Jury in Araujo trial continues confering
By STAFF WRITER


HAYWARD -- The Alameda County jury sifting through evidence in the trial of three men charged with killing a transgender Newark teenager deliberated for a half-day Tuesday without reaching a verdict.

The jury, consisting of eight men and four women, entered deliberations at the Hayward Hall of Justice on the afternoon of June 3. The panel has deliberated for five full days and two half-days.

Michael Magidson of Fremont and Newark residents Jose Merel and Jason Cazares are charged with murder and a hate-crime enhancement in the 2002 killing of the 17-year-old, who was born Eddie Araujo but had been living as a young woman named Gwen at the time of the slaying.

Deliberations are set to continue today at 9 a.m. A conviction or acquittal in a criminal case requires a unanimous decision of the jury.


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Gay and lesbian teachers come out to help students deal with sexuality
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
By Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher Tom Wyse didn't hide the fact that he is gay, but he didn't feel the need to announce it until he realized some students needed a role model.

"There are still students out there who are putting themselves down and/or being put down for their sexual orientation,'' said Wyse. "As more teachers and students who are homosexual or bisexual come out, the more of us come out, the more accepted we're going to be. We're not that hidden part of society.''

Wyse is one of six teachers -- two of whom won't reveal their names -- scheduled to speak tonight about the treatment of gay and lesbian teachers by administrators, faculty and students at the annual meeting of the GLSEN Pittsburgh, which stands for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. The meeting will be from 5 to 8 p.m. at City Theatre and its neighboring Lester Hamburg Theatre.

The meeting comes at the same time that GLSEN's national organization is preparing to issue a report awarding Pennsylvania -- and 41 other states -- an "F" for its lack of laws, policies and resources protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and employees. Only two -- Minnesota and New Jersey -- received an A.


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guilt and not guilty, say homosexual protesters
By Evelyn Shih
Protesters from homosexual and human-rights groups perform a skit outside the Keelung District Court yesterday supporting bookstore owner Lai Jeng-jer, who is accused of selling indecent literature.

More than 30 homosexual and transgender activists demonstrated early yesterday morning outside the Keelung District Court in support of Gin Gin bookstore owner Lai Jeng-jer (ø‡•ø≠ı), who is facing charges of offenses against morality.

"No guilt in nudity! The male body is beautiful!" said some of the protesters' banners.

Lai was appearing in court for allegedly selling pornographic material at his store, which deals in homosexual and transgender materials.

The demonstration was spearheaded by the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline and performed skits in support of Lai.


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Canadian Election Debate Focuses On Gay Marriage 
by Ben Thompson
365Gay.com Newscenter
Ottawa Bureau


(Ottawa) With less than two weeks left in Canada's federal election campaign the ruling Liberals remain in virtual dead heat with the opposition Conservatives, and whichever party wins it will have to depend on one of the two smaller parties to remain in office.

Tuesday night leaders of all four parties squared off in a national debate that saw Liberal leader Paul Martin joined by New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe repeatedly chip away at Tory boss Stephen Harper's right wing stands on social issues.

Harper coolly dismissed the attacks as ``a campaign of fear and falsehood'' but his voting record and public statements on same-sex marriage, gay rights, and abortion could severely hurt the party in voter rich Ontario and Quebec.  The two provinces control almost half the seats in Parliament. 

Harper said he would not support abortion legislation that would curb a woman's right to choose, but left the door open for free votes on such private member's bills, something the Liberals refuse to do.


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Voters face gay marriage Sept. 18
Election to decide on same-sex unions
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE -- A proposal to lock a prohibition on same-sex marriages and civil unions into the state Constitution will be decided by Louisiana voters on the Sept. 18 ballot, after the House agreed Tuesday to go along with the Senate's choice of the election date.

Lawmakers had overwhelmingly supported two versions of the proposed gay marriage ban during the session, with the only major disagreement coming over whether the measure should go to voters on a mostly local ballot in September or during the presidential and congressional elections Nov. 2. The amendment is expected to boost turnout among social conservatives who tend to vote Republican.

The issue was resolved Tuesday in favor of the earlier date when representatives voted 88-13 for an amended House Bill 61 by Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who is seeking election to the 1st Congressional District in the Nov. 2 election.

As a proposed change in the state Constitution, the measure goes straight to the voters and does not need the approval of Gov. Kathleen Blanco.


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Human rights panel chastised
Some council members, mayor object to tone at commission meetings
BY MARY DIVINE
Pioneer Press


After a dispute over appointments to Stillwater's Human Rights Commission, members of the City Council are questioning the commission's purpose and some of the topics discussed at its meetings.

Council members and the four volunteer members of the commission met for almost two hours Tuesday to discuss the commission's mission and the recent flap involving several new applicants.

While reviewing audiotapes of the meetings, City Council member Gary Kriesel said he was shocked to hear President George W. Bush compared to Hitler.

"It's grossly politicized … with references to the right-wing religious element," he said.


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Prison Terms For Gay 'Madams' 
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff


(Beijing) Two men from China's southern province of Guangdong have been sent to prison for allegedly running a gay prostitution agency.

Prostitution in various form is as old as China itself, and is rarely prosecuted, leading international civil rights groups to wonder if the government has begun a new crackdown on gays.

Liu Xianzhi was sentenced to five years and Zhou Deming was given six years by the People's Court of Yuexiu District in Guangzhou city, the Xinhua news agency reports.

