as we morn our dead and this election hangs in the the dirty hands of lawyers, I see nothing but great hordes of greedy red eyed beasts stomping down the street to walmart, killing queers and consuming plastic by-productst, defecating biohazard material in every direction, mindless of the hungry and the suffocating

I resign in disgrace again and again and again from this failure of empire. I want nothing more to do with this institution within an institution within an institution, this a piece of rotting meat rotting on a meat hook waiting to feed its obese populous. this aging empire, this worshiping godcock land, eats its own, promotes greed, hate, bigotry and war to maintain its toaster oven degree producing factories and its instant mash potatoes tomorrows...

the only option left is to let this country rot and sink into oblivion, any truly revolutionary spirit is coughing its compromised lungs out searching for a better all consuming zone of liberal virtual safety, an extra outlet, and flush toilets...

let it sink, let it rot, let this cancer eat itself alive..

I seek asylum, I renounce my citizenship, I renounce this land of slave owners

its time to live a dangerous life and die trying...to pull away from this land, and renounce it all... let it sink praying to its godcock,

let this country sink into its own waste

find a land to move to. abandon ship and let the rats rule...

I am officially seeking asylum in any country that will take me..



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Anti-Gay Marriage Amendments Pass in 11 States
Mean-Spirited, Ugly Measures Will Hurt Thousands of Gay and Straight Families
Oregon Results Show Marriage Contests Can be Won


Marriage Issue Appears to Have No Impact on African American Support for Democratic Ticket

November 2, 2004 - New York City. Returns indicate state constitutional amendments seeking to ban same-sex marriage will pass in all eleven states where the question was on the ballot. (In eight of the 11 contests, the measures also seek to ban other, more limited forms of partner recognition, including civil unions and domestic partnerships.) The margins of defeat, ranged from 86% to 14% in Mississippi to 54% to 46% in Oregon (projections as of 2:00am, EST).

"The results underscore why we have a Bill of Rights - because it is always wrong to put basic rights up to a popular vote. In fact, even today, 213 years after the Bill of Rights was ratified, it is doubtful Americans could win our freedoms of speech, press and religion at the ballot box," said Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (the "Task Force"). "In the end, we know the Bill of Rights will guarantee every American the freedom to marry. For now, we'll dig in and fight harder - we've been fighting the forces of intolerance for decades and have made enormous progress against enormous odds.

"Tonight, marriage equality took a right hook to the chin and tens of thousands of families will be hurt, but it's certainly not a knockout - in fact, our community is emerging stronger than ever before in many states," Foreman continued. "This is only one round and when the fight is over, complete equality for gay people will be the only side left standing."

Oregon - the only state that had anything close to the amount of money needed to run a competitive race - came closest to defeating its amendment. When the Oregon campaign started, polls said the amendment would carry by 27 points, meaning that the effort to defeat the amendment moved the electorate by 19 points in less than three months. It was the only campaign to show a significant movement in the electorate during the course of the campaign.

The next closest contest was Michigan, where the amendment was adopted 59% to 41%. The Oregon amendment garnered only 41% of the vote in the Multnomah County, the state's most populous, but the results were not enough to offset pro-amendment margins in rural counties. In Oregon, the No on Amendment 36 campaign raised and spent $2.8 million, three times more than any other state. The Task Force contributed over $900,000 to the effort and was the campaign's largest donor. (A more detailed discussion of the Oregon campaign is below.)



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For A Change
By Jenelle Rose

Successful social change is a painfully slow process that can be accelerated by everyone in the TG community always setting a good example. Conversely, progress can be reversed by only a few bad examples. Never let your guard down, be sincere with others, take opportunities to do outreach without offending people, accept who you are before seeking acceptance of others, encourage others in the community to express their feelings in positive ways.

Each of us is at a different point on the "Transgendered spectrum". Each has made a personal decision about how far on that spectrum they to journey-i.e. CD, TV, TG, or TS. When we learn to accept other Transgendered persons for who they are, then we will grow to become a much more unified Transgendered community. When we reach that point, the community will achieve far greater results in terms of changing "public perception" and the discriminations we face every day.


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Anti-Gay Hate Incidents at DePaul Univ.
by Andrew Davis


Recently, several hate incidents have taken place at the Lincoln Park campus of DePaul University. The occurrences have involved homophobic graffiti, verbal harassment, and even two physical assaults.

“The physical assaults revolved around their sexual orientation; this is based on reports the students made to the administration and the LGBTQA Resource Center at DePaul,” said Randy Ward, the diversity outreach specialist at the university. “The first attack is currently under investigation and the second one has been reported and is being followed up on,” he added.

