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Gay Talk Radio and Queer Public Radio off the air

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:57:00 +0000

At this time Gay Talk Radio, Queer Public Radio and other affiliate sites/domains are no longer active. We are not currently producing content or broadcasting. Our previous shows (over 500) are still available:

Click here for Previous Shows (offsite).

GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 11:37:00 +0000

PITTSBURGH, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The difference between a same-sex couple getting married and taking specific pro-active steps, and not getting married and not taking these pro-active steps can be the difference b etween running out of money and having $1.4 million during...

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Award winning activist Joey Kirkman and co-author J.D. Shapiro are proud to announce the release of Bedtime Bible Stories-EXPLICIT! a true, though sometimes comedic take that exposes the ugly side of the Bible. Stamped with a...

PHILADELPHIA, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mazzoni Center is proud to announce that its annual celebration and fundraiser, Elixir: the Cure for the Common Gala, will take place on Saturday, May 17 at the Wells Fargo Bank and Museum (123 S. Broad Street) from 7:00-10:00 P.M.,...

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 08:21:00 +0000

Ingraham has often used inflammatory language in discussing LGBT rights, among many other issues.

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Vice President Joe Biden's marriage equality endorsement in 2012 was no trial balloon, but it forced the president to take a pro-equality stand, says the new book Forcing the Spring.

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A transgender woman alleges that an Illinois doctor wouldn't treat her after learning about her desire to pursue hormone replacement therapy.

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Ingraham has often used inflammatory language in discussing LGBT rights, among many other issues.

Featured Image:

Vice President Joe Biden's marriage equality endorsement in 2012 was no trial balloon, but it forced the president to take a pro-equality stand, says the new book Forcing the Spring.

Featured Image:

A transgender woman alleges that an Illinois doctor wouldn't treat her after learning about her desire to pursue hormone replacement therapy.

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A transgender school board candidate picked up early backing this week from San Francisco’s progressive LGBT political club. Jamie Rafaela Wolfe, who lost her first bid for a school board seat in 2010, is again seeking to join the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education this fall. She won an early endorsement Tuesday […]

Castro business leaders elected a new president and board at their monthly meeting this morning and thanked former president Terry Asten Bennett for her two years of service in the position. As expected, the Castro Merchants group in San Francisco’s gay neighborhood elected Mudpuppy’s Tub and Scrub Dog Wash and Grooming co-owner Daniel Bergerac as […]

Legislation designed to cut HIV transmissions by allowing California pharmacists to sell syringes over the counter to adults passed the state Assembly Thursday, April 10 and is headed to the Senate. Assembly Bill 1743, authored by Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), would permanently give pharmacists the choice to sell syringes to adults without prescription if […]

The long awaited Harvey Milk stamp will receive a White House debut May 22. The U.S. Postal Service made the announcement this afternoon, Friday, April 11, confirming a report in the Bay Area Reporter last month. In a press release, the postal service said the stamp image will be previewed at a later date and […]

San Francisco District Attorney George GascÃ³n honored gay police Inspector Len Broberg Thursday (April 10) for his work on an attempted murder case that ended in August with two gang members being sent to prison for the next few decades. GascÃ³n recognized Broberg, a veteran member of the San Francisco Police Department’s Gang Task Force, […]

A Castro group has released a list of proposed history facts to be etched into the newly expanded sidewalks in the heart of the city’s gay neighborhood. They trace the area’s start as a settlement for Native Americans in the late 1770s through the arrival of Mexican and European settlers in the 1800s and 1900s. […]

City planners expect to re-open expanded sidewalks in San Francisco’s gay Castro district by mid June, well ahead of the early October completion date for the project. The new sidewalks will likely be ready for pedestrian use on June 17, and the area’s Castro Merchants group is planning to host a sidewalk sale Saturday, June […]

A new bar featuring classic arcade games is headed to San Francisco’s gay Castro district. The owner of upper Market Street bar Blackbird, Shawn Vergara, and Tiffny Vergara Chung, who is the business manager at Blackbird, are behind the new establishment. Dubbed “Project 22″ for now, due to its location in the new mixed-used development […]

A 68-year-old man was attacked and robbed in San Francisco’s gay Castro neighborhood early Thursday morning (April 3), police reported. The incident occurred at 2 a.m. at 18th and Castro streets. The suspect, described only as a black male age 30 to 35, approached the victim from behind, punched him in the face, and stole […]

Gay Oakland resident Richard Fuentes announced Thursday (April 3) that he is running for a seat on the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees. The Area 7 Peralta seat is open, as current trustee, Abel Guillen, who identifies as two-spirit, has announced he will be running for the District 2 Oakland City Council seat. Voters […]

A federal judge has ruled that the state of Ohio must recognize gay marriages legally performed in states that have legalized same sex unions. According to the Associated Press: Judge Timothy Black ruled that refusing to recognize gay marriage is a violation of constitutional rights and “unenforceable in all circumstances.” “The record before this court […]

The post Judge makes gay marriage ruling in Ohio appeared first on GaySocialites.com.

Brian Epstein, the man who brought the Beatles to the world, was gay when it was a felony to be so in the U.K., Jewish in an anti-Semitic time, and from Liverpool when it was just a dingy port town. The Fifth Beatle (Vivek J. Tiwary, writer, Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker, artists) is […]

The post Interview: “The Fifth Beatle” tells story of Beatles gay manager appeared first on GaySocialites.com.

This play is, without a doubt, a masterpiece of the American theatre, and director Kenny Leon has given a solid,olid, understated account of it. Set on Chicagoâ€™s South Side in the 1950s, A Raisin in the Sun follows the conflicting dreams among three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee (Denzel Washington), his wife […]

The post Theatre Review: “A Raisin in the Sun” appeared first on GaySocialites.com.

In Terrence McNally’s often funny, always thoughtful new play Mothers and Sons, mother Katherine (Tyne Daly) pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of her late sonâ€™s ex-partner Cal (Frederick Weller), who is now married to another man, Will (Bobby Steggart) and has a young son. She has something of her son’s to […]

The post Theatre Review: “Mothers and Sons” appeared first on GaySocialites.com.

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 03:37:00 +0000

PITTSBURGH, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The difference between a same-sex couple getting married and taking specific pro-active steps, and not getting married and not taking these pro-active steps can be the difference between running out of money and having $1.4 million during...

4/16/2014

(Urbana, IL, April 16, 2014) â€" Yesterday, in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Urbana Division, Lambda Legal filed a lawsuit on behalf of Naya Taylor, a transgender womandenied medical care after she requested hormone replacement therapy.

Court decisions that favor a heterosexual parent over a gay or lesbian parent in a custody dispute often do not consider important social science research on parenting by gay and lesbian individuals, according to a new review. Previous research shows that gay and lesbian individuals are as effective in parenting as heterosexuals, and that children raised by gay or lesbian parents are as well ...

David Catania would become the cityâ€™s first openly gay mayor, but some activists are putting party first.

Employees of the Principal Financial GroupÂ® have a message for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth: â€œIt gets better.â€ The employees share their personal stories in a new video posted on the It Gets Better ProjectTM website and at www.principal.com/GLBTA.

Longtime Southern Baptist something-or-other Richard Land is filling in this week for Tony Perkins on the Family Research Council's daily talk show. As you will hear in this clip, he is keeping the rabidly anti-gay myths alive while the boss...

The Lansing Board of Water and Light in Lansing, Michigan, was planning on running a Duck Dynasty lookalike contest. However, once a local customer wrote to tell the board about Phil Robertson's disturbing comments equating homosexuality with bestiality, the folks...

This afternoon, self-proclaimed bisexual Robert Oscar Lopez took his "gay parents are child abusers" shtick to the most incendiary forum in America: Game over, ROL. With this, all credibility is gone. Forever. Out the door. You are an anti-gay activist...

There are many topics to which the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission could dedicate its national conference. But why tackle any of the actual social ills that truly harm the world when you can instead spend the...

Here's another graphic the pro-discrimination, Catholic-driven, poll-bleeding special interest group the National Organization For Marriage is using to support its forthcoming march in support of inequality: Millennials are in fact for more marriage, which is why every single poll shows...

Having been in and around conversations with people who had varying degrees of separation from the administration, the year or so leading up to President Obama's public stating of support for marriage equality remains one of the most fascinating times...

Whenever Texas' marriage debate comes back in the spotlight, as it did earlier this year, Jonathan Saenz is the one man who the local media outlets bring on air and in print to represent the opposition. And of course Jonathan,...

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International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:36:00 +0000

'You're the One I Belong To' is Sydneysider Mattie Love's sweet love letter to his boyfriend Josh - complete with a sprinkle of digital voice enhancement and a dancefloor-beckoning backing beat.

