http://www.gaynewswatch.com/rss.cfm Gay News Watch is the most complete source for news, blog posts and viewpoints about politics, civil rights, entertainment, sex and much more -- all of special interest to gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people -- whether in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia Edited by former Washington Blade editor Chris Crain. Log in now and make your own gay newspaper! en-us Copyright 2004-2010 WorldMedia, LLC Modern Signal Lighthouse http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=261&SID=7617#S7617 Sun, 7 Feb 2010 16:06:00 7617 A cocktail waitress fired from the Penthouse Executive Club is suing the jiggle joint, claiming male and female bosses sexually harassed her. Lourdes Garcia says she was one of the top servers at the club but was booted when she rebuffed the sexual advances and then complained. "It's disgusting," Garcia,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=287&SID=7616#S7616 Sun, 7 Feb 2010 16:02:00 7616 Transgender residents in Fort Wayne could get new protections under a proposed amendment to the city's anti-discrimination ordinance. Democratic city council member Karen Goldner is expected to introduce an amendment in the coming week aimed at preventing or punishing discrimination based on "gender identity." Goldner said transgendered people and others... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7615#S7615 Sun, 7 Feb 2010 15:57:00 7615 The biggest open secret in the landmark trial over same-sex marriage being heard in San Francisco is that the federal judge who will decide the case, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, is himself gay. Many gay politicians in San Francisco and lawyers who have had dealings with Walker say... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7614#S7614 Sun, 7 Feb 2010 15:54:00 7614 New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, speaking at the annual New York dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, said she will "introduce an amendment to the budget that will bar the use of funds for the enforcement" of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which prevents gay and lesbian soldiers... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7612#S7612 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 21:14:00 7612 Socially conservative House members on Wednesday echoed their Senate colleagues' criticism of the Pentagon's proposal to repeal the military's ban on open service by gays, with the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee expressing "serious concerns" about overturning the ban during wartime and calling for repeal without providing... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=183&SID=7613#S7613 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 13:18:00 7613 Colin Firth summed up a strange Hollywood agony concisely this week, as he was nominated for an Oscar for his role as a gay college professor in A Single Man. "If you're known as a straight guy, playing a gay role, you get rewarded for that," he said. "If you're... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=183&SID=7611#S7611 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 11:12:00 7611 Director Lee Daniels ("Precious") is not the first African-American to gain a \ Oscar nomination; that honor goes to John Singleton (Boys in the Hood). He's also not the first gay director to grasp the honor either; in fact, Gus van Sant has been nominated twice ("Good Will Hunting," "Milk").... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=266&SID=7610#S7610 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 09:33:00 7610 The runner-up of American Idol season eight is looking to have fun openly with both sexes. Adam Lambert, successfully taking a spot on the MTV billiard chart with his debut album For Your Entertainment, is looking for "a torrid affair." During his amateur months on American Idol, he dated a... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7609#S7609 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:44:00 7609 One week after President Obama raised the prospect of repealing the Don't Ask Don't Tell law preventing gays from serving openly in the U.S. ministry, a top Brazilian general has caused a firestorm by saying that gays have no place in that country's armed forces. "Military life contains certain characteristics,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=253&SID=7608#S7608 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:33:00 7608 *VIDEO available at end of jump*: An online mothers support group wants upscale retailer Armani Exchange to pull its new ad campaign, which the group claims promote homosexuality. The ads, launched for Valentine's Day, show same-sex couples embracing and urges customers to "share the love." But some people claim that... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7606#S7606 Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:17:00 7606 Uganda's controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill is likely to be changed, a minister has told the BBC. However, Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem did not give details of how he thought the final bill would be different to the current proposals. Uganda has come under intense international pressure over the bill,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7605#S7605 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:53:00 7605 For many lawmakers, "don't ask, don't tell" makes a lot of sense - for themselves. Ten months before elections, neither party sees much to gain in stirring up the once-volatile issue of letting gays serve openly in the military. Any candidate who isn't laser-focused on jobs is making a big... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7607#S7607 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:22:00 7607 Legislation under consideration in Uganda that could make homosexuality a criminal offense punishable with long jail terms and even execution is "odious," President Barack Obama said during his address at this morning's National Prayer Breakfast:<br> <div class="blog_embed_player_wrap"> <div id="flashcontent20100204_blog_uganda"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="/player/media1/mediaplayer.swf" id="mediaplayer1" name="mediaplayer1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="callback=http://www.npr.org/player/media1/track.php?Log=1&amp;file=http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/blog/2010/02/20100204_blog_uganda.mp3" height="20" width="400"></div> <script type="text/javascript">var... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=286&SID=7604#S7604 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:09:00 7604 A woman who battled the IRS over a tax deduction for the costs of her sex-change operation says she feels like she won a victory for all transgender people. Rhiannon O'Donnabhain (oh-DON'-oh-vin), who was born a man, sued the Internal Revenue Service in 2007 after the agency rejected a $5,000... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7603#S7603 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:05:00 7603 Members of a Maryland House committee on Wednesday shot down a bill that would prohibit Maryland from recognizing gay marriages validated by other states or countries. The House of Delegates Judiciary Committee voted against the proposal from Baltimore County Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr. The same committee has rejected similar... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7600#S7600 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 09:43:00 7600 The Pentagon's move to consider letting gays serve openly is generating lively debate on social media sites and among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who've returned to the U.S. The fireworks are less evident among troops in Afghanistan. Active-duty troops are generally cautious about commenting because of a ban on... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=60&SID=7602#S7602 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 08:58:00 7602 The man allegedly responsible for hurling anti-gay slurs and assaulting a trio of gay men in Hell's Kitchen has been identified and charged in the September attack. Air Force Staff Sergeant Benjamin Ford &mdash; who allegedly used the terms "faggot," "homo" and "queers" before punching one man and shoving another... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=255&SID=7601#S7601 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 07:50:00 7601 New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita addresses hot-button issues the way he might meet an opposing running back: directly. So Fujita was not shy Tuesday about entering two Super Bowl debates that have little to do with his team's game Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. At issue are two Super... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=242&SID=7599#S7599 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 06:40:00 7599 The ACLU of Florida says two Miami Beach police officers yelled epithets at a gay tourist and falsely accused him of trying to break into cars after he witnessed them kicking and punching a handcuffed man at Flamingo Park. As Officers Frankly Forte and Elliot Hazzi approached witness Harold Strickland,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7597#S7597 Thu, 4 Feb 2010 00:12:00 7597 As Adm. Mike Mullen had written it, he would tell the Senate committee that "allowing homosexuals to serve openly would be the right thing to do." But moments before he surprised even his close friends on Tuesday by voicing his opinion as he called for the end of the 16-year-old... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7596 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 19:43:00 7596 Malawian police have arrested a man for putting up gay-rights posters, amid a national debate over homosexuality - which is banned in Malawi. Peter Sawali had put up posters saying: "Gay rights are human rights", on a main road in Blantyre, police said. He was charged with conduct likely to... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7595#S7595 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:20:00 7595 Nine U.S. senators have agreed to introduce a bill that would prohibit D.C. from allowing same-sex marriages to be performed in the city until voters are allowed to decide the issue through a referendum or initiative. The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage, issued a statement Tuesday announcing... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7593#S7593 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 14:11:00 7593 Gen. Colin L. Powell, who as the nation's top military officer in the 1990s opposed allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military, switched gears today and threw his support behind efforts to end the "don't ask, don't tell" law he helped shepherd in.&nbsp; "In the almost... