For Scholars and Others News Update 4-2-2008

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Travel Warnings have Been Issued to the Following Countries by the US State Department

Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid a certain country. The countries listed below are currently on that list. In addition to this list, the State Department issues Consular Information Sheets  for every country of the world with information on such matters as the health conditions, crime, unusual currency or entry requirements, any areas of instability, and the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in the subject country.

Kenya  08/10/2006
Lebanon  07/27/2006
Israel, the West Bank and Gaza  07/19/2006
East Timor  07/18/2006
Haiti  07/07/2006
Chad  07/06/2006
Burundi  06/23/2006
Saudi Arabia  06/23/2006
Afghanistan  06/22/2006
Philippines  06/16/2006
Eritrea  06/05/2006
Somalia  06/05/2006
Nepal  05/11/2006
Central African Republic  04/20/2006
Yemen  04/13/2006
Uzbekistan  04/07/2006
Pakistan  04/07/2006
Bosnia-Herzegovina  03/30/2006
Liberia  03/30/2006
Côte d'Ivoire  03/03/2006
Nigeria  02/17/2006
Algeria  02/15/2006
Sudan  02/06/2006
Congo, Democratic Republic of the  01/20/2006
Colombia  01/18/2006
Iran  12/29/2005
Iraq  12/29/2005
Indonesia  11/18/2005
Zimbabwe  11/14/2005


Homosexual Husbands / Heterosexual Wives

by
Diane Knaus


Deceptions of their marriage vows and other risks to the length of marriage, are major problems even before the homosexual men are confronted with their infidelities either by their wife or working partners. While I can understand when someone goes outside of a marriage for physical satisfaction (I do not condone that type of activity.). there are inherent risks for both the husband and his wife.
Even if you really love someone with all of your heart but they lack any sense of intimacy that matches your need, that does not make it right to go out and sleep around.

There is the possibility that you do not match their needs as well, and it could be for many reasons, not just one. Could be you don’t use enough deodorant on a regular basis. Maybe you don’t bathe enough, maybe your body is ailing in some manner that makes it smell bad. Maybe you are so cantankerous she does not like to be with you anymore. These are only some of the reasons to not sleep with someone.

Depending on what the reasons were in the first place that made you want to get married, the realisation of what the reasons were can determine how easy it is going to be to get out of it. Homosexual men face many a dire health risk to themselves and a high risk of passing these health risks along to their wives with each and every sexual intimacy. Being proactive in protecting oneself in sexual situations is paramount in today's health reality.

When you first got married, maybe that was what was expected of you. Maybe you didn’t know any other people who felt the same way you did. So how could you judge if you were doing the right things or not? Back in the 1960’s there was not a lot of information around unless you actually went to look for it, and then you really needed to put a name to it in order to go into a library and find out what it was you wanted to read. If you went to college then you had a leg up on things so to speak because some of the classes would point you to literature that at least could get you to the door of what you wanted to find out. Many a parent did not allow dirty magazines in the house and you couldn’t get to a place where they sold them either. Back then that is what was available. Then came the Penthouse, Playboy, Hustler magazines and others provided a doorway to more information at least for the heterosexual man. If you didn’t belong to a sports team and experienced the locker room shenanigans and mentality, you may not have known what was really out there .

So now that you know, and we as a civilization are about 45 years forward, why would you not just go to your wife and tell her the truth? Why not go get a physical to see what it is that you may or may not have caught as a sexually transmitted disease so that you can speak intelligently about it when she asks you as she surely has a right to do? She also has the right to get very angry and to express her anger and loss of trust she has in you. A Marriage counselor may be the best thing you can do to help the situation, as long as the counselor is non judgemental and truly interested in helping the two of you come to a healthy reality.

The biggest risk today for homosexual men married to heterosexual women is the health risk, which you can pass along to your wife STDS at any time if you haven’t already. The second risk is the one of losing the faith that she had in you , which is tantamount to deliberate lying, which would end many a marriage in itself. A loss of intimacy and trust is a very large part of marriage. After all if you can’t trust someone who is supposed to be a lifelong partner, what else do you have in the marriage? Then there is the thought of I am not worthy of this woman I am married to, so I’m going to go and do the wrong thing. Well, how far is that going to take you? The other risks associated with this kind of behavior is the loss of jobs, and business associates when they find out. Some will want to know why they should trust you with their business if you can’t be trusted by your wife.

You may ask what about the children. You may say, well, I really love my children and I don’t want to lose them. That is the risk you take every time you are intimate with someone outside of any marriage. If you have found out that you are homosexual after your marriage and the children came along, it will be much more difficult emotionally for all of you. However, children are resilient, and as long as you have a loving relationship with them, they will come to understand and not think less of you. That is not to say that they will like your choice but with the right kind of counseling they can get past the societal judgementalism that exists in the world tofay, and love you for the person you are, not who they want you to be.

However, if you decide to end your marriage you need to seek professional help. You need to find out how to tell the children. The world won’t end, as long as you are honest with yourself and also honest with them, as long as you do the right thing by all of them. If you are just doing the homosexual scene for the sheer sexual satisfaction of the sex act, then you should rethink what you want out of the marriage and the woman you are married to, and how you feel about her and yourself. Give her the option of making up her own mind, marriage is a two person commitment.

 

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Stockholm To Host Literary Human Rights Congress 4-2-2008

In June 2008, the Swedish Writers' Union will launch WALTIC - the Value of Words, a world congress for writers, translators, scholars and
activists to gather in one common manifestation of the value of words and in support of human rights.

From 29 June to 2 July in Stockholm, Sweden, WALTIC will focus on three global issues: literacy, intercultural dialogue and digitalisation. The programme offers a number of seminars, lectures and best practices around freedom of expression, including censorship and freedom of speech on the Internet, how to use words to mobilise the marginalised and fight
oppression, and the right to freely express yourself in your mother tongue, whomever or wherever you are.

Contemporary Egyptian novelist, sociologist and medical doctor Nawal E Saadawi and one of Africa's most prominent writers, Mia Couto are the keynote speakers. For info, contact: info(@)waltic(.)com or see: http://www.waltic.com

Baltimore City, College Park, Kensington and Takoma Park cities Support Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act 3-18-2008

Baltimore “ With less than a month before the General Assembly adjourns, the Baltimore City Council became the fourth Maryland jurisdiction to pass a resolution supporting The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. Baltimore joins College Park, Kensington and Takoma Park in formally supporting the expansion of civil marriage to include same-sex couples. The Council passed the resolution by a 9-3-3 vote at its Monday meeting.

Recently elected Council Member Bill Henry introduced and shepherded this resolution through the Council. After the vote he observed, "Expanding civil marriage to include same-sex couples is the fair thing to do. I am proud of my colleagues who stood up for all of our families in Baltimore. I hope this resolution will nudge those state legislators from Baltimore who are not yet enthusiastically supporting this historic legislation to rethink their position."

One of the other 8 Council members supporting this resolution was Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. The Council President is a strong ally for the freedom of same-sex couples to marry and recently submitted testimony in support of House Bill 351. In it she urged the House Judiciary Committee to pass this legislation. She said, "Marriage is a unique institution on many levels: religious, spiritual, and social. Marriage is also a civil institution that affords many economic and contractual benefits that are not afforded to people as individuals. I do not believe that people should be denied any of these rights just because they do not fall under the legal definition of marriage."
Voting for the resolution were Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Council Members Mary Pat Clarke, William Cole, IV, Belinda Conaway, Robert Curran, Nicolas D'Adamo, Jr., Bill Henry, Sharon Green Middleton and Ed Reisinger.

Voting against the resolution were Warren Branch, Rikki Spector and Bernard "Jack" Young.
Not voting for the resolution were Helen Holton (absent), Jim Kraft (absent) and Agnes Welch (abstained).
"As a Baltimorean it makes me very proud to have my City Council recognize the dignity of LGBT families. The arc continues in its bend toward fairness as elected officials across the state continue to find the personal and political courage to stand up for what they believe is right," commented Equality Maryland's Policy Director Carrie Evans.
Last week the resolution passed the City Council's Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee by a 3-0 vote. Chairman Jim Kraft made an impassioned speech before casting his decisive vote stating that sometimes a local body must act before the state on vital issues.