One of the strongest marriage equality advocates in Federal Parliament will not be returned to the Senate following WA's recent re-vote.

"We're very excited to be hosting a dinner with US Ambassador to Australia The Honourable John Berry."

Gay Star News

Thousands flood the International Olympic Committee's inbox demanding no ...
Around the Rings (subscription)
Over 115,543 members of global lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organisation, All Out, have sent a message to the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. Public submissions close Tuesday for reforms being considered ...
Gay rights group sends petition to IOCSFGate
Tens of thousands call for IOC to ban countries with "anti-gay" laws hosting GamesInsidethegames.biz
Olympics must never be hosted in an anti-gay country again, 100000 callGay Star News
Sports Features Communications
all 13 news articles »

Newstalk ZB

Turkey's gay prison plan sparks alarm
Newstalk ZB
Related. Gay rights groups in Turkey have expressed alarm at a government-led project to build prisons only for criminals who declare themselves gay, saying it would lead to more discrimination in a largely homophobic country. Justice Minister Bekir ...

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The Independent

Labour would appoint gay rights envoy to tackle international discrimination ...
The Independent
Interviewed in the gay lifestyle magazine Attitude, Mr Miliband said a Labour Government would put human rights at the heart of its international agenda, and that gay rights would be â€œan absolutely fundamental part of that.â€ He described the ...
Gay marriage becomes legal in England and WalesAhram Online
First gay marriages take place in England, WalesInternational Business Times, India Edition
Miliband vows: I'll appoint a global envoy for gay rightsNew Zealand Herald
Reuters India -CNN
all 851 news articles »

Louisa Wall has made a fresh push for the protection from discrimination on the basis of gender identity to be specifically included in the Human Rights Act, and is urging the community to speak up and encourage Parliament to set it in stone.

Opera singer Paul Potts has spoken out for anti-bullying campaign Pink Shirt Day, while visiting New Zealand.

The more than 70 films in the 2014 Out Takes line-up will be revealed at a launch party in Auckland next week.

Gaynz.com is an gay media and news site. Gaynz.com has news, events, blogs and other news on the gay community in New Zealand More Website: www.gaynz.com Facebook: GayNZ Twitter: gaynz

The post Gaynz.com appeared first on QNA - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender New Zealand News.

Peter Sumner a former Army man, LGBTI rights advocate and long time pillar of the Wellington gay community died this week aged 84. Sumner was a former Lieutenant Colonel who played an important role in the fight for Homosexual Law Reforms in 1984/85. Bill Logan told gaynz.com that recalled discussions Sumner had with reform opponent […]

The post Peter Sumner Memorial on Monday appeared first on QNA - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender New Zealand News.

Gay Republic is one of Aucklandâ€™s gay and lesbian media and event website. Gay Republic is all about ideas, from house parties to pride celebrations Check them out for music, news and great events. Website: www.gayrepublic.co.nz Facebook: gayrepublic Twitter: gayrepublic

The post Gay Republic appeared first on QNA - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender New Zealand News.

Alan Carrâ€™s new adverting campaign for animal charity PETA has sparked a mixed reaction on Twitter, with many accusing it of pandering to stereotypes.

Attorneys in the case which persuaded a judge to overturn Michigan's same-sex marriage ban have opposed a request from the state's Attorney General that the case should be taken up by a full 15-judge panel.

Former Co-op Bank chairman Paul Flowers has been charged with drug possession.

Two Edinburgh churches are quitting the Church of Scotland over the issue of gay ordination.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has been named the most powerful LGBT celebrity in the US.

Anti-gay activists Peter LaBarbera and Bill Whatcott have been arrested in Canada for distributing homophobic leaflets, days after LaBarbera was detained at the border.

A Republican super-PAC that aims to back candidates who support same-sex marriage has received $2.75m (Â£1.64m) in donations so far in 2014.

An Ohio man has been sentenced to two and a half years in jail, after he tried to 'push the gay out of' his disabled brother by beating him.

TV channel Logo has pulled an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race off of all digital platforms, after critics deemed it transphobic.

Christian radio host Kevin Swanson has compared 'promoting homosexuality' to murdering people with an axe.

Attorneys representing four same-sex couples who sued the state of Ohio for recognition of their out-of-state marriages have argued that a federal judge should lift a stay issued on Monday.

Geoffrey Smythe reviews Handbagged for PinkNews, a comedy play about Margaret Thatcherâ€™s relationship with the Queen.

Former glamour model Katie Price has questioned pop star Jessie J's reasons for speaking out about her sexuality saying "it really doesn't matter."

Robin Roberts, co-host of Good Morning America, has dismissed the idea she should have come out sooner by saying, â€œSome people like their anonymityâ€.

A golfer who voiced his support for a sports analyst who said gay NBA player Jason Collins' coming out was an "open rebellion to God" has won the Masters.

Jimmy Somerville, Clive Anderson and Christopher Biggins will all appear at the National AIDS Trustâ€™s Spring Awakening fundraiser next month, the charity says.

Human rights activists have expressed alarm at the announcement of plans to build separate prisons for gay prisoners in Turkey.

An inquest has heard police took three hours to gain entry to a flat where a gay man had taken an overdose.

The former head of a Tory research unit has been banned from standing as a party candidate at the 2015 general election, having been accused of using public money to fund a sex party.

On the same day that Malta passed a law to allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions and adopt, the country also added protections against gender identity discrimination into its constitution.

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 08:21:00 +0000

News:

Supporters of marriage equality seeking to overturn Virginia's constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, along with the office of Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, filed appellate briefs April 11 in the case of Bostic v. Schaefer urging the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen finding the marriage ban unconstitutional.

Allen, a federal judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, ruled in February that the ban violates the due process and equal protection clauses guaranteed under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

On Friday, Herring explained why the court should apply the most demanding ''strict scrutiny'' standard to Virginia's same-sex marriage ban, why the ban fails the ''strict scrutiny'' and ''rational basis'' tests, and why the court should act now to protect the fundamental right to marriage that is denied to same-sex couples in the commonwealth.

''All Virginia families deserve to be treated fairly and equally, and that, our Constitution guarantees to each of us,'' Herring said in a statement released by his office. ''I remain committed to ensuring both sides of this argument are heard in court as this case advances so we can get a definitive ruling, but since I changed the Commonwealth's legal position in January, every federal court that has considered the question has agreed that marriage equality is constitutionally required, including the resounding opinion in our favor in Virginia.''

Herring's brief also refutes arguments made by the appellants, clerks George E. Schaefer of Norfolk and Michelle McQuigg of Prince William County, as well as 21 others who filed amicus briefs. Herring says the ban should be subject to strict scrutiny because of discrimination and animus against gay people and their lack of political power under Virginia's laws.

Among other arguments put forth by the opponents of same-sex marriage, Herring points out that while some Virginians may have voted for the Marshall-Newman Amendment banning same-sex marriage in 2006 to ensure that their ''strongly held values'' were ''reflected in the law,'' religion cannot justify state-sponsored discrimination.

Herring also took aim at arguments advanced by McQuigg labeling marriage as necessary for procreation, noting that ''it is irrational to think that banning same-sex marriage will make heterosexual couples more likely to marry and have children of their own,'' and that there is no evidence that same-sex marriage harms heterosexual marriage.

Herring also defended same-sex families who are harmed by the ban by attacking McQuigg's argument that banning same-sex marriage is necessary to protect children. Herring wrote that McQuigg ''fails to explain why [the state] has a compelling interest in excluding gay people from marriage, thereby making it harder for gay parents to raise their children. McQuigg does not even mention the legal and economic benefits of marriage that are locked away from same-sex couples – such as spousal privilege, tenant-by-entirety ownership, inheritance rights, statutory beneficiary status and medical decision-making authority, to name a few.''

Herring's brief also states that Virginia State Registrar of Vital Records Janet Rainey will continue to enforce the ban on same-sex marriage until a definitive judicial decision can be rendered. Herring asked that any injunction against the ban be stayed until the U.S. Supreme Court resolves the issue.

Besides Herring, the legal team of Ted Olson and David Boies, lead counsel in the Bostic v. Schaefer case, also filed a brief arguing that Virginia's marriage prohibition is unconstitutional and must be subject to heightened scrutiny.

''Virginia has singled out gay men and lesbians and enshrined in Virginia's Constitution and statutory code that they are different, that their loving and committed relationship are ineligible for the designation 'marriage,' and that they and the children they raise are unworthy of that 'most important relation in life,''' the legal team wrote in its brief.

''No less than Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws, Virginia's Marriage Prohibition flatly contradicts the 'cherished protections' that Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses provide for 'private choices of the individual citizen regarding love and family.'''