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7590#S7590 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 11:41:00 7590 President Barack Obama may get his wish to allow gays to serve openly in the military - not because of his powers of persuasion but because arguments against it have lost traction over time. A cultural shift since Congress passed a legal ban nearly a generation ago has changed the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7591 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 10:46:00 7591 From the possible end of the "don't ask, don't tell" law that bans gays from serving openly in the armed forces to the expansion of gay marriage, there will be plenty of chatter among the 2,000 gay and lesbian activists gathering in Dallas this week. The National Conference on LGBT... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7589#S7589 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 09:35:00 7589 British and U.S. researchers said they had grown a crystal that enabled them to see the structure of an enzyme called integrase, which is found in retroviruses like HIV and is a target for some of the newest HIV medicines. "Despite initially painstakingly slow progress and very many failed attempts,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7588#S7588 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 08:30:00 7588 The nation's top military leaders called Tuesday for an end to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military, but repealing the ban could re-energize social conservatives, analysts said. While public opinion polls have shown growing support for allowing gays to serve openly, the political repercussions began... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=122&SID=7587#S7587 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 07:25:00 7587 Ministers had tried to include a new definition of a priest in the flagship anti-discrimination law, but church leaders complained that it was far too narrow. They said it would mean religious organisations could no longer opt out of equality rules, and so would face prosecution unless they went against... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7592#S7592 Wed, 3 Feb 2010 05:51:00 7592 Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has gone on trial in Kuala Lumpur, accused of sodomy. Prosecutors said traces of Mr Anwar's DNA were found in medical tests on the male aide making the claim against him. Mr Anwar has consistently denied the allegations, calling them a conspiracy aimed at breaking... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=267&SID=7586#S7586 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 23:42:00 7586 The iPhone app "Grindr" is the biggest boon for gay sex since Craigslist. Clark Harding experiments hooking-up in all kinds of weird places, from traffic jams to mid-flight. Technology is bringing men closer together&mdash;even to the point of penetration. With the help of the iPhone, mobile application use has grown... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=136&SID=7585#S7585 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 23:28:00 7585 Atlanta Free Press is down (another) editor and an art director, but is apparently still breathing. With the way things have gone for the publication since opening Dec. 10, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if its offices were attacked by piranha. Big gay piranha. So the LGBT news... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7584#S7584 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 15:37:00 7584 Two top Pentagon officials told Congress on Tuesday that they are moving ahead with plans to dismantle the "don't ask, don't tell" policy against homosexuals serving openly in the armed forces &mdash; drawing a sharp rebuke from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who accused Defense Secretary Robert Gates of trying to... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7583#S7583 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 14:28:00 7583 The nation's top two Defense officials called on Tuesday for an end to the 16-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" law, a major step toward allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the United States military for the first time in its history. "No matter how I look at... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=102&SID=7579#S7579 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 13:09:00 7579 A lesbian royal albatross couple, nesting on the Otago Peninsula, have become proud parents. The chick, which hatched last week, is one of 17 birds born this year in the South Island - the New Zealand site is the only mainland breeding colony of the endangered animal in the world.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=243&SID=7578#S7578 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:59:00 7578 *WARNING: anti-gay news source*: Rabbi Yehuda Levin, spokesman for the Rabbinical Alliance of America issued the following statement: "When Americans are suffering economically and millions need jobs, it's shocking that the Administration is focused on its ultra-liberal militantly homosexualist agenda forcing the highlighting of homosexuals and homosexuality on an unwilling... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7581#S7581 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:30:00 7581 President Obama's top defense officials will tell the Senate on Tuesday that the military will no longer aggressively pursue disciplinary action against gay service members whose orientation is revealed against their will by third parties, sources say. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=183&SID=7580#S7580 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:15:00 7580 The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning and British actor Colin Firth was named for his role as gay college professor George Falconer in "A Single Man," the Tom Ford-directed interpretation of a Christopher Isherwood novel. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult ("Tony" of the UK TV show "Skins"),... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7576 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 10:52:00 7576 London and Hong Kong-based Galileo Capital Management said on Tuesday it has launched an advisory and investment management unit targeted at companies that provide products and services to the gay consumer market. Galileo did not say when its new unit, LGBT Capital, would launch the fund. As gay rights continue... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=28&SID=7575#S7575 Tue, 2 Feb 2010 10:47:00 7575 No one yet knows who did it or when but they know this: It was ugly. A four-foot square swastika was found emblazoned in black spray paint on a carpet in an office at the University of Oregon early this morning. Black paint was also sprayed all over the flat-screen... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7574#S7574 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 15:31:00 7574 Activists are ramping up efforts this year to push for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" while remembering that similar optimism in 1993 on lifting the ban on gays serving openly led to the law's creation. Last week, President Obama affirmed his commitment during the State of the Union address... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7573#S7573 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 15:00:00 7573 Clergy members and churches would not face legal consequences for refusing to perform same-sex marriages, under a state bill being pushed by supporters of gay marriage. Same-sex marriage is illegal in California, but that could change with a court decision or at the ballot box. Supporters of same-sex marriage want... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=237&SID=7572#S7572 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:17:00 7572 Pope Benedict XVI has condemned British equality legislation for running contrary to "natural law" as he confirmed his first visit to the UK later this year. In a letter addressed to the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, the pope praised Britain's "firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all".... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=95&SID=7571#S7571 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 11:17:00 7571 VH1 has announced it has set in motion development for three new reality TV series offerings for the network. According to a release the three will have a variety for viewers, one deals with celebrity crime, while another show covers dating and yet another is a transformation show. "Transform Me"... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7569#S7569 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 09:23:00 7569 "Can I interrupt first? Sorry," said Council Speaker Christine Quinn as she pushed her way in front of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on the steps of City Hall this afternoon. A few minutes earlier, Ms. Quinn had endorsed Senator Gillibrand as "the champion of the LGBT community in our United States... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7568#S7568 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 08:19:00 7568 President Obama and top Pentagon officials met repeatedly over the past year about repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the law that bans openly gay members of the military. But it was in Oval Office strategy sessions to review court cases challenging the ban &mdash; ones that could reach the Supreme... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=136&SID=7567#S7567 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 07:05:00 7567 Atlanta Free Press, a start-up publication covering news of concern to the GLBT community in Atlanta, has apparently ceased publication after a few weeks. Per APN's count, AFP printed five issues, with a wide distribution of its first issue, and then a tapering distribution of print issues since then. Fewer... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=56&SID=7570#S7570 Mon, 1 Feb 2010 03:29:00 7570 Rosie O'Donnell's split from longtime partner Kelli Carpenter was smooth and drama-free because neither partner wanted to fight and lose touch with each other. The "A League of Their Own" star insists women can always find a way to split graciously because they always want what's best for everyone involved.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7566#S7566 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:56:00 7566 Jacob Meister, a Chicago lawyer who launched a Senate bid that got little traction, is dropping out of the race and endorsing one of his former opponents, Clout Street reported. Meister, who is openly gay, is expected to officially announce his withdrawal Sunday, and endorse Democrat Alexi Giannoulias. There has... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7564#S7564 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:03:00 7564 Newly elected U.S. Senator-elect Scott Brown declined on Sunday to state his personal position on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and was seemingly inclined to oppose repeal of the law until he hears from "generals on the field" on the issue. The Republican senator-elect, who won a suprisingly victory Jan. 19... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=55&SID=7563#S7563 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:52:00 7563 Stephen Baldwin, the conservative Christian among the Baldwin brothers, came out swinging in an interview with the Guardian, , "Jesus or no Jesus, if my daughter started working in a strip club, I'd beat her ass." Baldwin also revealed that he's all for gay men who, through their faith, reject... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=291&SID=7562#S7562 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:35:00 7562 The day after President Obama reiterated his pledge to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy in his State of the Union address, he traveled to the University of Tampa in Florida for a town hall meeting. He took six questions from the crowd, including one from Hector Flores,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7561#S7561 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:50:00 7561 The Defense Department starts the clock next 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 was expected... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=261&SID=7559#S7559 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:09:00 7559 Lawmakers called a truce Friday on any legislation dealing with gay rights, both for and against. Instead, an interim committee will study employment and housing discrimination, a compromise that will be sponsored by Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake, and Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper. Johnson, one of two openly gay Utah... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7558 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 08:59:00 7558 Down a grimy alleyway in Rawalpindi, in the heart of Pakistan's military establishment, a striking figure tweaked her makeup and squirted a dash of perfume under her arms. Life as a hijra, as Pakistan's transgender minority is known, can be tough, said 21-year-old Alisha, recounting tales of extortion, sexual violence... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=18&SID=7557#S7557 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:40:00 7557 *VIDEO AFTER JUMP*: The wife of former New Life Church pastor Ted Haggard said Thursday that she never considered divorce after she discovered her husband had sexual encounters with men. "I knew that he was more than this struggle," Gayle Haggard said on CNN's "Larry King Live" while promoting her... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=98&SID=7556#S7556 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:42:00 7556 Culpeper County public school officials have decided to stop assigning a version of Anne Frank's diary, one of the most enduring symbols of the atrocities of the Nazi regime, after a parent complained that the book includes sexually explicit material and homosexual themes. "The Diary of a Young Girl: the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=60&SID=7555#S7555 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:37:00 7555 A Fort Lauderdale couple is accused of twice attacking a man, and on Friday police labeled the attack a hate crime. Ricardo Rivera, 53, and Bedsaida Rivera, 49, are each charged with one count of battery. Having their attack labeled a hate crime doesn't change the charges, Fort Lauderdale police... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=273&SID=7554#S7554 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:22:00 7554 Bryan Dickenson and Bill Sugg have been together for 30 years. For the last 12 of those years, Dickenson has worked as a communications technician for Dallas-based AT&amp;T. After Sugg suffered a debilitating stroke in September, Dickinson requested time off under the federal Family Medical Leave Act to care for... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=290&SID=7552#S7552 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:07:00 7552 *WARNING: Anti-gay source*: An unclassified study from a military research unit in southern Afghanistan details how homosexual behavior is unusually common among men in the large ethnic group known as Pashtuns -- though they seem to be in complete denial about it. An unclassified study from a military research unit... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7551#S7551 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:25:00 7551 Nepal's homosexual community, which is led by Asia's only openly gay member of parliament, will next month host a tourism conference to explore how to attract wealthy gay visitors to boost the country's war-ravaged economy. The country's new constitution will legalise homosexual marriage in May this year, when "Pink Mountain"... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7550#S7550 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:30:00 7550 The Indiana Senate revived a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages Thursday, approving the measure and sending it to the House, where it's likely to meet a quick death. The 38-10 vote marked the fourth time the Senate has approved such a provision, which must be approved by two separately elected... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=255&SID=7548#S7548 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:05:00 7548 *VIDEO AVAILABLE AFTER THE JUMP*: CBS wants to keep one team from scoring on Super Bowl Sunday. The network refuses to say if it will allow an ad for a gay men's dating service to air the day of the big game, Feb. 7, despite the fact that its content... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=130&SID=7547#S7547 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:07:00 7547 Gay rights groups angry about a Grammy nomination for jailed Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton took out a full page advert on Friday, protesting the honoring of an artist they said had "promoted the murder of gay people throughout his career." Banton, 36, is up for a best reggae album... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7546#S7546 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:39:00 7546 As the trial phase of the constitutional battle to overturn the Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage concludes in federal court, gay nuptials are portrayed by opponents as an effort to rewrite the traditional rules of matrimony. Quietly, outside of the news media and courtroom spotlight, many gay couples are... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=255&SID=7545#S7545 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:33:00 7545 A transgender New Yorker has filed a $10 million sex assault suit against an NFL player - and in a separate action is also suing the city, saying she was abused and humiliated by cops. Angelina Mavilia's legal action against cornerback Eric Green alleges he forcibly sodomized her. The two... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7544#S7544 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:20:00 7544 Gay rights groups on Wednesday plan to launch a nationwide campaign to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy following President Obama's call for a repeal during Wednesday's State of the Union address. "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7543#S7543 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:22:00 7543 The Pentagon is preparing for a repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the US military after President Barack Obama renewed his vow to scrap the rule, a spokesman said on Thursday. "The (Defense) department leadership is actively working on an implementation plan in accordance with the president's... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7542#S7542 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:52:00 7542 *VIDEO available after the jump*: President Obama avoided offering details on how he plans to push through repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell one day after he called on Congress to end the policy that prevents gays from serving openly in the military. In response to a question from a... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7541#S7541 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:43:00 7541 In his first State of the Union address, President Barack Obama spent only two sentences of his 7,000-plus word speech on the issue of gays in the military. Whether that was too much or too little depends on whom you ask. The message &mdash; "This year, I will work with... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=286&SID=7540#S7540 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:14:00 7540 The world's second pregant man, Scott Moore, is set to give birth to a baby boy next month, according to reports. Moore and his partner, Thomas, were both born as women, but have undergone surgery to change their physical orientation. Scott (born Jessica), 30, and Thomas (born Laura), also 30,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7539#S7539 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:44:00 7539 Mexico's federal government has challenged a gay marriage law approved by lawmakers in Mexico City, the Mexico City-based Excelsior reported. The law &ndash; approved in December and expected to take effect in March &ndash; is a first for Latin America. It gives gay and lesbian couples all the rights and... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=297&SID=7538#S7538 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:45:00 7538 David Cameron has said that teaching children about equality for gay people and the importance of civil partnerships should be "embedded" in Britain's schooling. In another sign of his departure from the Tory past, Cameron again apologised for supporting section 28 and said that teaching about equality was an important... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=237&SID=7537#S7537 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:58:00 7537 Hundreds of demonstrators took part in a silent protest at Notre Dame. They want the University to break its silence on gay rights. The demonstration and march may have been silent, but it certainly was not without drama. From the purple duct tape that demonstrators wore over their mouths, to... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=291&SID=7536#S7536 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:31:00 7536 Gay leaders offered only a lukewarm reception Wednesday night for President Obama's statement, in his State of the Union address, that he would work for the repeal of the military's discriminatory policy against gays. The statement came near the end of his address. "This year," he said, "I will work... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=226&SID=7535#S7535 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:24:00 7535 Although several gay scenes have featured already in Bollywood productions, an upcoming film is being touted as India's answer to Brokeback Mountain. Promotional posters for Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun were released this week showing two topless men embracing. Few details about the film have been disclosed... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=291&SID=7534#S7534 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:41:00 7534 Reaching out to a skeptical gay community, President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged Congress to repeal the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, but he neither made a commitment to suspend the practice in the interim nor issued a deadline. Obama's reference to the "don't ask,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7533#S7533 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:35:00 7533 A Republican congressman from Utah introduced a resolution of disapproval Wednesday to overturn D.C.'s same-sex marriage bill, which is undergoing a required congressional review of 30 legislative days. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said he expects the Democratic controlled Congress to block his resolution, but believes it would serve as a... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7532 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:29:00 7532 Online dating company eHarmony will make its site as welcoming to gay singles as it is to other customers looking for dates under a proposed settlement filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Attorneys for the plaintiffs -- a certified class of Californians who tried to use the service... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=127&SID=7529#S7529 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:05:00 7529 The son of Renata Antoinette Monet, a preoperative transgender whom Abilene police say brutally murdered the Rev. Karen Johnson and then killed herself, expressed extreme sorrow on behalf of his family regarding the tragedy. Police say Monet, 61, known as Bobby Allan La'Loge until a year ago, stabbed Johnson numerous... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7527#S7527 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:01:00 7527 When Houstonian Ginny Camfield received a letter from the Texas Ethics Advisory Board two weeks ago, it took her a few minutes to figure it out. The letter began by saying that the Texas Ethics Commission had "launched an official inquiry into the campaign financing activities of Planned Parenthood of... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=255&SID=7531#S7531 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:21:00 7531 A popular former University of Florida quarterback and his mother are slated to appear in a Focus on the Family ad that will hit the airwaves during the upcoming Super Bowl. The 30-second spot, which carries an estimated $3 million price tag, features the outspoken Tim Tebow and his mother.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7530#S7530 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:15:00 7530 An estimated 66,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual people are serving in the U.S. military, roughly 2 percent of all military personnel, according to a report released Tuesday by a gay rights policy center. The figures suggest a slight increase in the number of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in the military,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=242&SID=7526#S7526 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:38:00 7526 In court, Michael Mineo told the story of his troubled young life, reciting the wrongs he had committed against others, and those he said had been visited upon him. But Mr. Mineo, 25, insisted that he was telling the truth when he spoke about what police officers did to him... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7524#S7524 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:42:00 7524 A political scientist hired by defenders of Proposition 8 admitted under cross-examination today that prejudice played a role in the passage of the 2008 anti-same-sex-marriage initiative. "At least some people voted for Proposition 8 on the basis of anti-gay stereotypes," Claremont McKenna College professor Kenneth Miller testified during the third... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=286&SID=7522#S7522 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:34:00 7522 A Michigan secretary of state candidate has transgender rights on his agenda &ndash; the rollback of transgender rights, that is. Paul Scott, currently a Republican state representative, said in his announcement of candidacy for the position that he plans to reverse a policy that allows transgender individuals to change their... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=17&SID=7521#S7521 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 12:19:00 7521 Moscow's openly homophobic mayor has once again pledged to prevent his city from holding gay pride parades, calling homosexuality a "social plague."&nbsp; For several years, Moscow has experienced unprecedented pressure to conduct a gay pride parade, which cannot be called anything but a satanic act," Mayor Yury Luzhkov said Monday,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=35&SID=7520#S7520 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:55:00 7520 The Obama administration has asked the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay hearings on the fate of the military's controversial "con't ask, don't tell" policy, because the president expects to discuss it in Wednesday's address to Congress, the committee chairman said today. Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat and chairman... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=149&SID=7519#S7519 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:40:00 7519 Democrats are calling on New Hampshire State Rep. Alfred Baldasaro (R) to resign over his remarks that the state "sold" children for $10,000 each when "they said that homosexual couples, not married, can adopt." Baldasaro is one of the main sponsors of HB 1590, which aims to repeal a New... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=278&SID=7518#S7518 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:13:00 7518 The trial for the Eagle 8&mdash;the eight men arrested in the Sept. 10 raid of the Atlanta Eagle&mdash;will open Feb. 4 after all, according to the office of the judge overseeing the proceedings. That contradicts information from the defense attorney for the men and one of the bar's co-owners, who... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7517 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:09:00 7517 Vanderbilt men interested in participating in Greek life will have a new option in the coming months, following the creation of a new chapter of Delta Lambda Phi, a national fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men. The fraternity, which already has roughly 10 men signed up to participate in... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=286&SID=7516#S7516 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:06:00 7516 Katherine used to be Miguel. Olin had a girl's name. And in October, Robert Ira Schnur, 70, became Roberta Iris Schnur, a Manhattan retiree with magenta lipstick and, she noted the other day, chipped silver nail polish. "I wasn't like other men," she said. Theirs are among hundreds of names... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7515#S7515 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:24:00 7515 A prominent gay member of Germany's parliament, Volker Beck, and the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany (LSVD) have launched an escalating assault on the policies of the country's first openly gay foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, accusing him of ignoring the persecution of the LGBT community in the Muslim world.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7514#S7514 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:15:00 7514 A former U.S. Olympic equestrian rider and part-time Ocala resident, Darren Chiacchia, was arrested Wednesday and charged with violating a state law that required him to declare he was HIV positive to his one-time sexual partner. The 45-year-old Chiacchia is also a Florida Horse Park board member, a 2003 Pan... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=183&SID=7513#S7513 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:55:00 7513 In the breeding dramedy "Misconceptions," a childless gay couple enters into a holy alliance with a fertile Christian wife. I suppose even a homophobic womb is better than none. This particular womb belongs to Miranda (A. J. Cook), a Georgia baker broodily seeking to replace the child she lost five... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7512#S7512 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:25:00 7512 A proponent of California's same-sex marriage ban testified Thursday that he thinks gays are more likely to be pedophiles and that allowing them to wed would lead to efforts to lower the age at which teenagers can legally have sex with adults. Lawyers for two couples suing to overturn the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=234&SID=7511#S7511 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:18:00 7511 Jay's foundation had been applied, and his face powdered. The swimming trunks had been laid out and the judges were in place for the inaugural Mr Gay China pageant. Then the police arrived. Less than an hour before the contestants were due on stage, the police scrapped the country's first... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7510#S7510 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:09:00 7510 By personally interesting coincidence, the contrarian AIDS documentary "House of Numbers" opens just as a family friend is flying into Portland in advance of a benefit concert for her father, a local musician suffering from the disease. How fortuitous that I can report to her the film's controversial suggestion: Her... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7509#S7509 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:34:00 7509 Proponents of same-sex marriage argued in federal court Thursday that a California ban on gay marriage was motivated by hostility toward gays and lesbians, rendering the law unconstitutional. Attorneys representing couples who want to wed are preparing to rest their case Friday in the federal court challenge to California's Proposition... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7508#S7508 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:48:00 7508 David Bahati had previously refused to change provisions which would impose the death penalty or life imprisonment on gays, saying they would protect the "traditional family". Yesterday, he told Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper that he may amend the bill "without putting the values of the country at risk". Bahati attended... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7507#S7507 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:08:00 7507 A proponent of California's same-sex marriage ban who warned that gay rights activists would try to legalize sex with children if Proposition 8 did not pass is expected to be called as a hostile witness Thursday for two same-sex couples suing to overturn the measure. Lawyers for the couples said... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7505#S7505 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:26:00 7505 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... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7502#S7502 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:17:00 7502 The Federal Trial over Proposition 8 will continue in San Francisco on Monday after wrapping up its first full week. On Friday - sponsors of Prop 8 announced they're shortening their witness list for next week. Instead of six people, they'll only have two. The lawyer for the sponsors of... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7501 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:12:00 7501 The gay and lesbian cruise industry raised more than $50,000 within the first two hours that its plea for donations to Haiti went out late Friday. Organizer Claire Lucas, an activist and fundraiser, said she thinks the figure has hit $100,00 by now. "In a world where gay people can... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=234&SID=7499#S7499 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:03:00 7499 The tremendous response to two beauty competitions fails to enthuse those working for rights of sexual minorities. More than 1,000 transgenders from the city are currently participating in two beauty contests being simultaneously run for them. While filmmaker Ganesh Kharwar's Nazakat Queen 2010, has attracted 1,200 participants, Laxmi Narayan Tripathy's... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7500#S7500 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:08:00 7500 A Southern California filmmaker found inspiration from the United States Supreme Court last week. After the justices put the kibosh on plans to show the Proposition 8 trial on YouTube, John Ireland saw an opportunity. He decided he would reenact what happened in court and post his creation on the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7497#S7497 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:51:00 7497 San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders is expected to take the stand Tuesday at the controversial Proposition 8 trial. Prop. 8 was passed by voters in November 2008, banning same-sex marriage in California. Sanders is expected to testify about his experience and why he believes marriage equality is important from a government... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7498#S7498 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:54:00 7498 Lawyers challenging California's ban on same-sex marriage have asked witnesses in a San Francisco courtroom to relive some of the worst times of their lives to try to make the case that Proposition 8 amounts to unconstitutional discrimination. For Bay Area author Helen Zia, it was what she called her... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7496#S7496 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:48:00 7496 "There exists a brilliantly orchestrated conspiracy to keep gay and lesbian politicians as closeted as possible." That bold proclamation flashes onscreen a few minutes into "Outrage," a documentary that shines a light on elected officials whose policy decisions run contrary to the sexual orientations they allegedly keep shrouded in secrecy.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=49&SID=7495#S7495 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:42:00 7495 *WARNING: anti-gay source*: A member of the English Catholic Bishops conference, and the head of the Catholic Education Service, has denied that there is any Catholic objection to homosexual civil unions. Speaking to The Tablet, Britain's leading left-liberal Catholic paper, Bishop Malcolm McMahon, the chairman of the Catholic Education Service,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7494#S7494 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:26:00 7494 The United States Supreme Court will decide whether people who signed Referendum 71 petitions should have their names publicly disclosed. That measure sought to overturn a new expanded gay rights law. The justices said Friday they'll consider an appeal of a lower court's ruling that the names should be released.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=60&SID=7493#S7493 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:20:00 7493 A comic strip in the student newspaper at the University of Notre Dame has started the new semester with a harsh lesson. The three-panel strip appeared Wednesday, the first issue of The Observer after Christmas break. A talking saw asks, "What is the easiest way to turn a fruit into... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=49&SID=7492#S7492 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:14:00 7492 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... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7490#S7490 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:06:00 7490 The National Organization for Marriage is apparently sending out robocalls in Masschusetts smearing a pro-LGBT Democratic Senate candidate for supporting same-sex marriage and encouraging a vote for the Republican nominee in an upcoming election. A supporter of Democratic candidate Martha Coakley recently relayed to DC Agenda a message from someone... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7489#S7489 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:01:00 7489 The well-being of children reared by same-sex couples dominated the federal trial over Proposition 8 on Friday as the measure's proponents attacked studies that showed children of lesbians and gays fare well. Lawyers for two gay couples challenging Proposition 8's ban on same-sex marriage called to the stand Michael Lamb,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7485#S7485 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:10:00 7485 The battle over the Bible and homosexuality has torn apart Christian churches and entire denominations in the United States. But what happens when that culture war is exported to other countries? Ugandans are finding out &mdash; with potentially deadly consequences. Uganda is now considering a bill that would impose the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7487#S7487 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:48:00 7487 UN rights chief Navi Pillay on Friday urged the Ugandan government to scrap an anti-homosexuality bill which is to be put before parliament, saying that it was "blatantly discriminatory." "The bill clearly breaches international human rights standards, as it is blatantly discriminatory," said Pillay in a statement. The draft law,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7486#S7486 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:07:00 7486 A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that same-sex marriage opponents do not have a right to call for a referendum to determine whether such unions should be legal in the District. The decision, a major victory for gay rights activists, makes it more likely that the District will begin... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7484#S7484 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:06:00 7484 After weeks of mounting domestic and international concern over the "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" currently before the Ugandan parliament, President Yoweri Museveni finally issued his view on the legislation: "Go slow." Museveni's wary stance toward the bill is expected to call into question its passage through parliament. The controversial bill thrust Uganda... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=234&SID=7481#S7481 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:50:00 7481 Beijing police blocked organisers from staging China's first homosexual pageant on Friday, organisers said, an event that had been hailed as heralding a new openness towards the gay community.&nbsp; "This event has been cancelled," Wei Xiaogang, who was to have acted as one of the judges in the Mr Gay... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7483#S7483 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:02:00 7483 A Columbia University social scientist says California's voter-enacted ban on same-sex marriages contributed to the social stigma that makes gay men and lesbians more susceptible to depression, suicide and substance abuse. Testifying in the federal trial to decide if Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution, Ilan Meyer said the measure... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=78&SID=7482#S7482 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:56:00 7482 The defamation trial pitting City Councilman Jack Kelly against a Lawncrest man who ran a one-man attack campaign that nearly cost Kelly the 2007 general election will continue today, as jury deliberations did not begin as scheduled yesterday. Common Pleas Court Judge Albert J. Snite Jr. sent the jury home... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7480#S7480 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:41:00 7480 MPs are being urged to sign a motion condemning Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill. Labour MP and committed gay rights campaigner Harry Cohen tabled an early day motion saying the bill violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter of Human and People's Rights. The legislation, which has caused... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=60&SID=7479#S7479 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:36:00 7479 The man accused of murdering a gay Puerto Rico teenager has been found fit to stand trial. Juan A Martinez Matos, 26, is accused of killing Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado in November in the city of Cayey. Territorial psychologist Rafael Cabrera reported his findings to Judge Miriam Camila Justino during... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7477 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:21:00 7477 Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Robertson, the host of the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7478#S7478 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:30:00 7478 A leading Iowa social conservative group Tuesday endorsed Bob Vander Plaats for governor and served notice it will not support former Gov. Terry Branstad if he is the Republican nominee. Iowa Christian conservatives are going "all in" to support Vander Plaats, a Sioux City Republican who shares their moral principles,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7476 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:18:00 7476 Bruce LaVallee-Davidson, an outspoken gay rights activist who publicly fought for gay marriage, has been convicted of manslaughter in a bizarre sex game accident that included drugs and guns.