Of the 24 state legislators from Baltimore City, at least 11 have committed to voting for The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. They include Senators Lisa Gladden, Catherine Pugh and Nathaniel McFadden and Delegates Curt Anderson, Jill Carter, Hattie Harrison, Keith Haynes, Ruth Kirk, Maggie McIntosh, Sandy Rosenberg and Melvin Stukes.

Life is Precious, Yours, Mine and our Polar Bears 2-15-2008

America’s polar bears will likely be extinct in fewer than 50 years, according to U.S. Geological Survey scientists. Yet federal officials have once again delayed action to protect these struggling animals as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

Instead, officials auctioned off millions of acres of vital habitat in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea to Shell and other Big Oil companies earlier this month -- and yet again, President Bush has included dangerous drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in his budget.

America’s polar bears will likely be extinct in fewer than 50 years, according to U.S. Geological Survey scientists. Yet federal officials have once again delayed action to protect these struggling animals as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
Instead, officials auctioned off millions of acres of vital habitat in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea to Shell and other Big Oil companies earlier this month -- and yet again, President Bush has included dangerous drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in his budge


Increased drilling in these critical habitats could devastate America’s polar bears. But ExxonMobil, Shell and other Big Oil companies continue to use their billions in profits to press for harmful drilling in the places polar bears need to survive -- and continue our dependence on the fuels that spur rising temperatures that are causing the bears’ demise.

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund is doing all we can to protect our polar bears -- right now, we're...
• ...working to prevent Arctic Refuge drilling language from entering the federal budget. 
• ...working to pass the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act, a bill to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and continuing to battle efforts to open this special place to Big Oil’s dirty rigs.
• ...working to pass the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act -- already passed by the House of Representatives, this legislation is a vital first step to ensure that polar bears and other wildlife can cope with a changing climate.
• ...working to pass the Polar Bear Protection Act, legislation to stop wealthy U.S. trophy hunters from killing polar bears in Canada and returning with their quarry.
• ...working with Congressional staff to find sensible energy solutions to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, help combat global warming and protect our wildlife.
• ...holding our elected officials accountable for their actions on global warming and other wildlife-related issues.
Even in their final months in office, officials in the Bush/Cheney Administration have made their intentions crystal clear: they’ll fight for Big Oil’s profit -- and leave our polar bears out in the cold.

A Call To Action
Metropolitan Community Churches
Public Statement by The Rev. Nancy Wilson
Office of the Moderator
 

An earlier version of MCC's "Call to Action" on behalf of LGBT Jamaicans contained an e-mail address that no longer reaches the Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica. Below is an updated version of this announcement containing the current working e-mail address (which is hmfaftja@cwjamaica.com). For the sake of our brothers and sisters in Jamaica, we ask that you take three steps: First, if you have an earlier version dated February 5, 2008, delete it to avoid further confusion. All versions dated February 6 are correct. Second, if you have already written to the Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica, please re-send your message to the new e-mail address -- hmfaftja@cwjamaica.com. This extra step will help bring an end to the long wave of violence and murder against LGBT Jamaicans. Finally, if you have not yet written to the Deputy Prime Minister, please read on to learn the vital importance of this action...
 

MCC Moderator Calls for Immediate Actions In Response to Jamaican Anti-Gay Mob Violence MCC's "CALL FOR LOVE CAMPAIGN" To Mark Valentine's Day
With International Embassy Actions; E-Mail Appeals, Prayer Vigils

Dear MCC Supporters:
I feel an unusual sense of urgency about the message of this e-mail.
Even though the time frame is short, I am writing to encourage you and your congregation to join me in celebrating love in a powerful and meaningful way on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2008, by helping end the unremitting hatred and violence directed against our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters in Jamaica.

For many years, LGBT people in Jamaica have faced a horrific campaign of harassment, intimidation, violence, ostracism, hate crimes and even death. Time Magazine described Jamaica as "the most homophobic country in the Western Hemisphere.:

Now the situation has taken yet another deadly turn -- and we must band together and bring international pressure to stop the violence.
On Tuesday night, January 29, 2008, an anti-gay mob invaded a private home in Greenvale, Manchester (Jamaica). The mob attacked three gay men inside, beating them and hacking them with machetes. Two of the men have been hospitalized with serious injuries; one had his ear cut off. One man remains unaccounted for and is feared dead.

This is only the latest in a long series of hate-filled crimes against LGBT Jamaicans:
-- During Easter of 2007, another mob surrounded a church in Mandeville during the funeral of a gay man. They trapped the mourners inside, chanting, "We want no battyman {sic} funeral here. Leave or else we are going to kill you."
-- Before that incident, three gay men at Montego Bay's Carnivale were viciously attacked with knives and beaten with a manhole cover.
-- On Valentine's Day of 2007, a mob trapped four gay men inside a pharmacy. They narrowly escaped with their lives, but not before being pelted by the crowd. Even the local police hurled insults at the very men they were charged with protecting.

I am inviting you to use this Valentine's Day, February 14, a day devoted to love, to help end the hatred against LGBT people in Jamaica.
 
THE VIOLENCE MUST END AND IT MUST END NOW!
 
I am calling on political and religious leaders, as well as people of goodwill around the globe, to unite to end the violence against LGBT people in Jamaica. Now is the time for clergy to rise up in their pulpits and put an end to the condemnation of gay people that so often gives rise to and "justifies" these violent and unprovoked outbursts. We are often polite and diplomatic in our calls for study groups to search the Scriptures and explore our traditions. The time for polite exploration is over. LGBT people in Jamaica are in fear for their lives because people of faith are using the Bible to justify violence.
 
ANTI-GAY BASHING IN THE NAME OF
RELIGION  MUST STOP AND IT MUST STOP NOW!
 
If you are a political leader or member of the police force, I am uniting my voice with the voices of the membership of J-FLAG (Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays) in demanding that you take seriously your constitutionally-mandated and sworn duty to protect all Jamaican citizens equally. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not reasons to suffer the perpetuation of unprovoked violence and vigilante-like raids.
 
THE SILENCE OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL LEADERSHIP MUST END!
WE MUST ALL SPEAK UP NOW FOR THE UNIVERSAL RIGHT THAT
GUARANTEES THE SAFETY OF ALL CITIZENS IN EVERY LAND!
 
Love, mercy, compassion, mutual respect, generosity and kindness must become for all of us more than the subjects of Sunday sermons or Bible Study classes -- they must become the mandates of our daily lives; the principles by which we live together.
 
"One Love, One Heart
Let's get together and feel all right..."
 
Jamaican songster Bob Marley wrote those lyrics because he wanted the violence and hatred between peoples to end.
 
I want that, too, with all my heart. And I believe the day can come when we can live together as one human family. It is because I believe that so strongly and because of the urgency of this moment in history, that I am asking MCC leaders and churches to join hands with people of goodwill globally and take three steps to end anti-gay violence in Jamaica:
 
ACTION STEP ONE:
+ Mark the upcoming 40 days of Lent as a time of focused and intentional prayer for the LGBT community in Jamaica. Pray for an end to violence and hatred, and that those in political and religious leadership will have the courage needed to speak and act for equality and justice and peace among the people of Jamaica. Commit to daily prayers in your personal life and to public prayers during worship services throughout Lent.

ACTION STEP TWO:
+ Send an e-mail to The Honorable Dr. Kenneth O. Baugh, Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica, at mfatjam@cwjamaica.com. Tell him that you, like he is, are a person of faith. Call him to accountability for the well-being of all Jamaican citizens, both as an elected leader and a person of faith. Let him know the eyes of the world are watching what is happening. Demand an investigation at the highest levels of the Jamaican government into this latest round of violence against gay people, including the delay in police arrival and the failure to yet again hold anyone in the mob accountable.