Adam Umhoefer, the executive director of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), which is sponsoring the Bostic v. Schaefer case, said the foundation looked forward to presenting its case before the Fourth Circuit on behalf of thousands of gay and lesbian Virginians and their families.

''In the last five months, every federal judge to rule on the question of marriage for gay and lesbian Americans has decided in favor of equality,'' Umhoefer said, ''And we are confident the momentum will continue through this appeal at the Fourth Circuit.''

Lawyers for two other couples, in Harris v. Rainey – a case seeking to overturn the marriage ban from the Western District of Virginia that was previously certified as a class action lawsuit – also submitted briefs to the court arguing that the ban violates the 14th Amendment and should be subject to ''heightened scrutiny'' because of systematic discrimination against same-sex couples by the commonwealth of Virginia, which does not recognize any form of relationship or contract between same-sex couples, even if they are legally married elsewhere.

''Although heightened scrutiny is required, Virginia's marriage bans are unconstitutional under any standard of review,'' counsel for the Harris plaintiffs, which included lawyers from Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Virginia and the law firm Jenner and Block, wrote in their brief. ''Tradition is not a legitimate purpose that, standing alone, can justify disparate treatment.''

Like Herring and the Bostic lawyers, the Harris legal team also refuted arguments claiming there is a compelling state interest in preventing same-sex couples from marrying.

''The lack of any rational connection between Virginia's marriage bans and a legitimate state interest reinforces the inevitable conclusion that the primary purpose and practical effect of the bans is to impose a disadvantage, a separate status, and so a stigma upon same-sex couples in the eyes of the state and the broader community, rendering the bans unconstitutional.''

The appellants and opponents of same-sex marriage are required to submit briefs responding to the plaintiffs' and Herring's arguments by April 30. The Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case on May 13.

...more

News:

Equality Maryland PAC, the political action committee for the Free State's most prominent LGBT-rights group, announced on Monday it was endorsing state Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Montgomery Co.) in the race to succeed Attorney General Doug Gansler, an LGBT ally who is pursuing a bid for governor.

Frosh, a longtime supporter of LGBT rights, chairs the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, which oversaw deliberations regarding both the marriage-equality bill during the 2011 and 2012 sessions and the recently passed bill to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, credit and public accommodations based on gender identity or expression.

Maryland Sen. Brian Frosh

''Brian Frosh has been a firm ally and leader on LGBT issues in the General Assembly,'' Carrie Evans, the executive director of Equality Maryland, said in a statement announcing the endorsement. ''He has the maturity, experience and commitment to be an effective advocate for the LGBT communities of Maryland as our next Attorney General.''

Equality Maryland PAC's endorsement decision was based on Frosh's responses to a questionnaire and an in-person interview with staffers and board members from Equality Maryland, as well as some of the organization's regular members. Both Frosh and one of his two opponents in the Democratic primary, Del. Jon Cardin (D-Baltimore Co.), submitted questionnaires and were interviewed. Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-Prince George's Co.), Frosh's second Democratic opponent, was determined to be ineligible for Equality Maryland's endorsement because of her vote against the marriage-equality bill in 2012.

''Equality Maryland members were already aware of Brian Frosh's record of support on our issues,'' Timothy Williams, the chair of Equality Maryland PAC, said in a statement. ''During his interview with us he spoke convincingly about his commitment to fairness and how his own convictions were shaped by the example of his father, who supported civil rights for African Americans as a member of the Montgomery County Council more than 50 years ago.''

Frosh's endorsement marks Equality Maryland PAC's second endorsement for statewide office and its fifth endorsement of a non-incumbent. The PAC has endorsed Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (D) and his running mate, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, in the race for governor and lieutenant governor.

''Senator Frosh has more than 35 years of experience as a practicing attorney and has served in the General Assembly for 27 years,'' Stephanie Bernstein, Equality Maryland board chair, said in a statement. ''He understands the duties of the Attorney General and articulates a clear vision for how this office can continue to move Maryland forward on fairness or equality. We strongly urge the LGBT community and its allies to support Senator Frosh in his bid to be Maryland's next attorney general.''

...more

News:

About 20 community activists and advocates rallied Friday outside the John A. Wilson Building, which houses the mayor's office and the D.C. Council chambers, to call for the repeal of ''prostitution-free zones'' (PFZs), which opponents say has led to profiling and harassment of transgender people, particularly transgender women of color.

The April 11 rally, organized by the local service organization HIPS (Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive) was held with the dual purpose of calling for a repeal of PFZs, as well as standing in solidarity with Monica Jones, a transgender woman and sex-worker advocate in Phoenix, who was arrested for ''manifestation of prostitution'' under a police sting operation and anti-prostitution diversion program known as Project ROSE (Reaching Out on Sexual Exploitation) one day after she spoke at a rally protesting the program. Jones, who has said she was not engaging in prostitution at the time of her arrest, was slated to appear in Phoenix Municipal Court Friday and plead not guilty to the charges against her. Simultaneously, demonstrations similar to the one in D.C. were scheduled to occur outside the courthouse in Phoenix and elsewhere.

HIPS rally against ''prostitution-free zones''

(Photo by John Riley)

Outside the Wilson Building, demonstrators, including representatives from some prominent LGBT groups, held signs calling attention to the Jones case and offered fliers arguing against programs such as Project ROSE and D.C.'s PFZs. The demonstrators also engaged passerby in conversation, urging D.C. residents to contact their councilmembers to ask them to repeal the PFZs.

''We're just trying to encourage D.C. voters to contact their councilmembers and let them know that they think prostitution-free zones are a bad law that needs to be removed from the books,'' said Emily Hammell, director of development at HIPS. ''It's used to profile trans women of color, and it's also probably unconstitutional.''

D.C.'s PFZ provision, introduced nine years ago, allows the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to declare a particular area a ''prostitution-free zone,'' which then grants police authority to order groups of two or more people in a PFZ to disperse. It also lowers the bar for probable cause leading to an arrest. Such zones can be labeled prostitution-free for any length of time, at the discretion of the chief of police.

At a January 2012 hearing regarding a failed bill, proposed by Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7), that would have expanded and made permanent existing prostitution-free zones, MPD Assistant Police Chief Peter J. Newsham testified that the purpose of PFZs is not to make arrests for prostitution, but to act as a tool that MPD officers can use to disperse people whom they believe may be trying to engage in commercial sex work. Following that hearing, as a result of outcry from critics and the logistics of enforcing PFZs, MPD halted its implementation and said it was working internally to rescind its general PFZ order.

Both transgender-rights advocates, who decry what they see as police profiling of transgender women of color, and sex-worker advocates, who seek to provide support and assistance to those who put themselves at risk in the commercial sex trade, oppose PFZs, arguing that the creation of PFZs doesn't affect root causes of prostitution. Rather, they argue, PFZs push such activity further underground, increasing the risk of harm to sex workers.

Furthermore, opponents of PFZs also note that the provision's legal foundation is shaky. During the debate over the bill to make PFZs permanent, Ariel Levinson-Waldman, a spokesman for the office of D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan, testified before the Council that the attorney general believes PFZs may be unconstitutional.

Elizabeth Saracco, director of programs at HIPS, says repeal advocates are considering a court challenge if the D.C. Council fails to take the law off the books.

''Ultimately, we just need to work together to make a happier, healthier community for everyone to live in, rather than attack individuals in the community,'' says Saracco.

''MPD definitely wants to build a relationship with transgender individuals in Washington, D.C.,'' she says. ''I think they want the same thing HIPS wants, in a way: just a happy, healthy community where people can live peacefully. We've been in talks with them to repeal the prostitution-free zones, because in nine years it hasn't done anything useful. It hasn't put an end to prostitution, it hasn't bettered people's lives in any way.''

Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large), a critic of PFZs who was skeptical of their practicality during his 2012 Council run, has co-introduced a bill with Councilmembers Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and David Catania (I-At Large) to repeal PFZs. The bill has since been co-sponsored by Councilmembers Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), the chair of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee that the bill must pass to receive a vote by the full Council, and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8). Grosso was the only Councilmember to appear in person at the rally.

''I think it was a bad idea to start with,'' Grosso said of the creation of PFZs. ''I think people recognize now that it's an easy way to violate someone's human rights, and it's time to get rid of them and get them off the books.''

Grosso told Metro Weekly he believes he'll get the seven votes necessary to repeal PFZs, noting that as more is learned about the practice, some Councilmembers, even those who supported making the zones permanent, have changed their minds.

''When I came into office, I said that I was going to have a human rights framework to establish all my policies with, and this is one more opportunity for me to do that,'' Grosso said. ''In fact, I think all of my colleagues are catching on to that now, recognizing that we can't legislate without recognizing that people are affected by the laws that we create in ways that sometimes discriminate.''