The LGBTQA community at DePaul has been doing a lot to get the word out. Students, faculty, staff, and community members spoke at a rally on the Quad (between Fullerton Pkwy. and Belden Ave. on Seminary) at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1. The rally was expected to be preceded by a sit-in that was scheduled from 10-4:30 in the student center’s atrium.

Angela Papaleo, the public relations chair for DePaul’s LGBTQA group SPECTRUM, does not believe that the attacks were premeditated. “They seem to be unplanned, sporadic events,” she said. However, the scope of the events encompasses more than homophobia. “One of the students who was verbally harassed was called a ‘spic faggot,’ so it’s not just about [sexual orientation],” Ward said.


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Gay Domestic Violence: Numbers Tell the Story
BY ANDREW DAVIS


The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has released its 2003 domestic violence report. NCAVP is a network of 27 anti-violence groups that monitor and respond to incidents of bias, domestic, HIV-related, and other types of violence affecting the LGBT community. The cities and states participating in this latest report include Chicago; Cleveland; Colorado; Columbus, Ohio; Connecticut; Los Angeles; Massachusetts; Minnesota; New York City; and San Francisco.

Findings included the following:

— The total number of anti-LGBT incidents reported to NCAVP increased 8% last year, from 1,903 incidents in 2002 to 2,051 incidents in 2003. Almost in tandem, the number of victims tracked by NCAVP member programs rose 9%, from 2,183 in 2002 to 2,384 in 2003.

— There was a slight decrease in the proportion of incidents involving assault. Unfortunately, most other categories of offense showed marked increases. For instance, the number of murders rose 80%, from 10 in 2002 to 18 in 2003. The number of incidents involving sexual assault or rape climbed 20%, primarily as a result of continued attention to better tracking, services and outreach by NCAVP programs regarding this particular type of violence


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We have failed America
By FRANCIS E. GARCHITORENA  
When 11 US congressmen went to the UN asking the world body to supervise the US presidential election so as to protect their votes, the UN and we did nothing.

 
Yes, we have failed America. I do not mean Iraq or Afghanistan. I mean we failed to help America in its latest political exercise last Tuesday, November 2, 2004, when Americans most needed our help.

On July 1 of this year, 11 members of the US House of Representatives from different congressional districts in the United States formally asked the United Nations, in writing, to supervise the US presidential election. The latter was addressed to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The Philippines did nothing even when we became president of the Security Council.

Americans has asked for help from the UN, and we Filipinos did nothing.


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San Francisco County
Measure N Withdrawing U.S. Military Personnel from Iraq,

Choice -----Votes----% 
Yes--------147,533---63.4% 
No----------85,207---36.6% 
 
Shall it be City policy to urge the United States government to withdraw all troops from Iraq and bring all military personnel in Iraq back to the United States?


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HC dismisses plea on homosexuality


New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking review of its order rejecting a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which makes all kinds of unnatural sex, including homosexuality, a punishable offence.

"The review petition cannot be entertained", a division Bench of Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice B D Ahmed said dismissing the petition filed by Naz Foundation.

Earlier, Senior Counsel Anil B Divan pointed out on behalf of the NGO that the Court had erred in dismissing the petition as it failed to take into account recent judgments of the Supreme Court on the question of locus standi.

Divan submitted that the law on homosexuality has drastically changed in various parts of the world, including the US and the European Union countries.


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Women's liberation
Resisting imperialism and globalisation
The final part of our series about women’s oppression in the modern world
Elane Heffernan


Whenever women have organised successfully as part of a wider movement for change they have won democratic advances—the right to vote, to divorce, to control their sexuality, to work without being harassed, and so on.

But in the most advanced of liberal democracies women today are neither equal nor free.

Every state, whether religious or secular, attempts to regulate the “private” and “personal” world of the family.

There are laws on marriage and divorce, and controls on abortion and sexual behaviour.

Pornography, gay relationships and prostitution are variously banned or regulated.


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Cincinnati voters repeal ban on gay rights laws
JOHN NOLAN
Associated Press


CINCINNATI - Eleven years after Cincinnati became the nation's only city to have a ban on gay-rights laws, voters repealed it.

Gay-rights activists and business leaders worked together to persuade voters to rescind a charter amendment that forbid the city to enact or enforce laws based on sexual orientation.


Unofficial returns from the voting Tuesday showed the repeal winning 54 percent to 46 percent, or 65,082 votes in favor and 55,934 against.