ACTION STEP THREE:
* Join MCC's international "Call For Love Campaign" on Valentines Day, February 14. For many years, MCCers have observed Valentine's Day with protests, demonstrations and press conferences calling attention to the inequality of marriage laws for LGBT people in countries around the globe.
This year we are dedicating Valentine's Day, February 14 -- a day devoted to love -- to taking a stand against hatred. On Valentine's Day, people of goodwill will demonstrate, protest and hold press conferences at local Jamaican embassies, consulates and high commissions. Events are already scheduled for Toronto, New York City, and Miami -- with still more cities to be announced momentarily.
On February 14, we'll call for love to prevail and an end to the violence and hatred against our bothers and sisters in Jamaica, especially.

Here's how you can participate:
1.  If you are close to one of the Jamaican embassies, high commissions, or consulates listed below, organize a CALL FOR LOVE rally at one of the sites. Make signs. Call on the government of Jamaica to investigate the hate crimes and to protect the rights of LGBT Jamaicans. Offer prayers. Hold a moment of silence to remember LGBT people killed and harmed by hatred. If you are not in range of an embassy, use a central location that will enable many from your area to participate. Write to GlobalJustice@MCCchurch.net and we'll send you "10 Action Steps For Organizing A CALL TO LOVE Public Event."

2.  Invite other churches, synagogues, mosques and temples to join in this CALL FOR LOVE, along with community organizations, LGBT rights groups, and human rights groups.

3.  Invite the media and press to your public action. Give voice and visibility to the plight of LGBT Jamaicans.
 
 
"As it was in the beginning (One Love)
So shall it be in the end (One Heart)"
                                                        -- Bob Marley
 
May our actions and our prayers on February 14th make it so.
 
+Nancy
Rev. Nancy L. Wilson
Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches
P.S. If you schedule a CALL FOR LOVE Valentine's Day event for your area, or if you have further questions, please write to GlobalJustice@MCCchurch.net. Be sure to let us know when you schedule your event -- we'll promptly send you a sample press release that you can use to promote your event to the media in your area.

_________________________
           J A M A I C A
_________________________ EMBASSIES AND HIGH COMMISSIONS
NOTE: "High Commission" indicates the embassy of a British Commonwealth nation that is located within another British Commonwealth nation.

AUSTRALIA
High Commission of Jamaica
8 Leonora St, Earlwood
Sydney, New South Wales 2206
CANADA

High Commission of Jamaica
Standard Life Building
275 Slater Street
Suite 800, Ottawa, Ontario
KIP 5H9
Consulate of Jamaica
303 Eglinton Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario M4P 1L3

DENMARK
Consulate of Jamaica
Tagesmindevej 8
Gentofte, Denmark 2820

ENGLAND
High Commission of Jamaica
1-2 Prince Consort Road
London SW7 2BZ

GERMANY
Embassy of Jamaica
Schmargendorfer Strabe 32
Berlin, Germany  12159
Consulate of Jamaica
Ballindamm 1
Hamburg, Germany 2000

PHILIPPINES
Embassy of Jamaica
Tesoro Building, 5th Floor
1325 A. Mabini Street, Ermita
Manila, Philippines  1000

SOUTH AFRICA
High Commission of Jamaica
Pretoria, South Africa
Telephone: 27 12 362 6667 or 27 12 366 8500
(Call for street address.)UNITED STATES

Embassy of Jamaica
1520 New Hampshire Avenue N W
Washington DC 20036
Consulates

ATLANTA (area)
Consulate of Jamaica
1823 Chedworth Lane
Stone Mountain, Georgia

BOSTON
Consulate of Jamaica
351 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115

CHICAGO
Consulate of Jamaica
4655 South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Suite 201
Chicago, Illinois 60653

DALLAS
Consulate of Jamaica
3068 Forrest Lane
Dallas, Texas 75234

HOUSTON
Consulate of Jamaica
7737 Southwest Freeway, Suite 580
Houston, Texas 77074

LOS ANGELES
Consulate of Jamaica
8703 Venice Boulevard, Vienna Medical Clinic
Los Angeles, California 90034

MIAMI
Consulate of Jamaica
842 Ingraham Building
25 South East Second Avenue
Miami, Florida 33131

NEW YORK CITY
Consulate of Jamaica
767 Third Avenue, 2nd & 3rd Floors
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: 212-935-9000

PHILADELPHIA
Consulate of Jamaica
PO Box 24174
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19139
Phone: 215-313-9508
(Call to locate physical address,)

RICHMOND
Consulate of Jamaica
PO Box 15101
Richmond, Virginia  USA
Phone: 804-2624453
(Call to locate physical address)

SAN FRANCISCO
Consulate of Jamaica
San Francisco General Hospital
Dept. of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
1001 Potrero Avenue, 1N1
San Francisco, California  94110
 
 
This statement prepared in conjunction with the Global Justice Team of Metropolitan Community Churches, Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Chair.
 

NIDA Survey Shows a Decline in Smoking and Illicit Drug Use Among Eighth Graders

Prescription Drug Abuse Still High For 12th Graders
The nation’s eighth graders took center stage in this year’s Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, showing a significant decline in both smoking and illicit drug use in the past year, part of a downward trend for all measured age groups in the last decade. In addition, eighth graders showed a substantial long-term decline in past-year alcohol use, down to 31.8 percent from its recent peak of 46.8 percent in 1994. The Monitoring the Future project — now in its 33rd year — is a series of independent surveys of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Results from the 2007 survey were announced today at a news conference at the White House.

The 2007 results appear to reflect an ongoing cultural shift among teens and their attitudes about smoking and substance abuse. Lifetime, past-month, and daily smoking among eighth graders has dropped considerably in the past year, and daily cigarette smoking among eighth graders dropped from 4 percent to 3 percent; down from its 10.4 percent peak in 1996. Similarly, annual prevalence of marijuana use by eighth graders fell from 11.7 percent in 2006 to 10.3 percent in 2007, and is down from its 1996 peak of 18.3 percent.

"Over the last decade, there has been a large science-based effort throughout the public health community to drive down the rates of smoking, illicit drug, and alcohol use among teens," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. "These results show us we are definitely seeing a decline in substance abuse among our youngest and most vulnerable teens, and we are committed to continuing our efforts."

"We are especially heartened to see the decrease in smoking among eighth graders, and will be watching the next two years closely to see if this decline will stick as these kids get older," said NIDA director Nora D. Volkow. "If this change in attitude is carried with them throughout the rest of their teen years, we could see a dramatic drop in smoking-related deaths in their generation."

The survey also showed that while past-year use of marijuana declined among 8th graders in 2007, it remained steady among 10th and 12th graders. However, in the past decade, there has been a slow downward trend in overall illicit drug use driven by gradual declines in marijuana smoking. Past-year marijuana use among 10th graders sits at 24.6 percent after it peaked in 1997 at 34.8 percent. Similarly, past-year marijuana use among 12th graders registers at 31.7 percent after a 1997 peak of 38.5 percent.

The survey results are not without concerns, however. Prescription drug abuse remains high with virtually no significant drop in nonmedical use of most individual prescription drugs. Vicodin remains one of the most commonly abused drugs among 12th graders: 1 in 10 reported nonmedical use in the past year. The Monitoring the Future Survey traditionally measures misuse of a variety of different prescription drugs including opiates like Vicodin and OxyContin, amphetamines (including Ritalin), sedatives/barbiturates, and tranquilizers, as well as over-the-counter drugs, such as cough syrup. However, for the first time this year, researchers pulled together data for all prescription drugs as a measurable group, and 15.4 percent of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of at least one of these prescription medications within the past year. Recent data for consuming 5+ drinks in a row in the last two weeks — an especially dangerous pattern of consumption — have remained steady at worrisome levels for all three grades. In addition, recent data for drinking have remained steady at high levels, particularly for 10th and 12th graders.

Another concern in the survey is the softening of attitudes towards MDMA (ecstasy) and LSD in the younger grades. For the third year in a row, there was a decrease in perceived harmfulness of MDMA among eighth graders. Among 10th graders, there was a decrease in perceived harmfulness of LSD and MDMA and a decrease in disapproval of LSD. Concurrently, there has been an increase in past-year MDMA use in 10th and 12th graders over the past two years.