Grosso added that he expected some residents in certain areas of the city to oppose the repeal, but insisted it was the right thing to do.

''I've been in neighborhoods we're they've touted these as something that's effective and useful, and they're just wrong,'' he said. ''And so, what you do, as a leader in this city, in my opinion, is you stand up and you say to the community, 'Hey, this is not working right, it's really discriminatory, and they need to be repealed.' So there are going to be some neighborhoods who push back, but, in the end, it's our job to say to them that they're not right.''

Kayley Whalen, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's executive office board liaison at, also attended the rally, as did representatives from the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), a local nonpartisan LGBT political advocacy group.

''I came here today because I believe that trans women of color should feel safe walking down the streets of their neighborhoods, both in D.C. and in Phoenix, Arizona, where Monica Jones was arrested,'' Whalen said. ''I firmly believe that we need to stand up against police profiling and harassment and criminalization of trans women for sex work.''

Whalen said the Task Force found in its National Transgender Discrimination Survey that profiling is particularly hard on transgender women of color, with 41 percent of African-American transgender women and 25 percent of transgender Latinas reporting police harassment, or being arrested and detained due to gender-based profiling. Whalen said that PFZs simply give police ''extra leverage'' to profile or harass transgender women they suspect of engaging in sex work.

''What we need instead of programs like Project ROSE that 'save trans women from themselves,' is we need programs developed for and by trans women that help empower them,'' Whalen said. ''We need to support organizations like Casa Ruby DC; the TransLife Center, of Chicago House; or the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, that are working directly to empower trans women of color to take control of their destiny and their own advancement in society.''

GLAA members have testified before the D.C. Council that PFZs do not withstand constitutional scrutiny, an argument also backed by groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union. On April 3, GLAA sent letters to the five members of the Council's Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, as well as to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Grosso, outlining the constitutional concerns with PFZs.

''Even though the Council is a legislature, and you would think legislators would be eager to legislate, there's often a hesitance to act unless there's no other alternative,'' GLAA President Richard Rosendall said of the Council's inaction. ''In this case, we and our allies, including the ACLU, made the case during the hearing on Yvette Alexander's permanent PFZ bill in 2012, we made the case that it was unconstitutional, it didn't work, and caused a lot more problems than it solved. And then police officials indicated that they would stop using them, apparently until this got resolved. But then there was an admission that they weren't using the PFZs to make arrests, but just to make people move on. One of the reasons they weren't doing arrests was it wouldn't hold up in court.''

Rosendall said profiling within PFZs happens ''routinely and egregiously'' to transgender women of color, even when they are not engaging in prostitution. He added that non-transgender people, both within the LGBT and straight ''ally'' communities, need to speak out in favor of repealing PFZs, rather than dismiss the issue because it doesn't directly affect them.

''Those of us who don't fit the profile need to step up for our trans sisters, and the Council needs to get this passed,'' Rosendall said. ''It's unconstitutional, and it's not solving any problem. I think our legislators have a responsibility to at least do no harm. In this case, the laws against prostitution are used to target a particular population, many of whom have been driven into sex work because of discrimination. Adding an arrest to their record solves nothing and only increases the burden on them, creating a vicious cycle.''

Rosendall urged the Council to act this year. Mayor Vincent Gray, who is supportive of repealing PFZs, was recently defeated in his re-election bid, fueling a sense of urgency.

Of the 13 members of the D.C. Council, five back the bill to repeal PFZs. Finding two more votes may be a challenge, as many of the remaining councilmembers have appeared supportive or sympathetic to keeping PFZs in place.

The 2012 permanent PFZ bill was co-introduced by Alexander, Barry, former Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5), former Council Chairman Kwame Brown (D), Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) and Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), the Democratic nominee and presumptive favorite to become the District's next mayor. It was co-sponsored by Councilmembers Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Catania, although Catania later withdrew his support of the measure.

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) helped defeat the 2012 bill in committee, largely over constitutional concerns, but told The Washington Post in 2012 that he thought PFZs were useful in disrupting the sex trade. Councilmember Jim Graham's position on repealing PFZs is unknown, although Graham did introduce a bill in 2009 aimed at creating ''no loitering zones,'' similar to PFZs and ''drug-free zones.'' Graham later withdrew the bill.

Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5) expressed concerns about profiling and the constitutionality of ''permanent'' PFZs during his 2012 special-election victory, saying that if the District is going to establish PFZs, they need to be able to withstand potential court challenges. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large) had not yet been elected to the Council at the time the permanent PFZ bill was considered.

...more

Tolomelli's luscious stained-glass works stir the passions of the spirit as well as those of the flesh.

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One has already compared the offering of LGBT materials to indoctrination in skinhead culture and radical Islam, and now another says 'all of America should be outraged' at the University of South Carolina Upstate.

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A Church of England clergy member takes advantage of England's new marriage equality law, in defiance of his denomination's opposition to same-sex unions.

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A federal judge has ruled that the state of Ohio must recognize gay marriages legally performed in states that have legalized same sex unions. According to the Associated Press: Judge Timothy Black rlack ruled that refusing to recognize gay marriage is a violation of constitutional rights and “unenforceable in all circumstances.” “The record before this court […]

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It’s spring, or so the calendar says. We’ve even moved the clocks forward to prove it, but apparently someone forgot to wake Mother Nature up and tell her. Â Many of us, even me, and I live in the south, are still getting snow and cold weather in the forecast. Some people suffer from seasonal effective […]

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 06:54:00 +0000

PITTSBURGH, April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The difference between a same-sex couple getting married and taking specific pro-active steps, and not getting married and not taking these pro-active steps can be the difference between running out of money and having $1.4 million during...

4/14/2014

(Cincinnati, OH, April 14, 2014) â€" Today, in a strongly worded ruling, a federal court in Ohio declared Ohioâ€™s ban on recognizing out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples unconstitutional in all respects.

4/14/2014

(Cincinnati, OH,April 14, 2014) - Today, in a strongly worded ruling, a federal court in Ohio declared Ohio's ban on recognizing out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples unconstitutional in all respects.

David Catania would become the cityâ€™s first openly gay mayor, but some activists are putting party first.

Singer Jennifer Lopez is honoured at an awards event celebrating the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community's presence in the media.

Last nightâ€™s GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) awards were filled with top notch moments. Orange Is The New Black star Laverne...

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International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 11:36:00 +0000

The removal of a comic book from display at Melbourne's pop culture festival due to a gay sex scene has sparked outrage on social media in recent days.

Let's get ready to grumble!

"It was amazing, we were so excited," says the team at Northcott who marched at Mardi Gras this year for the first time, and now proudly reveal the video of their float.

Africa's anti-gay movement spreads to Ethiopia
Ahram Online
Two groups in Ethiopia say they will hold an anti-gay demonstration in the capital. Ethiopia appears set to become the latest African country to increase the public demonization of gays, following new legislation in Uganda and Nigeria this year that ...

and more »

The Independent

Gay Star News

Gay teachers banned from International Christian School in Sha Tin
South China Morning Post
The International Christian School in Sha Tin, which has about 1,200 pupils, requires existing staff and job applicants to sign a contract that makes having a gay relationship or living with someone of the same sex outside marriage a sackable offence.
Hong Kong Anglican Church opposes Christian school's ban on gay teachersGay Star News

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Cartier Trust fundraiser Wigarama will return to AucklandÃ¢??s Karangahape Rd next month.

An Auckland model has decided to pull out of a bikini competition, which she canÃ¢??t win because she is transgender.

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The UN has condemned Brunei for adopting a new penal code that calls for death by stoning for same-sex sexual activity.

India's Supreme Court has issued a landmark verdict creating a new category that allows transgender people to identify themselves as such on official documents.

Sarah Wollaston has denied pressuring two men who made sexual assault allegations against Nigel Evans into going to the police.

A Chilean pastor has blamed forest fires near the city of ValparaÃso on the discussion of a bill which would allow for same-sex civil unions.

A taxpayer-funded Catholic school in Alberta requires its staff to abstain from 'homosexual relations', and warns children that the 'unjust' will end up in a 'lake of fire'.

A retirement home for gay and lesbian pensioners is to be opened in Madrid.

Mozilla has named a new interim CEO, just 11 days after Brendan Eich resigned over his donations to anti-gay marriage campaigns.

Same-sex civil unions were this evening approved in Malta, allowing gay couples to adopt.

A group of lawyers is taking the government of British Columbia to court, over plans for a law school which does not allow gays.

The White House will hold a ceremony next month to launch a stamp in honour of assassinated gay rights hero Harvey Milk.