Police testified that Liu started up a business named "Dream of Males" in July 2003 offering sexual services to male clients inside an apartment in Guangzhou in collaboration with a third man who is still at large.


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Manchester gears up for largest gay blessing
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK


Manchester Pride's Big Weekend will play host to the biggest ever mass blessing ceremony for lesbian and gay couples as part of this year's celebrations.

The Wedding will take place at 2pm on Sunday 29 August and will be officiated by Rev Andy Braunston from the Metropolitan Community Church.

As well as the religious blessing, couples wishing to take part can also partake in other traditional wedding moments, including the throwing of the bouquet, professional photographs and dancing to their song.

Festival Director Claire Turner says the blessings will be a chance for same-sex couples to raise awareness of lesbian and gay relationships, as well as enjoying the day of celebrations.


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AMA supports adoption rights for gay partners
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter


Boston medical student Jana Montgomery was working in the emergency room when a five-year-old car accident victim was brought in.

The boy's mother was out of town. Her lesbian partner, who in effect was the boy's second parent, wanted to be with him. But since she wasn't his legal parent, the hospital wouldn't allow it.

"It certainly was not in the best interest of the child," Montgomery said.

Montgomery, a delegate to the American Medical Association, cited the case Tuesday during floor debate on gay adoption. Delegates voted 316 to 130 to support allowing partners in same-sex couples to adopt children.


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Dealing A Gay Hand In The Marriage Game 
by Matt Johns
365Gay.com Newscenter


(Los Angeles, California)  It's a far cry from the deck of cards issued by the Pentagon to help track down Saddam Hussein and his henchmen but no less powerful.

Gavin Newsom is the 9 of spades, Margaret Cho is the 5 of hearts, and Barbra Streisand is the 4 of diamonds.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force unveiled the full deck of playing cards Tuesday saying it hopes the cards will help draw attention to same-sex marriage.

The images and words used on the cards offers a snapshot into some of the personalities and thoughts involved in the issue.

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Savage: Gay-rights activists are "fighting for perversion"

On the June 10 broadcast of Savage Nation, nationally syndicated right-wing radio host Michael Savage said that advocates of marriage rights for same-sex couples are "fighting for perversion." On the air, Savage read from a June 10 article in The Washington Post in which Frank Newport, editor in chief of The Gallup Poll, was quoted as saying, "I certainly remember the days when being religious meant fighting for civil rights and social justice. Religious liberals are a small minority today." Savage responded, "Well there's a big difference between fighting for civil rights, and fighting for homosexual marriage, you moron. It's a big difference for fighting for the equality of all men, despite their race, and fighting for perversion, you idiot! You think people are stupid?"


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Controversial Indian film also targeted by gay activists
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK


In Indian film that was the focus of mini-riots from hardline Hindu extremists because of its lesbian content, has also been attacked by lesbian and gay rights activists.

Girlfriend is thought to be the first Bollywood film to deal with a lesbian love affair, but the change in the genre led members of the Shiv Sena party to protest its showing in Bombay cinemas earlier this week.

Their protests led to smashed windows, burnt effigies and police protection for future screenings of the film across India. 

However, now lesbian and gay groups say the film is doing nothing to ease the taboos surrounding sexual diversity across the sub-continent.


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Southern Baptists will leave alliance
Liberal theology, pro-gay aspects cited
By PETER SMITH
psmith@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal


INDIANAPOLIS — Southern Baptists voted to pull out of a global coalition yesterday after their leaders accused the Baptist World Alliance of tolerating liberal theology and an allegedly pro-gay organization in its midst.

In the process, a Southern Baptist leader also linked a Northern-based denomination of Baptists with the pro-gay marriage movement, a charge that the latter denomination denounced as "outrageous."

The more than 8,000 voting "messengers," or delegates, of the Southern Baptist Convention overwhelmingly approved the pullout from the Baptist World Alliance by a show of ballots. The vote came on the first morning of the convention's annual meeting, which concludes today.

The pullout, effective Oct. 1, ends the Southern Baptists' 99-year relationship with the alliance.


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Call to fight protest march
By Staff reporter


A CALL to unite against the National Front marching on St Albans Abbey has gone out from a supporter of Canon Jeffrey John.

Last week the Review revealed that the far-right National Front is planning a protest march against the gay priest being installed as Dean of St Albans, referring to the appointment as a "subversion" of the church.

This week a defender of Jeffrey John who wishes to remain anonymous circulated the address of an e-mail account where people can voice their objections to the arrival of the National Front in the city.

In a statement the objector said: "In an attempt to show some sort of resistance and support for Jeffrey John and state the unhappy views of many, this e-mail account was created for anybody to log into anonymously and send an e-mail to the NF stating their views on the proposed march." The e-mail address is stopthemarch12@ hotmail.com.


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Henderson attorney argues sentence appeal


LARAMIE (AP) -- Convicted murderer Russell Henderson received ineffective counsel and should be able to seek a reduction in his two life prison terms for the killing of Mathew Shepard, Henderson's attorney said Tuesday.

Attorney Tim Newcomb told District Judge Jeffrey Donnell that Henderson's public defender did not properly advise him of his right to ask for a sentence reduction following his guilty plea for the 1998 murder of Shepard.

Newcomb, who did not handle Henderson's defense at trial, is asking Donnell to allow Henderson 30 days to determine whether he should file for a sentence reduction.

But state Assistant Attorney General Melissa Swearingen countered that Newcomb needs to show there was an error.