Gender Equality Will Have a "Gaping Void" if Threat of Vioence Agianst Women is Not Ended 12-5-2007

In his message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Secretary-General noted that violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world.  Our efforts towards promoting human rights, development and gender equality will have a gaping void if we are not able to urgently and effectively end this threat to all women.

There are reasons for hope.  In many countries, considerable progress has been achieved in changing laws, policies, practices and attitudes which in the past helped create a patchwork of impunity for this despicable offence.  Such progress has taken place in the Latin American and the Caribbean region, as well.
Yet, there is so much left to do to tear down the veil of silence which frequently shrouds this flagrant violation of human rights.  A lot depends on how all these laws and policies are actually implemented and enforced, so that there is indeed a real “zero tolerance” of violence against women worldwide.

I am pleased to say that the United Nations family is stepping up its activities at all levels -- from actions by the Regional Commissions to better coordination and programming at the country level.
Efforts are under way to raise public awareness, build political will and provide effective responses. The report we are launching today is also a testimony to the greater coordination among UN organizations to address important issues such as this.

To bring all these efforts together, the Secretary-General has decided to spearhead a system-wide campaign through 2015 for the elimination of violence against women.  The campaign will focus on three key areas:
-- global advocacy;
-- United Nations leadership by example, including strengthening gender architecture; and
-- strengthened partnerships at the national and regional levels to support the work of Governments, civil society, the private sector and others.
The Secretary-General has also proposed that the General Assembly devote an agenda item every year to considering the question of violence against women.  He has also called on the Security Council to establish a mechanism dedicated to monitoring violence against women and girls, within the framework of [Security] Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

This publication will serve to remind us that the task of ending violence against women remains an unfinished business.  It will call us to stronger and more resolute actions not only in this region but also in all other parts of the globe.  We in the United Nations family pledge our determined and ceaseless efforts in ending this scourge.

House Approves Employment Non-Discrimination Act

On November 7, 2007 the House approved legislation [H.R. 3685] to extend the basic protections of the Civil Rights Act by prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. The bill was adopted on a vote of 235 to 184. The White House is threatening a veto of this legislation.
Speaking in favor of H.R. 3685, Rep. Levin said, ".... This day is long overdue. Freedom from discrimination in the workplace. A simple concept really. [People] should be judged by the quality of their work, not by the color of their skin, not by their age, not by their disability, and of course, not by their sexual orientation."

 

Georgia,Russia: PRESS SILENCED IN STATE OF EMERGENCY 11-15-2007

Regional and international press freedom groups are demanding that the Georgian government immediately restore all news broadcasts and lift a state of emergency imposed after police violently broke up anti-government protests in the capital last week.

According to the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations (CJES), ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), riot police in the capital Tbilisi used batons, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators who had gathered on 7 November for a sixth day to call for President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation amid accusations of
authoritarianism and corruption.

The government also forced two private news stations off the air before declaring a state of emergency, claiming there had been a coup attempt masterminded by Russia. "Even in a time of crisis, Georgians have a right to protest peacefully without being beaten by the police," says Human Rights Watch. "The government does not have a carte blanche to restrict fundamental freedoms just because it is in crisis." In a surprise announcement the day after the clashes, President Saakashvili said he would move the next presidential election up to 5 January 2008, nearly a year earlier than scheduled. His announcement, which followed strong Western criticism of his use of force against demonstrators and his declaration of emergency powers, appeared to diffuse the week-old crisis, says Human Rights Watch. The president also said the state of emergency would be lifted "within days."

Police appeared to have targeted journalists and independent observers in the crackdown and clashes, Human Rights Watch and ARTICLE 19 say. More than 500 people sought medical treatment, including Georgia's human rights ombudsman Sozar Subari, who believes he was attacked because he regularly criticised the government for its human rights abuses. Two cameramen from Imedi TV who were beaten by police had to be hospitalised, one with
severe injuries.

According to the press freedom groups, journalists were physically barred from filming the protests. Police also confiscated and destroyed several television cameras. The two opposition television stations, Imedi TV and Kavkasia were forcibly taken off the air for broadcasting extensive coverage of the demonstrations and the police response. Imedi reported that riot police had raided the station, even holding guns to staff members' heads. According to CPJ, Imedi TV is owned by Badri Patarkatsishvili, a wealthy financier who is believed to have provoked the government's closure of the station when he publicly said he would finance an overthrow of the "illegal state of Georgia."

Patarkatsishvili has now declared that he may run for president in the January election. In the aftermath of the violence, public assembly as well as television and radio station broadcasts were banned by Saakashvili's 15-day emergency order, with the exception of the state-run Georgia Public Broadcaster. BBC,

CNN and other international news broadcasts were also suspended. Although the restrictions on media do not apply to newspapers or the Internet, Human Rights Watch says most newspapers have a small circulation, and only 7 percent of the country has access to the Internet.

IRAQ: JOURNALIST FOUND DEAD IN BAGHDAD 11-1-2007

A young journalist was found dead in Baghdad, the Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) report.

Shehab Mohammad al-Hiti, an editor for the new weekly "Baghdad al-Youm" and
writer for English newspaper "Baghdad News", was last seen on his way to work on 28 October. Iraqi security forces found his body later that afternoon in Baghdad's Ur neighbourhood.

"Journalists continue to be killed in Iraq at an alarming rate, underscoring the risks of practicing what has become one of the
deadliest professions in the country," says CPJ.

Al-Hiti had worked for "Baghdad News" since 2003, and worked for several dailies, including "al-Zaman" and "Babel" under the previous regime. "Baghdad al-Youm" has been publishing for only three weeks, reports
CPJ.
Meanwhile, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) correspondent is still missing after eight days, reports RSF. Her driver's body was found after she disappeared on 22 October in Baghdad.

According to CPJ, at least 122 journalists and 41 media support staffers have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003, making it the deadliest conflict for the press. RSF puts the number at 206. About 85 percent of media deaths have been Iraqis.

UNITED STATES: NEW LEGISLATION WOULD PROTECT SOURCES AND INTERNET
FREEDOM
10-25-2007

Two new pieces of legislation in the United States would help protect reporters' sources and promote Internet freedom. The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation on 16 October that would bolster reporters' ability to keep their sources confidential in federal court cases. PEN American Center said it was elated by the
overwhelming (398 to 21) House vote, calling the Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 (FFIA) "an essential clarification" of journalists' right to protect sources. A week later, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) hailed the House Foreign Affairs Committee's approval of the Global Online
Freedom Act, which would prevent U.S. Internet companies from collaborating with repressive governments.
"With more and more reporters facing prosecution for protecting the identities of confidential sources, the United States has been teetering on the brink of joining PEN's list of countries that routinely jail
journalists," PEN said. The bill would extend shield protections already in effect in 33 of the 50 states to the federal level. Under the law, reporters could be forced to testify in criminal cases or disclose source information in court only in cases of specific national security threats or when the information is necessary to a case and cannot be obtained otherwise. The American Civil Liberties Union said FFIA would lessen the chances
of reporters being arrested or intimidated for their reporting, particularly when using government sources. However, it warned that the House bill added unnecessary national security exceptions and gives the government
discretion as to who qualifies for protection. President George W. Bush has stated he would veto FFIA, but the voting margin among Representatives was enough to override a veto. PEN American Center said it hopes an expanded version of the Senate bill will come to a final vote this year. The other bill, the Global Online Freedom Act, would ban U.S. companies from locating servers containing personal data in territories controlled by
repressive governments. The bill, which would also protect users' anonymity from unauthorised disclosure, will now go to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. U.S. companies Yahoo!, Google and Microsoft have been criticised for agreeing to censor themselves in China, while Cisco Systems is accused of
providing China with online censorship technology. At least four cyber-dissidents, including Wang Xianing and Shi Tao, have been convicted and jailed because of information supplied by Yahoo!, said RSF.