A human rights legal group has filed a lawsuit against the state of Michigan over its refusal to recognise 300+ same-sex couples married in the state.

The expenses watchdog is looking into claims that an alleged 'gay sex party' at the Conservative party conference was partly paid for using public money.

Michael Fabricant says his recent departure as Tory vice chairman all goes back to a joke designed to highlight his pro-gay credentials, which failed to amuse Lynton Crosby.

The Labour Party of Malta has flown a rainbow flag at its headquarters on the day that Parliament is set to vote on a civil unions bill.

A federal judge has ordered that the US state of Ohio must recognise out-of-state same-sex marriages.

A range of Tom of Finland stamps is set to launch in Finland to commemorate the "proud homoeroticism" of the influential gay artist.

An unnamed TV comedian who had a relationship with an 18-year-old fashion student before he killed himself has attempted to contact the boy's family to explain.

Labour MP John Cryer has intervened in the case of a lesbian asylum seeker living in east London who is facing deportation to Uganda.

Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams has slammed a senior clergyman for marrying his same-sex partner.

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe has spoken out again about the acceptance of gay football players in the league, sayi, saying it will "start losing money" if it does not "catch up with the rest of" society.

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 11:34:00 +0000

NEW YORK, LONDON and SYDNEY, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Beamly (formerly zeebox) launches today on iPhone, iPad, Android and the web with a new brand and a vibrant, exciting new app representing the state of the art of social television. With the Beamly app, TV fans...

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 08:21:00 +0000

News:

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With little debate, the state party adopted a platform without language opposing same-sex marriage.

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Miami Beach is an early starter in the parade of Pride festivities. Let the season begin!

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For less than 24 hours, marriage equality was the law of the land in Michigan. Now the ACLU is suing the state to make sure the same-sex couples who married get the rights they're entitled to.

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A news site that covers the postal service revealed this week the design for the long anticipated Harvey Milk stamp. According to Linn’s Stamp News, it features a black and white photo of Milk, the first LGBT person to be elected to public office in San Francisco when he won a seat on the Board […]

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This play is, without a doubt, a masterpiece of the American theatre, and director Kenny Leon has given a solid, understated account of it. Set on Chicagoâ€™s South Side in the 1950s, A Raisin in the Sun follows the conflicting dreams among three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee (Denzel Washington), his wife […]

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 03:34:00 +0000

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Award winning activist Joey Kirkman and co-author J.D. Shapiro are proud to a to announce the release of Bedtime Bible Stories-EXPLICIT! a true, though sometimes comedic take that exposes the ugly side of the Bible. Stamped with a...

PHILADELPHIA, April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mazzoni Center is proud to announc e that its annual celebration and fundraiser, Elixir: the Cure for the Common Gala, will take place on Saturday, May 17 at the Wells Fargo Bank and Museum (123 S. Broad Street) from 7:00-10:00 P.M.,...

4/11/2014

(Chicago, IL, April 11, 2014) -- For the past several years, Lambda Legal has advocated for and filed lawsuits on behalf of students who were denied the right to participate in GLSENâ€™s Day of Silence, the annual anti-bullying observance in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students at their schools.

Singer Jennifer Lopez is honoured at an awards event celebrating the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community's presence in the media.

Last nightâ€™s GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) awards were filled with top notch moments. Orange Is The New Black star Laverne...

While same-sex marriages may not be legally recognized in Michigan, many local gay and lesbian couples who are hearing wedding bells are expected to head to the Ultimate LGBT Wedding & Anniversary Expo at the Southfield Civic Pavillion this weekend.

Why would we silence unwittingly helpful voices like yours, Peter LaBarbera? [GLAAD]

Your personal faith view on religious marriage cannot be used as basis for denying other people's *civil* marriages. Period. Full stop. And yet that is the basis on which the National Organization For Marriage will, by its own admission, will...

The week is starting off right: Court orders Ohio to recognize married same-sex couples [Wash Blade]

LGBT activists won the larger Chick-fil-A debate, as we always knew we would. CEO Dan Cathy says he is now "more wise" and, whatever his personal beliefs may be (to be clear, they don't see, to have changed), has vowed...

If "Christian" Post wants to run headlines like this, perhaps it should change its name to more accurately reflect its heart: Christian Post opinion piece by Matt Barber Forget casting stones: these voices of Jesus are seriously casting gay human...

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:44:00 +0000

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The official first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the Harvey Milk Forever Stamp will take place at the White House May 22. Harvey Milk was a visionary leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the...

This ran as a full page ad in the Palm Sunday edition of The New York Times: FULL PAGE NY TIMES AD calls on Pope Francis to stand with LGBT youth

Sometimes I think the pro-discrimination National Organization For Marriage, one of the most offensive and ill-operating special interest groups in all of American politics, can't get any worse. And then it does something like equate the struggle of modern day...

Matt Barber, the Liberty Counsel attorney is among the quickest to jump in whoever an anti-LGBT person faces intra-company pushback for his or her view, is starting his week by going after Christian publisher WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. That publishing...

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International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:36:00 +0000

Beard transplant, anyone?

"Itâ€™s time for Canberra to catch up," say the Caulfield Young Liberals, who put up a motion at Victoria's Liberal State Council on Saturday calling for a conscience vote on marriage equality.

"I realised that standing in front of hundreds of people to host the night was no longer something to be nervous about, but an incredible privilege."

Africa's Anti-Gay Movement Spreads to Ethiopia
ABC News
Associated Press. Two groups in Ethiopia said Thursday that they will hold an anti-gay demonstration later this month, a move that puts Ethiopia in line to become the next African country to increase the public demonization of gays. Although gay sex is ...

The Independent

Ambassadors and bridge builders international to hold candlight vigil for ...
Gay News Network
With Living Waters Australia (LWA), one of Australia's foremost and longest running ex-gay/conversion therapy programs closing this weekend, LGBTI advocates will be holding a vigil at Taylor Square to remember those who have suicided because of ...

A Bay of Islands woman left simple signs reading "Love and acceptance, not self-hate" and "Free 2 Be" on the fence of Paihia Baptist Church, where an Ã¢??ex-gayÃ¢?? man gave a talk yesterday.

A transgender Samoan woman with convictions for indecent assault of children has been granted leave to appeal against her deportation, on humanitarian grounds.

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The Mayor of North Down, Andrew Muir, says he has experienced "quite a significant amount of discrimination, harassment and violence" for being an openly gay politician.

A teenager on trial for the attempted murder of a 35-year-old gay man has been found guilty.

Four Oregon students protested the Day of Silence, which raises awareness of anti-gay bullying, by wearing t-shirts that claim 'Gay is not OK'.

The Nevada GOP has removed policies opposing same-sex marriage and abortion from its state platform.

A University Chancellor has hit back at the claims of a Republican politician who claimed that the institution was promoting 'a glorification of same-sex orientation'.

San Francisco Pride has confirmed that Wikileaks soldier Chelsea Manning will be Honorary Grand Marshal of this year's parade, after similar plans were scuppered last year.

An Oklahoma transgender policewoman has announced that she will run for election to the state's House of Representatives.

A Tea Party activist has claimed that 'gay supremacy' is 'more evil' than white supremacy ever was.

An LGBT homeless shelter has written an open letter to the Pope in the New York Times, to invite him to come 'see for himself' the impact of his church's teachings on homosexuality.

US Radio Host Linda Harvey, who once dismissed the possibility that â€œkids are kicked out of their homes just for being who they are,â€ has now suggested young gay people should stay closeted to friends and family until they can become straight.

A Phoenix trans woman has been found guilty of a prostitution-related charge, after speaking out against a Bible-based 'rehabilitation' programme.

The first same-sex marriage has taken place in a church since the law changed on last month to allow gay couples to marry in England and Wales.

A store owner in Georgia has been accused of homophobia after he included anti-gay slurs on a shop sign to discourage customers from wearing sagging trousers.

The National Organisation for Marriage is attempting to sell tickets to its fundraising gala for up to $15,000 (Â£8960).

Hundreds of Mississippi shops and businesses are protesting against the state's new 'religious freedom' law, with window stickers assuring customers they would never use it to refuse them service.

Michigan is appealing the decision to strike down a law which denies domestic partner benefits to gay couples.

Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox has been presented with GLAAD's top media award, by newly-out actress Ellen Page.

MP Nigel Evans, who was acquitted on all rape and sexual assault charges on Thursday, has said the Crown Prosecution Service should pay his Â£130,000 legal bill after costing him his life savings.

The first Church of England priest has broken ranks to marry his same-sex partner as a senior member warns of "crisis" if such clergy members are not "disciplined".

A New York school has blocked a girl from taking her transgender boyfriend to prom.

