and non-discrimination.''

Like neighboring Spain, which introduced same-sex marriages four years ago, Portugal is an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country and previous efforts to introduce gay marriage ran into strong resistance from religious groups and conservative lawmakers.

Paulo Corte-Real, head of a lobby group called Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual Intervention, said Portugal had become a pioneering country in gay rights.

''This is a historic moment. We just hope (the bill) gets ratified quickly,'' he said.

Socrates said a referendum was not necessary because the gay marriage proposal was included in the Socialist Party's manifesto in last September's general election, when it was returned to power.

In 2001, a law allowed ''civil unions'' between same-sex couples which granted them certain legal, tax and property rights. However, it did not allow couples to take their partner's name, inherit their possessions nor their state pension, which is permitted in marriages.

A proposal from the Left Bloc and Green Party allowing gay couples to adopt children was voted down Friday. Gay campaigners said they would continue to fight for gay couples' parental rights.

The main opposition Social Democratic Party proposed granting non-married cohabiting couples of the same sex more rights, as in France, but its bill also was rejected.

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No Marriage Equality for N.J.
THURSDAY, January 7, 2010 (The Advocate)

In a vote held Thursday afternoon, the New Jersey senate failed to gather enough votes to advance a same-sex marriage bill, effectively killing chances for gay nuptials in the state for the next few years. The measure failed 14 to 20.

The state's legislature was under the gun to hold a vote on the matter. Governor-elect Chris Christie, who has vowed to veto any gay marriage legislation, takes office on January 19, while sitting governor John Corzine had promised to do the opposite.

Now, for another marriage equality bill to advance legislatively, New Jersey's senate and assembly need enough votes to override Christie's veto, which seems highly unlikely.

Garden State Equality, the state's gay rights organization, issued the following statement: "We are not waiting out the term of any new Administration to bring equality to same-sex couples in our state. With today’s vote in the state senate, the New Jersey legislature defaulted on its constitutional obligation to provide same-sex couples in New Jersey equal protection, as unanimously mandated by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006. That’s why we at Garden State Equality are here with our partner Lambda Legal, which has an extraordinary track record of advancing LGBT civil rights in the courts. Now our organizations will announce major news. Our side is going back to court to win marriage equality. We’ll hear from Lambda Legal in a moment. Let’s be clear about what this news means. We are not waiting out the term of any new Administration to bring equality to same-sex couples in our state. In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court told the legislature it could enact marriage or another structure that provides the equal protection of marriage. But the civil union law failed to do that."

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New Jersey to vote on gay marriage today
THURSDAY, January 7, 2010 (365gay.com)

New Jersey’s state senate will vote on gay marriage sometime this afternoon, despite the pro-gay side likely not having the votes to pass the bill. Tomorrow is the last day the state legislature is in session. Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who takes office Jan. 19, opposes same-sex marriage.

From the New Jersey Star-Ledger:

“Pro-gay marriage advocates have an uphill fight to get the 21 votes needed for passage in the upper house , as only 13 senators have publicly supported the bill.

“If the bill were to pass the Senate and then pass the Assembly Monday, Gov. Jon Corzine has vowed to sign the measure and make New Jersey the sixth state to allow gay marriage.

“Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) said he’s not sure what will happen, but doesn’t “know of anyone who necessarily has changed their opinion” since last month, when the sponsors concluded there wasn’t enough support and requested it be pulled from a vote.

“Codey said he expects a long debate, but said that once he instructs senators to cast their votes, he won’t wait a long time to see if it will get the 21 needed to pass — unlike past big votes when leaders leave “the board open” until enough arms were twisted to get enough support.”

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Catholic Portugal set to legalise gay marriage
THURSDAY, January 7, 2010 (AFP)

LISBON — Catholic Portugal, traditionally one of Europe's most socially conservative countries, is expected to approve the legalisation of gay marriage on Friday with a minimum of fuss.

With the governing Socialists and other left-wing parties enjoying a strong majority, the new law is likely to sail through the first reading debate and gain final approval before a visit by Pope Benedict XVI, due in Portugal in May.

In contrast to Spain, where the lead-up to the legalisation of gay marriage in 2005 brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators onto the streets, the bill in Portugal has provoked only muted opposition even from the right.

While normally vocal on the role of marriage and the family in society, the Catholic Church has refused to mobilise on a subject which, according to Lisbon's Cardinal Patriarch Jose Policarpo, is "parliament's responsibility".

"I think the Portuguese people have learnt one of the fundamental tenets of democracy: respect for the rights of the individual," Miguel Vale de Almeida, Portugal's first openly-gay lawmaker who was elected in September, told AFP.

Vale de Almeida, who is the Socialists' pointman on the legislation, said there is now a political majority in favour of gay marriage and that it is "too simplistic to link Catholicism and conservatism."

According to poll conducted late last year by the Eurosondagem institute, while a strong majority (68.4 percent) of Portuguese are opposed to adoptions by same-sex couples, they are more evenly divided when it comes to gay marriage with 49.5 percent against, with 45.5 percent in favour.

On Tuesday, campaigners handed a petition with more than 90,000 signatures to demand a referendum on the subject into parliament.