10 City National Tour to Promote Energy Efficiency Launched by EPA Chief

(Anaheim, Calif. - Oct. 3, 2007) A bright idea hits the road on a national tour to promote energy efficient lighting as an easy, effective and money-saving way for American households to help fight climate change. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson kicked off the 10-city, 20-day Energy Star Change-a-Light Bus Tour today at Disneyland.

"Protecting the environment, while saving money, is as easy as changing a light. And through the Change a Light bus tour, we're taking that message on the road," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By encouraging people to make smart energy decisions, President Bush and EPA are brightening America's future, one light at a time."

If every U.S. household changed just one light bulb or fixture to an Energy Star bulb, each year our country would save $600 million in energy costs, enough energy to light 3 million homes, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from more than 800,000 cars. Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of a home's electricity use. Energy Star qualified light bulbs and fixtures use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent lighting, with bulbs that last six to ten times longer. One Energy Star qualified bulb can save about $30 or more in energy costs over its lifetime.

EPA and the Department of Energy are sponsoring the tour to raise awareness of the benefits of energy efficient lighting choices. The Energy Star Change a Light Bus Tour will cross the country following this itinerary:
Oct. 18 Maplewood, N.J.
Oct. 19-20 Boston, Mass.
Oct. 23 New York City, N.Y.

At each tour stop, an outdoor interactive education center will be set up with interactive displays to convey the importance of our lighting choices, how to use and dispose of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) responsibly, and the connection between our personal energy use and our climate. The education center is cosponsored by JCPenney.

The Change-a-Light campaign promotes lighting that has earned the government's Energy Star label for efficiency as a first step toward saving energy. The campaign encourages individuals to take the online Energy Star Change a Light pledge. The pledge is a public commitment to change out at least one inefficient light at home with an energy-efficient one. To date, nearly 900,000 Americans in every state and U.S. territory have pledged to change more than 2 million lights.

The bus is being provided by Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a large North American manufacturer of inter-city motor coaches. MCI's bus is a state-of-the-art J4500 LX motor coach, powered by a 2007 EPA-model clean diesel engine fitted with a particulate scrubber, and fueled by ultra low sulfur diesel. One bus can displace the need for more than 50 passenger cars on our nation's highways.

Burma - Restrictions, But, Biggest Protests in Twenty Years Roll Across Country

9-27-207 The Burmese junta has stepped up censorship and violence against journalists who are trying to cover the rare mass protests gaining
momentum across the country, while deepening their own propaganda in state media,
report Mizzima News, the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), ARTICLE 19, other NGOs and Burmese exile-run news sources.

Protests that started on 19 August against soaring fuel prices have sparked the detention of at least 100 activists and a crackdown on the media and lines of communication. The authorities have repeatedly warned journalists as well as the thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns who have recently joined and led the protests - including the largest demonstrations in nearly two decades - that they would "take action" against them. In its latest effort to quell the growing demonstrations, Burma's military government imposed on 25 September a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Rangoon and
Mandalay, according to local news reports.

Despite fears of a repeat of the state violence that happened during the people dead, demonstrators have largely ignored the threats. On 22 September, in an extraordinary move, hundreds of monks marched to the house of Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Laureate and leader of the opposition party National League for Democracy (NLD). Suu Kyi greeted them from her gate, which was heavily guarded by police officers bearing shields, in her first public appearance in more than four years. She has been held under house arrest for 11 of the past 17 years. Today (25
September), Reuters reports that Suu Kyi has been moved to the notorious Insein prison.

Last week, some journalists were prevented from documenting the daily marches of the monks, which began on 18 September after the junta failed to apologise for injuring several monks at a protest in Pakokku. Three Burmese journalists covering a demonstration by monks in Rangoon on 18 September were arrested and questioned, and their cameras and/or memory cards were
confiscated by plainclothes police, report Mizzima News and SEAPA.

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Burma Media Association (BMA), an international organisation of exiled journalists, noted at least 24 serious violations of the freedom to report news and information since the day protests started. The junta has also used a range of measures to terminate the flow of information, including blocking websites and blogs and disconnecting telephone lines belonging to politicians and activists. YouTube, the
popular video-sharing site, has been blocked since 3 September, while news sites such as CNN and Mizzima remain among the hundreds of sites banned. According to BMA, a number of reporters have experienced either permanent or recurring cuts of their cell phone services by government
authorities since 11 September. Around the same time, the telephones of 50 government
opponents were disconnected to prevent them from talking to Burmese and foreign journalists about the latest threats against the demonstrators.

The junta has also been tapping land lines of journalists and democracy activists since 8 August, say Mizzima News, SEAPA and BMA. Meanwhile, the military government has stepped up its propaganda in state media and has ordered private media to only publish articles favourable to
the government. Initially the authorities ordered a 10-day blackout on the protests in local news, but now news reports are allowed if they portray the demonstrations as a threat to national security, according to an informal Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) survey of Burma's local press.
Despite the numerous tactics, a new group calling itself the Association of Journalists and Artists has been set up to give support to journalists and artists sympathetic to the protests. According to BMA, the Information Ministry hastily reacted to the new group, demanding that all journals and
periodicals announce they are not part of the association and are not interested in taking part in the protests.

Although world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and British Prime Mnister Gordon Brown, have warned the regime would be held accountable for any violent crackdown on protesters, Dr. Agnès Callamard,

ARTICLE 19's executive director, says the international community has failed to bring an end to the dictatorship and restore human rights in Burma. "It is this failure, the product of a deadly combination of indifference, complicity, tactics, perhaps even loss of confidence that has allowed the regime to continue its oppression of the people of Burma and the unrelenting detention of Aung San Suu Kyi," she says.

"A Sad Day for Marylanders" Reverend David R. Smith Metropolitan Community Church of Baltimore, Maryland

Today’s decision in the Conaway v. Deane & Polyak marriage equality lawsuit prolongs discrimination against same-sex couples in Maryland by continuing to bar them from legally marrying. Equality Maryland will move full steam ahead by taking our case to the General Assembly and asking our elected officials to extend marriage to same-sex couples.

"There is no denying the disappointment we are all feeling, but this lawsuit was certainly not in vain,” said Executive Director Dan Furmansky. “We have educated our neighbors and our lawmakers about our families, the indignities we face, and the necessity for equal treatment under the law. That which our judiciary could not remedy is now the responsibility of lawmakers, and Equality Maryland intends to hold lawmakers accountable for improving the lives of all residents of this state, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

"Looking beyond the fact that any inquiry into the ability or willingness of a couple actually to bear a child during marriage would violate the fundamental right to marital privacy recognized in Griswold, 381 U.S. at 484-86, 493, 85 S. Ct. at 1681, 14 L. Ed. 2d 510, the fundamental right to marriage and its ensuing benefits are conferred on opposite-sex couples not because of a distinction between whether various opposite-sex couples actually procreate, but rather because of the possibility of procreation."

-Judge Glenn Harrell, Jr.
Today the state’s highest court ruled that it is constitutional to deny the rights and protections of marriage to committed same-sex couples in Maryland. Equality Maryland knows that this discrimination is wrong, and we won’t be deterred. The lesbian and gay Marylanders who brought this case along with the ACLU and Equality Maryland have important reasons for seeking the protections of marriage. They have been shut out of hospital rooms during the illness of a partner, lost a home after the death of a partner, denied the ability to live in the same country as a partner, and have been forced to go without health insurance because they cannot get coverage through a partner. Some are raising children and want their children to have the additional security that comes only through marriage. Others are retired, or near retirement, and worry about their future well-being without the protections of marriage.

African-American Cross-Denominational Group and
World's Largest Predominantly Gay Christian Denomination
Announce Joint Efforts to Promote "Radical Inclusivity"

The Fellowship, Metropolitan Community Churches Unveil Goals;
Plan Calls for 10 Major U.S. City Gatherings in 2008

On September 11, 2007, with the backdrop of 9-11 as catalyst, the leadership of The Fellowship Churches (www.RadicallyInclusive.com), a national U.S. trans-denominational fellowship of primarily African-American Christian leaders working for radical inclusivity, and Metropolitan Community Churches (www.MCCchurch.org ), the world's largest and oldest Christian denomination with a primary, affirming ministry to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals, gathered at DaySpring Conference Center in Florida to declare solidarity and commit to work in unity on three objectives.
 