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 08:21:00 +0000

News:

About 20 community activists and advocates rallied Friday outside the John A. Wilson Building, which houses the mayor's office and the D.C. Council chambers, to call for the repeal of ''prostitution-free zones'' (PFZs), which opponents say has lead to profiling and harassment of transgender people, particularly transgender women of color.

HIPS rally against ''prostitution-free zones''

(Photo by John Riley)

Elizabeth Saracco, director of programs at HIPS, says repeal advocates are considering a court challenge if the D.C. Council fails to take the law off the books.

''Ultimately, we just need to work together to make a happier, healthier community for everyone to live in, rather than attack individuals in the community,'' says Saracco.

Grosso added that he expected some residents in certain areas of the city to oppose the repeal, but insisted it was the right thing to do.

Rosendall urged the Council to act this year. Mayor Vincent Gray, who is supportive of repealing PFZs, was recently defeated in his re-election bid, fueling a sense of urgency.

...more

Her show, The Fosters, was a winner at the GLAAD Media Awards, and Lopez says she owes that in part to her aunt.

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Actress Laverne Cox was honored for advocacy on behalf of trans people.

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Other grand marshals include Ross Mathews and Janet Mock.

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A new bar featuring classic arcade games is headed to San Francisco’s gay Castro district. The owner of upper Market Street bar Blackbird, Sh awn Vergara, and Tiffny Vergara Chung, who is the business manager at Blackbird, are behind the new establishment. Dubbed “Project 22″ for now, due to its location in the new mixed-used development […]

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This is easily the most spectacular musical to come out of Broadway this season. Director Alex Timbers has long been one of the American theatre’s most inventive stagers, and here he has truly outdone himself, with a stunning, climactic ending that will be hard for him to top going forward. Based on the 1976 film […]

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The Friarâ€™s Club Comedy Film Festival opened Tuesday night with the premiere oere of Psych star James Rodayâ€™s new movie, Gravy. The film is a comedy horror featuring: Sarah Silverman, Michael Weston, Gabourey Sidibe, Paul Rodriguez, Jimmi Simpson, Sutton Foster, Lily Cole, Molly Ephraim, Lothaire Bluteau, Kate Rogal, Gabriel Luna and Ethan Sandler, with appearances from […]

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 05:44:00 +0000

NEW YORK, April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SiriusXM today announced it will launch The Outfield, a new weekly sports talk show on SiriusXM OutQ, Sirius XM's 24/7 channel for the LGBT community. The live call-in show will be hosted by sports broadcaster Eddie Robinson and...

ATLANTA, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Black, Disabled, Gay Christian man refuses to live a life defined by a label, confined by society and denied by the church. Obstac. Obstacles and challenges are commonplace in life and one can either face it with courage and faith or curl up into a...

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International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 09:36:00 +0000

"I realised that standing in front of hundreds of people to host the night was no longer something to be nervous about, but an incredible privilege."

One of the foremost and longest-running â€˜pray the gay awayâ€™ therapy programs in Australia closes tomorrow, and our LGBTI community of faith will mark its passing.

One of Oxford Streetâ€™s longest-running gay venues is now on the market, with its management reassuring punters that events will run as usual there for the time-being.

Africa's anti-gay movement spreads to Ethiopia
WJAC Johnstown
Ethiopia appears set to become the latest African country to increase the public demonization of gays, following new legislation in Uganda and Nigeria this year that increased penalties for homosexual acts. Ethiopia's parliament is also considering ...

and more »

Footballer guilty of anti-gay gesture in England
Fresno Bee
BRIGHTON, England â€" A British court has found Turkey striker Colin Kazim-Richards guilty of making an anti-gay gesture at a match while playing for Blackburn. The 27-year-old Kazim-Richards claimed he was bantering with the crowd at former club ...

and more »

Te Papa's marae is to host an AIDS Candlelight Memorial for the first time.

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A New York school has blocked a girl from taking her transgender boyfriend to prom.

The Illinois House of Representatives has rejected a bill which would ban gay conversion therapy.

The Principal of a Rhode Island school has apologised to parents for inviting a radio host to speak, after he ranted to children about homosexuality.

Police have released a photo of a man suspected of holding at gunpoint, sexually assaulting and robbing a man he met on Grindr.

The British Columbia law society has accepted an application to open a law school which will not allow gay people to attend.

A House of Representatives committee in Louisiana has finally voted to remove a sodomy law from the state's penal code, eleven years after it was declared unconstitutional.

Nigel Farage made light of anti-gay comments made by UKIP members yesterday, appearing on Have I Got News For You.

Two members of Pussy Riot have claimed that Vladimir Putin could be gay.

Utah's Attorney General says his decision to oppose the rights of gay couples to marry is 'not about hate'.

A teenager has been found guilty of stabbing a man in the chest in what is described as an 'unprovoked homophobic attack'.

Police are investigating homophobic leaflets delivered in Cambridge, which state that homosexuality is 'rebellion against nature' and will lead to paedophilia and the 'disintegration of family life'.

A rally has been planned in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, to show support for same-sex marriage in the state.

Irish primary school teachers are concerned that proposed equality legislation may not go far enough to protect LGBT teachers against discrimination.

Nintendo has said that the inclusion of same-sex marriage in a video game last yearwas a 'critical bug'.

Leading anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera was detained at the Canadian border for his extremist views, which the country deemed 'hate propaganda'.

A 34-year-old Canadian was robbed, held at gunpoint and raped by a man he had arranged to meet on Grindr.

Three Russian gay couples will marry in Copenhagen next month, in the same week the city hosts Eurovision.

A Tory councillor who said he was "disturbed" that gay actor Sir Ian McKellen had been visiting schools has withdrawn his nomination to become Bristolâ€™s next Lord Mayor.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is attempting to legalise same-sex divorce, despite the state not recognising equal marriage.

The Pope has asked for forgiveness for the "moral damage" caused to children through abuse carried out by clergy members.

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 08:21:00 +0000

News:

About 20 community activists and advocates rallied Friday outside the John A. Wilson Building, which houses the mayor's office and the D.C. Council chambers, to call for the repeal of ''prostitution-free zones'' (PFZs), which opponents say has lead to profiling and harassment of transgender people, particularly transgender women of color.

Elizabeth Saracco, director of programs at HIPS, says repeal advocates are considering a court challenge if the D.C. Council fails to take the law off the books.

''Ultimately, we just need to work together to make a happier, healthier community for everyone to live in, rather than attack individuals in the community,'' says Saracco.

Grosso added that he expected some residents in certain areas of the city to oppose the repeal, but insisted it was the right thing to do.

Rosendall urged the Council to act this year. Mayor Vincent Gray, who is supportive of repealing PFZs, was recently defeated in his re-election bid, fueling a sense of urgency.

Of the 13 members of the D.C. Council, back the bill to repeal PFZs. Finding two more votes may be a challenge, as many of the remaining councilmembers have appeared supportive or sympathetic to keeping PFZs in place.

...more

Before Mad Men returns for its final season, revisit The Advocate's Q&As with three of the AMC drama's most appealing stars: Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, and Elisabeth Moss.

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Bans on same-sex couples getting married sound awfully similar to bans on interracial marriage, says Virginia's attorney general.

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Antigay hecklers couldn't resist commenting when the CNN anchor said he's impressed by the first-ever active men's Division I basketball player to come out.

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The Friarâ€™s Club Comedy Film Festival opened Tuesday night with the premiere of Psych star James Rodayâ€™s new movie, Gravy. The film is a cois a comedy horror featuring: Sarah Silverman, Michael Weston, Gabourey Sidibe, Paul Rodriguez, Jimmi Simpson, Sutton Foster, Lily Cole, Molly Ephraim, Lothaire Bluteau, Kate Rogal, Gabriel Luna and Ethan Sandler, with appearances from […]

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 06:38:00 +0000

ATLANTA, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Black, Disabled, Gay Christian man refuses to live a life defined by a label, confined by society and denied by the church. Obstacles and challenges are commonplace in life and one can either face it with courage and faith or curl up into a...

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 16:23:00 +0000

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International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 08:36:00 +0000

One of the foremost and longest-running â€˜pray the gay awayâ€™ therapy programs in Australia closes tomorrow, and our LGBTI community of faith will mark its passing.

One of Oxford Streetâ€™s longest-running gay venues is now on the market, with its management reassuring punters that events will run as usual there for the time-being.

The entire Oxford Street community is struggling with the effect Sydney's new lock-out laws are having, as locals fear we'll soon lose our unique and valuable gay spaces.