&nbsp; Bruce Lavallee-Davidson, center, sits with his court appointed attorneys, Jan. 11, 2010. Both the prosecution and the defense had agreed that... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7475#S7475 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:11:00 7475 A lawyer for the Proposition 8 campaign tried to show today that gays and lesbians now enjoy significant political and public support and have been portrayed positively in such films as "Brokeback Mountain." David H. Thompson, representing the sponsors of the 2008 ballot initiative, cross-examined George Chauncey, a Yale University... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=221&SID=7474#S7474 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:30:00 7474 "There has been no problem for me to be openly gay as Head Coach in the USA team.," said soccer coach Pia Sundhage at Nyhetsmorgon,&nbsp; TV4 on Saturday morning. Pia Sundhage was guest at the TV4 Saturday morning show, Nyhetsmorgon, with host Lasse Bengtsson and talked about her career and... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7472#S7472 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:21:00 7472 A study that will appear in an upcoming issue of AIDS presents data that suggests HIV positive men have a significantly higher risk of plaque accumulation in the coronary arteries than do HIV negative men. This trend is a particularly important finding since people with HIV are living longer because... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=242&SID=7473#S7473 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:27:00 7473 *VIDEO available after the jump*: A surveillance video from the Shelby County Jail shows the punches that have former Memphis Police Officer Bridges McRae fighting for his freedom. It was February 2008 as Duanna Johnson, a transgendered person, was being booked into jail for prostitution. Monday McRae went to trial... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7471#S7471 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:17:00 7471 People being treated for HIV are less likely now to develop drug-resistant infections, according to a British Columbia study on changes in drug therapy. "Our results demonstrate that there has been a drastic decrease in the incidence of new cases of HIV-1 drug resistance," Dr. Richard Harrigan of the B.C.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7470#S7470 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:13:00 7470 In the first round of what may be the signature civil rights fight of the modern era, a federal trial testing California's ban on gay marriage began to unfold Monday with testimony from same-sex couples who insist they're second-class citizens without the equal right to wed. Chief U.S. District Judge... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=12&SID=7467#S7467 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:09:00 7467 The Church of Sweden on Sunday ordained a female pastor as the country's first openly homosexual bishop, just weeks after approving gay marriages. Eva Brunne, 55, was consecrated as the Bishop of Stockholm in a ceremony at Uppsala cathedral, just north of the Swedish capital, the Church of Sweden said... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=12&SID=7466#S7466 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:12:00 7466 Members of a Roanoke church have voted to leave the country's largest Lutheran denomination over its policy to allow gay clergy. St. John Lutheran Pastor Mark Graham said church members voted 350-104 Sunday in favor of the split from the national Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Church rules required a... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=297&SID=7463#S7463 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:43:00 7463 Tory leader David Cameron has said he will give gay couples in civil partnerships the same tax benefits his party will give to married couples. His party confirmed last month that civil partnerships would be treated the same as marriages, but this is the first time the Conservative leader has... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=234&SID=7464#S7464 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:48:00 7464 The first-ever beauty pageant for transgenders &ndash; 'Vcare Indian Super Queen' &ndash; formally commenced from Monday &ndash; and the contestants would be judged on the basic of their creativity, special skill sets and confidence. The grand finale would be held on February 21. The judges of the grand finale would... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=49&SID=7462#S7462 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:34:00 7462 An amendment to the Equality Bill which would allow civil partnerships to be held in church was tabled in the House of Lords today. It was tabled by Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli, who is gay, and would remove the prohibition which prevents them being held in religious buildings. The... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7459#S7459 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:59:00 7459 In what will likely be read as another sign of his interest in running against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in this year's Democratic primary, ex-Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. publicly said for the first time that he was in favor of same-sex marriage. "He supports gay marriage, in the interest of... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7458#S7458 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:56:00 7458 The Supreme Court today blocked video coverage of the trial in San Francisco testing the constitutionality of California's Prop. 8 and its ban on same-sex marriage. The court acted on an emergency appeal filed Saturday by the lawyers defending Prop. 8. They said their rights to a fair trial could... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=237&SID=7461#S7461 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:26:00 7461 Pope Benedict on Tuesday linked the Church's opposition to gay marriage to concern about the environment, suggesting that laws undermining "the differences between the sexes" were threats to creation. The pope made his comments in an address to diplomats in his yearly assessment of world events. The main theme of... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7457#S7457 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:42:00 7457 Researchers working towards a cure for HIV-AIDS have hit upon possibilities with true potential to transform into viable solutions in the future, said Robert T Schooley, head, division of infectious diseases, University of California, San Diego. With his previous experience as chair of the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, reputedly among... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7456 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:28:00 7456 The 21-year-old lover of Iris Robinson, 60, has become a gay icon poster-boy. Kirk McCambley was only 19 when Robinson, wife of Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson commenced a torrid affair with him two years ago. Robinson later admitted to the affair and tried to commit suicide. Robinson has... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7455#S7455 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 10:25:00 7455 A whispering campaign is under way in Uganda's capital, Kampala, accusing Paul Semugoma, a doctor, of being a predatory homosexual, actively recruiting younger men into his "vice" with the help of foreign conspirators. His home and business addresses have been published online and he has received a string of death... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7454#S7454 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:20:00 7454 The lawyers defending California's Proposition 8 and its ban on same-sex marriage urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday to block video coverage of this week's trial in San Francisco. The attorneys filed an emergency appeal with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and argued that their client's right to a fair... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7453#S7453 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 16:39:00 7453 New Jersey's most influential gay civil-rights group pledged Friday to withhold financial support from Democratic lawmakers who did not vote for the same-sex marriage bill. The lack of campaign contributions will cost future candidates hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Steven Goldstein of Teaneck, founder and director of Garden... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7414 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 16:03:00 7414 Gay Ski Week is back in Vail this winter. The mountain resort skipped the weeklong promotion last year because of the economic downtown. But resort tourism officials say they hope to attract 500 to 1,000 attendees during this year's event, planned for Jan. 27-31. Aspen, Telluride and Whistler ski resorts... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7452#S7452 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 15:34:00 7452 Team Gillibrand is in full battle mode against her would-be primary challenger, former Rep. Harold Ford Jr., and they're bringing in the heavy artillery. The latest to pick up the gauntlet on Gillibrand's behalf is Rep. Jerry Nadler, the most liberal member of the New York delegation who recently endorsed... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7451#S7451 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 13:27:00 7451 Since he was first diagnosed as HIV positive 22 years ago, Michael Woerner always has found a way to let people know how important it is to be tested. So when the Grand Rapids resident saw an announcement on Facebook promising rewards for those who take the HIV test --... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=231&SID=7450#S7450 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 12:16:00 7450 The owner of a brothel more than two hours' drive from Las Vegas said she hopes to hire Nevada's first legal male prostitutes within a month, now that state health officials have approved a method to test men for infectious diseases. The world is ready for women, or even other... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7409#S7409 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 11:36:00 7409 The Miami-Dade man hasn't held a steady job in more than a decade. Yet Ihosvany Marquez spent millions of dollars on a fleet of Lamborghinis, Bentleys and other luxury cars, along with thoroughbred horses and diamond jewelry, authorities say. All with your tax dollars, they say. Marquez, 38, was detained... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=133&SID=7449#S7449 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 10:09:00 7449 An Illinois judge has granted permission for a mother to take her children out of state, where they will live with her and her new partner--who is also female. The ruling was the subject of a story posted at anti-gay blog Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH). The story originated... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=190&SID=7447#S7447 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 09:02:00 7447 Rep. Christine Johnson is not embarrassed to say it: She is moving a lounging sofa into her office for needed breaks this legislative session, and she will be carrying snacks with her around the Capitol. The lesbian lawmaker, a Salt Lake City Democrat, is 16 weeks pregnant, carrying a baby... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=202&SID=7446#S7446 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 06:58:00 7446 Meredith Baxter recently went public about being a lesbian -- at age 62, after three marriages and five children. Instead of reacting with shock, many people thought, "Oh, there goes another one." As being gay gains more acceptance in the culture at large, far fewer gays and lesbians have felt... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=174&SID=7448#S7448 Sat, 9 Jan 2010 06:05:00 7448 A gay-rights group is calling for an apology from David Letterman after the TV talk show host mocked the appointment of Tucsonan Amanda Simpson to a federal post. In his monologue Tuesday, Letterman noted the appointment of Simpson, who is transgender, to a senior position at the Commerce Department. As... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7444#S7444 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 20:55:00 7444 A vocal gay marriage opponent who volunteered to become a defendant in the case challenging California's same-sex nuptial ban is now asking to be removed from the case. Hak-Shing William Tam was one of the five official sponsors of Proposition 8 who formally "intervened" in a federal lawsuit challenging the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7443#S7443 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 19:51:00 7443 Gay rights activists intend to take the fight to allow gay couples to marry in New Jersey directly to the state Supreme Court, advocates said Friday, one day after the state Senate defeated a bill to allow same-sex marriage. "We're not even taking a day's rest," said Steven Goldstein, chairman... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7441#S7441 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 17:40:00 7441 Sponsors of California's gay marriage ban want a judge to delay implementing his order allowing cameras at the federal trial considering the constitutionality of the voter-approved law. They say they want time to appeal his decision to allow video of the court proceedings on Youtube.com because they oppose having cameras... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=60&SID=7439#S7439 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 12:32:00 7439 A man told police he was beaten Sunday night in the parking lot of the Seattle Filipino Community Center because he is gay, and police arrested the man who allegedly made homophobic threats after the assault. That man, 22, posted bond and was released from King County Jail on Monday... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7435#S7435 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 12:09:00 7435 Portugal's parliament approved a bill to legalise same sex marriages on Friday, less than 30 years after the country revoked its ban on homosexuality. Lawmakers rejected proposals to allow gay couples to adopt, but otherwise the bill passed with little public controversy in what has traditionally been one of Europe's... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7437#S7437 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 10:24:00 7437 A Ugandan government minister has said that a proposed law which includes the death penalty for some homosexual acts is "not necessary". Aston Kajara, minister of state for investments, added that the government might put pressure on the MP behind the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to withdraw it. The bill submitted last... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7436#S7436 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 08:18:00 7436 The California Assembly officially made Assemblyman John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, the Assembly's next speaker Thursday morning, voting along party lines (48-26) to elect the body's first openly gay leader. Pérez was unanimously chosen by the Democratic Caucus (the house's majority party) last month to be the Assembly's next leader. He... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7434#S7434 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 18:21:00 7434 The State Senate on Thursday rejected a proposal that would have made New Jersey the sixth state in the nation to allow marriages involving same sex-couples, the latest in a succession of setbacks for advocates of gay marriage across the country. After months of intense lobbying and hours of emotional... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7433#S7433 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:04:00 7433 Arguments in a lawsuit challenging the ban on same-sex marriage in California will be posted on YouTube, a first for a federal trial in the state. The case won't be broadcast live, however. Instead, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco today approved a delayed release to the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=49&SID=7432#S7432 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 16:00:00 7432 New Hampshire performed its first gay marriages this past week. New Jersey lawmakers vote on gay marriage today. Even so, advocates are shifting strategy to focus on having same-sex relationships legally recognized in other forms. The reason: Despite those victories for gay rights, the end of 2009 saw momentum on... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7431#S7431 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 13:56:00 7431 Republican Mark Kirk is responding to ads from a fringe candidate in the U.S. Senate race by flatly stating that he's not gay. The radio ads challenge Kirk to address rumors that he is gay. They began running while Kirk was on active duty in Afghanistan as a member of... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7430#S7430 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 13:52:00 7430 A provision that would impose the death penalty for some gays is likely to be removed from the proposed legislation following opposition from Uganda's president, the country's ethics minister said Thursday. President Yoweri Museveni has told colleagues he believes the bill is too harsh and has encouraged his ruling National... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7429 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 13:46:00 7429 One of Tiger's many mistresses, Loredana Jolie Ferriolo, is penning a tell-all book about the golf ace and claims that she witnessed him in gay encounters. RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively that Loredana has claimed she saw Tiger having sexual relationships with other men. That shocking twist is something no other... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7428#S7428 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 13:40:00 7428 Republican congressional leaders have joined local activists in a court fight to allow voters to decide whether same-sex marriage should be legal in the District, underscoring the continued uncertainty surrounding the issue. Same-sex marriage supporters and opponents faced off in D.C. Superior Court for a hearing Wednesday on whether the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7426#S7426 Thu, 7 Jan 2010 13:27:00 7426 They left home at sunrise, driving at least an hour and arriving at the Statehouse hours around 8:30 a.m. -- hours before the Senate is scheduled to convene. Except for one 20-year-old, they were all teenagers in high school and college. They passed time reading books and chatting about health... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=12&SID=7423#S7423 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 13:43:00 7423 If Pastor John Vaswig or Pastor Kim Latterell were to leave their East Pierce County Lutheran churches, their congregations could replace them with a gay or lesbian clergy member. In August 2009, the church-wide assembly of the Ecumenical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) voted to allow churches to call pastors... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7422 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 12:34:00 7422 Nine men dressed in women's clothing were arrested on New Year's Eve in the discotheque of a Manama, Bahrain, hotel and charged with public debauchery, the United Arab Emirates' Gulf News reported this week. Police reports cited by the paper said the men were "heavily made up and wearing provocative... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7424#S7424 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 12:18:00 7424 Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger became the No. 1 target of gay activists when he voted against same-sex marriage last month. Now, his enemies are circulating photos taken of Kruger at a birthday fund-raiser last year, where cross-dressing entertainer Leonid the Magnificent performed hula-hoop tricks in a skintight cat suit.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7421#S7421 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:57:00 7421 Human rights organisation Amnesty International has joined the calls for a gay couple in Malawi to be released from prison. The group said that Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who were arrested on December 28th, were "prisoners of conscience" and called for their immediate and unconditional release. The couple were... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7420#S7420 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:49:00 7420 The New Jersey Senate will vote tomorrow on a bill to allow same-sex marriages, Senate President Richard J. Codey said yesterday. The Senate had been scheduled to vote on the bill Dec. 7, but the vote was postponed for lack of support. It is unknown whether any senators have changed... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=174&SID=7419#S7419 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:44:00 7419 Hayden Panettiere "absolutely enjoyed" shooting lesbian scenes in Heroes. The actress &mdash; who plays cheerleader Claire Bennett in the supernatural drama&nbsp; &mdash; shares a same sex smooch with her college roommate in scenes in the new season. "Claire has a room-mate who is the biggest relationship in this season because... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=74&SID=7418#S7418 Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:35:00 7418 Encouraged by a group of influential New York Democrats, Harold Ford Jr., the former congressman from Tennessee, is weighing a bid to unseat Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand in this fall's Democratic primary, according to three people who have spoken with him. Mr. Ford, 39, who moved to New York three... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=56&SID=7412#S7412 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 09:53:00 7412 On her Sirius satellite radio show Monday, Rosie O'Donnell had this to say about new girlfriend Tracy Kachtick-Anders: "Here's the thing. I've never really dated anybody while I've been famous...it's odd because I....started dating Kelli...when...Chelsea was born so 1997. So then when I sort of told everybody &ndash; big shock... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=135&SID=7411#S7411 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 08:48:00 7411 When Gov. Chet Culver delivers his annual Condition of the State address next Tuesday, opponents of same-sex marriage from around Iowa will be there. Spearheaded by the influential social conservative group Iowa Family Policy Center, the gathering is advertised as a public call for lawmakers to pass an amendment to... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7415#S7415 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 06:08:00 7415 She's the recently elected openly lesbian mayor of Houston. He's the megachurch pastor of one of the biggest houses of worship in the entire country, if not the world. Put them together, and you get an inauguration ceremony that makes President Obama's dance with Rick Warren last year seem almost... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=95&SID=7413#S7413 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 05:42:00 7413 Johnson &amp; Johnson heiress Casey Johnson, the girlfriend of bisexual reality TV starlet Tila Tequila died at her home in Los Angeles, the police said on Monday. She was 30.&nbsp; "Our officers conducted a preliminary investigation which appears to be an apparent natural death," said Los Angeles Police Department Officer... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7410#S7410 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 02:41:00 7410 From a lethal distraction for drivers to dehumanizing personal interactions, text messaging has gotten a bum rap lately. But for doctors treating patients with chronic diseases, text messaging can be an invaluable tool, says pediatrician Delphine Robotham of Johns Hopkins Children's Center. "For better or worse, this technology is here,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=174&SID=7408#S7408 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 11:22:00 7408 "Torchwood" star John Barrowman has launched a web campaign to be voted the world's top gay man. Barrowman, 42, has urged his 4,500 Twitter followers to back him in the poll run by gay website AfterElton.com. He also begged a host of celebs - including Jonathan Ross, Phillip Schofield and... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7407 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 10:16:00 7407 The Philippines gay party Ang Ladlad has asked the Supreme Court to reverse the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denying their accreditation to run for the 2010 elections. In its petition for certiorari, the group accused the Comelec of grave abuse of discretion and violation of the Constitution... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=183&SID=7406#S7406 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 10:12:00 7406 Kristen Bell was bewitched by Christina Aguilera and Cher as they filmed "Burlesque" together. The "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" star told Health magazine: "I have never felt so much good female energy around me. I find that I can't take my eyes off them. I'm 99 percent sure I will leave... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=81&SID=7405#S7405 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 09:07:00 7405 Annise Parker has been sworn in as Houston mayor, officially making her city the nation's largest to be led by an openly gay person. Parker took the oath of office in a private ceremony at City Hall on Saturday, two days before a public inauguration during which she will be... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=183&SID=7403#S7403 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 08:42:00 7403 Andréa Plunket, who controls the remaining US copyrights in the Holmes stories, was not amused when Robert Downey Jnr, who plays Holmes to Jude Law's Watson in Ritchie's film, said on a talk show that he felt the residents of 221B Baker Street were an item. He introduced a clip... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=3&SID=7401 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 07:01:00 7401 *VIDEO AFTER JUMP*: Critics of Al Hoang have taken aim at the councilman-elect after they said a biography published on an official city Web site purported hate against gays and lesbians. "People who have seen it are angry," said Kris Banks, president of the Houston Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7404#S7404 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 02:52:00 7404 More than 90,000 signatures have been presented in Portugal to force the Parliament to vote on a gay marriage proposal. The petition, collected by a group called Citizenship and Marriage Platform, will be presented this week to Assembly President Jaime Gama. This is because most of the left is sufficient... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=4&SID=7402#S7402 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 02:36:00 7402 The US has lifted a 22-year immigration ban which has stopped anyone with HIV/AIDS from entering the country. President Obama said the ban was not compatible with US plans to be a leader in the fight against the disease. The new rules come into force on Monday and the US... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=167&SID=7400#S7400 Mon, 4 Jan 2010 01:57:00 7400 Last March, three American evangelical Christians, whose teachings about "curing" homosexuals have been widely discredited in the United States, arrived here in Uganda's capital to give a series of talks. The theme of the event, according to Stephen Langa, its Ugandan organizer, was "the gay agenda &mdash; that whole hidden... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=290&SID=7399#S7399 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 14:25:00 7399 Junaid Bin Jahangir was such a devout Muslim that when he arrived in Canada he ate only yogurt for two days until he was sure which food followed halal dietary rules. The university student prayed five times a day, and joined a local mosque. Then one day, at age 27,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=174&SID=7395#S7395 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 10:02:00 7395 BBC newsreader Jane Hill has made the headlines herself - after revealing she is gay. Jane, who read the Christmas Day lunchtime bulletins, outed herself in the Beeb's in-house magazine, Ariel. The 40-year-old anchor revealed she lives with partner of one year Sara and their dog Mavis in North London.... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=9&SID=7394#S7394 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 09:52:00 7394 Craig Dean's first wedding was attended by thousands, and as he recited his vows, gay couples behind him on Constitution Avenue echoed their own. It was 1993, and Dean and boyfriend Patrick Gill headlined what was billed as the largest gay marriage ceremony at the time. Dean, 29, and Gill,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=60&SID=7393#S7393 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 08:44:00 7393 *VIDEO AFTER JUMP*: A Columbia County man said an anti-gay remark was uttered before he was assaulted and run over outside a New Jersey bar a week ago, according to a televised report. Jesse Allard, 23, of Stillwater, suffered arm and leg injuries and was hospitalized in Paterson after the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=144&SID=7392#S7392 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 07:37:00 7392 A transgendered woman who was locked down in solitary confinement for six months in a Virginia jail has been moved to a medical wing, her attorney told The Examiner. Officials at Central Virginia Regional Jail said they had initially placed Maria Benita Santamaria in solitary confinement because they feared she... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=88&SID=7396#S7396 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 06:04:00 7396 Two articles published by American researchers in the January issue of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) showed that HIV-infected adults and children are living longer than they did in the mid-1990s. One study monitored mortality rates and causes of death in HIV-infected children from 1993 to 2006,... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=105&SID=7391#S7391 Sun, 3 Jan 2010 01:27:00 7391 *FOLLOW JUMP FOR AUDIO*: Sir Elton John's growing status as a down-to-earth counsellor to celebrities was reinforced this weekend when the veteran singer and songwriter spoke for the first time about the help he is giving the American hip-hop star Eminem. Talking to Danny Baker on his Radio 5 Live... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=221&SID=7390#S7390 Sat, 2 Jan 2010 15:28:00 7390 Malaysian national footballer Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Radzak says his relationship with local actress Ayu Raudhah Che Wan is still going strong despite rumours that he has a secret gay lover. And he thinks he knows who is behind the lies, reported Harian Metro. It quoted the 22-year-old as saying... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=136&SID=7389#S7389 Sat, 2 Jan 2010 14:20:00 7389 Chicago's LGBT community awaits the return of the Chicago Free Press next Thursday as the future of the gay newsweekly remains in question after key editorial staff walked out on December 21. Despite the employee upheaval and financial struggles, publisher David Costanzo told the Chicago Reader last week that the... http://www.gaynewswatch.com/Page.cfm?PageID=2&STID=214&SID=7388#S7388 Sat, 2 Jan 2010 13:24:00 7388 A 20-year-old San Jose lesbian died after having either being beaten or dragged by a car--or both. Police have arrested the victim's ex-girlfriend (pictured)&nbsp; and charged her with murder in the case. "The circumstances should be considered a homicide," Esther Martinez, the aunt of victim Leticia Martinez, told San Franciso...