FIRST JOINT OBJECTIVE:
-- Resistance to and healing of religious and spiritual violence perpetrated against people who have traditionally lived at the margins of society, including people suffering from substance abuse; people living with HIV/AIDS and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and inter-sex people;

SECOND JOINT OBJECTIVE:
-- Radical and full inclusion of all people living at the margins of  communities of faith and spiritual practice;

THIRD JOINT OBJECTIVE:
-- Commitment to the deep and challenging work toward reconciling the historical divisions in faith and religious communities created by racism, sexism, classism, serophobia and homophobia.
Presiding Bishop Yvette A. Flunder of The Fellowship and Moderator Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson of Metropolitan Community Churches facilitated discussion among their respective organizational leaders, resulting in the following public declaration:

JOINT DECLARATION BY
Bishop Yvette Flunder, Presiding Bishop,The Fellowship and Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches

The Fellowship and Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) lift up to the world our commitment and intention to challenge major fundamental, deep-seated religious beliefs, doctrines and theologies of the oppressive dominant culture.

This culture treats people on society's margins as enemies of God and routinely mistreats, oppresses and excludes people from the community of faith and its institutions. We further confirm that these acts defeat the Christian commonwealth and we claim a season of refreshment, repentance and reconciliation.

Our organizations recognize the powerful opportunity to leverage our mutual ministries and movements toward full inclusion of all people and to provide networking and deepening of our common commitments. 

Both organizations have agreed to facilitate 10 major city gatherings of open and affirming congregations in 2008 to listen and learn, share approaches and challenges in overcoming spiritual violence, discrimination, and racism and to unite people in prayer for true peace in the community and in the world.

As leaders, we have agreed to model solidarity among churches and people who live in the context of, and respond to, particularly painful experiences of violence.
As leaders, we have agreed to share insights and effective approaches for overcoming violence.
As leaders, we have agreed to deepen ecumenical contacts among the churches, national councils of churches, and related organizations and networks.
As leaders, we have agreed to work with intention to connect congregations, student and youth groups, theological and other church-related institutions in the search for a global declaration of the radically inclusive love of God for all people.
As leaders, we have agreed to promote interdependence while maintaining independence. Neither organization seeks to be an instrument of ecclesiastical restraint in the sense of diminishing the member church or ministry’s individual calling.
As leaders, we have agreed to establish and maintain strong relationships vital to our ministries and movement.  As we make every effort to strengthen one another we recognize the importance of knowing one another, respecting one another and esteeming each member highly. As people of God working to uphold and advance the radically inclusive love of Jesus Christ, we will face the onslaught of opposition and we will do so together. We will encourage and strengthen our respective member churches and ministries through the sharing of our experiences. Our aim is to give insight as well as inspiration.

We believe associating and assembling together are vital in building relationship. The Bible tells us that the assembling of the saints should not be forsaken. Therefore, we make every effort to come together as we have the opportunity for healing, corporate prayer, worship, fellowship and edifying one another in the Lord.


THE FELLOWSHIP:
The Fellowship is a cross-denominational fellowship of primarily African-American Christian leaders representing churches and faith-based organizations from diverse geographic and theological backgrounds. The overriding purpose of The Fellowship is to support religious leaders, both clergy and laity, in moving towards a theology of radical inclusivity which, by its very nature, requires an equally radical social ministry reaching to the furthest margins of society to serve all in need without prejudice or discrimination. The Fellowship works to create, sustain and celebrate community on the margins. http://www.RadicallyInclusive.com

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCHES (MCC)
Founded in 1968, Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) is the worlds largest and oldest Christian denomination with a primary, affirming ministry to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals. Known as the "Human Rights Church" for its commitment to social justice, local MCC congregations can be found in 28 countries around the world.

Employment Discrimination in the U.S. 9-15-2007

According to the ACLU Congress doesn’t slow down very often. But when Brooke Waits of Dallas, Texas, testified before the House Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education & Labor Committee to urge passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), it felt like Capitol Hill stood still.

Brooke was working as an inventory manager for a cell phone company. She had retooled the company’s inventory system and won praise for her work from her supervisors. Work was a passion for Brooke, and she did her job well. Her only offense? Being a lesbian.
On the job, Brooke kept her personal life to herself. She never told her co-workers who often made homophobic jokes about her girlfriend. But a few months into her job, Brooke walked away from her desk and her boss peeked at Brooke’s cell phone screensaver, where she saw a picture of Brooke kissing her girlfriend on New Year’s Eve.

Brooke was fired the next day. Her manager said they needed someone more “dependable.” When Brooke pointed out she frequently came to work early to make headway on her projects, her boss insisted it didn’t matter: She had to go.

Brooke kept her personal life private, but when her boss invaded her privacy, she lost her job.
Believe it or not, what Brooke’s boss did was not illegal. ENDA the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would make it illegal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation.

Without laws like ENDA, prejudice can dress itself up in labels like “undependable work ethic” or “unprofessional attitude” and cost hardworking lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans their jobs without giving them any way to fight it. See additional info

Country of Singapore Bans
Speech By Gay Activist Rev. Dr. Troy Perry,
Founder of Metropolitan Community Churches

"There's a saying that when a door closes, God opens a window. That's also true of LGBT activists," says Perry, who found creative ways to share the message of LGBT rights in Singapore.

Los Angeles -- During 40 years of LGBT activism, Rev. Dr. Troy D. Perry, founder of the predominantly gay Metropolitan Community Churches, has been picketed, taunted by Right Wing extremists, and arrested for civil disobedience. Perry knows what it is to be the target of hate mail campaigns and the recipient of death threats. Occasionally, a church or organization has canceled a speaking engagement by the outspoken gay rights leader.

But recent actions by Singapore marked the first time an entire country had banned Perry from public speaking engagements.

Rev. Perry was part of a recent six-member delegation to Southeast Asia from Metropolitan Community Churches. The delegation, led by Rev. Pat Bumgardner, chair of the Moderator's Global Justice Team of MCC, was scheduled to conduct speaking engagements, workshops, and worship services in Malaysia and Singapore, and to meet with LGBT rights groups.

"I've had enough experiences for three lifetimes," said Perry, "but this was the first time an entire country banned me from public speaking. I was allowed to enter the country and told that I could speak one-on-one with individuals, but I was banned from delivering my public speech." Perry was scheduled to deliver a speech, "Metropolitan Community Churches and the Gay Christian Witness" before a coalition of LGBT rights and LGBT pride groups.

Gay male homosexual sex is illegal in Singapore, though lesbian sex in private is not criminalized. Penalties for male homosexual acts, while seldom enforced, are severe.
"All over the world I've observed it time and time again: the LGBT community always finds creative ways to make our voices heard in spite of oppression and intimidation. We always find ways to get out the message that all people deserve equality under the law, and that all of God's children, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons, are worthy of dignity and God's love."
Despite the intimidation, the public event took place as scheduled in Singapore City on August 8 -- with Rev. Perry and Rev. Bumgardner in attendance. Organizers identified three plainclothes police officers in the audience.

"The Singapore government may have banned me from delivering my speech, but the event's organizers saw to it that my voice was heard," said Rev. Perry.

LGBT activists had prepared a PowerPoint presentation of Rev. Perry's life with photos from the pictorial book, "Troy Perry: Pastor and Prophet," including pictures of Perry with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, and other religious, political, and social leaders.
Then they read aloud passages from four books authored by Rev. Perry. "They used the words from my writings to give me voice and to share my beliefs about human rights for LGBT people," said Perry.
"But what happened next was simply a stroke of genius," he enthused.