Africa's anti-gay movement spreads to Ethiopia
WZTV
ADDIS ABBA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Two groups in Ethiopia say they will hold an anti-gay demonstration in the capital. Ethiopia appears set to become the latest African country to increase the public demonization of gays, following new legislation in Uganda ...

and more »

Soccer player guilty of anti-gay gesture
Fresno Bee
BRIGHTON, England â€" A British court has found Turkish forward Colin Kazim-Richards guilty of making an anti-gay gesture at a match while playing for Blackburn. The 27-year-old claimed he was bantering with the crowd at his former club Brighton when he ...

A youth-led group pushing for change in the criminal justice system remains worried about the risk of abuse of the rights of transgender prisoners.

Rainbow Youth is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a New Zealander aged 27 or under who wants to compete at the Asia Pacific Outgames in Darwin next month.

Janelle MonÃƒÂ¡e has announced a shared concert with New ZealandÃ¢??s Kimbra in Auckland next month.

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Leading anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera was detained at the Canadian border for his extremist views, which the country deemed 'hate propaganda'.

A 34-year-old Canadian was robbed, held at gunpoint and raped by a man he had arranged to meet on Grindr.

Three Russian gay couples will marry in Copenhagen next month, in the same week the city hosts Eurovision.

A Tory councillor who said he was "disturbed" that gay actor Sir Ian McKellen had been visiting schools has withdrawn his nomination to become Bristolâ€™s next Lord Mayor.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is attempting to legalise same-sex divorce, despite the state not recognising equal marriage.

The Pope has asked for forgiveness for the "moral damage" caused to children through abuse carried out by clergy members.

Labour would have a Secretary of State for Women and Equalities if it won the next election, Ed Miliband has announced.

An anti-gay demonstration will be held in Ethiopia later in April by two groups which deem being gay "dangerous", and claim that gay people "rape children".

One of the first gay couples to marry in England and Wales, Subodh Rathod and Niranjan Kamatkar, write for PinkNews on organising their wedding in Haringey.

International Development Minister Alan Duncan has rejected calls to cut foreign aid to countries with anti-gay laws.

The attorney general of the US state of Virginia has filed a brief which condemns the state's same-sex marriage ban, saying it is unconstitutional.

A former Royal Bank of Scotland employee has been sentenced to life for murdering his wife and incinerating her body to stop her revealing his sexuality.

In protest against the Church of Norway's refusal to perform same-sex marriages, mayors have vowed to open up city halls to allow priests to perform blessings for gay couples' marriages.

The former chief executive of Stonewall claims to have heard of â€œdozens of cases from men and womenâ€ of alleged sexual harassment at Westminster.

Following a school board meeting convened because due to complaints from parents about her gender identity, a transgender teacher has been reinstated.

Planning minister Nick Boles has rejected criticism over the appointment of Nicky Morgan as the new Minister for Women.

Singer Pharrell Williams has announced his support for same-sex marriage, saying "equality for everybody".

The Health Secretary "absolutely wanted" Northern Ireland to lift its lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men giving blood, his spokeswoman says.

A bisexual blind asylum seeker from Cameroon was beaten by immigration staff in an attempt to deport him last weekend, campaigners have alleged.

A UKIP chairman has defended a prospective councillor who describes anal sex as â€œsodomyâ€, and now says he is against â€œaggressive homosexualsâ€ who pretend they are â€œnormalâ€.

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 08:23:00 +0000

4/10/2014

(Evansville, IN,April 10, 2014) â€" Today, a federal court in Indiana ordered the state to recognize immediately the marriage of a lesbian couple in Munster.

4/9/2014

Now live on the Lambda Legal website is a chart detailing current status of marriage equality litigation nationwide.

Today is the 19th annual Day of Silence, a movement organized by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network where youths take a vow of silence "to call attention to the silencing effect...

Civil liberties group says state has put hundreds of gay and lesbian couples in legal limbo with move to cut off benefits

I'd think the victim costume would get hot and uncomfortable. Maybe a little scratchy. Particularly when it's as ill-fitting as the one that the backers of discrimination are trying to force themselves into. Yet the anti-LGBT conservatives insist on putting...

A group calling itself "Prayer 7-14-14" thinks our nation is wicked and needs to be saved. This is how they describe it: HISTORY & PURPOSE of 7-14-14 WE ARE A NATION, WHO HAS FALLEN FROM HER INTENDED PURPOSE, AND WE...

The National Organization For Marriage's chairman has lent his endorsement to a new book from Catholic publishing house Ignatius Press: So since Eastman is in a top seat at NOM and NOM is supposedly all about (and limited to) marriage,...

Billy Graham's granddaughter, Jerushah Armfield, is currently on a book tour promoting a tome that she co-wrote to honor her granddad's legacy. After seeing a few puff pieces (Today, Morning Joe) that made no mention of the sad fact that...

In a letter to the U.S. Senate, the shockingly duplicitous and reliably animus-driven Family Research Council uses LGBT rights as a way to trip up Michelle Friedland's confirmation to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit....

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 08:21:00 +0000

Contemporary with J.C. Leyendecker, and Charles Dana Gibson, and heir to the licentious line art of Aubrey Beardsley, Cushing was a mainstream illustrator with a decidedly gay pen stroke.

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Enjoy these scantily-clad previews for the upcoming 24th annual Broadway Bares fundraiser â€" and the hottest ticket on Broadway.

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The Advocate caught up with RuPaul's Drag Race's Laganja Estranja after he sashayed away.

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International Gay News Headlines (T25T-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 07:36:00 +0000

One of the foremost and longest-running â€˜pray the gay awayâ€™ therapy programs in Australia closes tomorrow, and our LGBTI community of faith will mark its passing.

One of Oxford Streetâ€™s longest-running gay venues is now on the market, with its management reassuring punters that events will run as usual there for the time-being.

The entire Oxford Street community is struggling with the effect Sydney's new lock-out laws are having, as locals fear we'll soon lose our unique and valuable gay spaces.

Footballer guilty of anti-gay gesture in England
The Idaho Statesman
BRIGHTON, England â€" A British court has found Turkey striker Colin Kazim-Richards guilty of making an anti-gay gesture at a match while playing for Blackburn. The 27-year-old Kazim-Richards claimed he was bantering with the crowd at former club ...

and more »

A report from the Foreign Office says India's recriminalisation of homosexuality was 'unexpected'.

A Crimean lesbian has said she is terrified that an anti-gay propaganda law will be imposed by Russia.

A gay man from Dallas has been found murdered,Â naked and wrapped in a sheet in the backseat of his car.

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Gay News Magazine Headlines (T24T-2)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 05:34:00 +0000

News:

The Wanda Alston Foundation, which operates the Wanda Alston House providing housing and support services for homeless and at-risk LGBT youth in the District, announced Tuesday evening that the foundation has put in place additional controls to prevent misuse of funds following the revelation that a staff member, since removed, used funds for personal use.

According to a statement released by the foundation that was sent to the donors and media, the foundation's board of directors asked an external accountant to conduct a review of all accounts. That accountant determined that no government funds had been misused. The foundation also apologized for the misuse of funds and offered assurance that problem had been resolved.

Christopher Dyer, a member of the foundation's board of directors, told Metro Weekly that the foundation had also reached out to donors via phone to inform them and reassure them of the importance of their support.

The board of directors has added additional safeguards to prevent a similar breach in the future, to include requiring that all disbursements be made by check, and increasing restrictions for direct withdrawal of foundation funds.

''The board moved swiftly to address the misuse of funds, and is confident that the strict financial controls that have been instituted in its wake will prevent any future issue of this type,'' the board said in its letter to donors. ''The Foundation is a young organization. As it finds increasingly secure footing, its accountability to you, our donors, is paramount.''

Although the statement did not directly name the staff member in question, the statement follows an abrupt announcement in mid-March that named Pettigrew the interim executive director of the Wanda Alston Foundation and announced the sudden departure of Brian Watson, the former executive director, who left ''to pursue other activities,'' according to a press release announcing Pettigrew's appointment.

''Once the funds were discovered missing, the staff member immediately resigned and has agreed to a repayment plan,'' the board's letter reads.

Watson was a former employee of the transgender service agency Transgender Health Empowerment (THE), which shut its doors last year after the organization filed for bankruptcy as a result of mismanagement, failure to pay federal employee payroll taxes, and failure to pay employees for hours worked. According to bankruptcy-filing documents, Watson is among several creditors owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages by THE. Watson was also among the first class of Metro Weekly Next Generation awardees, in 2009.

Attempts to reach Watson for comment were unsuccessful.

...more

Business:

Think you know what to expect at a typical awards dinner? Great, but that's not what you'll find when the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (aka the Chamber) celebrates its 24th anniversary and honors a diverse group of local business and community leaders at its Annual Awards Dinner and Gala on Friday, April 25, at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel.