But having had its fingers burnt by two referendums which preceded the legalisation of abortion in 2007, the government has ruled out consulting with the public as the measure was part of its manifesto in last year's election.

Prime Minister Jose Socrates' Socialists may have lost their majority in the September 27 election, but still command the support of other left-wing parties in parliament who should guarantee that the gay marriage bill is passed.

While opposed to the concept of same-sex "marriages", the centre-right opposition Social Democrat party says it is favour of a civil partnership that would give gays and lesbians the same rights as heterosexual couples minus adoptions.

Deputies are also expected on Friday to vote two other bills submitted by the Green party, the Left Bloc and others which would grant gay and lesbian couples the right to adopt children.

If the gay marriage proposals do pass through parliament, they will the have to go through a parliamentary commission before coming back for the final approval.

According to media reports, both the government and the Catholic Church wants the gay marriage issue to be resolved before the visit of the pope, scheduled for May 11-14.

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US HIV travel ban lifted today
MONDAY, January 4, 2010 (Pink News)

The ban on HIV-positive people entering the US officially ends today.

The 22-year-old law was one of the most restrictive immigration policies in the world for people with HIV but was lifted by President Barack Obama in November.

He described it as a "decision rooted in fear rather than fact".

According to On Top magazine, the first HIV-positive person to enter the country since the lifting of the ban will be Clemens Ruland, 45, a youth worker from the Netherlands.

He and his partner Hugo Bausch, 50, will be welcomed by gay group Immigration Equality when they arrive in New York today.

The lifting of the ban was praised by UK-based HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

Lisa Power, head of policy at the organisation, said: "It's ridiculous that for over 20 years people living with HIV have been banned from entering the US simply because of a medical condition.

"Removing the ban is long overdue and we congratulate the US government on seeing economic and medical sense. Terrence Higgins Trust and many others have campaigned against the ban since it was introduced.

"Blanket entry bans have no justification on public health grounds and only increase stigma. We hope other countries with similar bans in place will now remove them too."

The ban had also barred long-term foreign residents from obtaining resident status, purely on the basis of having HIV.

Only a handful of other countries, such as Yemen and Qatar, have similar policies on barring entry to HIV-positive individuals.

HIV experts criticised the ban in the past for encouraging people not to get tested out of fear.

Obama said that lifting the ban is a "step that will encourage people to get tested and get treatment. It's a step that will keep families together, and it's a step that will save lives".

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Odds Against Gay Marriage Grow With Setback in Trenton
MONDAY, January 4, 2010 (New York Times)

With just two weeks before New Jersey changes governors, gay-rights advocates are facing lengthening odds — and they have been long for some time now — of winning approval of a law that would grant legal recognition to same-sex marriages in the state.

Supporters of gay marriage have been lobbying frantically to win legislative approval of a marriage equality bill before Jan. 19, when Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who has promised to enact it, is replaced by Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie, who opposes it.

But advocates of the bill were rebuffed on Monday, when the Judiciary Committee in the General Assembly met and did not take up the proposal. That setback, which comes two weeks after the measure stalled in the State Senate, means that the legislation has now become bogged down in both chambers.

Despite the growing odds against it, however, gay-rights advocates say they are still hopeful that they will win approval before the change of governors. At a rally on the State House steps Monday afternoon, more than 150 demonstrators voiced equal measures of frustration and resolve, saying that Democratic legislators who had pledged to pass the bill would be held accountable if they reneged on their promises.

“Either we will be able to march up the aisle and have marriage equality, or we will march across the aisle and have political independence,” said Steven Goldstein, head of Garden State Equality, which has led the lobbying effort.

As recently as October, Democratic legislative leaders gave assurances that the measure would be passed and enacted during the lame-duck session. After Governor Corzine lost soundly to Mr. Christie in November, however, some Democratic lawmakers began voicing misgivings about the bill, most notably Stephen M. Sweeney, who will become Senate president this month.

So many Senate Democrats began to waver that after the bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, supporters feared it would lose in the Senate and instead began focusing on winning in the Assembly.

That has set up a standoff between leaders of the two houses, because many legislators who favor the bill do not want to go on record casting a controversial vote if they fear the measure will be defeated anyway.

The Assembly speaker, Joseph J. Roberts Jr., declined to put it up for a vote in Monday’s Judiciary Committee hearing, and said he would allow the Assembly to vote on it if it passed the Senate.

“People are being politically expedient, so no one wants to go first,” said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat from Princeton, who sponsored the bill. “But I’m still hopeful that people will see that this is a civil rights issue and vote their consciences.”

Opponents of the measure say that it violates the teachings of many religions and would upset the social order by changing the definition of marriage, which has traditionally been a union between one man and one woman.

But more than a dozen clergy members appeared at the rally to support the bill, including the Rev. Joseph Harmon, pastor of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in Jersey City.

"It’s not about religion,” he said. “People who won’t want to do it for religion reasons don’t have to."

With the Assembly now balking, gay-rights advocates are once again focusing on the State Senate, where Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, a Democrat from Union and a co-sponsor of the bill, said on Monday, “I believe there is a realistic chance we can get it posted and passed.”

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