"The organizers announced that, while I couldn't deliver my public speech, I had been told I could answer one-on-one questions from individuals. So for the next three hours, from 9 PM to midnight, I answered one individual question after another. Of course, I was answering them out loud in front of the audience, so I was actually able to share far more information than if I had only delivered my speech," said Perry.
"There's a saying that when a door closes, God opens a window. That's also true of LGBT activists," said Perry. "When Singapore officials closed a door, Singapore's LGBT activists opened a window."
"I am so proud of LGBT activists across Singapore and Malaysia. They are working to secure the human rights of LGBT people in their countries and are doing so in the face of great cultural and political opposition," added Perry. "And let me also say how thankful I am for spiritual activists such as Rev. Pat Bumgardner, senior pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of New York, and Rev. Boon Lin Ngeo, the first openly gay clergyperson in Malaysia, who were part of the recent MCC team. They are working hand-in-hand with national and regional activists to further social and spiritual justice across Southeast Asia."

Rev. Dr. Troy D. Perry founded Metropolitan Community Churches in 1968, one year prior to the Stonewall Riots. Today Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) is the world's largest and oldest Christian denomination with a primary, affirming ministry to lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons. Known as "The Human Rights Church" for its commitment to social justice, MCC has almost 300 local congregations in 28 countries. Additional information on MCC can be found on-line at www.MCCchurch.org or by writing to info@MCCchurch.net.

Letter to the Editor Windsor Star/ Mr. John Colman

• Importance of Gay Pride
• Outside of Toronto, Windsor has one the the best Gay Pride Festivals in Ontario.  This is a week of celebration for human rights achieved through public acceptance, legislation and constitutional amendments.  The Gay protest is now Gay Pride.  We have achieved an end to discrimination on such issues as housing, workplace, military, and marriage.  As Canadians we have achieved equal human rights to exist.  Many people still would love to quash the rights of the Gay community, and continue to spout with ignorance their insults.  It is important to continue to have a festival to stand proud for being Gay.
•     Windsor Gay Pride this week is an event with many different events geared to many aspects of our culture and community.  The week has started Monday with the raising of our rainbow flag at city hall by  Mayor Eddie Francis and many members of city council.  Events this week include a Vigil for A.I.D.S. victims, an art show, family bowling, dancing, a family church service, the parade and a cultural festival on the waterfront along the Detroit river downtown.
•     For all who have stood through the years to fight for the cause of Gay rights, we have overcome prejudice and discrimination.  It is with great pride we are proud to be Gay!
• Thomas Frank Smith
Windsor OntarioIn the News Today