Chamber Vice President Katie McElroy, owner of the event-planning company Katie Rose LLC, says this year's event has been redesigned with more entertainment under a new theme: Indulge in Business Excellence.

Max Major

"We are really excited to be the organization that acknowledges and commends businesses and leaders within the local LGBTA community, and we are honored and humbled by this responsibility," says McElroy. "The Chamber has created this event to break the mold and elevate the Annual Awards Dinner beyond the typical D.C. gala that can feel sterile and routine. We want to treat our nominees and the community to an evening of opulence and grandeur that will indulge all your senses."

Guests will be charmed, delighted, wooed and astounded by the entertainers participating in this year's gala, where awards are given out in several categories: Excellence in Business, Business Leadership, Emerging Entrepreneur, Corporate Partner, and the Volunteer of the Year Award. More information is available about this year's nominees online at caglcc.org.

As part of this year's exciting changes to the event's programming, honorees will be announced at the dinner during a special awards presentation by this year's master of ceremonies, magician Max Major. Twice voted D.C.'s "Best Performance Artist" by readers of the Washington City Paper and voted "DC's Hottest Bachelor" by Inside Edition, Major will use a combination of magic, psychology and charm to entertain attendees while he pulls the award winners "out of the hat" of nominees in each category.

Entertainment will also be provided by the Rorschach Theatre, acclaimed for its fierce performance style and its bold use of theatrical space. The company will delight guests with its interactive, rococo-themed, in-costume and in-character performances throughout the evening.

"We are very grateful to have been part of such a warm and supportive community in Washington for the last 14 years, so we always love the opportunity to give back," says Rorschach's co-artistic director, Jenny McConnell Frederick. "Collaborations like these are essential in ensuring a really vibrant commerce ecology of our city -- and we know it's going to be a blast!"

Also performing will be singer Darsha Davis, who will treat attendees to an intimate set of soulful contemporary classics. "The opportunity to celebrate this year's award candidates and 'movers and shakers' in our area is awesome," says Davis.

The event will also feature the Royal Auction, sponsored by Malvin, Riggins and Company P.C. The auction consists of luxury items ranging from high-end clothing and accessories to special edition artwork. Some of this year's auction items include a TAG Heuer men's watch, donated by Tiny Jewel Box, and a DeLonghi Nespresso espresso maker, donated by Bloomingdale's. This year, the Chamber offers the opportunity to bid online prior to the dinner, including "Buy Now" prices. For more information about the auction, visit the Chamber's website.

Beyond the entertainment and Royal Auction, the value in attending the gala is the opportunity for networking. As described by Silvia Tergas, dinner co-chair and Chamber board member: "You can make new connections, meet a lot of decision makers, and build relationships. This is a fantastic business opportunity, wrapped in an evening of fun."

The Chamber's Annual Awards Dinner and Gala is Friday, April 25, at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets, starting at $210, and sponsorships are available on the Chamber's website.

The Chamber Means Business. For more information visit caglcc.org or facebook.com/CAGLCC. On Twitter, follow @DCLGBTBIZ

Robert E. McLean, a CAGLCC member, owns REM Association Services, a full-service association management company in Arlington.

...more

Stage:

An ideal evening at the theater for precocious high schoolers and the politically curious, Lawrence Wright's Camp David is a primer on President Jimmy Carter's brokering of an uneasy peace in the Mideast conflict as it stood in 1978. Written with mild humor, a certain passion and a storyteller's talent, this lesson in the vital and complex problems of this political and religious morass slips down with the ease of a geopolitical gel cap.

Though it may not be overflowing with edge or insight, it's still no mean feat considering Lawrence covers not only the crisis as it stood then (both for the Mideast and Carter's presidency), but also the contemporary and ancient history that led to it and a generous dose of the personal histories of the key players.

Camp David: Khaled Nabawy as Anwar Sadat, Richard Thomas as Jimmy Carter and Ron Rifkin as Menachem Begin

(Photo by Teresa Wood)

Of course some hearing this will rightly wonder whether this ambition invites preachiness or over-simplification. Well, the answer falls somewhere between, "You can't please all of the people all of the time," and "Yes."

There is no doubt that for some audience members -- the grey-haired, news-junkie, jaded Beltway-insider types in particular -- Lawrence's potted takes on the posturing and negotiations will all seem a little too contrived and sanitized. These are the same folk who may find the frequent injections of personal anecdote -- each with a painfully obvious subtext -- tiresome, if necessary. Thus, although Lawrence works hard to mitigate the simplifications by inserting contradictions, and somewhat tempers the educational narrative with humor, his goal won't work for everyone. Especially not for those who like their theatrical politics to operate on the plane of, say, Frost/Nixon.

But for anyone who wants a very palatable and reasonably frank discussion of the barriers to compromise in the Mideast (still very much in existence today) or simply a trip down a particularly interesting memory lane, this piece will serve and compel.

And however you view the vehicle, the cast makes a strong go of it with Richard Thomas delivering a Jimmy Carter that smartly never goes overboard into a political impression. Sporting an accent that only nods toward Carter's thick Georgian drawl, Thomas avoids caricature by trying instead to describe a more universal man; one with a lot of power but few answers. He is confident, tortured, driven, proud and very human. If his dissimilarity to Carter distracts, think of him as less of a portrait of the man and more as Lawrence's take on what it took. Although some will want more, most will agree that the architecture is intact.

Matters are a little more complex when it comes to Lawrence's rendering of Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, the two leaders who come to the seclusion of the presidential retreat (Camp David), to consider negotiating a peace. Since any student of political history will know how the story ends, this is really about what may or may not have happened as these great men collided and wrangled on behalf of their people. Both had much to gain and much to lose. But with no media allowed, their negotiations were off-stage -- at least until any agreement was reached.

Unfortunately, in the writing of these two, Lawrence's urge to educate looms large and thus, by necessity, the characters become far too obvious. In ways that are less than subtle, we learn that both men were the products of difficult lives and deep cultural traditions that informed their attitudes toward compromise with one another. Though the racism is delivered in careful (often humorous) context and the personal anecdotes are sometimes informative, it is all a bit too color-by-numbers. Hence the initial thought that this play will work well for the educated young, if not the politically initiated.

Still, as Begin, Ron Rifkin confirms his theater chops with a nicely pitched interpretation of Lawrence's not overly subtle characterization. Rifkin starts with a credible accent and goes on to layer his Begin with a passion, fear and defiance that goes a long way to color the intractable man Lawrence offers. It is Rifkin's consistent and well-drawn picture of the person behind Begin's immovable position that makes his 11th-hour compromise all the more affecting. Who knows if it really went down that way? It captures the impossible distance between sovereign necessity and human frailty, whatever the nation, whomever the victims of conflict.

A charismatic presence, Khaled Nabawy's Sadat exudes statesmanship and a kind of quirky self-possession. It would have given him an even more enduring and intriguing authenticity if director Molly Smith had opted for a lower volume and Lawrence had injected a bit more complexity.

Rounding out the quartet is Jimmy Carter's wife, Rosalynn, who comes and goes like a wry commentator on the proceedings. Though she delivers some of the better comedy and Hallie Foote gives her an utterly memorable demeanor, her smug positioning as an unassailably all-American, all-wise wife and peace-broker is a toe-curler. It makes a play that might have been global, local, and turns a profound conundrum into an afterschool special.

Still, it's a subject well worthy of a revisit and so consider compromising your own expectations and negotiate your way to an evening of history and politics.

Camp David () runs to May 4 in Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater, 1101 6th St. SW. Tickets are $65 to $110. Call 202-488-3300 or visit arenastage.org.

...more

Following a January confrontation with a staff member, a transgender teenager has been moved from DCF custody to an adult prison despite not being charged.

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After a three-judge panel heard arguments in the federal case challenging Utah's ban on marriage equality this morning, court observers expect the ruling to come down in favor of the freedom to marry.

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The lawyer representing Utah's governor now says the discredited, antigay parenting study from Mark Regnerus has 'very little relevance' to the state's defense of its constitutional ban on marriage equality.

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GLBT News Headlines (T8T-6)

noreply@blogger.com (Tomec) — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 04:48:00 +0000

Groan: About that snarky closing quip about comments being closed? Yeah, wellâ€" How's the stone collection in your glass house, Mr. Shepard?

The audience member asked him about tax parity between male/male, female/female, and male/female married couples, but Ryan was insistent on trying to trip him up with the idea of a "throuple." That's kind of a new thing the suddenly omnipresent...

Robert George is the co-founder of pro-discrimination advocacy group the National Organization For Marriage, and Heritage Foundation fellow Ryan T. Anderson is one of the most visible young opponents of history's right side of the marriage equality issue. Later this...

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