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US election: Bush win a "mortal concern" for Africa, says HIV expert
Christopher Curtis, Gay.com/PlanetOut.com Network


While the final votes are counted for the US Presidency, comments made by a leading voice on the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa suggest some sobering thoughts should George W Bush win a second term.

The UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa told the Toronto Star a win for Senator John Kerry would "profoundly affect the world's response to AIDS," claiming Kerry would change how the White House deals with AIDS both at home and in other countries.

The envoy, Stephen Lewis, a former Canadian politician and diplomat, described the US election as a matter of "mortal concern" for the people of Africa.

While President Bush launched a five-year, $15 billion program that directs funding to 15 African countries, Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator John Edwards has said that he and Kerry plan to double the amount.


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Gay Hispanic woman elected Dallas sheriff
By BOBBY ROSS JR.
Associated Press


DALLAS -- An openly gay Hispanic woman claimed victory Tuesday night in the race for Dallas County sheriff.

Democrat Lupe Valdez, 57, is the first woman elected sheriff in the county. Valdez, a 28-year federal agent who worked on fraud, organized crime and drug cases, said her election proved Dallas County is an international county welcoming people of all backgrounds.

"Look at this room," she said at a victory rally. "All ethnic groups, all walks of life, rich or poor, gay or straight, whatever, we are an international town and this is what I bring to this.


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Reggae concerts scrapped
By Andre Paine, Evening Standard


Two concerts by anti-gay reggae star Sizzla Kalonji have been called off at the last minute amid threats of protests over so-called "murder music".

Advisers to Scotland Yard have demanded officers stop the concert in Stratford.

The tour was scheduled to begin tonight in Milton Keynes but the event was cancelled late last night by the venue, Thames Valley Police said. A second date in Birmingham is also off.


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Saskatchewan Could Be Latest Canadian Province To Legalize Gay Marriage
by Rich Peters 365Gay.com Western Canada Bureau Chief


(Regina, Saskatchewan)  A Saskatchewan judge Wednesday will hear a challenge to federal laws preventing same-sex couples from marrying.

The ban on gay marriage has already fallen in five other provinces and the Yukon Territory, and proposed legislation to equalize marriage across the country is under review at the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Saskatchewan case involves four same-sex couples who are seeking the right to marry and and one same-sex couple who want legal recognition of their marriage performed in British Columbia where gay marriage is already legal.


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3 Openly Gay Members Of Congress Re-elected
(Washington) The three openly gay members of Congress were handily returned to Congress on Tuesday night.


Barney Frank (D) had little difficulty defeating his GOP opponent, Chuck Morse, in Massachusetts.  Morse's platform included support for amending the US Constitution to bar gay marriage and called for curbs on gay rights laws including hate crimes legislation and job protections.

Democrat Tammy Baldwin, the only out lesbian in the House, beat Republican Dave Magnum. During debate on the proposed federal marriage amendment Baldwin delivered an impassioned speech supporting gay families.

The only gay Republican in the House, Jim Kolbe also won re-election. Kolbe, not unexpectedly, broke from party ranks to vote against amending the Constitution.


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Georgia marriage amendment could be delayed by court challenges


Georgia voters decided today to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage, but even with the measure overwhelmingly approved, court challenges could prevent the matter from being settled.


Before the vote, gay rights advocates had already planned a legal challenge if the amendment were to pass. The basis of their complaint is that the amendment contains more than one subject.



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Slovakia resists homosexual partnership in EU alone
RSI


Czech press agency paid attention to Slovakia’s position towards family law in the EU. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan presented a declaration, which aims at keeping Slovakia beyond the reach of possible harmonisation of the family law in the EU. Slovakia refuses to take any step towards recognition of homosexual partnerships.

This reservation has been motivated by fear that future mutual recognition of decisions could lead to acceptance of property claims of homosexual partners, including inheritance and alimony. Kukan admitted that Slovak reservations have "not found support" in any of the other 24 countries. Therefore it was necessary to issue a statement that would correspond to the view of Slovak Justice Minister Daniel Lipsic, he added. A unilateral declaration that is to be enclosed to the Hague Programme as a supplement was "the maximum that Slovakia could achieve," Kukan said. "Because of this the unilateral statement has been agreed on to have one hundred percent guarantee that nothing like this [recognition of homosexual unions] can happen, not even indirectly," the Foreign Minister said.




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ONE SOLDIER KILLED, ONE INJURED IN IED ATTACK 11/3/2004
ONE COALITION SOLDIER KILLED, TWO WOUNDED 11/2/2004