6-15-2007

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to the vote today by the Massachusetts legislature on same sex marriage.
"The nation’s eyes were on Massachusetts today, and they saw a triumph for civil rights and fundamental fairness. Today's historic vote will have a national impact on civil rights for years to come. Massachusetts has led the nation in education, in health care and in biotechnology, and today Massachusetts renewed its commitment as a proud leader in civil rights.”


~~~  Sean William Kennedy  ~~~
Remarks:
On a typical May evening a few weeks ago, Sean Kennedy was a healthy, happy 20-year-old gay man living in Greenville, South Carolina. While enjoying the company of his friends at a bar named Brew's on May 16, 2007, he became one of a growing number of victims who every year lose their lives to hatred and senseless violence.

His attacker, Stephen Andrew Moller, just 18 years old himself, though not counted in those statistics, will nonetheless also lose his life or some portion of it because somewhere, at his still young age, he learned it was acceptable to randomly select, bash, batter and even kill gay people.
 
It's time for this violence to stop... and for religious groups to stop fanning the flames of anti-gay prejudice. The sad reality we live with every day is this: Far too much of the violence directed against God's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children is rooted in religion-based fear and misunderstanding.
-- Ending hate crimes and protecting all Americans equally   does not "persecute" those who hold differing views on  race, gender identity, ability or sexual orientation, as claimed by Carrie Gordon Earl of Focus on the Family.
--  Enacting legislation at the local and federal level to end  hate crimes protects all of us, regardless of our differing beliefs and convictions.
 
It's time for this violence to stop... and for parents, guardians, teachers, pastors and community leaders everywhere to teach our children, in the words of Sean's mother, Elke Kennedy, that "people should not be judged or attacked or killed because others don't like who they are." 
 
We are joined in spirit tonight as people of faith and people of goodwill, from many creeds and customs, many races and personal identities, to say:
Save our children...  from ignorance and hate,  that rob them of their innocence.
Save our young people... from the tragedy of anti-gay violence, that robs them of life's hope and joy. Save our society...  from all prejudice and judgment, that rob us of our common humanity and fail to reflect the acceptance of the God who is Unconditional Love.
In the Scriptures -- which  we, as spiritual leaders in Metropolitan Community Churches, hold most dear -- Jesus counsels prayer, not persecution, and certainly not violence, in response to disagreement, even when it rises to the level of considering ourselves enemies.
               "Treat others   as you would like them  to treat you," he says."Love your enemies and do good."
                                      -- Luke, Chapter 6
 
Sean Kennedy treated everyone well, according to family and acquaintances alike. He was a generous and kind soul. Even in death, he acted to save, not take, life by donating his vital organs. Because of his choice, the lives of four people he never knew have been saved.
 
Whether we who are gathered here tonight knew Sean or not, we can make a choice to follow his good example and act now to save the lives of the one in six of the twenty-five daily victims of hate crimes who will be attacked, and in some cases killed, for no other reason than their sexual orientation or gender identity.
 
     -- We urge all South Carolinians tonight to contact Senator Robert Ford and let him know he is not
        alone in his effort to introduce new hate crimes legislation in the State Senate.
     -- Contact Representative Seth Whipper in the South Carolina House of Representatives and let
        him know that you support his efforts to introduce similar legislation in his chamber.
     -- Contact South Carolina's U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint. Tell them of Sean's
        unnecessary death -- and tell them you expect them to pass the Matthew Shepherd Act now!
 
And pray with us, not only for Elke and the family and friends of Sean Kennedy, but also for Stephen Andrew Moller and his family, and for all the people who, like Stephen, think it is acceptable to harm those who are different from us.

No one is safe from hatred's reach until everyone is equally valued as a human being and equally protected under the law. No one wants to save and protect all of our lives more than the God in whose name we speak tonight.
 
+Nancy                                +Arlene
Rev. Elder Nancy L. Wilson                 Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman
Moderator                                              Member, Board of Elder

PUBLIC STATEMENT 5-29,2007
 
by Rev. Elder Nancy L. Wilson
Moderator, Metropolitan Community Churches
 
On the Exclusion of Bishop Gene Robinson from
Participation in the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Communion
 
May 2007

As the Archbishop of Canterbury sent out over 800 invitations to the upcoming Lambeth Conference -- the global, once-a-decade gathering of Anglican Bishops -- four names were omitted from the invitation list, two glaringly so: Bishop V. Gene Robinson and Bishop Martyn Minns. 
 
Bishop Robinson was excluded because he is openly gay. Though "duly elected and consecrated according to the proper procedures of the Episcopal Church," according to Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Robinson's presence is seen as "divisive" and "scandalous."
 
Minns, on the other hand, unduly consecrated and now heading a body of churches in the United States not recognized by the global Anglican community, was apparently excluded for his participation in the formulation of a renegade diocese.
 
Though dismayed that the Church of Jesus Christ would exclude any of its shepherds from the table, I also find myself wondering why Bishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who consecrated and installed Minns illicitly, has the door held wide open to him?
 
Archbishop Rowan Williams says he has the right to withhold invitations to bishops whose appointment, actions, or manner of life have caused division. Have not his own actions, in excluding two of his colleagues of diverse theological perspective and opinion, "caused division"?  Have not the actions of Bishop Akinola, including his rejection of the collegial authority of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, because she is a woman, "caused division"?  Jesus' counsel to those of us who place ourselves on the throne of judgment instead of before it is simple and direct, "First, take the log out of your own eye." (Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7)
 
Bishop Robinson is to be commended for his courage in practicing the truthfulness and fidelity he has long preached. As an obviously gifted and qualified church leader, he should be held in high esteem for responding unhesitatingly to God's call to serve the Church. In a church culture of whispers, secrets, silence and avoidance, Bishop Robinson's stand of truthfulness distinguishes him.
In light of Archbishop Rowan's decision, I commend to you the words of Rev. Elder Glenna Shepherd, who guides MCC's work in the United Kingdom: "How tragic that thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Anglicans have been shunned by the Archbishop’s decision. Even more tragic is that many of these will understand this as God's rejection. Perhaps most tragic of all is that at a time when a united Church could call the world to peace, work for justice, feed the hungry and heal the suffering, it instead divides itself according to internal political agendas."

Likewise, I echo the words of Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, who oversees MCC's ministry and commitment to human rights across Eastern Europe, "To deny Bishop Robinson full participation in the Lambeth Conference seems to be a response to the political agenda of some conservative members of the Anglican Communion. Bishop Robinson’s only "problem" appears to be that he loves another man. Jesus always stood with the marginalized and oppressed. Would Jesus have discriminated against Bishop Robinson? Would he have turned his back and stood with the angry mob? It is my sincere prayer that Archbishop Williams will reconsider his decision to exclude Bishop Robinson from participation as a full member of the Anglican Communion, including his presence at the Lambeth Conference. There should be no second class Bishops."
 
I urge all  people of faith to join me in praying for the Episcopal Church as it continues to wrestle with the question of inclusion. Pray with me for all our brothers and sisters across faith lines, to have the courage to honestly examine the issues of sexuality, including the racialization of sexuality, the history of colonial churches and sexual ethics. 
 
The Church Universal must do this work together, in open and honest conversation, for God's sake, and for the sake of all people around God's earth who hunger for faith and spirituality. The exclusion of more and more leaders and members is a terrible and sad price to pay in exchange for avoidance of conflict.

(And in your prayers, please pray for Metropolitan Community Churches, that we might never lose our God-given calling to lead by example, to stand with those who are marginalized and rejected, and to share the hope-filled message of God's unconditional love for all people through Jesus Christ.)
The decision of Archbishop Williams is one that deserves the close scrutiny by all people of faith, for its heart, it serves to further alienate and divide the whole Body of Christ. I urge us all to pray, as Jesus prayed: "May they all be one." (Gospel of John, Chapter 17)
 
+ Nancy

MCC Modertor Nancy Wilason on the death of Yolanda King 5-16-2007

Rev. Elder Darlene Garner of MCC Region 6 and Convener of MCC's People of African Descent Conference offered these words of tribute:
 

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Yolanda King. Born the daughter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King only two weeks before Rosa Parks took her seat at the front of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Yolanda King grew up on the very public stage of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Heavily influenced throughout her life by the abiding love of her family, support of her community, and dependence upon her faith in God, she lived into being a "King" in her own right. She spoke against injustice and intolerance. She confronted racism and homophobia. She challenged both the intolerant and the complacent to care about all those that had been cast out, including the poor, the undocumented, and LGBT people. Yolanda King lived and died as a Torchbearer for Justice."
 
Yolanda King, like her mother Coretta Scott King, supported gay rights, including marriage equality. In 2005, she presented Equality California's Gavin Newsom Visionary Award to the NAACP for its support of the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.
 
At the 2006 Out & Equal Workplace Summit in Chicago, Yolanda King said: "In the 1950s and 60s, African-American men and women made some choices -- often dangerous ones -- and they were joined by men and women of goodwill, gay and straight, from all races and backgrounds, and together, tremendous progress was made toward the betterment of our nation. The civil rights movement served as the inspiration and paved the way for all the movements for human rights which followed it -- the women's movement, the peace movement, and, of course, the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans."
 
Yolanda added:
 
"We have come a long way. And while the scars and stains of racism remain, the fact is, racial discrimination is no longer legal. However, discrimination under the rule of law still exists. If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you do not have the same rights as other Americans. For a nation that prides itself on liberty, justice and equality for all, this it totally unacceptable."
 
As we in the Metropolitan Community Churches reflect on the life of Yolanda King and the legacy of the King family, I invite us to recommit ourselves to the work of justice for all people. Let us continue to lift our voices against homophobia, AIDS-phobia, racism, sexism and all injustices that oppress people anywhere in our world. The work of justice leaves no one out; it is the divine calling that reminds us that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
 
My prayer today is that Yolanda King's legacy will inspire each of us to work for justice.
 
May our light so shine that all of us might live to see "justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream!"
 
+ Nancy
 
Rev. Nancy L. Wilson
Moderator
Metropolitan Community Churches
www.MCCchurch.org

Alternative Fuel Legislation Makes History in Michigan by Congressman Mike Rogers
 

 I write to update you on recent legislative activities in the United States Congress. I appreciate the opportunity to contact you. 
 
Promoting Alternative Fuel Legislation
Recently I introduced legislation that will advance production of alternative fuel vehicles to help get America off its dependence on foreign oil.  My bill would provide loan guarantees of up to $20 billion to accelerate development and production of American-made alternative fuel vehicles. 

Michigan has more automotive research than the other 49 states combined.  This legislation is an important opportunity for our automotive scientists, engineers, designers and workers to change the way we power our cars and trucks.  These loans would allow Michigan companies, at little or no cost to taxpayers, to borrow private funds for research, development, and production of alternative fuel vehicles. 

I drive a flex-fuel car that uses E85 ethanol, and every time I step on the gas, I celebrate the opportunity to drive an American-made car operating on a renewable fuel made by Michigan farmers and refinery workers, delivered by Michigan truck drivers, and sold at Michigan gas stations. Imagine the powerful impact on the future of our country and our hard working families when we make the transition off foreign oil and into vehicles running on ethanol or other alternatives like hybrid electric or clean diesel power.
 
For more information on this issue, click here to view his proposal.
 
Big 3 Testify on Capitol Hill
 

Last week, the Energy and Commerce Committee on which I serve heard testimony from CEOs of the Big Three automakers.  The subcommittee asked automakers and union officials to testify on climate change and energy security. 
 
I firmly believe that if America is to get off its dependence on foreign oil, Congress and U.S. automakers must make major commitments to the research and development of alternative fuels and vehicles that operate on renewable, American-made energy sources.  
We must find a balance that protects the environment and American jobs.
 
I also understand that American auto manufacturers rarely receive credit for the financial commitment and the progress they've already made on moving toward advanced technology in alternative fuel vehicles.  These automakers have already made great strides by developing and working with lithium batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen fuel, and ethanol. The challenge for our next generation will be the transition to alternative energy to power our cars, heat and cool our homes, and light our daily lives. I hope Congress can be a partner in that process and rather than the source of more bureaucratic hurdles.
 

Alternatives for Iraq
 

Last month I introduced my own resolution on Iraq - one offering alternatives to make progress in Iraq .  
 
I appreciate your continued interest in the legislative activities of the U.S. Congress.  As always, if you should have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Sincerely,
Mike Rogers
Member of Congress

Rainbow Scholarship an Investment in Community

The Windsor Pride Committee announced Thursday that its fundraising efforts exceeded the original target, and the Salvagio Vonatti Rainbow Award—an annual scholarship for outstanding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students at the University of Windsor—has attracted a total of $17,000 for its endowment.~

The award was established five years ago by former computer science student Salvagio Vonatti, and operated on the basis of individual annual donations. After Vonatti was shot January 10 outside a club in Detroit in what police called a hate crime motivated by homophobia, the Windsor Pride Committee set out to endow the scholarship to ensure its permanence.

“It’s important for us to invest in the future of our community. There is no better way then to help a gay student get a great education right here in Windsor,” then-chair Dani Bobb said this summer.Sal Vonatti is in hospital, continuing his recovery from the shooting.

Letter to the Editor

12-7-2006

Thank you for your past email in support of same-sex marriage.I am proud to say that the federal NDP Caucus stands united in support of equal marriage for gay and lesbian couples. That is why on Thursday December 7th, we voted unanimously against the Harper government's motion "to introduce legislation to restore the traditional definition of marriage".
The NDP was the - only - party where the entire Caucus voted in defence of equal rights protection for same-sex couples.

We believe that the Conservative government's attempt to exclude same-sex relationships from the institution of marriage conveys the wrong message in our society - that these relationships are less worth